Here are more companies in various sectors that have shut operations

Dunkin Donuts, Papa John’s, Burger King, and Yum Brands are franchises that have cut ties but the venture partner in Russia refused to close. These chains own only a part of their business in Russia, mostly below 50%. If their Russian business partner who owns most of the share decides to stay open, they could not do anything.

Bunge, Cargill, and Trafigura argue that exiting the country could risk world supply chains. Natural resources like wheat, corn, and nickel are used for producing essential products. Not just for Russia but for the entire world. Suspending operations in this area could mean a reduction of supply.

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There are a number of companies who refuse to leave Russia and say it’s due to “humanitarian concerns.” Previous reports have shown big names like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Universal Music, and Heineken have all exited Russia. There are others who have stayed to provide essential needs.

Abbott Labs, AbbVie, AmerisourceBergen, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Pfizer had to stay to provide medicines. They cited that humanitarian decency requires them to provide health-related supply chains. We have to remember that the people of Russia did not sign up for war. They have the right to the supply of vital medicines, especially for those with underlying health concerns.

Carlsberg, Danone, General Mills, Kellogg, Kraft-Heinz, Mars, Mondelez, Nestle, and Pepsi supply water and food. There are essential grocery items produced by these companies that are necessities for daily life. Granted that chocolates and snacks are not that essential but everyone needs access to it.

Ventures

Dunkin Donuts, Papa John’s, Burger King, and Yum Brands are franchises that have cut ties but the venture partner in Russia refused to close. These chains own only a part of their business in Russia, mostly below 50%. If their Russian business partner who owns most of the share decides to stay open, they could not do anything.

Bunge, Cargill, and Trafigura argue that exiting the country could risk world supply chains. Natural resources like wheat, corn, and nickel are used for producing essential products. Not just for Russia but for the entire world. Suspending operations in this area could mean a reduction of supply.

At the end of the day, we have to separate the people, they did not sign up for the war. Granted that the people of Ukraine did not sign up for it too, it was not the Russian people who attacked them. We also have to keep in mind they are human too, they too have needs and they too deserve to be supplied with essential goods.

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Nestle, makers of global brands like Nescafe, Koko Crunch, Kitkat, and many more defended their stance.

“We have significantly scaled back out activities in Russia: we have stopped all imports and exports from Russia, except for essential products,” a Nestlé spokesperson said. “We no longer make investments or advertise our products. We do not make a profit from our remaining activities.”

“The fact that we, like other food companies, supply the population with important food does not mean that we simply continue as before,” Nestlé said. “We are still one of the few active food companies in Ukraine and sometimes even manage to distribute food in Kharkiv,” Ukraine’s second-largest city, which is currently under siege.

Nestlé said at the time it is “shocked and deeply saddened by the invasion of Ukraine” and the company stands with the international community in calling for peace and the restoration of security and stability.

Many companies have already left Russia like Heineken, Carlsberg, Universal Music, McDonald’s, and Starbucks. They left to support the end of the war as well as the people of Ukraine.

It is the sad truth of war as we see children suffering in Ukraine, cutting the supply of essential goods could mean suffering for Russians. The people of Russia did not sign up for the war and yet they are being asked to pay for it. Is it right to ask a company to starve the people of another country who did not sign up for the war?

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When the Ukraine invasion began, many huge companies also began to boycott Russia. Companies like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Heineken, and Carlsberg have already exited the country. For Burger King, it could be a little complicated.

“We started the process to dispose [of] our ownership stake in the business,” said David Shear, president of RBI’s international operations, in an open letter. “While we would like to do this immediately, it is clear that it will take some time to do so based on the terms of our existing joint venture agreement.”

Burger King is under the Restaurant Brands International. RBI partnered with Russian businessman Alexander Kolobov to open stores in Russia. In their agreement, RBI controls only 15% of the venture and Kolobov has the majority. He is the one who handles “day-to-day operations and oversight” in Russia.

In comparison to McDonald’s which owns 80% share of its ventures, it is easier to shut down the business. RBI has demanded to shut its businesses in Russia and end the venture but Kolobov has “refused to do so.”

