Russia has warned the United States that Western shipments of weapons to Ukraine could become “legitimate targets” if they continue, raising the risk of a possible escalation of the conflict.
Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, told state television that Moscow had warned “about the consequences of the thoughtless transfer to Ukraine of weapons like man-portable air defence systems, anti-tank missiles and so on”.
“We warned the United States that the orchestrated pumping of weapons from a number of countries is not just a dangerous move, it is a move that turns these convoys into legitimate targets,” he said.
He added that Russia and the White House were not currently holding any “negotiation processes” on the war in Ukraine.
The warning comes as President Joe Biden insisted last night that the US or Nato would not enter into a direct conflict with Russia – or send fighter jets from Poland to the Ukrainian air force – as it would equate to the start of “World War Three, something we must strive to prevent”.
Follow the latest updates below.
12:25 PM
Kyiv 'will be new Stalingrad', Ukrainian MP warns
The fight for Kyiv will be Russia's new "Stalingrad if they want to make it so", a Ukrainian MP has said, as attacks on the capital continue to intensify.
Sviatoslav Yurah told the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme: "It's a massive town of millions and if the Russians try to come in they will have quite a fight on their hands - this will be their Stalingrad if they want to make it so.
"Nobody is going to surrender - I can definitely guarantee you that."
Stalingrad was the deadliest battle of the Second World War, when around 1.1 million Soviet and 800,000 German and Romanian troops died.
Russian engineers have begun to measure radiation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which it seized on March 4.
Officials from Russia's nuclear firm Rosatom arrived at the site on Friday, the Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom said in a message on Telegram.
The Russians told Ukrainian personnel they were there "to evaluate the radiation level" and "help to repair the plant" which was hit by shells, Energoatom said.
The Ukrainian agency said that the Russians had come directly to the site because Ukrainian personnel had refused to collaborate with them.
12:14 PM
Macron and Scholz have started a call with Putin
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have started a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, the French presidency said.
Macron had said at a European Union summit on Friday that he and Scholz would hold a fresh call with Putin in the coming hours after a previous three-way exchange on Thursday.
11:48 AM
Zelensky: Russian army has suffered largest losses in decades
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has released a new video address to the nation on Facebook.
Zelensky said Russian forces have suffered their largest losses in decades, and claimed that 31 Russian battalion tactical groups have been left incapable of combat.
He also demanded the release of the mayor of Melitopol who was reportedly kidnapped by Russian forces yesterday.
11:44 AM
Germany to organise airlift of Ukrainian refugees from Moldova
By Daniel Wighton in Berlin
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock confirmed Germany is working with international partners on an airlift for Ukrainian refugees from Moldova, the first airlift of its kind since Russia’s invasion in late February.
Baerbock said on Saturday doing so was "absolutely sensible" after meeting with her Moldovan counterpart Nicu Popescu in the capital Chisinau.
Germany has already committed to bring 2,500 refugees from Moldova as a first step.
People will be flown out of Moldova directly or from neighbouring countries with larger airport capacity.
While many of the refugees may elect to stay in Germany, Baerbock said they may also be transferred further afield, for instance across the Atlantic to the United States or Canada. The EU has said all Ukrainians will be granted one-year visas to stay in any EU country.
11:35 AM
Tom Odell sings TikTok war anthem for Ukraine in Bucharest
Odell is due to perform at a concert to raise funds for the Red Cross to help Ukrainians in the Romanian capital on Saturday, alongside Romanian DJ Armin van Buuren and Ukrainian singer Jamala, who won the Eurovision song contest in 2016.
British singer Tom Odell sings inside the North Railway Station, a Romanian transport hub that has witnessed the arrival of thousands of people fleeing Ukraine following the Russian invasion, in Bucharest, Romania, March 11, 2022. - INQUAM PHOTOS/Reuters
11:26 AM
Melitopol residents protest Russia's kidnapping of city mayor
Defiant residents have gathered in Melitopol to demand that Russian forces release Ivan Fedorov, the Melitopol city mayor who was kidnapped on Friday.
The Ukrainian parliament had previously confirmed the kidnapping on Twitter, saying that a "group of 10 occupiers" was responsible for the incident.
You can read more about it in our posts from 8.05am and 9.37am.
