© AFP – Daniel MIHAILESCU
Ukraine
A week after the launch of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, the cities of Kiev and Kharkiv are more threatened than ever. In France, a defense council is being organized this morning, while Joe Biden called Vladimir Putin a “dictator” in his speech on the State of the Union. Follow live the news of this Wednesday, March 2, 2022 with Challenges.
Nearly 7 days after the start of the Russian assault, the Ukrainian capital is still under threat. Joe Biden has forcefully attacked Vladimir Putin, a “dictator” who is “more isolated than ever”, while Moscow intensifies its offensive in Ukraine. During the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, Russian airborne troops landed in Kharkiv. The Ukrainian army reports ongoing fighting in this city in eastern Ukraine.
- The Russian army advanced south, taking control of areas of Kherson and threatening Mariupol.
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The Ukrainian army reports ongoing fighting in Ukraine’s second city and claims that the Russian army “attacked a local hospital”.
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Oil prices continued to soar. This morning, the barrel of Brent exceeds 110 dollars for the first time since
Follow live events.
7:10 am – The main Russian bank Sberbank leaves the European market
Sberbank Group, Russia’s main bank, announced on Wednesday that it was withdrawing from the European market, after being hit by massive financial sanctions in retaliation for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“In the current situation, Sberbank has decided to withdraw from the European market. The group’s subsidiary banks are facing abnormal outflows of funds and threats to the security of their employees and offices,” the group said in a statement. a statement quoted by Russian news agencies.
6:15 a.m. – Boeing suspends maintenance and technical support for Russian airlines
Boeing said it is suspending parts deliveries, maintenance and technical support for Russian airlines as the effect of sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ripples through the global aviation industry.
5:40 a.m. – Russian airborne troops landed in Kharkiv
Russian airborne troops landed in Kharkiv overnight, the Ukrainian military said Wednesday, citing ongoing fighting in Ukraine’s second-largest city in the east. “A fight is ongoing between the invaders and the Ukrainians,” the statement said.
According to Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, a fire broke out on Wednesday in the barracks of a flight school in Kharkiv after an airstrike. “Practically there is no such area left in Kharkiv where an artillery shell has not hit yet,” he said, quoted in a statement on Telegram.
This announcement comes on the seventh day of the Russian offensive in Ukrainelaunched on February 24 and which intensified on Tuesday.
5:05 a.m. – Oil prices soar
On Wednesday, the barrel of Brent exceeded 110 dollars for the first time since 2014, pushed by the war in Ukraine and fears for global supply. The price of a barrel of Brent from the North Sea for May delivery hit $110.87 around 0300 GMT in Asia, up 5.6%, while US WTI soared 5.7% to 109, $22.
Investors fear a sharp decline in oil exports from Russia due to international sanctions. “Supply chain issues and inflationary pressures remain the top concern for many investors around the world,” said Andy McCormick, analyst at T. Rowe Price.
Russia is the second largest exporter of crude oil in the world and accounts for more than 40% of the European Union’s annual natural gas imports.
4:40 a.m. – Joe Biden calls Vladimir Putin a “dictator”
Joe Biden on Tuesday forcefully attacked Vladimir Putin, a “dictator” who is “more isolated than ever”, while Moscow intensified its offensive in Ukraine, hitting Kiev and the great city of Kharkiv. The Russian president “thought the West and NATO would not respond” to the invasion of Ukraine launched on February 24, he launched during his first “State of the Union address ” in Washington. But “Putin was wrong”, “we are ready, we are united”, he hammered, calling on the American Congress to offer a standing ovation in support “to the Ukrainian people” who “are not afraid of anything”.
“Putin is now more isolated than ever from the rest of the world”, because in the battle against “autocracy”, “democracies are at the rendezvous”, he added, listing the unprecedented sanctions that have been downed on Russia.