UKRAINE WRAP | At least 35 killed in Russia's westernmost attack of the war so far

March 13 2022 — 15:26

Pope, in toughest condemnation yet, calls Ukraine invasion 'armed aggression'

Pope Francis issued his toughest condemnation yet of the invasion of Ukraine, saying on Sunday the “unacceptable armed aggression” must stop.

Speaking to thousands of people in St Peter's Square for his Sunday blessing, Francis also said the killing of children and unarmed civilians was “barbaric” and with “no valid strategic reason”.

He called the besieged city of Mariupol a “martyred city” and again appealed for “truly secure humanitarian corridors” to allow residents to evacuate.

March 13 2022 — 14:05

Nearly 125,000 people evacuated via humanitarian corridors in Ukraine, says president

Nearly 125,000 people have been evacuated via humanitarian corridors from conflict zones in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address on Sunday.

"Today the key task is Mariupol," he said, adding that a humanitarian supply convoy was now only 80 kilometres (50 miles) away from the besieged port city where more than 400,000 people are trapped. 

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 14:00

Zimbabwe president orders review of fuel levies as oil markets stress over Russia and Ukraine conflict

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has ordered a review of fuel levies to avert further price increases, as international oil markets continue to be roiled by the war in Ukraine.

In an opinion article published in the state-owned Sunday Mail newspaper, Mnangagwa said the whole duty framework is being reviewed to cushion the economy from the “shocks and pressures” from rising fuel prices. 

Mnangagwa said he directed the energy ministry to review and reduce surcharges on petrol and diesel so that pump prices are manageable. 

“There is no need for panic,” he wrote. “We need stability in the fuel market so we minimise imported inflation for price stability in the economy.

March 13 2022 — 13:45

Ukraine's energy system is stable, says minister

Ukraine's energy system is stable as of Sunday, its energy minister Herman Halushchenko said on national television.

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 13:20

Ukraine is working with Israel and Turkey to set up talks with Russia, says negotiator

Ukraine is working with Israel and Turkey as mediators to finalise a location and framework for peace negotiations with Russia, Ukrainian presidential adviser and negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said on Sunday.

"When it is worked out, there will be a meeting. I think it won't take long for us to get there," he said on national television.

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 13:00

Turkey hopes for progress on evacuating Turks from Ukraine mosque - minister

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he hoped progress could be made on evacuating Turks stuck in a mosque in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Sunday and that he sought help from his Russian counterpart on the issue.

Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Saturday Russian forces had shelled the mosque, where more than 80 adults and children, including Turkish citizens, have taken refuge.

But Cavusoglu told a news conference at a diplomatic forum in Antalya that there was no damage to the mosque and that buses were waiting to evacuate the Turks, although contact could not currently be established. 

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 12:35

At least 35 people killed in attack on Ukraine's Yavoriv military centre, says governor

At least 35 people were killed and 134 wounded in a Russian air strike on a large Ukrainian military training ground near the Polish border on Sunday, regional governor Maksym Kozytskyy said in a statement. 

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 12:15

Kyiv has set aside two-week supply of food in case of blockade, say local authorities

Kyiv's city administration on Sunday said it had set aside a two-week reserve of essential food items in case the city is blockaded by Russian forces.

"The city has prepared for possible actions in the event of a blockade. The two million Kyiv residents who have not left their homes will not be without support if the situation worsens," it said in an online statement.

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 11:50

Poland's Duda says NATO will have to think seriously if Putin uses chemical weapons

Poland's President Andrzej Duda said in an interview on Sunday that the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine by Russia would be a game changer and NATO would have to think seriously about how to respond.

Asked if the use of chemical weapons by Putin would be a red line for NATO at which point it has to get involved, Duda told BBC television: "If he uses any weapons of mass destruction then this will be a game changer in the whole thing."

"For sure, the North Atlantic Alliance and its leaders led by the United States will have to sit at the table and they will really have to think seriously what to do because then it starts to be dangerous."

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 11:30

Ukraine says 9 killed, 57 wounded in Russian air strike on military base

At least nine people were killed and 57 wounded in a Russian air strike on a large Ukrainian military base near the Polish border on Sunday, local Ukrainian authorities said, in what appeared to be the westernmost attack of the war.

Foreign military instructors have worked in the past at the Yavoriv International Center for Peacekeeping and Security. It was not clear if any were present at the time.

A Ukrainian Defence Ministry representative told Reuters the ministry was still trying to establish if any of the foreign instructors were at the facility at the time of the attack.

