Researched & collated by: Vagda Galhotra & Nivedita Bobal
The Russian invasion: The latest update
We have extensively tracked the Russia vs Ukraine conflict since December. If you need more context, we highly recommend reading our Big Story on the historical roots of the conflict and this timely explainer on the effectiveness of economic sanctions, the return of the Cold War, what is driving Vladimir Putin, and India’s “balancing act.”
Death toll: The latest UN estimate is now 1,335 civilian casualties: including 474 killed and 861 injured. The number of refugees: 2 million—which includes at least one million children, according to UNICEF. See the scene at the Kharkiv railway station below:
Peace talks: President Zelenskyy announced several significant concessions in press interviews. He will no longer press for NATO membership—and is open to “compromise” on the status of the two separatist territories recognized by Russia (Donetsk and Luhansk).
Russia, meanwhile, announced the creation of humanitarian corridors out of five cities—of which the one leading out of Sumy was honoured. Ukrainians, however, have accused troops of shelling the route out of Mariupol—which has been cut off from electricity, water and food supplies for days.
Indian students: stranded in Sumy have been moved out of the city. They will be taken to Poltava where they will be boarded on trains headed across the border. This is the last remaining group of Indians in Ukraine. Indian Express has more on the frantic behind-the-scenes activity that secured their safe passage. Meanwhile, the 2,000 Indian students in next-door Belarus are beginning to get anxious. Thanks to the Western sanctions, there are very few flights and they are running out of cash. And the universities are refusing to give them extended leave. Watch students leave Sumy below:
State of the invasion: It is very difficult to determine what is happening given the duelling narratives out of Kyiv and Moscow. US officials estimate that Ukrainian soldiers have killed more than 3,000 Russian troops and destroyed 950 Russian vehicles, including 140 tanks—which is a fraction of the invading force. But there is no mistaking the level of damage sustained by Ukrainian cities. This is the city of Kharkiv today:
American intelligence officials predict the following of Putin: “He's likely to double down and grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties.” They insist that he “has no sustainable political end game in the face of what is going to continue to be fierce resistance from Ukrainians”—and CIA claims Putin will fail to install a puppet regime. Reminder: Spin comes from all kinds of sources.
Map to note: The map below shows both the Russian-held areas and proposed humanitarian corridors in blue:
Sanctions: President Biden announced a ban on all imports of Russian oil, gas and coal—saying he is “targeting the main artery of Russia's economy.” The UK said it will start to phase out Russian energy imports by the end of 2022. But the rest of the EU—which is dependent on Russian gas—will not be following suit. The US gets only 5% of its energy supply from Russia. The Associated Press has a good explainer on the impact of the ban.
Point to note: Moscow is already threatening to shut down the key Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline if the US moves ahead with its plan:
“A rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market… It will take years, and it will still be much more expensive for European consumers [to find a replacement for Russian energy]. Ultimately, they will be hurt the worst by this outcome.”
Also this: Russia has now put together a list of “unfriendly states” that includes all European Union countries, the US and Australia. What this means: all corporate deals with companies and individuals from “unfriendly countries” will now have to be approved by a government commission.
#CancelRussia campaign: The biggest US brands Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald’s and Starbucks suspended business in Russia. But the Japanese apparel company Uniqlo is keeping its shops open because: “Clothing is a necessity of life. The people of Russia have the same right to live as we do.”
Military support for Ukraine: Last week, Zelenskyy signed a decree allowing visa-free entry to foreigners—to encourage supporters to join the fight. Around 20,000 have joined the volunteer military force so far—including 21-year-old Sainikesh Ravichandran from Coimbatore who was studying aerospace engineering in Kharkiv. He is now being “probed” by Indian intelligence agencies. You can see him in the photo released by Kyiv Independent below. TIME spoke to some of these volunteers as well.
Financial support for Ukraine: The World Bank has approved a $723 million package of loans and grants to provide critical services, welfare programs and pay medical staff. It is also working on a bigger $3 billion package for Ukraine and its neighbouring countries which are hosting refugees.
Elsewhere in the world: Here’s a quick roundup of related developments:
- China is scrubbing its internet of any accurate or sympathetic coverage of the invasion. This includes deleting comments expressing support for Ukraine or criticising Russia. Directives have been sent to the media to follow the party line, as well.
- Speaking of China, its foreign minister said that there is no comparison between Ukraine and Taiwan—since the latter is a “domestic” issue. Wait, isn’t that Putin’s line too?
