"Military operation" in Ukraine. Online March 3

Early on the morning of February 24, Vladimir Putin addressed the Russians and announced the start of a " special military operation " in Ukraine. The Bell is broadcasting the consequences of this decision online for the eighth day in a row.

18:28 Bloomberg gives some details of Putin's conversation with Macron from the West. The conversation took place at the initiative of Putin, and the Russian president told Macron that everything was going according to his plan in Ukraine, and that “it would get worse” (quoted by Bloomberg). Putin also said that Russia did not bomb Kyiv and does not attack civilians.

18:14 Self-restrictions in action: FAS writes that the main X5 retailers - Pyaterochka, Perekrestok and Karusel - sent their "suggestions on the parameters of voluntary obligations." Mark-ups for a number of positions of 4 categories of goods will not exceed 5% of the maximum purchase price actually valid at the time of pricing. These categories include dairy products, sugar, borscht vegetables, bread and bakery products. The restriction comes into effect on March 3.

Similar proposals have already been submitted by Auchan Retail, Tander JSC (Magnit) and O'Key LLC. The FAS "emphasizes that the acceptance by retail chains of obligations to limit the level of markups is voluntary."

17:56 The Chinese State Bank AIIB has stopped all lending to Russia and Belarus. Wording: the bank is a multilateral organization created by an international agreement, respectively, the focus is on compliance with international laws. "In these circumstances, in the interests of the bank, the management has decided that all operations related to Russia and Belarus are stopped or are being reviewed."

17:38 Belta has put a screensaver of the talks between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine on the YouTube broadcast. From the countdown it follows that the broadcast should start at 18:00. Upd: At 17:50 Belta showed the arrival of the delegations and the exchange of handshakes - more than cold. Soundless. This ended the broadcast. Zelensky's office confirmed the start of negotiations.

17:19 The Dozhd TV channel has suspended its work, said the general director of the channel, Natalia Sindeeva. “We need strength to exhale and understand how to work further. We really hope that we will return to the air and continue to work, ”Sindeeva said. Earlier, the editor-in-chief of the channel Tikhon Dzyadko left Russia.

17:10 New briefing by the Russian Defense Ministry. The first information about the arrival of mercenaries in Ukraine comes from Croatia, as well as about contract soldiers from private military companies. It is they who use the NLAW and Javelin anti-tank systems, says Konashenkov. “The best thing that awaits foreign mercenaries upon arrest is criminal prosecution. We urge citizens of foreign countries planning to go to fight for the Kiev nationalist regime to think twice before the trip, ”the representative of the Ministry of Defense warned.

17:00 Georgia also applied for EU membership. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said that the country hopes to "walk this path with the Abkhaz and Ossetian compatriots."

16:47 The IEA has written a plan for Europe to reduce dependence on Russian gas. If it is carried out resolutely and does not spare investments, the need for Russian raw materials can be completely eliminated as early as 2030. And this year - to reduce demand by a third.

16:36 The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on the forced seizure of Russian property. And also about the general mobilization and toughening of responsibility for looting, sabotage and treason - up to life imprisonment.

16:02 The Kremlin, before the start of the still planned negotiations of the delegations, published a release about the conversation between Putin and Macron. It follows from this that there has been no significant change in Russia's position.

• The tasks of the military operation will be fulfilled in any case (Lavrov also stated this during a press conference), delay will lead to additional requirements;
• Russia demands demilitarization and neutral status of Ukraine;
• Allegations of rocket attacks and bombing of Kyiv are an element of disinformation.

Macron bluntly called the statements that Russia in Ukraine is fighting Nazism “a lie”, in response, Putin explained to the French President the role of neo-Nazis in the Ukrainian government.

15:53 ​​The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published a 10-point plan for Europe to reduce dependence on Russian natural gas. It will reduce Russian gas imports by more than a third, and with some additional temporary measures, even more, the agency writes. Now Europe imports 45% of gas from Russia, it accounts for about 40% of consumption.

