March 2, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

By Tara Subramaniam, Jack Guy, Aditi Sangal, Tori B. Powell

Updated 2245 GMT (0645 HKT) March 3, 2023
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7:42 a.m. ET, March 2, 2023

Top US diplomat says G20 meeting "marred" by Russia's invasion of Ukraine

From CNN's Sandi Sidhu in Hong Kong

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, India, on March 2.
U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, India, on March 2. (Olivier Douliery/Reuters)

A meeting of G20 foreign ministers in India has been "marred" by the war in Ukraine, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"Unfortunately, this meeting has again been marred by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine, deliberate campaign of destruction against civilian targets, and its attack on the core principles of the UN Charter," Blinken said in prepared remarks ahead of the G20 meeting in New Delhi. 

"We must continue to call on Russia to end its war of aggression and withdraw from Ukraine for the sake of international peace and economic stability," added Blinken.

G20 officials are gathered for a series of events in India, the current holder of the group's presidency.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the G20 foreign ministers meeting, via video link, in New Delhi, India, on March 2.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the G20 foreign ministers meeting, via video link, in New Delhi, India, on March 2. (Olivier Douliery/Reuters)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for nations to “rise above [their] differences," adding that “multilateralism is in crisis."

“You are meeting at a time of deep global divisions. As foreign ministers, it is but natural that your discussions are affected by the geopolitical tensions of the day,” he said.

“However, as the leading economies of the world, we also have a responsibility towards those who are not in this room. The world looks upon the G20 to ease the challenges of growth.”

8:18 a.m. ET, March 2, 2023

Russian security officials claim Ukrainian raid in border region as Kyiv warns of "provocation"

From CNN’s Anna Chernova, Olga Voitovych, Nathan Hodge and Vasco Cotovio

Russian security officials claimed Thursday that a small Ukrainian armed group had crossed the Russian border into the southern Bryansk region, claims dismissed by a top Ukrainian official as a "classic deliberate provocation."

The Security Service of Russia (FSB) said in a statement via state media RIA Novosti Thursday that the agency — which also oversees border control — was carrying out joint operations with the Russian Ministry of Defense to counter what it described as "armed Ukrainian nationalists who violated the state border” in the district.

Details thus far have remained vague, but Russian state news agency TASS cited an anonymous source in the Russian security services that up to six people were being held hostage in two villages in the Bryansk region of Russia on the border with Ukraine by the alleged saboteurs. The spokesperson for the governor of the Bryansk region claimed in remarks to the state-owned military channel Zvezda that a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group is operating on the territory of the village of Sushany, without providing additional information.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Putin canceled a planned trip to southern Russia Thursday due to the events and was being regularly briefed on what he described as a “terrorist attack.”

What Ukraine is saying: An adviser in the Ukrainian President’s Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, says Russia's allegation is either a provocation, or the work of local partisans taking a stand against the Kremlin, denying any Ukrainian involvement.

“Ukraine is not attacking,” Podolyak said, adding that this type of operation was consistent with previous Russian provocations. “This is classic Russia. It always goes for provocation, lies, it always creates information pretexts."

“Ukraine does not attack Russian territory, does not send special reconnaissance groups there, does not kill people, especially civilians. Ukraine does not need this. This is not a strategic object and there is no point in going there," he added.

CNN cannot independently verify the Russian claims, and local media have not carried any images of the supposed fighting. US and Ukrainian officials have in the past warned that Russia has planned so-called "false flag" attacks along Russia's border with Ukraine as a pretext for military escalation, including Russian claims ahead of last year's full-scale invasion that Ukraine was sending "saboteurs" over the Russian border.  

"The story about [a Ukrainian] sabotage group in RF [the Russian Federation] is a classic deliberate provocation," said Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine, in a statement on Twitter. "RF wants to scare its people to justify the attack on another country & the growing poverty after the year of war. The partisan movement in RF is getting stronger & more aggressive. Fear your partisans..."

Separately, the governor of Russia's southern Kursk region published a video statement on his Telegram channel claiming that a village was being shelled by Ukrainian forces. 

10:45 a.m. ET, March 2, 2023

Top US and Russian diplomats meet on sidelines of G20 for first time since Ukraine invasion

From CNN's Kylie Atwood and Fred Pleitgen

This combination of photos shows U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, walk to attend second session of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting, respectively, in New Delhi, India, on March 2.
This combination of photos shows U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, walk to attend second session of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting, respectively, in New Delhi, India, on March 2. (Manish Swarup/AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 in New Delhi, according to a State Department official traveling with Blinken.

