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Russia Ukraine war updates: Zelensky urges Biden to be ‘leader of peace’

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine made a historic address to the US Congress overnight, where he made a demand to the US President.

Sam Clench and Alex Blair
20 min read
March 17, 2022 - 1:10AM
Mariupol hospital staff, patients ‘taken hostage’

The Russian military is suffering so many casualties in Ukraine that it is being forced to redeploy forces from distant areas, according to Western intelligence.

In its daily update on the war, the British Department of Defence revealed Russia was “increasingly seeking to generate additional troops to bolster and replace its personnel losses in Ukraine”.

“As a result of these losses, it is likely Russia is struggling to conduct offensive operations in the face of sustained Ukrainian resistance. Continued personnel losses will also make it difficult for Russia to secure occupied territory.”

Russia is therefore calling upon forces from as far away as its Eastern Military District, Pacific Fleet and Armenia.

“It is also increasingly seeking to exploit irregular sources such as private military companies, Syrian and other mercenaries,” said the department.

According to United States officials, Russian ground forces are still making “limited to no progress in achieving their objectives”.

The Russians continue to face “stiff Ukrainian resistance” in the outskirts of Kharkiv. In the capital, Kyiv, civilian targets such as residential areas are being struck “with increasing frequency” by long-range bombardment. And the situation remains grim in Mariupol, which is “isolated and still suffering heavy bombardment”.

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Read on for the latest updates.

Zelensky urges Biden to be ‘leader of peace’

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine told President Joe Biden Wednesday that being the leader of the free world also means being “the leader of peace.”

In a somber address to the US Congress appealing for more military help to fight off the Russian invasion, Zelensky said this war is not just about his country but about “the values of Europe and the world.”

US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (at podium) introduces Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (on screen) before his virtual address to the US Congress. Picture: J. Scott Applewhite / POOL / AFP
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (at podium) introduces Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (on screen) before his virtual address to the US Congress. Picture: J. Scott Applewhite / POOL / AFP

“I am addressing President Biden. You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace,” Zelensky said, switching to English for the final passage of his speech.

He made yet another impassioned appeal for the United States and its allies to create a no-fly zone to protect his country from Russian air attacks.

“I have a dream, these words are known to each of you today I can say. I have a need, I need to protect our sky. I need your decision, your help,” he asked in a virtual speech to the US Congress.

“Is this a lot to ask for, to create a no-fly zone over Ukraine, to save people? Is this too much to ask,” pleaded Zelensky, so that “Russia would not be able to terrorize our free cities.

Putin’s blunt response to peace negotiations

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has swiped Ukraine officials amid recent negotiations, accusing the nation of refusing to show “serious commitment” to ending the current conflict.

Mr Putin told European Council president Charles Michel Kyiv had not yet met his demands, which are understood to include autonomy for Ukraine’s rebel regions and the official recognition of Crimea as Russian territory.

“Vladimir Putin laid out his principled assessments of the ongoing talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives on an agreement that would take into account Russia’s earlier demands,” a statement from the Kremlin read.

“He stressed that Kiev (Kyiv) is not showing a serious commitment to finding mutually acceptable solutions.”

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a demilitarised Ukraine was being considered at as a possible compromise.

“This is a variant that is currently being discussed and which could really be seen a compromise,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said via the RIA news agency.

Russia’s latest comments came shortly after Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky hinted peace talks were moving in the right direction, claiming Russia’s negotiations have becoming increasingly realistic.

“The meetings continue, and, I am informed, the positions during the negotiations already sound more realistic. But time is still needed for the decisions to be in the interests of Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky said on Wednesday.

Zelensky is expected to meet with the US Congress today via video link to discuss the latest on the war and further provisions from Washington.

US considering sending ‘Switchblade’ drones

New reports claim Joe Biden is considering sending powerful, tank-destroying US-made drones to Ukraine as part of Washington’s $1 billion (A$1.38b) defence package.

