Timeline

• The FSB reported that "a projectile fired from the territory of Ukraine" destroyed the place of duty of the border guards. Kiev called it “a fantasy.”

• The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Russian military and border guards "prevented the violation of the border by a sabotage and reconnaissance group from Ukraine "

• Putin holds a meeting of the Security Council

  • The Russian Minister of Defence, Sergei Shoigu, stated that 59.3 thousand Ukrainian military personnel are concentrated near the borders of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions. He said that Ukraine is preparing a military solution to the Donbass. According to him, Ukraine has much more capabilities in terms of nuclear weapons than Iran and North Korea.

  • Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, says that “Ukraine does not need these territories [LPR and DPR], residents there are deprived of elementary benefits and human rights.” Medvedev also said that the pressure would be prohibitive if the Russian Federation recognizes Donbass, but knows how to resist it, and then the tension will subside. He further notes about Donbass residents, “These are our people, not only speaking Russian, but citizens of our country.”

  • Chairwoman of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko, says that for the West, this is an “anti-Russian project”, where Ukraine is just a bargaining chip. For Ukraine, she explains, the LPR and DPR are only territories. And for Russia, these are citizens and people.

  • Secretary of the Security Council Nikolay Patrushev: USA is the enemy. And they are working from the point of view that we are the enemy. We are negotiating with NATO, with the OSCE, with the European Union. Negotiations must be conducted with the United States. Everyone else will do as the US tells them.

  • Economist, Michael Mishustin, "There are working groups, there is an understanding of what decisions will have to be made. We need to exacerbate the situation, we will do everything possible to ensure the economic development of the Russian Federation."

• Vladimir Putin announces the launch of a military operation in Ukraine in order to protect "people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years."

• Anti-war protests begin in Russia. 27 people are detained, 13 of them in Moscow. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) warns that those who incite and participate in "illegal mass actions" will be made responsible

• The Senator from Saint Petersburg and Chairwoman of the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko responds to the antiwar protests: "Those Russians who oppose the military operation in Ukraine think only about their short-term problems and difficulties."

• A protester vandalizes the Duma entrance with “No War” graffiti

• Sociologist Grigory Yudin is detained in Moscow. He was taken to the Yuzhnoye Medvedkovo police station. Before that, Yudin, according to politician Yulia Galyamina, was beaten and taken to the police station already unconscious.

• Russian Ministry of Defense sums up the first day of its "special operation":

  • “The tasks assigned to the groups of Russian troops for the day were successfully completed”

Western response and sanctions:

• The Czech Republic and Latvia suspend the issuance of visas to Russians

• The UK freezes all VTB Bank assets, imposes blocking sanctions against Aeroflot airlines and bans its flights to the country

• Poland suspended the work of four consulates general in Ukraine.

• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new package of sanctions against Russia.

• The United States imposes sanctions on 5 Russian banks: VTB, Sberbank, Otkritie, Sovcombank, Novikombank.

• On the cover of the sports newspaper "Soviet Sport": WHO GIVES A SH** ABOUT SOCCER

• Russia is preparing a special photo exhibition dedicated to the "suffering of Donbass" for a session on human rights at the UN, says the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

• Central bank reports that Russian citizens withdrew 111.3 billion Rubles on the first day of the war

• Deputy Chief of Staff, Dmitry Peskov, tells the press:

  • Putin hears the opinion of all citizens, but sees the proportion of those who agree with the operation in Ukraine and those who disagree.

• More than 300 school teachers sign open letter calling the government to stop the war:

  • We are teachers, and violence is at odds with the very essence of our profession. In the heat of war, our students will perish. The war will inevitably lead to an aggravation of the social problems of our country. We support anti-war protests and demand an immediate ceasefire.

• "Chechnya Today" reports the lining up of 12,000 Chechen troops in Grozny.

• Ramzan Kadyrov: "I declare officially that the hottest spots in Ukraine will be occupied by Chechen fighters."

• The Russian Defense Ministry reported the killing of "200 nationalists from the special units of Ukraine."

• Vladimir Putin holds a meeting of the Security Council:

  • The main clashes are with detachments of nationalists

  • Putin does not expect agreements with the "gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis who settled in Kiev and took hostage the entire Ukrainian people."

  • Nationalist elements in the composition of Ukrainian units play the role of barrage detachments.

  • Our soldiers successfully perform the task of protecting our people and our Fatherland.

• In St. Petersburg, the Gostiny Dvor, traditional protest spot, was occupied by police officers. According to MR7, the security forces staged a concert there in support of the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine.

• The Prosecutor General's Office, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, decided to recognize the social network Facebook as involved in the violation of "fundamental human rights and freedoms", as well as "the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens."

• Banners that read "We had no choice" and depict Vladimir Putin on the Russian tricolor background appear in Russian cities #WeAreUnited.

• Aeroflot announces it will not fly to London and Dublin until at least May 23, 2022

• Russia announced the destruction of 67 Ukrainian tanks, 16 multiple launch rocket systems, 87 units of special equipment, 211 military facilities. Also, the Russian military shot down six combat aircraft, one helicopter, five drones. The Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed this.

