STRAIGHT. War in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin’s surprise visit to occupied Mariupol

Sanctions against Russia are already having a strong impact on the country’s economy

According to a study by an international student working group, sanctions against Russia in 2023 should have a greater impact on the country’s economy. Although the sanctions were introduced with a delay, they are now having a significant effect. The positive balance of payments contracted by 60% from the second to the fourth quarter of 2022, and this trend is likely to continue in 2023. The ruble has lost 20% of its value since November, paving the way for higher consumer prices at a time when fewer Russians can afford it. In addition, oil and gas receivables are expected to decline by 50% in 2023.

All European flags removed from Europe Square in Moscow

Moscow has removed all European flags flying on Europe Square in the Dorogomilovo district near the Kyiv railway station. This square was developed in 2001-2002 as part of a Belgo-Russian project as a symbol of European unity.

Uncertainty over the extension of the Ukrainian grain agreement

After negotiations, an international agreement of July 2022 on the export of Ukrainian grains, crucial to averting a food crisis, was extended on Saturday as a last resort, but Kiev and Moscow disagree on the length of the extension. Neither the United Nations nor Ankara provided details on the duration of the extension. Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov said that the extension period is 120 days. But in Moscow they quickly objected to him, assuring that only a delay of 60 days had been decided.

Putin visiting Mariupol

After Crimea, Vladimir Putin went to the bombed Ukrainian city of Mariupol. This is the first trip by a Russian leader to a Ukrainian port city besieged for several months, captured by the Russian army in May 2022. According to the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin flew to Mariupol by helicopter and took a tour of the city, driving the car himself. He spoke with local residents, visited sights and received a report on the restoration work in the ruined city, according to Russian news agencies.

Two people died as a result of a strike in Kramatorsk

Russian strikes continue. On Saturday afternoon in Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine, two people were killed and ten injured in Russian shelling using “cluster munitions,” the city’s mayor said. “Russia continues to reign in terror. Consequences of the shelling of Kramatorsk with cluster munitions: 2 people were killed and 8 were injured, three of them seriously,” the mayor of the city Alexander Goncharenko said on his Facebook page.

Welcome

Hello everyone and welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the latest events of the war in Ukraine.