Last updated at 22:45 PM IST
Russia quits Council of Europe
- A convoy of 160 civilian cars managed to leave Mariupol on Monday
- A Russian TV editor interrupted a live broadcast with an anti-war placard
- Oil prices dipped back towards $100 per barrel after last week's spike
- UK to host 'Joint Expeditionary Force' leaders from northern Europe later
Russia quits Council of Europe
Moscow has launched "the procedure to exit the Council of Europe," avoiding a possible expulsion provoked by its invasion of Ukraine, the Russian foreign ministry wrote on Telegram.
The head of Russia's delegation to the European human rights body, Pyotr Tolstoy, handed a letter from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the council's secretary general announcing Moscow's decision to formally leave.
The move comes amid calls from Ukraine to kick Russia out of the council.
Ukrainian refugees surpass 3 million
The head of the UN's High Commission for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Tuesday that the number of people who have fled Ukraine since the invasion began on February 24 has now passed the 3 million mark.
"This war has to stop. Now," he wrote on Twitter.
Spanish police impound second oligarch yacht
Police on the Spanish island of Mallorca have impounded a yacht that they believe belongs to Russian arms tycoon Alexander Mikheev.
Mikheev runs Rosoboronexport, a weapons exporting group that is part of the Russian defense company Rostec, which is owned by Putin ally Sergei Chemezov.
The 48-meter-long yacht, Lady Anastasia, is being held while police determine if it "belongs or is under the control of" anyone on the EU sanctions list, the Spanish transport ministry said.
Both Chemezov and Mikheev are on the sanctions list. The Lady Anastasia made headlines last month after a Ukrainian crew member was arrested after trying to sink the yacht in revenge for Russia's invasion.
On Monday evening, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that police had impounded an 85-meter-long yacht worth $140 million (€128 million) in Barcelona. Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that this yacht belonged to Chemezov.
Anti-war protester who interrupted live broadcast in court
Marina Ovsyannikova, a Russian journalist who protested against the war on Ukraine on the state-controlled Channel 1 has gone on trial in Moscow.
Russia's Tass news agency reported that state investigators were looking at whether the court could punish her under a new law that carries up to a 15-year-jail term.
She pleaded not guilty, "I am still convinced that Russia is committing a crime."
Earlier, her whereabouts were unknown, but journalist Alexei Venediktov published a photograph on the Telegram showing Ovsyannikova next to her lawyer at Moscow's Ostankinsky district court.
During a news briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Ovsyannikova's actions as "hooliganism."
Red Cross aid unable to enter Mariupol
The Ukrainian Red Cross told DW on Tuesday it is unable to deliver aid into besieged city of Mariupol.
Deputy director, Olena Stokoz, said that there are large stockpiles of supplies in the besieged city of Mariupol but distributing it inside the city is not possible, due to the dire security situation.
"We have a big supply of everything, in fact, because of the major support of our partners in the business. But we cannot get into the city in order to get into the city and to deliver humanitarian aid," she said.
"We need to add the humanitarian corridor, which hasn't been successful for almost two weeks. That is why we cannot replenish our supply from other parts of Ukraine."
Ukraine accepts it cannot join NATO
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensy told the northern European representatives of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) that Kyiv has come to accept that it will not join NATO.
"We heard for years about the allegedly open doors" of the NATO alliance, but "we have already heard that we won't be able to join."
"It's the truth we must recognize, and I'm glad that our people are starting to realize that and count on themselves and our partners who are helping us," Zelensky said.
The possibility of Ukraine joining NATO is seen as one of the main reasons behind Russia's invasion and removing the option of membership is on Moscow's list of demands.
While NATO had refused to deny membership to Ukraine ahead of Russia's invasion, it was made clear that there was on ongoing procedure regarding Ukraine's admission to the alliance.