• Ukraine reported more than 2800 dead on the Russian side, as well as the destruction of 80 tanks, 516 armored vehicles, 7 helicopters, 10 aircraft, up to 20 cruise missiles, more than 100 cars. The Russian Defense Ministry did not confirm this information.

• Abkhazia recognized the DPR and LPR

• Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (Roscomnadzor) explains the meaning of the partial restriction of access to Facebook in Russia: it will be to slow down traffic

• A rally was held against the war in Ukraine in St. Petersburg. According to one independent publication's calculations, more than 1,000 people took part in it, at least 150 were detained.

• A State Duma deputy who voted for the recognition of the DPR and LPR demanded to stop the war

• The Russian Defense Ministry announced full control over Melitopol and the defeat of 821 military facilities of Ukraine. Zelensky's office reports 3.5 thousand dead among the Russian military - the Ministry of Defense does not say anything about this

Response and Sanctions

• The Taliban terrorist movement banned in the Russian Federation called on Russia and Ukraine to "resolve the crisis through dialogue and peaceful means."

• Executive Director of Meta (ex-Facebook) Clegg: Russian authorities have "ordered" an end to independent fact-checking, labeling of content posted on Facebook by Russian state media. Meta refused to comply with the requirements of the Russian authorities

• The Minister of Finance of Germany announced a "complete blockade" of Russian banks and the practical cessation of business relations with Russia

• The final of the Champions League 2022 is moved from St. Petersburg to Paris.

• The European Union is preparing to freeze the assets of Vladimir Putin and Sergey Lavrov

• Poland closes its sky for Russian airlines starting midnight

• Head of European Diplomacy Josep Borrell:

  • Russia needs to see that it is isolated from the international community. Putin is not the Russian people.

• The EU Council approved a package of personal and economic sanctions against Russia.

• The EU decided to impose sanctions against Putin and Lavrov.

• There are 26 Russians in the new EU blacklist, Josep Borrell said.

• The UK has imposed sanctions against Putin and Lavrov, their accounts are frozen.

• The United States joins the EU and imposes personal sanctions against Vladimir Putin and Sergey Lavrov, as well as against members of the Russian Security Council

• The Ministry of Transport of Great Britain banned Russian private planes from flying to the country

• More than 300 Russian doctors signed an open letter to Vladimir Putin demanding to end the war in Ukraine:

  • "We, Russian doctors, nurses and paramedics, strongly oppose the military actions carried out by the Russian armed forces on the territory of Ukraine"

• Representatives of Russia's largest charitable foundations and NGOs wrote an open letter to Putin asking him to stop the war:

  • "All our work is a struggle for human dignity, saving lives. War is incompatible with life, dignity or the basic principles of humanity. War is a humanitarian catastrophe that multiplies pain and suffering. Its consequences negate our many years of efforts."

• Two rallies are held in Yekaterinburg at once: in support of the DPR and LPR (sanctioned) and against the war (unsanctioned).

• Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (Roscomnadzor) demanded to remove the materials of Novaya Gazeta, Mediazona, Dozhd and other media about what is happening in Ukraine because of "unreliable information"

• Dmitry Medvedev called for the return of the death penalty after the exclusion of Russia from the Council of Europe: "A good opportunity to restore a number of important institutions to prevent particularly serious crimes in the country - such as the death penalty for the most dangerous criminals, which, by the way, is actively used in the United States and China."

• Medvedev's posts on his personal page on social media platform VK.com: "Diplomatic relations are not really needed in principle. It's time to close embassies with barn locks."

• Facebook, Instagram and Twitter work intermittently in Russia

• The Human Rights Council (HRC) called the words of the Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev about the return of the death penalty a "catastrophe". HRC member Eva Merkacheva: "Such statements, especially from the mouth of Medvedev, are a disaster, because the return of the death penalty is a huge step back to the Middle Ages. No matter what they say, in some countries it persists. Nowhere has the effectiveness of the most terrible punishment on the influence of crime been proven. Moreover, in countries where the death penalty is not applied, where they want to abandon even life imprisonment, they have crime at the lowest level."

• "Information about the Russian missile strike on a residential building on Lobanovsky Avenue in Kiev does not correspond to reality," a source in the Russian Defense Ministry told TASS. He said that the nature of the damage to a residential building in Kiev "indicates that an anti-aircraft missile hit it."

• Russia has closed its airspace to aircraft of Bulgaria, Poland and the Czech Republic, according to Rosaviatsia.

• The Moscow Museum of Contemporary Art "Garage" suspended work. The museum's team said it would postpone them for a time "when human and political tragedy stops unfolding in Ukraine": "We cannot maintain the illusion of normality against the background of current events. Garage has always been an international institution open to different voices, and we are categorically against actions that divide and isolate. We see ourselves as part of a larger world that is not torn apart."

