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What happened on 27 February 2022, day four?
Summary
A look back at the fourth day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, from nuclear alerts to talks on the Belarusian border.
What did the fourth day of the invasion look like from Kyiv, Moscow, Brussels and Ankara? On 27 February 2022, the war produced military claims, diplomatic manoeuvres and economic shocks at once.
On the ground
The Ukrainian Army announced that it remained in control of Kyiv. Regional governor Oleh Synyehubov said that Ukraine also remained in control of Kharkiv. Ukraine's military added that it had destroyed a convoy of 56 tanks near the capital and killed Chechen General Magomed Tushayev. Ukraine also said it had used Baykar Bayraktar TB2 drones against Russian forces.
Nuclear signalling
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's nuclear forces placed on high alert. He framed the order as a response to what he considered aggressive statements by NATO members.
Talks, but not in Gomel
The Kremlin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said a Russian delegation had arrived in Gomel, Belarus, for talks aimed at ending the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Belarus as a venue because it was not a neutral party in the conflict. Ukraine and Russia eventually agreed to hold negotiations the following day, 28 February, on the Belarus–Ukraine border near the Pripyat river. The Ukrainian delegation was travelling to the location via Poland for safety reasons.
Europe and Turkey respond
The European Union said it would provide fighter aircraft and finance €500 million for the procurement and delivery of weapons to Ukraine, the first time the EU had done so. It would also provide €50 million in medical supplies. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen allowed volunteers to join Ukrainian soldiers fighting against Russia.
Turkey's foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, triggered the wartime clause of the Montreux Convention. The step limited the movement of military vessels whose bases are not on the Black Sea coast.
Money and reputation
Norway's sovereign fund said it would divest its Russian holdings. In Russia, the ruble saw extreme buy–sell spreads. Bank exchanges offered 70–90 rubles per US dollar and 80–100 per euro, while sell quotes ranged from 100 rubles to more than 150 rubles per dollar. Panic selling was suspected as a reason for the swings.
Sanctions and boycotts also reached into sport. The International Judo Federation suspended Putin's titles as honorary president and ambassador of the federation, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The human toll
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimated that 368,000 refugees had fled Ukraine since the invasion began.
Taken together, the day's reports showed a war pursued on several fronts at once: in the fighting around Kyiv and Kharkiv, in nuclear rhetoric, in diplomacy over where to talk, and in finance and international institutions.
