The conflict in Ukraine continues this Sunday, with several attacks taking place over the course of Saturday night. There have already been many casualties on both sides during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and, throughout the day, we’ll keep you updated with the latest developments from Kyiv and across the country in this Russia-Ukraine live blog.
Ukraine-Russia conflict: Images from the third day of the conflict
02:20 GMT / 20:20 CST: Updated figures of civilian deaths
According to Denis Monastyrsky, Minister of the Interior of Ukraine, the number of civilians killed in his country at the moment due to the conflict with Russia amounts to 352, of which 14 are children.
In addition, he added that in terms of injuries, there are 1,684 people affected, of which 116 are infants.
According to Russia, no attacks have been directed at the civilian population and they have not yet reported their deaths.
01:50 GMT / 19:50 CST: The G7 unified in support of Ukraine
The representatives of all the countries belonging to the G7 reiterated their support for Ukraine through a call led by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to the Foreign Minister of the country that was attacked by Russia, Dmytro Kuleba.
Representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, all of them, together with the United States, make up the G7.
01:20 GMT / 19:20 CST: Brazil does not take sides in the conflict
According to AP information, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro informed him in a two-hour conversation with Vladimir Putin in which he indicated that his country would remain neutral in this conflict.
Said conversation, which in principle was presumed to have taken place this Sunday, occurred at the beginning of the month during a visit by the president to the capital, Moscow.
00:40 GMT / 18:40 CST: Samantha Power, the director of USAID appeared at the border between Poland and Ukraine
“As somebody who has covered a lot of refugee crises over the years, really one of the most striking features of today’s population coming over is that it’s almost exclusively women and children and this speaks to the kind of society-wide mobilization that has occurred in Ukraine and that fighting-age men are staying behind to be part of these territorial defense units,” Samantha Power said, according to CNN.com.
00:26 GMT / 18:26 CST: 4,000 US Army soldiers deployed to Europe will have an extended tour of duty
According to John Tomasi, a spokesman for the United States Army in Europe, the 1st Armored Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division will not return home in a month as planned, it will stay in Europe due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
00:11 GMT / 18:11 CST: Moving ovation from Benfica fans for Ukraine’s Yaremchuk
Roman Yaremchuk, Benfica’s Ukrainian player, burst into tears when he entered the field of play after receiving a standing ovation from his fans during the match against Vitoria Guimaraes.
With thirty minutes left to play at the Estdio da Luz, Yaremchuk received a respectful tribute from the spectators in the stands.
In addition, as a symbolic gesture, he received the captain’s armband before running to his position on the pitch. Once there, he burst into tears, moved by the tribute he received from his fans.
23:58 GMT / 17:58 CST: Ukraine claims successful drone attacks against Russian forces
The Ukrainian military claimed that strikes by its Turkish-made drone force against Russian forces have been successful.
On Sunday, the Ukrainian Armed Forces released footage showing the destruction of armor by a drone, and said it was carried out against a Russian BUK surface-to-air missile system.
Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi said the drone strike took place near the town of Malyn, 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) northwest of Kyiv.
23:50 GMT / 17:50 CST: US Ambassador to the UN calls on the UN Security Council to take action against Russia for invading Ukraine
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the UN Security Council has taken a critical step in holding Russia accountable for invading Ukraine.
“The Security Council has taken an important step forward toward that accountability. For the first time in decades, it has called for an Emergency Special Session in the General Assembly,” Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement Sunday.
23:35 GMT / 17:35 CTS: Former Arsenal defender Oleh Luzhnyi puts coaching career on hold to fight for homeland
Former Premier League footballer Oleh Luzhnyi said he will put his coaching career on hold to stay and fight for Ukraine.
Luzhnyi is one of the most decorated Ukrainian footballers, having been part of Arsenal’s double-winning season in 2002, lifting the Premier League and FA Cup.
23:20 GMT / 17:20 CTS: Ukrainian forces described Sunday as “a difficult time”
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces described Sunday as “a difficult time”, saying Russian troops “continue shelling in almost all directions”.