• Kremlin Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov: "Yesterday, in light of the expected talks, Putin gave an order to suspend the advance of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine. The plan of the Russian military operation resumed, this afternoon the advance of the main forces continued."

• Dmitry Peskov: "Western sanctions are very serious, Russia prepared for them in advance, takes measures for the smooth operation of the economy, the potential is there."

• Theatre administrators and actors called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the start of negotiations: "We are now acting not only as cultural figures, but as ordinary people, citizens of our country, our Motherland. Among us are the children and grandchildren of those who fought in the Great Patriotic War, witnesses and participants of that War. In each of us lives a genetic memory of the war. We don't want a new war, we don't want people to die. We call on all those on whom it depends to stop the fighting, withdraw the troops and sit down at the negotiating table. We call for the preservation of the highest value - human life."

• Anti-war protests continue in Russia. On February 26, at least 180 people were detained, 70 in Moscow.

• The Ministry of Defense announced an order to develop an offensive in all directions after Ukraine's "refusal" to negotiate.

• The Russian Defense Ministry announced an increase in the number of "hysterical fakes and outright disinformation spread by the "sofa troops of Ukraine" - and accused "separate" Russian media of promoting "fake information prepared by a stoned gang of nationalists and the SBU"

• Department of Transportation of Moscow warned city residents about failures when paying for public transport through Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, to which Visa and Mastercard cards are attached. You can pay with physical plastic cards or Mir cards issued in the Apple Pay and Mir Pay application

• The Defense Ministry stated that "some" Russian media promote fakes "prepared by a stoned gang of nationalists and the SBU." The ministry urged the editorial boards "to be vigilant and not to become blind victims of Western curators of information pressure on our country."

Response and Sanctions

• The Latvian Foreign Ministry blacklisted Russian opera singer, Nikolai Baskov, for supporting "Russian aggression against Ukraine." Earlier, the singer wrote a large post in which he urged to stop "tolerating the murder of Russian-speaking citizens and the build-up of military and declared nuclear infrastructure" and "unscrupulous deception of Russia by the West."

• The United States is "seriously considering" the possibility, together with European partners, of disconnecting Russia from the SWIFT international payment system

• Estonia closes the airspace for Russian aircraft

• Latvia closes the airspace for Russian aircraft

• "Nord Stream 2 was a good project, but the topic is closed for a long time," the Eastern Committee of the German Economy said, while the committee does not expect a halt in gas supplies from Russia (RIA Novosti)

• Lithuania closes the sky for Russian airlines

• Romania closed the airspace for Russian airlines

• Slovenia has closed its airspace to Russian aircrafts

• Ukrainian operators Kyivstar, Vodafone and lifecell have blocked access to their networks for subscribers from Russia and Belarus, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine reports.

The order of events on this page is reflective of the order of the original news reports, as they appeared on that day.

• The Russian authorities for the first time acknowledged the death of a soldier during a "special operation" in Ukraine. The head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, expressed condolences to the family of Nurmagomed Gadzhimagomedov, a Russian officer who died during a "military operation" in Ukraine.

• The Russian delegation arrived in the Belarusian city of Gomel for negotiations with the Ukrainian side, Dmitry Peskov said. The delegation included representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidential Administration and other departments.

• President Alexander Lukashenko confirms that missiles were launched from the territory of Belarus at positions in Ukraine According to him, missile battalions were deployed on Ukrainian territory a few kilometers from the border with Belarus. They could strike at Russian positions.

• Statements of the Central Bank of Russia

  • The Russian banking system is stable, has a sufficient stock of capital and liquidity for uninterrupted functioning in any situation. All client funds in the accounts are saved and available at any time.

  • Banking services are provided as usual. Bank cards of all banks in Russia also continue to work normally.

  • The transmission of financial messages within the country in any scenario of the development of events is provided by the Financial Message Transfer System (FSS) of the Bank of Russia.

• Students, graduate students and teachers of Russian universities signed an open letter against the conflict in Ukraine.

• Aeroflot has updated the list of suspended flights to Europe. Planes are not flying to Ljubljana, Sofia, Bucharest, Riga, Prague, Warsaw, London, Dublin, Chisinau

• Flowers are laid on the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge - today is the seventh anniversary of the murder of Russian physicist and liberal politician, Boris Nemtsov, who spoke against Vladimir Putin and his politics. People begin to share videos of Nemtsov speaking at the protests against the annexation of Crimea in March 2014.

• The Prosecutor General's Office of Russia warned of criminal liability for providing financial assistance to a foreign state - during the "special operation" it will be regarded as treason to the Motherland.

• Explanations from the Central Bank about the work of Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and maps:

  • Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay work for cards of all banks, except for those that have fallen under strict sanctions: VTB, Sovcombank, Promsvyazbank, Novikombank, Otkritie.

  • At the same time, payments through these services for cards issued by other banks, for example, SberBank or Alfa-Bank, may not pass if the terminal or online store is serviced by banks that have fallen under sanctions.

  • The Central Bank recommends carrying a plastic card with you to pay without using pay-services.

