Kremlin seeks to control narrative in Russia, blocks Western social media: LIVE UPDATES
Russian forces opened fire at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest such plant in Europe, early Friday morning. The head of the IAEA said no radiation had been released and none of the six reactors were compromised but "action" needs to be taken to make sure something similar never happens again.
Coverage for this event has ended.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized NATO for their decision to not impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying "Is this NATO we wanted?"
"Today, the Alliance's leadership gave the green light for further bombing of Ukrainian cities by refusing to make a no-fly zone. You could close our sky. But…I do not know who you can protect and whether you can protect NATO countries," Zelenskyy said in a video uploaded to social media on Friday.
In the address, Zelenskyy, however, said that he's "grateful" for Ukraine's friends in NATO.
"But I am also grateful to our country's friends in NATO. There are many countries of our friends, our partners - most of the powerful partners. Those who help our state no matter what. From the first day of the invasion. And I'm sure, until the victory. And that's why we do NOT feel alone.We continue to fight. We will protect our state. We will liberate our land," he said.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby during an appearance Friday on "The Story" was asked exactly what the U.S. mission was in Ukraine and what success would look like in officials' eyes.
JOHN KIRBY: I'll tell you very clearly what the Pentagon and the Department of Defense is focused on, and it's really two things. One is continuing to make sure that Ukraine can defend itself, and they are defending themselves. And as we just talked about a few minutes ago, we're helping them do that, and we're trying to do that as fast as possible.
Number two: Making sure that NATO can defend itself, and that's why the president has ordered additional troops over to Europe. That's why we repositioned troops inside Europe to elsewhere on NATO's eastern flank. We're making sure that we can make positive that we can defend NATO's territory, that we're making it clear to Mr. Putin and to our allies how seriously we take our Article 5 commitments under the NATO's treaty. …
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Staff of a Russian independent television station, TV Rain, ended their final broadcast by walking off the set on Thursday,
According to the BBC, the news outlet has stopped broadcasting indefinitely.
The Russian government's telecommunications regulator has accused the station of "inciting extremism, abusing Russian citizens, causing mass disruption of public calm and safety, and encouraging protests," according to the report.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law Friday legislation that would punish journalists with prison time for publishing news that contradicts officials' statements about Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Under the new law, reporters face up to 15 years in prison if they report what authorities deem as false reports about the military. The legislation was passed by both chambers of the Russian parliament.
Tim Davie, the director-general for the BBC, said the law criminalizes independent journalism and said the media outlet has suspended the work of its journalists and staff in Russia.
"Our BBC News service in Russian will continue to operate from outside Russia," he said Thursday. "The safety of our staff is paramount and we are not prepared to expose them to the risk of criminal prosecution simply for doing their jobs."
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Airbnb and Booking.com have suspended their operations in Russia and Belarus, Reuters reports.
"With each passing day, as the urgency of this devastating war in Ukraine intensifies, so do the complexities of doing business in the region," Booking.com CEO Glenn Fogel said.
The U.S. Senate has been invited to participate in a virtual meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, Fox News Digital has confirmed.
All U.S. senators are invited to participate in the meeting taking place virtually at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
The meeting comes as the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its second week, as Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24, saying "our confrontation with these [Ukrainian] forces is inevitable."
At least 227 civilians have been killed along with another 525 injured in Ukraine, according to the United Nation's human rights office.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken downplayed the impact that energy sanctions on Russia would have, arguing any such sanctions would hurt America and its allies more than they would Moscow.
U.S. lawmakers have expressed bipartisan support for cutting imports on Russian oil and gas over fears that continued purchases essentially help fund Putin’s war. President Biden has resisted these calls, and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki maintains that energy sanctions remain "on the table."
Blinken echoed the administration’s caution on the matter, arguing that short-term impact might actually help Russia and hurt America.
"The sanctions are designed … to have maximum impact on Russia and Putin while minimizing harm to us and our partners," Blinken told reporters. "There’s no strategic interest in reducing the global supply of energy."
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The full U.S. Senate has been invited to meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday on Zoom, Fox News has confirmed.
The meeting comes as the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its second week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24, saying "our confrontation with these [Ukrainian] forces is inevitable."