Related things to see: Protesters have renamed a street outside the Russian embassy in Washington DC—and called it ‘President Zelensky Way’. (The Hill)
Related reads: CNN has an interesting look at how Russia is following China’s cue and taking its internet behind the ‘iron curtain’. Also on CNN: The race among museums to save Ukraine’s historical treasures. New Yorker looks at the rise of ‘Z’ as the symbol of Russian aggression. Washington Post takes a closer look at the 64-km convoy parked outside Kyiv—and which hasn’t budged for days.
Akhilesh cries ‘chor’ in UP
Two days ahead of counting in the state election, the Samajwadi Party chief claimed that his party workers intercepted a truck carrying Electronic Voting Machines in Varanasi. He also said that vehicles transporting ballots were intercepted in at least three districts. See the clip that went viral below:
However, the state’s chief electoral officer insists these EVMs are meant for training purposes—and that the machines “used in polling are sealed and guarded and are being observed through 24×7 monitoring.” (Indian Express)
Speaking of UP elections: Here’s a striking statistic: The percentage of young people—between the ages of 18-29—who voted this time fell by a whopping 5%, from 28.73% in 2017 to 22.93%. The number of first-time voters also sharply declined by 17.95%. (Indian Express)
Credit Suisse cuts India rating
In an alarming sign, the global investment bank downgraded the Indian stock market’s rating from “overweight” to “underweight.” Its reasoning: India is the most vulnerable to rising oil prices, runaway inflation and future hikes in US interest rates. And many of the recent valuations have been too “rich.” Credit Suisse’s plan is to bet on China instead—which has been upgraded to “overweight” from “market weight.” Meanwhile, Kotak Securities found little celebrate in a possible BJP win in UP and other state elections—since it will do little to change the gloomy big economic outlook. The Economic Times has more details.
International flights are back!
International flights to and from India are set to resume fully from March 27—after a two year hiatus imposed by the pandemic. What this means: The number of flights will no longer be limited by bilateral agreements that created special “air corridors.” Currently, international flights are at about 40% of pre-Covid levels. (The Hindu)
Google takes on harassment
The company has released code for an open-source anti-harassment tool called Harassment Manager. It is mainly intended for journalists and other public figures who receive a high volume of abuse on social media platforms. It allows developers to create tools that will sort and filter messages based on “toxicity”—so you can take action in batches rather than individually deal with them. Point to note: This is just freely available code. There isn’t an app available as yet since someone has to build it. (The Verge)
Speaking of abuse: Phillipines has finally passed a law that raises the sexual age of consent from 12 to 16 years. The law is gender-neutral and intended to protect minors from rape and sexual assault. The country had one of the world’s lowest minimum ages of sexual consent, behind Nigeria’s age of 11. (NBC News)
Speaking of useful tech: The Reserve Bank of India has launched the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for feature phones. Until now, UPI was only available for smartphones. This opens the door to digital payments for an estimated 40 crore feature phone users. More importantly, the UPI123Pay service will work on phones that do not have an internet connection. (Indian Express)
Amazon rainforests approach tipping point
One of the world’s most precious ecosystems—which is home to a rich and diverse number of species—may soon turn into grasslands. A new study warns the world’s largest rainforest is losing its ability to recover from damage caused by droughts, fires and deforestation—something scientists call “resilience loss.” It is already visible across at least 70% of the Amazon. What’s worrying: We won’t be able to tell when we’ve crossed that threshold, but once we do, then the forests will turn into savannahs within decades. (BBC News)
Alia Bhatt goes to Hollywood
She will make her Hollywood debut in a Netflix spy thriller titled ‘ Heart of Stone’—alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. We don’t know anything about her role since details of the plot are being kept under wraps. (Deadline)
Two things to see
One: Virat Kohli celebrated playing his 100th test match by giving his jersey to a specially-abled fan. Everyone seems to be moved by this gesture, but we personally thought Kohli didn’t display any kind of warmth or affection. Is this how low our bar is for celebrities in India? You can watch it for yourself. (NDTV)
Two: What’s going on with South Asian men in Britain? First, Muhammad Malik of Birmingham rented billboards to advertise his search for “Mrs Right.” Now, Jeevan Bhachu has launched a similar find-a-wife campaign—but on train platforms in London. Though we have to admit the tagline made us laugh: “Best Indian you’ll takeaway.” FYI, he’s looking for “someone who is family orientated, humble, and wants to make the most of life. Appreciating humour and not taking life too seriously is key.” Just saying… (Evening Standard)
Good stuff to check out
On the latest episode of the splainer podcast ‘Press Decode’, the splainer team looks at whether brown lives matter in the time of war—and the inequality within the so-called creator economy. Be sure to head over to the IVM website, Spotify or Apple Podcasts to listen to it.