• Vladmir Putin, "in response to aggressive statements in the West," instructed to transfer the deterrence forces in the Russian army to "a special regime of service." (TASS)

• Anti-war protests continue for the fourth day. At least 200 people were detained

• Negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine begin, Ukrainian publications write with reference to Zelensky's representative in the constitutional court. Russia denies this information.

• Pavel Durov announced the possibility of limiting the work of Telegram channels in Russia and Ukraine for the duration of the conflict. Later that day he wrote, "Many users appealed to us with a request not to consider disabling Telegram channels for the period of the conflict, since we are the only source of information for them. In connection with these appeals, we decided not to consider such measures. However, once again I ask you to double-check and not to take for granted the data that are published in Telegram channels during this difficult period."

• Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (Roscomnadzor) sent "Current Time" a notice about the blocking of the publication's website

• Anticipating blockages, the majority of independent news agencies and media platforms begin to encourage its subscribers and customers make sure they are on the mailing lists.

• VTB Bank, which fell under sanctions, said that from February 28 it would raise mortgage rates - the minimum will now be 15.3%. The bank is also suspending the mortgage refinancing program.

• The Russian Defense Ministry for the first time reported on the losses of the Russian army. "Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded our comrades. But our losses are many times less than the destroyed nationalists. And losses among the servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces," the Defense Ministry said (RIA Novosti).

• Statement of the Ministry of Defense Since the beginning of the "special operation", the Russian armed forces have hit 1,067 objects of the military infrastructure of Ukraine, destroyed 254 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 31 aircraft on the ground, 46 multiple launch rocket systems, 103 field artillery pieces and mortars. The Ukrainian authorities have not yet confirmed this information. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine previously reported that the troops destroyed 14 Russian aircraft, eight helicopters, 102 tanks, 536 armored personnel carriers, 15 guns, one anti-aircraft missile system, 17 cars, and also killed 3,000 Russian soldiers. The Russian authorities did not confirm this information.

• In Moscow, Ukrainians are detained and interrogated, according to the head of a human rights group. According to them, the police are interested in the purpose of the arrival of Ukrainian citizens in Russia

• "Aeroflot" suspends all flights to Europe from February 28

Response and Sanctions

• Finland will close its airspace for Russian civil aircraft

• The International Judo Federation (IJF) has suspended Vladimir Putin's powers as honorary president and ambassador of the organization.

• Austria and Ireland will close the airspace for Russian aircraft

• A ban on flights of Russian aircraft over all EU countries can be included in a new package of sanctions, Western agencies write, citing European officials.

• The Czech national team refused to play with the Russian national team in the play-offs for the right to participate in the World Cup. Earlier, Poland and Sweden announced their refusal to play with Russia. The Czech Republic remained the last possible opponent of the Russians in the play-offs.

• Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Belgium and Germany will close the sky for Russian airlines.

• Italy closes the airspace for Russia

• France closes its airspace to Russia

• Norway closes the airspace for Russia

• The Czech Republic will offer the European Union to stop issuing Schengen visas to Russian citizens.

• North Macedonia closed its airspace to Russia

• Spain and Canada close the airspace for Russia

• Portugal closes its skies to Russian aircraft. Earlier, the country suspended the issuance of residence permits to Russians for investments.

• The European Union will ban all transactions with the Central Bank of Russia, said the head of the European Commission. She also said that the European Union will introduce a package of economic and personal sanctions against Belarus

• The European Union will ban Russia Today and Sputnik in the countries of the Union, said the head of the European Commission

• Albania closes its airspace to Russia

• Turkey has officially confirmed that it will close the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits for the passage of ships of Ukraine and Russia.

• EU sanctions will freeze about half of Russia's financial reserves Thanks to the new sanctions, about half of the reserves of the Bank of Russia will be frozen, said the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell.

• The EU completely closes the airspace of the Union for Russia

OFFICIAL STATEMENTS AND REPORTS

• Russian Defense Ministry: "Russian military has won air supremacy over the whole of Ukraine"

• The Russian Defense Ministry also appealed to the residents of Kiev: "All civilians in the city can freely leave the capital of Ukraine along the Kyiv-Vasylkiv highway. This direction is open and safe." The ministry said the curfew in the city "proves that the Kiev regime is using the city's residents as a 'human shield' for nationalists who have stationed artillery units and military equipment in residential areas of the capital."

• The head of Kalmykia, Batu Khasikov, reported the death of a sergeant of the contract service, Konstantin Manjiev ,in Ukraine. Earlier, the head of the republic, Sergei Melikov, spoke about a Dagestan native who died during the "special operation". Neither the Ministry of Defense nor the authorities of the republics have yet named the other victims.

• "Residents of Ukraine often become victims of propagandists and do not know the real state of affairs," the press secretary for the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, said.

• The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation for Moscow and the Moscow Region reported that the Ukrainian special services recruit Ukrainian citizens who are on the territory Russia, "to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage activities." The agency urged Russian citizens to report contacts with persons "who can be used by the special services of Ukraine," and warned that the transfer Foreign intelligence is punishable by imprisonment for 20 years.

