A look at the latest developments on the Ukraine-Russia crisis:

  1. On a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for an immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine. He also raised concerns regarding the safety of Indian citizens in Ukraine, the prime minister’s office said in a statement. Modi said that the differences between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization can only be resolved through “honest and sincere dialogue”.  The two global leaders spoke after Russia announced a “military operation” in Ukraine following months of tension between them. Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s envoy to India Igor Polikha had urged Modi to start a high-level dialogue with his country and Russia.
  2. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will speak to his counterparts in Romania, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, reported ANI. Meanwhile, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the foreign ministry has sent their teams in these four countries to their borders to help in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine.    
  3. Earlier in the day, Opposition leaders accused the Narendra Modi-led central government of not making timely arrangements to bring back Indians living in war-struck Ukraine. As many as 20,000 Indians were living in Ukraine, of which 4,000 have already been evacuated, Shringla said.
  4. Ukraine’s military claimed that about 50 Russian troops have been killed and six warplanes have been destroyed amid fighting in the country’s east, reported Al Jazeera. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s advisor also said that at least 40 Ukrainian soldiers and 10 civilians have in the Russian invasion. Meanwhile, Russia claimed that it has destroyed 74 Ukrainian military facilities, including 11 air bases.
  5. International oil prices crossed the $100 per barrel mark for the first time in seven years after Russia announced a military operation in Ukraine. As of 9 pm, the price of Brent crude rose to $103.82 (or Rs 7,860.73), an increase of $6.98 (Rs 528.49) or 7.21%.
  6. Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, has declared a curfew in the city, reported AFP. Klitschko said the curfew would be enforced between 10 pm and 7 am local time and public transport would stop working during this period. He added that metro stations would remain open to serve as bomb shelters.
  7. North Atlantic Treaty Organization chief Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance had no plans to send troops to Ukraine, reported AFP. He, however, said that the alliance was activating its “defence plans” as Russia attacked non-NATO member Ukraine.
  8. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia was trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident when a nuclear reactor exploded in April 1986. In a tweet, Zelenskyy said that he has reported Russia’s actions to Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, adding that it was a declaration of “war against the whole of Europe”.
  9. United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnsonwarned of imposing “massive” sanctions against Russia that would “hobble” its economy, reported The Guardian. “Diplomatically, politically, economically, and eventually militarily, this hideous and barbaric adventure of Vladimir Putin must end in failure,” he said.
  10. Equity benchmark indices crashed on Thursday as global market sentiments nosedived after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “military operation” in Ukraine. The 30-share BSE index plunged 2702.15 points, or 4.72% to close at 54,529.91. The broader 50-share NSE Nifty finished at 16,247.95, down by 815 points from the previous closing mark.