In Melitopol, defiant residents gathered near occupied district administration demanding that Russians release the kidnapped Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov - video by Odessa reg governor Maksym Marchenko pic.twitter.com/nCrE6OtQd0
UK, France and Germany say Iran nuclear deal could collapse because of Russia
Britain, France and Germany have warned Russia that its recent demand to have its trade guaranteed with Iran risks the collapse of an almost-completed nuclear deal.
Negotiators have reached the final stages of discussions to restore the JCPOA deal, which would lift sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.
However, last Saturday Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov demanded widespread guarantees that Russian trade with Iran would not be affected by sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
"Nobody should seek to exploit JCPOA negotiations to obtain assurances that are separate to the JCPOA," Britain, France and Germany said in a joint statement. "This risks the collapse of the deal."
11:16 AM
Belarus denies plans to join Russian invasion but is 'rotating' troops at border
Belarus's chief of general staff Viktor Gulevich said that the country has no plans to join the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but is sending five battalion tactical groups (BTGs) to its border on rotation to replenish forces already stationed there.
A top Ukrainian security official earlier warned Belarus not to send troops to Ukraine, saying Ukraine was showing restraint towards Belarus despite the country being used as a launchpad for Russian planes.
“I want to underline that the transfer of troops is in no way connected with (any) preparation, and especially not with the participation of Belarusian soldiers in the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine,” Gulevich said.
11:11 AM
Russian says list of retaliatory sanctions against the West is 'ready'
Russia has prepared a list of its own sanctions against Western individuals in response to the sanctions implemented on the country as a result of its invasion of Ukraine, the deputy head of the foreign ministry has said.
The list, which includes Western politicians and business owners, is ready and will soon be published, RIA News reports.
Live on Russian state-owned television channel Russia 1, Sergei Ryabkov said: “The lists are ready. We are working on this. It is a big part of our day-to-day work.”
10:55 AM
Russian attacks continue in areas planning evacuations
Russian forces continue to attack places where civilian evacuations had been planned, the governors of Kyiv and Donetsk regions have said, according to Reuters.
Evacuation plans had been made to create humanitarian corridors in cities including Mariupol, which is in the Donetsk region, to move civilians to safety.
Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said: "Humanitarian cargo is moving towards Mariupol, we will inform you how it develops... The situation is complicated, there is constant shelling.
"The situation is extremely difficult."
10:38 AM
Portugal detains rabbi over Abramovich naturalisation
Portuguese prosecutors have detained a rabbi and carried out raids over the naturalisation process of Roman Abramovich.
Portugal's Public Prosecution Service said on Friday that it had detained the leader of Porto's Jewish community, Daniel Litvak, as part of their investigation into possible cases of "influence peddling, active corruption, falsification of documents, money laundering or even tax evasion".
Local media reported that Litvak was arrested on Thursday as he was preparing to travel to Israel, and will appear before a judge on Saturday.
Portuguese prosecutors had announced in January that they were investigating the naturalisation of Abramovich, who was granted Portuguese nationality in April 2021 under a 2013 Portuguese law that allows all descendants of Sephardic Jews, who were persecuted and expelled from the country at the end of the 15th century, to obtain Portuguese nationality.
A certificate attesting to his descent was issued by the Jewish Community of the city of Porto in northern Portugal.
10:34 AM
Moment mayor of Melitopol kidnapped by Russian forces
10:29 AM
eBay stops transactions in Russia
eBay has stopped all transactions with addresses in Russia as a result of the shutdown of payment providers and major delivery services, the company said in a statement.
According to information on eBay, all accounts of sellers from Russia will be set to "away", Interfax reports.
All of their active fixed-price ads will be hidden from search results, and buyers will not be able to make purchases.
Active listings or listings in the auction format will be marked as completed, and bids on them will be cancelled.
10:27 AM
Zelensky appeals to Russian mothers: ‘Do not give your son to death or captivity’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a direct appeal to Russian mothers, asking them to “check where your son is” and not to “give your son to death or captivity” after Russia revealed that there were conscripts amongst the forces conducting the Ukraine invasion.
Speaking from the presidential office in Kyiv, Zelensky broke into Russian as he asked mothers of young Russian men: “do not send your children to war in a foreign land. Do not believe that they will be sent just somewhere for combat areas, or just somewhere in non-combat conditions.”