• It is reported that special manuals for conducting social studies lessons have been developed for Russian schools. They explain how to properly talk to schoolchildren about the "special operation" in Ukraine.

• Putin in a conversation with Macron. “a settlement around Ukraine is possible only with:”

  • demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine

  • neutral status

  • recognition of Crimea

• Governor of the Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, wrote on his personal VK.com page about the death of a contract sergeant in Ukraine.

LEGISLATION

• The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) warned of criminal liability up to 20 years in prison for collecting and transmitting information for the intelligence of Ukraine (TASS)

CENSORSHIP

• Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (Roscomnadzor) blocked in Russia the website of the TV channel "Current Time". The notice stated that the publication disseminates "unreliable socially significant information about the Russian military allegedly killed and captured on the territory of Ukraine during a special military operation conducted by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation."

• At the request of the Prosecutor General's Office, Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (Roscomnadzor) also blocked the sites "Krym.Realii" and The New Times. The register of banned publications included the Altai website "Listok" and Ukrainian publications - the country's largest news agency "Interfax Ukraine", "Gordon", the magazine "Correspondent" and "Ukrainska Pravda".

• Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (Roscomnadzor) demanded that Google "immediately" restrict access to "the demonstration of inaccurate socially significant information posted as part of contextual advertising Google Ads." The agency pointed to reports in which there is "unreliable information about numerous victims among Russian servicemen, as well as the civilian population of Ukraine during a special military operation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine."

• The website of a Russian student journal DOXA is blocked in Russia

• Roskomnadzor obliged the media in the preparation of materials about the "special operation" use data only from official Russian sources. In the department explained that only official sources have reliable information and distribute it.

• The head of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, Valery Fadeev, proposed blocking Facebook in Russia "at least for the period of the special operation" (RBK).

ARTS & CULTURE

• Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design has suspended its work indefinitely: "We consider it unacceptable to continue the usual activities while hostilities are going on in Ukraine and people are dying."

HUMAN RIGHTS

• Human rights defender Lev Ponomarev was detained in Moscow. Police say he is on the wanted list.

• One source reports that in St. Petersburg, during an anti-war protest, one of the participants lost consciousness during the arrest. Law enforcement officers took the woman to a paddy wagon.

RUSSIAN PEOPLE AGAINST THE WAR

• Russian video blogger and interviewer, Yuri Dud, appealed to Putin's entourage and urged them to influence the President of Russia

• A petition demanding to stop the war in Ukraine that was initiated by the human rights defender Lev Ponomarev on Change.org gained more than a million signatures.

ECONOMY

• The Central Bank raised the key rate from 9.5% to 20%.

• Sberbank said it is not introducing changes to existing consumer and mortgage loans.

• RBK reports that the volume of cash in circulation in Russia on Friday increased by a record 1.39 trillion rubles.

• Putin signed a decree "on the application of special economic measures in connection with the unfriendly actions of the United States and the countries that joined them." According to the decree:

  • exporters must sell 80% of foreign exchange earnings credited from January 1, 2022

  • Russian residents are forbidden to provide foreign loans in foreign currency and transfer currency to accounts in banks outside the Russian Federation

  • Russians and Russian companies will not be able to transfer currency abroad to repay loans and transfer currency to their accounts abroad - banks will be able to open accounts with individuals without personal presence during interbank transfers

• Ministry of Finance stated:

  • If necessary, measures will be taken to increase the capitalization of banks.

  • There are resources in the budget to fulfill social obligations in the current conditions.

  • The Ministry of Finance has prepared a proposal for a larger capital amnesty.

• Bank Rossiya temporarily restricted the issuance of loans to private clients (RBK)

• Head of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation Elvira Nabiullina: "The Russian economy is facing a non-standard situation, the Central Bank will take a non-standard approach to decisions"

• Head of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina:

  • The Central Bank will soften the issuance of mortgages and unsecured consumer loans.

  • All banks fulfill and will fulfill their obligations to customers.

  • The Russian financial infrastructure will work without interruption.

  • The Russian Financial Messaging System will be able to replace SWIFT.

  • Cards of international payment systems continue to work within Russia.

FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

• Aeroflot cancels flights to the United States, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

• The Russian Post Office reported that it does not accept shipments to Ukraine, Moldova and Cyprus. Within the country, logistics channels work stably, the company's press service reported.

• Russia closes the sky for 36 countries: from the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Outside the European Union: Albania, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Gibraltar, Jersey, Norway

• The Association of Tour Operators of Russia stated that "tourism to Europe as such, it will simply disappear."

• S7 Airlines cancels all flights to Europe until March 26

RESPONSES AND SANCTIONS:

• The EU obliged Russian diplomats to obtain visas, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov.

• Finland stops selling alcohol from Russia

• Airbaltic extends the suspension of flights to Russia until the end of May.

• The IOC recommended that international sports federations and competition organizers suspend the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes

• The German Ministry of Education suspends cooperation with Russia.

