Russia announced a ceasefire on Saturday March 5 to allow the evacuation of civilians from two cities in eastern Ukraine, including the strategic port of Mariupol and the city of Volnovakha. The decision was taken after consultations between representatives of Kiev and Moscow. Earlier in the day, the mayor of Mariupol, denounced “ruthless attacks” by Russian forces on his city “under blockade”. Moscow’s capture of Mariupol, located on the Sea of Azov, would allow the junction between the Russian forces coming from annexed Crimea and the separatist and Russian troops in the Donbass. Follow our live.
Russia blocks Facebook and restricts access to Twitter. The Kremlin on Friday cracked down on the media, introducing heavy prison sentences for any dissemination of“false information about the army”. An amendment introduces various penalties of up to 15 years in prison for spreading information aimed at “discredit” the Russian armed forces.
NATO rejects the idea of a no-fly zone. Its members have not responded to Kiev’s request, in order to avoid being drawn into the conflict, said the secretary general of the Alliance. “The Allies agreed that we should not have NATO planes operating in Ukrainian airspace or NATO troops on the ground, because we could end up with an all-out war in Europe.”explained Jens Stoltenberg at the end of an emergency meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Alliance in Brussels (Belgium) on Friday.
NATO condemns ‘irresponsible’ firing at Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. “The attack on a nuclear power plant demonstrates the irresponsibility of this war and the need to end it.” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday condemned the shots of the Russian forces which hit the nuclear power plant of Zaporijia, the largest in Europe, during a brief intervention alongside the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.