Russia announced a temporary and partial ceasefire that would open humanitarian corridors for civilians in Mariupol and Volnovakha.
Withdrawal of civilians from Mariupol postponed. The city of Mariupol is allegedly still under bombardment, despite the temporary ceasefire announced this Saturday by Russia from 10 am in Moscow (7 am in Lisbon) for the opening of humanitarian corridors in the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha. The authorities decided to stop the evacuation of civilians for security reasons.
Number of Ukrainian refugees could reach 1.5 million over the weekend. “This is the fastest-moving refugee crisis we have seen in Europe since the end of the Second World War,” said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Russian military took control of Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, in the south-east of the country. A projectile hit a building near one of the reactors at the plant on Friday, causing a localized fire that was extinguished. The safety of the plant’s six reactor systems was not affected, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
United Nations condemns the “reckless” and “dangerous” attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Ukrainian authorities say the attack caused “several” fatalities, while Moscow denies having attacked the site, blaming the fire on Ukrainian “saboteurs”.
US considers cuts in Russian oil imports. The Joe Biden Administration is considering cutting US imports of Russian oil.
Fine or imprisonment for those who advocate sanctions or spread “false information” in Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin formally signed a bill introducing prison sentences of up to 15 years for spreading “false” information about the Russian armed forces, prompting media outlets such as the BBC, CNN and Bloomberg to suspend operations in Russia.
Russia blocks Facebook and clamps down on independent journalism. Russia has announced that it will block Facebook and restrict access to Twitter due to restrictions placed on Russian media.
