[ad_1]
- The US government is considering a ban on oil from Russia in a push to ramp up pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
- The streaming giant Netflix has suspended its service in Russia.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the West to strengthen sanctions on Russia.
Here are the latest updates:
Zelenskyy says Russia sanctions not sufficient
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed to the West to strengthen sanctions on Russia.
In a video statement, Zelenskyy criticised Western leaders for not responding to the Russian Defence Ministry’s earlier announcement that it would attack Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.
“I didn’t hear even a single world leader react to this,” Zelenskyy said. “The audacity of the aggressor is a clear signal to the West that the sanctions imposed on Russia are not sufficient.”
Zelenskyy also called for organising a “tribunal” to bring to justice those who order and carry out such crimes. “Think about the sense of impunity of the occupiers that they can announce such planned atrocities,” he said.
The Russian Defense Ministry had said its forces intend to strike Ukraine’s military-industrial complex with what it said were “precision” weapons and urged staff to leave, in a statement carried by the Russian state news agency Tass.
US does not believe Russin assault on Odesa is imminent: Official
The United States does not believe a Russian amphibious assault in or near the Ukrainian city of Odesa is imminent, a senior US defence official has said, amid growing concern about a potential attack on the city.
The official, who spoke to the Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity, estimated Russia had launched about 600 missiles since the start of its invasion and deployed into Ukraine about 95 percent of combat forces it had pre-staged outside of the country.
Russian forces continued to try to advance and isolate Kyiv, Kharkhiv and Chernihiv and are meeting “strong Ukrainian resistance,” the official said.
Netflix halts service in Russia
Streaming giant Netflix has suspended its service in Russia.
A statement from the company cited “circumstances on the ground” for its decision to suspend its Russian service but didn’t offer any additional details.
The US-based platform had already halted its acquisitions in Russia, as well as its production of original programmes.
Earlier, social media giant TikTok announced it was suspending the posting of all video content from Russia in order to keep its employees safe and comply with new regulations in the country.
Moscow on Friday signed into law a bill introducing jail terms of up to 15 years for what is deemed “fake news” about the Russian army.
Bolshoi conductor quits after pressure
Tugan Sokhiev, the music director and principal conductor at Moscow’s prestigious Bolshoi Theatre, has announced his resignation, saying he came under pressure to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian said in a statement that he was resigning “with immediate effect” from his post at the Moscow theatre as well as his equivalent position at France’s Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.
Read the full story here.
Russian forces interfering at Ukraine nuclear plant: IAEA
Russian forces have tightened their control on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant since seizing it on Friday, the United Nations nuclear watchdog has warned.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said he was “extremely concerned” after Ukraine’s nuclear regulator informed the agency that staff members at the plant, the largest in Ukraine, are now required to seek approval from Russian forces for any operation, even maintenance.
Read more about this story here.
Poland refugee count surpasses a million
More than a million refugees have crossed the border from Ukraine into Poland since Russia launched its invasion, Polish border guards have said.
“Today at 8:00 pm (19:00 GMT) the number of people from Ukraine into Poland exceeded a million. This is a million human tragedies,” the border guard service wrote on Twitter.
US mulls possible ban on oil imports from Russia
The United States government is consulting with its European allies on a potential import ban of oil from Russia.
“We are now talking to our European partners and allies to look in a coordinated way at the prospect of banning the import of Russian oil,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN.
The debate also revolved around “making sure that there is still an appropriate supply of oil on world markets,” Blinken said. “That’s a very active discussion as we speak.”
US President Joe Biden has not explicitly ruled out such a move.
There are more details on this development here.
Welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
Read all the updates from Sunday, March 6, here.
[ad_2]
Source link
