The war between Russia and Ukraine continues, with the Moscow army intensifying the bombings on Kiev, Kharkiv, Mariupol and other cities.

In Kiev, the TV tower was bombed by Vladimir Putin's troops, with Moscow which shortly before had warned citizens who live near the towers inviting them to leave their homes. Rockets also reportedly fell near the Holocaust memorial in the capital. A dramatic situation on the eve of the second round of ceasefire talks.

The leader of Kiev Zelensky spoke by videoconference at the plenary of the European Parliament: "Putin kills children, yesterday 11 died", he accused, and then reiterated to the EU that he was showing his support for Ukraine by accepting his request for adhesion. Zelensky also launched a new appeal to the EU: “It's not a film, give a signal, help us”.

Ukraine also asked for China's mediation, during a telephone conversation between the foreign minister of Kiev and his counterpart from Beijing, who "deplored" the military solution. For its part, however, Turkey has announced that it will not adopt sanctions against Russia, focusing however on the channel of diplomacy.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi also spoke about the Ukrainian crisis in front of Parliament. "Italy is at the forefront to support Ukraine from a humanitarian and migration point of view, in close coordination with European and international partners," said the prime minister in his speech.

"The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - said Draghi - has estimated the number of people who could need humanitarian aid in the coming months at 18 million". "Italy will do everything to help neighboring countries in the drama of the impact of this migration. They can count on Italy ", he added.

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Below, the latest news:

Guerini: "The conflict must not extend"

"We must ensure that the conflict does not extend beyond Ukraine. We are in the presence of a very serious Russian aggression. In defiance of international law there has been an attack on a sovereign state. We are in the presence of a very serious and accomplished fact. by Putin and an invasion that is a real threat compared to the security architecture that was built ".

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Di Maio: "400 dead, including 20 children"

"The conflict in Ukraine has already caused 400 deaths in a few days, including 20 children". Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said this, speaking of the Ukrainian crisis to Di Martedì. "We must stop the war that exists and to do so we must stop Putin. The Italian parliament has committed itself almost unanimously to give financial and military support to the Ukrainian people because they have the right to defend themselves", added Di Maio. "With the sanctions causing the collapse of the Russian economy, the Moscow stock exchange has been closed for two days, this means avoiding a war that could affect the rest of Europe", concluded the minister.

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Use: "Excluding the non-fly zone"

The White House rules out a no fly zone in Ukraine because it would require the use of US military force to enforce it. CNN reports it.

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Shevchenko's appeal: "Peace in Ukraine"

"Dear Italian friends, from San Siro I ask you to show your support for peace in Ukraine. The Ukrainian people want peace, because peace has no borders, because what unites us must be stronger than what divides us . Let's stop this war together. A hug to everyone! ": Andriy Shevchenko's appeal on the big screen at San Siro a few minutes before the first whistle of the Coppa Italia derby.

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Russian forces in Kherson

Russian forces have entered the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, but Kiev still controls the city administration building. This was reported by the British newspaper The Telegraph via Twitter, specifying that the news was given on television by the adviser of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry Vadym Denysenko.

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Turkey: "No sanctions"

Turkey has no plans to impose sanctions on Russia, but tries to maintain a channel for dialogue. The spokesman for Erdogan made it known, according to reports from Tass.

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7.40 pm - Memorial under fire, Israel condemns

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid - who is the son of a Jew who survived the Nazi persecutions - condemned what happened today in Kiev, in the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial, in the place where 30,000 Jews were murdered. "We condemn the damage to the Jewish cemetery near the memorial commemorating the Holocaust of the Jews of Kiev and the Jewish genocide of Babi Yar," he wrote on Twitter. "We appeal for the sanctity of the place to be respected," he added.

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Refugees, the EU takes action

The React-Eu economic recovery program, which strengthens cohesion policy, will be adapted to allow Member States to use the funds available to manage the arrival of refugees from Ukraine. This was announced today by the European Commissioner for Cohesion, Elisa Ferreira, at the informal meeting of cohesion ministers in France. Ferreira informed ministers and the European Parliament that "given the current circumstances", the Commission will go ahead with extending the co-financing to 100% for another year.

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Also two young footballers among the Ukrainian victims

There are also two young footballers among the victims of the conflict in Ukraine. In a tweet, FifPro, the international federation of professional footballers, confirmed the death of Vitalii Sapylo (21), Karpaty player and Dmytro Martynenko, 25-year-old forward of FC Hostomel. Sapylo was killed in a battle near Kiev, while Martynenko - who last season was awarded the best second division player of which he was the top scorer - was killed by a bomb that fell on his house: his mother also died. while the 7-year-old sister was seriously injured.