“There are no legal clauses that allow us to unilaterally change the contract or allow any one of the partners to simply walk away or overturn the entire agreement,” Shear said. “No serious investor in any industry in the world would agree to a long-term business relationship with flimsy termination clauses.”

Burger King pulled out its corporate support from Russia including suspending operations, marketing, and supply chain assistance.

RBI is not the only one experienced joint venture complications. Papa John’s partner in Russia also refused to close over 200 stores in Russia.

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Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called for Ukraine to be “very quickly” considered as a candidate to join the EU. Poland also committed to helping Ukraine organize its defenses.

“We are here to admire your fight against such a cruel aggressor. This invasion has to stop,” Morawiecki said. “Those who are killed by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, they can never be forgotten. They are not forgotten.”

“We will never leave you alone. We will be with you. Because we know you are fighting not only for your homes, for your freedom, for your security, but also for ours,” he said.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala coming face to face with the Ukrainian President is “something really special.”

“The main goal of our visit and the main message of our mission is to say to our Ukrainian friends that they are not alone. That Europe stands with you,” Fiala said.

The Czech Republic has now taken in 250,000 refugees, according to the prime minister. They also committed to “continue to provide more aid and support.”

Zelensky thanked the EU leaders for their “wonderful support”. “So many other ambassadors have left Ukraine because of the full-scale Russian invasion.”

“Most important, is that we truly trust these leaders,” Zelensky said. “When we are talking about the security guarantees, about our future in the European Union. When we talk about the sanctions policy, we are 100% assured that whatever we are discussing, whatever we talk about, this will reach a positive outcome for our country.”

He continued that with “friends like this,” Ukraine “can win.”

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Korean Air has also suspended all passenger and cargo services to and from Moscow and Vladivostok.

Korean Air said it is also rerouting its flights to avoid Russian airspace, citing “operational challenges and safety concerns.”

Flights from Seoul to Europe will be rerouted over China, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. This would extend flight times up to two hours 45 minutes. Flights from eastern areas of North America to Seoul will also be rerouted over Alaska and the Pacific Ocean. This will be adding close to two hours for some flights.

Ukrainian official in South Korea requests Seoul’s assistance in boosting its cybersecurity capability to defend against Russian attacks.

Ukraine’s ambassador-designate to South Korea, Dmytro Ponomarenko said that many government institutions suffer from cyber-attack. These Russian cyber-attack cripples many systems that aid important government functions.

Top global cyber security firms also suggest that destructive software is found to circulate in Ukraine. It has already hit hundreds of computers and is part of a suspected hack.

“We would also be grateful if the Republic of Korea, being a highly developed hi-tech country, gave us a hand in strengthening our cybersecurity capabilities,” Ponomarenko said.

A foreign ministry official who later briefed reporters mentioned export controls as part of possible international sanctions. “Of course, some countries are considering unilateral sanctions including financial measures but we are not considering that.” Discussions are underway to finalize details, the official added.

South Korea supports international efforts to stop the armed aggression against Ukrainians. They also would like both countries to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

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A top white house aide warned his Chinese counterpart of “potential implications and consequences”. During the meeting of both countries in Rome, the US aid added in the discussion the potential of China helping Russia.

China has expressed its concern about the war and the devastation it has caused to Ukraine. Other reports suggest otherwise due to the ongoing support of China to the Russian propaganda.

The official’s main concern stems from the idea that if China does support Russia, the conflict will be prolonged. This will then result in more civilian suffering that could cause more fatalities.

The US already relayed the information to their European allies regarding the “willingness” of China to assist Russia.

“There is real concern by some that their involvement could hurt economic relationships with the West, on which China relies,” said one of the sources.

Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi “raised directly and very clearly” concerns about Chinese “support to Russia in the wake of the invasion. Also, the implications that any such support would have for” China’s relationship with the US and partners around the world.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan expressed that they will continue to watch how China will respond to Russia.