In an English-language post on its Facebook page, the general staff said that the country’s air force “confronts the aggressor both in the sky and on the ground”.
23:00 GMT / 17:00 CTS: Kosovo asks US for NATO membership
Kosovo has asked the US to establish a permanent military base in the country and speed up its integration into NATO after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Kosovo’s Defence Minister Armend Mehaj.
The United States has already 635 soldiers in the Balkan country to maintain the fragile peace as part of a NATO peacekeeping mission.
“Accelerating Kosovo’s membership in NATO and having a permanent base of American forces is an immediate need to guarantee peace, security and stability in the Western Balkans,” Mehaj said.
22:45 GMT / 16:45 CTS: The biggest plane in the world destroyed at Ukrainian air base
According to the Ukraine government official Twitter account, the world’s largest aircraft, the Antonov AN-225 Mriya, was destroyed by a Russian attack on an airport near Kyiv.
Russia may have destroyed our ‘Mriya,'” said Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs. “But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free, and democratic European state.”
22:30 GMT / 16:30 CTS: UPS and FedEx suspend shipments to Russia and Ukraine
U.S.-based United Parcel Service Inc and FedEx Corp, which are two of the world’s largest logistics companies, have said they are suspending delivery service to Russia and Ukraine due to the Russian invasion.
Both inbound and outbound services to Ukraine have been suspended, as well as deliveries to destinations in Russia, the companies said in online statements.
22:11 GMT / 16:11 CTS: Satellite images show impressive Russian military column on roadway to Kiev
New satellite images show a more than 3-mile-long Russian military convoy is on a roadway that heads toward the capital city.
According to reports, the convoy was seen on satellite images on Sunday around 10:56 a.m. local time on the P-02-02 road near Ivankiv, which is about 40 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of the Ukrainian capital. The P-02-02 road goes toward Kyiv.
21:55 GMT / 15:55 CTS: New York state to cease Russian investments
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an executive order Sunday that ordered ceased investments for as long as U.S. sanctions are imposed on the country.
“The state will not permit its own investment activity, whether directly or indirectly to aid Russia as it commits these human rights violations,” Hochul said during a news conference.
21:40 GMT / 15:40 CTS: Ukraine death toll from Russian invasion hits 352 civilians, including 14 children
Ukraine’s health ministry has just said that 352 civilians, including 14 children, had been killed since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It also said that 1,684 people, including 116 children, had been wounded.
21:21 GMT / 15:21 CTS: EU approves 450 million Euros to Ukrainian military
Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy, said Sunday that the European Union will finance a large package of “lethal assistance” to held aid Ukraine in its effort to repel Russian forces.
This is the first time the EU has helped finance the purchase and delivery of weapons for a country under attack.
“We have decided to use our capacities to provide arms – lethal arms, lethal assistance – to the Ukrainian army by a value of 450 million support package and 50 more millions for the non-lethal supplies, fuel protective equipment,” Borell said. “All these will be covered by our European Peace Facility and intergovernmental fund.”
21:07 GMT / 15:07 CTS: Switzerland will freeze Russian assets, Swiss president says
Swiss President Ignazio Cassis said Sunday it was “very likely” that neutral Switzerland would follow the European Union (EU) on Monday in sanctioning Russia and freezing Russian assets in the Alpine country.
Interviewed on French-language Swiss public television, Cassis said the seven-member Federal Council would meet on Monday and consider recommendations from the finance and economy departments.
20:51 GMT / 14:51 CTS: Russia must play in neutral venues with no flags, anthems or spectators permitted, FIFA says
FIFA announced on Sunday that Russia must play all upcoming international fixtures on neutral sites under the name “football union of Russia,” as part of an initial list of sanctions due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
“First and foremost, FIFA would like to reiterate its condemnation of the use of force by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. Violence is never a solution and FIFA expresses its deepest solidarity to all people affected by what is happening in Ukraine,” the world football governing body said in a statement.
