Ukraine-Russia latest news: Peace talks are a ‘smokescreen’ by Vladimir Putin, says Liz Truss

• Biden warns China not to send weapons to Russia

• In a £10,500 designer coat, a limping Putin tries to rally his people

• Masha is 15, her body is broken and Russians say she's a fake

• Cameron joins the Ukraine war effort by driving lorry to Poland

• Listen to the latest episode of our daily Ukraine podcast

Russia is using peace talks with Ukraine as an opportunity to regroup its forces, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said.

In an interview with The Times, Ms Truss said the talks were a "smokescreen" and that she was "sceptical" about the Kremlin's aims.

"If a country is serious about negotiations, it doesn't indiscriminately bomb civilians that day," she said.

Ms Truss said she was "very sceptical" about the negotiations, and added: "What we've seen is an attempt to create space for the Russians to regroup."

She said: "We don't see any serious withdrawal of Russian troops or any serious proposals on the table."

Ms Truss added that "the Russians have lied and lied and lied. I fear the negotiation is yet another attempt to create a diversion and create a smokescreen".

​​Follow the latest updates below.

01:08 AM

Bush and Clinton visit Ukrainian church to show support

Two former US presidents, Bill Clinton and George W Bush, showed their support on Friday for Ukraine in the face of Russia's invasion by visiting a Ukrainian church in Chicago.

The two men, who wore blue and yellow ribbons in the colours of Ukraine's flag, laid bouquets of sunflowers, the country's national emblem, in front of the Catholic Church of Saints Volodymyr and Olha.

The initiative aimed to show their "solidarity with the people of Ukraine" after Russia launched a war against its neighbour last month, according to a video of the visit posted on Clinton's Twitter account.

That sets the 42nd and 43rd US presidents apart from Donald Trump, the 45th president, who just before the invasion described Vladimir Putin's strategy as a stroke of "genius".

12:42 AM

Russia 'does not have the strength' in western Ukraine

An American living in Lviv has said that while recent missile strikes on the outskirts of the city are "trying to cause terror", Russia does "not have the strength or ammunition" to depopulate western Ukraine.

Joel Wasserman, 30, has lived in Ukraine for four years, and moved to the western city of Lviv at the end of January when he began to worry about military action in Kyiv.

Mr Wasserman, who is originally from a suburb near Washington DC and now works as a copywriter and translator, was living in the capital but is "fairly confident" Lviv will "remain relatively safe".

"There is a point that (Russia) are trying to cause terror," Mr Wasserman told the PA news agency. "They do not have the strength or the ammunition to do that in western Ukraine. They need to save their ammunition and their missiles and bombs for the east."

12:29 AM

UK donates 2 million medical items to Ukraine

Two million medical items have now been donated to Ukraine, the Government announced after Russia expanded its missile strikes to Lviv in the west of the country on Friday.

Supplies including painkillers, insulin shots and intensive care equipment are expected to arrive in the war-torn region in the coming days, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.

It comes after Boris Johnson said he told Volodymyr Zelensky the Government knows it "must do more" to help the embattled country as it resists Russia's invasion.

Some 10 flights carrying medical supplies have departed Stansted, Heathrow and RAF Brize Norton over the past three weeks, the DHSC said.

11:48 PM

Watch: Putin rallies Russia in a £10,500 coat

The crowds chanted “Rossiya, Rossiya” as the man in the middle of the vast Luzhniki stadium vowed to “accomplish all of our plans”, while quoting chapter and verse from the Book of John, Nataliya Vasilyeva and Robert Mendick write.

Vladimir Putin, wearing an Italian designer coat modestly priced at £10,500 and a white roll neck sweater costing £3,200, was drumming up support for his “special military operation” in Ukraine.

The Russian president was dressed more like an investment fund manager on the slopes of Gstaad than the increasingly raving mad despot he has become after almost a quarter of a century in power. One Russian commentator suggested that his tub-thumping speech was akin to “Billy Graham meets North Korea”.

11:08 PM

Zelensky urges ‘meaningful’ talks

Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called for meaningful peace and security talks with Moscow, saying this was Russia's only chance to limit the damage from its mistakes in the wake of its invasion.

"The time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk," Ukraine's president said in a video address released in the early hours of Saturday in Ukraine.

10:43 PM

Truss: Talks could be a 'smokescreen'

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Friday that she fears peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are being used as a "smokescreen" by the Kremlin to allow forces to regroup.

In an interview with The Times, Ms Truss said: "If a country is serious about negotiations, it doesn't indiscriminately bomb civilians that day."

The minister said she was "very sceptical" about the negotiations, and added: "What we've seen is an attempt to create space for the Russians to regroup."

She said: "We don't see any serious withdrawal of Russian troops or any serious proposals on the table."

10:01 PM

Roundup of today's events

Here is your evening roundup of the top stories from today's events:

• Joe Biden on Friday night warned of "consequences" if Beijing provides weapons to Russia to aid its invasion of Ukraine.

• Boris Johnson has said it is "blindingly obvious to everyone" that a second Scottish independence referendum should not be held during the most brutal conflict in Europe since the Second World War.

• Facebook groups were forced to restrict the number of people seeking to host Ukrainian refugees after the Government’s sponsorship scheme descended into a frenzy on the first day for applications.

• Whitehall blame game erupts over Russian ‘impostor’ who targeted Ben Wallace with fake video call.

• Johnny Mercer: This is our generation’s righteous war, so let’s help Ukraine beat Russia.

• As graphic images of wounded Ukrainian children are dismissed by Russians, one doctor reveals the true horror inflicted on young patients.

• Elon Musk's Starlink satellite system is helping Ukrainian forces win the drone war as they use the technology in their effort to track and kill invading Russians.

• David Cameron is driving a small lorry full of supplies for Ukrainian refugees to the country’s border with Poland, to assist in the war effort.

09:38 PM

Desperate effort to rescue 100s feared trapped in bombed Ukraine theatre

escuers in Ukraine searched on Friday for hundreds of civilians feared trapped under the wreckage of a bombed theatre, as local forces battled against Russian troops across the country.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said 130 people had been brought out after the Russian strike two days ago on the building where civilians were sheltering in the besieged city of Mariupol, but that hundreds were still inside.

With world powers manoeuvring to respond to the bloody three-week invasion, Washington said that President Joe Biden had told Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping of the "consequences" of any support for Russia.

The United States fears that China could deliver financial and military aid to Moscow, transforming an already explosive transatlantic standoff into a global confrontation.

In the nearly two-hour phone call, Xi said that war is "in no one's interest," but showed no sign of giving in to US pressure to join Western condemnation of Russia.

09:31 PM

Russia to work on solo Mars mission after Europe freezes joint project

ussia will start work on its own Mars mission given that the European Space Agency (ESA) has suspended a joint project in the wake of the Ukraine invasion, Interfax news agency quoted a top official as saying on Friday.

The ESA announced on Thursday that it would be impossible to continue cooperating with Russia on the ExoMars mission. A Russian rocket had been due to transport a European-made rover to Mars later this year.

"In the very near future we will start working on the implementation of a mission to Mars," said Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roskosmos, Russia's space agency.

Interfax quoted him as saying he did not think a rover would necessarily be needed since Russia's existing landing module, which is designed to transport the rover, would be able to carry out the required scientific work.

Rogozin said there were "big doubts" about what the ESA could do without Russia, which already had a rocket, a launch site and the landing module. The ESA would need at least six years to develop its own module, he said.

09:30 PM

NASA head: We have cooperation with our Russian colleagues

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has played down recent comments by the head of Russia's space agency that the United States would have to use broomsticks to fly to space after Russia said it would stop supplying rocket engines.

"That's just Dmitry Rogozin. He spouts off every now and then. But at the end of the day, he's worked with us," Nelson told The Associated Press. "

"The other people that work in the Russian civilian space program, they're professional. They don't miss a beat with us, American astronauts and American mission control."

Nelson spoke with The Associated Press hours before three Russian cosmonauts launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station, the first crew launch since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

The war has resulted in cancelled spacecraft launches and broken contracts, and many fear Rogozin is putting decades of a peaceful off-planet partnership at risk, most notably at the International Space Station.

09:21 PM

Belgium delays nuclear energy by 10 years over Russian invasion

Belgium on Friday delayed by a decade a plan to scrap nuclear energy in 2025, spooked by the huge rise in energy prices due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said: "The federal government has decided to take the necessary steps to extend the life of the two most (recently built) nuclear reactors by ten years."

09:11 PM

Ukraine says it'll take years to defuse mines

Ukraine's interior minister said Friday that it will take years to defuse unexploded ordnances after the Russian invasion.

Speaking to The Associated Press in the besieged Ukrainian capital, Denys Monastyrsky said that the country will need Western assistance to cope with the massive task once the war is over.

"A huge number of shells and mines have been fired at Ukraine and a large part haven't exploded, they remain under the rubble and pose a real threat," Monastyrsky said. "It will take years, not months, to defuse them."

In addition to the unexploded Russian ordnances, the Ukrainian troops also have planted land mines at bridges, airports and other key infrastructure to prevent Russians from using them.

"We won't be able to remove the mines from all that territory, so I asked our international partners and colleagues from the European Union and the United States to prepare groups of experts to demine the areas of combat and facilities that came under shelling," Monastyrsky told the AP.

09:00 PM

Scotland' super sponsor team opens for Ukrainian refugees

Nicola Sturgeon has told Ukrainians seeking refuge from the war that "Scotland wants to welcome you", as she announced the Scottish Government's super sponsor scheme is open.

The scheme will provide people fleeing the conflict in their homeland with temporary accommodation while a more permanent place is found for them.

The First Minister has previously said Scotland could welcome 3,000 refugees from Ukraine as "an immediate step", before taking in "at least a proportionate share" of those coming to the UK.

On Friday, Ms Sturgeon tweeted a picture of the Saltire flag and said Scotland "wants to welcome you", adding: "We hope to offer you a quick & easy route here."

She detailed how the scheme will work in a thread on Twitter, and said people wanting to come to Scotland should select "Scottish Government" on the UK visa application site.

08:57 PM

Russian cosmonaut team arrives at International Space Station

Three Russian cosmonauts safely arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, docking their Soyuz capsule with the outpost for a mission that continues a 20-year shared Russian-US presence in orbit.

The rendezvous came about three hours and 10 minutes after the Soyuz spacecraft carrying the new cosmonaut team lifted off from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

"Congratulations on the successful docking," a voice from Russia's mission control said moments later, according to an English translator speaking during a live NASA webcast of the event.

Link-up of the space vehicles, after the approaching Soyuz made two brief fly-around passes of ISS, took place as the Soyuz and space station flew some 250 miles (400 km) above eastern Kazakhstan, a NASA commentator said.

