Ukraine Daily

Wednesday, March 9

Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Zelensky: ’We will not give up and we will not lose.’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a speech, by live stream, to the U.K. House of Commons, where he called for increased Western sanctions. He also asked the U.K. lawmakers to ensure that the “Ukrainian skies are safe,” referencing Ukraine’s plea for a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

UN nuclear watchdog loses contact with safeguards monitoring systems at Chornobyl. Systems that monitor nuclear material at the radioactive waste facilities at Chornobyl, taken over by Russian forces, have stopped transmitting data, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on March 8.

On March 7, the 12th day of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) held the first hearing in the “Ukraine v. Russian Federation” case. Read more about the case here.

Foreign volunteers will be able to obtain Ukrainian citizenship if they want to. First Deputy Interior Minister Yevhen Yenin said on March 9. Twenty thousand foreign volunteers have joined Ukrainian forces to fight Russia since March 6.

Ukraine’s military: Russia could involve up to 800 servicemen from Transnistria in its war against Ukraine. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces announced that Russia is not ruling out deploying forces from the unrecognized breakaway state in Moldova.

Humanitarian corridor in Sumy to continue for second day. The head of Sumy’s Regional State Administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said the civilian evacuation route to Poltava will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on March 9. Five thousand people were successfully evacuated from Sumy to Poltava Oblast on March 8.

Fitch downgrades Russian credit rating to imminent default. “The C rating reflects Fitch’s view that a sovereign default is imminent,” the credit agency said in a statement.

Putin signs decree restricting export, import of goods. Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin has signed a decree prohibiting the import and export of products and raw materials to certain countries. The list of countries will be finalized by March 9-10.

CIA Chief: Putin is not crazy. However, Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin’s increasing isolation and insulation from conflicting views make him “extremely difficult to deal with,” said William Burns, director of the CIA, during a parliament committee hearing.

Russia suspends sale of foreign currency. The country will no longer allow its citizens to buy up foreign currency in a bid to maintain reserves within the country. Customers will be able to withdraw a maximum of $10,000 in foreign currency from their accounts, all other funds will now be paid in rubles.

Russia destroys 61 Ukrainian hospitals. Health Minister Viktor Lyashko says the Russian military has damaged buildings and medical equipment. Some of these facilities have been repaired and are currently back in use.

US foreign policy heavyweights call for limited no-fly zone over Ukraine. The group of 27 foreign policy leaders urged the U.S. to impose a limited no-fly zone over Ukraine starting with protection for humanitarian corridors, Politico reported. Among others, the list includes Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO; Ben Hodges, former commander of the U.S. army in Europe; and John Herbst, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine.

The human cost of Russia’s war

UN: Civilian casualties reach 1,335 since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said that as of midnight on March 7, 474 civilians have been killed and 861 injured. Thirty-eight children are confirmed to have been killed with 71 more wounded. The agency believes, however, that the real figures are considerably higher than what has been thus far confirmed.

Russia kills 27 civilians in Kharkiv within 24 hours. Since the start of the war, 170 civilians, including 5 children, have been killed by Russian forces in Kharkiv Oblast, said the Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Investigative Department of the National Police Serhiy Bolvinov.

Russian air strikes kill 22 people in Sumy overnight on March 8. Head of Sumy regional state administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said that three children were among those killed in the northeastern city.

Russian troops kill three kindergarten teachers in Mykolaiv Oblast. Another two kindergarten employees were wounded when Russian soldiers shot at a minibus, Hanna Zamazeyeva, head of the Mykolayiv Oblast Council, said on March 8.

Russian troops destroy central hospital in Izyum, Kharkiv Oblast. Volodymyr Matsokin, a deputy mayor of Izyum, said on March 8 patients had to make their way out of the ruins. Russian and Ukrainian troops are currently fighting for control of Izyum, a strategic stronghold on the way to the Donbas.

International response

KFC, Pizza Hut suspend operations in Russia. Yum Brands Inc, the parent company of the fast food chains, said on March 8 it was pausing investment in Russia and halting operations at its restaurants. Yum has at least 1,000 KFC and 50 Pizza Hut locations in Russia.

Pentagon questions Poland’s proposal to transfer MIG-29 jets to US. “It is simply not clear to us that there is a substantive rationale for it,” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said. Hours prior, the Polish government announced its decision to supply the U.S. with its stockpile of MIG-29 jets, free of charge, to be later transferred to Ukraine.

Hungary doesn’t support ban on Russian energy. The extension of the sanctions to the Russian energy sector would represent a “disproportionately large burden” for Hungary, said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Proposed US aid package to Ukraine increases to $12 billion. The assistance will support Ukraine in dealing with humanitarian issues, such as buying food and supplies, and will allow the country to increase military capabilities.

McDonald’s to temporarily close all of its 850 restaurants in Russia. “Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine,” McDonald’s President and CEO Chris Kempckinski said. The company said in a statement it will continue paying its 62,000 employees in Russia.

Britain calls for ‘Marshall Plan for Ukraine.’ U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called on the leaders of the Visegrad Group — Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia — to develop a fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

CERN kicks Russia out from nuclear research programs. The European Organization for Nuclear Research will not include Russia in new research programs. Russia will now lose its observer status in the organization. Additionally, CERN will promote Ukrainian scientific activity in the field of high-energy physics, the official statement reads.

Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Igor Kossov, Anastasiia Lapatina, Illia Ponomarenko, Alexander Query, Asami Terajima, Olena Goncharova, Oleksiy Sorokin, Olga Rudenko, Toma Istomina, Lili Bivings and Brad LaFoy.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider becoming our patron on Patreon or donating via GoFundMe. Start supporting independent journalism today.