Russia-Ukraine crisis live updates | India tells UNSC: Ready to help nationals of neighbouring, developing countries stranded in Ukraine

The latest developments on Ukraine-Russia tensions after Russia launches military operation against Ukraine

The first round of talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded on February 28, without resulting in a deal. Both sides agreed to continue the talks, as Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged that Ukraine be given membership of the European Union.

The United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council met separately to address the ongoing Russian invasion. At the emergency special session of the UNGA, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “Nothing can justify the use of nuclear weapons.”

At the UNSC, India’s Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti informed the Security Council that the Government was sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine on March 1 and had senior Ministers visiting Ukraine’s neighbours to discuss the arrival of Indian citizens in these countries.

The ninth Operation Ganga flight carrying 218 Indian evacuees departed Bucharest early on Tuesday.

Russia’s global isolation continued as the United States expelled 12 Russian diplomats staffing the U.N. mission.

Explosions and gunfire continued in major Ukranian cities as Russia pressed on with its military operation, with shelling reported from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. More than 350 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed during the invasion, Ukraine says, while more than half a million people have fled the country.

The conflict began escalating on February 21, 2022, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and deployed troops in a peacekeeping role.