Here are the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine:
– Russia encircling Kyiv –
The capital Kyiv risks being surrounded, with Russian tanks moving in on areas north and west of the capital, the Ukrainian military says, with some suburbs heavily bombarded. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak calls it a “city under siege”.
– West steps up sanctions –
The United States and its allies move to end normal trade relations with Russia, enabling them to inflict steep tariff hikes on Moscow.
Washington announces a ban on Russian seafood, vodka and diamonds, and along with the European Union, bans exports of luxury goods to Russia.
Canada imposes new sanctions on Russian oligarchs including Roman Abramovich.
– No ‘World War III’ –
US President Joe Biden again rules out any direct intervention by the United States to halt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, warning that such conflict pitting the NATO alliance against the Kremlin “is World War III”.
– ‘Unimaginable tragedy’ –
The situation in Ukraine’s southern port city Mariupol, encircled and under constant Russian shelling, is “desperate”, a top Doctors Without Borders executive says, calling for immediate action to avoid “unimaginable tragedy”.
Mariupol has been without water and power for 11 days.
The city’s mayor says it is being shelled “every 30 minutes”, with 1,200 civilians already dead and reports of people starving and of corpses in the streets.
– Care home, kindergarten hit –
An apartment block and shoe factory are hit in the first air strikes on the central city of Dnipro — until now seen as a safe haven — with a kindergarten also damaged.
A home for the disabled near Kharkiv in the east is also bombed, with 330 people there at the time, officials say.
Russia also announces the military airfields of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk, in western Ukraine closer to the Polish border, have been “put out of action”.
– ‘Massive’ sanctions –
European Union leaders eye an extra 500 million euros for military support for Ukraine and “massive” sanctions on Russia, if the Kremlin presses on with its war.
– Putin slammed for ‘hiring’ Syria fighters –
The Kremlin says Syrian fighters can fight for Russia in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin backs plans to draft in 16,000 volunteers, mostly from the Middle East.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky accuses Moscow of hiring “murderers” from a country they have destroyed, “like they are doing here to us”.
– 100,000 flee –
Around 100,000 people have been able to leave the northeastern city of Sumy, the eastern city of Izyum, and areas northwest of Kyiv in the last two days, Ukrainian officials say.
– Russia restricts Instagram –
Russia restricts access to Instagram, one of the most popular platforms there, claiming it is carrying content urging people to attack its armed forces.
– UN, Moscow accuse Facebook –
It comes after the UN voices alarm at Facebook’s decision to temporarily ease its violent speech policy after the invasion, warning it could spark hate speech.
Moscow prosecutors also open a case against its parent company — which owns Instagram — for “calling for the murder” of Russians.
The platform says it will allow statements like “death to Russian invaders” but not threats against civilians.
– UN meets on Russia bio-weapon claim –
The UN Security Council will meet Friday after Russia says biological weapons are being developed in Ukraine, claims both Washington and Kyiv deny.
The US says it is a sign Moscow could soon use the weapons itself.
– 2.5 million flee –
More than two and a half million people have fled the “senseless war” in Ukraine, the UN says — more than half to Poland.
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