He further pleaded in his most recent video address, which was published on Friday: “Check where your son is, and if you have even the slightest suspicion, any doubt that your son may be sent to war against Ukraine, act immediately. Do not give your son to death or captivity”.
In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office and posted on Facebook early Saturday, March 12, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pauses as he speaks in Kyiv, Ukraine. - Ukrainian Presidential Press Office
10:16 AM
Pictured: Kyiv bombarded as Russian assault intensifies
A Ukrainian serviceman exits a damaged building after shelling in Kyiv, on March 12, 2022. - Aris Messinis/AFP A warehouse storing frozen products is seen on fire after shelling, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in the village of Kvitneve in Kyiv region, Ukraine, in this handout picture released March 12, 2022. - State Emergency Service/Reuters A firefighter enters a house to extinguish a fire after shelling on the 17th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv on March 12, 2022. - Aris Messinis/AFP
10:02 AM
Russia: Negotiations with Nato impossible after it provided Ukraine with weapons
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it will not negotiate with Nato, after the military alliance provided Ukraine with weapons, Interfax reports.
The ministry said: “Currently the countries of the alliance (and more broadly - the European Union), not giving a damn about international law and their own codes of conduct, are supplying airborne weapons for the Ukrainian armed forces. Weapons destined to kill Russian servicemen.
"There can be no kind of dialogue with Nato in these conditions.
“In the past few years the relationship between Nato and Russia through the fault of the alliance has fallen to zero.”
09:48 AM
War in Ukraine pushes Taiwan to bolster military readiness
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted Taiwan to bolster its own military defences to protect against potential future threats from China.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited army reservists on Saturday who are training under a new scheme to improve war readiness. Under the new programme, which began this month, reservists get two weeks of training, rather than the previous five to seven days, and spend more time on combat fighting.
Tsai said: "The recent situation in Ukraine once again proves that the protection of the country, in addition to international solidarity and assistance, depends on the unity of the whole people."
Freddy Lim, an independent lawmaker who sits on the defence and foreign affairs committees, told Reuters that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has made many Taiwanese people more determined to defend the island and has boosted public support for reservist training reform and civil defence.
"In the past, before Ukraine, we were called alarmist when we made these efforts. That's not the case anymore," he said. "Like Ukraine, I believe we have a very strong will to defend our country."
09:37 AM
Zelensky: Kidnap of Melitopol mayor ‘a sign of weakness of the invaders’
09:23 AM
Mariupol mosque shelled by Russian forces; 80 civilians inside
A mosque in Mariupol, where 80 civilians were taking shelter, has been shelled by Russian forces, Ukraine's foreign ministry said.
"The mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxolana (Hurrem Sultan) in Mariupol was shelled by Russian invaders. More than 80 adults and children are hiding there from the shelling, including citizens of Turkey," the ministry said.
There have not yet been reports of casualties.
The mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxolana (Hurrem Sultan) in Mariupol was shelled by Russian invaders.
Nato ex-official says Russia unlikely to 'gain much success' with Kyiv assault
Rose Gottemoeller, the former deputy Secretary General of Nato, said she is "sceptical" that Russian forces will "gain much success" in their attempts to capture Kyiv.
Speaking to the BBC, Ms Gottemoeller said: "I'm wondering if they [Russian forces] have the ability to regroup at this point, because their logistics are in such bad shape, they don't really have the fuel supplies they need for a push on to Kyiv."
Gottemoeller added that reports of fighters being recruited from Syria to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine demonstrates the "barbaric approach to this invasion" taken by Putin.
"They are extremist groups - they are people that have been fighting in Syria, they are some of the most violent extremists that have been encountered in warfare," she said.
09:10 AM
Fresh wave of attacks on Kyiv, Kharkiv and Donbass expected
Ukraine expects a new wave of attacks on the Kyiv, Kharkiv and Donbass regions after a slowdown in Russia's offensive, Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the Ukrainian President's chief of staff, said on Saturday.
Arestovych also said that Ukraine did not expect Belarus to join the Russian invasion force.
09:06 AM
Russian rockets destroy airbase near Kyiv
Russian rocket attacks destroyed an airbase near the Ukrainian town of Vasylkiv, in the Kyiv region, on Saturday morning, Interfax Ukraine quoted the local mayor as saying.