Soyuz commander Oleg Artemyev led the Soyuz team, joined by spaceflight rookies Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov on a science mission set to last 6-1/2 months.

08:47 PM

After Biden-Xi call, US warns China it could face sanctions if backs Russia

President Joe Biden warned Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday of 'consequences' if Beijing gave material support to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House said, while both sides stressed the need for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

|The White House did not detail what those consequences could be, or how they would define "material support", but press secretary Jen Psaki indicated China's massive trade flows could be impacted.

"Sanctions are certainly one tool in the tool box," Psaki told a regular news briefing when asked whether China, the world's largest exporter, could face trade tariffs or sanctions.

Speaking after a nearly two-hour video call between Biden and Xi, Psaki said the United States would communicate any consequences directly to Beijing "with our European partners and counterparts."

08:35 PM

Russia 'tightens noose' around Mariupol

Russia's advance in Ukraine has largely stalled but the Russian defence ministry said it was "tightening the noose" around Mariupol and that fighting had reached the centre.

Officials have estimated 80 per cent of the city's homes have been damaged and that more than 1,000 people may still be trapped in makeshift bomb shelters beneath a destroyed theatre.

Ukraine said it had rescued 130 people from the theatre's basement after the building was flattened by Russian strikes two days ago. Russia denied hitting the theatre and says it does not target civilians.

Nick Osychenko, the CEO of a Mariupol TV station, said that as he fled the city with six members of his family, aged between 4 and 61, he saw dead bodies on nearly every block.

"We were careful and didn’t want the children to see the bodies, so we tried to shield their eyes,” he said. “We were nervous the whole journey. It was frightening, just frightening."

Russia denies targeting civilians and reiterated accusations Kyiv was using them as human shields, something Ukrainian officials firmly deny.

08:30 PM

Ukrainian specialists repair damaged power line to nuclear power plant

Ukrainian specialists have repaired one of the damaged power lines to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, the Interfax Ukraine agency quoted the national energy company as saying on Friday.

Three of the five power lines were damaged or disconnected after Russian troops took over the plant, the largest of its kind in Europe, on March 4.

The International Atomic Energy Agency earlier said Ukraine had told it the line should be working early next week.

08:28 PM

Burger King says Russia operator 'refused' to shutter restaurants

Burger King's parent company has not been able to close its 800 restaurants in Russia because its independent operator there "refused" to do so.

Restaurant Brands International Inc said that to enforce its contracts with the partner, Alexander Kolobov, it would need the help of the Russian government, but "we know that will not practically happen anytime soon," according to a letter to employees from David Shear, president of the company.

Kolobov said in a statement to Reuters that he does not have the authority or power to decide whether to suspend restaurant operations.

Shear's long letter and Kolobov's response highlight the many complications bedeviling some American fast-food brands as they try to halt operations in Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

It also exposes what can become a point of weakness in international franchising, which is how most American restaurant brands expand overseas: the relationships with their independent operators.

08:17 PM

'Dozens' killed in attack on Mykolaiv

Many have reportedly been killed in a Russian missile attack on Ukrainian army barracks in the strategic southern city of Mykolaiv.

A Ukrainian MP in Odessa, Oleksiy Honcharenko, who returned from Mykolaiv in the last 24 hours told the BBC:

"Unfortunately we had a big attack, missile attack on Mykolaiv. Dozens of people have been killed.

"Dozens are wounded and we're speaking about missiles, ballistic missiles."

Ukrainians are reportedly continuing to defend the city, with Russian forces grouped outside, to the northeast.

The city of Mykolaiv, which is crucial to Russia's plans to take Ukraine's third city, Odessa, has been holding back a Russian offensive along the Black Sea coast.

"Mykolaiv is fighting fiercely on the ground and holding the ground and Russia just couldn't take it so they started terror against local people, civilians," Honcharenko added.

Earlier he tweeted:

08:11 PM

Ukraine 'humbled' by those offering a UK home to refugees

Ukraine is "humbled" by the more than 150,000 people in the UK who have offered a home to refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.

Vadym Prystaiko - Ukraine's ambassador in the UK - acknowledged it had been a "bumpy ride" overcoming British bureaucracy to bring Ukrainian refugees to the UK.

But he told the PA news agency he was "very grateful that the UK Government and citizens are opening up their hearts and sometimes homes" as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which launched on Friday.

"I'm humbled by the sheer number of people who are opening up - sometimes just saying I have a spare room, it's not even a spare house, or flat, it's just a spare room. This is something that's very unusual."

The ambassador estimates up to 200,000 of his country's citizens may seek temporary refuge in the UK.

Earlier today, President Zelensky tweeted that he was in regular conversation with Boris Johnson and "grateful for the strong support" from the UK.

08:00 PM

Biden-Xi talk was not about carrots or incentives -White House

US President Jon Biden's conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping was not about "carrots" or incentives to persuade the leader from assisting Russia in its war with Ukraine, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki has said.

07:58 PM

Ukraine says 9,145 people were evacuated from cities on Friday

A total of 9,145 people were evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on Friday, a senior official said, a number that is considerably more than managed to escape on Thursday.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president's office, said in an online post that 4,972 people had left the besieged city of Mariupol.

A total of only 3,810 people were able to leave cities across the country on Thursday.

07:54 PM

White House: Weapons shipped to Ukraine are for defence only

None of the weapons the United States is providing to Ukraine could be used to launch an attack on another country, the White House on Friday, stressing that those are intended for defensive purposes.

07:45 PM

Russia calls Council of Europe a 'Russophobic' tool of the West

Russia's outspoken foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, Friday accused the Council of Europe of being a "Russophobic" instrument serving Western interests.

The pan-European rights body expelled Russia on Wednesday after over a quarter of a century of membership.

"Due to the Westerners' Russophobic activity", the Council of Europe is losing its reason for being, Zakharova said in a statement.

"By placing the service of the bloc's interests above its own statutory objectives, the Council of Europe has been turned into an obedient instrument of the European Union, NATO and their satellites," she added.

Moscow had announced Tuesday that it was quitting the council, ahead of the formal decision taken by the body's committee of ministers the following day to expel Russia over its operation in Ukraine.

Moscow had been suspended from all its rights of representation on February 25, the day after the start of its military campaign.

07:40 PM

EU proposes to create solidarity fund for Ukraine's basic needs

The European Union is considering creating a solidarity fund for Ukraine to help provide basic services in the country and meet citizens' immediate needs, European Council President Charles Michel said on Friday.

"The Fund would give liquidity for continued support to authorities and in the longer term serve as backbone for reconstruction of a free and democratic Ukraine once hostilities stop", Michel said in a tweet.

Partners could contribute to the fund through an international donors conference, Michel said.

An EU official said the topic would be discussed at a summit of EU leaders next week, adding that the presidents had discussed the need for Ukraine to retain access to international financial support to fund imports of basic necessities and military equipment.

The Russian invasion has cut Ukraine off from international financial markets, and the fund could provide the liquidity needed to keep government services running, to continue defence efforts and to provide basic services, the official said

07:25 PM

Biden warns Xi of consequences if it offers support to Russia

President Joe Biden told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday that China would face consequences not just from the United States but from the wider world if Beijing offers material support to Russia in its Ukraine war, a senior US official said.

The official, briefing reporters on Biden's nearly two-hour phone call with Xi, said the conversation between the two leaders "was direct, it was substantive and it was detailed."

"We will see what decisions China makes in the days and weeks ahead," the official said.

07:23 PM

Telegraph podcast: Hoax calls to British MPs, and will sport forgive Russia?

Day 23. The Telegraph's leading journalists give insights into Russia's assault on Ukraine as it moves westwards, and look at why and how imposters posing as Ukrainian politicians prank called British MPs.

Plus, Ben Rumsby, Sport Investigations Reporter, discusses how the geopolitical tensions have played out in sporting arenas across the globe.

07:19 PM

Russia claims progress in talks with Kyiv on a neutral Ukraine

Russia's top negotiator at talks with Ukraine said Friday that Moscow and Kyiv had brought their positions "as close as possible" on a proposal for Ukraine to become a neutral state.

The Kremlin on Wednesday said that a neutral Ukraine along the lines of Sweden or Austria was being discussed at talks with Kyiv to end three weeks of a Russian military operation there.

But Ukraine rejected the proposal, and said it wanted its security to be guaranteed by international forces.

"The topic of neutral status and Ukraine's non-accession to NATO is one of the key points of the talks, this is the point on which the parties brought their positions as close as possible," Russia's lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on Friday, cited by Russian news agencies.

But he added that there were "nuances" when it came to "security guarantees" requested by Ukraine.

07:16 PM

No drinking water in Mariupol for past ten days

An emergency coordinator at international aid charity Doctors Without Borders said there has been no drinking water in Mariupol for ten days.

07:11 PM

Ukraine war food price spikes may push 40 million into extreme poverty

Massive price spikes for food and energy sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine will push over 40 million people into extreme poverty, the Center for Global Development (CGDEV) has said on Friday,

In an analysis blog the Washington-based think tank said food commodity prices since the start of the conflict have risen above levels experienced in price spikes in 2007 and 2010.

It cited World Bank Research showing that the 2007 spike may have pushed as many as 155 million people into extreme poverty, and separate research showing the 2010 episode pushed 44 million into extreme poverty.

"Price increases seen to date are already of a similar magnitude to the 2010 increases, and our analysis suggests at least 40 million people will be pushed into extreme poverty by the 2022 price spike," CGDEV researchers wrote.

The World Bank defines extreme poverty as living on less than $1.90 a day.

07:08 PM

Russia reaches deal with Belarus to supply critical foodstuff

Russia reached a deal with Belarus on Friday to supply critical foodstuffs if necessary, including durum wheat and vegetable oil, as part of a push to offset Western sanctions, the official Belarus Belta news agency said.

The two neighbours are also close to an agreement on pricing for energy, Belta added, but gave no details.

The two nations had agreed on March 11 to take joint steps for mutual support, including on energy prices.

07:06 PM

Biden outlines consequences to Xi if China aids Russia

US President Joe Biden described to China's President Xi Jinping in a phone call Friday "implications and consequences" if Beijing provides material support to Russia as it attacks Ukrainian cities and civilians, the White House said.

"The President underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of maintaining open lines of communication, to manage the competition between our two countries," the White House said in a statement.

06:42 PM

Ukrainians are 'Spartans of the 21st century,' says PM

Boris Johnson has praised a Ukrainian woman who said her country's citizens are the "Spartans of the 21st century" in the fight against the Russian invasion.

Zhenya Dove gave a speech to the Scottish Conservative conference in Aberdeen, ahead of the Prime Minister's appearance, asking the UK for more help.

Speaking after her, Mr Johnson said he was "more convinced than ever" Russian president Vladimir Putin's military venture would fail.