Ukraine-Russia talks resume
Ukrainian negotiator and presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter that the fourth round of talks between Ukraine and Russia, which were paused yesterday, resumed on Tuesday afternoon.
The talks are being held over a video conference. Podolyak reiterated on Tuesday that, for Kyiv, the meeting would focus on "general regulation matters, ceasefire [and] withdrawal of troops."
NATO forces on heightened alert in Eastern Europe
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg gave a press conference on Tuesday ahead of an emergency meeting of NATO member ministers on Wednesday amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine which "has shaken the international order"
He warned of Russian claims that could be seen as a pretext to launching chemical attacks in Ukraine.
"For months we have expose Russia's long list of lies. They claimed they did not plan to invade Ukraine, but they did. They claimed they were withdrawing their troops, but they sent in even more. They claim to be protecting civilians, but they are killing civilians," Stoltenberg said.
"Now they are making absurd claims about biological labs and chemical weapons in Ukraine. This is just another lie. And we are concerned that Moscow could stage a false flag operation, possibly including chemical weapons."
He went on to lay out NATO's response, including mobilizations and the deployment of key weapons on NATO's eastern border.
"There are now hundreds of thousands of NATO forces on heightened alert across the alliance, 100,000 US troops in Europe, and around 40,000 troops under direct NATO command, mostly in the Eastern part of the alliance," Stoltenberg said.
He also pointed out that the US, Germany and the Netherlands are deploying long-range air-defense Patriot missiles in Eastern Europe.
"All of this sends an unmistakable message: An attack on one ally will be met with a decisive response from the whole alliance," the NATO chief said.
At least three journalists killed during war — Kyiv
Besides the US journalist Brent Renaud, whose death made headlines over the weekend, at least two other journalists have also been killed since the start of the war, Ukrainian lawmaker Lyudmyla Denisova said on Tuesday.
Denisova wrote on Telegram that the two, both Ukrainian, were killed by Russian troops. Victor Dudar was killed near the southern city of Mykolaiv and cameraman Yevhen Sakun was killed in a missile attack in Kyiv.
She added that over 30 journalists had been injured, claiming that international reporters had been targeted. British, Swiss and Danish reporters were among those listed as injured. A US Fox News reporter was injured outside Kyiv on Monday.
Russian forces have also targeted media infrastructure in Ukraine while cracking down on independent reporting of the invasion at home.
Kremlin: Military operation going to plan
Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev says Moscow's military operation in Ukraine is going to plan.
He also claimed US advisers in Ukraine were helping Kyiv develop biological weapons, RIA Novosti, a Russian state-owned domestic news agency, reported.
UK adds 350 more Russia sanctions
The British government has announced an additional 350 listings under its Russia sanctions regime and nine new listings under its cyber sanctions regime.
Among those sanctioned were Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, the foreign office said.
Andrey Melnichenko, an oil investor who built a European business empire with an estimated net worth of $4.7 billion (€4.27 billion), and Russia's defense minister Sergei Shoigu, were also among those hit in the new listings.
"We are going further and faster than ever in hitting those closest to Putin — from major oligarchs, to his prime minister, and the propagandists who peddle his lies and disinformation,"
Foreign Minister Liz Truss said in a statement.
The latest round of sanctions on Tuesday included elites with a net worth of £100 billion pounds (€119 billion, $130.63 billion).
Kyiv death toll rises from overnight strikes
The death toll has risen to four in Kyiv following overnight and early morning strikes in the Ukrainian capital, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
"Rescuers are still extinguishing the flames from early morning," he said on the Telegram messaging app.
"Today is a difficult and dangerous moment," he continued. "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 be given up by us."
Zelensky: Aiding Ukraine will help all of Europe stay safe
In helping Ukraine, Europe will also be protecting itself as "we are all targets of Russia," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a meeting of Joint Expeditionary Force leaders via video link on Tuesday.