“We also are watching closely to see the extent to which China actually does provide any form of support, material support or economic support, to Russia. It is a concern of ours. And we have communicated to Beijing that we will not stand by and allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses from the economic sanctions,” Sullivan said.

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The battle for Kyiv and “war crime” calls have filled the news as Ukraine continues to face the Russian invasion. New photos and videos fill the internet of the aftermath of the destruction as many cities lay in ruin.

Ukraine’s Azov Battalion uploaded a video showing the destroyed buildings in the city of Mariupol. Thick smoke can be seen at a distance coming from what were once were apartment complexes. Epicenter K shopping center is borne open as explosions and fire devastate the remaining buildings.

Ukraine’s military has carried out an airstrike on Russians positioned on the forests just outside of Kyiv. The village of Ozera and the northern end of the runway at Antonov Air Base is visible on the video. Both show significant destruction of properties.

“War Crimes”

In a message of President Volodymyr Zelensky, he said that the Russian military has a “responsibility for war crimes.”

“Responsibility for war crimes of the Russian military is inevitable,” Zelensky said early Tuesday. “Responsibility for a deliberate humanitarian catastrophe in Ukrainian cities is inevitable.”

In an agreed humanitarian corridor, he reports that the Russians have violated the cease-fire on these areas. “Mariupol. Kharkiv. Chernihiv. Sumy. Okhtyrka. Hostomel. Irpin. In all our cities.”

“Our convoy with 100 tons of what is most necessary for Mariupol is still kept in Berdyansk. For three days already. But we will try. We will do everything to ensure that Mariupol residents receive food, water, and medicine,” he said.

“Everyone who is responsible for the war. Everyone is responsible for the destruction of democracy”. He added, “everyone is responsible for repression against people. Everyone will get an answer. The answer of the world. And this is just the beginning,” he said.

“Every aggressive action of the invaders only pushes the world to new sanctions.”

“Our delegation also worked on this in negotiations with the Russian party. Pretty good, as I was told. But let’s see. They will continue tomorrow,” he said.

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The possibility of Chinese support would be a significant development in Russia’s invasion. It could potentially upend the grip Ukrainian soldiers still have over the nation. This would also provide a counterweight to Russia’s economic sanctions.

Spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the US, Liu Pengyu, said in a statement, “I’ve never heard of that.” She also added the Ukraine situation is “indeed disconcerting”. She assured that China has and will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

“The high priority now is to prevent the tense situation from escalating or even getting out of control. … China calls for exercising utmost restraint and preventing a massive humanitarian crisis.”

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that China aiding Russia is a “concern”.

“We also are watching closely to see the extent to which China actually does provide any form of support, material support or economic support, to Russia. It is a concern of ours. And we have communicated to Beijing that we will not stand by and allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses from the economic sanctions,” Sullivan said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, have been increasingly critical of Beijing’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. While Beijing has seemingly tried to strike a neutral tone on the international stage, Chinese domestic media coverage has promoted Russian disinformation campaigns and described the war as a “special military operation.” Psaki also tweeted Wednesday that Beijing “has seemingly endorsed” false Russian claims that the US is developing chemical weapons in Ukraine.

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Users were urged to relocate their photographs and videos of Instagram before it was shut down. They were also advised to utilize Russia’s own “competitive internet platforms.” The email was sent by the Russian communications regulator.

Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Meta, owner of Facebook (FB), allowed the temporary adjustment in its hate speech policy. They said it was wrong to stop Ukrainians from “expressing their resistance and fury at the invading military forces”. The decision was greeted with outrage in Russia, where authorities have opened a criminal investigation against Meta. Prosecutors on Friday asked a court to designate the US tech giant as an “extremist organization”.

According to Instagram’s CEO, the ban will affect 80 million users. Russia has already blocked Facebook in the nation. This is in response to what Russia claims are limits on access to Russian media on the network. Roskomnadzor described the decision to allow calls for violence against Russians as a breach of international law.

“We need to ensure the psychological health of citizens, especially children, and adolescents, to protect them from harassment and insults online,” it said, explaining the decision to close down the platform.