“FIFA calls again for the urgent restoration of peace and for constructive dialogue to commence immediately,” the statement continues. “FIFA remains in close contact with the Ukrainian Association of Football and members of the Ukrainian football community who have been requesting support to leave the country for as long as the current conflict persists.”
20:36 GMT / 14:36 CTS: US embassy warns Americans in Russia should consider leaving “immediately”
The U.S. Embassy in Russia on Sunday urged U.S. citizens to consider leaving “immediately” due to the growing number of airlines that are canceling flights in and out of the country and closing their airspace to Russian airlines.
“An increasing number of airlines are cancelling flights into and out of Russia, and numerous countries have closed their airspace to Russian airlines. U.S. citizens should consider departing Russia immediately via commercial options still available,” the embassy said in an advisory Sunday.
“The US Embassy reminds US citizens that the Department of State’s Travel Advisory level for Russia is at ‘Level 4: Do Not Travel,'” the statement added.
20:20 GMT / 14:20 CTS: Boris Johnson says he has doubts Putin wants to negotiate
On the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Boris Johnson said he has doubts that Putin wants to negotiate, adding, “There’s nothing I’ve seen so far in his behaviour that leads me to think that he could possibly be sincere.”
The Prime Minister also criticised broadcaster RT for “peddling” material that is “doing a lot of damage to the truth”.
20:04 GMT / 14:04 CTS: EU promises to take in Ukrainian refugees for up to 3 years without asking for asylum first
The EU’s Josep Borrell has said: “This is a defining moment for Europe.
“We want to keep peace in Europe but we have to be prepared to defend peace in Europe.
“The challenges we as the European Union have to face will increase.”
19:49 GMT / 13:49 CTS: England will not play Russia in any international football matches
England will not play Russia in any international football matches “for the foreseeable future”
The Football Association (FA) announced on Sunday that England will not play any matches against Russia “for the foreseeable future.”
“Out of solidarity with Ukraine and to wholeheartedly condemn the atrocities being committed by the Russian leadership, The FA can confirm that we won’t play against Russia in any international fixtures for the foreseeable future. This includes any potential match at any level of senior, age group or para football,” the FA said in a statement on Sunday.
19:32 GMT / 13:32 CST: Ukraine healthcare minister: 16 children killed so far during Russian invasion
Healthcare Minister Viktor Liashko said Sunday that Russian forces have killed at least 16 children during their invasion of Ukraine.
The remarks, from the minister’s verified Telegram channel, followed those of Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who detailed what he described as Russian “war crimes” in a press briefing earlier Sunday, alleging children had been killed in recent days.
On Friday, Russian troops assaulted an orphanage with 50 children inside, as well as a kindergarten, Kuleba said.
19:10 GMT / 13:10 CST: Hundreds of people protested in Paris
Hundreds of people protested on Sunday in Paris and in the Riviera city of Nice against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Ukrainian flags and those of other eastern European nations hoisted high.
Some Russians opposed to the war were in the Paris crowd.
Protesters carried Ukrainian, Moldovan, Georgian and Chechen flags and banners denouncing Putin.
19:02 GMT / 13:02 CST: Russian oligarchs to face international sanctions
European leaders agreed with the United States on the decision to target the assets of Russian oligarchs as well as companies sanctioned in retaliation for Putin’s invasion, a senior White House official said.
The Biden administration plans to launch a transatlantic task force to identify any “ill-gotten gains” by elites close to Putin and the Russian government, the official said.
18:55 GMT / 12:55 CST: U.S. President Biden receives reports on Ukraine today
US President Joe Biden is receiving regular updates on the evolving situation in Ukraine, according to a White House official.
Biden has been speaking with his national security team regularly.
18:48 GMT / 12:48 CST: MIT breaks relations with Russian school after Ukraine invasion
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has cut ties with a research university it helped establish more than a decade ago in Russia, citing the country’s “unacceptable military actions” in invading Ukraine.
The Cambridge university said it notified Moscow’s Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology on Friday that it was exercising its right to terminate MIT’s Skoltech program.