The “Switchblade” drones are specifically designed to take out tanks or artillery positions, essentially acting as a controllable bomb — which would pose a major threat to the Russian offensive and potentially give the Ukrainians a crucial new advantage that could sway the momentum in their favour.

The drones come in two variants, with one designed to hover over targets for as long as 40 minutes before plummeting to earth.

The most powerful of the two Switchblades, the Switchblade 600, can dart down at speeds of 115mph, piercing armour and destroying tanks.

The lighter Switchblade 300 is intended to kill people in the open and passengers in a vehicle.

Both Switchblades are designed to be easily portable, fitting into a rucksack and fired from a tube set up in 10 minutes. They were chosen for their ease-of-use, and because prospective operators require comparatively little training before use.

The US President has been pushed by Ukraine to provide support throughout the nearly three week war, which has claimed thousands on either side.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with US Congress via video link today to likely request further provisions, including a push for no-fly zones, which Biden has remain staunchly against.

UK PM on Ukraine’s future with NATO

Boris Johnson has responded to Volodymyr Zelensky’s concession that Ukraine is now highly unlikely to join NATO following Russia’s invasion, revealing details of his most recent chat with the President under siege.

“I talked to Volodymyr again yesterday and of course I understand what he is saying about NATO and the reality of the position,” he said.

“And everybody has always said — and we‘ve made it clear to Putin — that there is no way Ukraine is going to join NATO anytime soon.

“But the decision about the future of Ukraine has got to be for the Ukrainian people, and Volodymyr Zelensky is their elected leader and we will back him.

“And the most important thing is that Putin‘s aggression, his absolutely barbaric attacks on Ukraine should stop and they should not be seen to have succeeded, and they won’t succeed.”

Russia’s ‘huge’ warship barrage, Kyiv attacks continue

Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko has announced Russia has begun testing Ukraine‘s coastal defence system, firing a barrage of munitions on Tuzla from its warships early on Wednesday.

“Russia fired a huge amount of ammunition from a great distance,” he said, adding there were no attempts to land troops onshore.

It came as several explosions rocked Kyiv early on March 16, with emergency services saying two residential buildings were damaged and two people wounded.

The blasts came as Russia intensified its latest round of attacks on the Ukrainian capital, which was placed under curfew last night, AFP reports.

Chinese ambassador claims Beijing would have tried to prevent war

Chinese ambassador to the US Qin Gang has bit back at the negative press surrounding his nation over the Ukraine war, as Beijing faces accusations over aiding Vladimir Putin.

US officials and analysts have made suggestions China may have had early intelligence Putin was planning a geopolitical move in 2022.

“Recent rumours further claimed that Russia was seeking military assistance from China,” Qin Gang wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece.

“Assertions that China knew about, acquiesced to or tacitly supported this war are purely disinformation. All these claims serve only the purpose of shifting blame to and slinging mud at China.

“Conflict between Russia and Ukraine does no good for China. Had China known about the imminent crisis, we would have tried our best to prevent it.”

Dutton unleashes on ‘paranoid dictator’ Putin

Peter Dutton has lashed Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine conquest in an address on Wednesday, warning the “unholy alliance” between China and Russia could present further problems for international powers in years to come.

“(Putin) wants more than anything to restore a Russian imperial empire with himself in absolute control,” Mr Dutton told a US Studies Centre function in Canberra.

“A successful democratic Europe-leaning Ukraine has no place in his utterly warped and cynical worldview, and so he‘s set out to destroy it.n

“It‘s becoming clear that Putin’s Ukrainian gamble has been a miscalculation that may very well destroy the man himself.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (centre) and Defence Minister Peter Dutton meet members of the ADF.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison (centre) and Defence Minister Peter Dutton meet members of the ADF.

Mr Dutton warned the Chinese government may use the current war to their advantage to advance their own claims on contested territory.