• Volvo stops production and sales of cars in Russia

• UK froze assets of VTB, Sovcombank, Vnesheconombank

• UK bans export of microelectronics and navigation equipment to Russia

• FIFA and UEFA suspended Russian teams and clubs from participation in all competitions

• UEFA terminates its contract with Gazprom

OFFICIAL STATEMENTS AND REPORTS

• The Head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, reported that two Chechen soldiers were killed in the "special operation".

• The governor of the Ulyanovsk region, Alexei Russkikh, said that two servicemen from the 31st airborne brigade died in a "special operation" in Ukraine.

• The Ministry of Defense proposed to give the participants of the “special operation” in Ukraine the status of a combat veteran. Estimated expenses for the implementation of the provisions of the law will amount to five billion rubles in 2022

• The death of another Russian military was confirmed by the governor of the Krasnodar Territory, Veniamin Kondratyev, in his Telegram channel. He said that the captain of the Russian army, Alexander Lysenko, was killed during the “special operation” in Ukraine.

• The head of the Astrakhan region, Igor Babushkin, announced another dead person: Arman Narynbaev.

• Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, announced the first International Anti-Fascist Congress in Russia. It will be held in August as part of the Army-2022 forum (RIA-Novosti)

• Russian Minister of Defence, Sergey Shoygu, stated that:

  • The Russian army will continue the special military operation in Ukraine until the achievement of its goals.

  • Protecting Russia from the military threat from the West is the main task of the special operation in Ukraine

• Press secretary, Dmitry Peskov:

  • Russia rejects allegations of war crimes committed in Ukraine.

  • The Kremlin considers Volodymyr Zelensky the president of Ukraine. He "can give the command to lay down their arms, and then there will be no casualties."

  • Reports about the use of cluster and vacuum bombs by the Russian military in Ukraine are fake

• Responding to the comment made by the French Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire, about the economic war against Russia, Dmitry Medvedev stated: “Do not forget that economic wars in the history of mankind have often turned into real ones.”

• The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation asked Ukrainians who live near the objects of the SBU, relay nodes and the 72nd main center of information and psychological operations to leave their homes. These locations will be attacked in Kyiv.

• According to Ramzan Kadyrov relatives of Russian soldiers who died in Ukraine will be paid more than 2 million rubles

• Polling agency FOM reports that the level of trust in President Vladimir Putin rose from 60% to 71% in a week.

LEGISLATION

CENSORSHIP

• Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (Roskomnadzor) blocked the site of the publication "Taiga.Info" because of the coverage of military operations in Ukraine.

• Roskomnadzor slowed down Twitter due to “the spread of fakes” about a “special operation” in Ukraine.

• The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation submitted to Roskomnadzor demands to take measures to restrict access to the information resources of “Echo of Moscow” and “Dozhd TV Channel” “due to the purposeful and systematic posting of information calling for extremist activity, violence, as well as deliberately false information regarding the actions of Russian military personnel as part of a special operation to protect the DPR and LPR The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation in the manner prescribed by paragraph 1 of Article 15.3.”

ARTS & CULTURE

• The schedule of "Hope" and "Fear" from the art group Yav appeared on Zvenigordskaya Street in St. Petersburg.

• Dmitry Volkostrelov was dismissed from his post of artistic director of the V. S. Meyerhold Center.

HUMAN RIGHTS

• 301 people were detained for anti-war protests on March 1, 2022

RUSSIAN PEOPLE AGAINST THE WAR

• Samara-based art group "Nevoyna" [Nowar] held an anti-war protest on the Volga river.

• 26 Priests of the Russian Orthodox Church demanded to stop hostilities in Ukraine: “We think with bitterness of the abyss that our children and grandchildren in Russia and Ukraine will have to overcome in order to start being friends with each other again.”

• Ex-head of Yandex.News Lev Gershenzon urged his colleagues not to hide information about the "special operation" in Ukraine": It's not too late to stop being partners in a terrible crime."

ECONOMY

• Russian banks subject to blocking sanctions will not be able to issue new Visa and Mastercard cards (RIA Novosti)

• According to the PM Mikhail Mishustin, the government has prepared a draft on a temporary restriction on the exit of foreign businesses from Russian assets.

• Alfa-Bank says that it expects the inflation in Russia to jump 20-30%

• Large retail chains Ashan, Magnit, Atak and O'Key will limit the margins on products at the level of 5%

• The rate on subsidized mortgage loans will be increased to 12%, said chairman of the State Duma Committee on the financial market, Anatoly Aksakov.

• Putin banned the export of more than 10 thousand US dollars in cash from Russia at the Central Bank rate.

FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

• Worried about the seizure of the aircrafts, Russian air carriers announce that they will not be able to fly Russians who have remained abroad home. Russian authorities advise citizens to “get home on their own” (Kommersant)

• S7 Airlines cancels flights to Anapa, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Gelendzhik, Krasnodar, Lipetsk, Rostov-on-Don, Simferopol and back until March 8.