18:35 GMT / 12:35 CST: In case you missed it: Ukraine and Russia will hold negotiations on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border
A statement on the Telegram messaging app says the two sides will meet at an unspecified location on the Belarusian border and does not give a precise time for the meeting.
Ukrainian officials initially rejected the move, saying any talks should take place elsewhere than Belarus, where Russia has placed a large contingent of troops.
18:19 GMT / 12:19 CST: Ukraine takes responsibility for cyberattacks on Russian websites
Ukraine’s national police service said Sunday that it is working with volunteers to launch cyberattacks against Russian and Belarusian websites.
In a Facebook post on its verified page, the police service said many important websites were unavailable.
“The website of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the FSB of the Russian Federation, Sberbank and other important government and critical information systems for the Russian Federation and Belarus are currently down,” the police service said.
18:10 GMT / 12:10 CST: BP splits with Russian oil giant Rosneft
BP will no longer recognise a share in Rosneft’s net income, production and reserves.
“The bp board today announced that BP will exit its shareholding in Rosneft. Bp has held a 19.75% shareholding in Rosneft since 2013,” the statement published on Sunday said.
CEO Bernard Looney will also is resigning from Rosneft’s board with “immediate effect”, the firm said in a statement.
He said the Russian invasion has led BP to “fundamentally rethinking its position with Rosneft”.
18:06 GMT / 12:06 CST: Zelensky doesn’t expect much from Monday’s meeting
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a brief televised statement that he doesn’t expect much from a meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations on Monday.
“I will say frankly, as always: I do not really believe in the result of this meeting, but let them try. So that no citizen of Ukraine would have any doubt that I, as president, did not try to stop the war when there was even a small chance,” Zelensky said.
“And while our guys are there, the president is here, the chief of staff is here, the prime minister is here, the army is here, the commander-in-chief is here. We will all defend our state and our borders,” he added.
18:00 GMT / 12:00 CST: About “120 Americans” have left Ukraine in the last 24 hours
A senior US defense official told reporters Sunday morning that about “120 Americans” have left Ukraine and entered Poland in the last 24 hours.
These individuals “did not need US military assistance,” the official said. “They already had their plans. They already had transportation available,” the official added.
The U.S. remains “in discussions” with Polish authorities as to whether they need U.S. military assets to assist with the flow of people across the Ukraine-Poland border.
17:51 GMT / 11:51 CST: Crowd protests in Belarus over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Hundreds of people protested Sunday in Belarus against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Anti-war rallies spanned at least 12 Belarusian cities, and human rights advocates reported that more than 170 people have been detained.
In the capital, Minsk, protesters marched in different parts of the city carrying Ukrainian flags.
17:46 GMT / 11:46 CST: Russian momentum slowed by “fuel shortage”: U.S. official
A senior U.S. defense official said fuel and logistics shortages have slowed the momentum of Russian forces in Ukraine.
The defense official said Russian troops appear to be short of fuel and logistics near Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, and with units advancing from the north toward Kyiv, the capital, but also attributed the slowdown in the Russian invasion to resistance.
17:39 GMT / 11:39 CST: Vitali Klitschko on Russian attacks: “We are encircled”
While Russian troops draw closer to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv’s mayor is both filled with pride over his citizens’ spirit and anxious about how long they can hold out.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, mayor Vitali Klitschko responded if there were plans to evacuate civilians if Russian troops managed to take Kyiv.
“We can’t do that, because all ways are blocked,” he finally said. “Right now we are encircled. Right now, the most important question is to defend our country.”
17:30 GMT / 11:30 CST: Volunteers extend help to thousands of refugees from Ukraine
The U.N. refugee agency said Sunday about 368,000 people have fled the country, many into bordering nations like Romania, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, and Slovakia.
Amid the horrors and chaos, volunteers from far and wide are showing support by extending help to those whose lives are being shattered by war.
At Romania’s Siret border crossing, where thousands of Ukrainians have entered, government workers race to distribute basic amenities donated from all across the country. Meanwhile, people and businesses are pooling resources to provide the refugees with everything they need.
