February 27, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Helen Regan, Steve George, Rob Picheta, Jeevan Ravindran, Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes, Maureen Chowdhury, Amir Vera and Emma Tucker, CNN

Updated 8:17 a.m. ET, February 28, 2022
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12:57 p.m. ET, February 27, 2022

BP says it will offload its 19.75% stake in the state-owned Russian oil firm Rosneft

From CNN's Anna Stewart and Niamh Kennedy in London

Oil pumping jacks in a Rosneft oilfield near Sokolovka village, Russia.
Oil pumping jacks in a Rosneft oilfield near Sokolovka village, Russia. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Oil giant BP will offload its 19.75% shareholding in Russian state-owned oil firm, Rosneft, according to a statement from the company.

"The bp board today announced that BP will exit its shareholding in Rosneft. Bp has held a 19.75% shareholding in Rosneft since 2013," the statement published on Sunday said.

Chief Executive Officer Bernard Looney will also resign immediately from Rosneft's board, according to the statement.

The British company had faced calls from the UK government to offload its ownership stake following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Looney said he “like so many" others was "deeply shocked and saddened by the situation unfolding in Ukraine," which prompted the company "to fundamentally rethink bp’s position with Rosneft."

"I am convinced that the decisions we have taken as a board are not only the right thing to do, but are also in the long-term interests of bp," the CEO added.

BP chair Helge Lund added that "the Rosneft holding is no longer aligned with bp’s business and strategy."

12:49 p.m. ET, February 27, 2022

About 120 Americans have left Ukraine in the last 24 hours, senior US defense official says

From CNN's Ellie Kaufman and Oren Liebermann

About “120 or so Americans” have left Ukraine and entered Poland in the last 24 hours, a senior US defense official told reporters Sunday morning.

These individuals “did not need US military assistance,” the official said. “They already had their plans. They already had transportation available,” the official added.

The US is “in discussions” with Polish authorities about what their needs might be and if they need American military resources to help with the flow of people across the Ukraine-Poland border, the official added.

Some 82nd Airborne troops are “poised at a couple of assembly areas farther back from the border” but they have not seen “any ‘customers’ to date,” the official said.

“If there’s a need for additional US military assistance, as the secretary has said, we’ll be poised and trained and ready to do that,” the official said. “But thus far, the Americans that we’ve seen cross the border have been able to take care of themselves quite well.”

 

1:57 p.m. ET, February 27, 2022

Remembering 1968, Czechs protest in solidarity with Ukraine

From CNN's Ivana Kottasová

People gather for a demonstration against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 27 in Prague, Czech Republic.
People gather for a demonstration against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 27 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Ondrej Deml /CTK/AP)

Tens of thousands of people attended a pro-Ukrainian rally in Prague on Sunday, filling the Czech capital’s famous Wenceslas Square to the brink.

While protests, vigils and prayer meetings in support of Ukraine are being held across the globe, the event in Prague was particularly poignant given that many of its attendees experienced a Russian invasion first hand.

More background: On Aug. 21, 1968, Soviet-led armies of the Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia, crushing the so-called Prague Spring democratic reform movement and restoring the totalitarian communist regime.

Overnight, an estimated 500,000 troops from the Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, East Germany and Bulgaria flooded the country.

At least 137 people were killed during the invasion. Tens of thousands fled the country during the weeks and months after the invasion. Soviet troops stayed in Czechoslovakia for over two decades, with the last leaving in June 1991, a year and half after the Velvet Revolution toppled the Communist regime.

Protestors take part in a demonstration against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on February 27 in Prague, Czech Republic.
Protestors take part in a demonstration against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on February 27 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Michal Cizek/AFP/Getty Images)

1:51 p.m. ET, February 27, 2022

Ukrainian president says he doesn't expect much from Monday's meeting but "let them try"

From CNN’s Tim Lister in Kyiv and Chris Liakos

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to the nation during a televised address on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to the nation during a televised address on Sunday. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a brief televised statement that he doesn’t expect much from a meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations on Monday. 