RESPONSES AND SANCTIONS

• Mastercard disconnected several Russian banks from its payment system

• According to the Indian Economic Times, the State Bank of India will not process payments for companies from Russia that have fallen under Western sanctions.

• Several hospitals in Phuket, Thailand stopped accepting insurance policies from Russia and Ukraine

• All staff of Nord Stream 2 AG in Zug, Switzerland is fired

• Great Britain imposed sanctions against Sberbank

• Google is blocking YouTube channels linked to state-sponsored RT and Sputnik in Europe

• South Korea will restrict transactions with some Russian banks and their branches, including Sberbank, VEB. RF and Promsvyazbank

• Uber Technologies withdraws from joint venture with Yandex.Taxi

• Instagram blocked all RT accounts in 27 EU countries

• Starting next week, Canada will ban Russian ships from entering its ports and territorial waters

• Ford suspended all activities in Russia

• Exxon Mobil announced the termination of operations in Russia, the company is taking steps to exit the Sakhalin-1 project - one of the largest oil and gas projects with direct foreign investment in Russia

Arts & Culture

• International film companies began to leave Russia: the Walt Disney Company, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Movie premieres are cancelled.

• Conductor Valery Gergiev is removed from his post as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra

• The Bavarian State Opera has severed relations with opera singer Anna Netrebko and conductor Valery Gergiev

• Netflix stopped work on Russian films and series

• The Grevin Wax Museum in Paris removes the figure of Vladimir Putin from the exhibition

• Cannes Film Festival will not receive an official Russian delegation this year

Sports

• The International Skating Union has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in competitions under its auspices. They, in particular, will not be able to compete at the World Figure Skating Championships.

• Lokomotiv coach Markus Gisdol resigned

OFFICIAL STATEMENTS AND REPORTS

• The Governor of the Kemerovo region, Sergey Tsivilev, instructed to write the name of the region as “KuZbass” in official government materials

• Russian military claim to have "liberated from nationalist battalions" the city of Balakleya

• In an interview to British journalist, Cathy Newman, comments the death of civilians in Ukraine.

  • I want to say again that I do not condone any actions that lead to the death of civilians. But we did not come up with the expression collateral damage. Our Western colleagues came up with it during their adventures in Iraq, before that in other countries, in Latin America, in Libya <…>

  • I want remind you how you behaved all these eight years, when girls, women, old people were killed by the thousands [by Ukranians] in Donbass, killed by the Ukrainian regime

• The governor of the Kemerovo region, Sergei Tsivilev, announced that from March 2, the name of the region in the official materials of the regional government will be written "KuZbass". According to the head of the region, “Z” is “a sign of support for our fighters” participating in a “military special operation” in Ukraine.

• Head of Mordovia Artem Zdunov spoke about Colonel Viktor Isaikin, who died in Ukraine

• Putin promised to pay families of soldiers who died in the war in Ukraine 7.4 million rubles each, and again said that they were fighting “neo-Nazis”

• Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov called reports on the introduction of martial law in Russia and a ban on travel abroad for men of military age “fakes”

• At the All-Russian open lesson, schoolchildren will be told why “the liberation mission in Ukraine is a necessity”

• The State Emergency Service denied the report that said that 2,000 civilians died in the conflict

• Lavrov outlined Russia's position in negotiations with Ukraine

  • Crimea is a part of Russia

  • Recognition of the DPR and LPR within the borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions

  • Demilitarization, the parameters of which are to be agreed

  • Denazification - similar to Germany in the past

• The Ministry of Defense for the first time announced the losses of the Russian army in Ukraine: 498 Russian soldiers died in the line of military duty

• Ministry of Transportation discussed with the largest Russian airlines what to do with foreign-made aircraft in the context of the EU ban on the supply of new liners and the annulment of existing leasing agreements. One option is nationalization.

PROPAGANDA

• The Ministry of Defense explained the symbols on Russian military vehicles:

  • Z — «За победу» [Za pobedu]: For victory

  • V — «Сила V правде» [Sila V pravde]: Strength is in the truth

  • Another V ( △) — «Задача будет выполнена» [Zadacha budet vypolnena]: the task will be completed

• Students of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University were forced to rally in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin and "special operation" in Ukraine. The slogans seen were: #WeAreTeamPresident and #WeAreNotAshamed

LEGISLATION

• The State Duma introduced an amendment to punish up to 15 years in prison for fakes about the Russian army

CENSORSHIP

• The majority of the board of directors of Echo of Moscow voted to liquidate the radio station. Later that day they disable the site and delete accounts in social networks.

• The police came to the VK-Media holding because of newspaper issues with anti-war covers. The police confiscated the circulation of Vecherniy Krasnoturinsk, Vecherniy Karpinsk, Pro Severouralsk and Globus newspapers.

• Roskomnadzor blocked the official websites of the Ministry of Health and the Border Service of Ukraine in Russia. In addition, a number of Ukrainian media outlets have been blocked, including TSN, Segodnya, Ukrinform, Zaxid, Zerkalo Nedeli, Сensor.net, Vesti.ua, Depo.ua and Delo.ua.

