Evacuation attempts resume as U.N. says 2 million have fled Ukraine
LATEST UPDATES
Average gas prices in U.S. jump over $4 a gallon for first time since 2008
6:25 a.m.
Irish man drives truck into gates of Russian Embassy in support of Ukraine
6:12 a.m.
On a day full ‘of the brightest feelings,’ Putin congratulates women
5:58 a.m.
Estée Lauder joins other companies in exiting Russia’s market
5:40 a.m.
Baltic states urge allies to ramp up defense in face of Russian threat
5:30 a.m.
Key update
Two million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, U.N. says
5:15 a.m.
Judo federation takes further step to separate itself from Vladimir Putin
5:05 a.m.
Seemingly stuck Russian convoy hides mysteries
4:54 a.m.
British defense minister says Russia’s invasion isn’t going as planned and pledges military support to Poland
4:43 a.m.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to address U.K. Parliament via video
4:30 a.m.
Russia threatens to cut European energy supplies, warns of ‘catastrophic consequences’ for global market
4:17 a.m.
Ukraine recommends evacuation via nations like Romania, citing congestion near Polish border
4:00 a.m.
Talks between Russia and Ukraine yield little, with civilians still trapped in besieged cities
3:46 a.m.
Yale list highlights companies staying in or leaving Russia
3:26 a.m.
Russia, Belarus conducted widespread phishing campaigns in Ukraine, Poland, Google says
3:05 a.m.
Key updates
Two million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, U.N. says
Russian attacks on evacuation corridors resulting in civilian deaths, U.K. Defense Ministry says
The volunteers providing food and warmth to a city at war
In central Kyiv, behind makeshift barricades, ordinary Ukrainians are working around the clock to prepare meals for soldiers and civilians alike. (Whitney Shefte, Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post)
By Karla Adam, Amy Cheng, Ellen Francis and Adela Suliman
Today at 1:21 a.m. EST|Updated today at 6:25 a.m. EST
Russia said Tuesday it was opening humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from several besieged Ukrainian cities after Ukraine accused Moscow of violating previous cease-fires and shelling people who were trying to flee to safety.
Russia said the routes were from cities including Ukraine’s second largest, Kharkiv, and hard-hit Mariupol — and that evacuees from Kyiv would be flown to Russia after arriving in Gomel, Belarus. Ukraine has rejected the idea of evacuation corridors leading to Russia or its ally, Belarus, and said Tuesday that the only agreed routes were for regions in Ukraine.
“Let’s try again,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted, referring to evacuations from the city of Sumy, which began Tuesday morning local time. As Russia’s bombardment continues across Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis is growing. Two million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion nearly two weeks ago, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
A third round of talks Monday between Russia and Ukraine failed to achieve a substantial breakthrough, although further talks were expected to continue as soon as Thursday. In a video interview that aired Monday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian soldiers of being “war criminals.” A growing number of Western leaders are also raising questions about possible war crimes — which Moscow denies — citing reports of attacks on civilians.
Here’s what to know
The Pentagon will send an additional 500 U.S. troops from the United States to Europe to bolster American forces in the eastern part of the continent, a senior U.S. defense official said.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Tuesday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not going according to plan and that its military is taking heavy casualties. “It’s not going particularly well for the Russians,” Wallace told Britain’s Sky News. “It’s day 13, way off their timetable.” Zelensky will address the British Parliament via video on Tuesday.
As Western corporate titans sever ties with Russia, some brands including KFC, Pizza Hut and Starbucks have stayed put so far, despite calls from activists urging them to boycott Moscow. Most of their stores in Russia are owned by franchisees, which limits the corporations’ ability to curtail their operations.
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Average gas prices in U.S. jump over $4 a gallon for first time since 2008
A driver refuels at a Chevron gas station in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Monday, March 7, 2022.
A driver refuels at a Chevron gas station in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Monday, March 7, 2022. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg)
The national average gas price in the United States climbed to over $4 this week, according to the AAA Gas Prices website, a record high since July 2008.