He said he had spoken to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky earlier on Friday, and pledged to send more defensive weapons.

Ms Dove, an aid worker who lives in Edinburgh, said her parents lived in the city of Kherson, which is occupied by Russian forces.

06:39 PM

Some people in Mariupol are fleeing on foot, says governor

Some residents of Ukraine's besieged city of Mariupol have resorted to escaping the blockade on foot as official evacuation efforts have mostly failed due to ongoing shelling by Russian forces, the region's governor said on Friday.

Some 400,000 people have been trapped in the strategic port city for over two weeks, sheltering from heavy bombardment that has severed central supplies of electricity, heating and water, according to local authorities.

Russia denies bombing residential areas or targeting civilians.

Speaking on national television, Donetsk region governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said around 35,000 had managed to leave the city in recent days, many leaving on foot or in convoys of private cars.

"The way out of blockaded Mariupol begins with residents getting out either on foot or in their own transport," Kyrylenko said, adding that some cars were leaving without enough fuel to reach the nearest villages or towns.

He said near-constant shelling was preventing the authorities from opening humanitarian corridors to supply aid and food to the city and to evacuate women, children and those most in need.

06:35 PM

One badly wounded, no dead in Mariupol theatre strike

A Russian strike on a theatre sheltering civilians in Ukraine's besieged city of Mariupol badly wounded one person but did not kill anyone, the city's authorities said Friday.

"According to initial information, there are no dead. But there is information about one person gravely wounded," the city council said on Telegram in the first casualty tally since the strike on Wednesday.

"Rubble clearing is ongoing," it said.

The city council said "up to 1,000 people", mostly women and children, were sheltering inside at the time of the attack.

The country's ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova said earlier a bomb shelter underneath the Drama Theatre had survived the impact.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said 130 people had been saved after the bombing, but hundreds were still beneath the rubble.

06:20 PM

Cher offers to house Ukrainian refugees

In a post on Twitter, singer Cher offered her home to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict.

"They would be safe and cared for," she wrote.

"Many people in my position need to step up to the plate."

05:53 PM

Russian troops reach Mariupol centre, according to mayor

Russian troops have reached the centre of the port city of Mariupol as fighting between the two sides intensifies, according to the city's mayor.

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko told the BBC that civilians were hiding in bunkers as troops battle it out on the streets.

05:47 PM

David Cameron drives lorry to Poland

Mr Cameron has said he is driving a small lorry full of supplies for Ukrainian refugees to the country’s border with Poland to assist in the war effort.

The former prime minister announced the trip in a Twitter thread on Friday afternoon, where he wrote that he had been volunteering for two years at a food project in west Oxfordshire called the Chippy Larder.

Through the project, he said donations had been taken in for refugees from Ukraine and they now had enough "to fill a small lorry with everything from nappies to sanitary products, warm clothes to first aid kits".

Posting a photograph sitting behind the wheel of the lorry, Mr Cameron said: "I'm currently driving to Poland with two Chippy Larder colleagues to make our delivery to the Red Cross.

"It's going to be a long drive, but I'll keep you updated along the way."

Read the full story here.

05:25 PM

Roger Federer donating $500,000 for Ukrainian children

Roger Federer, "horrified" by the images from Ukraine, has announced he is donating $500,000 (452,000 euros) through his foundation "to establish access to continued schooling for Ukrainian children."

05:20 PM

Macron tells Putin he is 'extremely concerned' about Mariupol

French President Macron on Friday told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that he is "extremely concerned" about the situation in Mariupol, which has been hit by constant shelling over recent days, according to the French presidential office.

The call lasted just over one hour, the Elysee added.

05:13 PM

Attempt to launch copycat of McDonalds in Russia

Move over, McDonalds: A Russian knock-off of the famous American fast food chain is looking to fill in the gap in the market after the company’s landmark from Russia, Nataliya Vasilyeva reports.

A Russian foodstuffs company earlier last week filed for the registration of a trademark that looks suspiciously like the famous “Golden Arches” only to backtrack a few days later.

The trademark that appeared online earlier this week shows the McDonald’s logo flipped over to the side to resemble the Cyrillic letter “B” which stands for “V” in “Vanya.”

The company that filed for the trademark registration, however, seems to have changed its mind about conquering the fast food market.

Ruspole Brands, which makes popular vegetable pickles and preserves under the brand name of Uncle Vanya with the picture of an old man in a peasant hat on the jars, said on Thursday the application appears to have been filed by an employee gone rogue and that it would be withdrawn.

“Legal entities of Ruspole Brands and Uncle Vanya brands have nothing to do with the logo which was created as a meme,” the company said in a statement.

“The company has no plans to launch any fast food business although it does not rule it out in the future.”

05:11 PM

Ukrainian negotiator in talks with Russia say Ukraine's position is unchanged

Ukraine's negotiator at talks with Russia on Friday said Ukraine's position was unchanged and it wanted peace negotiations to lead to a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and security guarantees.

Mykhailo Podolyak said:

05:05 PM

Russia's biggest cargo airline to suspend all Boeing flights

ussia's biggest cargo airline Volga-Dnepr Group has suspended all flights using Boeing aircraft due to Western sanctions, it said on Friday.

Sanctions have cut off the supply of most aircraft and parts to Russia. The United States and Europe have closed their airspace to Russian airlines, and Moscow has responded by imposing the same measure on them.

Volga-Dnepr said in a statement it had stopped operations of two of its subsidaries - AirBridgeCargo and Atran - that use 18 Boeing 747 and 6 Boeing 737 airplanes due to sanctions and a decision by Bermuda's Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) to terminate their safety certificates.

"The management of Volga Dnepr has made a conscious decision to find a possible solution together with partners and state regulators," it said.

04:59 PM

No evidence of Russia escalation in Syria amid Ukraine assault, says US general

Russia does not appear to be looking to escalate the conflict in Syria, the leading US general in the Middle East said has said, even as Moscow pursues its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian forces have remained in Syria since 2015 when they helped turn the tide in a civil war in favour of President Bashar al-Assad.

The United States has roughly 900 troops in Syria, sometimes near Russian troops.

While the interactions are generally safe and professional, a small number of US troops were wounded in 2020 when a Russian military patrol slammed into their vehicle.

"We have no evidence that the Russians are intent on escalating anything in Syria," U.S. General Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, told reporters at the Pentagon.

"I don't see any evidence that the temperature is rising, particularly in Syria as a result of what's going on in Ukraine," McKenzie said, adding that the United States was watching it closely.

04:45 PM

Russia using UN to spread propaganda, Western states say

Russia is using the UN Security Council to spread disinformation and propaganda about its invasion of Ukraine, six Western members states have said.

They made the allegation at a council meeting called at Russia's request to discuss its allegations that Ukraine is developing biological weapons.

"Russia is once again attempting to use this council to launder its disinformation, spread its propaganda, and justify its unprovoked and brutal attack on Ukraine," the six countries with seats on the council said in a statement read out by US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

She was accompanied by representatives of France, Norway, Albania, Ireland and Britain.

04:22 PM

Bosch halts deliveries of truck parts to Russian customers

The world's largest auto supplier has halted deliveries of truck parts to Russian customers following Ukrainian claims that its components were found in Russian military vehicles.

German authorities are reportedly probing possible export violations by Bosch, given that EU firms are barred from supplying Russia with "dual-use" goods that could be used for both civilian and military purposes.

The export restrictions relate to sanctions imposed on Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea.

"Due to indications that Bosch products - contrary to local contractual agreements - may have been used in non-civilian applications, we have stopped the delivery of truck components in Russia and to Russian customers," Bosch said in a statement.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told a talk show on Sunday that Ukrainian troops recently seized Russian infantry vehicles which contained components made by Bosch.

Bosch said it took Kuleba's allegation "very seriously" and had started a "comprehensive review" into the matter.

The Stuttgart-based firm stressed however that it had not directly supplied any components to Russian military vehicle manufacturers.

04:13 PM

Xi tells Biden war in Ukraine needs to end as soon as possible

Chinese President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Joe Biden on Friday that the war in Ukraine must end as soon as possible, according to Chinese state media.

"The top priorities now are to continue dialogue and negotiations, avoid civilian casualties, prevent a humanitarian crisis, cease fighting and end the war as soon as possible," Xi told Biden on a video call.

All parties should jointly support the Russia-Ukraine dialogue and negotiations while the United States and NATO should also conduct talks with Russia to solve the "crux" of the Ukraine crisis and resolve the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine, Xi said.

04:11 PM

Putin vows Russia will prevail in Ukraine but glitch hinders TV

Russian President Vladimir Putin justified the invasion of Ukraine before a packed soccer stadium on Friday but coverage of his speech on state television was unexpectedly interrupted by what the Kremlin said was a technical problem with a server.

Speaking on a stage at the centre of Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, Putin promised to tens of thousands of people waving Russian flags and chanting "Russia, Russia, Russia" that all of the Kremlin's aims would be achieved.

"We know what we need to do, how to do it and at what cost. And we will absolutely accomplish all of our plans," Putin, 69, told the rally from a stage decked out with slogans such as "For a world without Nazism" and "For our president".

Many of the Russian slogans used at the rally incorporated the "Z" symbol that Russian forces have used as a motif in Ukraine. One read "Za Putina" - "for Putin".

Dressed in a turtleneck and a coat, reported to have cost £11,000, Putin said the soldiers fighting in what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine had demonstrated the unity of Russia.

"Shoulder to shoulder, they help each other, support each other and when needed they shield each other from bullets with their bodies like brothers. Such unity we have not had for a long time," Putin said.

04:05 PM

EU health body recommends free covid tests and vaccines for Ukrainian refugees

Countries should provide free Covid-19 testing for refugees from Ukraine to avoid outbreaks as more than three million people flee their war-stricken homeland, The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said.

Infectious diseases and conflict often go hand-in-hand, and the risk of infections spreading could be further exacerbated as Covid vaccination rates in Ukraine have been low overall at 35 per cent versus the EU average of 71.7 per cent.,

Those fleeing the country should be offered a full course o vaccines, and booster doses, if they do not have proof of prior inoculation, with an emphasis on those at greater risk of severe Covid-19, the ECDC said.

Some Ukrainian refugees have fled to nearby countries in Europe such as Poland, Slovakia, Romania while others are looking to move further west to escape Russia's invasion.

03:49 PM

Food supply chains 'falling apart' in Ukraine, says World Food Programme

Food supply chains in Ukraine are collapsing, with key infrastructure such as bridges and trains destroyed by bombs and many grocery stores and warehouses empty, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).

Jakob Kern, WFP Emergency Coordinator for the Ukraine crisis, said in "encircled cities" such as Mariupol, food and water supplies were running out and that its convoys had been unable to enter.

