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Fighter jets to Ukraine risks escalation, US says: Live news | Russia-Ukraine war News


  • Pentagon reaffirms US opposition to Poland’s offer to send fighter jets to Ukraine, saying transfer risks escalating crisis.
  • Ukrainian officials say a hospital complex in the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol has been hit by a Russian attack.
  • Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in Turkey for talks with Ukrainian counterpart.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterates call for Kyiv’s allies to impose a no-fly zone over the country.
  • US and UK again rule out no-fly zone, saying it could lead to direct confrontation with Russia.

INTERACTIVE Russia-Ukraine map Who controls what in Ukraine DAY 14

Here are all the latest updates:

Russian banks can lend to firms owned by non-residents

Russian banks will be allowed to lend to companies controlled by non-residents, the finance ministry has said amid sanctions that have prompted many western firms to pull out or suspend operations.

“This decision was taken so that companies wishing to continue their business activities in Russia can work normally and receive loans from domestic banks,” the ministry said in a statement, without providing details.

INTERACTIVE - Sanctions on Russia SWIFT payment network


US weighs sanctions on Russian nuclear power supplier

The United States was weighing sanctions on Russian nuclear power supplier Rosatom, Bloomberg has reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

No final decision has been made and the White House is consulting with the nuclear power industry about the potential impact of imposing sanctions on Russia’s state-owned atomic energy company, which is a major supplier of fuel and technology to power plants around the world, the report added.

Russia’s uranium production is controlled by Rosatom, which was formed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007. The company is an important source of revenue for Moscow.


Pentagon does not support more jets for Ukraine

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has informed his Polish counterpart that Washington does not back Warsaw’s plans to transfer its Russian-made MiG-29 jets to Ukraine, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby has said.

He said the effectiveness of Russia’s “significant” air force has already been limited by Ukraine’s air defences.

“Polish generosity is clearly on display for the whole world to see,” Kirby said. “But at this time, we believe that provision of additional fighter aircraft provides little increased capabilities at high risk.”

He added that transferring the jets to Ukraine would risk an escalation with Russia.


Lavrov arrives in Turkey for talks with Ukrainian counterpart

Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has landed in Antalya, Turkey, ahead of planned talks with Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday.

The meeting would be the first between the nations’ top diplomats since Russia invaded Ukraine two weeks ago.


Ukraine evacuates 40,000 civilians in one day: official

Ukraine has evacuated more than 40,000 people in one day but has fallen short of the target of 100,000, one of the negotiators in the talks with Russia said.

David Arakhamia said in a post on social media said that evacuations remained problematic around the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mariupol.


Ukrainian official says 67 children killed since Russian invasion began

Ukraine’s top security official Oleksiy Danilov says 67 children have been killed since the Russian invasion began on February 24.

Danilov also joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in urging Kyiv’s allies to enforce a no-fly zone over the country.

The US, UK and NATO have ruled out that call, saying a no-fly zone would risk escalating the conflict and leading to a direct military confrontation with Russia.


No evidence of weapons of mass destruction produced in Ukraine: UN

The United Nations has seen no evidence of weapons of mass destruction allegedly produced in Ukraine, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is “unaware of any activity on the part of the Ukrainian government, which is inconsistent with its international treaty obligations, including on chemical weapons or by biological weapons”.

The UN statement follows Russian allegations that Ukraine is developing nuclear or biological weapons.


IAEA chief to join Russia-Ukraine meeting in Turkey

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, will fly to Turkey later today, as the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers are set to meet.

“In meetings there I hope to make progress on the urgent issue of ensuring the safety and security of #Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. We need to act now!” Grossi wrote on Twitter.

Russia has seized a nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia and radioactive waste facilities near the defunct nuclear power plant at Chernobyl. Ukrainian staff are still operating both but in conditions Grossi has said put the facilities’ safety at risk.


Welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

Read all the updates from Wednesday, March 9, here.





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