Author: Blazingcatfur

For five fear-filled days, residents of Kharkiv have listened to the rockets slamming into the fringes of their city and prayed that at least civilian areas would be spared.

But on Monday, at about midday, the moment they had been dreading arrived.

At least 11 people were killed in rocket strikes in residential areas of Kharkiv as both sides readied for a major battle over Ukraine’s second largest city.

The city council said 15 soldiers and 16 civilians were hospitalised, and that numbers of both dead and wounded were likely to rise. Interior Minister adviser Anton Herashchenko said ‘dozens’ had been killed.

A quarter of Canadians said they would support military forces being sent to Ukraine now alongside NATO allies to deter Russia and protect citizens — even if it means casualties, a new poll finds.

“Canadians stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians in every possible manner here,” said John Wright, executive vice president of Maru Public Opinion, which released the poll. “We’re pretty bullish about entering the fray. I think that’s the first thing that I take away from this.”

Remember this one?

The Ukraine invasion has reshaped the balance of power on the Continent.

The very thing Europe considered unthinkable for the past 30 years has happened: Russia has launched a war that will reshape the balance of power and potentially transform the international system. Europe now finds itself confronted with first principles of state behavior. According to international law, Ukraine’s self-defense campaign against Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked attack checks all the boxes of a “just-cause war.” So regardless of how Ukraine’s tragedy unfolds, the West must ask, and honestly answer, how it got to the point where cities are being bombed, soldiers and civilians are dying, and options for response are limited.

The EU has earmarked €450 million ($503 million) for lethal arms, which include air-defense systems, anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and other military equipment for Ukraine’s armed forces. A further €50 million will be spent on providing non-lethal supplies such as fuel, protective gear, helmets, and first-aid kits.

Russian authorities are expanding their crackdown against internal opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, with police detaining thousands in cities across Russia over the past several days, according to a key human rights group in the country.

At least 411 people were arrested in 13 Russian cities on Monday, according to the group, OVD-Info, bringing the total detained since the Ukraine invasion began on Feb. 24 to more than 6,400. A number of prominent Russian sports figures, entertainers and business leaders have also expressed opposition to the war on social media.

The United States and its European allies must not build any bases in the former Soviet Union or use those countries for military purposes, warned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday.

Lavrov, quoted by Russian state-run news agencies RIA and TASS, said the Kremlin found it unacceptable that some European nations are hosting U.S. nuclear weapons and again said Russia is taking measures to stop Ukraine from obtaining similar weapons. He did not provide evidence for the claim.

“It is high time to bring American nuclear weapons home, and to completely eliminate the infrastructure associated with them in Europe,” he said at a U.N. video conference on Tuesday.

Superyachts owned by Russian billionaires who have ties to President Vladimir Putin are on the move as the United States and its allies prepare further sanctions on their property following the invasion of Ukraine.

Data reviewed by CNBC from Marine Traffic shows that at least four massive yachts owned by Russian business leaders have been moving toward Montenegro and the Maldives since a wide array of sanctions were announced in recent days by leaders from around the world, including the U.S. Treasury targeting Russia’s central bank. The Maldives doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the U.S., according to Nomad Capitalist.