Putin appears at massive Moscow rally, praises Russian military: LIVE UPDATES
Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared Friday at a massive rally in Moscow as his invasion of Ukraine continues.
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Putin sparks fears of new 'Red Terror' in 'Stalin-esque' speech on 'fifth column' traitors in Russia
Vladimir Putin is adjusting his rhetoric following his stalled invasion of Ukraine, touching on Stalinist nostalgia and patriotic themes to boost public support for the war, which he calls a "special military operation" and claims was launched as a defensive measure.
In a speech Thursday, he peppered his remarks with "Stalin-esque" dog whistling and warnings of a "fifth column" of Russian "scum and traitors" working to undermine his ambitions from within, according to a translation of his remarks.
"The West, collectively, is trying to fracture our society…to provoke a civil conflict in Russia, by means of the fifth column," he said. "The goal is Russia’s collapse."
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Zelenskyy: 'It's time to meet. Time to talk'
"Meaningful negotiations on peace, on security for us, for Ukraine - are the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on Telegram Friday. "It’s time to meet. Time to talk. It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be so huge that several generations will not be enough to rebound."
US intelligence agency warns Putin may threaten to use nuclear weapons
Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin details a 2022 worldwide threat assessment on 'Special Report.'
Putin a 'madman': Rep. Meeks
Reps. Gregory Meeks and Mike Turner discuss sending MiGs to Ukraine and dealing with Putin on 'Special Report.'
Ukraine sets up hotlines, Telegram channel for missing Ukrainians and Russian soldiers
Ukrainian and Russian citizens are depending on hotlines to gather information about loved ones during the war.
Ukraine's National Information Bureau has a hotline for those hoping to get information about the deceased, missing or prisoners of war, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's website.
"This hotline is designed for the initial collection of information and communication with victims," Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a Friday statement. "The line will also function in messengers. I ask those who have questions and who want information about the dead, missing, prisoners of war, illegally detained by Russia, including civilians to call and we will help."
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George W. Bush and Bill Clinton visit Ukrainian Church to lay flowers, pay respects
Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush visited a Ukrainian church in a show of support as the country enters its fourth week of combating an invasion by Russia.
"America stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they fight for their freedom and their future," Bush posted on his Instagram page on Friday along with a video of the two presidents laying flowers at Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois.
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Ukrainian forces conduct successful coounterattack in the south, pushing back Russian forces: ISW
The Institute for the Study of War released a report Friday stating that Ukrainian forces have engaged in a successful counterattack around the city of Mykolayiv over the past several days.
The report also noted that Russian troops continued to secure territory around the city Mariupol on March 18 but also noted that morale among Russian troops appears to be deteriorating.
"Russian forces face growing morale and supply problems, including growing reports of self-mutilation among Russian troops to avoid deployment to Ukraine and shortages of key guided munitions," the report said.
The report adds that Russia did not conduct any offensive operations to the northwest or northeast of Kyiv on March 18.
Russia still 'largely stalled' across Ukraine: US defense official
Russian forces remain "largely stalled" across Ukraine after more than three weeks of fighting, a senior U.S. defense official said Friday.
Russian troops have launched more than 1,080 missiles at Ukrainian targets since the start of the invasion.
Despite weeks of continued attempts to encircle the capital city of Kyiv from three different directions, Russian troops still have "not made significant advances" from the north or northwest, the official said.
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Over 6.4M people displaced in Ukraine, 12M stranded or unable to flee, UN coalition says
More than 12 million people were stranded in areas affected by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, while over 6.4 million Ukrainians were displaced, but remain in the country, as of Wednesday, the United Nations-run Global Protection Cluster said Friday.
The staggering statistics were compiled via survey by the International Organization for Migration, or IOM, and shared in Friday’s "Update on IDP Figures in Ukraine." An "IDP" is an internally displaced person, or someone who was displaced from their home but remains in the country.
The IOM found that an estimated 6.48 million IDPs were reported in Ukraine as of Wednesday, according to the Protection Cluster, a coalition of non-governmental, United Nations and humanitarian organizations.
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State Dept refuses to detail 'red line' if China provides support to Russia amid war in Ukraine
The State Department on Friday refused to detail what "red lines" the U.S. would draw with respect to China’s support for Russia amid its deadly invasion in Ukraine.
President Biden warned Chinese President Xi Jinping in a call Friday morning that there would be "consequences" if Beijing provides Moscow with "material support" while Russia continues its deadly campaign against its southern neighbor.
But when pressed by reporters as to what "red lines" the White House would draw the State Department was light on answers.
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French President Macron says he told Putin to lift the siege of Mariupol, order immediate cease fire
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to lift the siege of Mariupol, allow humanitarian access and order an immediate cease-fire, Macron’s office said.
Macron spoke with the Russian leader on the phone for 70 minutes. Earlier in the day, Putin had a conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also pressed for an immediate cease-fire.
Macron, who has spoken numerous times with Putin, revisited complaints over repeated attacks on civilians and Russia’s failure to respect human rights in Ukraine, the presidential Elysee Palace said.
It said that Putin, in turn, laid the blame for the war on Ukraine.
French media reported that Putin accused Ukraine of committing "war crimes" and claimed that Russia has done everything it can to avoid civilian casualties.
Associated Press contributed to this report
China shows little sign of backing away from support for Russia after Biden call with Xi
In starkly contrasting readouts by the U.S. and China of the call Friday morning between President Biden and Chinese President Xu Jinping, the U.S. emphasized “imposing costs on Russia” while the Chinese called for an evenhanded approach that recognized “the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.”
