March 17, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Helen Regan, Travis Caldwell, Seán Federico-O'Murchú, George Ramsay, Ed Upright, Adrienne Vogt, Maureen Chowdhury, Aditi Sangal and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 12:02 a.m. ET, March 18, 2022
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8:36 a.m. ET, March 17, 2022

The war in Ukraine is entering its fourth week. Here's what you need to know today

Residents of the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol have described the situation there as "unbearable" and "just hell."

On Thursday, survivors began emerging from the rubble of the theater they were sheltering in after it was bombed by Russian forces yesterday, according the former head of the Donetsk region. The number of casualties is unknown.

Hundreds of civilians were thought to have taken shelter in the building amid the ongoing Russian siege of the coastal city. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people are currently trapped there and as many as 2,500 civilians have died in Mariupol, Ukrainian officials estimate.

Here are the latest developments:

  • Theater bombing: Ukraine’s defense minister Oleksii Reznikov on Thursday branded the Russian pilot who bombed the Mariupol theater a “monster.” Satellite images geolocated by CNN show the word “children” was written in large letters on two sides of the building.

  • Russian advance: Invading forces are inching toward the capital Kyiv. The majority of Ukrainian territory remains in Ukrainian hands, while fighting in some regions continues to be intense. The head of the Chernihiv region, northeast of Kyiv and close to the Russian border, said that Chernihiv city is “suffering great losses.” 
  • Evacuation efforts: Nine evacuation routes leading out of different Ukrainian cities, including Mariupol, have been agreed for Thursday, the Ukrainian government said. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said evacuation corridors did not work on Wednesday as the Russian military did not stop shelling.
  • UN to meet: The UN Security Council will hold a meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine at 3 p.m. ET today.
  • Appeal to Germany: Zelensky addressed German lawmakers on Thursday, drawing parallels between the Berlin Wall during the Cold War and Ukraine’s current position outside of the European Union and NATO. In the address, he also explicitly referenced the post-Holocaust motto: "never again." Zelensky said: “Every year politicians say never again. Now I see that these words are worthless.” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said NATO will not risk an escalation in the Ukraine war by intervening with military force.
  • China dodges question on military aid: China endorsed remarks made by its ambassador to Ukraine on Thursday after the Chinese diplomat pledged Beijing’s political and economic support for the war-torn country. But in a sign of Beijing’s possible attempt to play both sides, it declined to say if Beijing’s support for its ambassador’s remarks means China will not offer weapons or other assistance to Russia to support the military invasion in Ukraine.
8:34 a.m. ET, March 17, 2022

Biden will speak with China's president Friday about Russia's invasion in Ukraine, White House says

From CNN's Nikki Carvajal

US President Joe Biden will speak with China’s Xi Jinping Friday about “managing the competition between our two countries as well as Russia’s war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Thursday.

"This is part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and the PRC," Psaki said.

More context: A Western official and a US diplomat told CNN earlier this week that the US has information suggesting China has expressed some openness to providing Russia with requested military and financial assistance as part of its war on Ukraine.

It is not yet clear whether China intends to provide Russia with that assistance, US officials familiar with the intelligence tell CNN. But during an intense, seven-hour meeting in Rome, a top aide to Biden warned his Chinese counterpart of "potential implications and consequences" for China should support for Russia be forthcoming, a senior administration official said.

Biden and Xi's last known conversation took place in November during a three-and-a-half hour virtual summit. The highly anticipated summit yielded no major breakthroughs — though none were expected ahead of time — and officials dismissed the notion the summit was intended to ease what has become an increasingly tense relationship.

8:22 a.m. ET, March 17, 2022

US discussing ways to help Ukrainian refugees join family members in America, sources say 

From CNN's Priscilla Alvarez and Kevin Liptak

Refugees crossing the border at Medyka, Poland, on March 16.
Refugees crossing the border at Medyka, Poland, on March 16. (Diogo Baptista/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)

US President Joe Biden's administration is discussing ways to help Ukrainian refugees join family members already living in the US by providing special pathways for their admission, according to multiple sources.

Under mounting pressure to step up their efforts, Biden administration officials have been considering a range of options, including a fast-track path for those fleeing the Russian invasion as well as a special admission process into the US based on humanitarian grounds, according to one source familiar with the discussions. The proposals could potentially help hundreds of Ukrainians fleeing the violence.