Vasylkiv Mayor Natalia Balasynovych said the rocket attacks also hit an ammunition depot.
08:57 AM
Donate money rather than goods to Ukraine, aid workers urge
An aid worker on the Ukraine-Romania border has urged people wishing to support refugees to donate money rather than material items.
Cassandra Nelson, from the humanitarian group Mercy Corps, said: "A lot of people in Europe are really keen to help by sending goods, what we call material aid.
"Please don't do this. Unless there is a very specific request for something like a certain type of medicine, money donations are best.
"We don't want to give people stuff they don't need, they know what they need, so we want to give them the money for that.
"This will give them a bit more dignity and freedom to do what they need to do at this time."
08:33 AM
Pictured: Ukrainian refugees seek safety in Brussels
Ukrainians who fled their country amid the ongoing Russian invasion queue outside an immigration office in Brussels, Belgium on 12 March 2022. A temporary reception centre for people fleeing Ukraine was set up in Brussels, where they will be allowed to start immigration formalities. - Olivier Hoslet/Shutterstock Ukrainians who fled their country amid the ongoing Russian invasion queue outside an immigration office after spending the night, in Brussels, Belgium, 12 March 2022. - Olivier Hoslet/Shutterstock Ukrainians who fled their country amid the ongoing Russian invasion queue outside an immigration office after spending the night, in Brussels, Belgium, 12 March 2022. - Olivier Hoslet/Shutterstock
08:18 AM
Macron criticises UK for Ukrainian refugee response
The French President Emmanuel Macron criticised the British government for failing to live up to its "grand statements" on helping Ukrainian refugees.
Speaking at an EU summit in Versailles, Mr Macron criticised Britain's visa policy and said it makes the process harder for Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war.
He said: "Despite all the grand statements... the British government continued to apply current rules that meant they did not welcome Ukrainian refugees who wanted to reach British soil saying they have to travel hundreds of kilometres in order to apply for a visa.
"I would hope that the Ukrainian men and women who have lived through horror and crossed Europe to reach their families on UK territory will be better treated."
In response to Mr Macron's reported remarks, the Home Office pointed to previous comments from Home Secretary Priti Patel, which stated: "We are now making the process quicker and simpler by removing the need to physically visit visa application centres for many of those who are making the perilous journey across Europe."
08:09 AM
Ministry of Defence intelligence update on Ukraine
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 12 March 2022
The mayor of southern Ukraine's Melitopol was kidnapped on Friday by Russian soldiers occupying the city, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"A group of 10 occupiers kidnapped the mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov," Ukraine's parliament said on Twitter.
It said the mayor was seized when he was at the city's crisis centre dealing with supply issues.
In a video message late on Friday, Mr Zelensky confirmed the abduction, calling Mr Fedorov "a mayor who bravely defends Ukraine and the members of his community".
"This is obviously a sign of weakness of the invaders... They have moved to a new stage of terror in which they are trying to physically eliminate representatives of legitimate local Ukrainian authorities," he said.
"The capture of the mayor of Melitopol is therefore a crime, not only against a particular person, against a particular community, and not only against Ukraine. It is a crime against democracy itself... The acts of the Russian invaders will be regarded like those of Islamic State terrorists."
07:55 AM
Humanitarian corridor from Mariupol could open today
Humanitarian corridors out of Ukrainian towns and villages, including from the southern port city of Mariupol that has come under sustained attack from Russian forces, will be open on Saturday so civilians can evacuate, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
Ms Vereshchuk added that she hoped Russia would observe a ceasefire to allow the humanitarian corridor to take place.
She said Ukraine plans to evacuate residents of several towns and villages in the regions of Kyiv and Sumy and some other areas where there is ongoing combat.
"I hope that the day will go well, all the planned routes will be open and Russia will fulfil its obligations to guarantee the ceasefire regime," Vereshchuk said in a video address.
A Ukrainian serviceman takes a photograph of a damaged church after shelling in a residential district in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, March 10, 2022. - Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
07:36 AM
Sanctions could cause International Space Station to crash, warns Russia
Western sanctions against Russia could cause the International Space Station to crash, the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos warned.
Dmitry Rogozin said the sanctions could disrupt the operation of Russian vessels servicing the ISS and called for them to be lifted.