The country's food supply chain is falling apart. Movements of goods have slowed down due to insecurity and the reluctance of drivers," Kern told a Geneva media briefing by videolink from Krakow, Poland.

"Inside Ukraine our job is in effect, to replace the broken commercial food supply chains," he added, describing this as a "mammoth task".

The U.N agency has pre-positioned bulk food, wheat flour and food rations outside cities under fire. It has so far delivered 12,000 tonnes of food within the country, all sourced from within Ukraine.

03:45 PM

Putin has not altered his aim in Ukraine, says US official

There is no evidence to suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin's overall intent in Ukraine has altered despite the invasion failing to reach its original objectives, a Western official said on Friday.

"I've seen nothing which suggests that the original intent of Putin has significantly altered," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Therefore ... the difference between what was planned, what is being executed is at the moment, one of timing and they have failed to achieve their objectives in the time that they set out in their original objectives and their original plan."

03:36 PM

US senators introduce bill to ban imports of Russian uranium

US Republican Senators have introduced a bill to ban imports of Russian uranium to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

It comes as Joe Biden weighs sanctions on Russian nuclear power company Rosatom, a major supplier of fuel and technology to power plants around the world.

The administration's ban on US imports of Russian energy, such as oil and liquefied natural gas, does not yet include uranium.

"While banning imports of Russian oil, gas and coal is an important step, it cannot be the last," said Senator John Barrasso, who introduced the bill.

03:29 PM

Holland and Germany to send missile defence systems to Slovakia

The Dutch government has said it would send a Patriot missile defence system to Sliac, Slovakia, as part of NATO moves to strengthen air defences in Eastern Europe.

"The worsened safety situation in Europe as a reasult of the Russian invasion of Ukraine makes this contribution necessary," Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said in a statement.

Germany is also sending two Patriot systems to Slovakia, Ollongren said.

03:26 PM

'Peace and security most valued treasures of international community', says Xi

State broadcaster CCTV reported Xi saying during the call that "state-to-state relations cannot go to the stage of military hostilities."

China and the United States should "shoulder international responsibilities," Xi was quoted as saying, as well as declaring that "peace and security are the most valued treasures of the international community."

It was not immediately clear if Xi made any direct criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin's onslaught against Ukraine or expressed willingness to assist the US-led pressure campaign on the Kremlin.

In their first call since November, Biden hoped to persuade Xi to at least give up any idea of financially bailing out Russia.

03:19 PM

South Europe fears livestock culls as Ukraine conflict prompts feed shortage

Carlo Vittorio Ferrari, who runs a farm holding 2,000 pigs with his brother near the town of Cremona in northern Italy, fears his fourth generation family business could be lost due to conflict in Ukraine.

The country is a major global supplier of animal feed, stocks of which are falling fast across import-reliant southern Europe.

With Hungary, Serbia and Moldova also banning exports as they safeguard their own supplies, costs for farms like Ferrari's have spiked, threatening their future. Many face culling animals if the situation doesn't improve quickly.

Michele Liverini, vice-president of livestock feed producer Mangimi Liverini said if dairy cows were slaughtered it would take seven to eight years to build up a barn to produce milk again.

Ukraine is among the world's top four corn exporters, and the closure of its ports due to the conflict has had a major impact on shipments.

03:15 PM

Russian forces have failed to make any new advances, says defence minister

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said Ukrainian troops had prevented Russian troops from making any fresh advances on Friday.

Speaking on national television, Mr Malyar said Russian forces had food and fuel supply issues and communications problems.

03:11 PM

US boycotts conflict diamond meetings chaired by Russia

The United States and Britain are boycotting some Kimberley Process meetings because they are chaired by Russia in a further sign of the economic fallout.

The Kimberley Process, set up in 2003, is an 85-nation body that certifies rough diamond exports and monitors members' implementation of requirements aimed at stemming the flow of conflict diamonds.

The division risks causing stagnation at the Kimberley Process, undermining efforts to ensure better controls against conflict diamonds.

The United States last week banned the import of Russian diamonds as part of sweeping economic sanctions on the country.

But the European Union - home to major diamond trading hub Antwerp - has not so far banned imports of Russian diamonds, although it did on Tuesday ban EU companies from exporting luxury goods worth more than 300 euros to Russia, including rough and polished diamonds.

02:38 PM

Hundreds still trapped under bombed theatre in Mariupol, says Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said rescue work was ongoing to save hundreds of people still believed to be trapped under the rubble of a bombed theatre in the besieged city of Mariupol.

Earlier, human rights ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova reported 130 survivors had been rescued from the rubble, but said there was still no information on more than 1,000 other people official figures suggest were sheltering there when the bomb fell.

Ukraine accuses Russia of carrying out the powerful air strike that destroyed the theatre on Wednesday. Russia has denied bombing the theatre or attacking civilians.

"There are still hundreds of Mariupol residents under the rubble. Despite the shelling, despite all the difficulties, we will continue the rescue work," Zelenskiy said in an online video address.

The Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the number of possible casualties.

02:34 PM

Kremlin claims 'technical glitch' cause of Putin's interrupted speech

The Kremlin a technical glitch was behind the interrupted transmission of Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech to a packed Moscow stadium to mark the eighth anniversary of Crimea's annexation.

Russian state television suddenly cut away from Putin hailing what Russia calls its special operation in Ukraine and the bravery of its soldiers, to show patriotic songs being played at the event instead.

It later aired the full speech, which ended a few seconds after the cutaway with Putin leaving the stage as thousands of spectators waved Russian flags at the 80,000-capacity Luzhniki stadium.

Cited by RIA news agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a server glitch had caused the interruption.

02:27 PM

UN warns of 'extremely dire' situation in east Ukraine

The UN has warned humanitarian needs are becoming ever more urgent across eastern Ukraine with hundreds of thousands facing lack of food, water and medicines in besieged cities.

"The humanitarian situation in cities such as Mariupol and Sumy is extremely dire," Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesman for the UN refugee agency, told reporters via video link from Poland.

Residents in those two cities, he warned, are "facing critical and potentially fatal shortages of food, water and medicines."

Since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, several cities in the east - from Sumy in the north to Mariupol in the south - have been effectively besieged, cut off and faced near-constant attack.

Local officials in Mariupol say more than 2,000 people have died in indiscriminate shelling, and 80 percent of its housing has been destroyed.

UNHCR says more than 3.2 million people have fled Ukraine in the three weeks of war, with millions more displaced internally.

02:20 PM

China tells Biden conflict is in 'no-one's interest'

China's President Xi Jinping has said conflicts between states are "in no-one's interest" during a video call with his US counterpart Joe Biden, Chinese state TV reported.

"State-to-state relations cannot go to the stage of military hostilities," state broadcaster CCTV reported Xi as saying.

"Peace and security are the most valued treasures of the international community."

02:17 PM

Bulgaria expels 10 Russian diplomats

Bulgaria's foreign ministry has given 10 Russian diplomats 72 hours to leave the country over what it said were activities deemed incompatible with their diplomatic status.

It is the second wave of expulsions of Russian diplomats from Bulgaria this month.

On March 2, Sofia expelled two Russian diplomats over allegations they had been involved in espionage.

Bulgaria, Moscow's closest ally during the Cold War but now a European Union and NATO member state that has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has expelled eight other Russian diplomats over suspected spying since October 2019.

In a statement on its website, the foreign ministry said the Prime Minister Kiril Petkov was consulted on the expulsions and the Russian ambassador to Sofia had been informed.

The Russian embassy to Bulgaria called the move a "hostile demarche" that would hurt relations between Sofia and Moscow and to which Russia would respond accordingly.

01:56 PM

Russian TV cuts Putin mid-speech

Russian state television cut President Vladimir Putin's speech mid-sentence as he was addressing tens of thousands of supporters at Moscow's main football stadium on Friday.

As the Russian leader was addressing crowds, state television switched to showing a clip of patriotic music.

Putin was cut mid-sentence as he was saying: "It so happened that the beginning of the operation coincided by chance with the birthday of one of our outstanding military...".

Russian state television is tightly controlled and such interruptions are highly unusual.

Putin was speaking at an event in support of the Russian army in Ukraine and to mark the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014.

01:55 PM

'Hundreds' still trapped in site of bombed Mariupol theatre, Zelensky says

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that while 130 people have been saved from the Mariupol theatre bombing, "hundreds" remain trapped.

More on this breaking news story to follow.

01:49 PM

Russian forces continuing to block humanitarian corridors to Mariupol city, Zelensky says

Russian forces are continuing to block humanitarian corridors to Mariupol city, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

In an online address, Mr Zelensky said shelling by Russian forces is continuing to prevent the authorities from establishing effective humanitarian corridors to the encircled port city in southern Ukraine.

He added that rescue work was ongoing at the site of a bombed theatre in Mariupol city from where 130 people have so far been recovered alive.

01:45 PM

Russia accuses Google and YouTube of 'terrorist' activities

Russian regulators have accused US tech giant Google and its video subsidiary YouTube of "terrorist" activities, the first step towards a possible access ban.

Russia has already blocked access to other global tech giants including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as several independent media.

Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor said YouTube users "are sharing adverts with calls to shut down railway communications between Russia and Belarus".

01:44 PM

UK supports Ukraine's position in peace talks, Johnson says

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy he supports Ukraine's position in peace talks, Downing Street said in a statement after a call between the two leaders on Friday.

"The Prime Minister offered his support for Ukraine's position in negotiations and the President said the UK's close involvement was highly valued," the statement said.

01:34 PM

Putin hails Russia's 'special operation' in Ukraine to thousands in packed stadium

Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed what Russia calls its special operation in Ukraine, appearing on stage at a rally at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on Friday in front of thousands of people waving Russian flags.

He claimed that the objective of Russia's so-called "special operation" in Ukraine is to save locals "from suffering from genocide".

01:33 PM

Xi should choose 'right side of history', US Deputy Secretary of State says

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman has told MSNBC that Xi should tell Russian President Vladimir Putin "to end this war of choice, this war of carnage" in Ukraine.

"China needs to stand on the right side of history. It needs to ensure that it does not backfill, financially or in any other way, sanctions that have been imposed on Russia," she told CNN.

01:31 PM

Zelensky thanks Johnson for 'support' over Ukraine

Held regular talks with 🇬🇧 PM @BorisJohnson. Informed about the heroic struggle of 🇺🇦 people against the Russian aggression. Grateful for the strong support, including in terms of security. We’re committed to strengthen the anti-war coalition & ensure peace in 🇺🇦. #StopRussia

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 18, 2022

01:23 PM

Biden and Xi begin talks on Russia's Ukraine invasion

US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have begun their phone call in which Biden will pressure his counterpart to join Western pressure on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

The two leaders started the call, their first since a video summit in November, at 9:03 am (1:03pm GMT), the White House said.

