As it happened: Belarus invites Russian nukes onto its territory; Volodymyr Zelensky agrees to peace talks; Russian rouble tumbles to record low; NSW, Qld hit by major floods

Good evening.

Thank you for tuning into our rolling coverage of the Ukraine war and today’s national developments.

If you are just joining us, here’s a recap of what you’ve missed:

• Russia talks with Ukraine have started on the Belarus-Ukraine border, with the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, earlier saying the country was interested in reaching a mutually beneficial agreement with Ukraine as soon as possible.
• The United Nations says at least 102 civilians in Ukraine have been killed since Russia launched its invasion last Thursday, with a further 304 injured, but the real figure is feared to be “considerably higher”.

People trying to flee Ukraine sleep inside a crowded Lviv railway station on Monday.Credit: AP

• British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace believes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear deterrent alert is rhetoric designed to distract from the invasion of Ukraine, and not linked to practical steps to increase readiness to use the weapons.
• Crude oil jumped while the Russian rouble plunged nearly 30 per cent to a fresh record low. Russia’s central bank more than doubled its key policy interest rate and introduced some capital controls as it scrambled to shield the economy from unprecedented Western sanctions.
• Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will convene a national security meeting on Tuesday to discuss funding a supply of weapons to Ukraine. Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra was lit up in blue and yellow this evening in a show of support for Ukraine.

Parliament House in Canberra lit up on Monday evening in a show of support for Ukraine. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

• Wild weather continues to devastate communities in NSW and Queensland. We’ve had another live blog on those developments running here.
• And, on the COVID-19 front, Victoria recorded 5852 new cases and three deaths, while NSW recorded another 5856 new infections and six deaths. Western Australia recorded 1140 new COVID-19 cases, while South Australia reported 1358, and one person died with the virus in that state. The Northern Territory had 392 new COVID-19 cases, while Tasmania had 734, and the ACT had 464.

I’ll be signing off for the blog in a while, but Latika Bourke will keep you updated through to midnight and beyond.

Ukrainian officials say that “dozens are dead” after massive Russian shelling of the city of Kharkiv.

Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Anton Gerashchenko said: “Dozens are dead and probably hundreds are wounded,” in a message distributed by the Ukrainian parliament’s official Telegram Channel.

And that’s where we end today’s rolling coverage. But join us at our new blog for all of Tuesday’s updates here: Australia news LIVE: Vladimir Putin issues nuclear alerts to Russian forces as Ukraine defends nation against invasion; floods worsen in south-east Queensland, NSW as more evacuation orders issued

There have been blasts heard in the capital Kyiv and heaving fighting in Kharkiv.

There are unconfirmed reports of multiple rocket attacks on Kharkiv, a city near the Russian border that Russia initially said it captured but the Ukrainians took back on Sunday.

Ukrainian officials said a residential building in Chernihiv in northern Ukraine was on fire after being struck by a missile.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the EU for its weapons, which the European Commission said on Sunday that it would send the nation.

It is the first time in the EU’s history that it has supplied weapons to a country.

Zelensky said his country had earned its right to join the European Union, something he has long desired, along with NATO membership.

“We appeal to the European Union for Ukraine’s immediate accession under a new special procedure,” he said.

“We are grateful to our partners for being with us.

“But our goal is to be with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be equal.

“I am confident we deserve it,” he said.

Zelensky made the comments in a new video posted a short time ago on his Telegram channel.

More than 500,000 people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded the country last week, the UN refugee agency said on Monday.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi gave the estimate in a tweet.

The latest and still growing count had 281,000 people entering Poland, more than 84,500 in Hungary, about 36,400 in Moldova, more than 32,500 in Romania and about 30,000 in Slovakia, UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said.

The rest were scattered in unidentified other countries, she said.

Another train carrying hundreds of refugees from Ukraine arrived early on Monday in the town of Przemysl in south-eastern Poland.

In winter coats to protect them against near-freezing temperatures, with small suitcases, they lined up at the platform to the exit. Some waved at the cameras to show they felt relief to be out of the war zone. Many were making phone calls.

Home rental company Airbnb said on Monday its non-profit arm Airbnb.org would offer free, temporary housing for up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine.

Chief Executive Brian Officer Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, the chairman of Airbnb.org, have sent letters to leaders of Poland, Romania, Germany and Hungary offering help to house the refugees. The countries share borders with Ukraine.

At least 300,000 Ukrainian refugees have entered the European Union so far after Russia’s invasion of the country, and the bloc needs to prepare for millions more, senior EU and French officials have said.

