The White House on Wednesday warned that Russia may use chemical or biological weapons as part of a “false flag” attack on Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy, therefore, called on the West to strengthen sanctions on Russia in his daily video address after an airstrike on a maternity hospital in Mariupol.
Ukrainian officials accused Russia of bombing a children’s hospital and maternity ward in the southeastern port city of Mariupol.
A Mariupol official later said that the city was “on the verge of death” as there was still no humanitarian corridor for residents to evacuate.
“A genocide of Ukrainians is taking place,” Zelenskyy said.
He described the strike on the hospital as a “war crime.”
Zelenskyy said 17 people were injured in the attack on the maternity hospital, including pregnant women.
He added that people, including children, were trapped under rubble following the strike.
Mariupol has been blockaded by Russian troops for nine days. Zelenskyy said that this siege was “beyond an atrocity.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry acknowledged that conscripts were sent into Ukraine despite prior repeated denials by President Vladimir Putin.
The ministry said it was launching an investigation to punish those who allegedly disobeyed orders not to use conscripts, and that “practically all [conscripts] have been pulled out to Russia.”
The International Monetary Fund greenlit $1.4 million (€1.26 million) in emergency support to help Ukraine deal with its “massive humanitarian and economic crisis.”
Germany’s conservative Christian Union parties (CDU/CSU) called on the federal government to stop Russian gas imports via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also dismissed the idea of sending Polish jets to Ukraine via a US base in Germany.
At least 35,000 civlians were evacuated from Ukrainian cities on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily video address.
Zelenskyy said that three humanitarian corridors had allowed residents to leave the northeastern city of Sumy, the southeastern city of Enerhodar and areas around the capital Kyiv.
He said he hoped more routes would continue on Thursday with routes set to open for evacuation from the south-eastern cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha and the eastern city of Izium.
Reuters reported on Thursday that mining giant Rio Tinto would end all commercial relations with Russian businesses.
“Rio Tinto is in the process of terminating all commercial relationships it has with any Russian business,” a spokesperson told the news agency.
Sony announced on Thursday that it would suspend all software and hardware shipments and operations of the PlayStation store in Russia.
Sony said that it would donate $2 million (€1.8 million) to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) and the NGO Save the Children.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Europe of conducting a “witch hunt” against Russian artists.
The German federal and state governments are planning to help Ukrainian artists, Federal Culture Commissioner Claudia Roth said after a meeting with state ministers.
“We have already launched a reception program,” Roth said.
Roth added that €1 million ($1.1 million) had been set aside for this purpose.– Agency report.