More companies have begun to exit Russia and services have also begun closing down. As the war continues, most brands do not like to be associated with “invaders”. Joining Instagram were companies like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Carlsberg, and Heineken.

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“We condemn the Russian Federation’s missile attack on the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security in Yavoriv, close to Ukraine’s border with Poland,” Blinken tweeted Sunday.

More than 30 missiles were launched into a military facility early Sunday morning, killing 35 people and injuring 134 others. The International Peacekeeping and Security Center is a massive military installation that housed the US and NATO personnel.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday it is only a matter of time before Russia’s military assault on Ukraine expands. He warns members of NATO it will happen unless the alliance installs a no-fly zone over his country.

“Last year, I made a clear warning to NATO leaders that if there were no tough preventive sanctions against Russia, it would start a war.” Zelensky said in a video address Sunday posted to his Facebook page.”

He added, “We were right … now I repeat again — if you do not close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian missiles fall on your territory. NATO territory. On the homes of citizens of NATO countries.”

“An American journalist was killed in the Kyiv region today. Brent Renaud. His colleague was wounded. It was a deliberate attack by the Russian military. They knew what they were doing. But not everyone in the West seems to know what they are doing,” he said.

“Representatives of our countries’ delegations speak in video format every day. Our delegation has a clear task — to do everything to ensure a meeting of the presidents, the meeting that I am sure people are waiting for,” he said.

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The lawsuit stems from a temporary adjustment to Meta’s hate speech policy, which permits certain Facebook and Instagram users to express violent emotions against Russian-backed military forces invading Ukraine. The policy change was originally reported by Reuters on Thursday.

“A criminal case has been initiated in the Main Investigation Department of the Russian Investigative Committee in connection with illegal calls for murder and violence against citizens of the Russian Federation by employees of the American company Meta, which owns the social networks Facebook and Instagram,” the Investigative Committee’s statement said, citing the policy change.

“These actions contain signs of crimes under Articles 280 and 205.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – public calls for extremist activities; assistance to terrorist activities,” the statement reads.

In response, Meta (FB) did not immediately answer. However, the business underlined in a statement on Thursday that the policy modification does not allow for incitement for violence against Russians outside of the context of the invasion of Ukraine.

“In light of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, we made a temporary exception for those affected by war, to express violent sentiments toward invading armed forces such as ‘death to the Russian invaders.’ These are temporary measures designed to preserve voice and expression for people who are facing invasion,” Meta said in a statement to CNN Thursday. “As always, we are prohibiting calls for violence against Russians outside of the narrow context of the current invasion.”

Roskonadzor, Russia’s information watchdog, said Friday it will restrict access to Instagram, saying the “social network distributes informational materials containing calls to commit violent acts against citizens of the Russian Federation, including military personnel.”

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Fedorov was accused of terrorism and was under investigation by the Russian-backed Luhansk regional prosecutor a short time afterward. Fedorov is suspected of helping and funding terrorist acts. He is also accused of being a member of a criminal community. This is according to a notice on the Luhansk prosecutor’s website.

Fedorov’s capture by armed men is the first reported imprisonment of a Ukrainian political official by Russian or Russian-backed troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded his immediate release, saying it was a “crime against democracy”. He added that Russia has “switched to a new stage of terror” in its invasion by “trying to physically eliminate representatives of the legitimate local Ukrainian authorities.”

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called Fedorov’s detention an “abduction” and a “war crime.” Hundreds of people protested the kidnapping outside Melitopol’s city hall. The crowd was chanting “Freedom for the Mayor.”

Galina Danilchenko, a former member of the city council, is now the new mayor. She was assigned by the Zaporozhye regional administration on Saturday.

Danilchenko said that her “main task is to take all necessary steps to get the city back to normal.”

In Lviv, reports of Russian military airstrikes filled the news. Among the ones hit was the International Peacekeeping and Security Center (IPSC). It is a huge military base in the northwestern city of Lviv. It is predominantly kept for peace-seeking missions. Russia fired eight missiles near Lviv, the regional government said. Officials are looking into whether there are casualties.

