Here are the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine:
– Kharkiv bombarded –
Russian forces launch a massive strike on local government headquarters in the centre of Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv, killing at least 10 people.
Eight more are killed in an air strike on a residential building, officials say
– Kyiv TV tower hit –
An apparent Russian airstrike on Kyiv’s main television tower in the city centre kills five, and knocks out some state broadcasting but leaves the structure intact.
– Kyiv braces –
Residents in Kyiv dig in as satellite images show a Russian military column dozens of miles long bearing down on the city.
Russia’s defence ministry urges people to flee.
– ‘Stop the aggressor’, Zelensky pleads –
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says in a phone call with US President Joe Biden that it is important to stop “aggressor” Russia “as soon as possible’.
– UN court to hold war hearings –
The UN’s International Court of Justice says it will hold public hearings on March 7 and 8 over Ukraine’s allegations of “genocide” by Russia.
– Nearly 680,000 refugees –
More than 677,000 people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion, the UN’s refugee agency says, with the number rising rapidly.
– ‘Sickening’, Johnson says –
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that Russia’s bombardment of Kharkiv is “absolutely sickening” and reminiscent of massacres of civilians in Sarajevo in the 1990s.
– Independent media blocked –
Russia blocks an independent TV channel and a liberal radio station for spreading “deliberately false information” about Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian news agencies report.
– Nord Stream 2 goes under –
The Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 company goes insolvent after Germany halts the gas pipeline following Moscow’s invasion.
– Russian deliveries suspended –
The world’s three biggest container shipping groups suspend non-essential deliveries to Russia.
– Russians, proxies link up –
Russia says military units invading from Crimea have joined up with pro-Moscow rebels pushing along the Sea of Azov from Donetsk.
The southern city of Kherson is surrounded by Russian troops who have set up checkpoints, its mayor says.
Russian attacks leave the strategic Black Sea port city of Mariupol to the east without electricity.
– Zelensky appeal to EU –
Zelensky asks the EU to “prove” it is with Ukraine by accepting it as a member, in a video address to the European Parliament.
“Without you, Ukraine is going to be alone,” he says.
– ‘Total economic war’ –
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire vows “total economic war” with Russia and says the West’s aim is to bring about “the collapse” of the Russian economy.
Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev responds warning, “economic wars quite often turned into real ones”.
– Race for cash –
Russians race to withdraw cash after Putin orders emergency capital controls and forces exporters to buy rubles to prop up the currency, which has hit record lows against the dollar.
– Sports sanctions stack up –
Russian athletes are barred from all competitions by World Athletics.
In tennis they are suspended from the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competitions by the International Tennis Federation.
And Russian and Belarusian cyclists are banned from professional cycling events by the UCI.
– Cannes bans Russian delegations –
The Cannes Film Festival says Russian delegations will not be welcome at this year’s event in May.
–-Soprano scraps concerts –
Russian soprano Anna Netrebko withdraws from concerts as controversy rages over her pro-Kremlin stance despite her condemnation of the war.
– Oil price soars, stocks drop –
World oil prices again soar and European and US equities sink with investors unnerved by key crude producer Russia’s attack.
– Emergency oil stocks –
The International Energy Agency (IEA) says member countries have agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves to stabilise the market.
