RUSSIA-UKRAINE LIVE: Russian helicopters shot down, Aecom quits Moscow, 1.7m refugees flee Ukraine

RUSSIA-UKRAINE LIVE: Russian helicopters shot down, UN reports 1.7million refugees have fled Ukraine, Aecom halts Russia operations, calls to boycott Coca-Cola and experts now say Vladimir Putin may lose war


Moscow was condemned today after revealing new humanitarian corridors that will take Ukrainian civilians fleeing the invasion towards Russia or its ally Belarus.

The limited ceasefire announcement came a day after hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians trying to flee to safety were forced to shelter from Russian shelling.

Ahead of a third round of talks planned for today, the Russian Defence Ministry said a ceasefire would start in the morning, and safe passages would open for civilians from the capital of Kyiv as well as Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy.

Some of the evacuation routes, however, would funnel civilians towards Russia or its ally Belarus – unlikely destinations for many Ukrainians who would prefer to head towards countries on the western and southern borders.

A senior Ukrainian official rejected those proposals. Well into the second week of war, Russia’s plan to quickly overrun Ukraine has been stymied by resistance.

Its troops have made significant advances in southern Ukraine and along the coast but many of its efforts have become stalled, including an immense military convoy that has been almost motionless for days north of Kyiv.

The fighting has sent energy prices surging worldwide, stocks plummeting, and is threatening the food supply and livelihoods of people around the world who rely on farmland in the Black Sea region. 

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