He added that this could affect the Russian segment of the station, which helps to correct its orbit, and could cause the 500-tonne structure to "fall down into the sea or onto land".
07:24 AM
Humanitarian corridors to open in Sumy
Humanitarian corridors have been agreed for the city of Sumy, located in the north-east of Ukraine, the region's military administrator said.
Dmitry Zhyvytsky, from Sumy's Regional Military Administration, said in a post on Telegram that evacuation will begin at 9am local time (7am GMT) with vehicles departing from six destinations around the region.
All of the vehicles are headed to the central city of Poltava, and are expected to arrive between 1-2pm.
07:19 AM
Shelling causes fire at Kyiv warehouse
A food storage warehouse in Kyiv caught fire in the early hours of this morning as a result of shelling, according to the Ukrainian State Emergency Services (SES).
The SES said the shelling had taken place at 3.40am on Saturday morning and that the fire had been localised around 7.54am, with firefighters still working to put out the blaze.
No casualties have been reported so far.
A frozen food warehouse is seen on fire after shelling, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in the village of Kvitneve in Kyiv region, Ukraine, on March 12, 2022. - SES via Reuters/SES via Reuters
07:06 AM
'Democracies are rising to meet this moment', says Biden
As Russia refuses to back down from its invasion of Ukraine "democracies are rising to meet this moment" by tightening their squeeze on the Russian regime and its leader, said US President Joe Biden.
"Democracies are rising to meet this moment, rallying the world to the side of peace and security. We are showing our strength — and we will not falter."
Democracies are rising to meet this moment, rallying the world to the side of peace and security.
YouTube blocks access to Russian state-funded media
YouTube is immediately blocking access around the world to channels associated with Russian state-funded media, it said on Friday, citing a policy barring content that denies, minimises or trivialises well-documented violent events.
The world's most used video streaming service, which is owned by Alphabet Inc's Google, said Russia's invasion of Ukraine now fell under its violent events policy and violating material would be removed.
YouTube spokesman Farshad Shadloo said the blocking of the Russian outlets was in line with that policy.
Previously, YouTube had blocked leading Russia state-backed channels RT and Sputnik across Europe.
06:35 AM
Guatemala receives first arrivals of Ukrainians fleeing conflict
Guatemala on Friday received its first arrivals of Ukrainian families fleeing their homeland since Russia's invasion of its neighbor last month, authorities said.
The eight Ukrainians were the first to arrive in the Central American country "for humanitarian reasons," an immigration spokesperson told Reuters.
Another flight carrying more Ukrainians arrived several hours later, officials said. It is unclear how many may have arrived privately in Guatemala since the Russian attacks on Ukraine began.
"I don't know what the future holds for us, but I hope the war ends soon," said one of arrivals in a video.
Guatemala's announcement was the first on Ukrainian arrivals from the Central American countries known as the Northern Triangle - also including Honduras and El Salvador - which have themselves seen much of their populations emigrate due to violence and poverty.
A Ukrainian family fleeing their homeland following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, arrive at La Aurora International airport in Guatemala City, Guatemala March 11, 2022. Guatemala Ministry of Foreign Relations/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES - Guatemala Ministry of Foreign Relations /Reuters
06:21 AM
Russian forces stalled on mission to encircle Kyiv
Russian ground forces attempting to take Kyiv have been forced to stop while they refit and resupply combat units after failed attacks days earlier, said the Study of War, a research organization focused on US national security
Images show Russian military units continuing to deploy closer to Kyiv, says Maxar Technologies
Satellite images taken on Friday showed that Russian military units were continuing to deploy closer to Kyiv and actively firing artillery toward residential areas, Reuters reports, citing a US private company.
Maxar Technologies said multiple homes and buildings were on fire and widespread damage and impact craters were seen throughout the town of Moschun, northwest of Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Reuters could not independently verify what was shown in the images.
05:45 AM
Russian forces squeeze Kyiv, surround Mariupol
Russian forces inched towards Kyiv on Saturday and pounded civilian areas in other Ukrainian cities as concerns grew over the besieged southern port of Mariupol, where officials said more than 1,500 people had been killed.
Air raid sirens sounded Saturday in several cities, including the capital Kyiv, Odessa, Dnipro and Kharkiv, according to Ukrainian media.