“There are actors within our own region who may see the war in Ukraine as a useful distraction and indeed an opportunity to pursue their own actions of aggression or coercion,” he continued.

“This threat of course chiefly emanates from Beijing which has its own openly stated territorial ambitions and which recently entered a no limits cooperative partnership with the Kremlin at a time when the rest of the world was pulling away.”

‘Just quit’: Zelensky speaks to Russians

In his latest nighttime address, Volodymyr Zelensky again appealed directly to Russians, telling those working in “propaganda” to quit their jobs.

“Citizens of Russia. Any one of you who has access to truthful information would by now have realised how this war will end for your country. Shame, poverty, long-term isolation, a very cruel, repressive system that will treat citizens of Russia exactly the same way, as inhumanely as you, the occupiers, have treated Ukrainians,” he said.

“What happens next depends on your actions. To all the functionaries of the Russian Federation, all those who are close to those who are now in power, if you remain in your posts, if you don’t come out against the war, the international community will strip you of everything. Everything you have earned over these last long years.

“A similar fate awaits those working in the propaganda ecosystem. If you continue working in propaganda, you are submitting yourself to a much higher risk than if you just leave. Just quit. You risk sanctions and an international tribunal for propagandising in favour of an aggressive war; for justifying war crimes.

“Quit. A few months of unemployment is definitely better for you than a whole life of international persecution.”

Call for ‘peacekeeping mission’ in Ukraine

Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who was among the delegation of European leaders visiting Kyiv today, has called for an international peacekeeping mission to be sent into Ukraine.

“I think that it is necessary to have a peace mission – NATO, possibly some wider international structure – but a mission that will be able to defend itself, which will operate on Ukrainian territory,” said Mr Kaczynski.

“It will be a mission that will strive for peace, to give humanitarian aid, but at the same time it will also be protected by appropriate forces, armed forces.”

The chances of such a thing happening are, at least in the current circumstances, extremely low. It would require a complete change in stance from most Western leaders, who have been focused on minimising the risk of NATO being drawn into an all-out war with Russia.

Vladimir Putin would also presumably use the intervention of armed Western forces as a pretext to galvanise the Russian people behind him, potentially undermining the effectiveness of international sanctions aimed at weakening his regime.

You can certainly understand where Mr Kaczynski is coming from though.

Trump believes Putin has ‘changed’

The former US president, Donald Trump, has told The Washington Examiner he thinks Vladimir Putin has “changed” since he was in office.

Mr Trump said he thought the build-up of about 190,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s border before the invasion was a negotiating tactic.

“I'm surprised. I’m surprised. I thought he was negotiating when he sent his troops to the border. I thought he was negotiating,” he said.

“I thought it was a tough way to negotiate but a smart way to negotiate.

“I figured he was going to make a good deal, like everybody else does with the United States and the other people they tend to deal with. You know, like every trade deal. We never made a good trade deal until I came along.

“And then he went in. And I think he’s changed. I think he’s changed. It’s a very sad thing for the world. He’s very much changed.”

The invasion of Ukraine is certainly an escalation of Putin’s previous behaviour.

Mr Trump feels Putin has changed. Picture: Sean Rayford/Getty Images/AFP
Mr Trump feels Putin has changed. Picture: Sean Rayford/Getty Images/AFP

330,000 people trapped in Mariupol

Mariupol, the port city in Ukraine’s south, is still under unrelenting bombardment.

“There are a lot of fights on our streets,” the city’s deputy mayor, Sergei Orlov, told CNN.

“They’re destroying the city. Yesterday we counted 22 aircraft which were bombing our city, and at least 100 bombs they used to bomb our city. The damage is awful.”

He said most of the 330,000-odd people still in Mariupol want to leave but can’t due to the Russian shelling.

Zelensky: ‘Wake up before it’s too late’

Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to address a joint session of US Congress at midnight, AEDT. Previewing that speech, Politico reports he will tell American politicians to “wake up before it’s too late”.

