Washington/Lviv/Beijing - Ukraine must hold off Russia's attack for the next seven to 10 days to deny Moscow claiming any sort of victory, said Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, as more than 2 million refugees fled the biggest assault on a European country since World War Two.

Denysenko, said Russia was desperate for at least some kind of victory, citing the cities of Mariupol or the capital Kyiv as the most likely targets. "They need at least some victory before they are forced into the final negotiations," he wrote on Facebook.

Russia said it would provide humanitarian corridors on Wednesday for people fleeing Kyiv and four other Ukrainian cities. The only operating corridor is that from the city of Sumy, which opened on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s general staff of the armed forces said in a statement that it was building up defenses in cities in the north, south and east, and that forces around Kyiv, the capital, were resisting the Russian offensive with unspecified strikes and “holding the line.”

Oil ban spikes prices
The United States banned imports of Russian oil in a major new step in the Western-led effort to halt the war by crippling Russia's economy, sparking a further increase in the oil price. Prices have surged more than 30% since Russia - the world's second-largest exporter of crude - invaded its neighbour on Feb. 24. Benchmark Brent crude futures were last at $130.6 per barrel.

Britain said it would phase out the import of Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022, while the European Union published plans to cut its reliance on Russian gas by two thirds this year.

Air raid sirens shriek in Ukraine
Air raid sirens blared over Ukraine’s capital on Wednesday as officials said they were bolstering defenses in key cities threatened by Russian forces.

In Kyiv, back-to-back air alerts Wednesday morning urged residents to get to bomb shelters as quickly as possible over fears of incoming Russian missiles. An all-clear was given for each alert soon afterward. Such alerts are intermittent, keeping people on edge.

The city of Mariupol has been surrounded by Russian soldiers for days and a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the encircled city of 430,000.

Corpses lie in the streets of the city, which sits on the Asov Sea. Hungry people break into stores in search of food and melt snow for water. Thousands huddle in basements, trembling at the sound of Russian shells pounding their city.

China sends aid to Ukraine
China is sending humanitarian aid including food and daily necessities worth 5 million yuan ($791,000) to Ukraine while continuing to oppose sanctions against Russia.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters an initial batch was sent to the Ukrainian Red Cross on Wednesday with more to follow “as soon as possible.”

China has largely backed Russia in the conflict and Zhao reiterated Beijing’s opposition to biting economic sanctions against Moscow.
-Reuters/AP