17:22 GMT / 11:22 CST: EU bans two Russian media outlets
The European Union has banned Russian news outlets Russia Today and Sputnik, according to its top diplomat Josep Borrell.
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy announced that the bloc would ban the two outlets in a bid “to fight” Russian disinformation.
17:17 GMT / 11:17 CST: Fans give Ukraine standing ovation ahead of Carabao Cup Final
At Wembley Stadium, the crowd erupted in applause before the match between Chelsea and Liverpool this afternoon.
The moment was recorded by television cameras in an act of solidarity of the fans with the citizens of Ukraine.
17:10 GMT / 11:10 CST: 3 killed, including child, by cluster munitions at preschool: Report
According to Amnesty International, 3 people were killed, including a child, and one child was injured after cluster munitions hit a preschool in northeastern Ukraine Friday.
Civilians were taking shelter inside the Sonechko nursery and kindergarten in Okhtyrka in Sumy Oblast when the munitions were dropped, the NGO reported.
17:05 GMT / 11:05 CST: Russian Defense Ministry reports Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine offensive
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that Russian soldiers were killed and wounded during an offensive in Ukraine, but added that their losses were far lower than those suffered by Ukraine, without specifying a number, Interfax news agency reported.
17:00 GMT / 11:00 CST: EU will sanction ‘Belarusians helping the Russian war effort’
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the European Commission will “introduce restrictive measures against their most important sectors, stooping their exports of products from mineral fuels to tobacco, wood and timber, cement, iron and steel”.
Leyen added that Ukrainian refugees would be welcomed into EU countries.
16:50 GMT / 10:50 CST: European Union prepares for millions of Ukrainian refugees
The European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said on Sunday that the EU needs to prepare for millions of Ukrainian refugee arrivals.
“It’s very difficult to guess how many, but I think we should be prepared for millions,” Johansson said.
So far “around 300,000 Ukrainians have come to the EU member states.”
16:43 GMT / 10:43 CST: Russian forces are about 31 miles outside southeast city of Mariupol, according to US defense official
A senior US defense official said Russian forces are 50 kilometers, or approximately 31 miles, outside the city center of Mariupol, a city on the Sea of Azov in the southeast of Ukraine.
The US believes the city will be “well-defended” based on what the US knows about Ukrainian military positions, the official added.
While Russian forces are not moving on Odessa as of right now, there is some Russian military posturing in the Black Sea.
16:36 GMT / 10:36 CST: Japan to sanction Putin and join Russian SWIFT ban, NHK says
According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said Japan will sanction the financial assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin “and other key government officials” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Fumio said Russia’s actions are a violation of international law that Japan strongly condemns.
16:31 GMT / 10:31 CST: Missiles hit radioactive waste disposal site, no damage reported
According to Ukrianian officials, some Russian missiles struck the site of a radioactive waste disposal facility in Kyiv overnight,
There were no reports of damage or any indications of a radioactive release.
The strike came a day after an electrical transformer at a similar disposal facility near the northeastern city of Kharkiv had been damaged.
16:28 GMT / 10:28 CST: NATO secretary general on Putin’s nuclear readiness move
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order for his country’s deterrence forces – including nuclear arms – to be placed on high alert, is part of a “dangerous rhetoric.”
“If you combine this rhetoric with what they’re doing on the ground in Ukraine, waging war against an independent sovereign nation, conducting a fully-fledged invasion of Ukraine, this adds to the seriousness of the situation,” he told CNN on Sunday.
16:18 GMT / 10:18 CST: Turkey recognizes the Russian invasion to Ukraine as “war”
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlt avuolu said on Sunday that Turkey has decided that Russia’s invasion to Ukraine is a “war”.
“Is this a conflict or a war? We decided on that. Article 19 of the Montreux Convention is very clear. This is a war.” he said in a live interview to CNN Turk.
16:05 GMT / 10:05 CST: Russia reacts to sanctions: suspends space launches from French Guiana
The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, suspended all launches of its Soyuz rocket from the European spaceport in South America following sanctions imposed by the European Union.