This is largely a consequence of the upward march in global oil prices, following the Ukraine crisis that had already inflated what drivers in the United States pay at the pump.
The national average gas price stood at $4.173 per gallon Tuesday, according to AAA data, while in California it was over $5.
U.S. officials are looking for ways to take the pressure off global energy markets and ease the pocket pain of consumers, but analysts warn there is no supplier that could easily supplant Russia, the world’s third-largest energy producer. Oil prices hit their highest point in over a decade on Monday at $120 a barrel as it appeared increasingly likely that Western sanctions would not spare the Russian energy industry.
Global energy giant Shell said in a statement on Tuesday that it intends to “withdraw from its involvement in all Russian hydrocarbons, including crude oil, petroleum products, gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a phased manner,” in a move likely to further impact consumer prices.
Negotiators from the United States, Russia and China have been working on a renewed Iran nuclear deal that could return Iranian crude oil to the markets. A group of U.S. officials flew to Venezuela on Saturday to discuss that nation’s oil exports, The Washington Post reported.
This week, Russia threatened to cut the flow of gas to Europe through a major pipeline, which could leave countries facing oil prices of more than $300 per barrel, according to a Russian official.
“It is absolutely clear that a rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in a statement Monday on state television. “The surge in prices would be unpredictable. It would be $300 per barrel, if not more,” he said.
The Biden administration has pushed its allies to support a ban on Russian oil imports. European Union leaders will meet in Versailles, France, on Thursday to discuss the possibility of phasing out the bloc’s dependency on Russian energy.
Dow slides nearly 800 points as oil hits $120 a barrel while Russia conflict rattles investors
Irish man drives truck into gates of Russian Embassy in support of Ukraine
Irish Police stand guard at the Russian Embassy, following an incident where a truck reversed through the entrance gate to the embassy, in Dublin on March 7, 2022.
Irish Police stand guard at the Russian Embassy, following an incident where a truck reversed through the entrance gate to the embassy, in Dublin on March 7, 2022. (Lorraine O'sullivan/Reuters)
A man drove a truck through the gates of the Russian Embassy in Ireland on Monday, leading to a heated back-and-forth with Russian authorities, who accused Irish law enforcement of failing to respond — the latest incident highlighting the precarious role of Russian diplomatic as they have become the targets of protesters since the invasion of Ukraine.
A video of the incident shared by Irish broadcaster RTÉ News shows a large truck reversing into the gates of the embassy on Orwell Road in Dublin, as some onlookers cheer. Other videos posted on social media show the driver, who identifies himself as Desmond Wisley, handing out photographs of what he describes as victims of Russian forces in Ukraine, including a woman and two children, and saying, “I done it for her.”
The Garda said in a statement that they are investigating the incident and that a man was arrested and “taken to Rathfarnham Garda Station where he is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.″ The man is expected to face charges at a hearing in Tallaght District Court on Tuesday, the Garda said.
The Russian Embassy in a statement Monday afternoon said Irish police officers “stood idle” as this happened, and accused Ireland of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which says that nations have a “special duty” to protect foreign diplomatic missions.
A spokesperson for the Irish Police, or Garda, said in an email to The Washington Post that it “does not comment on statements or remarks made by 3rd parties,” and said its officer acted quickly to arrest the driver.
Other Russian embassies and their staff around the world have become the target of protesters’ discontent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry in a statement said “hoodlums have attacked Russian diplomatic missions in Canada, Estonia, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden.”
On a day full ‘of the brightest feelings,’ Putin congratulates women
A woman at a camp for refugees from Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 8.