01:21 PM

At least 816 civilians killed in Ukraine since conflict began, UN says

The UN rights office (OHCHR) said on Friday that at least 816 civilians had been killed and 1,333 wounded in Ukraine through to March 17.

Most of the casualties were from explosive weapons such as shelling from heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes, OHCHR said.

The real toll is thought to be considerably higher since OHCHR, which has a large monitoring team in the country, has not yet been able to verify casualty reports from badly-hit cities like Mariupol.

01:17 PM

Pictured: People wave flags marked with 'Z' symbol at Moscow concert

01:09 PM

Your lunchtime briefing

Good afternoon. Here are the five key developments so far today.

1. Residents continue to flee the terror

Poland's border guards said on Friday that more than two million refugees had crossed into the EU member state from neighbouring Ukraine since the Feb 24 invasion began.

2. Kyiv says 222 killed in capital since start of war

Kyiv city authorities on Friday said 222 people had been killed in the capital since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, including 60 civilians and four children.

3. Kremlin mocks Joe Biden

The Kremlin has attacked Joe Biden’s "personal insults" aimed at Vladimir Putin, claiming his remarks were fuelled by irritation, fatigue and forgetfulness.

4. Putin accuses Ukraine of stalling talks in phone call with Scholz

Vladimir Putin on Friday accused Ukrainian authorities of stalling talks, but added that Moscow was ready to search for solutions as he spoke with the German Chancellor.

5. Putin barred from German pub he used to frequent

The Russian president has been barred from the German pub where he often used to drink as a young KGB officer.

Sophie Tanno has more details.

01:04 PM

MoD shares latest map of Russian invasion

The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing.

The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 18 March 2022

Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/UYOhiuE5PY

🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/lvvGZkfNOJ

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 18, 2022

01:00 PM

Britain and US warn of satellite communications risks after Ukraine hack

Britain and the United States have warned organisations of the risks associated with using satellite communications following a cyberattack on satellite internet modems as Russia invaded Ukraine.

Western intelligence agencies have been investigating the attack which disrupted broadband satellite internet access provided by US telecommunications firm Viasat, Reuters reported last week.

"It's certainly something we're investigating quite actively - more than quite actually," a British official told reporters on Friday. "We've been talking extensively to UK organisations to give them a sense of how we can advise them on that point."

The unidentified hackers disabled tens of thousands of modems that communicate with Viasat Inc's KA-SAT satellite, which supplies internet to some customers in Europe, including in Ukraine.

12:55 PM

Exclusive: Liz Truss faces Foreign Office mutiny as senior diplomat resigns over Ukraine shake-up

Liz Truss is facing a Foreign Office mutiny after a senior diplomat resigned in protest over a departmental shake-up designed to prioritise its work on Ukraine.

Staff were told the Russian invasion represents a “paradigm shift” for the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and “changes the context” of its work.

The leadership of the department is being reorganised to “shift our emphasis” to Ukraine, according to a message sent to staff by Sir Philip Barton, the FCDO’s permanent secretary.

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has altered the wider geopolitical landscape,” the memo reads, adding that the Foreign Secretary has “underlined how we respond now will shape the new era”.

Lizzie Roberts and Tony Diver have the full story.

12:49 PM

Russia's request to suspend World Cup playoff rejected

The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday refused to suspend FIFA's ban on Russia taking part in the playoffs for the 2022 World Cup finals that was imposed over the invasion of Ukraine.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is still to rule on the legal basis of the ban, but a decision is not expected for several weeks at least.

"The challenged decision remains in force and all Russian teams and clubs continue to be suspended from participation in FIFA competitions. The CAS arbitration proceedings continue," the court said in a statement.

The Football Union of Russia had appealed against the suspension, hoping to gain permission to allow Russia to face Poland in a World Cup playoff that was due to have been played on March 24.

12:44 PM

Over 3.25 million have fled Ukraine, most to Poland

More than 3.25 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion, the United Nations said Friday, with more than two million crossing the Polish border.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 3,270,662 people had joined the exodus since the war began on February 24, or another 100,765 since Thursday's update.

"We have seen a general slowdown" in flow since the early days of the conflict, said UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh.

As for people still within Ukraine who have left their homes, "It's safe to assume the number is considerably higher than two million", he said.

12:37 PM

Ukraine president to address Japan parliament next Wednesday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to deliver an online speech to Japan's parliament at around 6 p.m. Japan time (9am GMT) on March 23, public broadcaster NHK said on Friday.

12:34 PM

Baltic nations expel ten Russian diplomats

Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have expelled a total of ten Russian diplomats, the foreign ministries of the three Baltic countries said on Friday.

Lithuania expelled four diplomats while Latvia and Estonia each expelled three.

The diplomats were expelled in a coordinated move "in connection with activities that are contrary to their diplomatic status and taking into account ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine," Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted.

Estonia's foreign ministry said it had expelled diplomats because they "directly and actively undermined Estonia's security and spread propaganda justifying Russia's military action," its foreign ministry said in a statement.

12:32 PM

Watch: Ukrainian soldier plays national anthem on violin in symbol of hope in war against Russia

12:27 PM

Pictured: Aftermath of Russian shelling in Kyiv

12:24 PM

Russia contemplates 'parallel imports' after top brands halt sales

Russia is considering allowing retailers to import products from abroad without the trademark owner's permission, the competition regulator said on Friday, after global brands halted sales or stopped exports over its invasion of Ukraine.

Allowing "parallel imports" reflects how Russia's retail sector has been upended by Western economic sanctions and decisions by international firms like H&M and Nike to restrict their activity in Russia.

The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) said its head had met the director of Russia's top online retailer Wildberries where legalising parallel imports was discussed. Both sides were confident the move would be positive for consumers and Russian businesses.

12:16 PM

Ukraine will not give up EU bid as compromise to Russia, says Ukrainian official

Ukraine will not abandon its bid to join the European Union to reach a compromise with Russia as part of an agreement to end the war, the deputy chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday.

"I will be categorical, this is absolutely unacceptable. It is our choice, the application for EU membership has been submitted and now it is being put into practice," deputy chief of staff Andrii Sybiha said.

Speaking on national television, Mr Sybiha said negotiations with Russia were ongoing but difficult.

12:13 PM

Pictured: 109 empty prams placed on Lviv's Rynok Square

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has shared a picture of 109 empty prams placed on Rynok Square in Lviv.

"Thatʼs the number of Ukrainian children mercilessly killed by #Russian troops since the beginning of the full-scale #war", it tweeted.

12:06 PM

Putin discusses Ukraine with Russian security council

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Moscow's conflict with Ukraine and its international repercussions with his security council on Friday, the Kremlin said on its website.

Unlike some of the previous meetings with the council, Putin's video conference was not televised on Friday.

"The current international situation was discussed at the meeting and the exchange of views on the ongoing special operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine continued," the Kremlin said in a statement.

"The president informed the participants in great detail about his numerous international telephone calls," it read.

11:59 AM

Italy investigates Russia's Kaspersky antivirus software

Italy's data privacy watchdog said Friday it was investigating the "potential risks" that Russian antivirus software Kaspersky could be used to launch cyberattacks.

It followed what it called "alarms sounded by many Italian and European organisations specialised in computer security" over the potential use of Kaspersky software for hacking assaults in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The watchdog has asked the company to provide details on the number and profile of its Italian customers, and whether users' personal data is "transferred outside the European Union" to Russia or elsewhere.

Italy's cybersecurity agency recommended Tuesday that users of Russian software diversify their wares, warning of a potential "technological risk" following the invasion of Ukraine.

11:56 AM

Russia says post-1991 'illusions' about the West are over

Russia has lost any illusions about ever relying on the West and Moscow will never accept a world order dominated by the United States, which is acting like a sheriff seeking to call all the shots in a saloon bar, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Western nations have imposed sweeping sanctions across Russia's financial and corporate sectors in response to Moscow's February 24 invasion of Ukraine, plunging Russia's economy into its gravest crisis since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union.

Mr Lavrov, President Vladimir Putin's foreign minister since 2004, said the West's reaction to what Moscow has called a "special military operation" had illustrated that the West was completely dominated by the United States and that the European Union was largely powerless.

"If there was any illusion that we could one day rely on our Western partners, this illusion is no longer there," Mr Lavrov told Russian state-funded RT in English.

11:36 AM

Zelensky says he spoke with EU president about progress on membership

Had substantial conversation with EC President @vonderleyen.
EC opinion on UA application for #EU membership will be prepared within few months.
UA Government and EC are instructed. Moving to our strategic goal together.

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 18, 2022

11:33 AM

Kyiv says 222 killed in capital since start of war, including 60 civilians

Kyiv city authorities on Friday said 222 people had been killed in the capital since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, including 60 civilians and four children.

A further 889 people have been wounded, including 241 civilians, the Kyiv city administration said in a statement.

11:33 AM

Czech designer makes 'Zelensky pillows' to help Ukraine

A Czech designer has come up with a novel way to raise money for Ukrainians suffering from the war in their country - making pillows bearing the portrait of their president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who he says has become a sex symbol for some.

Mr Zelensky, tired, unshaven but defiant in his trademark green T-shirt, has become the face of Ukraine's resistance to Russia's invasion, rallying his compatriots from his bunker in Kyiv in daily broadcasts on social media.

"Many people, mostly of the fair sex, see him as some kind of a sex symbol, so I got the idea to make a pillow which would look like he is actually in their bed," designer Tomas Brinek told Reuters.

11:31 AM

Pictured: Ukrainian policemen carry body away from shelled Kyiv building

11:29 AM

India defends purchases of Russian oil

Indian government officials on Friday defended the continued buying of Russian oil, saying European countries were still purchasing hydrocarbons from Moscow and that high crude prices left New Delhi with little choice.

Indian oil refiners have in recent days reportedly purchased several million barrels of discounted Russian oil even as the West seeks to isolate Moscow economically over its invasion of Ukraine.

But an Indian government official said on Friday that the world's third-biggest consumer of crude relied on imports for almost 85 percent of its needs, with Russia supplying a "marginal" less than one percent of this.

"Geopolitical developments have posed significant challenges to our energy security. For obvious reasons, we have had to stop sourcing from Iran and Venezuela. Alternative sources have often come at a higher cost," the official said on condition of anonymity.

11:25 AM

Are you offering to host a Ukrainian refugee? We want to hear from you

With more than 44,000 people offering to host a Ukrainian refugee in their homes within the first five hours of the scheme being launched, we want to know if you are offering to host Ukrainian refugees, why you have chosen to do so and how you are finding the process.

Let us know here.

11:18 AM

The Klitschkos v the Kremlin

Like Volodymyr Zelensky and their countrymen, Kyiv mayor Vitali and his brother Wladimir refuse to be bullied as they defend their country, write Guy Kelly and Gareth A Davies.

