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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said 137 people, including civilians were killed in Russian attack so far. Several world leaders have condemned the Russian actions. PM Modi spoke to Valdimir Putin late on Thursday night, and urged an immediate end to violence.
Here are the key developments since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began a day back:
Chernobyl taken, loud explosions heard in Kyiv
Two loud blasts were heard in central Kyiv early Friday, as Russian troops push closer to the Ukrainian capital in an invasion of its Western-backed neighbour.
Ukraine’s army said that Russia fired on civilian areas of Kyiv but that Ukraine’s air defence systems repelled “two deadly gifts”, according to a post on its verified Facebook page.
Russia’s forces pressed deep into Ukraine as deadly battles reached the outskirts of Kyiv.
On Thursday, Russian paratroopers wrested control of the Gostomel airfield, on the northwestern outskirts of Kyiv, after swooping in with helicopters and jets from the direction of Belarus.
Russian forces seized control of the now-unused Chernobyl plant and its surrounding exclusion zone, some 90 km north of Kyiv, after a fierce battle
Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba pleaded for “more weapons to continue fighting … the amount of tanks, armoured vehicles, airplanes, helicopters that Russia threw on Ukraine is unimaginable”.
Ukrainian forces downed an aircraft over Kyiv early on Friday, which then crashed into a residential building and set it on fire, said an adviser to the interior minister. It was unclear if the aircraft was manned.
India to evacuate nationals via land routes
The MEA is sending teams to four points on Ukraine’s land borders with its neighbours to assist in evacuation of Indian nationals.
These are Zahony border (Hungary), Krakowiec (Poland), Vysne Nemekce (Slovak Republic) and Suceava (Romania).
Evacuation through air route is no longer an option after Ukraine closed its airspace. An Air India flight had to turn back on Thursday after taking off from Delhi due to the closure.
Ukraine president vows to stay put in Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed on Friday to stay in Kyiv as his troops battled Russian invaders advancing toward the capital.
“(The) enemy has marked me down as the number one target,” Zelenskiy warned in a video message as heavy fighting was reported on multiple fronts. “My family is the number two target. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state.”
“I will stay in the capital. My family is also in Ukraine.”
PM Modi speaks to Putin, urges immediate end to violence
In a phone call with the Russian President late Thursday, PM Modi sought concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue.
According to a statement by the PMO, Putin briefed Modi on the recent developments regarding Ukraine.
“Prime Minister [Modi] reiterated his long-standing conviction that the differences between Russia and the NATO group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue,” the statement said.
PM Modi also sensitised the Russian President about India’s concerns regarding the safety of the Indian citizens in Ukraine and their return to India.
Any country that supports Putin will be stained by association: Biden
US President Joe Biden, on Thursday unleashed what he described as a “devastating package of sanctions and other economic measures” to cripple the Russian economy.
The sanctions include the freezing of assets of four major Russian banks, including VTB, which Biden said held more than $250 billion in the US.
The warning will be particularly stark for Pakistan, whose leader Imran Khan, was in Moscow even as Putin launched the Ukraine invasion. Asked if India was on the same page as US on the Ukraine situation, Biden said “We’re speaking with India today, that hasn’t been entirely resolved yet…”
The US would make Putin a “pariah” and any country that supports him, he said, will be stained by their association.
The US, he said, will stand by Ukraine and defend it short of putting boots on the ground.
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