A woman at a camp for refugees from Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 8. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
A day full of “the brightest feelings.” A day to “to wish that your loved ones surround you with attention and warmth.” A day for “sincere words of admiration and gratitude” to wives, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters and girlfriends.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s video message of congratulations “from all my heart” to Russian women on International Women’s Day — one of Russia’s favorite holidays — struck an awkward note, as Russia shells civilian areas in Ukraine, mothers and newborns in a maternity hospital shelter in a Kyiv basement, and Human Rights Watch reports that Russian forces bombarded a road with fleeing civilians for hours Sunday, killing a couple and their two children.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also mentioned International Women’s Day briefly in a speech Tuesday in which he pressed the West to do more to stop Russian “genocide” against Ukrainian civilians. He said he could not congratulate women over the holiday “when there are so many deaths.”
In Putin’s message, he said “we live in difficult times” and pointed to Russia’s “inevitable need to protect our people and our country.” He spoke of “global economic challenges,” implying that the crash of Russia’s ruble and job losses as Western companies pull out of the country were due to widespread problems, rather than a Russian economic crisis triggered by sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.
“I would like to address the mothers, wives, sisters, brides and girlfriends of our soldiers and officers who are now in battle, defending Russia during a special military operation,” he said. “You can be proud of them just as the whole country is proud of them and worries about them with you.”
He also revived memories of World War II, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War, amid Russian propaganda that has recast the invasion of Ukraine as a defensive battle against “neo-Nazis.”
“Even during the most difficult trials of the Great Patriotic War, nothing could prevent the men of Russia from confessing their love to their women, and this love served as a support and inspiration,” Putin said.
Estée Lauder joins other companies in exiting Russia’s market
The global cosmetics firm Estée Lauder on Monday said it will stop doing business in Russia, the latest in a long and growing list of Western companies cutting ties with the country as a show of support for Ukraine.
In a statement, the company said it is “closing every store we own and operate” in Russia and no longer exporting products to consumers and retailers there in response to “the tragic invasion of Ukraine.”
The company’s latest move builds on its decision last week to “suspend The Estée Lauder Companies’ business investments and initiatives in Russia,” the statement said.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of the other boycotts launched globally since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Baltic states urge allies to ramp up defense in face of Russian threat
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielus Landsbergis and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hold a joint news conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, on March 7.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielus Landsbergis and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hold a joint news conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, on March 7. (Olivier Douliery/Pool/Reuters)
TALLINN, Estonia — For years, Europe’s Baltic states sounded the alarm about the looming threat from Russia and urged NATO to strengthen its eastern defenses.
On Monday, Lithuania’s leader issued another grim warning: Russian President Vladimir Putin may “not stop” in Ukraine.
“Deterrence is no longer enough, and we need more defense,” President Gitanas Nauseda said ahead of talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.
“Because otherwise, it will be too late here, Mr. Secretary,” he said. “Putin will not stop in Ukraine; he will not stop.”
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Key update
Two million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, U.N. says
Ukrainians flee the area of Irpin at a damaged bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv on March 7.
Ukrainians flee the area of Irpin at a damaged bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv on March 7. (Heidi Levine for The Washington Post)
Two million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion nearly two weeks ago, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said Tuesday.
That represents some 500,000 more people than on Sunday, when Grandi called the conflict in Ukraine “the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.”
So far, data shows most Ukrainian refugees have sought refuge in neighboring countries, including more than 1 million in Poland alone.
On Monday, Grandi said the outflow of Ukrainians illustrates the need for a “more structured system” for the distribution of refugees in Europe and elsewhere. The European Union has enacted unprecedented measures allowing Ukrainian refugees to live, study and work anywhere within the E.U. for at least a year.
“This is where we need a more structured system in the E.U. and certainly beyond the E.U. [for] … how to share this responsibility,” Grandi said, pointing to Britain, the United States, Canada and other nations.
“I do hope that this, in the end, is the silver lining of this crisis, that Europe understands that any country can become [a] recipient of large numbers of refugees and need the help of others,” Grandi said.
Judo federation takes further step to separate itself from Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin watched judo competition alongside then-Prime Minister David Cameron at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Vladimir Putin watched judo competition alongside then-Prime Minister David Cameron at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. (Ng Han Guan/AP)
The International Judo Federation removed Vladimir Putin and Arkady Rotenberg, an oligarch with a longtime connection to the Russian president, from “all positions” in the organization.
