Here's what you need to know about the Ukraine crisis right now:
Headlines
* Russian missiles pounded Kyiv on Friday, families cowered in shelters and authorities told residents to prepare petrol bombs to defend Ukraine's capital as Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the Ukrainian military to seize power and make peace. read more
* Russian forces advancing towards Kyiv on "two axis," strikes ongoing, Ukrainian forces putting up "strong resistance," British defence intelligence chief says. read more
*Western allies say Putin's goal is to install a puppet government in Ukraine. read more
* Ukraine's president Zelenskiy spoke to Biden about strengthening sanctions, defence assistance. read more
* NATO allies will provide more weapons to Ukraine, and will make significant additional deployments of forces to the Eastern part of the alliance. read more
* The EU agreed to freeze any European assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. read more
* Moscow said its forces captured the strategic Hostomel aerodrome outside Kyiv and landed paratroopers in the area. This could not immediately be confirmed and the Ukrainian authorities reported heavy fighting there. read more
* Russia accused Ukraine of going silent on possibility of talks.
* Ukraine wants peace and is ready for talks with Russia, including on a neutral status regarding NATO, a presidential office adviser told Reuters.
* Ukraine's nuclear agency said it was recording higher "but not critical" radiation levels from the site of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant, captured by Russian forces. read more
* Ukraine accused Russian troops on Friday of firing on ambulances in the Zaporizhzhya and Chernihiv regions and on a psychiatric hospital in Chernihiv.
* Ukraine said two commercial ships were hit by Russian missiles near Odessa. read more
* The invasion could drive up to 5 million people to flee abroad, U.N. aid agencies said on Friday, adding that at least 100,000 people are already uprooted in the country and fuel, cash and medical supplies are running low. read more
* Kyiv residents are hiding in underground metro stations, in other cities residents, including tens of thousands of foreign students, packed into bunkers and basements to shelter from a barrage of shelling.
* Guards fire warning shots as Ukrainians try to cram onto evacuation trains. read more
* The United States, Britain, Canada, the EU, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and others unveiled sanctions against Russia, targeting banks, military exports and members of President Vladimir Putin's inner circle. read more
* Stocks rallied and oil prices eased as investors welcomed sanctions that did not block Russia from the SWIFT global payments system and left its energy sector largely untouched.
* Russia's foreign ministry said on Friday that threats of sanctions coming from London will not deter Russia, but will only lead to a new escalation.
* China stuck to a message of declining to call Russia's action an "invasion". read more
* Several countries closed their airspace to Russian airlines, and Russia retaliated. Russia's S7 Airlines (AVSII.MM) suspended all flights to Europe on Feb. 26-March 13.
Quotes
- "The city has gone into a defensive phase. Shots and explosions are ringing out in some neighbourhoods. Saboteurs have already entered Kyiv," said Kyiv's mayor, former world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitchko. "The enemy wants to put the capital on its knees and destroy us."
- "I once again appeal to the military personnel of the armed forces of Ukraine: do not allow neo-Nazis and (Ukrainian radical nationalists) to use your children, wives and elders as human shields," Putin said at a televised meeting with Russia's security council. "Take power into your own hands, it will be easier for us to reach agreement."
- "You still can stop this aggression. You have to act swiftly," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, urging Europe to act more forcefully in imposing sanctions on Moscow.
Coming events
* The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote at 2000 GMT on a draft resolution condemning Russia and requiring it to unconditionally withdraw. read more
Reuters
