UKRAINE UPDATES | Russia says ‘real danger’ of Ukraine acquiring nuclear weapons required response

March 01 2022 - 18:43

DA wants Pandor to state SA's official position on Russia-Ukraine crisis

The DA wants the government to state on record its official position on the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, amid reports of differences in the higher echelons of the state.

DA MP Siviwe Gwarube has written to National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, asking to be allowed to pose an urgent question to international relations and co-operation minister Naledi Pandor on Wednesday afternoon, when security cluster ministers are scheduled to answer MPs’ oral questions in the National Assembly.

Gwarube said her request came in the wake of the confusion caused by the competing positions of various members of the executive over the past week.

March 01 2022 - 18:26

SA car sales strong in February but Ukraine war could cause hiccups

SA’s new-vehicle sales continued to gain traction last month, but the war in Ukraine poses a potential global supply chain challenge for the motor industry.

March 01 2022 - 16:12

EUSEBIUS McKAISER | You can’t expect ANC to take a moral stand against Russia. It has no morals

Given how badly the ANC-led government is running the country, it cannot surprise us that it’s unable to respond to a major international crisis, such as Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine, with moral clarity.

Our government pretends to have a deep commitment to human rights, but in reality it is consistently found wanting, domestically and in the posture it adopts regarding global affairs.

March 01 2022 - 16:01

Teen who tracked Elon Musk’s jet is chasing Russian tycoons

Jack Sweeney is doing to Russian oligarchs what he did to Elon Musk. 

After soaring to internet fame — and drawing the ire of the world’s richest person — with his viral Twitter account “Elon’s Jet”, Sweeney is tracking the planes of some of Russia’s richest people as they come under increasing international pressure over the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

While the 19-year-old is hardly the only person to offer such services, what makes Sweeney’s accounts unique is their easy accessibility and the enticing window they offer into the lives of today’s billionaires.

March 01 2022 - 15:58

LISTEN | Russia-Ukraine conflict: SA and other developing countries 'don’t have to take sides'

The government has been issuing conflicting statements about its stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

However, Wits University international relations associate professor Malte Brosig said SA and other developing countries can leave taking sides to the “big boys” despite SA being part of Brics.

March 01 2022 - 15:25

'Stop' - Thuli Madonsela weighs in on Russia and Ukraine conflict

Former public protector Thuli Madonsela has shared her thoughts on the deadly conflict between Russia and Ukraine, suggesting it is a time for the UN to reset its response to war.

She said the war offered an opportunity for the UN to “reset”.

“The Ukraine invasion must be stopped before more human suffering and years of aftermath trauma. The UN can seize this as a reset moment for a new deal on war and peace, where unilateralism is condemned and punished regardless of who or why they invaded a sovereign state,” she said.

March 01 2022 - 15:20

LATEST VIDEO UPDATES | Devastation, anger over Russian invasion of Ukraine

TimesLIVE video has collected some of the latest videos of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

March 01 2022 - 14:31

Russia says ‘real danger’ of Ukraine acquiring nuclear weapons required response

Russia’s foreign minister told a Geneva disarmament meeting on Tuesday that Ukraine has been seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a “real danger” that needed a Russian response.

Russia invaded Ukraine last Thursday in what it called a special operation to demilitarise and “denazify” the country — a justification dismissed by Kyiv and the West as propaganda.

“Today the dangers that (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy’s regime pose for neighbouring countries and international security in general have increased substantially after the authorities set up in Kyiv embarked on dangerous games related to plans to acquire their own nuclear weapons,” Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told the Conference on Disarmament in a video address.

March 01 2022 - 13:54

Ukrainian Association of South Africa protest against the delay of South Africa to condemn Russian invasion in Ukraine outside parliament in Cape Town. 

March 01 2022 - 13:45

Russia to spend up to $10bn from rainy-day fund on buying Russian shares, source says

The Russian government has ordered the finance ministry to channel up to 1 trillion roubles ($10.3 billion) from the National Wealth Fund to buy shares in Russian companies, a source close to the government told Reuters on Tuesday.

Reuters 

March 01 2022 - 13:38

Malaysia says won't allow Russia-flagged tanker sanctioned by US at port

Linda, a Russian-flagged crude oil tanker targeted by US sanctions, will not be allowed to call at Malaysia's Kuala Linggi port, the country's transport ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry in a statement said the port's operator had made the decision to decline the ship's intention to dock to avoid violating any sanctions. The vessel had been scheduled to arrive at the weekend.

Reuters

March 01 2022 - 13:36

UK passes law to ban Russsian-linked ships from its ports

Britain said on Tuesday it had passed a law that would ban all ships that have any connection to Russia from entering its ports.

Britain had said on Monday that it wanted all ports to refuse entry to ships that were Russian flagged, registered or controlled while it drew up new legislation.

"We've just become the first nation to pass a law involving a total ban of all ships with any Russian connection whatsoever from entering British ports," Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Twitter.