The federation announced the move Sunday night, and although the federation did not cite the invasion of Ukraine in its brief statement, the move comes a week after Putin had been suspended by the organization as its honorary president and ambassador because of the “ongoing war conflict in Ukraine.”
The judo organization, which has more than 200 national federation members, last month canceled the Grand Slam event in Kazan, Russia, that was set to be held in May. IJF President Marius Vizer said he was “saddened by the current international situation,” although the statement on the cancellation did not directly refer to Russia or Ukraine.
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Seemingly stuck Russian convoy hides mysteries
3D satellite video shows 40-mile convoy of Russian forces near Kyiv
This Feb. 28 video produced by Maxar Technologies shows a massive convoy of Russian military vehicles in an area northwest of Kyiv. (Maxar Technologies/AP)
KYIV, Ukraine — Makeshift roadblocks have been installed throughout this capital to impede the movements of Russian troops snaking toward the city in a convoy about 15 miles away.
On some strategic thruways, Ukrainians have parked trams and buses to restrict driving access. Checkpoints to inspect IDs have also been established to root out would-be saboteurs. “We have a lot of presents” for the Russians, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in an interview. “It’s not sweet. It’s very painful.”
The extended 40-mile parade of Russian armored vehicles, tanks and towed artillery headed from the north on a path toward Kyiv has both alarmed and befuddled watchers of this expanding war. It’s not just its sheer size. It’s also because for days, it has not appreciably been moving.
In Kyiv, the approaching convoy has mustered much more inspiration than fear, motivating residents to exact revenge on the Russian invasion in any way they can.
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British defense minister says Russia’s invasion isn’t going as planned and pledges military support to Poland
A burned Russian military vehicle in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 7.
A burned Russian military vehicle in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 7. (Stanislav Kozliuk/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
LONDON — British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Tuesday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not going as it had planned and said there had been “large scales” of Russian troops killed in the conflict.
“It’s not going particularly well for the Russians,” Wallace told Britain’s Sky News. “It’s day 13, way off their timetable.”
“Probably the biggest single casualty so far are Russian military soldiers,” he added, “who have been let down by appalling leadership and appalling plans.”
Wallace also said the 40-mile convoy of Russian military vehicles headed from the north toward Kyiv was “still stuck” outside Ukraine’s capital. American officials attribute the apparent stall in part to logistical failures on the Russian side. They have also credited Ukrainian attacks on parts of the convoy with contributing to its slowdown. But they warn that the Russians could regroup at any moment and press forward.
“We can see that the Russians are having real logistic problems, so that affects morale; they’re not getting through, they’re getting more desperate,” Wallace added. “Russia has built itself a trap.”
Wallace also said that Britain was “increasing our support of both lethal and nonlethal aid to Ukraine,” and that it would offer military support to Ukraine’s neighbor and the U.K.’s fellow NATO member Poland if it decided to provide Ukraine with fighter jets.
“I would support the Poles and whatever choice they make,” Wallace said, but he noted that Britain could not offer aircraft that the Ukrainians would be able to use. “Poland will understand that the choices they make will not only directly help Ukraine, which is a good thing, but also may bring them into direct line of fire from countries such as Russia or Belarus.”
Later on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will make a rare address to British lawmakers in Parliament. He addressed the U.S. Congress on Saturday. Wallace said he expected Zelensky’s speech to be “incredibly powerful” and called Ukraine’s president an “amazing guy.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to address U.K. Parliament via video
A demonstrator at Parliament Square in London holds up a British flag March 6 while protesting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A demonstrator at Parliament Square in London holds up a British flag March 6 while protesting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Henry Nicholls/Reuters)
LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the British Parliament on Tuesday via video, the first time that a speech from a foreign leader will be broadcast directly into the House of Commons chamber.
In previous speeches to Western leaders, Zelensky has struck an emotional and defiant tone. When he spoke to members of the U.S. Congress last week over Zoom, he told the politicians that it may be the last time they see him alive.