The brief contact marks a significant moment as high-level engagements between the United States and Russia have become exceedingly rare since the start of the war last February. The meeting comes as tensions remain high over Ukraine as well as Russia’s suspension of the New START nuclear weapons treaty.

What we know about the meeting: Blinken and Lavrov spoke for roughly 10 minutes, the same official said. In the conversation, Blinken called on Russia to release Paul Whelan and restart participation in New START, as well as underscoring US support for Ukraine, according to the source.

The source also said that this meeting was unplanned and that Secretary Blinken was the one to approach Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi.

Russian Ministry of Foreign affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed to CNN that the meeting took place.

“Blinken asked for contact with Lavrov. On the go, as part of the second session of the twenty, Sergey Viktorovich (Lavrov) talked. There were no negotiations, meetings, etc,” she said.

The last time Blinken and Lavrov met in person was before the Russian invasion.

Earlier Blinken said that a meeting of G20 finance ministers was "marred" by the war in Ukraine.

"Unfortunately, this meeting has again been marred by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine, deliberate campaign of destruction against civilian targets, and its attack on the core principles of the UN Charter," he said.

6:48 a.m. ET, March 2, 2023

Germany urges China not to arm Russia and instead discuss peace plan with Ukraine

From CNN's Nadine Schmidt in Berlin

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, on March 2.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, on March 2. (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged China not to provide weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, instead asking Beijing to use its influence in Moscow to work for peace.

"My message to Beijing is clear: use your influence in Moscow to persuade the withdrawal of Russian troops," Scholz told German lawmakers at the Bundestag on Thursday.

"And do not deliver any weapons to Moscow."

Scholz also referred to China's position paper on Ukraine, in which Beijing reiterated its calls for a political settlement to the Ukraine conflict and stressed its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons.

The 12-point document is part of China's efforts to present itself as a neutral peace broker, as it struggles to balance its "no-limits" friendship with Moscow and fraying relations with the West as the war drags on.

''It is very positive that China has sent out this clear signal and in its 12-point plan has said that there can be no use of chemical or biological weapons,'' Scholz said. 

''However, China should be discussing this 12-point plan with those most involved - such as President Zelensky," he added. "At the G20 meeting there was no will unfortunately to emphasize that message.''

Some context: Beijing is coming under increasing pressure from the United States and its allies over its growing partnership with Moscow.

China's claim to neutrality is severely undermined by its refusal to acknowledge the nature of the conflict — it has avoided calling it an "invasion" — and its diplomatic and economic support to Russia.

For example, China and Russia were the only two G20 nations to refuse to sign a joint statement condemning the invasion produced during a meeting of finance ministers in India on Saturday.

6:20 a.m. ET, March 2, 2023

Russia and China reject "attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries" at G20

From CNN’s Martin Goillandeau and Irina Morgan

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on the sidelines of G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, India, on March 2.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on the sidelines of G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, India, on March 2. (Russian Foreign Ministry/Reuters)

Russia and China have “unanimously rejected” what they called “attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries" at the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting on Thursday.

The two nations expressed a “high degree of closeness and concurrence of positions” on the situation in Ukraine, according to a Russian readout of a meeting between Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Qin Gang.

Lavrov and Qin said they also rejected attempts "to impose unilateral approaches through blackmail and threats, and to oppose the democratization of international relations.”

Some context: G20 officials are gathered for a series of events in India, the current holder of the group's presidency.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for nations to “rise above [their] differences," adding that “multilateralism is in crisis."

8:12 a.m. ET, March 2, 2023

Artillery heard almost constantly in Chasiv Yar, soldiers fear they may be next after Bakhmut

From CNN’s Seb Shukla, Alex Marquardt and Kosta Hak in Chasiv Yar

A Ukrainian servicemen gestures as he rides a tank in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on March 2.
A Ukrainian servicemen gestures as he rides a tank in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on March 2. (Lisi Niesner/Reuters)

Regular and sustained artillery could be heard around the Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar, five kilometers (more than 3 miles) west of the besieged city of Bakhmut, reported by a CNN team on the ground.