"You know the kind of weapon we need ... without your support it would be very difficult I'm very grateful but I want to say that we need more ... I do hope that you will be able to enhance that scope and you will see how this will protect your security, your safety," Zelenskyy told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Nordic and Baltic leaders who are meeting in London to discuss security.
New Zealand announces new measures to support Ukraine
New Zealand introduced a new policy on Tuesday that will allow close to 4,000 family members of Ukrainian-born citizens to move to the country and announced another 4 million New Zealand dollars ($2.7 million, €2.4 million) in humaitarian aid.
Three million flee Ukraine, nearly half of whom have been children
In less than three weeks, around 1.5 million children have fled Ukraine, meaning nearly one child has become a refugee every second, the United Nations said Tuesday.
In the latest figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than three million people have now fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24.
"On average, every day over the last 20 days in Ukraine, more than 70,000 children have become refugees," James Elder, spokesman for the UN children's agency UNICEF, told reporters in Geneva.
That amounts to around "55 every minute, so almost one per second," he said, stressing that "this crisis in terms of speed and scale is unprecedented since World War II."
Scholz: All avenues of diplomacy open for cease-fire
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday all diplomatic channels should remain open as Europe seeks to end the conflict.
"It is a question of using all the formats of dialogue and maintaining them ... and of pressing for a cease-fire to come soon, so that it comes immediately," he told reporters after meeting Jordan's King Abdullah in Berlin.
Scholz also welcomed the news of the leaders of Poland, Czech Republic and Slovenia visiting Kyiv.
Elder warned that "like all children driven from their homes by war and conflicts, Ukrainian children arriving in those border countries are at significant risk of family separation, of violence, of sexual exploitation and trafficking. They're in desperate need of safety, stability and child protection services," he said.
Russian attacks on Kyiv intensify
Strikes on residential areas in Kyiv killed at least two people early on Tuesday morning, emergency services said, as Russian troops intensified their attacks on the Ukrainian capital.
The casualties came after a strike hit a 16-storey building in the Sviatoshynsky district, the emergency service said in a Facebook post, adding that 27 people had been rescued from the construction.
Another residential building in the Podilsk area also came under attack, the emergency service said, causing "a fire" that "started on the first five floors of a ten-storey residential building on Mostytska street as a result of ammunition fire."
Kyiv brings in curfew as onslaught increases
Russian airstrikes and shelling hit Kyiv on Tuesday killing at least four people, authorities said, as invading forces tightened their grip on the Ukrainian capital and the mayor announced a 35-hour curfew on Tuesday.
Kyiv has imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) Tuesday to 5 a.m. on Thursday.
Two large blasts echoed across the centre of the city just before dawn on Tuesday. Late on Monday, tracer bullets flashed across the night sky as Ukrainian forces apparently targeted an enemy drone.
Most residents will only be allowed to leave their homes to seek refuge in shelters and bunkers, the Ukrainian capital's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, wrote on Telegram.
"Therefore, I call on all Kyivis to prepare for the fact that they will have to stay at home for two days or in the shelter in case of an alarm," Klitschko said.
The move comes as Kyiv comes under increased attacks from Russian troops, with residential buildings being hit, and fatalities reported by officials.
Russian airstrikes and shelling hit Kyiv on Tuesday killing at least four people, authorities said, as invading forces tightened their grip on the Ukrainian capital
Zelenskyy: Aiding Ukraine will help all of Europe stay safe
In helping Ukraine, Europe will also be protecting itself as "we are all targets of Russia," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a meeting of Joint Expeditionary Force leaders via video link on Tuesday.
"You know the kind of weapon we need ... without your support it would be very difficult I'm very grateful but I want to say that we need more ... I do hope that you will be able to enhance that scope and you will see how this will protect your security, your safety," Zelenskyy told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Nordic and Baltic leaders who are meeting in London to discuss security.
Three million flee Ukraine, nearly half of whom have been children
In less than three weeks, around 1.5 million children have fled Ukraine, meaning nearly one child has become a refugee every second, the United Nations said Tuesday.