He has called on the West to do more to halt Russia’s invasion of his country by imposing tougher sanctions, including against its energy sector. He has also urged nations to send more defense assistance, including jets his pilots can operate, and called for NATO enforcement of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, something Western leaders have resisted.
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Russia threatens to cut European energy supplies, warns of ‘catastrophic consequences’ for global market
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By Adela Suliman4:17 a.m.
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Illuminated pipework at the Taneco refining and petrochemical plant in Nizhnekamsk, Russia.
Illuminated pipework at the Taneco refining and petrochemical plant in Nizhnekamsk, Russia. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg News)
Russia is threatening to cut the flow of gas to Europe through a major pipeline if pushed, a senior Kremlin minister warned, leaving countries facing oil prices of more than $300 per barrel.
“It is absolutely clear that a rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in a statement Monday on state television.
“The surge in prices would be unpredictable. It would be $300 per barrel, if not more,” he said.
After Germany decided to pause the opening of its Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea and directly links Russian gas to Europe via Germany, Novak said Russia had “every right to take a matching decision and impose an embargo on gas pumping through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline.”
“So far we are not taking such a decision,” he added. “But European politicians with their statements and accusations against Russia push us toward that.”
Russia, the world’s third-largest energy producer, supplies about 40 percent of Europe’s gas, according to Reuters, and global oil markets have shot up to hit record highs in response to the crisis in Ukraine.
The Biden administration has pushed its allies to support a ban on Russian oil imports. European Union leaders will meet in Versailles, France, on Thursday to discuss the possibility of phasing out the bloc’s dependency on Russian energy and how to boost their joint defense capabilities.
Western oil companies ditching Russia is a new twist on a familiar pattern
Ukraine recommends evacuation via nations like Romania, citing congestion near Polish border
In a scene like those playing out all along Ukraine's borders, Nickoloi holds on to his wife, Natali, moments before she and their son set off for Poland via Lviv on Monday.
In a scene like those playing out all along Ukraine's borders, Nickoloi holds on to his wife, Natali, moments before she and their son set off for Poland via Lviv on Monday. (Heidi Levine for The Washington Post)
Ukraine’s State Customs Service said Monday that citizens seeking safe haven in other European countries should prioritize transiting through Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Moldova, where checkpoints are empty or free of large crowds. The land crossings into Poland are among the most congested, the agency warned.
According to a map created by the customs authorities, which is updated regularly with information on the capacity of the checkpoints, several locations along the borders with Moldova and Romania had no pedestrians and at most 130 vehicles as of Monday. At the same time, one land crossing near Poland saw about 1,300 cars and 1,600 people trying to exit Ukraine on foot.
Since the start of the Russian invasion nearly two weeks ago, Poland has taken in more than 1 million of the 1.7 million refugees fleeing Ukraine, according to the most recent data from the United Nations high commissioner for refugees.
Like many other European countries, Poland has opened its doors to a historic wave of displaced people, many of whom are women and children. Able-bodied men between 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving Ukraine under martial law so they can fight the Russian troops. Polish volunteers and community leaders have stepped up to help the refugees, restoring old railroads, opening more pathways and finding housing and food.
Talks between Russia and Ukraine yield little, with civilians still trapped in besieged cities
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By Isabelle Khurshudyan, Karoun Demirjian, Sudarsan Raghavan and Joanna Slater3:46 a.m.
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ODESSA — Talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials ended without a breakthrough Monday, and safe passage from cities under attack remained elusive, as the 12-day-old war continued to create a humanitarian catastrophe.
Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv and Mariupol were under bombardment, and some civilians were being hit as they attempted to flee, according to a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity under terms set by the Pentagon. The official cautioned that the United States could not say with authority whether those civilians were being targeted intentionally.