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Kyiv is under fire and Russia warns the US they will shoot down any weapons given by the US to Ukraine. Russian troops continue to bombard the city of Ukraine and significant damages are being made.

Russia says that any convoy carrying foreign weapons are considered “legitimate targets”. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov issued a warning that they will be shot down. This could spark a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.

The US recently authorized a $200 million immediate defense aid. The aid includes military education and training for Ukraine. A US official announced that “anti-armor, anti-aircraft systems, and small arms in support of Ukraine’s front-line defenders facing down Russia’s unprovoked attack.”

Kyiv is under attack as Russians move closer to the capital. They are 25 kilometers away from the center of the city. Civilians are constantly in the line of fire as Russia continues the bombing. The city of Marakiv has seen large damage from the bombings. Residential apartments, schools, and a medical facility were damaged.

Chernobyl and Other Cities

On March 9, Chernobyl was hit by Russian attacks and was cut from the electrical grid. It is now running on external diesel generators to keep the reactors working. Russians also took over Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant.

Kharkiv, Mariupol, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Chernihiv, and Sumy have also sustained a significant amount of damages. Mariupol also shows gasoline stations and apartment buildings destroyed by the attacks.

Zelensky said 12,729 Ukrainians were successfully evacuated.

In Peremoga, in the Kyiv region, civilians were killed when they were they were trying to feel. Seven civilians were killed including women and children.

Zelensky also said that he has seen a “lack of courage from the members of NATO to come together for Ukraine. it’s a huge problem. A philosophical problem of the alliance.” He also announced that about 1300 troops were killed since the war started.

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Melitopol Mayor detained by Russians is a “crime against democracy,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Friday morning, the mayor of  Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov was escorted by military men from the government building. Russian-backed Luhansk regional prosecutor claimed Fedorov had committed terrorism and was under investigation.

“They did not find any support on our land, although they counted on it. Because for years they’ve been lying to themselves that people in Ukraine were supposedly waiting for Russia to come.

“This is Ukraine here. It is Europe here. It is a democratic world here,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky added it’s “not only against a particular person, not only against a particular community and not only against Ukraine.”

“This is a crime against democracy,” he said.

Geneva Convention prohibits civilian hostages from being taken according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.

Diplomatic Channels

The war has been raging for three weeks now and there are no signs that diplomatic channels will work. The diplomatic talks between the two nations have not yielded any result. Humanitarian corridors were not decided and ceasefires on these areas have been questioned. As the civilian loss continues, both sides are now arguing about chemical weapons development.

“A variety of different countries can try to shape things as they would like, but at the end of the day, this will likely boil down to what President Zelensky is willing to accept and what President Putin is willing to accept,” said a senior State Department official.

Much of the world has already given sanctions against Russia in the hopes that this will cripple their economy. The sanctions have not led to any solutions as both sides have had their own arguments.

Many international companies have also exited Russia as a protest against the war. This did not seem to have an effect since Russians continue to advance into the city. Although the operation’s main goal is unclear, part of the updates is surfacing. Initially, the operation was said to be about the “denazification” of Ukraine. However, chemical weapons have been put into the spotlight recently as documents surface about their development in Ukraine.

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It would seem that the Russians are planning to encircle the city and eventually cut off any supplies to it. They would then come to overthrow the current president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, the city has enough food and supplies that could last for two weeks.

Ukrainian forces were able to fortify the city and prepare for the Russian attack. Many civilians have also signed up to assist in any way that they can. There are anti-tank barriers all around the city that would make it harder for the Russian forces to enter.

This tactic is a reflection of World War two when one side launches an artillery attack destroying most of the buildings. This would create many casualties as buildings and infrastructures collapse. After a barrage of artillery, the tanks will be rolling in with thousands of infantrymen.

Kyiv is not the only one under attack as cities Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk have also been under attack. For the past 24 hours, air and missile attacks bombed the city.

UK Ministry of Defense has applauded the efforts of Ukrainian forces.

“The staunch resistance of the Ukrainian air defense forces is compelling Russia to rely on ‘stand-off’ munitions to conduct attacks against targets deep inside Ukraine,” the ministry said.