Reuters 

March 01 2022 - 13:30

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT – Russian missiles hit administration building in Kharkiv

Footage released by the State Emergency Services of Ukraine showed the moment a Russian missile struck the regional administration building in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

March 01 2022 - 12:58

Ukrainian refugees arrive in Athens

Two busloads of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion arrived in Athens, Greece.

March 01 2022 - 12:45

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT – ‘Why is nobody saving us?’ asks Donetsk resident

‘They were firing at us, but we didn't hear a single shot in that direction. Who is protecting us?’ a Donetsk resident asked as buildings were on fire after shelling in the city of Donetsk.

March 01 2022 - 12:33

Russia's Lavrov says there is a danger of Ukraine acquiring nuclear weapons

Russia's foreign minister told a Geneva disarmament meeting on Tuesday that Kiev has been seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, calling this a real danger that it needed to prevent.

"Ukraine still has Soviet technologies and the means of delivery of such weapons," Sergei Lavov told the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament in a pre-recorded address. "We cannot fail to respond to this real danger," he said.

At the same meeting, Ukraine's foreign minister accused Russia of war crimes through its shelling of his country and called for a special meeting to address Russian aggression and weapons of mass destruction.

Reuters 

March 01 2022 - 12:24

Indian student killed in Ukraine shelling - India's foreign ministry

 An Indian student was killed by shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Tuesday, India's foreign ministry said.

"Foreign Secretary is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones," ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter.

Russian forces are firing artillery and laying siege to Kharkiv and other major cities, a Ukrainian official said.

Indians make up around a quarter of the 76,000 foreign students in Ukraine, by far the largest number, according to Ukrainian government data.

New Delhi has evacuated around 4,000 Indians in the last month, but some 16,000 remain trapped since Russia invaded the former Soviet republic last week, according to the latest data from India's foreign ministry.

The Indian government has dispatched four ministers to neighbouring countries to assist in the rescue efforts. 

Reuters

March 01 2022 - 12:18

Belarus's Lukashenko: Russia-Ukraine talks raises hope that hostilities may end - RIA

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday the start of talks between Ukraine and Russia raises hope that hostilities may end, the RIA news agency quoted.The first round of talks held in Belarus on Monday produced no tangible results as fighting in Ukraine continued.

Reuters

March 01 2022 - 12:16

Over 660,000 people flee Ukraine, UN agency says

More than 660,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries in the last six days since Russia invaded, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.

Shabia Mantoo, spokesperson of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a briefing in Geneva there were reports of people waiting for up to 60 hours to enter Poland, while queues at the Romanian border are up to 20 km long.

Reuters

March 01 2022 - 11:00

Ukraine's Mariupol port under constant shelling, mayor says

The mayor of Ukraine's Mariupol said on Tuesday morning that the southern port city was under constant shelling which had killed civilians and damaged infrastructure, as Russia started day six of its invasion.

"We have had residential quarters shelled for five days. They are pounding us with artillery, they are shelling us with GRADS, they are hitting us with air forces," Vadym Boichenko said in a live broadcast on Ukrainian TV.

"We have civilian infrastructure damaged - schools, houses. There are many injured. There are women, children killed," he said.

Ukraine's largest steelmaker Metinvest BV has most of its facilities located in Mariupol where it has halted production.

The company sent most workers home while reduced shifts ensured equipment was not breaking down.

Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv also came under heavy attack, the regional administration head said on Tuesday, while an adviser to the country's president said Russia was deliberately shelling cities to spread panic among Ukrainians.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" that it says is not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its southern neighbour's military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists. 

Reuters

March 01 2022 - 10:55

BAT temporarily suspends manufacturing at Ukrainian factory

British American Tobacco plc : "We have temporarily suspended all manufacturing at our factory in Pryluky, Ukraine.

Reuters

March 01 2022 - 10:52

European bank shares remain volatile, battered by the Ukraine crisis

Shares in some European banks, which tumbled this week because of their exposure to Russia, recovered some ground on Tuesday but the sector remained volatile with fighting in Ukraine grinding on.

Shares of Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International traded 2.7% higher early, partly making up for a 14% drop on Monday. Shares of Italy's UniCredit rose 2.1%, after Monday's 9.5% fall.

The European Central Bank has put banks with close ties to Russia, such as Raiffeisen and the European arm of VTB, under close observation following sweeping financial sanctions by the West that have already pushed one lender over the edge, two sources told Reuters.

Tuesday's share price swings came as Russia faced increasing isolation over its invasion of Ukraine, with resistance on the ground denying President Vladimir Putin decisive early gains despite heavy shelling and a huge military convoy outside Kyiv.

Shares of leading banks slipped with the European banking sector down 0.1%, after a 4.5% fall on Monday.