The readouts were not only different substantively but notable for the totalitarian regimes lengthy, robust provision of detailed information about the relationship between China and the U.S. and an American report that included mostly well-known diplo-speak.
While China said generally it “stands for peace and opposes war” and hopes for a cessation of hostilities, it made no demand that Russia cease operations in Ukraine that have included horrific destruction and killing of civilians.
“All sides need to jointly support Russia and Ukraine in having dialogue and negotiation that will produce results and lead to peace,” the Chinese government said. “The US and NATO should also have dialogue with Russia to address the crux of the Ukraine crisis and ease the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.”
China also suggested it opposed sanctions on Russia.
“Sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions would only make the people suffer,” the Chinese statement said. “If further escalated, they could trigger serious crises in global economy and trade, finance, energy, food, and industrial and supply chains, crippling the already languishing world economy and causing irrevocable losses.
Biden issued a warning to China, the U.S. said, which “described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians. The President underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.
“The conversation focused on Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” the White House said. “President Biden outlined the views of the United States and our Allies and partners on this crisis. President Biden detailed our efforts to prevent and then respond to the invasion, including by imposing costs on Russia.”
China added, “Biden reiterated that the US does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the US does not support ‘Taiwan independence’; and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China.”
I'm in Poland helping Ukrainian refugees, and seeing this crisis firsthand is shocking
I arrived in Poland near the border with Ukraine a little over a week ago. I am the director of international disaster relief for the Virginia Beach-based humanitarian organization Operation Blessing International. My mission is to lead emergency relief efforts to help the untold numbers of refugees streaming across the border from Ukraine. Our team also includes a medical doctor, a logistics expert, a safe water expert and a media expert, so we can capture everything in images to show America what is transpiring here.
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‘Little evidence’ Syria fighters headed to Ukraine despite Russian recruiting attempt: CENTCOM
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Frank McKenzie said there was "little evidence" that foreign fighters were traveling from Syria to Ukraine as Russia looks to ramp up recruitment for its war.
"We see little evidence of recruiting in Syria to bring people back to Ukraine," McKenzie told reporters Friday. "Not saying it couldn't happen, and I'm not saying that one or two, three or four haven't gone. But we haven't seen the large-scale effort to do that."
The general’s comments were in response to questions on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reported efforts to have Syrians join the fight in Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Syrian news website DeirEzzor24 claimed that Moscow was offering six-month contracts with pay ranging between $200 and $300 a month in a push to increase its force posture in Ukraine.
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Kremlin missile attacks strike Lviv, seen as crossroads for refugees and aid destination
A barrage of missiles on Friday struck parts of Lviv, a western Ukrainian city that thousands of people have passed through on their way to the safety of Poland or to enter more dangerous Ukraine territories to provide aid amid Russia's ongoing onslaught.
Russian forces on Friday launched an attack against an aircraft repair installation at an airport just outside Lviv, close to the border with Poland. At least one person was reported wounded.
Satellite photos showed the strike destroyed a repair hangar and appeared to damage two other buildings. A row of fighter jets appeared intact, but an apparent impact crater sat in front of them.
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Ukraine claims it has killed another Russian military commander
The Ukraine Ministry of Defense said Friday that its troops have "eliminated [the] commander of 331st airborne regiment of [the] russian army, colonel Sergei Sukharev.
"He took part in the Battle of Ilovaysk in 2014, where he committed a war crime," it added.
Sukharev's death reportedly has been confirmed by Russian state media.
American gun companies are helping Ukrainians fight back against Putin
Gun companies like Adrian Kellgren’s family-owned business in Florida are helping Ukrainians fight back against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Kellgren’s company was left holding a $200,000 shipment of semi-automatic rifles after a longtime customer in Ukraine suddenly went silent following the start of the war, the Associated Press reports.
Fearing the worst, Kellgren and his company KelTec decided to put those stranded 400 guns to use, sending them to Ukraine's nascent resistance movement to help civilians fight back against a Russian military that has been repeatedly shelling their apartment buildings, schools, hospitals and hiding places.
"The American people want to do something," said Kellgren, a former U.S. Navy pilot. "We enjoy our freedoms, we cherish those things. And when we see a group of people out there getting hammered like this, it’s heartbreaking."
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Russian attacks now moving into western Ukraine
Fox News reporter Mike Tobin reports live from Lviv, Ukraine as attacks have moved west and another American was killed.
Biden, Xi discuss Russia's war against Ukraine and 'other issues of mutual concern' in video call
President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on a secure video call for nearly two hours Friday morning, discussing Russia's war against Ukraine and "other issues of mutual concern."
Biden took the call, which started at 9:03 a.m. ET, in the White House Situation Room. The call concluded at 10:53 a.m. ET.
The White House previewed the call as part of the administration’s "ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication" between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The White House said Biden and Xi would discuss "managing the competition" between the U.S. and China. and "Russia's war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern."
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Photos show devastation, death as Kyiv attacks leave residential district in ruin
Russian troops launched a new round of attacks on parts of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv as forces also launched missiles at the outskirts of Lviv, a city that had been seen as a refuge for those trying to escape the war-torn country.
Chilling photographs show the devastating aftermath of the attacks against a residential district in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. Russian forces, led by President Vladimir Putin, also launched a series of missiles strikes targeting the western city of Lviv.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported Thursday that 780 civilians had been killed in Ukraine and 1,252 were injured between Feb. 24, 2022 – seen as being the start of the war – and midnight Wednesday.
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