15:10 The Prosecutor General's Office issued a statement on the consequences of participating in "supposedly peaceful" anti-war "actions." Participation in the action in it is equated to involvement in the activities of a banned radical organization, participation in which entails criminal liability under the extremist Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation . The maximum sanction of this part of the article is six years in prison.

14:34 Macron held telephone conversations with Putin, then with Zelensky. The talks of the delegations should begin soon.

14:08 in Russia IKEA is also stopping , which users around the world have criticized for not doing this so far. Mega centers will continue to work so that Russians continue to have access to goods of daily necessity. The decision will affect 15,000 employees of the company in Russia. They will continue to receive their salary for another three months.

14:00 The main thing that was taken away from Lavrov's press conference abroad is that the minister promised to bring the "military operation" in Ukraine to an end. Almost all the headlines are about this. In second place are the words that Lavrov accuses the West of increasing the threat of nuclear war.

13:43 Production in Russia is stopped by Volkswagen, which came to the country a long time ago and created a full-cycle plant in the Kaluga region. Import deliveries stop immediately.

13:32 France confiscated a yacht owned by a company controlled by the head of Rosneft Igor Sechin - this is Amore Vero, the former Princess Olga. Today, Germany confiscated Alisher Usmanov's giant Dilbar yacht in Hamburg.

13:25 Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, assured that the Kremlin is not considering the issue of nationalizing the property of foreign companies in Russia.

13:20 There are more and more companies, one way or another, suspending work in Russia or deliveries to the country, and it is already difficult to list them (but for now The Bell plans to do this in the evening mailing list). The list added Jysk, the main competitor of IKEA, Lego and even the satellite company OneWeb, which depends on Soyuz launches to replenish the satellite constellation.

Clarification . The press service of Lego announced that it is temporarily suspending the supply of sets to Russia. This, she notes, is due to "operational difficulties in delivering products to Russian stores against the backdrop of an aggravation of the global situation."

13:15 The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky , said that negotiations with the Ukrainian side should begin around 15:00 today.

13:12 Lavrov ended the press conference by urging journalists to be guided by facts, not emotions, and visit the website of the Ministry (Foreign Ministry) more often, where there are materials about Ukraine's crimes in the Donbass.

13:09 Lavrov: “We will solve all the problems that the West creates for us from the desire to use Ukraine as an excuse to prevent Russia from pursuing an independent policy. Sanctions are a kind of tax on independence.”

13:05 Lavrov: If they expect the world to be different, Russia will sit under the bench and obey the dictates - remember the story.

13:01 Dmitry Peskov called "clean ducks" talk about the introduction of martial law in Russia: "you need to be very careful about all the information."

12:51 Oleg Deripaska spoke out against Russia's military operation at the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum. “We have not yet faced such challenges. The iron curtain has already descended. I am asked very much not to say this, but I am for peace. In three weeks it will become clear what will happen to the banks. Let's see who will remain from our partners. I think we'll be very surprised how many of them are left. They can be counted on the fingers of the hand <…> We take the crisis of 1998 and multiply it by three,” Deripaska said.

12:36 Meanwhile, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky released his own video message. In it, he promised to restore "every house, every street, every city" and advised Russia to learn the words "reparations" and "contributions."

12:20 Sergey Lavrov's speech to journalists:

