The latest news on the war between Russia and Ukraine | Wilnesh News

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message to congratulate Russian President Putin on his re-election as Kremlin chairman (China State News Agency) Xinhua News Agency said In a report from Google Translate.

At a news conference after his victory, Putin praised Moscow-Beijing relations as “very stable and highly complementary” after years of development, according to another Google Translate article. Xinhua News Agency reports.

China and Russia have tightened ties amid growing isolation from the West, with Beijing offering rare exports to Moscow for European and U.S.-approved sea shipments of crude oil and petroleum products. The two countries are also forming an alliance in the BRICS alliance of emerging markets.

European officials have repeatedly begged Xi to use his diplomatic influence over Putin to mediate a resolution to the war in Ukraine. China has proposed a twelve-point peace plan to resolve the conflict on the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, but the framework has yet to gain support.

Beijing’s relationship with Moscow has increasingly caused dissatisfaction with the White House, and U.S. officials told CNBC in February that Washington was considering imposing sanctions on Chinese companies aiding Moscow’s war effort.

— Ruksandra Jordash

Thousands of supporters of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny staged protests in several Russian cities and at Russian embassies abroad to voice their support for President Vladimir Putin’s widely expected re-election of rejection.

As part of a demonstration called “Noon Against Putin,” Navalny supporters went to polling stations to either vote with spoiled ballots or cast their votes for one of the three anti-Putin candidates. Supporters of the movement called it peaceful and symbolic. Putin was declared the winner with 87.97% of the vote.

Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, called on global leaders not to recognize the results, while several Western leaders called the election a sham.

Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition politician, died suddenly in an Arctic penal colony in late February while serving a 19-year sentence. His team and family claim the Kremlin murdered him, a charge the Kremlin has strongly denied.

— Natasha Turak

Russian President Vladimir Putin won a fifth term with 87.97% of the vote in last weekend’s national election, according to Russian electoral authorities, in a race with no real rivals and Western leadership. People criticized it as “illegal” and “unlawful”. “.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron wrote in a tweet that the Russian election was characterized by “a lack of choice among voters and no independent OSCE oversight” and called the election in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region “illegal” ”. He added, “This is not what a free and fair election looks like.”

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavski called the contest a “farce and a parody,” saying: “This is a presidential election in Russia that shows how the regime suppresses civil society, independent media and the opposition.”

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that “the election was neither free nor fair.”

Russia’s top opposition and anti-war figures have either been banned from running, jailed or dead.

— Natasha Turak

Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 17 of 22 Russian-launched drones in a night attack across nine regions.

The Russian Air Force said in a report via Google Translate that Moscow had military bases in Kiev, Poltava, Khmelnytsky, Cherkasy, Kirovolad, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnitsa, Iranian-made Shahd unmanned missiles were deployed in the Zaporizhia and Rivne regions. telegram updates.

in separate google translate telegram postThe air force warned of the danger of missiles and ballistic weapons in the northeastern region of Kharkiv. Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional government, said in a report translated by Google that on March 18, about 15 settlements in the region came under enemy shelling. postal. He added that six people were injured in the attack.

CNBC could not independently verify the reports.

— Ruksandra Jordash

Leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations on Friday urged Iran not to launch ballistic missiles at Russia.

“We are concerned about reports that Iran is considering transferring ballistic missiles and related technology to Russia after providing the Russian regime with drones that were used to launch ruthless attacks on civilians in Ukraine,” the statement read. Extremely worried.”

The G7 called on Iran not to launch missiles, saying there would be consequences if it did.

“If Iran continues to provide ballistic missiles or related technology to Russia, we are prepared to respond quickly and in a coordinated manner, including taking significant new measures against Iran,” the statement read.

A senior U.S. government official said the United States has not confirmed that the missiles were transferred from Iran to Russia, but noted that negotiations between the two countries have been advancing.

The official reiterated that if Iran supplies missiles to Russia, measures will be taken, including possibly banning state-run Iranian airlines from flying to Europe.

——Sophie Kidlin

A new report by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine released on Friday said it had found further evidence of systematic torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces.

“The Commission found new evidence that Russian authorities violated international human rights and international humanitarian law and committed corresponding war crimes in areas under Ukrainian control,” the summary said.

The three-member panel said Russia had “disregarded fundamental principles of humanitarian law and human rights obligations” and said evidence confirmed the need for further investigation to determine whether Moscow had committed “crimes against humanity”.

It highlighted new evidence that Russian authorities used “widespread and systematic” torture against Ukrainian prisoners of war in multiple detention facilities across the country.

“The report documents incidents of rape and other sexual violence against women in circumstances that also amount to torture. The report also details incidents of torture of a sexual nature and threats of rape against male prisoners of war,” the committee said.

The commission’s report has been submitted to the 47-member UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, which will decide whether to extend the commission’s mandate for another year to continue its investigations.

Russia denies torture and other forms of ill-treatment of prisoners of war.

– Elliot Smith