Efforts to establish evacuation corridors for noncombatants have faltered in recent days, even as the onslaught has left hundreds of thousands of residents without water, heat or natural gas. Ukraine accused Russia of disrupting two attempts to allow civilians to leave over the weekend and allow much-needed supplies to be brought in. On Monday, the government rejected a proposal by Moscow to move residents of besieged cities toward Russia.
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Yale list highlights companies staying in or leaving Russia
Netflix, KPMG and PwC cut ties with Russia
Netflix and top accounting firms joined the long list of companies suspending operations in Russia on March 6, in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters)
Among executives, board members, analysts and others in the business world in recent days, a “who’s who” list has been floating around, showing which companies have pulled out of Russia amid its attack on Ukraine — and which ones have stayed put.
The spreadsheet, compiled by Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his research team, has become a naughty-or-nice list of sorts, with CEOs trying their best to avoid being placed on the roster of “Companies That Remain in Russia With Significant Exposure.”
Sonnenfeld, who founded the nonprofit Chief Executive Leadership Institute, said he has fielded calls from CEOs asking “why we didn’t have them on the right list, and what they needed to do to either clarify or actually take a more strong stance.”
Even among those on the list of “Companies That Have Curtailed Russian Operations,” some are taking a stronger position against the invasion than others, Sonnenfeld said. According to the list, BASF SE, a German chemical company, said it would “suspend new Russian relationships,” while other companies including Apple and Chanel have closed stores or cut off supply chains. FedEx is halting all shipments to Russia, and major oil companies including ExxonMobil have said they will exit operations there, leaving billions of dollars on the table.
Among those on the list of companies keeping business as usual are major brands such as McDonald’s, Starbucks and Coca-Cola. Sonnenfeld said McDonald’s was the “screaming anomaly that’s bewildering to all its peers,” as it has remained operational in Russia even though it has control over 85 percent of its restaurants there, unlike companies such as Starbucks, which are hindered by franchise obligations.
A representative for McDonald’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment about its operations in Russia.
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Russia, Belarus conducted widespread phishing campaigns in Ukraine, Poland, Google says
A man walks past the building of the headquarters of the Russian General Staff's Main Intelligence Department (GRU) in Moscow on December 30, 2016.
/ AFP / Natalia KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images)
A man walks past the building of the headquarters of the Russian General Staff's Main Intelligence Department (GRU) in Moscow on December 30, 2016. / AFP / Natalia KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images)
Hackers working for the Russian military conducted widespread phishing attempts against Ukrainian citizens in the runup to the invasion, and Belarus targeted both Ukrainians and the Polish military, Google said Monday.
A Google spokeswoman, Kaylin Trichon, said Google believe it was the first reported attempt to gain access to Polish military sites.
Google’s Threat Analysis Group tracked the attempts and warned hundreds that they were being targeted by a government, the company said. It said it did not know if any of the attempts had succeeded, since they were not aimed at Google’s email accounts.
In the past two weeks, the attack group known as Fancy Bear, which is associated with Russia’s GRU military intelligence unit, launched several large phishing campaigns against users of Ukr.net, a Ukrainian media organization, Google said. The emails came from compromised accounts and led targets to fake login pages.
Even more recently, in the days since Russia invaded Ukraine with logistical help from Belarus, a hacking group in Belarus known as Ghostwriter has used phishing to try to get credentials of Ukrainian government officials and members of the Polish military, Google said.
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Key update
Russian attacks on evacuation corridors resulting in civilian deaths, U.K. Defense Ministry says
Ukrainians cross stream at sight of downed bridge in Kyiv
The Washington Post's Sudarsan Raghavan reports from outside Irpin, Ukraine, on March 7 near a bridge that was downed in order to prevent Russian advancement. (The Washington Post)
Clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces continue on the outskirts of Kyiv, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said Monday, as multiple towns close to the capital, including Hostomel and Irpin, see intense Russian shelling.
Among the targets for Russian firepower are the humanitarian corridors established to help people evacuate, and “several civilians” were killed in Irpin as a result of the fighting, the British agency added. Residents have had to make do for days without essential supplies like water, heat and electricity. Irpin Mayor Alexandar Markushin said in a video Sunday that a Russian mortar shell exploded in the streets and claimed the lives of at least eight people, including two young children.
