A state television employee burst on to Russia’s main state television evening news broadcast on Monday to protest against Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the largest sign yet of simmering discontent at the three-week war.
Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One, appeared for a few seconds live on air holding a sign that said “Stop the war — Don’t believe propaganda — They’re lying to you” and chanting “Stop the war! No to war!”
Though the channel cut the feed after a few seconds, Ovsyannikova’s unprecedented intervention was an extraordinary act of defiance after Russia ramped up already draconian censorship laws when the war began in late February.
Police detained Ovsyannikova under a new law that criminalises acts such as “discrediting the Russian armed forces” and spreading “fake news” of the conflict, said Pavel Chikov, whose Agora legal defence foundation is representing Ovsyannikova.
Though the strictest punishments carry a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years, Chikov said Ovsyannikova was likely to be fined Rbs30,000 to Rbs60,000 ($250 to $500).
Channel One told state newswire Ria Novosti it was investigating the incident.
In a video recorded beforehand and posted by Ovd-Info, a website that monitors arrests at protests, Ovsyannikova blamed Putin, Russia’s president, for the war and said she was ashamed of her role in it as a Channel One employee.
“What’s happening in Ukraine is a crime, and Russia is the aggressor. The responsibility for this aggression lies with one man: Vladimir Putin,” Ovsyannikova said.
China will face consequences if it helps Russia evade sanctions in its invasion of Ukraine, the US says.
Unnamed US officials told multiple news outlets that China had signalled willingness to provide military assistance to Russia.
The Chinese foreign ministry accused the US of spreading disinformation. Russia denied asking Beijing for military help.
The exchanges came before top US and Chinese officials met in Rome.
Media outlets, citing Washington officials, say that Russia has in recent days asked China specifically for military equipment, including drones.
On Monday, the US warned allies that China had suggested it was open to a move to provide military and economic support, media reports said.
The report came as US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, for talks in Rome.
"Mr Sullivan raised a range of issues in US-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine," a readout of the meeting said. "They also underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China."
In an earlier CNN interview, Mr Sullivan said the US was "communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them".
"We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world," he said.
He added that while the US believed China was aware that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was "planning something" before the invasion happened, Beijing "may not have understood the full extent of it".
Reuters
"Because it's very possible that [Mr] Putin lied to them the same way that he lied to Europeans and others," Mr Sullivan said.
In response, a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Beijing, Zhao Lijian, said the US had "been spreading disinformation targeting China on the Ukraine issue, with malicious intentions".
Asked if he could clarify whether China had received a request for military help from Russia, Mr Zhao said this was "fake news" but did not deny it directly. He added that China's stance had always been consistent and that China was playing a constructive role in promoting talks.
President Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said reports Russia had asked China for military assistance were not true.
"Russia possesses its own independent potential to continue the operation. As we said, it is going according to plan and will be completed on time and in full," he said.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US raised concerns with the Chinese delegation "directly and very clearly".
China has so far refrained from condemning Russia for the invasion and has said Moscow's "legitimate security concerns" should be taken seriously.
When the United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn Russia's invasion earlier this month, China was one of 35 countries that abstained.
But Beijing at the same time has expressed "unwavering support" for Ukraine's sovereignty. It has also called for peace and has said it is ready to help end the war through diplomacy. Several countries have urged China to do more to stop Russia's invasion.
The EU and US help Ukraine, China helps Russia; if that's how this goes, then it's a delineation that will make the war in Ukraine an even more consequential one.
The White House has decided to make public its claim just as President Biden's top security adviser is due to meet China's most senior diplomat. It appears to be a tactical move, to put pressure on China; presumably to either confirm or deny it.
The bigger aim could be to try to make Xi Jinping weigh up the pros and cons to his current position of what was last week called a "rock solid" relationship with Moscow.
Remember that it was just weeks ago, as the Winter Olympics opened in Beijing, that Presidents Xi and Putin declared a new alliance that had "no limit". Military aid could, clearly, be part of that.
But in the days after Russia's invasion China has condemned the UK, the US and others for giving weapons to Ukraine's military, saying they were adding "fuel to the fire".
If the US intelligence assessment is correct and Beijing follows through on that request, then they too would be "adding fuel".
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Automaker Volkswagen has been forced to temporarily shut down three of its plants in China after a new outbreak of COVID-19. The city of Shenzhen in China, with a population of 17.5 million people, is one of the biggest cities that was thrown into lockdown as the country suffers from its worst outbreak of cases yet. Two years on from the start of the pandemic, China continues to pursue a zero Covid strategy.
In the northeast of the country, Volkswagen was forced to temporarily close three of its planets in the Chinese metropolis of Changchun.
According to the spokeswoman, the time lost from the closure would be covered with extra shifts, later on, to ensure that the global supply of cars is not disrupted.
Meanwhile, Shenzhen, which is considered China's tech hub, would be under lockdown at least until March 20.
Javier Blas, an author and energy expert warned that the lockdown in Shenzhen could throw global technology supply chains into chaos.
