The first safe corridor intended to allow civilians to escape war-torn Ukrainian cities opened Tuesday, a significant move met with skepticism after similar efforts failed as the number of people fleeing the country surpassed 2 million.
“The first stage of civilian evacuation from Sumy has just begun,” the Ukraine communications agency tweeted Tuesday. “The Russian Defense Ministry has officially agreed to the humanitarian corridor in a letter to the Red Cross.”
Sumy is a city of 260,000 people in Ukraine’s northeast near the Russian border. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said those fleeing would have the option of going to Russia or to western Ukrainian cities that have not been targeted.
Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk warned that the Russians were preparing to “disrupt the work of humanitarian corridors and manipulate the route” to force people to go to Russia.
The UN’s refugee agency said Tuesday that 2,011,000 Ukrainians had fled the country, most of them to Poland. The European Union could see as many as 5 million Ukrainian refugees if Russia continues to attack cities, said EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell.
Latest developments:
►The Ukrainian military intelligence agency said Russian Maj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov, 45, was killed in battle near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
►Energy giant Shell said Tuesday that it will stop buying Russian oil and natural gas and shut down its service stations, aviation fuels and other operations in the country amid international pressure for companies to severe ties over the invasion of Ukraine.
►Shares fell in Asia on Tuesday as markets were jolted by another surge in oil prices. The surge in the price of oil past $130 per barrel on Monday was triggered by the possibility the US might bar crude imports from Russia.
►Senior US officials traveled to South America over the weekend to meet with President Nicolas Maduro’s government, a surprising high-level meeting between the countries. According to Reuters, officials discussed easing oil sanctions on Venezuela amid the fallout from a possible oil embargo on Russia.
►Russian banks are looking into issuing cards that operate on a Chinese payment system after American Express, Visa and Mastercard cut off services in Russia citing the invasion.
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VISUALS:Mapping and tracking Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
2 million have fled Ukraine
The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine reached 2 million on Tuesday, according to the United Nations, the fastest exodus Europe has seen since World War II.
“Today the outflow of refugees from Ukraine reaches 2 million people. Two million,” Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, wrote on Twitter.
Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights, is pressing for all civilians trapped by fighting in Ukraine to be allowed to leave safely. She said Tuesday she is “deeply concerned about civilians trapped in active hostilities in numerous areas.”
Bachelet also told the UN Human Rights Council that her office has received reports of pro-Ukrainian activists being arbitrarily detained in areas of eastern Ukraine that have recently come “under the control of armed groups.” She said there have been reports of beatings of people considered pro-Russian in government-controlled areas.
—Associated Press
Russia warns to cut gas supplies to Europe amid tensions with the West
Russia warned the price of oil could leapfrog to $300 a barrel and threatened the possible closure of gas supplies to Europe amid rising tensions against Western countries considering a ban on Russia oil.
“It is absolutely clear that a rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in a statement on state television, according to Reuters. “The surge in prices would be unpredictable. It would be $300 per barrel if not more.”
Noting Germany’s decision last month to freeze the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Novak said Russia could ax the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline – considered one of Europe’s main sources of natural gas.
“We have every right to take a matching decision and impose an embargo on gas pumping through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline,” said Novak, The Guardian reported.
—Charles Ventura
Gas prices are now the most expensive in US history
After days of dramatically rising gas prices in wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the national average for a gallon of gas is now the highest in United States history, breaking the record that stood for nearly 14 years.
As of Tuesday morning, the cost of regular gas in the US is $4.17, according to AAA, up from $4.06 on Monday. Last week, the average cost was $3.60.
One of the main components of the rising costs is the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Tom Kloza, a chief global analyst for the Oil Price Information Service, told USA TODAY that Russia is the second-largest oil producer in the world, behind the United States.
MORE:Are oil and gas companies price targeting consumers at the pump?
Lviv struggling with influx of Ukrainians hoping to flee to Poland
1.7 million Ukrainians have fled their country, and many of them are crossing over to Poland through the far western city of Lviv.
But the city is buckling under the pressure of the tens of thousands of people who have fled their hometowns in hopes of seeking refuge in another country.
“We really need support,” Major Andriy Sadovyi said. The city needs big tents with kitchens in order to prepare food, he said.
The historical city, once a popular tourist destination, had a population of 700,000 before the war. Now, over 200,000 displaced Ukrainians are filling up Lviv’s sports halls, schools, church buildings, and hospitals.
The United Nations has called the situation the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
— Celina Tebor
Congress comes to deal on bill banning Russian oil
Top officials in the Congress reached an agreement Monday on legislation that would ban Russian oil imports to the US and end Russia’s permanent normal trade relation status in response to the intensifying war in Ukraine, according to a Senate aid granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations.
Voting could come swiftly but no schedule has been set.
The White House has been reluctant to ban Russian oil imports as gas prices at the pump spike for Americans but has not ruled out the option.
Ending the normal trade relation status could result in steep tariffs on other Russian imports.
President Joe Biden has been reluctant to ban Russian oil, fearing it could further fuel inflation heading into the midterm elections this November.
The national average price for unleaded gasoline hit $4.10 a gallon Monday, compared with $3.61 a week ago and $3.44 a month ago, according to AAA.
—Christal Hayes
36 hours with a team building a field hospital in Ukraine
USA TODAY spent 36 hours with a team of overseas nurses, engineers and logistics personnel invited by Ukraine’s authorities to build a field hospital for emergency and specialized trauma care in Lviv. It is being established to serve an expected wave of people – military and civilian –impacted by Russia’s assault on Ukraine as Moscow counters resistance to its invasion with more firepower.
The location of the planned hospital is on the fringes of Lviv in western Ukraine – identified as a potential capital if Kyiv falls to the Kremlin. “I’ve set up hospitals in war zones, and we’ve deliberately marked ones that have been bombed and we’ve left them unmarked and gotten bombed,” said Ken Isaacs, the American who is leading the effort to build the hospital. “When an airplane wants to bomb you, they bomb you.” Read more here.
– Kim Hjelmgaard and Jessica Koscielniak