The military training facility, the biggest in the western part of the country and traditionally the site of joint drills with Nato, is located less than 25km (15 miles) from the Polish border.

The Kremlin did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the missile strike so close to the border with Nato. Regional governor Maksym Kozytskyy said Russian planes fired about 30 rockets at the facility, adding that some were intercepted before they hit.

“Poland condemns any element of aggression against Ukraine, including shelling of the Yavoriv base,” Polish foreign ministry spokesperson said in a message sent to Reuters.

The mayor of another city in western Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivsk, said that Russian troops also continued to hit its airport on Sunday. According to preliminary reports, there were no casualties.

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 11:00

Ramaphosa to engage world leaders on SA’s stance on Russia/Ukraine war

President Cyril Ramaphosa may not have plans to travel to Russia yet, but he will be engaging world leaders to explain why SA decided to abstain during a recent UN General Assembly vote.

“We are grateful for the conversation that we had [with Russian President Vladimir Putin], we asked for it because we felt that we needed to hear from him. I will also be talking to other world leaders as well and also to explain the stance and the position that we have taken,” said Ramaphosa on Saturday.

The president was speaking after the inaugural presidential Imbizo at the Mmabatho stadium in Mahikeng, North West, shortly after getting his Covid-19 vaccine booster shot.

He was quizzed about the telephonic conversation he had with Putin, which he tweeted about on Thursday. The Sunday Times reported that SA’s decision to abstain from voting on a UN General Assembly motion to reprimand Russia had upset Ukraine, the US and the EU.

Of the assembly's 193 members, 141 voted in favour of the resolution to censure Russia. Thirty-five members, including SA and China, abstained and five countries — Russia, Syria, Belarus, North Korea and Eritrea — voted against the resolution. While General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they carry political weight.

March 13 2022 — 10: 50

Nineteen ambulances with sirens on seen on road from Ukraine's Yavoriv military centre, says witness

Foreign military instructors worked at the Yavoriv military facility near the Polish border that was hit by a Russian air strike on Sunday, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said, but it was not clear if any were present at the time.

A ministry representative told Reuters the ministry was still trying to establish if any of the instructors were at the centre at the time of the attack.

"Russia has attacked the International Center for Peacekeeping & Security near Lviv. Foreign instructors work here. Information about the victims is being clarified," Reznikov said in an online post.

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 10:30

Nineteen ambulances with sirens on seen on road from Ukraine's Yavoriv military centre, says witness

Nineteen ambulances with sirens blaring were seen driving from the direction of Ukraine's Yavoriv military base near the Polish border on Friday, a Reuters witness said, after local officials said the facility was hit by a Russian air strike.

A further seven ambulances were seen driving towards the facility after what appeared to be the westernmost attack of the war.

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 10:10

Rice could help curb food inflation fallout from war in Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has delivered global disruption that is set to cascade through food supply chains and worsen hunger, but Asia’s love for rice could limit the fallout.

Rice is more popular with many Asian consumers than wheat, which has seen supplies cut from one of the world’s breadbaskets, said Jules Hugot, an economist at the Asian Development Bank.

Rice prices have been relatively stable, and it’s easy to swap one staple for the other, he said. 

“These are sources of starch and there’s substitution between them,” said Hugot, though the price of rice, too, is rising.

Wheat has jumped to an all-time high, and rice is near the highest since May 2020. 

Russia and Ukraine together account for a quarter of the global trade in wheat, used in everything from bread to pasta and livestock feed. The conflict shuttered ports in Ukraine and trade with Russia has been stifled by sanctions.

March 13 2022 — 09:50

Russia says it has destroyed 3,687 Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities - Russian news agencies

Russian troops have destroyed 3,687 Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities so far, Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying on Sunday.

It was not posssible to independently verify his statement.

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 09:30

Russian forces attempt to surround Ukrainian forces in east - UK intelligence

Russian forces are attempting to surround Ukrainian forces in the east of the country as they advance from the direction of Kharkiv in the north and Mariupol in the south, Britain's defence ministry said on Sunday.

"Russian forces advancing from Crimea are attempting to circumvent Mykolaiv as they look to drive west towards Odesa," the ministry said in an intelligence update posted on Twitter.

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 09:15

Mondi mulls separation, but not shuttering, of Russian operation

Paper and packaging group Mondi is caught between a rock and a hard place, saying on  Friday it cannot withdraw from Russia because of legal obligations it has there.

The group said in a statement to the JSE's news service that because of legal obligations to supply the power needs of about 60,000 people in one region, it cannot halt operations.

