Ukraine hospital attack kills three, wounds 17

Ukrainian emergency employees and volunteers carry an injured pregnant woman from a maternity hospital that was damaged by shelling in Mariupol on Wednesday. Pic/AP

An airstrike on a hospital in the port of Mariupol killed three people, including a child, the city council said Thursday, and Russian forces intensified their siege of Ukrainian cities, even as the top diplomats from both sides met for the first time since the war began. The attack a day earlier in the besieged southern city wounded 17 people, including women waiting to give birth, doctors and children buried in the rubble. Bombs also fell on two hospitals in another city west of the capital, Kyiv.

The World Health Organisation said it has confirmed 18 attacks on medical facilities since the Russian invasion began two weeks ago. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Mariupol strike trapped children and others under debris. "A children's hospital. A maternity hospital," Zelensky said in his nightly video address, switching to Russian to express horror at the strike. "What kind of country is this, the Russian Federation, which is afraid of hospitals, afraid of maternity hospitals, and destroys them?"

Bodies are put into a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol on Wednesday as people cannot bury their dead because of the heavy shelling by Russian forces. Pic/AP

‘Ukrainian forces took over'

However, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday the bombing of the Ukrainian children's hospital toccurred after Ukrainian forces had taken over the premises and there were no patients there.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Poland Thursday embraced calls for an international investigation, though she stopped short of directly accusing Russia of having committed war crimes.

1,207 dead in Mariupol siege

A total of 1,207 civilians have died during a nine-day siege by Russian forces of Ukraine's port city of Mariupol, its local authorities said Wednesday.

The first nine days of the Russian siege saw "1,207 peaceful Mariupol residents dying", the authorities of the southeastern city on the Azov Sea posted on Telegram. Asked to confirm the toll, the press service of the presidency said, "We don't have the exact figure. But preliminarily, that's true."

‘Aid convoy turns back'

A humanitarian convoy trying to reach the besieged city of Mariupol had to turn back on Thursday because of fighting, Ukraine's deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, as the city council reported more Russian shelling. "Bombs are hitting houses," the council said in an online post.

2.3 million
No. of approx people who have fled Ukraine since war began

3
No. of people killed in the attack on the hospital

‘Russia may use chemical weapons'

A Ukrainian serviceman with his girlfriend before leaving. Pic/AFP

The Biden administration publicly warned Wednesday that Russia might seek to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine as the White House rejected Russian claims of illegal chemical weapons development in the country it has invaded. This week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova - without evidence - accused Ukraine of running chemical and biological weapons labs with U.S. support. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it could be part of an attempt by Russia to lay the groundwork for its own use of such weapons against Ukraine.

Oil jumps in volatile market

Oil prices bounced on Thursday from a sharp drop in the previous session after the United Arab Emirates backtracked on statements saying that OPEC and its allies might increase output to help to plug the gap in exports from Russia. In a volatile market, Brent crude futures were up $5.43, or 4.9%, at $116.57 a barrel by 1042 GMT after trading in an $8 range.

Hugo Boss, Hilton hotels pause Russia business, Goldman Sachs shuts

German fashion brand Hugo Boss and U.S. hotel chain Hilton are the latest brands to pause their Russian businesses over the Ukraine invasion. Hugo Boss will give all affected employees "financial and operational support."Russian workers will continue to be paid, said the Hilton chain.

Goldman Sachs says it is closing its operations in Russia entirely, making it the first major Wall Street bank to do so since Russia invaded Ukraine. Goldman's announcement comes after Citigroup said it would start winding down its Russia operations.

Abramovich assets frozen

Unprecedented restrictions were placed on Chelsea's ability to operate by the British government on Thursday after owner Roman Abramovich was targeted in sanctions. Abramovich was among seven wealthy Russians who had their assets frozen by the government. It freezes his ability to sell Chelsea which was announced last week after Russia invaded Ukraine.

$13.6B from the US

A Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces member hugs a resident who leaves his home town following Russian shelling in Irpin. Pic/AP

The House approved a massive spending bill Wednesday night that would rush $13.6 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine and its European allies, after top Democrats were forced to abruptly drop their plan to include fresh funds to battle COVID-19. The aid included $6.8 billion for refugees and allies, and more to help federal agencies enforce economic sanctions against Russia.

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