You can read their full piece here.

11:17 AM

Top ex-Kremlin official quits post after condemning Ukraine war

A former Russian deputy prime minister who spoke out against the Kremlin's actions in Ukraine has quit as chair of a prestigious foundation after a lawmaker accused him of a "national betrayal" and demanded his dismissal.

Arkady Dvorkovich, deputy prime minister from 2012 to 2018, became one of Russia's most senior establishment figures to question the war when he told US media this week that his thoughts were with Ukrainian civilians.

His comments prompted a senior ruling party lawmaker to demand that he be fired and to accuse him of being part of a "fifth column" undermining Russia.

The 49-year-old had been chairman since 2018 of the Skolkovo Foundation, an innovation and technology hub on the outskirts of Moscow that brands itself as a kind of Russian Silicon Valley.

11:10 AM

Norway boosts military spending by over 300 million euros

Norway on Friday announced it would provide an additional three billion Norwegian kroner (308 million euros) this year to strengthen its military forces in the north near the Russian border.

"Even if a Russian attack on Norway is not likely, we must realise that we have a neighbour to the east that has become more dangerous and more unpredictable," Norwegian Defence Minister Odd Roger Enoksen told a press conference, referring to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

11:07 AM

Russia demands that Google stop spreading threats against Russians on YouTube

Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor on Friday said it had demanded that Alphabet Inc's Google stop spreading what it labelled as threats against Russian citizens on its YouTube video-sharing platform.

Roskomnadzor said adverts on the platform were threatening the life and health of Russian citizens and that their dissemination was evidence of the US tech giant's anti-Russian position.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

11:03 AM

Biden due to speak to Xi at 1pm GMT

US President Joe Biden is due to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping at 1pm GMT, seeking to isolate Moscow from the one big power that has yet to condemn its invasion of Ukraine.

We will bring you all the latest developments here on our liveblog.

11:00 AM

Over 197,000 refugees from Ukraine recorded in Germany, interior ministry says

More than 197,000 refugees from Ukraine have been registered in Germany so far, an interior ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

10:58 AM

Putin discusses military operation in Ukraine with Russian security council, RIA says

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Moscow's military operation in Ukraine with his security council on Friday, RIA news agency has cited the Kremlin as saying.

10:54 AM

Ukraine says 130 people have been rescued so far from bombed Mariupol theatre

Ukrainian human rights ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova on Friday said 130 people had been rescued so far from the rubble of a theatre hit by an air strike on Wednesday in the besieged eastern city of Mariupol.

In a televised address, Ms Denisova said rescue work was ongoing at the site, where many people were sheltering underground before the building was hit, according to the Ukrainian authorities.

10:53 AM

Watch: Russia targets Lviv, Kyiv and Kharviv with missiles and shells

10:43 AM

UN refugee agency says fewer Ukrainians fleeing

A UN refugee agency official said on Friday that daily crossings by people fleeing violence in Ukraine have slowed in recent days, saying warmer weather might be a factor.

"We have seen a slowdown, a general slowdown," said Matthew Saltmarsh via videolink from Poland, adding that warmer weather might be a factor.

However, he warned that any escalation of violence in the Western Ukrainian city of Lviv might cause crossings to rise again.

10:42 AM

Bulgaria expels 10 Russian diplomats, Russian news agency says

Bulgaria has decided to expel 10 Russian diplomats after they were accused of allegedly carrying out "activities incompatible with their diplomatic status", Russia's TASS news agency cited the Russian ambassador to the country as saying on Friday.

"We take this as an extremely unfriendly act and reserve the right to retaliate," Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova told TASS.

10:41 AM

Pictured: Refugees continue to flee Ukraine

10:26 AM

Russian finance ministry says it has met coupon payment obligations in full

Russia's finance ministry on Friday said it had fully met its obligations on paying coupons on dollar-denominated Eurobonds due in 2023 and 2043, and said payment agent Citibank had received the funds.

Russia was due to pay $117 million in coupon payments in what was seen as a test of its willingness and ability to repay international debt after being hit with sanctions over events in Ukraine.

10:17 AM

Poland to propose Ukraine peacekeeping mission at Nato summit, says PM

Poland will formally submit a proposal for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine at the next Nato summit, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday.

Poland's ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski announced the idea of a peacekeeping mission during a trip to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Tuesday.

10:13 AM

Russian cosmonauts set for Friday launch to International Space Station

Three Russian cosmonauts were due for launch on Friday to the International Space Station (ISS), continuing a two-decade-plus shared Russian-US presence aboard the orbiting outpost despite heightened terrestrial tensions between Moscow and Washington.

The Soyuz spacecraft carrying the new cosmonaut team was set for lift-off at 3:55pm GMT (11:55 am Eastern time) from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to begin a three-hour-plus ride to the space station.

Soyuz commander Oleg Artemyev will lead the team, joined by two spaceflight rookies, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov, on a science mission aboard ISS set to last six and half months.

They will join the station's current seven-member crew to replace three who are scheduled to fly back to Earth on March 30 - cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov and US Nasa astronaut Mark Vande Hei.

10:11 AM

Pope calls Ukraine war a 'perverse abuse of power' for partisan interests

Pope Francis has called the war in Ukraine a "perverse abuse of power" waged for partisan interests which has condemned defenceless people to brutal violence.

Since the war began, the pope has not used the word "Russia" in his condemnations but has used phrases such as "unacceptable armed aggression" to get his point across.

His latest condemnation came in a message to a Catholic Church conference in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

10:08 AM

World Food Programme says supply chains 'falling apart' in Ukraine

A World Food Programme (WFP) official said on Friday that food supply chains in Ukraine were collapsing, with a portion of infrastructure destroyed and many grocery stores and warehouses now empty.

Jakob Kern, WFP Emergency Coordinator for the Ukraine crisis, also expressed concern about the situation in "encircled cities" such as Mariupol, saying that supplies were running out and that its convoys had not yet been able to enter the city.

10:08 AM

London to hold vigil in support of Ukraine, mayor says

A march and vigil will be held in London next Saturday, March 26, in honour of Ukraine, Sadiq Khan has said.

"Join the march from Park Lane to Trafalgar Square to show your solidarity," he said.

"Together we’ll send the message that London stands with Ukraine."

10:04 AM

Ukraine foreign minister says he discussed further Russian sanctions with EU's Borrell

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Friday said he had spoken with the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell about a further package of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine.

"We discussed the preparation of the 5th EU sanctions package on Russia. Pressure will keep mounting as long as it is needed to stop Russian barbarism. We also discussed protection and help for Ukrainians who fled from Russian bombs to the EU," he said on Twitter.

09:51 AM

Scholz urges ceasefire in call with Putin

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a ceasefire in Ukraine during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, a German government spokesperson said.

In their nearly hour-long conversation, Mr Scholz also stressed that the humanitarian situation needed to be improved and progress needed to be made in finding a diplomatic solution as soon as possible, said the spokesperson.

09:45 AM

Kremlin says UK decision to revoke RT's broadcast licence is 'madness'

The Kremlin on Friday described Britain's decision to revoke the broadcast licence of Russian state-backed television channel RT as "madness".

Britain's media regulator, Ofcom, said in a statement on Friday that RT received funding from the Russian state and was not satisfied that RT could be a responsible broadcaster, revoking its licence with immediate effect.

09:38 AM

Pictured: Ukrainians clear streets following Russian shelling

09:35 AM

Putin tells Scholz that Kyiv is stalling peace talks with Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a phone call on Friday that Kyiv was attempting to stall peace talks with Russia but that Moscow was still keen to continue negotiations.

"It was noted that the Kyiv regime is attempting in every possible way to delay the negotiation process, putting forward more and more unrealistic proposals," the Kremlin said in a readout of the call.

"Nonetheless the Russian side is ready to continue searching for a solution in line with its well-known principled approaches."

09:31 AM

Poland to 'de-Russify' economy, says PM

Poland will act to 'de-Russify' its economy, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday, removing dependence on Russia with plans to build new gas pipelines and subsidise farmers for rising fertiliser prices in order to keep food prices down.

09:22 AM

No such thing as independent western media, Lavrov says

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that there is no such thing as independent western media, adding that "we are not closing the door to the west - they are closing the door".

He also claimed that the Kremlin's goal is to remove any threat to Russia on Ukrainian soil.

09:11 AM

Chinese carrier sails through Taiwan Strait hours before Biden-Xi call

China sailed an aircraft carrier through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Friday, shadowed by a US destroyer, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, just hours before the Chinese and US presidents were due to talk.

China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, and has over the past two years stepped up its military activity near the island to assert its sovereignty claims, alarming Taipei and Washington.

The source, who was not authorised to speak to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the carrier Shandong sailed close to the Taiwan-controlled island of Kinmen, which sits directly opposite the Chinese city of Xiamen.

"Around 10:30 a.m. the CV-17 appeared around 30 nautical miles to the southwest of Kinmen, and was photographed by a passenger on a civilian flight," the source said, referring to the Shandong's official service number.

The USS Ralph Johnson, an Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer, shadowed the carrier, which did not have aircraft on its deck and sailed north through the strait, the source added.

09:08 AM

Russia's illusions about the West are over, Lavrov says

Russia has lost all illusions about relying on the West and Moscow will never accept a view of the world dominated by a United States that wants to act like a global sheriff, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

09:00 AM

Germany's Baerbock warns supply shortfall from Ukraine war will be severe

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned that supply shortfalls due to the war in Ukraine will be severe and could lead to further conflicts in already vulnerable countries.

She underscored that Germany needed to maintain contact with authoritarian regimes even if they don't share its values and not to stay quiet on issues due to economic or energy interests.

Ms Baerbock, who was presenting a new national security strategy on Friday, added that a new China strategy would be in the works in the coming months.

08:53 AM

Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mykolaiv remain encircled, MoD says

The Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mykolaiv remain encircled, the UK's Ministry of Defence has said.

In an intelligence update posted on Twitter, the MoD said that Russian forces have made minimal progress this week.

It added: "The UN now states that the number of refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine has already surpassed 3.2 million. This number will continue to rise as a result of ongoing Russian aggression."

08:47 AM

US envoy offers home to Ukrainians

The US ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, has offered to host Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war in his residence until they find permanent housing in Japan.

Long refugee-shy, Japan is preparing to take in Ukrainian evacuees, with 47 having arrived since the outbreak of the war.

"We would like to do our part, too, by assisting the evacuees until they are able to move into more permanent housing," Mr Emanuel, the grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, said in a statement.

08:46 AM

Over two million refugees have entered Poland from Ukraine, boarder guard says

Over two million refugees have entered Poland from Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the country's boarder guard has said.