But the group, which is listed in London and Johannesburg, is exploring options that could entail legally separating the business from the rest of the group.

“Recognising its corporate values and broader stakeholder responsibilities, the board is assessing all options for the group’s interests in Russia, including any form of legal separation,” Mondi said.

It emphasised that this does not “mean or imply” it is “planning or initiating any liquidation or bankruptcy proceedings in relation to any of its Russian subsidiaries or assets”.  

The Russian business generates 12% of group revenue and contributed about 20% of its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation over the past three years.

March 13 2022 — 09:10

Prosus says it will weather the storm in Russia and Ukraine

Prosus, a subsidiary of Naspers, moved swiftly this week to allay investors' concerns about its businesses in Russia and Ukraine, assuring the market that it will be able to weather the storm thanks to its broad geographical investment spread.

Western countries have imposed strong sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, which is reducing much of the country and its infrastructure to rubble. 

Several multinationals, including McDonald's, Heineken, Richemont and Coca-Cola, have suspended their operations in Russia, and its banks have been banned from the SWIFT international payment system.

This week Prosus, which has investments in internet-based businesses globally, said it had written off $769m (R11.6bn) of the carrying value of its 27% stake in VK, the owner and operator of Odnoklassniki and Moi Mir, two of the three largest Russian social networking sites, with 59-million monthly users. 

March 13 2022 — 09:00

Russian Missiles Strike Peace Center Near Poland

Russian missiles struck a peace center in western Ukraine near Poland as bombing of major cities intensified and Moscow warned that convoys of military aid from the West are “legitimate targets.”

The Russian military continues to target sites ringed around Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and fierce fighting has been reported.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine has all basic food products for coming months and banned or restricted exports of essential foods.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said talks with Moscow show signs of becoming more substantive, and one of his top advisers said that “continuous” discussions with Russia are under way by video.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with his French and German counterparts after they spoke earlier with Zelenskyy.

Over 2.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country, with a majority crossing over to Poland, and that could climb to 4 million within days.

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 08:30

OPINION | Putin is a man deeply immersed in the philosophy of deception

Russian President Vladimir Putin has used the strategy of maskirovka, a military doctrine of deception, manipulation of facts and doing the opposite of what one says, to catch Western powers off guard with his war on Ukraine.

Just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he and his officials insisted none was being planned and that Russia was engaging only in “military-technical measures” and so fostering  “false-flag” events — committing aggressive acts but blaming Ukraine for them.

The philosophy of maskirovka was devised by political, intelligence and military leaders in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and contributed significantly to USSR victories in key battles against Germany during World War 2, including the decisive Battle of Stalingrad, which turned the war unexpectedly in the USSR’s favour.

March 13 2022 — 08:15

Air strike launched on Ukraine military base near Polish border - Lviv authorities

An air strike was launched on a Ukrainian military base Yavoriv in the west of the country near the Polish border, the Lviv regional military administration said on Sunday.

"The occupiers launched an air strike on the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security. According to preliminary data, they fired eight missiles," the administration said in a statement.

The centre, less than 25 km (15 miles) from the Polish border, did not say whether it had been hit. It said it would release details later. 

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 08:00

OPINION | Ramaphosa's actions on Ukraine condemn SA to be left behind in a changed world

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called the Russian president, Vladimir Putin to discuss the latter’s  murderous invasion of Ukraine. Only, of course, he didn’t quite put it like that.

“Thanking His Excellency President Vladimir Putin for taking my call today, so I could gain an understanding of the situation that was unfolding between Russia and Ukraine,” tweeted Ramaphosa on Thursday, after the call.

“President Putin appreciated our balanced approach. We believe this position enables both parties to subject the conflict to mediation & negotiation. Based on our relations with the Russian Federation & as member of Brics, SA has been approached to play a mediation role.”

There was a time when Ramaphosa’s negotiating skills might have been put to good use but it’s too late now. Not in Ukraine. It is hard to watch a South African president bending the knee  to a man waging war on a democratic neighbour, killing women and children, destroying cities and towns. Putin’s cruelty is boundless. His lying is infinite.

March 13 2022 — 07:45

Ukraine invasion puts SA food producers in a tough spot as commodity prices surge

As the price of wheat, maize, edible oil and fuel surge in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, JSE-listed food producers and grocery retailers face a tough balancing act.

Companies cannot absorb all the sharp price hikes in essential food commodities, but if they pass on rampant price increases to consumers, they run the risk of seeing demand plummet, especially for discretionary items such as biscuits and treats, and could lose customers to rivals, analysts said this week. 