President Biden's administration is sending mixed messages about alleged Russian war crimes during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Asked Friday whether a reported strike on a Ukrainian nuclear power plant would constitute a war crime to the U.S. government, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said there were still internal investigations underway.
"We have an internal review that's been ongoing prior to last night to collect evidence and data of the targeting of civilians, of the reported use of horrific weapons of war on the ground in Ukraine," Psaki said.
"That's an ongoing process. We have not made conclusions. It's a legal review and a process that goes through the administration."
The U.S. Embassy to Ukraine, however, indicated Friday morning that the Russians had committed a war crime.
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Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Poland and Romania next week, a White House official confirmed to Fox News.
The trip comes amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing for over a week.
Harris will visit Poland on Monday, where American troops are stationed to assist with refugees fleeing from Ukraine.
Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich and Patrick Ward contributed to this report.
Air raid sirens are currently going off in Kyiv, Ukraine, according to a Kyiv government Telegram channel.
The Russian government has blocked access to Twitter inside the country, according to Interfax, which is state controlled.
Shortly before blocking access to Twitter, the government also cut access to Facebook.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken downplayed the impact that energy sanctions on Russia would have, arguing any such sanctions would hurt America and its allies more than they would Moscow.“
The sanctions are designed … to have maximum impact on Russia and Putin while minimizing harm to us and our partners,” Blinken told reporters. “There’s no strategic interest in reducing the global supply of energy.”
“The immediate effect to raise prices at the pump for Americans and to pad Russian profits with rising profits,” he argued, adding that the U.S. is working to undermine Russia’s ability to maintain a role as a leading energy provider.
U.S. lawmakers have expressed bipartisan support for cutting imports on Russian oil and gas.
Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg said that the company will do "everything we can" to restore the companies service in Russia after the government announced that Facebook will be blocked in the country.
"Soon millions of ordinary Russians will find themselves cut off from reliable information, deprived from their everyday ways of connecting with family and friends and silenced from speaking out. We will continue to do everything we can to restore our services so they remain available to people to safely and securely express themselves and organize for action," Clegg said.
Russian state media is reporting Friday that Facebook has now been blocked in Russia.
European Union Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said Friday that he wants Ukraine to become an EU member "as soon as possible," according to Reuters.
"It's time for signaling that the Ukrainian people is one of the European peoples and we want them in as soon as possible," he said, adding that "I think what... is the most important now is to help Ukraine in the fight."
Countries sending military aid to Ukraine. (Fox News)
A breakdown of U.S. aid to Ukraine reveals the incredible speed at which the American government provided assistance, compressing a process that normally takes months into "hours and days."
The U.S. has provided $350 million in military aid in the forms of weapons from U.S. stockpiles over the past week, bringing the total aid to Ukraine to roughly $1 billion over the past year.
And a new breakdown of that aid shows that the U.S. compressed the process to provide this aid to just a matter of hours and days.
"You can see how fast we are moving to get security assistance on the battlefield," a senior defense official said, noting that overall officials remain "very impressed" with how Ukrainians are fielding those weapons. "They are having a real impact."
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Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Poland on Monday, where American troops currently are stationed to assist with evacuees from Ukraine, Fox News has confirmed.
Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
Russia has blocked access to some foreign media websites and accused them of spreading false information about the war in Ukraine.
Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor on Friday said it had blocked the websites for the BBC, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Deutsche Welle as well as other media outlets.
"Access has been restricted to a host of information resources owned by foreigners," Roskomnadzor said in a statement. "The grounds for restricting access to these information resources on the territory of the Russian Federation was their deliberate and systematic circulation of materials containing false information."
Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer, previously told Fox News Digital that Russia would "crack down further and possibly ban broadcasts by Western media" as Putin faced trouble at home controlling the narrative about the invasion, which he stills calls a "special military operation."
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A mother in a makeshift NICU in the Saltivka region of Kharkiv, Ukraine (UNICEF)
Makeshift nurseries are popping up throughout Ukraine as hospitals move new mothers to improvised bomb shelters for their safety.