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China has remained neutral regarding international talks about Russia’s attack on Ukraine. They neither have condemned nor sanctioned Russia and continue to promote peace talks. They have offered to mediate between Ukraine and Russia to promote an end of the hostilities.

Recent reports uncover that the stance of the country domestically is of a different story.

According to the national broadcaster CCTV, the United States is funding a biological weapons program situated in Ukraine. Russia is the victim of NATO’s relentless expansionism. Also, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a “special military operation”.

This is the same for social media platforms. The same information is distributed among social media channels and is currently trending in the country. Western media suspects that both countries have coordinated the propaganda in their respective countries.

In the distributed information, Russia assured the public that the civilians are not targeted. There is also a description of Ukrainian soldiers employing “Nazi” tactics. Part of the information is also the whereabouts of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This is the information that is allegedly distributed in China.

According to the US

Western media also released an analysis on the details of the information that is distributed to the public. According to the narrative, Ukraine is a US puppet state and has become a threat to Russia. The threat stems from an alleged biological weapons development in Ukrainian labs.

The source was said to be Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov. On Sunday, he claims that “evidence” of the “hasty measures to conceal any traces of the military biological program finance(d) by the US Department of Defense.” He went further by saying they have obtained documents detailing the hazardous pathogens in the facility.

The White House seems to be aware of the information since press secretary John Psaki denied these claims. “Russia’s false claims about alleged US biological weapons labs and chemical weapons development in Ukraine” and noted the “echoing” of those “conspiracy theories” by Chinese officials.

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Fighting for Kyiv. Recent satellite photos show updates on what is happening on the outskirts of Kyiv. The capital city has not yet fallen, but Russian troops are beginning to enter the city.

The northern city of Chernihiv shows significant damage. In Hostomel, northwest suburb of Kyiv, Antonov Airbase is now under Russian control. Smoke rises from the tanks that were set on fire.

Northwest of Kyiv in the town of Borodyanka shows a series of apartment buildings demolished. The demolition was caused by Russian airstrikes. Just outside Kyiv in Stoyanka, the satellite shows images of a warehouse completely stripped open.

80 miles northeast of Kyiv shows Chernihiv consumed by fire. Among the buildings that were destroyed was the Epicenter K supermarket. On the south side of Chernihiv, industrial buildings are also on fire.

Russian Convoy

The 40-mile Russian convoy near Kyiv seems to have dispersed. Recent satellite images show most of the vehicles have moved to a different position. Some were hidden in the forest while some has traveled miles.

Parts of the convoy are seen repositioned into the forests tree line areas near Lubyanka. In the residential areas of Ozera, some Russian vehicles were seen sitting on the roadways. This is just 17 miles from Kyiv. In some patched areas, artillery and other vehicles are hidden, they are spotted 3 miles from the Antonov Airbase. In Berestyanka, hidden within the tree line are rocket launchers. Towards the end of the convoy about southeast of Ivankiv, some vehicles were just sitting on the roadway.

In the eastern part of Kyiv, in Brovary, there has been increased activity on the ground. Heavy fighting has ensued between the Russian and Ukrainian armies. It appears that the Russians continue to advance but Ukrainians resisted. However, as both armies go head-to-head, the civilians continue to suffer. In the suburb, there is no supply of water, food, or medicines.

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International companies walk out of Russia as a protest to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Heineken, Carlsberg, and Universal Music group are the latest to join the mass exodus of companies. A few days ago, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mcdonalds, and Starbucks have closed operations in Russia. Ferrari has also announced the suspension of deliveries to Russia.

Dutch Brewer Heineken, the second-largest beer manufacturer said it was stopping the production, sale, and advertising of its Russian brand. This is “in response to the continued escalation of the war”. They have also suspended exports and investments in Russia.

“We are shocked and saddened to watch the tragedy in Ukraine unfold,” Heineken chief executive Dolf van den Brink said. “The Russian government’s war against Ukraine is an unprovoked and completely unjustified attack.”