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Zelensky to Biden: "We are not in a film, give a strong message"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Joe Biden to give a "strong and useful" message about Russia's invasion of Ukraine in his State of the Union address he will give tonight. In an exclusive interview with CNN and Reuters, from the bunker where he is hiding in Kiev, the Ukrainian leader, a former actor, said: "It is a very serious situation, we are not in a film". "I am not an iconic figure, Ukraine is", added Zelensky, stressing "the world cannot miss something so special".

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Kiev: "The Holocaust memorial also damaged"

"To the world: what is the point of saying" never again "for 80 years, if the world is silent when a bomb falls on the same site as Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeats itself ...".

Thus on twitter the Ukrainian president Zelensky announces a Russian attack on a monument near the Babi Yar memorial which commemorates the extermination of 30,000 Jews during the Second World War by the Nazis.

The memorial was damaged during the raid on the Kiev TV tower.

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Raid on the TV tower caused at least 5 deaths

The Russian raid on the TV tower in Kiev caused at least 5 victims. This was reported by the Ukrainian authorities.

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"Russians ready to hit the Cathedral of Saint Sophia"

"According to intelligence, Russian troops are preparing an air attack on the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, a Unesco heritage site". This was reported by the Ukrainian embassy to the Holy See.

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BoJo: "Kharkiv like Sarajevo, disgusting attacks"

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, speaking from Estonia, that the Russian raids on the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine are "absolutely disgusting" and are reminiscent of some of the attacks on Sarajevo in the Bosnian war. And he added: "It looks like an atrocity committed deliberately against a civilian center."

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Italy initiates revocation of honors to Russian citizens

The procedure for the revocation of the honors granted to Russian citizens has begun, as announced in recent days by Minister Di Maio. It is learned from sources of the Farnesina.

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After the TV tower in Kiev was hit, the channels stopped broadcasting

The Russian Armed Forces hit the Kiev TV Tower. The country's television channels stopped broadcasting a few minutes ago. This was announced on Twitter by the local media The Kyiv Independent.

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Strong explosion in Kiev

An explosion was warned in Kiev. This was reported by the Kyiv Independent newspaper. The warning sirens for the air raid went off a minute later, reminding citizens to head to the nearest shelter, the newspaper said.

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Ukraine asks for mediation from China

Ukraine is ready to strengthen communication with China and "looks forward to mediation from the Chinese side to carry out the ceasefire". The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said to the Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during their phone call, in the report given by Pecino. Kuleba introduced the situation of the first round of Ukrainian-Russian negotiations, stating that "ending the war is the top priority of the Ukrainian side" which is "open to negotiating a solution" with "positivity and sincerity". Despite the setbacks, the Ukrainian side "remains calm and is ready to continue the negotiations".

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First prisoner exchange between Kiev and Moscow

First exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. A military convoy from Moscow arrived in Krasnopillya, in the Sumy oblast in northeastern Ukraine, near the border, where a Russian officer was released in exchange for five Kiev soldiers. This was reported on Telegram by the head of the Ukrainian regional military administration, Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, quoted by the Kiev Independent.

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3 pm - China "deplores" the outbreak of war

China "deplores the outbreak of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and is extremely concerned about the damage to civilians". Thus the Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the phone call he had at the request of Kiev with his counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.

China's basic position "is open, transparent and coherent. We have always supported respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. In response to the current crisis, China invites Ukraine and Russia to find a solution to the problem through negotiations and supports all constructive international efforts that lead to a political solution ".

A prudent but not exactly pro-Russian position is that of Beijing, which precisely by virtue of the excellent relations with Moscow, if involved, could play a fundamental role in resolving this crisis.

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Ambassador Zazo rescues 20 minors

In the transfer of the Italian embassy from Kiev to Lviv, still in progress, ambassador Zazo managed to rescue about 20 minors, including 6 infants, whom he had welcomed in the embassy in recent days because they lack a safe place to to stay.

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Moscow: "We will hit the secret service centers in Kiev"

The Russian armed forces have announced that they will bomb the headquarters of the security services and the operations center for psychological and media warfare in Kiev. Tass reports it.

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The Italian Embassy in Kiev moves to Lviv

Due to the deterioration of the security situation in Kiev and the consequent impossibility of guaranteeing full functionality, the Italian Embassy in Kiev is being transferred to Lviv to continue to perform its functions, as are other embassies that have already moved. who were present in Kiev. The Farnesina makes it known.

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Moscow: "Kiev citizens who live near cell towers leave their homes"

The Russian military has invited all citizens of the Kiev region who live near telecommunication towers to leave their homes. Tass reports it.