More than two weeks after Moscow shocked the world by invading Ukraine, the United Nations and others said it may be committing war crimes in cities such as Mariupol, which for days has been under attack by Vladimir Putin's forces.
Survivors have been trying to flee Russian bombardment in a freezing city left without water or heating and running out of food. The situation is "desperate," a Doctors Without Borders official said.
"Hundreds of thousands of people... are for all intents and purposes besieged," Stephen Cornish, one of those heading the medical charity's Ukraine operation, told AFP in an interview.
"Sieges are a medieval practice that have been outlawed by the modern rules of war for good reason."
05:29 AM
UK looks to ban luxury exports to Russia
The UK is intending to further ramp up pressure on the Kremlin with plans to ban exports of luxury goods to Russia in the latest move to isolate Vladimir Putin.
Details of the plans will be set out in the coming days, Downing Street said.
It came as Boris Johnson joined with other G7 leaders on Friday to commit to further increase the pressure on the Russian president's regime.
The group agreed to take steps to deny Russia "most favoured nation" status on key products, which No 10 said would significantly reduce the ability of Russian businesses to export.
Sharing the news on Friday evening, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the UK stood "united with our G7 partners", and would "continue strengthening our response" to put a halt to Russia's aggression against its neighbour.
But Labour said the ban on luxury goods "should not have taken this long".
04:56 AM
Lawmaker calls for block on Instagram after Meta allows hate speech against Russians
Russia on Friday condemned Meta Platforms' move to temporarily lift a ban on calls for violence against the Russian military and leadership, and an influential parliamentarian called for Instagram to be blocked in Russia.
In a temporary change to its hate speech policy, Meta Platforms will allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion, according to internal emails seen by Reuters.
"Meta's aggressive and criminal policy leading to incitement of hatred and hostility towards Russians is outrageous," the Russian embassy in Washington said in a statement on Friday.
"The company's actions are yet another evidence of the information war without rules declared on our country," it said.
04:37 AM
Eastern Europe embraces Ukraine refugees as workforce
Eastern European countries are embracing the millions of Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion as a potential workforce but analysts warn it be challenging to integrate them all.
Some 2.5 million people have already fled Ukraine, according to the United Nations, which calls it Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.
More than half are now in Poland but tens of thousands are also staying in Moldova and Bulgaria, which have some of the fastest shrinking populations.
"Those who are now arriving in the territory of the EU are well-qualified and meet the demand for labour," said Sieglinde Rosenberger of the University of Vienna, though she warned the welcoming attitude could change.
Other experts asked how eastern European countries, which have a lower GDP than their western counterparts, can handle a huge influx.
Acutely aware of the burden, some countries have already called for more assistance.
04:29 AM
Footage released by Italian media of authorities in Trieste seizing a huge yacht belonging to the Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko
Sanzioni contro la Russia: A Trieste, nel rimessaggio del porto, è stato sequestrato dalla Guardia di Finanza lo yacht a vela più grande del mondo, del valore di 530 milioni di euro. Lo "SY A" è riconducibile all'imprenditore russo Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko. pic.twitter.com/xj0V728Qsa
Technicians have started repairing damaged power lines to Chernobyl power plant
Technicians have started repairing damaged power lines to the site of the Russian-controlled Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant that were entirely cut earlier in the week, said the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Ukraine’s regulatory authority told the Agency that efforts to repair one section had been successful, but off-site electrical power was still down, indicating there was still damage in other places. Repair efforts would continue, however, "despite the difficult situation outside" the site, said the IAEA.
"Emergency diesel generators have been providing back-up power to the site since 9 March, and the regulator has reported that additional fuel had been delivered to the facility. However, it remains important to fix the power lines as soon as possible, it said."
The regulator lost communications with the site on 10 March, said the IAEA, but has continued to receive information about the situation there through the plant's senior off-site management.
Satellite images of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant - MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
03:51 AM
Abramovich's US hedge fund investments frozen, reports WSJ
Some US hedge-fund firms that have investments from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich have been told to freeze his assets after Britain imposed sanctions on him, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Britain froze assets and imposed a travel ban on the Russian owner of Chelsea football club on Thursday along with six other senior Russians because of their links to President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine.