• The West creates a picture like in Hollywood - absolute evil and absolute good;
• We are ready for dialogue, but on the terms of equality;
• A solution to the crisis around Ukraine will be found, Russia's conditions are minimal.
• The talk about nuclear war is “underway”, but pay attention to who – starting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "It's in the head of Western politicians that a nuclear war is spinning." We will not allow provocations to throw us off balance, but we will respond to plans for nuclear war.
• The question of the death of children in the "special operation". Lavrov interrupts: The West is blocking Russian sources, while provocations are being prepared in Ukraine, citizens are being used as human shields, and neo-Nazis are looting. “Time does not allow me to list the facts, I invite you to the website of the ministry.”
• A question from China about the compatibility of Zelensky's nationality and neo-Nazism. Lavrov: neo-Nazis are protesting under Zelensky, and he is also signing the law “on the indigenous peoples of Ukraine” and on the ban on the Russian language “in everyday life.”
• What is the status of the negotiations? Negotiations have not started yet, there will be a statement from the Ukrainian side.
• Russia is isolated in the political arena, only five countries voted against the resolution of the UN General Assembly. Is this a diplomatic fiasco? Lavrov: this is not a fiasco, but the diplomatic [art] of the West, which has successfully hushed up 8 years of murder in the Donbass. Russia stood up to defend its interests.
• Are there any plans to change the situation in Ukraine? This should be decided by the people of Ukraine, or rather all the peoples of a multinational country.
• How do you sleep at night knowing that bombs kill children? Look into my eyes. Lavrov: every human life is priceless. But the Russian Armed Forces have an order to use only high-precision weapons. I express my condolences. But there are hundreds of such testimonies? Lavrov: Have you ever covered the situation in Iraq and Libya with such anguish. We will not play such games. “Remember how you behaved for 8 years when such girls in Donbas were killed by the Ukrainian regime.”

11:41 While Ekho Moskvy continues to broadcast on YouTube, Roskomnadzor demanded that Google service stop displaying unreliable advertising materials about Russia's "special military operation in Ukraine" in Russia. According to the department, they “contain disinformation aimed at creating a distorted perception of current events among the Russian Internet audience and creating protest moods.”

11:36 Amendments on responsibility at 15 years for fakes about the Russian army, meanwhile, quickly go through all the necessary stages: today they were approved by the relevant committee of the State Duma.

11:17 Lavrov's deputy Sergey Ryabkov:

• The goals of the "special military operation" will be achieved;
• There will be no return to the old relations between Russia and the West;
• Russia does not intend to break relations with the US;
• Russia believes that the dialogue with Ukraine has prospects.

Meanwhile, there is still no decision on the time and place of new talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

11:08 The Board of Directors liquidated Ekho Moskvy - both the radio and the website (YouTube - the channel is still working). It is possible that Pobeda radio will begin broadcasting at the frequency of the radio station.

11:04 SAP "as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine" sales and support in Russia has stopped all sales and support in Russia. This is a strong blow to the entire corporate sector, for which SAP solutions are the de facto standard. On the eve of work in Russia suspended the main competitor - Oracle. “We continue to support existing customers within the framework of contractual obligations to the extent that sanctions and export control restrictions allow. We have put on pause the conclusion of new contracts in Russia,” the company later specified.

10:55 After news about credit holidays for Russians and Putin's amendment to the agreement on CSTO peacekeeping activities, the dollar on the Moscow Exchange began to cost more than 110 rubles (at 10:55 - 114 rubles).

The main economic news of the morning:

The main morning news for Russians who are still hoping to buy currency on the stock exchange is the Central Bank's order for brokers to take a commission of 30% from individuals when buying currency on the stock exchange. The Central Bank justified the decision by the fact that such a commission equalizes the competition between brokers and banks, which have different buying and selling rates.

De facto, this should help the Central Bank to keep the ruble - and indeed, at the opening, the dollar exchange rate briefly fell below 100 rubles (by 10:20 - 104 rubles).

The main economic news is Fitch's downgrade of Russia's long-term foreign currency default rating to "B" from "BBB". On the Fitch scale, this means that the risk of default is significant, but the country has a limited margin of safety. Meanwhile, Moody's downgraded Russia's rating by six notches to B3 with the possibility of further downgrades. In addition to the unexpectedly strong effect of sanctions, Russia's position is undermined by the exposed weakness of its institutions, the agency writes.

FTSE Russell and MSCI will remove Russian securities from all indices as "non-investable".