Global reports note that hospitals in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kherson and Mariupol — cities bombarded by Russian missiles over the last week and a half — have moved their maternity wards below ground over the past two weeks.
UNICEF, a U.N. organization offering humanitarian aid to children around the world, is delivering midwifery kits and medical supplies to Ukrainian mothers and medical workers in need.
UNICEF spokesperson Erica Vogel told Fox News Digital that the organization recently delivered supplies to a makeshift perinatal center located in the basement of a medical complex in Saltivka, a residential district in Kharkiv, which was overtaken by Russian forces this week.
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Other tech companies that have severed ties with Russia since the onset of the war in Ukraine. (Fox News)
Microsoft President and Vice Chair Brad Smith announced Friday that the tech company "will suspend all new sales of Microsoft products and services in Russia."
"Like the rest of the world, we are horrified, angered and saddened by the images and news coming from the war in Ukraine and condemn this unjustified, unprovoked and unlawful invasion by Russia," he said in a statement.
"Our single most impactful area of work almost certainly is the protection of Ukraine’s cybersecurity. We continue to work proactively to help cybersecurity officials in Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, including most recently a cyberattack against a major Ukrainian broadcaster," Smith added.
Current Russian military activity in Ukraine. (Fox News)
An estimated 100 people could be trapped underneath the rubble of homes in Borodyanka, outside of Kyiv, according to a Sky News report citing comments Ukraine's state emergency service told Radio Liberty.
A residential building was struck in the town Thursday and rescuers who had attempted to visit the scene were met with gunfire, the report added.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has come under attack during the war in Ukraine. (Fox News)
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, speaking to the Security Council Friday, said "by the grace of God, the world narrowly averted a nuclear catastrophe last night" at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russian forces attacked and started a fire.
"We all waited to exhale as we watched the horrific situation unfold in real time," she continued. "I applaud the ability of the Ukrainian operators to keep all six reactors in safe conditions while under attack and to report as they were able to to their nuclear regulator."
"Russia’s attack last night put Europe’s largest nuclear power plant at grave risk," Thomas-Greenfield added. "It was incredibly reckless and dangerous. And it threatened the safety of civilians across Russia, Ukraine and Europe."
"The United States remains highly concerned that Russian military forces controlling the Chornobyl site have not permitted operators there to have a shift change since last week," she also said. "This is highly irresponsible behavior and causes grave concern for continued safe operations at both sites."
A Ukrainian man documents Russian missile explosion above him in Kharkiv.
(Fox News)
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg accused Russia on Friday of using cluster bombs in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, reaffirming humanitarian concerns during the conflict’s ninth day.
Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, on Friday afternoon, Stoltenberg said Russian forces deployed banned weapons, including cluster bombs, and called the Russian invasion of Ukraine "a blatant violation of international law."
"We have seen the use of cluster bombs, we have seen reports of use of other types of weapons which will be in violation of international law," he said, "and of course NATO allies and partners are collecting information and are monitoring very closely what is going on in Ukraine.
Cluster bombs are effectively explosives that, once deployed, open in the air and release more submunitions, or "bomblets."
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People fleeing Ukraine enter Poland through a border crossing at Korczowa on Friday. (AP/Visar Kryeziu)
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned this week that the conflict in Ukraine could lead to increased COVID-19 transmission.
Speaking at a Wednesday news briefing, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Ukraine had experienced a surge of cases before Russia's invasion.
Low rates of testing, he said, mean there is likely to be a significant undetected transmission of the virus and – coupled with low vaccination coverage – the increased risk of "large numbers of people developing severe disease."
"Mass population movements are likely to contribute further to transmission of COVID-19, potentially increasing pressure on health systems in neighboring countries," Tedros noted.
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Labor Secretary Marty Walsh tells 'Varney & Co.' that if the U.S. no longer bought gas from Russia "we would have to figure a way to fill that void".
NATO nations will not impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, despite pleas from some in Ukraine.
Secretary Jens Stoltenberg called it a "painful decision," saying that NATO has a responsibility not to escalate the conflict by engaging Russian forces directly in Ukraine, either on the ground or in the air.