Fund administrator SS&C Globe Op said in a message to one hedge-fund firm that accounts attributed to Mr Abramovich are blocked from transacting, the Journal said on Friday, citing people familiar with the instructions.
Other funds have received similar messages, the Journal added.
03:43 AM
Russian forces prepare for possible assault on Kyiv
Russian forces have bombarded cities across the country and appeared to be regrouping for a possible assault on the capital Kyiv, Reuters reports.
The governor of the Kharkiv region, on the Russian border, said a psychiatric hospital had been hit, and the mayor of the city of Kharkiv said about 50 schools had been destroyed there.
In the besieged southern city of Mariupol, the city council said at least 1,582 civilians had been killed as a result of Russian shelling and a 12-day blockade that has left hundreds of thousands trapped with no food, water, heat or power.
Russia’s defense ministry said the Black Sea port was now completely surrounded and Ukrainian officials accused Russia of deliberately preventing civilians getting out and humanitarian convoys getting in.
A new effort to evacuate civilians along a humanitarian corridor appeared to have failed.
An explosion is seen in an apartment building after Russian's army tank fires in Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) - AP
03:25 AM
Colgate-Palmolive halts all investment in Russia
Deeply saddened by the impact on people in the region. In Russia we've ceased all capital investment/media/advertising/promo activities & suspended import/sales other than essential health & hygiene products. More: https://t.co/6c25oin3ON. We hope & pray for a speedy resolution.
UN experts say Russian media law amounts to information 'blackout'
A Russian law giving Moscow stronger powers to crack down on independent journalism is placing Russia under a "total information blackout" on the war in Ukraine, UN independent experts said on Friday.
Moscow last week blocked Facebook and other websites and passed a law that imposed a prison term of up to 15 years for spreading intentionally "fake" news about the military.
The move prompted the BBC, Bloomberg and other foreign media to suspend reporting in the country, although the BBC said it was resuming English-language reporting from Russia on March 8 because of the "urgent need to report from inside Russia".
"Russia's recent adoption of a punitive 'fake war news' law is an alarming move by the government to gag and blindfold an entire population," three independent U.N. experts appointed by the top U.N. rights body, the Human Rights Council, said in a statement.
03:09 AM
Russian rapper Face denounces the war on Instagram
The popular Russian rapper Face has taken to Instagram where he has 1.7 million followers to denounce the war on Ukraine, according to local media.
He joins a growing number of Russian performers taking a stance against the war.
Nadya Tolokonnikova, the founding member of the anti-government band Pussy Riot recently shouted "F**** Putin" at a concert in New York.
Russia has threatened to imprison anyone who criticises the war for up to 15 years.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 09: Musical group Pussy Riot performs onstage at YouTube Theater on March 09, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for ABA) - Timothy Norris /Getty Images North America
02:50 AM
$700m superyacht may belong to Putin, say US officials
A $700m superyacht being repaired in an Italian dry dock may belong to Vladimir Putin, according to US intelligence officials.
The ownership of the 459ft Scheherazade has come under close scrutiny since Russia’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine, and the vessel could be associated with Mr Putin, intelligence officials told The New York Times.
American officials told the newspaper that no final conclusions on ownership have been made, but the link backs up a claim made by a former crew member that it was for Mr Putin’s use.
The officials say that Mr Putin keeps little of his personal wealth in his own name, instead using homes and boats that are held in the name of Russian oligarchs.
Scheherazade - credit Giovanni Romero _ TheYachtPhoto.com.jpg
02:42 AM
Pictured: Scenes of devastation in the city of Kharkiv as a building that housed a school is ruined by Russian attacks
KHARKIV, UKRAINE - MARCH 11: A view of a building that housed a school, which was destroyed as a result of clashes between Ukrainian and Russian soldiers, in Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 11, 2022. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) - Anadolu Agency KHARKIV, UKRAINE - MARCH 11: A view of a building that housed a school, which was destroyed as a result of clashes between Ukrainian and Russian soldiers, in Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 11, 2022. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) - Anadolu Agency KHARKIV, UKRAINE - MARCH 11: A view of a building that housed a school, which was destroyed as a result of clashes between Ukrainian and Russian soldiers, in Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 11, 2022. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) - Anadolu Agency
02:24 AM
Russia squeezes Kyiv as 'unimaginable' tragedy looms in Ukraine
Russian forces inched towards Kyiv and pounded civilian areas in other Ukrainian cities Friday, drawing warnings of "unimaginable tragedy".