On Twitter, he said: "China placed the 17.5 million residents of the southern city of Shenzhen into a lockdown.
"This is one of the world's most important manufacturing exports hubs, particularly for electronics (and the city is the fourth world's largest container port)."
On Monday, Foxconn, which produces iPhones for Apple, announced it would be among the businesses suspending all operations in Shenzhen.
Speaking to Fortune, Foxconn noted that it has “adjusted [our] production line to minimize the potential impact” of the lockdown in Shenzhen, tapping into the company’s “diversified production sites in China.”
However, Bloomberg reported that the port is still operating normally.
According to VW spokesperson in Beijing, the plants in Changchun, which are run in collaboration with Chinese partner FAW, are set to remain closed for three days up to and including Wednesday by order of the Chinese authorities.
According to the spokeswoman, a VW plant, an Audi plant, and a factory that manufactures components were affected.
However, she reassured that the shutdowns would not affect the output of cars being built, as the delays would be covered by extra shifts.
The US has told allies that China signalled its willingness to provide military assistance to Russia to support its invasion of Ukraine, according to officials familiar with American diplomatic cables on the exchange.
The cables, which were sent by the US state department to allies in Europe and Asia, did not say whether China had signalled that it would help Russia in the future or if it had already started providing military support. Nor did they say at which point in the conflict Beijing appeared open to offering the help.
The Financial Times reported on Sunday that Russia had made the request for assistance at some point after the start of the now three-week invasion.
The Russian request and Chinese response have sounded alarm bells in the White House. US officials believe China is trying to help Russia while its top officials publicly call for a diplomatic solution to the war.
The Chinese embassy in the US on Sunday said it had no knowledge of any Russian request or positive Chinese response to Moscow. Russia on Monday also denied making any request to China.
A senior US defence official declined to say if China had provided military support after the Russian request, but said the Pentagon was watching the situation “very, very closely”.
“If China does choose to materially support Russia in this war, there will likely be consequences for China,” the defence official said.
The official added: “We have seen China basically give tacit approval to what Russia is doing by refusing to join sanctions, by blaming the west and the United States for assistance that we’re giving Ukraine [and] by claiming they wanted to see a peaceful outcome but essentially doing nothing to achieve it.”
Jake Sullivan, US national security adviser, is expected to raise the issue in Rome today in a meeting with Yang Jiechi, China’s top foreign policy official. Before departing Washington on Sunday, Sullivan said he would warn the Chinese not to attempt to “bail out” Russia, including helping it survive the tough sanctions from the west.
“We will ensure that neither China, nor anyone else, can compensate Russia for these losses,” Sullivan told NBC television on Sunday. “In terms of the specific means of doing that, again, I’m not going to lay all of that out in public, but we will communicate that privately to China.”
Ahead of the meeting between Sullivan and Yang, the Biden administration last week asked European allies to amplify their message to China that Beijing should not help Russia circumvent sanctions, according to one European official.
China has portrayed itself as a neutral actor despite its increasingly close ties to Moscow. But Chinese media and diplomats have offered support for Russia’s justification for the invasion and blamed the US and Nato for the conflict.
Chinese media have also repeated unsubstantiated Russian claims that the US helped Ukraine build biological weapons labs.
Beijing and Moscow have grown closer in recent years, largely due to their shared disdain for the US and western military alliances such as Nato. Last month, Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement in Beijing that described their increasingly close partnership as having “no limits”.
Evan Medeiros, a China expert at Georgetown University and former top White House Asia advisor, said it would be “deeply worrisome” if China transferred weapons to Russia.
“It would be a game changer for global geopolitics,” Medeiros said. “We risk going back to the days of the Sino-Soviet alliance of the 1950s. Ukraine may become the first proxy conflict in a new Cold War.”
Image:A car burns following the bombing on Wednesday
Her hip was crushed and her pelvis detached, surgeon Timur Marin discovered.
The infant was delivered via caesarean section but showed "no signs of life", the surgeon added.
Focusing on the woman, "more than 30 minutes of resuscitation of the mother didn't produce results".
"Both died," the surgeon said.
Medics did not have time to get her name before her husband and father came to take away her body.
They were pleased she would not be placed in one of the mass graves being dug in the city, they said.
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1:03
Hospital attacks 'are war crimes'
Health Secretary Sajid Javid, asked on Sky News if the hospital bombing was a war crime, said: "Yes, I think it is."
He continued: "It's an appalling atrocity; it's a war crime because under international law you cannot attack health facilities, hospitals."
It is also one of many, he said. "The most recent information I have from the World Health Organisation is they now have documented evidence of at least 31 such attacks on health facilities, hospitals - including shelling, a couple of days ago, of a cancer hospital as well. These are war crimes."
Following the bombing in Mariupol, Russia denied it had launched strikes on a hospital in the port city. Its ambassador to the UN, and its ambassador in London, said images of the atrocity were "fake news".