Enforcing a no-fly zone would involve NATO planes in Ukraine potentially shooting down Russian planes, Stoltenberg said Friday. President Biden's administration has likewise ruled out such a move, saying it is "not going to happen."
"We understand the desperation, but we also believe that if we did that, would end up with something that could end in a full-fledged war in Europe involving many more countries and causing much more human suffering," he said.
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Russians could face prison sentences of up to 15 years for spreading information that goes against the Russian government's position on the war in Ukraine, according to the Associated Press.
The Russian parliament voted unanimously Friday to approve a draft law criminalizing the intentional spreading of what Russia deems to be “fake” reports.
Russian authorities have repeatedly decried reports of Russian military setbacks or civilian deaths in Ukraine as “fake” reports. State media outlets refer to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a “special military operation” rather than a “war" or “invasion.”
The draft law was approved by the lower and upper houses of parliament in quick succession and is now set to be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin to take effect as soon as Saturday, the speaker of the lower house, Vyacheslav Volodin, said.
“It is possible that by tomorrow, its rules will force those lied and made statements discrediting our armed forces to bear very grave punishment,” Volodin said. “I want everyone to understand, and for society to understand, that we are doing this to protect our soldiers and officers, and to protect the truth.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has accused Russia of deploying cluster bombs and other prohibited weapons during its invasion.
"We have seen the use of cluster bombs, we have seen reports of use of other types of weapons which will be in violation of international law and of course NATO allies and partners are collecting information and are monitoring very closely what is going on in Ukraine," Stoltenberg said.
Stoltenberg spoke at a press conference in Brussels on Friday and reiterated that the war itself is a “blatant violation of international law," adding that he welcomed the International Criminal Court opening an investigation.
The United Nations Security Council has confirmed at 11:30 a.m. ET meeting Friday to discuss the nuclear plant situation in Ukraine.
The development comes after the United Kingdom requested an emergency meeting earlier this morning.
Fox News' Ben Evansky contributed to this report.
A joyous Ukrainian mother greets her equally joyous children at the Polish border as thousands of refugees from Ukraine enter Medyka, Poland, on Thursday. (Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
With Ukraine still under relentless attack by Russia, some lucky children who managed to escape from Ukraine are now being reunited with their mothers and other family members in Poland.
These scenes, though apparently few and far between right now, are at least offering some rays of hope and happiness amid the horrors of the Russian reign of terror in Ukraine.
In one image, a Ukrainian mom is shown greeting her children — their faces full of unabashed joy — who arrived at the Polish border as thousands of refugees from Ukraine entered Poland on March 3, 2022, in Medyka, Poland.
The war on Ukraine by Russian forces is expected to force up to 4 million Ukrainians to flee, according to some sources; over 300,000 people are reported to have entered Poland already.
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The leader of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, told reporters Friday that he would like to travel to Chernobyl and meet with Ukraine and Russian officials to discuss the security of Ukraine's nuclear sites.
“I have indicated to both the Russian Federation and Ukraine my availability… to travel to Chernobyl as soon as possible,” Grossi was quoted by the AFP as saying, noting that "both sides are considering" the idea.
The U.K. has requested an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting over the situation regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, which is now under Russian control.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson requested the meeting following his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that took place earlier Friday morning.
Fox News' Ben Evansky contributed to this report.
NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg took questions from reporters Friday, March 4, 2022.
NATO nations will not impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, despite pleas from some in Ukraine.
Secretary Jens Stoltenberg called it a "painful decision," saying that NATO has a responsibility not to escalate the conflict by engaging Russian forces directly in Ukraine, either on the ground or in the air.
Enforcing a no-fly zone would involve NATO planes in Ukraine potentially shooting down Russian planes, Stoltenberg said Friday.
"We understand the desperation, but we also believe that if we did that, would end up with something that could end in a full-fledged war in Europe involving many more countries and causing much more human suffering," he said.
Valeriia Krishchuk tells 'Fox & Friends' she had to leave her husband behind in order to leave the country.
Despite calls for Americans in Ukraine to return home, Rhonda and Mark Blessing are taking in Ukrainian refugees in Lviv.
