March 7, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

Young children are among the 1.5 million people who have fled Ukraine since the war began -- and some are forced to make the journey alone.

One video shows a young boy past the border in Poland, walking ahead of a group of adults. Apparently alone, he sobs as he walks, wrapped in a coat and carrying only a plastic bag of belongings. He looks impossibly small on the sidewalk, standing separate from other evacuating families.

The majority of refugees have fled into Poland, with others crossing into Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova and Romania.

Watch the moment:

Millions of lives could be destroyed to slake Vladimir Putin's Cold War obsession.

Less than three weeks into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the world is looking on in horror at the human tragedy, appalling destruction and worldwide reverberations sparked by one man's orders.

Ukraine's fate starkly underlines that even 20 years into the 21st century, and despite the world's vows to learn from history, a lone autocrat who has ruthlessly fashioned a political system to eliminate dissent and reality itself has the power to cause unfathomable human loss and misery.

Putin's apparent willingness to bombard Ukraine into submission and clearly gratuitous targeting of the innocent civilians he insisted are Russian kin mean the humanitarian disaster is likely only just beginning.

More than 1.5 million refugees have already fled the country, according to the United Nations. Millions more will likely follow -- as family lives, jobs and communities are shattered. That's without the thousands of civilians sure to die in a prolonged Russian blitzkrieg.

If harrowing video of Ukraine was in black and white, it would be easy to mistake it for historic newsreel of World War II, the last time such scenes of devastation and cruelty were inflicted by one sovereign nation on another in Europe.

And it all flows from the mind of a Russian President apparently motivated by his own historic scars as a KGB officer in East Germany when the Berlin Wall fell. Putin, seeking to redraw the post-Cold War map of Europe, has now engineered the counterpoint to those joyous scenes three decades later in his relentless bombardments designed to revive Russia as a super power.

Read the full analysis:

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Analysis: Putin is wreaking carnage in Ukraine and no one can stop him

New Zealand's government is working to pass a bill that will allow the country to further sanction Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in a news conference Monday.

What's in the bill: The bill will allow the government to target individuals, companies, services, and assets of those associated with the invasion, including those of oligarchs, Ardern said.

It will also prevent those who are sanctioned from moving assets into New Zealand, including superyachts, ships and aircrafts, and will prevent them from entering New Zealand waters or airspace, Ardern said.

She added that these measures may be extended to other states "complicit with Russia’s illegal actions,” such as Belarus.

Ardern said the bill will be introduced into Parliament on Wednesday, with hopes of it passing by the end of the day. 

The bill only applies to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and will allow new sanctions to be applied as approved by the Foreign Minister, it added. 

Travel ban: On Monday, New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade also published a travel ban list of over 100 individuals associated with Russia’s invasion, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The measure was previously announced on February 24, and is expected to further expand in coming weeks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin "believes he is like the czars," the imperial dynasty that ruled Russia for centuries, said a US expert who worked in the former Obama administration.

"Putin has certainly used the Russian Orthodox Church in order to serve his goals," said Anna Makanju, former director for Russia at the US National Security Council, on Sunday.

Some history: The Russian Orthodox Church had historically served as a pillar of legitimacy and support for the Romanov czars. When communist radicals swept to power during the Bolshevik revolution, they targeted the Russian Orthodox Church and tore down churches that had been place of worship for the czars.

But in the nearly 26 years since the Soviet Union’s collapse, the role of the Church has transformed, and is now actively promoted by the Kremlin as a defining characteristic of Russian identity.

President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent of the atheist Soviet Union, now embraces his Orthodox Christianity. The Russian leader is often shown on national television broadcasts attending church services and paying respect to the church leadership.

Putin's push: As Putin steps up his assault on Ukraine, some international observers have commented that he may "trying to rebuild the USSR," said Makanju, referring to the Soviet Union which lasted from 1922 to 1991.

"I think that's not quite right -- he's trying to take it back to 1889," she said.

As the war drags into its third week, the destruction and death toll is mounting. If you're just reading in now, here are the latest Russia-Ukraine developments:

Evacuating residents killed: A Russian military strike hit an evacuation crossing point in a Kyiv suburb Sunday, killing a family with two children and several other civilians trying to flee the Russian invasion, according to the city's mayor.

Two mortar or artillery shells hit the checkpoint in the suburb of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said, which has been the site of intense shelling by the Russian military in recent days.

Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn said eight civilians have been killed across the district, and international media filming at the checkpoint reported that a shell landed as a stream of civilians was coming through.

