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At the resumed offencive in the day seven of the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian forces have carried airstrikes on central Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city and continued pounding other cities as they sought to break the will of Ukraine’s resistance on the seventh day of the war unleashed by President Vladimir Putin.

State of the Union: President Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin is more isolated from the rest of the world than ever after invading Ukraine, using Tuesday’s State of the Union address to highlight the coordinated response of the United States and allies and rally Americans behind defending democracy.

Sanctions: Western countries agreed to remove seven Russian banks from Swift, the financial-messaging infrastructure that underpins the global financial system, but left access open for some others, leaving open a path for energy supply payments.

Exxon Mobil said it was halting operations at a multibillion-dollar oil and gas project in Russia and would make no further investments in the country.

Apple, Ford Motor and Dell Technologies also joined the roster of companies retreating from Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian markets remained closed for a third day, even as U.S. stocks futures wavered, while oil prices jumped.

Russian Paratroopers Land in Kharkiv

According to reports, Ukrainian forces said Russian paratroopers have landed in Kharkiv, with the BBC reporting there were immediate clashes as the troops attacked a hospital.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of state terrorism because of what’s happening in Kharkiv, which is roughly 40 kilometres from the Russian border.

Four People Killed After Russian Strikes Hit Kharkiv

Four people have been killed and nine have been wounded after Russian air and rocket strikes hit the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharviv on Wednesday morning, according to local emergency services and Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

“Kharkiv is a Russian-speaking city. Every fourth person in Kharkiv has relatives in the Russian Federation. But the city’s attitude to Russia today is completely different to what it ever was before,” Terekhov said in an online video statement.

“We never expected this could happen: total destruction, annihilation, genocide against the Ukrainian people – this is unforgivable.”

Substantial Damage after Russian Attacks in Zhytomyr

There’s little that remains after Russian forces carried out strikes in the Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr, around 120 kilometres west from Kyiv on Tuesday.

Russia Bans Payments to Foreigners Holding Rouble Bonds And Shares

Foreign investors are effectively stuck with their holdings of Russian stocks and rouble-denominated bonds after the Bank of Russia put a temporary halt on payments and major overseas’ settlement systems stopped accepting Russian assets.

Moscow is blocking foreign investors, who hold tens of billions of dollars worth of Russian stocks and bonds, from exiting after its invasion of Ukraine triggered a wave of economic sanctions and a haemorrhage of assets.

The Bank of Russia said it has banned coupon payments for foreign investors holding rouble-denominated sovereign debt, known as OFZs, and Russian companies were also barred from paying dividends to overseas shareholders.

It did not specify how long the curbs, which don’t apply to local investors, would last.

TV Towers Destroyed In Kyiv By Russian Forces

Russian forces struck the TV tower in Kyiv on Tuesday local time, leaving the surrounding neighbourhood in ruins.

Russia Ready for More Talks Today

The Kremlin said Russian officials were ready to hold a second round of talks with Ukraine on Wednesday local time, but it was not clear if Ukrainian officials would turn up.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there was contradictory information regarding the talks.

Yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia must stop the bombing of Ukrainian cities before talks could take place.

Peskov also said Moscow needed to formulate a harsh, thought-out and clear response against measures imposed on Western countries to undermine the Russian economy.

Source: StreetReporters.ng