February 28, 2022

*) Ukraine: More than 350 civilians dead 352 Ukrainian civilians have been killed during Russia's military campaign, including 14 children, according to Ukraine's Interior Ministry. An additional 1,684 people, including 116 children, have been wounded. The ministry's statement did not give any information on casualties among Ukraine's armed forces. Russia says its troops are targeting only Ukrainian military facilities, adding that Ukraine's civilian population is not in danger. *) UN: Missiles hit radioactive waste site in Kiev The United Nations' nuclear watchdog has said a radioactive waste disposal site in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev was hit with missiles in an overnight strike. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said Ukrainian authorities informed his office about the strike. There are no reports of damage to the buildings or indications of a release of radioactive material, but the IAEA is expecting the results of on-site radioactive monitoring, Grossi said. *) Russian rouble drops almost 30% Russia's rouble has plunged nearly 30 percent against the dollar after world powers imposed fresh, harsher sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. The rouble was indicated to be down 27 percent at 114.33 per dollar in offshore trading, according to Bloomberg News. The decline came after Western allies ratcheted up sanctions including blocking certain Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system *) N.Korea conducts test for developing reconnaissance satellite North Korea has reportedly conducted a test for developing a reconnaissance satellite system a day after a missile launch was detected from the country. The country's state news agency KCNA has confirmed the launch of a missile from an area near Pyongyang - without elaborating on what type of rocket had been used. The launch is for the test of a high definition photographing system, which “is of great significance in developing the reconnaissance satellite", the agency reported. And finally …