Airbnb.org, which provides temporary stays for people during crisis, will work closely with governments to help address needs in each country including by providing longer-term stays.

The stays will be funded by Airbnb, donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund and hosts of Airbnb.org.

Reuters

Good evening.

Thank you for tuning into our rolling coverage of the Ukraine war and today’s national developments.

If you are just joining us, here’s a recap of what you’ve missed:

• Russia talks with Ukraine have started on the Belarus-Ukraine border, with the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, earlier saying the country was interested in reaching a mutually beneficial agreement with Ukraine as soon as possible.
• The United Nations says at least 102 civilians in Ukraine have been killed since Russia launched its invasion last Thursday, with a further 304 injured, but the real figure is feared to be “considerably higher”.

People trying to flee Ukraine sleep inside a crowded Lviv railway station on Monday.Credit: AP

• British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace believes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear deterrent alert is rhetoric designed to distract from the invasion of Ukraine, and not linked to practical steps to increase readiness to use the weapons.
• Crude oil jumped while the Russian rouble plunged nearly 30 per cent to a fresh record low. Russia’s central bank more than doubled its key policy interest rate and introduced some capital controls as it scrambled to shield the economy from unprecedented Western sanctions.
• Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will convene a national security meeting on Tuesday to discuss funding a supply of weapons to Ukraine. Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra was lit up in blue and yellow this evening in a show of support for Ukraine.

Parliament House in Canberra lit up on Monday evening in a show of support for Ukraine. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

• Wild weather continues to devastate communities in NSW and Queensland. We’ve had another live blog on those developments running here.
• And, on the COVID-19 front, Victoria recorded 5852 new cases and three deaths, while NSW recorded another 5856 new infections and six deaths. Western Australia recorded 1140 new COVID-19 cases, while South Australia reported 1358, and one person died with the virus in that state. The Northern Territory had 392 new COVID-19 cases, while Tasmania had 734, and the ACT had 464.

I’ll be signing off for the blog in a while, but Latika Bourke will keep you updated through to midnight and beyond.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will convene a national security meeting on Tuesday to discuss funding a supply of weapons to Ukraine, with the amount expected to be millions of dollars rather than tens of millions.

“The lethal aid support sees us step up again together with the rest of the world,” Mr Morrison said on Monday.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Australia for the support in a message to Mr Morrison.

Cabinet ministers will also debate the government’s stance on whether Australian volunteers can go to Ukraine to join the war.

Click here to read our latest story on the situation in Ukraine.

At least 102 civilians in Ukraine have been killed since Russia launched its invasion last Thursday, with a further 304 injured, but the real figure is feared to be “considerably higher”, United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet says.

Ms Bachelet, addressing the opening session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, said: “Most of these civilians were killed by explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and air strikes. The real figures are, I fear, considerably higher.“

United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet. Credit: AP

Some 422,000 Ukrainians have fled their homeland, with many more displaced within the country, she told the Geneva forum which earlier agreed to hold an urgent debate on Ukraine later this week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday asked the European Union to allow Ukraine to gain membership under a special procedure immediately as it defends itself from invasion by Russian forces.

“Our goal is to be with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be equal. I’m sure that’s fair. I am sure we deserve it,” he said in a video speech shared on social media.

Australians trying to follow Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on social media are being enveloped in a blizzard of misleading and false content, with a deluge of videos and images posted by social media users hungry for followers or seeded by state-backed actors fighting an information war.

Some of the most shared moments of the conflict so far have been revealed to be misconstrued, with the sheer volume and speed of the misinformation sparking renewed calls from experts for caution from social media users, and for transparency from tech platforms.

In one example, a video that purported to show the Ukrainian air force shooting down a Russian fighter jet was revealed to be footage from the video game Digital Combat Simulator.

In another example, a “live stream” of the conflict turned out to be camera footage on a loop. Click here to read the full story. 

Leasing firms are facing the challenge of recalling jetliners worth billions of dollars from Russian airlines, as sanctions imposed over the Ukraine invasion threaten carriers’ ability to operate rented planes.

European Union sanctions announced on Sunday ban the supply of “all goods and technology” linked to aircraft. Planes can’t be insured, either.

Leasing firms will be required to terminate all contracts with Russian airlines over the next 30 days.Credit: Bloomberg

That means leasing firms will be required to terminate all contracts with Russian airlines over the next 30 days, said a senior leasing executive with aircraft in the country.

More than half of the active commercial aircraft based in Russia are leased, mostly from companies based abroad, according to analysis from IBA Group, which advises airlines, plane makers, banks and lessors. That tally includes scores of aircraft at flag-carrier Aeroflot.

Reuters