Children who left Ukraine wait at a border crossing on Friday for a bus to take them to a train station in Przemysl, Poland. (AP/Visar Kryeziu)
UNICEF said Friday that about 500,000 children have been forced to flee their homes in Ukraine over the past week due to Russia’s invasion, calling the exodus “unprecedented in scale and speed.”
“If the violence (doesn’t) stop, many, many more children will be forced to flee their country in a very short space of time,” James Elder, a spokesman for the United Nations Children’s Fund, said Friday. “And we fear many more will be killed.”
He said UNICEF is sending large amounts of humanitarian supplies to Ukraine to help those in need and also providing emergency training to pediatricians who are being sent to the region.
“They’re preparing for a mass casualty of children,” he said, adding that the training included a triage system for treating children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This image made from a video released by the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant shows a bright flaring object landing on the grounds of the nuclear plant in Enerhodar, Ukraine, on Friday. (Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant via AP)
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is speaking out Friday following an attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine by Russia's military.
"It is a war crime to attack a nuclear power plant. Putin's shelling of Europe's largest nuclear plant takes his reign of terror one step further," it said in a tweet.
A Ukrainian member of parliament is warning that cities like Kyiv will be the "next Aleppo" unless the West steps up and backs its vocal support of Ukraine with significantly more action than it is already taking to combat the Russian invasion.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Oleksandra Ustinova said that more than 2,000 civilians have been killed so far in the Russian invasion and that number could rise dramatically as Russia launches attacks on cities like Kharkiv and Kiev.
"It’s a disaster, Kharkiv is in ruins and this was the second-biggest city in Ukraine with a two million population, it’s literally in ruins," she said. Aleppo, one of Syria's largest cities, was largely destroyed in the country's civil war a decade ago.
Ustinova said the army has stopped the Russians coming into city, but the sky is open, meaning Russia can deploy missile and bombs that are hitting the civilian population sheltered in those cities. She provided photographs to Fox News that show children being sheltered underground and receiving treatment for their injuries.
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A blast is seen striking a TV tower in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
Russia’s state media regulator Roskomnadzor on Friday is blocking access to the websites of five international media organizations.
The blocked websites are those of the BBC, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Latvia-based website Meduza and German broadcaster Deutsche Welle -- which are among the largest foreign news outlets with Russian-language news operations, the Associated Press reported, citing state news agency RIA Novosti.
The sites were blocked for hosting what Roskomnadzor told RIA was “false information” about Russian military actions in Ukraine, including reports of attacks on civilians and the Russian military’s losses.
The development comes as the BBC announced this week it will broadcast its World Service program over shortwave radio frequencies so it can be listened to by those in Kyiv and parts of Russia, according to the New York Times.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Friday morning said he had spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, advising him about "Russia's nuclear terrorism at the Zaporizhzhia" Nuclear Power Plant.
"We both agree on the gravity of threats to global security," he tweeted. "Thanked [Japan] for the diverse assistance to [Ukraine] & the sanctions pressure on [Russia]. Together we oppose the aggressor."
Staff at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Enerhodar sent a message to Ukrainian media and government authorities warning that the Russian troops that took the plant are trying to lay down explosives in order to "blackmail the whole of Europe."
"They will be trying to mine the nuclear power plant and blackmail the whole of Europe," Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) employees wrote in the message early Friday morning as Russian troops attacked the plant, setting it on fire.
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Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, confirmed in a press conference from Vienna, Austria, that a training facility building at the Zaporizhzhia Power Plant in Ukraine was hit by a Russian projectile and Ukrainian fire fighters extinguished the ensuing fire.
“We are fortunate there was no release of radiation and the integrity of the reactors was not compromised,” Gross said in the press conference, but said it’s time for “action. “We need to do something about this.”
He said he wants to head to Chernobyl for a meeting so that both sides of the conflict can agree to a framework to avoid attacking nuclear power plants in the future.
“We are ready to move,” he said of the IAEA.
He said that two security people at the plant were injured in the attack.
"I think we should not wait for something like this to happen" again, he added.
"Meduza, Radio Liberty, BBC, Deutsche Welle are blocked in Russia," Putin critic Alexei Navalny's press secretary Kira Yarmysh tweeted Friday. "True information is Putin's main enemy. Therefore, now it is more important to distribute it ourselves than ever before."