The publication spoke the president of Yorktown Solutions, who consulted with Mr Zelensky’s advisers about the speech.

“Zelensky is going to express gratitude to the US for what it's done to support Ukraine and punish Russia, but he is also going to name and shame, or at least shame, and rightly so,” said Mr Vajdich.

“Those in the Biden administration who advocated for minimising security assistance to Ukraine before the invasion were wrong then, and they’re wrong now in refusing to provide Ukraine with the support it needs.”

President Biden will give a speech at some point after Mr Zelensky’s appearance, where he is expected to announce a significant new package of support for Ukraine.

On a related note, the US Senate has just unanimously passed a resolution calling Vladimir Putin a “war criminal”.

“All of us in this chamber joined together, with Democrats and Republicans, to say that Vladimir Putin cannot escape accountability for the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

Ukraine will last ‘a lot longer’ than Putin

During an interview on CNN, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine’s independence would outlast Vladimir Putin’s life.

“There is going to be a Ukraine, an independent Ukraine, a lot longer than there’s going to be a Vladimir Putin,” he said.

“One way or the other, Ukraine will be there and at some point, Putin won’t.”

He said the main question was how much “death and destruction” would occur due to Russia’s aggression “in the meantime”.

“That is what we’re working as hard as we can to limit, to stop, to put an end to the war of choice that Russia is committing,” said Mr Blinken.

“We’re doing that through the support we’re providing Ukraine every single day. We’re doing that by the pressure we’re exerting against Russia every single day.”

Sign Russia is in ‘real trouble’

Today’s update on the war from British intelligence paints a grim picture for Russia. Putin’s military is suffering so many casualties in Ukraine that it’s needing to redeploy resources from distant areas.

“Russia is increasingly seeking to generate additional troops to bolster and replace its personnel losses in Ukraine,” the Ministry of Defence said.

“As a result of these losses, it is likely Russia is struggling to conduct offensive operations in the face of sustained Ukrainian resistance. Continued personnel losses will also make it difficult for Russia to secure occupied territory.”

It revealed that Russia is “redeploying” forces from as far away as its Eastern Military District, Pacific Fleet and Armenia.

“It is also increasingly seeking to exploit irregular sources such as private military companies, Syrian and other mercenaries,” said the department.

“Russia will likely attempt to use these forces to hold captured territory and free up its combat power to renew stalled offensive operations.”

As British broadcaster Andrew Neil notes, this is a sign that Russia is “in real trouble”.

Assault on Kyiv intensifies

Russia appears to have intensified its bombardment of the Ukrainian capital, with explosions across the city occurring more frequently.

The city’s military command has imposed a 35-hour curfew, and Mayor Vitali Klitschko has described the situation as a “difficult and dangerous moment”.

“This is why I ask all Kyivites to get prepared to stay at home for two days, or if the sirens go off, in the shelters,” Mr Klitschko said.

“Movement around Kyiv without special permits is forbidden. It is only allowed to go outside with the aim to get to the shelters.

“The capital is the heart of Ukraine, and it will be defended. Kyiv, which is currently the symbol and forward operating base of Europe’s freedom and security, will not by given up by us.”

This tweet is from Channel 7’s Chris Reason, who is in Kyiv.

Russia announces sanctions on US officials

Russia has announced retaliatory sanctions on a number of high profile US officials, including President Joe Biden.

Other names on the list are: Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Mr Biden’s son Hunter, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and a few more you likely won’t have heard of.

These people are now blocked from entering Russia, and any of their assets held in the country will be frozen. I’m sure they’re all crushed.

Nuclear war ‘only a few steps’ away

A senior officer in Britain’s air force has uttered words none of us want to hear, warning that nuclear war is “only a few steps” away, The Sun reports.