"Today, March 18 at 0900 (local time) the number of refugees from Ukraine exceeded 2 million. Mainly women and children," the border guard wrote on Twitter.

08:40 AM

Ukraine says at least three killed in shelling of eastern cities on Friday morning

Ukraine's state emergency service said a multi-storey teaching building was shelled on Friday morning in the eastern city of Kharkiv, killing one person, wounding 11 and trapping one person in the rubble.

Shells also hit the eastern city of Kramatorsk on Friday, killing two people and wounding six, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said in an online post.

08:31 AM

RT says British media regulator is just a tool of the government

Russia's state-funded RT television channel said on Friday that Britain's media regulator had unfairly revoked its broadcasting license due to the conflict in Ukraine and accused it of being "nothing but a tool of" the British government.

Britain's media regulator said it had revoked Russian-backed television channel RT's licence to broadcast in the UK with immediate effect after a probe into the impartiality of its coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Ofcom has shown the UK public, and the regulatory community internationally, that despite a well-constructed facade of independence, it is nothing more than a tool of government, bending to its media-suppressing will," Anna Belkina, RT's deputy editor in chief, told Reuters.

"By ignoring RT's completely clean record of four consecutive years and stating purely political reasons tied directly to the situation in Ukraine and yet completely unassociated to RT's operations, structure, management or editorial output, Ofcom has falsely judged RT to not be 'fit and proper' and in doing so robbed the UK public of access to information."

08:25 AM

Putin barred from German pub where he used to drink as a young KGB officer

Vladimir Putin has been barred from the German pub where he used to drink as a young KGB officer, Justin Huggler reports.

The Am Thor pub in Dresden used to play up its association with the Russian leader. For many years it had a a shrine to him in the pub, and it even named its small beer glasses “Putin mugs”.

Not any more. Today a picture of Putin with a red line through his face sits alongside Ukrainian flags on the beer pumps.

“I’ve banned him for life,” Joachim Müller, the landlord, told Germany’s Bild newspaper. “I used to think he was quiet, reserved, matter-of-fact.

“Now he's a war criminal. If he ever turns up here again at some point, he can turn on his heel and stare at the door from outside.”

08:21 AM

What is the latest on the war in Ukraine?

Good morning. Here are the five key developments in the Ukraine war today.

1. More bombs fall as Ukrainians struggle to stay alive

As Russian forces pressed their assault on Ukraine, world leaders called for an investigation into the Kremlin's repeated attacks on civilian targets, including air strikes on schools, hospitals and residential areas that led one official to lament that his city had never seen such "nightmarish, colossal losses".

2. Russia claims separatists 'tightening the noose' around Mariupol

Russia's defence ministry said on Friday that separatists in eastern Ukraine - with help from Russia's armed forces - were "tightening the noose" around the city of Mariupol, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported.

3. Russia 'recruiting volunteers from Syrian army and Hezbollah'

Russia has recruited 1,000 volunteers from the Syrian army and Hezbollah as it attempts to make up for losses of personnel, Ukraine's military said in a daily update.

4. Moscow planning lightning advance to claim victory

Military experts have warned that Russia is planning a lightning advance upwards from southern Ukraine to link with other battalions to encircle Volodymyr Zelensky’s army and claim it has won the war.

5. Vladimir Putin vows to ‘purify’ Russia of traitors

One of Moscow's most senior military commanders was arrested after Vladimir Putin promised to "purify" Russia of traitors in a sign of "real discord" in the Kremlin over the war, according to a British minister.

08:15 AM

Fighting happening in Mariupol city centre, Russian ministry claims

Russian troops and their separatist allies are fighting in the centre of Mariupol, a strategic port city in the southeast of Ukraine, the Russian defence ministry has said.

"In Mariupol, units of the Donetsk People's Republic, with the support of the Russian armed forces, are squeezing the encirclement and fighting against nationalists in the city centre," the ministry claimed in Moscow.

08:08 AM

Ofcom revokes Russian-backed television channel RT's licence

Britain's media regulator, Ofcom, said on Friday it has revoked Russian-backed television channel RT's licence to broadcast in the UK with immediate effect.

"We do not consider RT to be fit and proper to hold a UK licence and cannot be satisfied that it can be a responsible broadcaster," Ofcom said on Twitter.

07:59 AM

Ukraine should not be pressured into making land concessions, minister says

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey has said Ukraine should not be pressured into making territorial concessions to Russia to end the conflict.

Mr Heappey said the West may have a role to play in brokering a peace deal but it was up to the Ukrainians to decide what terms they could accept.

"This can't go indefinitely," he told Sky News.

"If the West has a role to play alongside others beyond the region in brokering that peace and offering something the Ukrainians and the Russians can live with, that's fine.

"What I absolutely don't think we should do - and I have heard some around the West suggest this - is somehow Ukraine should be pressured to give up the Donbas or to give up its claim on Crimea.

07:55 AM

France says sanctions starting to have impact on Russia

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Friday sanctions imposed by Western countries on Russia in reaction to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine were starting to have a "real impact".

"We hope these sanctions will force Vladimir Putin to change his plans," Mr Attal told BFM TV.

Earlier this week, European Union member states agreed on a fourth package of sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

07:53 AM

Pictured: Smoke fills sky above Lviv following Russian attack

07:39 AM

Japan imposes more sanctions on Russian officials

Japan has said that it will impose sanctions on 15 Russian individuals and nine organisations, including defence officials and the state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport.

The sanctions, which include the freezing of assets, are the latest in a series of measures by Japan following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Japan has now put sanctions on 76 individuals, seven banks and 12 other organisations in Russia, according to the finance ministry.

The government said on Friday Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and several military equipment makers including United Aircraft Corp, which manufactures fighter jets, would be sanctioned.

07:36 AM

Russia claims separatists 'tightening the noose' around Mariupol

Russia's defence ministry said on Friday that separatists in eastern Ukraine with help from Russia's armed forces were "tightening the noose" around the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The defence ministry added that fighting was ongoing in the centre of Mariupol.

07:34 AM

One killed and four wounded after parts of missile fall in northern Kyiv

One person was killed and four wounded after parts of a Russian missile fell on a residential building in the northern part of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday morning, emergencies services said.

The services said in a statement that 12 people were rescued and 98 were evacuated from the five-storey building.

07:33 AM

The latest pictures from Ukraine

07:24 AM

Russian and Belarusian athletes to be excluded from Diamond League

The Diamond League of track and field competitions has banned Russian Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANA) and Belarusian athletes from its events "for the foreseeable future", organisers said, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, World Athletics banned the two countries' athletes, support staff and officials from all events for the foreseeable future, and said the sanction included Russian athletes who had the ANA status in 2022.

"The Wanda Diamond League meetings accepted the recommendation of the board that Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANA) and Belarus athletes be excluded from all Diamond League meetings for the foreseeable future," organisers said.

"This recommendation... reflects the practical and logistical issues meetings may face if ANA athletes from Russia and athletes from Belarus were to be invited to compete.

07:23 AM

Ukraine hopes nine humanitarian corridors will operate on Friday

Ukraine hopes to evacuate civilians on Friday through nine humanitarian corridors from cities and towns on the front line of fighting with Russian forces, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said.

07:02 AM

Saudi Arabia extends Ukrainians' visas on humanitarian grounds, reports state news agency

Saudi Arabia issued a royal directive extending tourist and business visas of Ukrainian citizens without fees or fines for humanitarian considerations, state news agency SPA said on Friday.

The extension will be automatic without the need to visit the migration authorities. (Reporting by Lina Najem; Writing Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Christopher Cushing)

06:53 AM

Lviv airport 'definitely not' hit after Russian strikes

Russian forces on Friday struck an area around Lviv's airport in western Ukraine, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said, as grey smoke streamed across the sky and ambulances and police vehicles raced to the scene.

Writing on messaging app Telegram, Sadovyi said he could not give a precise address of the targeted area "but it's definitely not an airport."

A thick pall of grey smoke streamed across clear blue sky over Lviv's airport in western Ukraine at 7:30 am Friday, an AFP reporter saw.

Armed checkpoints turned motorists back from roads leading to the airport, and a local told AFP he had heard a blast earlier Friday.

Lviv is the largest city in western Ukraine and a popular tourist destination known for its picturesque views.

Located 70 kilometres from the border with Poland, it has largely escaped military strikes from Russian forces in the past.

06:45 AM

Russia imposes no-fly zone over Donbass, Interfax reports

Russia has established a no-fly zone over Ukraine's Donbass region, according to a separatist official from the Donetsk People's Republic, the Interfax news agency said on Friday.

06:36 AM

Russia has made 'minimal progress this week', says UK MoD

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said in its latest update on Ukraine that Russian forces "have made minimal progress this week".

"Russian forces have made minimal progress this week," the MoD tweeted.

"Ukrainian forces around Kyiv and Mykolaiv continue to frustrate Russian attempts to encircle the cities. The cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol remain encircled and subject to heavy Russian shelling.

"The UN now states that the number of refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine has already surpassed 3.2 million. This number will continue to rise as a result of ongoing Russian aggression."

06:15 AM

Russian missiles hit area near airport in Ukraine's Lviv, mayor says

Russian missiles struck an area near the airport of Ukraine's western city of Lviv on Friday, its mayor Andriy Sadovy said, though he added that the airport itself had not been attacked.

Authorities are assessing the situation and will issue updates, he said.

Earlier, television station Ukraine 24 said at least three exposions had been heard in the city.

06:03 AM

More footage from Lviv where explosions were heard on Friday morning

BREAKING: Explosion in Lviv, Western Ukraine #UkraineRussianWar pic.twitter.com/lSBSLPbkCC

— Yalda Hakim (@BBCYaldaHakim) March 18, 2022

05:48 AM

Burger King owner says Russia operator has 'refused' to shut shops

The owner of Burger King has said the operator of its 800 stores in Russia has "refused" to close them.

The president of Restaurant Brands International (RBI), which owns Burger King and has operated its restaurants in Russia for a decade in a joint venture which includes Alexander Kolobov, said the company was attempting to withdraw from the Russian market following the invasion of Ukraine.

RBI president David Shear wrote in an open letter to employees: "We contacted the main operator of the business and demanded the suspension of Burger King restaurant operations in Russia. He has refused to do so.

"We suspended all corporate support for the Russian market, including operations, marketing, and supply chain support in addition to refusing approvals for new investment and expansion."

05:25 AM

Search for Ukraine theatre bombing survivors as war crime claims mount

Rescue workers searched desperately for any survivors buried beneath the rubble of Mariupol's bombed-out theatre on Friday, as Russia's forces pounded residential areas across Ukraine, stoking allegations of war crimes.

Twenty-four hours after Mariupol's once-gleaming whitewashed theatre was hollowed out by a Russian strike, the number of dead, injured or trapped is still unclear.