Navalny remains jailed in Russia after he returned from Germany last year. He was flown to Germany in August 2020 to recover from a suspected poisoning attempt by the Kremlin.
The U.S. should immediately "do the right and obvious thing" and recognize Taiwan as a "free and sovereign country," former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote Thursday night in a series of Twitter messages.
Pompeo’s comments came as he visited Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei – and as war continued to rage in Ukraine late Thursday into Friday, with a fire at a nuclear power plant bringing a potentially frightening new scenario into play, although the fire was later reported to be extinguished.
A possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan has loomed as a possibility in the wake of Russia’s Ukraine invasion, with some foreign-affairs experts arguing U.S. adversaries may be eager to test how willing and able the Biden administration is to respond to acts of aggression.
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Without “completing the mission of the military blitzkrig,” Russia’s military is turning to “openly terrorist ways of conducting combat,” Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said Friday on Facebook, adding that the Kremlin will also intensify its disinformation campaigns.
“The Head Intelligence Agency of the MOU warns that a comprehensive and extensive infiltration of fake news is expected in the near future, which will be carried out with the involvement of the entire spectrum of modern media,” the ministry said. “We urge Ukrainians to be vigilant, believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and use information from official and verified sources.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks his plane upon arrival to Brussels, Belgium on March 3, 2022. - Blinken is traveling to Belgium for a meeting of NATO, G7 and EU counterparts on the response to Russias invasion of Ukraine and the growing refugee situation. After meetings in Brussels Blinken will travel to Poland, Moldova and the three Baltic States to reassure them of US support. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY / Pool / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Brussels, Belgium, Friday morning, saying the U.S. and its allies came together with "speed, unity and determination" after Russia's "premeditated" invasion of Ukraine.
He is in Brussels for meetings with European Union, G7 and NATO allies.
"Every ally in one way or another is coming to Ukraine's assistance," he said in his opening remarks, adding that the leaders are "preparing for NATO's future" and Russia's invasion of Ukraine will "inform" NATO's "future."
"We seek no conflict. But if conflict comes to us, we're ready for it," he said.
Blinken is in Europe for a week, heading to Poland, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
President of Finland Sauli Niinisto during a panel discussion at the 58th Munich Security Conference (MSC) on February 19, 2022 in Munich, Germany. The conference, which brings together security experts, politicians and people of influence from across the globe, is taking place as Russian troops stand amassed on the Russian, Belarusian and Crimean borders to Ukraine, causing international fears of an imminent military invasion. (Photo by Ronald Wittek - Pool/Getty Images)
President Biden will meet with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö Friday at the White House as the Nordic country mulls a closer relationship and even joining NATO amid the invasion of Ukraine.
More than 50% of Finns support joining NATO for the first time, according to a recent poll conducted in the country, according to Reuters. In January, only 28% were in favor of it.
The two men "will discuss the U.S.-Finnish defense relationship, which is very strong and in fact complements Finland's close partnership with NATO," White Hose press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters before the meeting.
Tech employees in Ukraine are pleading for tougher sanctions on Russia, saying lives are being lost by the minute.
"Force your governments and senators to act more severely," a JustAnswer employee, who wished to remain anonymous for safety, told FOX Business. "We do not have days or weeks to wait as they talk."
"People are dying nonstop every single minute here," the JustAnswer employee said. "We are losing lives."
Click here for more.
Russian forces opened fire at the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia plant in the city of Enerhodar, early Friday morning, starting a fire and sparking concerns of a nuclear disaster on the level of Chernobyl.
Ukraine's nuclear authority announced later Friday morning, however, that the fire had been extinguished, the power units remained intact, and no changes in radiation had been detected. Even so, the plant had fallen into Russian hands.
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Ukrainian member of parliament Oleksandra Ustinova weighs in on how the United States and Europe can help Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion.
"[Russia's] logic of this war is to increase missile and air strikes on civilian infrastructure, large cities and civilians. Only closed skies will abruptly stop the escalation. It is time for Western partners to take responsibility for the end of the war," said an adviser to the Head of the Office of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry shared photos it said were of destroyed Russian military vehicles.