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007 Usa: "Putin's mental state to be evaluated"

US intelligence considers it a priority to assess Vladimir Putin's 'state of mind' to understand how it could influence him in his decisions for Ukraine. According to reports from CNN, experts have observed how the president's behavior has recently become "increasingly unpredictable, erratic and irrational".

Hence the efforts of American intelligence in trying to gather more information to understand how it reacted to the harsh response of the West.

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Di Maio: "Brutal Putin must be isolated with increasingly severe sanctions"

"Look at these terrible pictures, they are from a few hours ago. In the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the Russian army is bombing regardless of military and civilian targets, destroying residential buildings and causing the deaths of innocent women and children. Brutally violating international law. ". Minister Luigi Di Maio writes it on Fb posting a video of the bombing of a building in Kharkiv.

"Many European citizens are dying - he adds -, torn from their lives by a war that cannot make us turn to the other side. Vladimir Putin is responsible for all this. And while negotiations are being held, the Russian government continues to bomb unarmed civilians and without blame. We continue to work for a peaceful solution and at the same time, in the face of all this, we must achieve the goal of isolating Russia with increasingly severe sanctions ".

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Tomorrow second round of talks

The second round of Russian-Ukrainian talks will take place tomorrow, March 2. This was reported by TASS which cited the Ukrainian media.

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"Evicting Moscow from the UN Security Council is an option on the table"

Evicting Russia from the UN Security Council is "among the options" on the table. This was announced by the United Kingdom.

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Zelensky challenges the EU: "Prove that you are with us"

"I would like to hear from you that Ukraine's choice towards Europe is encouraged. We want to be equal members of the EU. We are showing everyone that this is who we are." This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the extraordinary plenary of the EU Parliament, asking Europeans to "prove that you are with Ukraine, prove that you will not leave us alone".

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Zelensky: "We are under bombing, Putin kills children"

The Ukrainian president   Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by videoconference to the extraordinary plenary of the European Parliament: "We are under bombing, under attack by missiles, this has been a tragic morning. We are giving our lives for freedom," he said.

"Putin - he added - talks about operations against military infrastructures, but they were children, yesterday he killed 16 with his missiles".

"The light will win against the dark, glory to Ukraine", he concluded.

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Metsola: "Yes to the entry of Kiev into the EU"

The Eurochamber recognizes "Ukraine's European perspective. As our resolution clearly states, we welcome" Ukraine's request for candidate status and we will work towards that goal. We must face the future together ", said the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, addressing the Ukrainian head of state, Volodymyr Zelensky, during the debate on the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the extraordinary plenary of the Eurochamber.

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Over 20 injured in Kharkiv

More than 20 people were injured in this morning's attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, including a child. This was reported by the Ukrainian state emergency services in a video published on the official Facebook profile quoted by CNN.

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UN: "A million displaced persons"

The UN estimates that the number of internally displaced people is one million people. This was reported by a head of the United Nations Refugee Agency.

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"Belarusian troops also enter Ukraine"

Belarusian troops reportedly crossed the border into Ukraine to join the Russian invasion. This was reported by Politico and the Daily Beast citing a statement by the Ukrainian Parliament. "Belarusian troops have entered the Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine," the brief statement read. There are currently no other confirmations.

"Belarusian troops have entered the Chernihiv region. The information was confirmed by Vitaliy Kyrylov, spokesman for the Defense Forces of the Northern Territory. More information later," reads the tweet of the Ukrainian Parliament. The Chernihiv region is located in the north of Ukraine and extends from the border with Belarus to Kiev.

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Zelensky: "The attack on Kharkiv terrorist action"

"Launching a rocket in the central square of Kharkiv was a real terrorist action. Thus, Russia became a terrorist state. Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in a new video message. "Defending Kiev - he added - is our priority".

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NATO "will not send troops to Ukraine"

"NATO will not send troops to Ukraine or planes into its airspace." Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this at a press conference from the Lask military base in Poland. "Allies provide military support" for Kiev. "We will not send airplanes to Ukraine because it would be interference in this war", confirmed the president of Poland Andrzej Duda.

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Moscow: "Soon to evaluate the negotiations". Born: "We don't want war, Putin stop"

It is "too early to assess" the negotiations on the conflict in Ukraine. The Kremlin claims it.

In these hours "for the first time we are deploying NATO response forces and French troops are arriving in Romania. We will protect and defend any NATO territory. We are a defensive Alliance. We do not seek conflict with Russia, which he must immediately stop the war and return to diplomacy. " This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

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Over 660 thousand refugees

Over 660,000 refugees have left Ukraine in these first 6 days of war. The United Nations reported it.