Moscow claimed the building had been taken over by Ukrainian extremists and that no patients or doctors were left inside.
But Mr Javid said the "only fake news is everything we hear from Russia", adding that a possible prosecution of Russian President Vladimir Putin is already being considered.
"Today the justice secretary (Dominic Raab) will be in The Hague," he said. "He'll be meeting there with the chief prosecutor and others to offer Britain's help to gather the evidence, but also with a future prosecution of President Putin and his team (in mind)."
In other developments
Image:Mariana Vishegirskaya gave birth to a girl the day after the attack. Pic: AP
Another woman who was in the Mariupol hospital at the time, beauty blogger Mariana Vishegirskaya, said "glasses, frames, windows and walls flew apart" when the attack began.
"We don't know how it happened. We were in our wards and some had time to cover themselves, some didn't," she added.
Ms Vishegirskaya gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Veronika, the day after.
Operating theatres are being powered by emergency generators - in a city which has been without water, heat and food for more than a week.
Nurse Olga Vereshagina said one of the distraught mothers lost some of her toes in the bombing.
"All birthing mothers have lived through so much," she said.
Image:A car burns following the bombing on Wednesday
Her hip was crushed and her pelvis detached, surgeon Timur Marin discovered.
The infant was delivered via caesarean section but showed "no signs of life", the surgeon added.
Focusing on the woman, "more than 30 minutes of resuscitation of the mother didn't produce results".
"Both died," the surgeon said.
Medics did not have time to get her name before her husband and father came to take away her body.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:03
Hospital attacks 'are war crimes'
Health Secretary Sajid Javid, asked on Sky News if the hospital bombing was a war crime, said: "Yes, I think it is."
He continued: "It's an appalling atrocity; it's a war crime because under international law you cannot attack health facilities, hospitals."
It is also one of many, he said. "The most recent information I have from the World Health Organisation is they now have documented evidence of at least 31 such attacks on health facilities, hospitals - including shelling, a couple of days ago, of a cancer hospital as well. These are war crimes."
Following the bombing in Mariupol, Russia denied it had launched strikes on a hospital in the port city. Its ambassador to the UN, and its ambassador in London, said images of the atrocity were "fake news".
Moscow claimed the building had been taken over by Ukrainian extremists and that no patients or doctors were left inside.
But Mr Javid said the "only fake news is everything we hear from Russia", adding that a possible prosecution of Russian President Vladimir Putin is already being considered.
"Today the justice secretary (Dominic Raab) will be in The Hague," he said. "He'll be meeting there with the chief prosecutor and others to offer Britain's help to gather the evidence, but also with a future prosecution of President Putin and his team (in mind)."
Image:Mariana Vishegirskaya gave birth to a girl the day after the attack. Pic: AP
Another woman who was in the Mariupol hospital at the time, beauty blogger Mariana Vishegirskaya, said "glasses, frames, windows and walls flew apart" when the attack began.
"We don't know how it happened. We were in our wards and some had time to cover themselves, some didn't," she added.
Ms Vishegirskaya gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Veronika, the day after.
Operating theatres are being powered by emergency generators - in a city which has been without water, heat and food for more than a week.
Nurse Olga Vereshagina said one of the distraught mothers lost some of her toes in the bombing.
"All birthing mothers have lived through so much," she said.
Image:A car burns following the bombing on Wednesday
Her hip was crushed and her pelvis detached, surgeon Timur Marin discovered.
The infant was delivered via caesarean section but showed "no signs of life," the surgeon added.
Focusing on the woman, "more than 30 minutes of resuscitation of the mother didn't produce results".
"Both died," the surgeon said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:03
Hospital attacks 'are war crimes'
Health Secretary Sajid Javid, asked on Sky News if the hospital bombing was a war crime, said: "Yes, I think it is."
He continued: "It's an appalling atrocity; it's a war crime because under international law you cannot attack health facilities, hospitals.
It is also one of many, he said. "The most recent information I have from the World Health Organisation is they now have documented evidence of at least 31 such attacks on health facilities, hospitals - including shelling, a couple of days ago, of a cancer hospital as well. These are war crimes."
Following the bombing, Russia denied it had launched strikes on a hospital in the port city. Its ambassador to the UN, and its ambassador in London, said images of the atrocity were "fake news".
Moscow claimed the building had been taken over by Ukrainian extremists and that no patients or doctors were left inside.
Another woman who was in the building at time, beauty blogger Mariana Vishegirskaya, said "glasses, frames, windows and walls flew apart" when the attack began.
"We don't know how it happened. We were in our wards and some had time to cover themselves, some didn't," she added.
Image:Mariana Vishegirskaya gave birth to a girl the day after the attack. Pic: AP
Ms Vishegirskaya gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Veronika, the day after.
Operating theatres are being powered by emergency generators - in a city which has been without water, heat and food for more than a week.
Nurse Olga Vereshagina said one of the distraught mothers lost some of her toes in the bombing.
"All birthing mothers have lived through so much," she said.