A fiery Zelensky: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of planning “deliberate murder” in the shelling of Ukrainian territory. Speaking in a Facebook video on Sunday, Zelensky added that “God will not forgive” on “Forgiveness Sunday." 

Zelensky said he has not heard from any allies on Sunday.

“And I have not heard a reaction from any world leader today," he said. "From no Western politician. There are no reactions to this announcement. Think about the sense of impunity of the occupiers: they announce the atrocities that are planned. Why?”

Nuclear fears: French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the safety of nuclear power plants in Ukraine, according to a Kremlin readout of the call.

Macron also spoke with Zelensky afterward, reiterating "the absolute necessity to avoid any attack on the integrity of Ukrainian civil nuclear facilities."  

Russia steps up its assault: Russia has fired a total of 600 missiles since the invasion of Ukraine began, a senior US defense official said, and Russia has committed approximately 95% of its amassed combat power inside Ukraine. 

The US has observed ongoing fighting in Kherson and Mykolaiv on Monday, the official said, and Russian forces are still trying to encircle Kyiv, Khakhiv and Chernihiv, as well as Mariupol.  

Anti-war protests: At least 4,640 people were detained in Russia on Sunday for participating in anti-war rallies across the country, according to an independent human rights monitoring group tracking detentions. 

Protesters in St. Petersburg, Russia were violently beaten by police, videos posted to social media show. CNN has geolocated and verified the authenticity of the videos, which were taken on Sunday evening.

Businesses withdraw: Netflix said Sunday that it will stop selling and providing its streaming video service in Russia for the time being. Major Hollywood studios have also postponed new movie releases in the country. Earlier Sunday, TikTok and American Express also suspended service inside Russia.  

Russia has fired a total of 600 missiles since its invasion of Ukraine began, a senior US defense official said Sunday, and it has committed approximately 95% of its amassed combat power inside Ukraine.

The US observed ongoing fighting in Kherson and Mykolaiv on Sunday and Russian forces are still trying to encircle Kyiv, Khakhiv, Chernihiv, and Mariupol, according to the official.

But the advances have been met with strong Ukrainian resistance, slowing the Russian assault. 

Meanwhile, the massive Russian convoy north of Kyiv that spans some 40 miles of road remains stalled, but there is no update on how far it is from Kyiv. Late last week, it was approximately 16 miles (25 kilometers) from Kyiv's city center.

The skies above Kyiv remain contested, and both Ukrainians and Russians retain a significant majority of their air combat power.

The official also said the US has not observed an amphibious assault near Odessa and they do not assess one is imminent.

The official could not confirm reports of Russians firing on protestors in Kyiv or violations of the ceasefire agreement to allow for humanitarian corridors. The official also could not corroborate reports the Russians are calling up reserves.

Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Sunday called for the transfer of fighter jets to Poland after a plea from Ukrainian President Zelensky for Western countries to send fighter aircraft into his country.

“I strongly urged the Secretary of State yesterday to complete this transaction. You know, the Ukrainians can fly Russian MiGs. But then Poland wants a back order, and that may be possibly F-16s,” McCaul, who is in Poland, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

A White House spokesperson confirmed to CNN on Saturday that the US is working with Poland on the possibility of Poland providing fighter jets to Ukraine along with consulting with other allies.

More on this: Following a Zoom call with Ukrainian leader President Volodymyr Zelensky, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer called on the Biden administration to facilitate the transfer of “desperately-needed” aircraft to Ukraine. 

At a Sunday press briefing, Schumer stressed that Zelensky is in short supply of aircraft and that several Eastern European countries have Soviet-made jets which the Ukrainian Air Force pilots know how to operate. 

“Today I’m announcing the push for the U.S. administration to explore all feasible options to transfer these desperately needed aircraft to Ukraine,” Schumer said. “We are asking our administration to do everything they can to facilitate the transfer of planes from Eastern Europe to Ukraine.” 

American Express is the latest credit card company to announce it is ending its operations in Russia as its invasion into Ukraine escalates.

On Sunday, the company said in a statement that globally issued American Express cards will no longer work in Russia, and cards issued in Russia won't work outside the country.

American Express also said it is ending its business operations in Belarus.

Mastercard said Saturday it was suspending its network services in Russia, and Visa also announced Saturday it was suspending all operations there.

TikTok said Sunday it is suspending some features in Russia in light of the country’s new law penalizing misinformation. 

The company added in a blog post: “We will continue to evaluate the evolving circumstances in Russia to determine when we might fully resume our services with safety as our top priority.”