The London Stock Exchange said on Tuesday it would stop trading in two global depository receipts (GDRs) for Russia's VTB Bank after Britain's financial regulator suspended them in response to sanctions.

Amid wild swings in bank shares, bankers have sought to reassure investors and the public, saying they are well capitalised in the region and that their footprints in Russia are relatively small.

Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing told the Bild newspaper that it would be wrong to assume a quick resolution to the crisis following the exclusion of Russian banks from the SWIFT payment system.

"That would be the wrong expectation," Sewing said.

Reuters

March 01 2022 - 10:50

YouTube to block channels linked to Russia's RT and Sputnik across Europe

YouTube is blocking channels connected to Russian state-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik across Europe effective immediately, due to the situation in Ukraine, the company operated by Alphabet Inc's Google, said on Tuesday."

It'll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action," a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement.

The company's actions follows that of Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc, which on Monday said it will restrict access to television network RT and news agency Sputnik on its platforms across the European Union.

Twitter Inc has also said that it would label tweets containing contents from the Russian state-controlled media and reduce their visibility. 

Reuters

March 01 2022 - 09:24

'Traumatised but full of life': Ronnie Apteker's moving post on his Ukraine experience

Internet Solutions co-founder Ronnie Apteker, who is among the South Africans stuck in Ukraine, has penned an emotional account of the events that are unfolding in a blog post.

Apteker has for more than two decades invested in independent films, working with director Craig Freimond on movies including comedian Riaad Moosa's Material. He lives for part of the year in Ukraine, where he was working on a documentary film project about the IT landscape there prior to the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.

March 01 2022 - 08:00

US expert cites 'military blunders' in Russian invasion

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been marked by a series of ‘military blunders’ in part due to failed intelligence on the resistance Kremlin would face by Ukrainian fighters, a U.S. military expert and veteran told Reuters.

March 01 2022 - 07:30

Kyiv residents sign up for civil defense

Days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Kyiv residents showed up at local civil territorial defense centers to get enrolled and receive arms.

March 01 2022 - 07:17 

Ukraine Gas Executive Calls on Halliburton, Peers to Quit Russia

The drilling chief at Ukraine’s state-owned natural gas company urged Halliburton Co. and other oilfield contractors to cease operations in Russia to help starve that nation’s military of cash.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war machine is funded by proceeds from oil and gas exports, Oleg Tolmachev, head of production at Naftogaz, wrote in an open letter on Monday.

Tolmachev, who was writing in his individual capacity and not on behalf of his employer, went to work for Naftogaz 13 months ago after more than two decades in US shale fields.

“Please terminate your business in Russia immediately and shut down your offices in Russian Federation,” he wrote.

“My employees and their families in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Lugansk, and Poltava regions are getting killed and wounded by military forces of Russian Federation.”

Emails requesting comments from Halliburton, Schlumberger and Weatherford International Plc weren’t immediately returned.    

Bloomberg

March 01 2022 - 06:45

Ukrainian refugees arrive to cold weather in Poland

After waiting in long lines at the border, refugees from Ukraine arrive in Poland.

March 01 2022 - 06:20

Pay attention Africa: how Ukraine conflict could influence food supplies

No man qualifies as a statesman who is entirely ignorant of the problems of wheat.

The words of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates.

Wheat and other grains are back at the heart of geopolitics after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both countries play a major role in the global agricultural market. African leaders must pay attention.

There is significant agricultural trade between countries on the continent and Russia and Ukraine. African countries imported agricultural products worth $4bn (about R62bn) from Russia in 2020. About 90% of this was wheat and 6% was sunflower oil. Major importing countries were Egypt, which accounted for nearly half of the imports, followed by Sudan, Nigeria, Tanzania, Algeria, Kenya and SA.

March 01 2022 - 06:15

Russia to move Far East troops closer to Europe - Ifax

Russian troops based in the country's Far East will hold drills in the Astrakhan province which lies on the border between the European and Asian parts of Russia, the Interfax news agency quoted Russia's eastern military district as saying on Tuesday.

The troops will train in long-distance movements of military units, among other tasks, the district command said.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last week, having previously massed over 100,000 troops close to its borders for drills. 

Reuters

March 01 2022 - 06:10

S&P 500 ends lower as West hits Russia with sanctions

The S&P 500 ended lower after a volatile session, with investors wrestling with uncertainty and bank stocks dropping following powerful Western sanctions against Russia as it continued its invasion of Ukraine.

March 01 2022 - 06:05

CNN team documents tumultuous journey out of Ukraine

More than 500,000 refugees have fled Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing invasion, the United Nations Refugee Agency says. CNN's Erin Burnett and her team capture how difficult the journey is out of the country.

March 01 2022 - 06:00

New satellite images show 40-mile-long Russian military convoy

New satellite images from Maxar Technologies show the Russian military convoy that has reached the outskirts of Kyiv is more than 40 miles long. CNN's Jim Sciutto reports on the latest out of Ukraine.