Ukraine's ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova said a bombshelter in the building had survived the impact, and some "adults and children" had emerged alive.

"Work is underway to unlock the basement," she said, amid fears that up to 1,000 people may have been taking refuge underground at the time of the blast.

The attack on a civilian building marked with the words "DETI", or "children" in Russian, has sparked a wave of international revulsion and heaped pressure on Russia's few remaining allies - most notably China - to condemn Moscow's apparent deliberate targeting of civilians.

05:05 AM

Blasts heard in Ukraine's Lviv

At least three blasts were heard in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Friday morning, Ukraine 24 television station reported through the Telegram messenger.

It published a short video in which a mushroom-shaped plume of smoke could be seen rising on the horizon.

According to claims on social media, the airport was hit by Russian cruise missiles.

04:45 AM

EU seeks energy price-busting strategy amid Ukraine crisis

European states are urgently seeking policies to stem the energy inflation tide amid conflict in Ukraine which has sparked price hikes - notably of oil, which has soared past $100 a barrel.

As companies and consumers alike labour under the strain with food and energy prices soaring to multi-decade highs, governments are pondering what means they have at their disposal to react and lessen the pain.

The policy arsenal includes trimming energy taxes and prices, along with targeted state support with some economies across the continent suffering a heavier burden than others.

The European Commission said at the start of this month it could extend a suspension on rules on budgetary rigour through to next year as several EU states urged a common response to the war's financial fallout, on the heels of that wrought by the pandemic.

04:35 AM

Russia has recruited 1,000 volunteers from Syrian army and Hezbollah, says Ukraine armed forces

Russia has recruited 1,000 volunteers from the Syrian army and Hezbollah as it looks to make up for losses of personnel, said Ukraine's military in a daily update.

"According to available information, the Russian occupiers have already picked up close 1,000 volunteers from the so-called army of Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah."

"The main requirement for foreign fighters is the experience of fighting in the city."

The update adds that Russian forces continue to partially blockade the city of Chernihiv and carry out artillery shelling of the city.

"In the Slobozhansky direction, in order to resume offensive operations on the cities of Sumy and Kharkiv, the occupiers are trying to replenish stocks of ammunition and fuel and oil and are forced to use the accumulated human reserves prematurely. In the direction of the city of Izyum, the enemy is trying to resume offensive operations."

04:16 AM

Pictured: Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a blaze at a warehouse after a bombing in Kyiv

04:10 AM

Ukraine brings down seven Russian aircraft on Thursday

Ukraine’s air defense forces destroyed 14 aerial units on Thursday, including seven aircraft, according to local media.

"According to Ukraine’s Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukraine’s air defense destroyed seven aircraft, one helicopter, three UAVs, and three cruise missiles," reported the Kyiv Independent.

04:00 AM

China will face 'cost's if it helps Russia, says Biden

US President Joe Biden will warn his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday that he will face "costs" if Beijing rescues fellow authoritarian ally Russia from intense Western sanctions aimed at punishing Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The two leaders' 9:00 am (1pm UK time) scheduled phone call will be a chance to air differences as the United States spearheads an unprecedented pressure campaign on Russia, placing China in a geopolitical bind.

It's "an opportunity for President Biden to assess where President Xi stands," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

Biden has successfully marshalled a tight Western alliance against Russia, while giving military support to Ukrainian forces.

But Beijing has refused to condemn Moscow, and Washington fears the Chinese could switch to full financial and even military support for Russia, transforming an already explosive transatlantic standoff into a global dispute.

The White House was tight-lipped on whether Biden will threaten China with sanctions during his call, but some sort of response is on the table.

03:38 AM

Australia sanctions Russian billionaires with mining industry links

Australia imposed sanctions on Friday on two Russian oligarchs with links to its mining industry, one of them a billionaire with an investment connection to Rio Tinto's Gladstone alumina refinery joint venture.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia was working in close cooperation with international partners to increase sanctions pressure on oligarchs close to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine.

"Australia has now added two billionaires with links to business interests in Australia, Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg," Ms Payne said in a statement.

The measures are in addition to curbs on 41 oligarchs and immediate family members who already face targeted financial sanctions and travel bans, she said.

Ms Payne said the government welcomed Australian companies taking a principled stand with moves to cut ties with Russia "in protest of Moscow’s illegal, indefensible war against Ukraine".

03:32 AM

12 killed in health care attacks so far, says WHO

The World Health Organization says it has verified 43 attacks on health care, with 12 people killed and 34 injured.

03:21 AM

One person dead in warehouse fire in Kyiv

One person died after a warehouse caught fire as a result of Russian shelling in the Sviatoshynksy district of Kyiv, the country's communications agency tweeted at midnight local time on Thursday.

03:01 AM

More than 321,000 Ukrainians have crossed into Maldova

More than 321,000 Ukrainians have crossed into Maldova since the start of the war, said the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicu Popescu.

"Many transited our country but more than 104,000 refugees are still in Moldova, including more than 48,942 minors."

02:49 AM

Biden to speak with China's Xi on Friday

US President Joe Biden will speak with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at 9 am Eastern time (1pm UK time ) on Friday.

"This is part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and the (People's Republic of China)," according to a statement from the White House.

"The two leaders will discuss managing the competition between the two countries as well as Russia's war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern."

02:31 AM

In pictures: Ukrainians bear the brunt of cruel war

02:12 AM

Russia accused of dirty tricks as ministers targeted with hoax calls

Russia has been accused of "dirty tricks" after senior Cabinet ministers were targeted with hoax calls from an impostor posing as Ukraine's prime minister.

A cross-Whitehall security inquiry has been launched after Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, and Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, were targeted.

The alarm was raised by Mr Wallace after he became suspicious during a 10-minute video call on Thursday, with the Defence Secretary publicly accusing Russia of being behind it.

He ordered an investigation into the security breach but there are serious questions about Whitehall security after Ms Patel said the same thing happened to her earlier this week.

Mr Wallace said he became suspicious and terminated the call after "several misleading questions".

Read the full story here.

01:39 AM

Russia planning lightning advance to encircle Ukrainian army

Russia is planning a lightning advance upwards from southern Ukraine to link with other battalions to encircle Volodymyr Zelensky’s army and claim it has won the war, military experts have warned.

The potentially “critical” strategy envisages the recent massive build-up of Russian navy forces in the Black Sea which appear ready to launch an amphibious assault on the coastal city of Odesa as a feint - a bogus attack preparation designed to distract Ukrainian generals from a secret new tactic.

Instead of attacking Odesa, the strategists believe the Russian military machine will continue to “bypass” nearby Mykolaiv by thrusting northwards before heading east to target the Ukrainian army, most of which remains pinned down near Donetsk and Luhansk closer to the Russian border.

READ MORE: Russia planning lightning advance to encircle Ukrainian army and claim victory

01:10 AM

Patel confirms green light for Ukraine's orphans to travel to UK

A group of Ukrainian orphans evacuated from their war-torn country by a Scottish charity can travel to the UK, the Home Secretary has confirmed.

Priti Patel said the 48 youngsters, who were taken out of Ukraine and into Poland by the Dnipro Kids organisation, had been given the green light to travel to Britain.

It comes after SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford raised their plight in the House of Commons on Wednesday, saying then that the Home office was the "only obstacle" to bringing them to the safety of the UK.

She added: "We are working urgently with Poland to ensure the children's swift arrival to the UK."

01:02 AM

American soldiers alive, despite Russian 'fake news': US military

Three current and former members of the Tennessee National Guard falsely identified in a Russian media report as mercenaries who were killed in Ukraine are in fact alive and well, the Tennessee National Guard said.

A report published in Russia's Pravda newspaper identified the Americans by name and gave military ranks for each of them, citing information from pro-Russian militia in Ukraine's Donetsk.

The report offered an intricate explanation for how the three were identified - using items from a backpack "near the remains of one of the militants", including a Tennessee state flag.

"The Tennessee Guard is aware of the fake news coming out of Russia," said Tracy O'Grady, a spokesperson for the US National Guard.

The Tennessee Guard said: "They are accounted for, safe, and not, as the article headline erroneously states, US mercenaries killed in Donetsk People's Republic."

The National Guard speculated the militia picked the three men while reviewing official imagery associated with a 2018 deployment by Tennessee's 278th Armoured Cavalry Regiment to Ukraine, suggesting all three had been in Ukraine.

12:21 AM

Adults hosting families with children must undergo ‘enhanced’ checks

All British adults who host Ukrainian refugee families with children will have to undergo "enhanced" security checks, the Government will announce on Friday.

The move follows warnings from charities that "light touch" checks on host families would not be sufficient to protect refugee children living for at least six months in the same house as sponsoring UK adults.

The "enhanced" Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are generally restricted to workers in jobs such as teaching and social services dealing with children and vulnerable adults.

They require the full details of a person's criminal record.

Ministers say the checks will not delay refugee families coming to the UK because they will not have to be completed until after they arrive.

Read the full story from The Telegraph's Home Affairs Editor Charles Hymas here.

12:16 AM

150,000 register for UK's Homes for Ukraine

More than 150,000 people registered their interest in the UK's Homes for Ukraine scheme ahead of its launch on Friday, but concerns have been raised about how it will work in practice.

The programme aims to match refugees with individuals, charities and other organisations who can provide accommodation for at least six months, enabling Ukrainians without family ties in Britain to enter the country.

Amid concerns about red tape, safeguarding and resourcing, one major charity warned that the Government was "unleashing chaos" with the scheme and refugees could die before being matched with a sponsor and could safely reach the UK.

12:09 AM

Today's top stories

• Russian "impostors" targeted two Cabinet ministers by posing as Ukrainian politicians in an apparent "dirty tricks" operation to extract sensitive information and embarrass them
• Russia is planning a lightning advance upwards from southern Ukraine to link with other battalions to encircle Volodymyr Zelensky’s army and claim it has won the war, military experts have warned
• Ukraine has called on European leaders to follow Joe Biden’s example and denounce Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal” over Russia’s targeting of civilians
• Arnold Schwarzenegger has made an impassioned attempt to tell Russian soldiers, and the Russian people, the truth about the war in Ukraine
• One of Moscow's most senior military commanders was arrested after Vladimir Putin promised to "purify" Russia of traitors in a sign of "real discord" in the Kremlin over the war, according to a British minister
• All British adults who host Ukrainian refugee families with children will have to undergo "enhanced" security checks, the Government will announce on Friday
• A delegation of Ukrainian politicians has pleaded with Marks & Spencer to pull out of Russia, warning that “every rouble” is being spent on killing Ukrainians
• The Duchess of York met Ukrainian refugees in Poland to deliver three articulated lorries packed with aid from donors
• "Never again" has become a worthless slogan, Volodymyr Zelensky said as he condemned Germany for financing the Russian invasion of Ukraine