“In response to EU sanctions against our enterprises, Roscosmos is suspending cooperation with European partners” on space launches from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said in a statement posted Saturday on Twitter, according to a translation.
Roscosmos said it will also withdraw 87 personnel from the South American launch site who work for several Russian companies to support the launch of Soyuz rockets.
15:59 GMT / 09:59 CST: Spain to close airspace to Russian airlines
According to the Spanish Ministry for Transport, Spain will close its airspace to Russian airlines.
The Ministry for Transport announced the move in a tweet Sunday saying the country would “proceed to close its air space to Russian airlines” following the European Union’s directives of cooperation.
In addition to Spain, Germany, Italy, France and Canada are the countries that have closed their airspace to Russian airlines this weekend in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
15:53 GMT / 09:53 CST: US to provide $54M in humanitarian aid for Ukrainians
The United States will provide $54 million in humanitarian aid to help Ukrainians, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday.
“This assistance enables humanitarian organizations to support citizens of Ukraine already in need and those newly affected by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack,” he said on Twitter.
With the new funding, the U.S. has provided about $405 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine since 2014, Ned Price, spokesperson for the State Department, said on Twitter.
15:47 GMT / 09:47 CST: Ukraine’s ambassador to US: “We’re not ready to surrender”
Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova showed optimism following the news of the start of talks with Russia to end the invasion in Ukraine, but said her country is “not ready to surrender”
“Our president, from the beginning, even before the war started, always focused – was focused on the diplomatic solution,” Markarova said in an ABC News interview on Sunday. “And even after the war started, he actually called for peace talks all the time, but he always said, we’re ready for peace talks, we’re not ready to surrender.”
15:41 GMT / 09:41 CST: Doctors Without Borders suspends its activity in Ukraine
Doctors Without Borders, the humanitarian organization known for providing medical care in conflict zones, said Friday that it is suspending its work inside Ukraine.
“Our teams in Belarus and Russia stand ready to provide humanitarian assistance if needed and we are looking to send teams to other neighbouring countries to be ready on stand-by, either for response in Ukraine or to provide humanitarian medical assistance to refugees seeking asylum abroad,” the organization said in a press release.
15:37 GMT / 09:37 CST: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to be part of Biden’s State of the Union address, White House says
Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine will be included in U.S. President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday.
“I think there’s no question that in the State of the Union, the American people and anybody watching around the world will hear the President talk about the efforts that he has led over the past several months to build a global coalition to fight against the autocracy and the efforts of President Putin to invade a foreign country. That is certainly something that is present in all of our lives and certainly in the President’s life in this moment,” Psaki told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “This week.”
15:27 GMT / 09:27 CST: White House official says Putin’s move on deterrent forces is “another unnecessary step”
A senior Biden administration official says Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to put his country’s deterrence forces, including nuclear arms, on high alert, is “yet another escalatory and totally unnecessary step,” a senior Biden administration official says.
15:17 GMT / 09:17 CST: Over 4,000 detained across Russia, independent monitoring group says.
According to independent monitoring site OVD-Info, since the Kremlin ordered an invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have detained a total of 4,124 people for participating in unsanctioned anti-war protests across the country.
484 were detained in Moscow alone.
15:07 GMT / 09:07 CST: Ukraine-Russia talks will happen Monday
Ukrainian Deputy Interior Minister Evgeny Yenin said that talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations will take place on Monday morning local time.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office said Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko called the Ukrainian President earlier Sunday.
“The politicians have agreed that the Ukrainian delegation will meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River,” his office said.
“Aleksander Lukashenko has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on the Belarusian territory will remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation’s travel, meeting and return,” the office continued.
14:30 GMT / 08:30 CST: Arrests at anti-war protest in St Petersburg
There have been several protest marches held in cities across Russia, but the government has tried to crack down on these and several people have been arrested at one of the rallies in St Petersburg.