More than three million refugees have fled war-torn Ukraine to neighboring countries in a span of weeks, prompting calls for more nations — and specifically the US — to take in refugees. Polish President Andrzej Duda personally asked US Vice President Kamala Harris last week to speed up and simplify the procedures allowing Ukrainians with family in the US to come to the country.

More background: Biden has faced increased pressure in the last several days to do more to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russia, including from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself on Wednesday. In a speech to Congress, Zelensky called on Biden to be "the leader of the world" and said the US must do more to help his war-torn country.

For Biden, welcoming Ukrainian refugees into the United States would also help advance the notion of Western unity in the face of Russian aggression, according to one official. The President has told his team that the United States should be prepared to do its part, even as the details of how to do that have not yet been finalized.

Even as they work to identify ways to help Ukrainians, White House officials monitoring the refugee situation said they believe the crisis is still in its early stages, with the potential to dramatically expand in the coming weeks or months. There are fears among some that Poland, along with poorer nations in the region, won't be able to accommodate a steady flow of migrants that could persist for months, according to officials.

That has added urgency to the discussions about US assistance, as Biden's aides work to develop options that might alleviate the burden on Ukraine's neighbors.

Continue reading the full story here:

8:03 a.m. ET, March 17, 2022

Biden calling Putin a war criminal is "unacceptable" and "inexcusable," Kremlin says

From CNN's Lindsay Isaac

US President Joe Biden labeling Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" is “absolutely unacceptable and inexcusable,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

Peskov said Biden doesn’t have the right to make such statements based on US military actions in the past.

“And most importantly, the head of state which bombed people all over the world for many years and which dropped an atomic bomb on a country [Japan] that had already been defeated — I mean Hiroshima and Nagasaki — cannot have the right to make them,” Peskov added.

When asked by a reporter on Wednesday if he was ready to call Putin a war criminal, Biden said: "I think he is a war criminal." Biden initially said "no," but immediately returned to a group of reporters to clarify what had been asked. When asked again whether Putin was a war criminal, he answered in the affirmative.

More background: Officials, including Biden, had previously avoided saying war crimes were being committed in Ukraine, citing ongoing investigations into whether that term could be used. Other world leaders have not been as circumspect, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said last week war crimes were being committed. The International Criminal Court at the Hague has also opened an investigation into war crimes. And the US Senate unanimously asked for an international investigation into war crimes on Tuesday. US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said last week that actions committed by Russia against the Ukrainian people "constitute war crimes," marking the first time a senior US official directly accused Moscow of war crimes since last month's attack on Ukraine began.

After Biden delivered his assessment, the White House said the administration's investigation into war crimes would continue.

"The President's remarks speak for themselves," press secretary Jen Psaki said. She said Biden was "speaking from the heart."

CNN's Sam Fossum and Kevin Liptak contributed reporting to this post.

8:16 a.m. ET, March 17, 2022

NATO will not intervene with military force into Ukraine war, German leader says

From Inke Kappeler in Berlin

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, left, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, address the media during a statement prior to a meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on March 17.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, left, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, address the media during a statement prior to a meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on March 17. (Michael Sohn/Pool)

NATO will not risk an escalation in the Ukraine war by intervening with military force, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at joint news conference in Berlin with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday. 

“It is the core duty of the alliance to secure the safety of all members,” he said.

Germany is sending financial and humanitarian aid, as well as military goods, to Ukraine, but Berlin has stated repeatedly that it will not send fighter jets to help Ukrainian forces in their defense against the Russian invasion. 

“The fate of people in Ukraine touches us deeply,” Scholz said following an address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the German parliament. “Putin brings horrible sufferings and death for the people in Ukraine ... We are standing with Ukraine."

Scholz added that Putin bears the sole responsibility for the deaths of young Russians in the military. “We are also touched by those many young Russians led by their own leadership oppose a senseless war," he said.

6:57 a.m. ET, March 17, 2022

The city of Chernihiv is "suffering great losses," says regional head

From Yulia Kesaieva and Andrew Carey in Lviv

A satellite image shows burning homes in a residential area of Chernihiv, Ukraine, on March 16.
A satellite image shows burning homes in a residential area of Chernihiv, Ukraine, on March 16. (Maxar Technologies)

The head of the Chernihiv region, northeast of Kyiv and close to the Russian border, has said that Chernihiv city is “suffering great losses” as it comes under a sustained attack from Russian forces.

“The enemy continues systematic artillery and air strikes of our regional center, destroying civilian infrastructure," Vyacheslav Chaus wrote on Telegram.

"Just yesterday [Wednesday], 53 bodies of our dead citizens, killed by the Russian aggressor, were brought to the city morgue.”