Casparus Treurnicht, research analyst and portfolio manager at Gryphon Asset Management, said food producers and retailers are going to “take significant strain” in the coming months, as the steep rise in commodity prices has created a “perfect storm” for them, as well as packaging groups and logistics players across the value chain.

Treurnicht said smaller, more marginal food producers with weaker balance sheets will come under immense pressure, and some may fall by the wayside.

March 13 2022 — 07:30

NATO chief says Russia may use chemical weapons - German paper

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that Russia might use chemical weapons following its invasion of Ukraine and that such a move would be a war crime, according to an interview in German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

"In recent days, we have heard absurd claims about chemical and biological weapons laboratories," Stoltenberg was quoted by Welt am Sonntag as saying, adding that the Kremlin was inventing false pretexts to justify what could not be justified.

"Now that these false claims have been made, we must remain vigilant because it is possible that Russia itself could plan chemical weapons operations under this fabrication of lies. That would be a war crime," Stoltenberg was quoted as saying.

He added that although the Ukrainian people were resisting the Russian invasion with courage, the coming days are likely to bring even greater hardship.

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 07:20

OPINION | A juvenile, tit-for-tat narrative downplays the impact and reach of the war in Ukraine

March 13 2022 — 07:15

Ukraine says seven killed, including a child, after Russia fired at evacuation convoy

Ukraine's intelligence service accused Russia on Saturday of firing at a convoy that was evacuating women and children from the village of Peremoha in the Kyiv region, killing seven people including one child.

The service - part of the defence ministry - initially said the convoy left the village in a "green corridor" which had previously been agreed with Russia.

But in a statement released late on Saturday, the service said this was not in fact the case and the convoy had left the village independently.

"This is very dangerous, because the occupying forces are ruthlessly destroying the civilian population," it said. "We urge all citizens who are in danger to follow the official information on evacuation routes and use only safe routes."

The service initially said that after the purported attack, which occurred on Friday, the Russian troops forced the remainder of the column back into the village. Reuters was unable immediately to verify the report and Russia offered no immediate comment.

-Reuters

March 13 2022 — 07:00

How the Russia-Ukraine conflict could plunge SA further into 'winter of discontent'

Cash-strapped South Africans are being warned to brace themselves for the toughest economic conditions in at least a decade as food prices spiral and the war in Ukraine threatens to push fuel prices to record highs.

Together with an electricity price hike of at least 10% in July and the prospect of further interest rate increases as the rand comes under pressure, South Africans are facing a winter of discontent.

The grim prognosis coincides with a new study showing South African workers are poorer than they were three years ago, with real take-home pay declining 5.8% since December 2019. 

Households will have to dig deeper to beat rising living costs in the face of a global shortage of vegetable oil and surging wheat prices, with Russia being the world’s biggest wheat exporter and Ukraine the fifth-biggest.

As the fighting in Ukraine intensifies, few are prepared to guess how high the price of fuel at the pump in SA will go. Prices rose from R19.36 a litre in January to R19.89 in February and R21.35 at the beginning of the month. A litre of fuel cost R13.79 in January 2019, R15.84 in January 2020 and R14.69 in January 2021.

March 13 2022 — 06:50

OPINION | SA's role in Ukraine peace talks as clear as mud

It is unclear what role President Cyril Ramaphosa will play in mediating the conflict between Russia and Ukraine after an announcement from his office that SA has been approached to participate in the mediation.

Presidency acting spokesperson Tyrone Seale said it is “very early in the process” to say what Pretoria’s contribution will be in attempts to bring peace to Eastern Europe.

On Thursday Ramaphosa said SA has been approached to play a mediation role in the ongoing conflict after he had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But senior government officials privy to the matter said no decision has been taken on how SA would get involved in peace talks.

March 13 2022 — 06:42

Ukraine's Zelenskyy warns of desolation if Russia tries to take Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Russian forces they face a fight to the death if they try to occupy the capital Kyiv, as air raid sirens again woke residents on Sunday morning.

“If they decide to carpet bomb and simply erase the history of this region ... and destroy all of us, then they will enter Kyiv. If that's their goal, let them come in, but they will have to live on this land by themselves,” Zelenskyy said on Saturday.

The president, who has repeatedly appeared on social media from the capital, said some small towns no longer existed in the third week of Russian attacks, the biggest assault on a European country since World War 2.

Russian shelling has trapped thousands of people in besieged cities and sent 2.5 million Ukrainians fleeing to neighbouring countries.