Arrests at anti-war protest in St Petersburg
14:00 GMT / 08:00 CST: Ukrainian and Russian delegations to meet for peace talks
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stated that the Ukrainian and Russian delegations will meet for peace talks and that there are no preconditions to these talks. They are expected to meet at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River.
13:30 GMT / 07:30 CST: Putin puts Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert
Vladimir Putin has moved to put the Russian military’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert. This, he claims, is in response to aggressive statements made by NATO countries as well as economic sanctions.
13:10 GMT / 07:10 CST: Ukraine win the Battle of Kharkiv
According to Kharkiv’s governor Oleh Synyehubov, Ukraine have repelled a Russian attempt to take control of this city. There were street battles, which he claims Ukraine have won, with some Russian soldiers now surrendering.
12:45 GMT / 06:45 CST: Anonymous’ message for Putin
The hacktivist group Anonymous have declared cyber war against Russia and Putin, posting a video message for the Russian leader. “Your secrets may no longer be safe and there is a chance that key components of your government’s infrastructure could be hijacked,” they warned.
12:10 GMT / 06:10 CST: Belarus set to declare war on Ukraine
Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Ukraine’s former defence minister, has explained why he believes Belarus will also declare war on Ukraine. “The Republic of Belarus is highly likely to join the Russian war against Ukraine, on the Russian side,” he said. “There is information about airborne troopers from the Republic of Belarus loaded on planes about to enter Ukraine. This is a terrible development as it involves a country that was a great friend of Ukraine.”
11:50 GMT / 05:50 CST: Belarus reportedly launch missiles into Ukraine
According to reports, Belarus’ leader Alexander Lukashenko claims that missiles have been launched from Belarus into Ukraine, seemingly in response to Ukraine deploying missile divisions near the border.
11:20 GMT / 05:20 CST: Refugee numbers hit 368,000
The UN Refugee Agency has provided an update, claiming the number of Ukrainian refugees has hit 368,000 as people have fled to Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia and Romania.
11:10 GMT / 05:10 CST: Ukraine files lawsuit against Russia at the Hague
Ukraine has filed a lawsuit against Russia at the UN International Court of Justice, the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said. That court at the Hague settles international disputes and Zelenskiy wants an order against Russia to be handed down.
10:40 GMT / 04:40 CST: 4,300 Russian troops killed so far
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has claimed that around 4,300 Russian troops have been killed so far, with 706 Russian APCs, 146 tanks, 27 planes and 26 helicopters having been destroyed since the conflict started.
10:00 GMT / 04:00 CST: Russian forces are bypassing Chernihiv
A report from the UK Ministry of Defence has stated that Russian forces are bypassing Chernihiv because they found strong resistance there. They instead want to focus on encircling and isolating Kyiv.
09:15 GMT / 03:15 CST: More than 14m dollars crowdfunded for Ukrainian military
The Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov has announced that over 14m dollars has been crowdfunded online and this money will go towards supporting the Ukrainian military.
08:45 GMT / 02:45 CST: Russian banks being removed from Swift system
The Swift international banking payment system will remove certain Russian banks from accessing the system, after calls from several countries. “We are engaging with European authorities to understand the details of the entities that will be subject to the new measures and we are preparing to comply upon legal instruction,” Swift said in a statement.
08:20 GMT / 02:20 CST: Russia could place nuclear weapons in Belarus
A referendum is to be quickly organised and held this Sunday in Belarus, with the result potentially allowing Russia to place nuclear weapons in that territory and to point them in Ukraine. Several media outlets are reporting this, although Belarus president Lukashenko has reportedly denied this in a phone call with Macron.
08:00 GMT / 02:00 CST: Ukraine rejects negotiations talk
After Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters a Russian delegation had arrived in Belarus for talks with Ukraine, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said he would be willing to talk but not in Belarus, since they have “showed aggression towards Ukraine”.
07:30 GMT: / 01:30 CST: Russian troops have entered Kharkiv
Kharkiv, a city in northeast Ukraine, was involved in heavy fighting during the night, with the governor there confirming that Russian troops have entered the city. Regular citizens have been urged to remain inside and to take shelter.
