Russia Ukraine war

The Russian military assault on Ukraine went into its fifth day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his nuclear forces put on increased alert, ...

It will give all U.N. members an opportunity to speak about the war Monday and vote on a resolution later in the week. The ruble later recovered ground after swift action by Russia’s central bank. A day earlier, he had said that 368,000 people had crossed into Poland, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and other countries. U.S. officials say they believe the invasion has been more difficult, and slower, than the Kremlin envisioned, though that could change as Moscow adapts. It wasn’t immediately clear what Putin is seeking in the talks or from the war itself. Economists and analysts said that a sharp devaluation of the ruble would mean a drop in the standard of living for the average Russian. Russians are still reliant on a multitude of imported goods and the prices for those items are likely to skyrocket. That action comes on top of a raft of Western economic sanctions in which the EU has been a leading player, and the 27-nation bloc has agreed to close its airspace to Russian airlines. People wary that sanctions would deal a crippling blow to the economy have been flocking to banks and ATMs for days, with reports on social media of long lines and machines running out. The Defense Ministry said that the high alert status applies to all components of Russian nuclear forces — the Strategic Missile Forces that oversee land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Northern and Pacific Fleets that have submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles; and long-range aviation, which has a fleet of nuclear-capable strategic bombers. The Russian currency plunged about 30% against the U.S. dollar on Monday after Western nations moved to block some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system and to restrict Russia’s use of its massive foreign currency reserves. While Ukraine sent its defense minister and other top officials, the Russian delegation is led by Putin’s adviser on culture — an unlikely envoy for ending the war and a sign of how Moscow views the talks. Ukrainian troops slowed Russia’s advance on key cities, at least for now, while a Ukrainian delegation arrived at the border with Belarus on Monday for talks with Russian officials, though prospects looked uncertain at best.

Tensions over Ukraine escalated further after Russian President Vladimir Putin put his nuclear forces on increased alert.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces shelled Ukraine's second-largest city on Monday, rocking a residential neighborhood, and closed in on the capital, Kyiv, ...

In yet another blow to Russia’s economy, oil giant Shell said it is pulling out of the country because of the invasion. On Monday, in a major blow to a soccer-mad nation, Russian teams were suspended from all international soccer. He said the soldiers went into a supermarket and grabbed canned meat, vodka and cigarettes. Kyiv remained “a key goal” for the Russians, Zelenskyy said, noting that it was hit by three missile strikes on Monday and that hundreds of saboteurs were roaming the city. Fighting raged in other towns and cities across the country. As the talks along the Belarusian border wrapped up, several blasts could be heard in Kyiv, and Russian troops advanced on the city of nearly 3 million. But that did little to calm Russian fears. They want to eat,” Konstantin Maloletka, who runs a small shop, said by telephone. They described the soldiers as exhausted young conscripts. “I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday in a video address. What looked like an undetonated projectile was on the floor. Video from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest city, with a population of about 1.5 million, showed residential areas being shelled, with apartment buildings shaken by repeated, powerful blasts.