In the latest figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than three million people have now fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24.
"On average, every day over the last 20 days in Ukraine, more than 70,000 children have become refugees," James Elder, spokesman for the UN children's agency UNICEF, told reporters in Geneva.
That amounts to around "55 every minute, so almost one per second," he said, stressing that "this crisis in terms of speed and scale is unprecedented since World War II."
Elder warned that "like all children driven from their homes by war and conflicts, Ukrainian children arriving in those border countries are at significant risk of family separation, of violence, of sexual exploitation and trafficking. They're in desperate need of safety, stability and child protection services," he said.
New Zealand announces new measures to support Ukraine
New Zealand introduced a new policy on Tuesday that will allow close to 4,000 family members of Ukrainian-born citizens to move to the country and announced another 4 million New Zealand dollars ($2.7 million, €2.4 million) in humanitarian aid.
Kremlin: Anti-war protest was 'hooliganism'
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the actions of a woman who interrupted a live news bulletin on Russian state television to denounce the war in Ukraine amounted to "hooliganism."
The protester, in an extraordinary act of dissent on Monday, held up a placard behind the presenter which read: "Stop the war. Don’t believe the propaganda. They’re lying to you" while shouting "Stop the war. No to war."
But Peskov told reporters: "As far as this woman is concerned, this is hooliganism. He also praised Channel One for objective reporting.
'Massive destruction' at Dnipro airport
Rocket strikes have caused "massive destruction" at the airport in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, regional governor Valentin Reznichenko said on Tuesday.
"During the night the enemy attacked the Dnipro airport. Two strikes. The runway was destroyed. The terminal is damaged. Massive destruction," Reznichenko said on Telegram.
"It will take a lot of time to recover. We will win!" he added.
EU adds more Russia sanctions
The European Union formally gave the green light on Tuesday to a new raft of sanctions against Russia, which include bans on investments in the Russian energy sector, luxury goods exports and imports of steel products from the country.
The sanctions, which will take effect on Tuesday, will hit Russia's major oil outlets Rosneft, Transneft and Gazprom Neft, according to Reuters.
The ban on Russian steel imports is estimated to affect €3.3 billion ($3.6 billion) worth of products, the European Commission said.
The sanctions will also freeze the assets of more business leaders who support the Kremlin, including Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea Football Club who was subjected to sanctions by the UK government last week.
A jet linked to Abramovich landed in Moscow early on Tuesday, after a brief stop in Istanbul, plane tracking data showed. Prior to that the jet was in Israel.
Polish, Czech, Slovenian PMs head for Kyiv
The prime ministers of Poland, Czech Republic and Slovenia will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev on Tuesday.
"The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and to present a broad package of support for the Ukrainian state and society," the Polish government said in a statement.
The visit — which was organised "in agreement with" European Council chief Charles Michel and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen — comes amid deadly Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala tweeted: "Today, we are going together with PM of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, deputy PM Jaroslaw Kaczynski and PM of Slovenia Janez Jansa to Kiev as representatives of the European Council to meet with president Zelenskyy and PM Shmyhal."
China denies that Russia asked for help
China has refuted claims by US officials that Russia had sought military assistance from Beijing.
"The US has repeatedly spread malicious disinformation against China on the Ukraine issue," the Chinese embassy in London told news agency Reuters in a statement.
"China has been playing a constructive role in promoting peace talks," the statement continued.
"The top priority now is to ease the situation, instead of adding fuel to the fire, and work for diplomatic settlement rather than further escalate the situation."
Russia has also denied making such a request.
Zelensky: Russia didn't expect such resistance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address late on Monday that Russia "didn't expect such resistance" in Ukraine.
Zelensky said that the Russian military was responsible for war crimes and vowed to hold Russian leadership accountable.
"We are working with our partners on new punitive measures against the Russian state," Zelensky said.
