Day 17: Sirens sound as Russian troops regroup for possible Kiev assault 

Air raid sirens have been heard across most cities in Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying his country has "reached a strategic turning point" in the war with Russian forces appearing to regroup for a possible assault on Kiev.

Sirens started in the capital city, the western city of Lviv in Odessa, and Kharkiv, Cherkasy, as well as in the Sumy region in northeast of the country early Saturday, reports said.

Speaking in a video posted online, Zelensky urged Ukrainians to be patient, insisting the country will prevail despite reports of Russian forces striking near airports in the western part of Ukraine for the first time.

Zelensky implored those who have stayed to "hold on," adding, "Be sure to fight. Be sure to give your all strength." 

On Friday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov announced that Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk airfields had been "put out of action" in missile attacks. 

Russia says it will halt the military operation instantly if Kiev meets Moscow's list of conditions, including that Ukraine never attempts to join NATO.

'Bennett wants us to surrender': Senior Kiev official

A Ukrainian government official said Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has urged Zelensky to accept his Russian counterpart’s demands.

The official sharply criticized Bennett's efforts at mediating the crisis, saying the prime minister was "using the mediation as an excuse to justify the fact that Israel is avoiding transferring military aid to Ukraine or joining the sanctions slapped on Russia".

The senior official, who spoke to the Walla and Haaretz news sites on condition of anonymity, said Bennett was serving as a mailbox between Ukraine and Russia.

“We do not need a mailbox. We have enough of these,” the official continued. “President Zelensky’s office does not believe this is the way to mediate. If Bennett wants to be neutral and mediate, we would like to see him appoint someone who will deal with the matter day and night to try and reach a compromise.”

Last week, Bennett and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukraine crisis in Moscow, followed by a phone call with Zelensky. In his last phone call with Zelensky, Bennett sought to persuade the Ukrainian president to accept Putin's offer, the official said, according to the Walla and Haaretz reports.

On February 24, Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine after weeks of shelling of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) by Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine conflict: Russia says military operation will stop ‘in a moment’ if Ukraine meets its conditions

Kremlin says Russian military action will stop ‘in a moment’ if Ukraine meets conditions.

Russia on Monday set conditions to stop the military strikes, saying Kiev needed to “recognize that Crimea is Russian territory,” and Donetsk and Lugansk are “independent states. And that’s it. It will stop in a moment.”

Pentagon revives team to speed arms to Ukraine and allies, sources say

The Pentagon is planning to use a special team in response to increased demand for new weapons sales and requests to transfer existing weapons among US allies, three people familiar with the effort said.

This comes as countries including Ukraine are scrambling to obtain arms following Russia's military operation, the people told Reuters.

The Pentagon's office of Acquisition and Sustainment, the weapons buyer for the US Department of Defense, has been dealing with increased demand from European allies hoping to send weapons to Ukraine through third party transfers or to purchase arms to strengthen their own defenses, the sources said.

The team has been revived in recent days to coordinate and cut through the bureaucracy around sales and transfers while at the same time prioritizing requests from US allies, the sources said.

Over 50 Western planes of weapons reached Ukraine before Russian op: Moscow

Over 50 Western planes of weapons reached Ukraine before Russia

The Pentagon last made use of the rapid response team during the administration of former president Donald Trump.

"As part of Department of Defense's ongoing supply chain resilience efforts, the Department is evaluating industrial base capacity to produce items critical to our national security and that of our allies and partners. This effort is focused on identifying key supply chain constraints and mitigation actions to improve capacity," a defense official said.

US imposes new sanctions on Russian billionaire, Putin spokesman's family

The US on Friday imposed sanctions on Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, three family members of Putin's spokesperson and lawmakers.

The new sanctions include 10 people on the board of VTB Bank (VTBR.MM), the second-largest lender in Russia, and 12 members of the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, according to the US Treasury Department.

"Treasury continues to hold Russian officials to account for enabling Putin's unjustified and unprovoked war," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

This comes come after Washington, on March 3, imposed sanctions on Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov and seven Russian business leaders and their families.

US sanctions Kremlin press secretary, seven Russian business leaders

The United States has imposed sanctions on Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov and seven Russian business leaders and their families.

Friday's measures extend to Peskov’s wife and two adult children.

Also among those targeted with the latest sanctions are four Novikombank board members, including chair Elena Georgieva, and ABR Management and four of its board members, including Bank Rossiya chair Dmitri Lebedev and Vice Governor of St. Petersburg Vladimir Knyaginin, the State Department said.

Eleven members of the Duma as well as speaker Vyacheslav Volodin were added to the sanctions list on Friday.

Macron threatens further ‘massive sanctions’ against Russia 

Also on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Russia might face additional sanctions if the Kremlin presses on with its military operation in Ukraine.

"If things continue in the military way... we will take further sanctions, including massive sanctions," Macron said after a summit of EU leaders at the Palace of Versailles.

Putin: Russia will emerge stronger, more independent despite West’s illegitimate sanctions

President Putin says Russia will ultimately emerge stronger and more independent after overcoming the West’s illegitimate sanctions.

The warning came a day after Putin emphasized that “sanctions on Russia are not legitimate.”

Speaking during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Putin said Russia would keep its composure in resolving the problems that would arise.  

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