Sixteen days after Moscow shocked the world by invading Ukraine, the United Nations and others said it may be committing war crimes in cities such as Mariupol, which for days now has been besieged by Vladimir Putin's forces.
On Friday officials in the southern port said more than 1,500 people had been killed during 12 days of attacks.
Survivors have been trying to flee Russian bombardment in a freezing city left without water or heating, and running out of food. The situation is "desperate," a Doctors Without Borders official said.
"Hundreds of thousands of people... are for all intents and purposes besieged," Stephen Cornish, one of those heading the medical charity's Ukraine operation, told AFP in an interview.
"Sieges are a medieval practice that have been outlawed by the modern rules of war for good reason."
As Russia widens its bombardment and talks between Moscow and Kyiv seemingly go nowhere, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky's pleas for NATO to intervene have grown increasingly desperate.
02:14 AM
US sanctions Russian board members at Novikombank and ABR Management
The US on Friday sanctioned several board members at Novikombank and ABR Management, including Vice Governor of St. Petersburg Vladimir Nikolaevich Knyaginin, over the Ukraine crisis, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
In mid-February, Russia's lower house of parliament voted to ask Mr Putin to recognise two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.
Eleven members and speaker Vyacheslav Volodin were added to the sanctions list on Friday.
"Today's designations further hold to account those actors who were directly responsible for Russia's illegitimate and unlawful recognition ... and facilitating the sham pretext used by Putin to justify the ... unprovoked war against Ukraine," the Treasury said.
Justifying the move at the time, Mr Volodin said: "Kyiv is not observing the Minsk agreements. Our citizens and compatriots who live in Donbass need our help and support." The Minsk agreements are a pair of accords signed in 2014 and 2015 in the hope of ending violence between pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine and the Kyiv government.
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" that it says is not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its southern neighbor's military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.
02:04 AM
US imposes new sanctions on Russian billionaire and members of Putin spokesman's family
The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, three family members of President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson and lawmakers in the latest punishment for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Those hit by Friday's sanctions include 10 people on the board of VTB Bank, the second-largest lender in Russia, and 12 members of the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.
"Treasury continues to hold Russian officials to account for enabling Putin's unjustified and unprovoked war," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.
Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was targeted on March 3. Friday's measures extend to his wife and two adult children. They lead "luxurious lifestyles that are incongruous with Peskov's civil servant salary," the Treasury said in a news release.
The Kremlin did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.
01:45 AM
Don't send your children, Zelensky tells Russian mothers
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called on the mothers of Russian soldiers to prevent their sons being sent to war in Ukraine.
"I want to say this once again to Russian mothers, especially mothers of conscripts. Do not send your children to war in a foreign country," Zelensky said in a video address released on Telegram.
"Check where your son is. And if you have the slightest suspicion that your son could be sent to war against Ukraine, act immediately" to prevent him being killed or captured, he said.
"Ukraine never wanted this terrible war. And Ukraine does not want it. But it will defend itself as much as necessary," he added.
On Wednesday, Russia for the first time acknowledged the presence of conscripts in Ukraine and announced that a number of them had been taken prisoner.
01:41 AM
Today's top stories
Britain should increase defence spending to the same level as the US, Jeremy Hunt has proposed, as he declared: “Peace comes from strength, not luck”
Writing for The Telegraph, the former foreign secretary called the invasion of Ukraine “the biggest failure of Western foreign and security policy in our lifetimes”
A Russian-made military drone crashed in the Croatian capital of Zagreb and damaged several vehicles after it flew over Hungary and Romania. All three countries are Nato members
Captured Russian pilots have pleaded with Vladimir Putin before TV cameras in Kyiv, begging him not to invade Ukraine's capital because "we have already lost this war"
Russians have rounded on two television pundits who criticised Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, calling them "traitors" and accusing them of spreading "fear and delirium"
Thousands of Russian tourists have been stranded in beach resorts in south east Asia as flights home are cancelled and amid growing anxiety that the Ukrainian war will stymie the regional economy’s recovery from the pandemic
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