“The shell hit, and in front of my own eyes died two small children and two adults,” Markushin said. “I want to emphasize these were peaceful residents.”
Similar scenes of failed evacuations have been playing out in other major population centers, like Mariupol, where besieged Ukrainians halted their attempts to flee. Over the weekend, officials there accused Russian troops of violating a temporary cease-fire agreement — an action Moscow justified by claiming that Ukrainians had used the suspension of hostilities to reinforce strategic positions.
The United Nations said Monday that it had recorded at least 406 civilian deaths so far, including at least 27 children, but that the actual toll is likely much higher.
Efforts to allow humanitarian evacuations falter; hundreds of thousands without water, heat or natural gas
IRPIN, UKRAINE - MARCH 7, 2022: Ukrainians flee the area of Irpin at a damaged bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine on March 7, 2022.
(Photo by Heidi Levine for The Washington Post).
IRPIN, UKRAINE - MARCH 7, 2022: Ukrainians flee the area of Irpin at a damaged bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine on March 7, 2022. (Photo by Heidi Levine for The Washington Post). (Heidi Levine/FTWP)
Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv and Mariupol were under bombardment, and some civilians were being hit as they attempted to flee, according to a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity under terms set by the Pentagon. The official cautioned that the United States could not say with authority whether those civilians were being targeted intentionally.
Efforts to establish evacuation corridors for noncombatants have faltered in recent days, even as the onslaught has left hundreds of thousands of residents without water, heat or natural gas. Ukraine accused Russia of disrupting two attempts to allow civilians to leave over the weekend and allow much-needed supplies to be brought in. On Monday, the government rejected a proposal by Moscow to move residents of besieged cities toward Russia.
“Just cynicism, just propaganda,” was how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Russia’s talk of “humanitarian corridors.” He reiterated his call to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine to counter the Russian assault, saying his country has been thrust into suffering “that no other European nation has seen in 80 years.”
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Video: A Ukrainian fighter recovers after being wounded in battle
A Ukrainian fighter recovers after being wounded in battle
Volunteer fighter Sergiy Zaylo still has a bullet lodged in his rib cage after a gun battle with Russian soldiers in the town of Bila Tserkva. (Jon Gerberg, Joyce Koh/The Washington Post)
Sergiy Zaylo, a volunteer fighter with Ukraine’s Territorial Defence forces, still has a bullet lodged in his rib cage after a gun battle with Russian soldiers in the town of Bila Tserkva. He hopes to leave the hospital soon so he can rejoin the fight.
World Bank approves more than $700 million for Ukraine
The World Bank said Monday that its board had approved a support package totaling $723 million of loans and grants for Ukraine.
The funds will be “fast-disbursing” and will “help the government provide critical services to Ukrainian people, including wages for hospital workers, pensions for the elderly, and social programs for the vulnerable.”
The World Bank’s initial $350 million loan was increased to $489 million, with guarantees from the Netherlands for $89 million and Sweden for $50 million.
Additionally, Britain pledged $100 million in grant financing, as well as $34 million from Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania and Iceland. Japan committed an additional $100 million in financing.
The World Bank, a cooperative of 189 member countries including Ukraine, said consolidating the funds “is critical for streamlining approval processes and maximizing impact.”
World Bank President David Malpass said in a statement that the package was “the first of many steps we are taking to help address the far-reaching human and economic impacts of this crisis.”
The World Bank is preparing a $3 billion package for Ukraine to be released in coming months, it said, with additional funds for neighboring countries that have had refugees fleeing the invasion flooding across their borders.
More than 1.7 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia attacked, according to data from the U.N. refugee agency.
In appearances from presidential office in Kyiv, Zelensky says Russian forces are ‘all war criminals’
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By Reis Thebault and Hannah Knowles1:23 a.m.