CNN witnessed convoys of Ukrainian armored vehicles heading in both directions along the main supply road into Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine on Thursday. One tank group gave CNN the "V" for victory sign. 

Ukrainian “infantry are fighting against what remains of the Wagner group and at least two Russian paratrooper battalions," a soldier who has been in Bakhmut for weeks told CNN.

Another Ukrainian soldier said they had no intention of retreating from Bakhmut.

“If we leave Bakhmut, Russians will start destroying the next Ukrainian villages and towns,” they said. 

Chasiv Yar would likely be the next target for Russian forces should they claim Bakhmut, according to Ukrainian military officials.

CNN spoke with residents in the town at a bus stop serving as a delivery point for tarpaulin to cover their windows.

One elderly lady, Valentina, said that many shells were flying overhead and that from certain points in the town “you can walk to Russian positions.”

Some context: Ukrainian commanders and soldiers have described the situation in and around Bakhmut as extremely difficult in the past few days.

Ukraine's military general staff has acknowledged that Russian forces have been able to make gains in the city and were no longer operating only on the outskirts.

Ukrainian commanders have also said they are not planning on withdrawing from Bakhmut yet.

5:49 a.m. ET, March 2, 2023

Western allies discussing "security guarantees" with Kyiv, says German Chancellor Scholz

From CNN's Nadine Schmidt in Berlin

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, on March 2
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, on March 2 (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)

Germany and its Western allies are in talks with Kyiv over future security guarantees in preparation for peace for Ukraine, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“Such security guarantees however come with the presumption that Ukraine successfully defends itself in this war," Scholz told lawmakers in the German parliament, emphasizing that Germany would continue to support Kyiv with weapons supplies.

In his address to the German parliament on Thursday, Scholz renewed calls for Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

However, Scholz said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not currently open to negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

"Is Putin even ready... to negotiate a just peace? Nothing suggests it at the moment," he said. 

Instead, the Russian president was relying on "threats" such as the suspension of Moscow's participation in the New START nuclear arms control pact, said Scholz.

His speech came just over a year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

On February 27, 2022, Scholz made a historic speech in parliament, outlining a major U-turn in Germany's security and defense policy.

Since then, Germany has reversed its policy over never sending weapons into conflict zones, unwound its business relationship with Russia and increased investments in its own military. 

8:13 a.m. ET, March 2, 2023

Russian forces making gains within Bakhmut

From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio and Olga Voitovych

Damaged buildings in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on February 27.
Damaged buildings in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on February 27. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images)

Russian forces are advancing within the city of Bakhmut, according to the Ukrainian military and analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The small, eastern city appears to be close to falling to Russia. Its capture would mark progress for Russian forces, as well as giving them a springboard to target urban areas further west.

“In the Bakhmut direction, the enemy continues to advance,” the Ukrainian military General Staff said on Thursday, also suggesting there is a Russian presence within the city rather than just on the outskirts.

The ISW says Russian forces “advanced within Bakhmut and continued ground attacks around the city.”

Despite Russian advances, the Ukrainian military says it is not planning to withdraw from Bakhmut and is still holding its ground in the city.

“Our defenders repelled attacks in the areas of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Dubovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut and Ivanivske,” the General Staff said on Thursday.

Russian forces are reportedly using highly trained fighters from the Wagner mercenary group in the assault on Bakhmut.

Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has said he is skeptical that Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the city, and has told Russian media that the Ukrainian military is transferring large numbers of reserves to the area.

3:48 a.m. ET, March 2, 2023

Ukraine war is a "litmus test" for European credibility, says Dutch foreign minister

From CNN's Manveena Suri in New Delhi

Wopke Hoekstra, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, speaks to the media on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, India, on March 2.
Wopke Hoekstra, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, speaks to the media on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, India, on March 2. (Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images)

The foreign minister of the Netherlands on Thursday described the Russia-Ukraine war as a "litmus test" for Dutch, European — and global — credibility.

“There’s much more than just Ukrainian sovereignty at stake here," Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra told reporters on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.

"There are universal values at stake, there’s European safety and security at stake, and in the end, this war is also a litmus test for European and Dutch and global credibility.” 

The Netherlands would continue to support Ukraine for the long haul, he said, adding that the already year-long war might continue "for a very long time."

“Bear in mind, the Russians waged war for nine years in Afghanistan, decades in eastern Europe,” he said. “The reality might well be that this will stay with us for a very long time.”