On 24 February, Russia invaded Ukraine and the conflict continues despite the talks between Russia and Ukraine. After almost six day of war, Putin has intensified the offensive; however, no major cities have been taken yet. Western countries have imposed new sanctions on Russia, and yesterday the EU announced that sanctions will be imposed on Belarus.
On February 28, authorities in the eastern city of Kharkiv reported repeated artillery strikes throughout the day. Dozens of people were reportedly killed, and hundreds injured, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior. Reports indicate that dozens of missiles were fired into the city. Footage purporting to show the strikes indicate residential areas were targeted. There has been reports accusing Russia for using cluster bombs in Kharkiv, which are banned by the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). Neither Russia nor Ukraine has signed this convention, but the incident will nonetheless likely be condemned internationally. Talks between Kyiv and Moscow have officially concluded on 28 February, with both sides reporting that they intend to meet for a second round of negotiations in the coming days. No concrete decisions were reported from the talks.
On February 28, Ukraine also signed a formal request to join the European Union. Given the invasion EU membership would be impossible at this stage, but the official request comes after the EU has shown unprecedented unity in its approach to supporting Ukraine.
On 01 March air raid sirens have been sounded across many western and central cities, including Cherkasy, Kropyvnytskyi, Rivne, Ternopil, and Vinnytsia as of morning hours. Missile strikes has also been reported in the Kyiv region. Satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies has shown a 64km long Russian military convoy, the front of it has already reached Kyiv, it is still unclear if the intention is to advance into the city or to surround it. Significant Russian military movement has been witnessed in Berdyansk located in Zaporizhzhia Oblast after the coastal city was reportedly seized by the Russian forces. Meanwhile, large-scale clashes continue to be recorded near cities across the coast of the Sea of Azov, including Mariupol.
All of these developments are continually monitored by our international desk and are discussed with several of our clients on a daily basis. We continue to collect information from local contacts and open sources.
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