"The enemy hides his equipment among the houses of civilians. Robbing shops," the ministry tweeted, adding that Russian troops could see their vehicles were turned into "scrap metal, and knows that the same fate awaits him! Glory to Ukraine."
Ukrainian mother Olena Gnes discussed Thursday what Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions are in the Ukraine war on "The Ingraham Angle."
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Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said he is "deeply concerned" after a fire started at a building at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant because of a Russian attack.
"Spoke with #Ukraine PM Denys Shmygal; @IAEAorg's monitoring and in close contact with #Ukraine's nuclear regulator and operator. I appeal to parties to refrain from actions that can put NPPs in danger."
Ukraine's State Emergency Services said Friday morning that the fire had been extinguished.
This image made from a video released by Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant shows bright flaring object landing in grounds of the nuclear plant in Enerhodar, Ukraine Friday, March 4, 2022. Russian forces shelled Europe’s largest nuclear plant early Friday, sparking a fire as they pressed their attack on a crucial energy-producing Ukrainian city and gained ground in their bid to cut off the country from the sea. (Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant via AP)
"According to the State Emergency Service, at 6:20 a.m. a fire in the Zaporizhzhya NPP training building in Energodar was extinguished. There are no victims," Ukrainian officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reportedly been targeted for assassination three times since Russian troops invaded his country last week. According to a report from Times of London, Zelenskyy sidestepped the attempts on his life after Russian individuals who oppose the war fed intelligence about the planned attacks to Ukrainian government officials.
"I can say that we have received information from [Russia’s Federal Security Service], who do not want to take part in this bloody war," Ukraine Secretary of National Security and Defense said on Ukrainian television, according to the Times.
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“Europe needs to wake up. The biggest nuclear power plant in Europe is on fire right now. Russian tanks are shooting at the nuclear blocks. These are tanks equipped with thermal imagers, so they know what they are shooting at.
They have prepared for it. I am addressing all Ukrainians, all Europeans and everyone who knows the word Chernobyl, who knows many casualties were inflicted by the explosion on the nuclear plant. This was a global catastrophe and its consequences were battled by hundreds of thousands of people. Tens of thousands had to be evacuated and Russia wants to repeat that and is already repeating it, but 6 times bigger.
Europeans, wake up please. Tell your politicians, Russian forces are shooting at the nuclear plant in Ukraine. Zaporizka nuclear plant city of Energodar. There are six energy blocks there. Six. In Chernobyl one energy block had exploded.
We have gotten in touch with our leaders, partners, I have already spoken to Charles Michel, Olaf Scholz, Andrzej Duda, President Biden. We have contacted head of IAEA, Grossi and also Prime Minister Johnson. We are issuing a warning, no country has ever shot at nuclear blocks except for Russia.
First time ever. For the first time ever in our history, in the history of human kind, the terrorist country has reverted to nuclear terror. Russian propaganda had warned in the past to cover the world in nuclear ash. Now this isn’t just a warning, this is real.
We don’t know for sure what the results of this fire will be, we don’t know when the explosion will happen or, God willing, not going to happen. Nobody can know or calculate for certain, but our boys have always kept the nuclear plant safe.
We made sure no provocations could happen. We made sure no one could go there or access it. We made sure no one could plant bombs there. Plant bombs and keep the world hostage to nuclear catastrophe.
We must stop Russian soldiers now. Immediately call your politicians. Ukraine is 15 nuclear blocks, if there is an explosion it is the end for everyone. End to Europe. Its the evacuation of entire Europe. Only immediate action can stop the Russian troops. Do not let Europe die in the nuclear catastrophe.”
Russian artillery fire is blasting Ukraine's largest nuclear plant, sparking a fire, hours after international atomic regulators warned combat at the facility could wreak havoc, according to Ukraine authorities.
Video posted to Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, early Friday local time appeared to show a projectile landing outside the facility, creating a large fireball.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, tweeted that Russian forces were "firing from all sides" on the facility.
"Fire has already broken out," he wrote – a claim that appears to be supported by grainy livestream video. "If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chernobyl."
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