Zelensky confirmed that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia would resume on Tuesday.
Met opera holds special Ukraine benefit
The Metropolitan Opera in New York, known as the "Met," held a special benefit concert for Ukraine on Monday night.
The 90-minute program started with a rendition of Ukraine's national anthem led by Ukrainian bass-baritone Vladyslav Buialskyi.
Last week, the Met dropped Russian soprano Anna Netrebko from future performances as she declined to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Members of the Metropolitan Opera company stand in solidarity with the proud Ukrainian people, so strong in the face of such injustice, destruction and death," Met general manager Peter Gelb said while speaking from the stage.
The concert was broadcast on Ukrainian public radio.
UK to host Joint Expeditionary Force meeting
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Tuesday host leaders from a number of European countries belonging to the Joint Expeditionary Force.
Besides the United Kingdom, the force includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Leaders of the group will meet in London, where they are expected to discuss measures to be taken against Russia.
Oil prices dropping sharply again after spike
Crude oil prices dived sharply in early trading in Asia on Tuesday, with the West Texas Intermediate price dipping back below $100 per barrel.
The other major oil price indicator, Brent Crude, sank to $100.54 but remained in three-figure territory.
Oil prices have risen sharply during the conflict in Ukraine, amid concerns over shortages and supply amid sanctions against Russia. Both prices peaked above $120 per barrel, near 14-year highs.
Possible falling demand in China, as the government shuts down the tech hub of Shenzen in a bid to control COVID cases, was attributed to the reduction in price.
Continued talks between Russia and Ukraine also led to cautious optimism among some investors.
Brazil's government also said late on Monday that, after talks with the US, it was willing to increase its oil production in a bid to compensate for any missing Russian stock.
Slovakia expels three Russian diplomats
The Foreign Ministry in Bratislava said late on Monday that Slovakia had given three Russian embassy staff 72 hours to leave the country.
The ministry said they had broken diplomatic rules, without disclosing their identities or their roles at the Russian Embassy.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Jaoslav Nad told news site Pravda.sk that Slovakia had detained three of its citizens suspected of spying for Russia. He said, "This is just the beginning."
Police confirmed they were investigating suspected espionage but did not comment on domestic media reports on the individuals' identities. Reportedly, they included an officer from the Defense Ministry, an employee at domestic intelligence service SIS, and an employee for pro-Russian media. The SIS said nobody detained was a current employee at the agency.
Russia said it would take retaliatory steps in response to Slovakia's expulsions.
Summary of events in Ukraine-Russia crisis on Monday
Another round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine closed with little meaningful progress, save a plan for another round later on Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Ukrainian lawmakers to extend martial law for another 30 days.
Russian authorities were halting grain exports to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, which includes Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in addition to Russia itself. The Russian government was also temporarily stopping the exports of white sugar and raw sugar to countries outside the bloc.
The move comes amid fears that the war in Ukraine would disrupt the food supply in Europe.
Over 4,000 civilians were transported away from the fighting on Monday, according to Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, including a convoy of vehicles that left the besieged city of Mariupol.
Jake Sullivan, security adviser to US President Joe Biden, met with Chinese Foreign Policy Advisor Yang Jiechi in Rome for the seven-hour negotiations concerning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
During talks, Sullivan warned China against supporting Russia.
The World Bank said it was making nearly $200 million (€183 million) in additional and reprogrammed financing to bolster Ukraine's social services for vulnerable people.
Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One interrupted a live broadcast on Russian state TV waving a placard reading: "No war, stop the war."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a renewed call for a cease-fire during a visit to Turkey, speaking alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
At least nine people were killed and nine more wounded in an airstrike on a television tower in Ukraine's northern Rivne region, Governor Vitaliy Koval said. Meanwhile, Russia said a Ukrainian strike killed 20 civilians in the rebel-held city of Donetsk, which Ukraine later disputed.