British Air Marshal Edward Stringer was explaining the caution of Western leaders, including his own Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden, who have imposed heavy sanctions on Russia and provided aid to Ukraine without intervening directly in the conflict.

“It’s no longer unthinkable,” Stringer said, referring to nuclear war.

“And it will certainly be weighing on the minds of those who are making all the political calculations at the moment. Hence the very straight and consistent line from Biden and all the other senior heads of state recently.

“It is in the realms of possibility, and that is what people have to get their heads around.”

He said it was possible to “sketch a plausible chain of events” leading to nuclear war.

“That’s only a few steps, to get from where we are now to a confrontation that could see the use of nuclear weapons, which I think is a pretty terrifying prospect for anybody sensible.”

Vladimir Putin’s fatal flaw

There has been no shortage of speculation about Vladimir Putin’s mental faculties recently, given his decision to engage in a war that could charitably be described as unwise, and has otherwise been called “perhaps the greatest military blunder in modern European history”.

Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow at the Centre for a New American Security, is the latest expert to share her thoughts on Putin’s decision-making. She spoke to Business Insider.

“It’s a personalistic system. Ultimately, what matters is what Putin thinks,” she said.

“Putin, personally, is obsessed with Ukraine.”

Instead of admitting when things go wrong, she said, Putin “doubles down”.

“It’s clear that there are issues with information, but also his ability to process information, frankly, at this point.”

This calls to mind a recent interview with the celebrated historian Stephen Kotkin, most famous for his biography of Joseph Stalin. Professor Kotkin recently spoke to The New Yorker about Putin’s regime.

In one small slice of that lengthy interview, he suggested a core problem for Putin was one extremely common among dictators: a dearth of good information.

“You have an autocrat in power, or even now a despot, making decisions completely by himself,” he said of Putin.

“Does he get input from others? Perhaps. We don’t know what the inside looks like. Does he pay attention? We don’t know. Do they bring him information that he doesn’t want to hear? That seems unlikely. Does he think he knows better than everyone else? That seems highly likely. Does he believe his own propaganda or his own conspiratorial view of the world? That also seems likely.

“And so we think, but we don’t know, that he is not getting the full gamut of information. He’s getting what he wants to hear. In any case, he believes that he is superior and smarter.

“This is the problem of despotism. It’s why despotism, or even just authoritarianism, is all-powerful and brittle at the same time.

“Despotism creates the circumstances of its own undermining. The information gets worse. The sycophants get greater in number. The corrective mechanisms become fewer. And the mistakes become more consequential.”

I encourage you to read the whole thing if you have a spare 15 minutes. It’s a fascinating discussion with an expert who knows his subject well.

Putin. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP
Putin. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP

Foreign leaders travel to Ukraine’s capital

The leaders of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic have all travelled to Kyiv to meet with their Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, and show their support.

Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, hailed the gesture as “the courage of true friends”.

“Your visit to Kyiv at this difficult time for Ukraine is a strong sign of support. We really appreciate it,” said Mr Zelensky.

Meanwhile, NATO has confirmed there will be a meeting of its members’ heads of state in Brussels next Thursday, March 24. US President Joe Biden will be among the attendees. The main subject of discussion will, of course, be the war.

‘A menace’: Russia brutally denounced

Russia announced its withdrawal from the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights organisation, shortly before members voted to expel it today. It appears to be a case of jumping before getting pushed.

The council’s 46 remaining member countries voted in favour of a resolution saying there was “no place for an aggressor” in Europe.

“Despite the many appeals to cease the hostilities and to comply with international law, the Russian leadership has persisted in its aggression, escalating the violence in Ukraine and making threats, should other states interfere,” the resolution said.

“Through its attitude and actions, the leadership of the Russian Federation poses an open menace to security in Europe.”

The council was founded in the wake of World War II to protect human rights. Russia joined it in the 1990s, following the fall of the Soviet Union.

Brave Russian protester re-emerges

The Russian state television employee who bravely stormed onto the set of a live broadcast to protest against the war has emerged after disappearing for 24 hours.