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Lavrov: "Kiev wants an atomic arsenal"

The Kiev regime conspires to develop its nuclear arsenal, it is a threat to international security. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov in the video message with which he speaks at the disarmament conference taking place in Geneva. His speech was boycotted by many delegations who left the room.

"We are working to prevent the emergence of nuclear weapons in Ukraine", Lavrov added, also stressing that "It is unacceptable for Russia that some European countries are hosting US nuclear weapons. It is time to send them back home."

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Ukraine: "Mariupol without electricity after the Russian attacks"

The governor of Ukraine's Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said that the important port city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine is without electricity after attacks by Russian troops.

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Moscow: "The offensive continues until the objectives are achieved"

Russia will continue the Ukraine offensive until "all objectives" have been achieved, said Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.

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Draghi: "More renewables, regasifiers and a doubling of Tap"

To diversify energy sources "we must first of all focus on a decisive increase in the production of renewable energy. We must continue to simplify the procedures for onshore and offshore projects - as we are already doing - and invest in the development of biomethane. Gas remains a useful transition fuel. We must think about an increase in our regasification capacity and a possible doubling of the capacity of the Tap pipeline ", Draghi's words about the crisis in Ukraine.

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Draghi: "Gas outage from Russia does not create problems in the short term"

"Italy imports about 95% of the gas it consumes and over 40% comes from Russia. In the short term, even a complete interruption of gas flows from Russia starting next week should not cause problems. Italy it still has 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas in storage and the arrival of milder temperatures should lead to a significant reduction in consumption by households. Our forecast is that we will be able to absorb any peak demand through volumes in storage and other import capacity ".

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Draghi: "Proceed swiftly on a common defense of the EU"

"It is necessary to proceed quickly on the path of common defense, in order to acquire true strategic autonomy, which is complementary to the Atlantic Alliance", specified Draghi. "Europe has shown enormous determination in supporting the Ukrainian people. In doing so, it has made decisions unprecedented in its history - such as buying and supplying weapons to a country at war. As has happened at other times in European history, the Union has accelerated its integration path in the face of a crisis ".

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Draghi: "Unprecedented sanctions"

"The European Union and its allies have shown great firmness and unity. We promptly adopted unprecedented sanctions," Prime Minister Mario Draghi specified in communications to the Senate on the Ukrainian crisis.

"On the financial level, the restrictive measures adopted will prevent the Russian Central Bank from using its international reserves to reduce the impact of our restrictive measures. Within the EU, measures are being taken to remove some Russian banks from the SWIFT system".

"We are approving strong restrictive measures also against Belarus, given its growing involvement in the conflict. Russia has also suffered a very severe sports boycott, with the cancellation of all competitions with Russian teams in every discipline".

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Draghi: "Italy ready to support in the humanitarian and migratory drama"

"Italy is at the forefront to support Ukraine from a humanitarian and migration point of view, in close coordination with European and international partners".

"The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - said Draghi - has estimated the number of people who could need humanitarian aid in the coming months at 18 million". "Italy will do everything to help neighboring countries in the drama of the impact of this migration. They can count on Italy ", he added.

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Draghi: "A quick, firm and united operation is necessary"

Today we are forced to make choices "unthinkable until a few months ago". Thus Prime Minister Draghi speaking in the Senate about the war in Ukraine. "I want to reiterate the solidarity of the Italian people to President Zelensky and to all citizens of Ukraine", he then went on, specifying how a "rapid, firm and unified" operation is now necessary to stop the war.

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Lukashenko: "We will not participate in operations in Ukraine"

Belarus will not take part in combat operations in Ukraine. This was stated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who added that Russia has started operations in Ukraine because it was left with no other choice. Minsk, the Belarusian leader stressed, is ready to negotiate with anyone at the moment in the interest of peace in the region.

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(foto Ansa/Epa)
(foto Ansa/Epa)
(foto Ansa/Epa)

Farnesina: Italians also leave Kiev by train

"The compatriots still present in the Ukrainian capital and its surroundings are recommended to use the means still available, including trains, to leave Kiev, during the times when there is no curfew. We recommend the utmost caution". The Farnesina writes this in an update on safety in Ukraine on the Viaggiare Sicuri website.

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Great Britain to Putin: "War crimes will be punished"

"Both Vladimir Putin and the military commanders of Moscow will be held accountable for any violation of the laws of war". The British Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Dominic Raab, said today about the "war crimes" attributed to Russian forces in Ukraine.

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The target of the attack on Kharkiv was the governor

The Ukrainian operational command confirmed this morning's attack by Russian forces with a missile launched against the regional government headquarters in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city. According to Kiev, the goal was to kill the governor of Kharkiv and the team that leads the defense of the city with him.

(Unioneonline)

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