(Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Western sanctions were akin to a declaration of war as his forces pressed their assault on Ukraine on Saturday for a 10th day.
*Refugees keep pouring out
The number of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion could rise to 1.5 million by the end of the weekend from a current 1.3 million, the head of the U.N. refugee agency said.
*Escaping the war zone in trains
Thousands of women and children, many weeping and numb with exhaustion, arrived in Lviv in western Ukraine as the state railway put on more trains to rescue people from fierce Russian attacks on eastern cities.
*Kremlin accuses West of acting like a bandit
The Kremlin said the West was behaving like a bandit by cutting economic relations. President Putin said Western sanctions were akin to a declaration of war and warned any attempt to impose a no-fly zone in Ukraine would lead to catastrophic consequences for the world.
*Israel’s prime minister visits Moscow
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Putin in the Kremlin to discuss the Ukraine crisis, then spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy by phone. Israel, home to a substantial population of Russian immigrants, has offered to mediate in the conflict.
*Cards to stop working
Visa Inc said it was suspending operations in Russia and that Visa cards issued by financial institutions outside of Russia will no longer work in Russia. Mastercard Inc said cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by Mastercard network.
*Out of fashion: Zara joins exodus from Russia
Spanish fashion retailer Inditex said it has halted trading in Russia, closing its 502 shops and stopping online sales.
*Ciao for some oligarchs’ yachts, villas
Italian police have seized villas and yachts worth at least 140 million euros ($153 million) from four high-profile Russians who were placed on an EU sanctions list, sources said.
*QUOTES
“This is the fastest moving refugee crisis we have seen in Europe since the end of World War Two,” U.N. refugee agency head Filippo Grandi told Reuters in a telephone interview.
“The sanctions have hit me very hard. Prices are already up around 20% … you already can’t buy some medicines. Things will get worse,” Lidia, a freelance worker from Rostov, describing the impact of sanctions on Russians.
*COMING UP
Russia and Ukraine will hold a third round of talks on Monday about ending hostilities, Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamiya said in a Facebook post, without providing further details.
(Compiled by Frances Kerry and Daniel Wallis)