• TV channel “Dozhd“ temporarily suspends its work

• The police came to the Partisan Press studio. They printed posters “No to war” and “Everyone needs peace”

• Users report that Twitter, App Store, Google Play, Facebook BBC, Radio Liberty, Deutsche Welle are not available in Russia, or work intermittently

• Znak.com announced the suspension of work in Russia

• Website “The Village” is blocked in Russia. The Village team said they now work from Warsaw.

• Radio "Silver Rain" announced a program change due to the fear of closure:

  • “Starting tomorrow at midnight, we will no longer be able to work in our regular format. We will broadcast only news and music. We can’t tell the truth, but we don’t want to lie.”

• The website of Tomsk-based independent agency TV2 is blocked in Russia.

• In Yakutsk, the newspaper "Vse dlya Vaz" came out with an anti-war cover. The head office of the Gorpechat banned the sale of the newspaper “just in case”

ARTS & CULTURE

HUMAN RIGHTS

• In Moscow, police detained two women with five children for laying flowers at the Ukrainian embassy

• The police came to Valya Dekhtyarenko, an employee of the “Committee against Torture”, because of the Ukrainian flag displayed on her apartment window. She is threatened with an article on disobedience to the police (Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses)

• 585 people are detained in 29 Russian cities today for antiwar protests

RUSSIAN PEOPLE AGAINST THE WAR

• Under a Creative Commons license Meduza.io opens the distribution of all of its materials about the war in Ukraine for free

• Graffiti, leaflets and stickers denouncing the invasion appear on the streets across the country.

• 115 Russian mathematicians signed an open letter against the war

  • “The standard of living in a country and its position in the world are largely determined by the level of its science. Scientists all over the world are working on problems that do not have national and territorial restrictions, for the well-being of all mankind; international cooperation, lack of borders for the dissemination of knowledge and humanistic values ​​are the foundation on which science is built. Many years of our efforts to strengthen the reputation of Russia as a leading mathematical center have been completely depreciated as a result of unprovoked military aggression initiated by our country.”

• Dozens of Yekaterinburg residents came today to the prosecutor's office of the Sverdlovsk region to submit applications demanding an end to the special operation in Ukraine.

• Tonya Samsonova, founder of The Question and former head of Yandex.Q, resigned from Yandex in protest

• Football player Artem Dziuba spoke out against the war: “I am against the war. War is the most terrifying thing.”

ECONOMY

• The Central Bank of the Russian Federation decided not to resume trading on March 2 on the Moscow Exchange in the stock market section

• The European Union has banned the sale, supply, transfer or export of euro banknotes to any individual or legal entity in Russia, including the government and the Central Bank

• The Bank of Russia has banned money transfers from Russia abroad by citizens of 43 countries that have announced sanctions against Russia

• Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin: IT companies will be exempted from income tax, employees will receive a deferment from conscription

• The EU banned the sale, supply and export of euro banknotes to Russia

• Japan will freeze the assets of four Russian banks, including VTB, according to the Kyodo news agency, citing the Ministry of Finance

• The Government of the Russian Federation submitted to the State Duma a package of bills on socio-economic measures to support citizens and businesses under sanctions. Among other measures:

  • cancel until the end of 2022 inspections for small and medium-sized businesses, IT companies

  • introduce simplified conditions and procedures for public procurement

  • impose restrictions on the export of medicines

• Starting March 3 individuals will be charged a commission of 30% for the purchase of foreign currency

FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

• Passengers on Russian airlines begin to report sudden flight cancellations; aircrafts changing course during flights

• The US is closing its airspace to aircrafts from Russia.

• Boeing stopped maintenance and support of Russian airlines.

• Airbus suspends support for Russian airlines

RESPONSES AND SANCTIONS

• The European Union has imposed sanctions on publications that are part of the Russian state “Rossiya Segodnya” - this is Sputnik agency and channels RT English, RT UK, RT Germany, RT France and RT Spanish

• ExxonMobil has begun withdrawing from the Sakhalin-1 project.

• EU disconnected seven Russian banks from SWIFT : VTB, Rossiya, Otkritie, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Sovcombank and VEB. RF.

• Malta stops issuing "golden passports" for Russian and Belarusian investors

• IKEA, Lego, Nissan, Volkswagen, SAP suspend work in Russia

• US Imposes Full Blocking Sanctions on Russian Defense Sector Enterprises

• H&M and COS stop sales in Russia

• Mercedes-Benz will suspend its production in Russia

• The World Bank has stopped all its programs in Russia and Belarus

• Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer refused to supply spare parts for its aircraft to Russia and serve the fleet of Russian companies

Arts, Culture, and Entertainment

• Game developer Valve has disabled the main payment methods for users from Russia

• Online movie theater Megogo stops working in Russia

• Placebo canceled Live concert in Moscow

Sports

• The International Biathlon Union (IBU) has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes or officials from participating in international events

• The European Athletics Association banned athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in competitions under the auspices of their organization.