Some context: Chernihiv has seen some of the worst attacks since Russia’s invasion began three weeks ago, including a strike on an apartment complex on March 4 in which at least 33 people were killed, according to officials, and an attack yesterday on a line of people queueing to buy bread.

7:35 a.m. ET, March 17, 2022

"I'm homeless, I have nothing, but the dogs are saved": Fleeing home with more than 20 pets in tow

From Oleksandra Ochman in Lviv

When fighting broke out in her town of Irpin, Anastasia and her husband decided to leave -- along with 19 dogs, cats and a hamster.

Anastasia told CNN she has been fond of dogs her entire life, so there was no question about whether the dogs should accompany them as they traveled on foot across the bridge to Kyiv.

“There were two dogs in their wheelchairs. Another one, without hind legs, did not want to ride in a wheelchair. He traveled part of the way in my arms, and part of the way he walked on his stumps," she told CNN.

"I only thought that the dogs were carrying me forward and I was not sure I could slow down and stop in front of the river. Almost all the dogs are large, more than 10 kilograms (22 pounds)."

At first, the dogs were frightened by the large crowds and tried to turn back and go home, Anastasia said.

But she added that they are no longer scared of the sounds of war, having grown used to the constant noise of shelling and explosions.

A volunteer driver met the party on the other side of the bridge, taking them to safety.

“Our territorial defense helped a lot. They ran into us, took old and disabled dogs, cat carriers and a hamster and brought them out in a car," said Anastasia.

"Unfortunately, four of my dogs got lost, but one of them was found and adopted by the territorial defense."

Anastasia and her dogs are currently living in a small cats’ home near Kyiv. The dogs are set to be taken to Poland and the Czech Republic.

“I’m homeless, I have nothing, but the dogs are saved,” she added.

7:35 a.m. ET, March 17, 2022

Zelensksy cites Berlin Wall in appeal to German chancellor

From Inke Kappeler in Berlin and Manveena Suri in New Delhi

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday appealed to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to “destroy” a wall that is separating Europe, drawing parallels between the Berlin Wall during the Cold War and Ukraine’s current position outside of the European Union and NATO.

Addressing German lawmakers via video link, Zelensky said: “We are separated by a wall. It is not a Berlin wall, it is a wall in the middle of Europe between freedom and bondage, and this wall is getting bigger with every bomb falling on Ukraine, with every decision not made for peace and that could help us. Why is this happening?”

Zelensky compared the Berlin Airlift during the Cold War to the current situation in Ukraine, saying: “The airspace was safe then but now we cannot build up an airbridge because Russian bombs and missiles are falling from the sky.”

Earlier in his address to the German Bundestag Thursday the Ukrainian president also explicitly referenced the post-Holocaust motto: "never again."

“Every year politicians say never again. Now I see that these words are worthless. In Europe a people is being destroyed," Zelensky said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky receives standing ovations before he addresses the German Bundestag via live video on March 17 in Berlin, Germany.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky receives standing ovations before he addresses the German Bundestag via live video on March 17 in Berlin, Germany. (Hannibal Hanschke/Getty Images)

Some context: The appeal to German lawmakers is Zelensky’s latest address to a Western parliament, following video link speeches to the US Congress, British House of Commons and others. In each speech, he has tailored references to his audience, such as citing Pearl Harbor and 9/11 to the Americans and echoing Winston Churchill to the British.

“We asked what Ukraine can do to join NATO, to be guaranteed its security and we were told that the decision was not yet on the table,” Zelensky told the Bundestag, adding that refusing to let Ukraine join the EU was like new bricks being added to the wall.

Zelensky also condemned German businesses for having close ties with Russia, adding that economic sanctions had been implemented too late.

He acknowledged that Ukraine was, however, grateful to ordinary Germans who have supported the country, including “journalists reporting the truth and showing the evil that Russia has brought to us.”

“I am grateful to those who can look across walls,” Zelensky said as he ended his address to a round of applause and appealed to Scholz to “destroy this wall.”

6:46 a.m. ET, March 17, 2022

UN Security Council to meet Thursday over humanitarian situation in Ukraine

From CNN’s Richard Roth

The UN Security Council will hold a meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine at 3 p.m. ET today.

The meeting was requested by the United States, Albania, United Kingdom, France, Ireland and Norway, according to a tweet from Norway's UN Mission in New York.

The UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the UN Refugee Agency and the World Health Organization will brief at top of the session, Norway's mission tweeted.