Marina Ovsyannikova was seen leaving a court in Moscow after being fined 30,000 roubles ($376). That punishment was not for the protest itself, but for a video message she recorded beforehand, in which she described the war as a “crime”.

“These were some of the hardest days of my life,” Ms Ovsyannikova told reporters.

“I spent two days without sleep. I was questioned for more than 14 hours. They didn’t allow me to reach my family or give me any legal aid. I was in a fairly difficult position.”

She could still face harsher charges, and a potential prison sentence, under laws forbidding criticism of the war or the Russian military.

However, according to prominent human rights lawyer Pavel Chikov, the swift fine indicates a “political” call has been made by Russian authorities to pursue the case no further.

“The fact that she has already received a quick punishment indicates that a political decision has been made not to persecute her further,” he said.

Marina Ovsyannikova after emerging from court in Moscow. Picture: AFP
Marina Ovsyannikova after emerging from court in Moscow. Picture: AFP

24-year-old journalist killed in Ukraine

Another journalist has been killed in Ukraine, following the deaths of Brent Renaud and Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski.

Today Fox News confirmed that Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshinova, who was travelling with Mr Zakrzewski, had died. A third reporter, Benjamin Hall, was wounded.

“Their vehicle was struck by incoming fire yesterday while in the field,” CEO Suzanne Scott told staff in an email.

“Sasha was just 24 years old and was serving as a consultant for us in Ukraine. She was helping our crews navigate Kyiv and the surrounding area while gathering information and speaking to sources.

“She was incredibly talented and spent weeks working directly with our entire team there, operating around the clock to make sure the world knew what was happening in her country.

“She was a joy to work with. Several of our correspondents and producers spent long days with her reporting the news, and go to know her personally, describing her as hardworking, funny, kind and brave.”

She offered the network’s “deepest condolences” to Ms Kuvshinova’s family.

Russia accused of taking hospital patients ‘hostage’

Ukrainian officials in the besieged southern city Mariupol have accused Russian forces of taking hospital staff and patients as “hostages”.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration, said hundreds of people were being held at the Mariupol regional intensive care hospital against their will.

“It is impossible to get out of the hospital,” he said, quoting one of the hospital employees who managed to get information out of the building.

“They shoot hard, we sit in the basement. Cars have not been able to drive to the hospital for two days. High rise buildings around us are burning.

“The Russians have rushed 400 people from neighbouring buildings to our hospital. We can’t leave.”

Mr Kyrylenko said the hospital was “practically destroyed”, but its staff and patients had remained in the basement.

“Respond to these vicious violations of the norms and customs of war, these egregious crimes against humanity,” he begged human rights organisations.

“Russia and every citizen involved in crimes in Ukraine must be punished.”

Mariupol’s deputy mayor, Sergei Orlov, told the BBC the Russians were “using our patients and doctors like hostages”.

Russian troops are allegedly firing at the Ukrainian army from the windows of the hospital, perhaps trying to provoke it to shoot back.

‘High price to pay’ for chemical attack

The Secretary-General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, has warned that Russia will face a “high price” if it uses chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine.

However he stopped well short of committing to military action from the alliance, should Russia cross that line.

“Throughout this crisis, they have tried to create different kinds of false flag operations to try to provide excuses for use of force,” Mr Stoltenberg said at a media conference overnight.

“Now we have seen them accusing Ukraine and also NATO allies of producing and developing chemical weapons, and that is an absolute lie.

“It does make us a bit concerned about the possibility that they are actually planning to do that. And the President of the United States and other allies also made it very clear that if they use chemical weapons, there will be a high price to pay.

“But I will not speculate about any military response from NATO.”

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/world/russia-ukraine-war-updates-mariupol-hospital-staff-patients-taken-hostage/news-story/290f75e5198aed84789d7d8d27c3bc67