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'I'm not hiding': Zelensky addresses nation from his Kyiv office
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a tour of his presidential office in Kyiv in a video address posted to his Facebook page on March 7. (Reuters)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remained defiant on Monday in a pair of videos recorded at the leader’s Kyiv office — the first time he has publicly appeared there since the Russian invasion began — where he declared that his outgunned army “will endure” and said everyone involved in the Kremlin’s assault should be considered a war criminal.
In a video address posted to his Facebook page, Zelensky gave Ukrainians — who have relied on his nightly posts for updates and morale boosts — a tour of the presidential office and a view from the window.
“I’m not hiding,” he said. “And I’m not afraid of anyone.”
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FIFA grants temporary free agency to foreign players in Russia and Ukraine
FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, announced Monday that it is regarding foreign players signed to teams in Russia and Ukraine as free agents able to move to squads in other countries.
FIFA cited “an ongoing and distressing humanitarian crisis” in also allowing such players to change clubs even if the transfer windows for the new teams have closed, as long as the switch takes place by April 7.
The catch, as a players union pointed out, is that FIFA said its suspension of Russian and Ukrainian contracts is temporary. It will be in effect until June 30, when the seasons end for the two countries’ national soccer federations.
“While some measures adopted today are helpful amendments, the decision to allow foreign players to only suspend their contracts and thus only temporarily leave Russian clubs is too timid,” stated the union, FIFPRO, according to the BBC. “It will be hard for players to find employment for the remainder of the season with uncertainty looming over them and, within a few weeks, they will be in a very difficult situation once again.
“These players should be allowed to terminate their contracts.”
FIFA, along with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), moved last week to bar Russian club teams and its national squad from international competitions.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” FIFA and UEFA said in a joint statement at the time.
Anti-Russian hate in Europe is making chefs and school children out to be enemies
LONDON — Russian chef Alexei Zimin is donating part of his London restaurant’s revenue to support Red Cross work with Ukrainian refugees. He has been singing songs by a Russian dissident poet on Instagram, posting messages such as: “Stop the war. Withdraw troops. Bring our soldiers home.” He knows that in speaking out this way, he may never be able to return to Russia, where he has been credited with leading a gastronomic revolution and owns two more restaurants.
Yet angry messages are filling his restaurant’s voice-mail inbox. “Russians are killers,” one declared. “You’re Putin’s Russians,” another accused.
Zimin, 50, is among those who have been hit by a sudden and rapidly rising tide of anti-Russian sentiment in Europe. While governments have moved to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin and sanction oligarchs, while societies have been calling for cultural figures — from hockey stars to opera singers — to denounce the war, Russian expats who have never had sympathy for Putin and who are horrified by what’s happening in Ukraine say they are facing a wave of generalized hostility.
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War in Ukraine: What you need to know
The latest: Civilian evacuations continue to be disrupted by shelling as fear of a humanitarian crisis looms large over Ukraine. On Monday, Ukrainian President Zelensky made his first public appearance at his Kyiv office since the invasion, where he said that Russian forces are all “war criminals.”
The fight: Casualties are mounting in Ukraine — including civilians, while Moscow is facing allegations that it has used cluster and vacuum weapons. Russian forces fired mortar shells on a town on the outskirts of Kyiv, resulting in the death of at least eight people, including two children.
Maps: Russia’s assault on Ukraine has been extensive with strikes and attacks across the entire country. Much of the Russian onslaught has focused on Kyiv, but the eastern city of Kharkiv — with 1.5 million residents — is also crucial.
Protests: People around the globe took to the streets Saturday to condemn Putin and plead for peace Russia’ invasion has killed hundreds of Ukrainian civilians.
The response: Russia’s war could be a global economic “game changer,” with rising gas prices and shifting trade decisions suggesting change that will be felt for years. Meanwhile, in Russia, online access has been significantly curtailed by censors at home and businesses abroad.
How you can help: Here are ways those in the U.S. can help support the Ukrainian people as well as what people around the world have been donating.
Read our full coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
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