“I will say frankly, as always: I do not really believe in the result of this meeting, but let them try. So that no citizen of Ukraine would have any doubt that I, as president, did not try to stop the war when there was even a small chance,” Zelensky said.

“And while our guys are there, the president is here, the chief of staff is here, the prime minister is here, the army is here, the commander-in-chief is here. We will all defend our state and our borders,” he added.

Earlier Sunday, Ukraine’s Deputy Interior Minister Evgeny Yenin said talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations will take place Monday morning local time.

 

12:03 p.m. ET, February 27, 2022

EU bans Russian news outlets Russia Today and Sputnik

From CNN's Niamh Kennedy in London

The European Union has banned Russian news outlets Russia Today and Sputnik, according to its top diplomat Josep Borrell.

Speaking in a joint news conference in Brussels on Sunday, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy announced that the bloc would ban the two outlets in a bid "to fight" Russian disinformation.

"Today we are taking a crucial step to turn off the tap for the Russian's information manipulation in Europe by banning Russia Today and Sputnik from broadcasting in the European Union," Borrell said.

 "We are killing the snake on its neck," the diplomat continued.

 

 

12:00 p.m. ET, February 27, 2022

European Union shutting down airspace to Russia, including private jets of oligarchs 

From CNN's Jennifer Deaton

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed on Sunday that the European Union is shutting down the EU airspace to Russia.

“We are proposing a prohibition on all Russian-owned, Russian-registered and Russian-controlled aircraft. These aircraft will no more be able to land in, take off or overfly the territory of the European Union. This will apply to any plane”, von der Leyen said. 

“Our airspace will be closed to every Russian plane. And that includes the private jets of oligarchs too," she said.

Many European countries had already closed their airspace to Russian airlines and aircrafts as of Sunday, including Germany, France and Italy.

11:52 a.m. ET, February 27, 2022

Russian forces are about 31 miles outside southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, US defense official says

From CNN's Oren Liebermann

Russian forces are 50 kilometers, or approximately 31 miles, outside the city center of Mariupol, a city on the Sea of Azov in the southeast of Ukraine, a senior US defense official said. 

The US believes the city will be “well-defended” based on what the US knows about Ukrainian military positions, the official added.

Russian forces are not moving on Odessa as of right now, according to US assessments, the official said, but there is some Russian military posturing in the Black Sea.

Odessa is a port city on the Black Sea, west of Mariupol.

Russia is also trying to advance on the city of Kherson, to the east of Odessa, using forces that invaded from Crimea, the official said.

 

2:04 p.m. ET, February 27, 2022

Japan will sanction Putin and prime minister "indicates" nation will join Russian SWIFT ban, NHK reports 

From CNN's Jennifer Deaton

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks with the press in Tokyo on February 27.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks with the press in Tokyo on February 27. (Kyodo News/Getty Images)

Japan will freeze the financial assets of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin "and other key government officials" following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.

Prime Minister Fumio said Russia’s actions are a violation of international law that Japan strongly condemns, NHK reported Sunday.

He also said a united response was needed to safeguard international order, NHK reported.

Prime Minister Fumio also "indicated that Japan will join the United States and European countries in blocking selected Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment network," NHK said.

The prime minister also said Japan will provide an additional $100 million in emergency humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine, in addition to a prior pledge amounting to ‘about 100 million dollars,’ NHK reported.

SWIFT is the high-security network connecting thousands of financial institutions worldwide. Read more about it here.

11:13 a.m. ET, February 27, 2022

European Union needs to prepare for millions of Ukrainian refugees, EU Home Affairs commissioner says

From CNN’s Maddie Araujo in London

The European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said on Sunday that the EU needs to prepare for millions of Ukrainian refugee arrivals.

“It’s very difficult to guess how many, but I think we should be prepared for millions,” Johansson said. 

She added that so far “around 300,000 Ukrainians have come to the EU member states.” 

Interior ministers from across the EU are meeting in Brussels to discuss the fallout from the crisis in Ukraine.

Johansson said she will “launch a solidarity platform” to coordinate the different kind of support that member states will need, and “to Ukrainians that are fleeing Ukraine.”