Danish Brewer Carlsberg, the fourth largest beer producer also halted operations in Russia. They said that, during the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, any profits generated by its business in Russia would be donated to relief organizations.

Universal Music Group also announced “We urge an end to the violence in Ukraine as soon as possible,” Universal said in a statement.

“We are adhering to international sanctions and, along with our employees and artists, have been working with groups from a range of countries… to support humanitarian relief efforts to bring urgent aid to refugees in the region,” it said.

Coca Cola, Pepsi, and Starbucks

Coke, among the first to withdraw announced their exit from Russia in a statement. “Our hearts are with the people who are enduring unconscionable effects from these tragic events in Ukraine,” Coke said in a brief statement Tuesday afternoon. “We will continue to monitor and assess the situation as circumstances evolve.”

“As a food and beverage company, now more than ever we must stay true to the humanitarian aspect of our business,” Pepsi CEO Ramon Laguarta wrote in a memo to employees.

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said they would suspend all Russian business activity, including the shipment of its products. While Mcdonald’s has announced the same, they received criticisms for some branches that remained open.

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Chernobyl is off the grid. Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been disconnected from the electricity grid. This was announced by Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s energy operator, and Energoatom, the state-run nuclear company.

Chernobyl was the site of the worst nuclear disaster in 1986. It is no longer an operational power plant and it does not handle any nuclear material. The facility however is home to decommissioned reactors and radioactive wastes.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that the loss of power has “no critical impact” on the plant’s safety.

“Specifically, regarding the site’s spent fuel storage facility, the volume of cooling water in the pool is sufficient to maintain effective heat removal from the spent fuel without a supply of electricity. The site also has reserve emergency power supplies with diesel generators and batteries,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement.

However, the lack of power “is likely to lead to a further deterioration of operational radiation safety at the site,” Grossi said.

A possible leak

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba however suggests in a tweet that there could be a leak.

“Reserve diesel generators have a 48-hour capacity to power the Chornobyl NPP. After that, cooling systems of the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel will stop, making radiation leaks imminent,” Kuleba said.

IAEA has also raised concerns regarding the staff of Chernobyl that is currently under Russian control.

“From day today, we are seeing a worsening situation at the Chornobyl NPP, especially for radiation safety, and for the staff managing the facility under extremely difficult and challenging circumstances,” Grossi said. “I repeat my urgent appeal to the forces in effective control of the plant to respect internal radiation protection procedures, to facilitate the safe rotation of staff, and to take other important steps to ensure safety.”

Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhya is also currently under Russian control. At moment, radiation levels appear normal. The plant was previously reported to have caught fire that could have caused the cooling system to fail. It was close to having a nuclear meltdown.

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Mariupol bombing is “proof of genocide” according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a video message through Telegram, he said that the bombing of the maternity hospital is proof of genocide.

The hospitals are ruined, the schools are ruined, the churches are ruined, ordinary buildings and all the dead people, dead children, he said. He added, “a strike on a maternity hospital is a final proof, proof of a genocide of Ukrainians taking place.”

“Europeans you won’t be able to say you haven’t seen what was going on to the Ukrainians, what was going on in Mariupol, to the residents of Mariupol, you have seen it and you know what’s going on so you have to strengthen sanctions against Russia in a manner that leaves it no more chance to continue this genocide,” he said.

He asks that sanctions against Russia be increased to stop the further invasion.

Chemical Weapons

Wendy Sherman, Deputy Secretary of State tweeted she is “horrified, outraged, and heartbroken by credible reports that a Russian airstrike destroyed a maternity and children’s hospital in Mariupol. How much more devastation will Putin’s senseless war of choice bring to the people of Ukraine? He must stop these heinous acts now.”

The White House sends a warning of the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki claims Russia could use it as a false flag.

“Now that Russia has made these false claims, and China has seemingly endorsed this propaganda, we should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, or to create a false flag operation using them. It’s a clear pattern.”

Psaki also noted Russia’s “long and well-documented track record of using chemical weapons”. Also, its pattern of “accusing the West of the very violations that Russia itself is perpetrating.”

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