Boris Johnson is issuing a plea to world leaders today to match their words on Ukraine with action as he sets out a six-point plan for tackling the crisis.
Writing in The New York Times, the Prime Minister stated: “Putin must fail and must be seen to fail in this act of aggression. It is not enough to express our support for the rules-based international order – we must defend it against a sustained attempt to rewrite the rules by military force.
“The world is watching. It is not future historians but the people of Ukraine who will be our judge.”
His comments come as Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, warned Vladimir Putin not to “test” the United Kingdom, and indicated that he could pour more funds into the light weapons wreaking havoc on Russian tanks and aircraft in Ukraine.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Mr Wallace said that the Russian president would be seriously mistaken if he “underestimated” Britain’s resolve to face down Putin’s aggression.
Meanwhile the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that China opposes any moves that “add fuel to the flames” in Ukraine.
The two spoke by phone on Saturday. Mr Wang called for negotiations to resolve the immediate crisis, as well as talks on creating a balanced European security mechanism. He said the US and Europe should pay attention to the negative impact of Nato’s eastward expansion on Russia’s security.
Follow the latest updates below.
10:37 AM
UK still has a direct line to Russia’s MoD, says UK armed forces chief
The UK still has a direct line of contact into Russia’s Ministry of Defence, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said.
The Chief of the Defence Staff told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme that the line was “tested every day”.
“We’ve used that line for me to say to General Gerasimov (Russia’s military chief) that we need to speak and I’m waiting for him to come back to me, and other countries also have direct lines in.
NEW: The Ministry of Defence has a direct line to Moscow’s operational HQ, reveals UK Armed Forces chief Adm Radakin.
He says: “That’s tested every day. We’ve used that line for me to say to General Gerasimov that we need to speak. I’m waiting for him to come back to me.”
— Lucy Fisher (@LOS_Fisher) March 6, 2022
“These lines of communication are not as strong as we would want them to be and that’s why we’re furthering them as best as we can.”
10:28 AM
‘Unlawful and unhelpful’ for British citizens to go and fight in Ukraine, says chief of defence staff
It is “unlawful and unhelpful” for British citizens to go and fight in Ukraine, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin has said.
The Chief of the Defence Staff has urged Britons not to head to Ukraine to fight, adding that: “We’ve been very clear that it’s unlawful as well as unhelpful for UK military and for the UK population to start going towards Ukraine in that sense”.
He told the BBC: “Support from the UK, support in whatever way you can. But this isn’t really something that you want to rush to in terms of the sound of gunfire. This is about sensible support based in the UK.”
Asked if Foreign Secretary Liz Truss should therefore not have said she would support anyone who wanted to fight, he added: “I think she was reflecting (that) she could and that we can all understand that sentiment, and that sentiment needs to be channelled into support for Ukraine.
“But we’re saying as professional military people, that actually that is not necessarily the sensible thing to be doing.”
10:23 AM
Russia has ‘got itself into a mess’ with Ukranian invasion, says Sir Tony Radakin
Russia has “got itself into a mess” with the whole Ukrainian invasion, the Chief of the Defence Staff has said.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme that morale in the Russian forces was low and that the Kremlin had lost more troops in a week than the UK did in 20 years in Afghanistan.
“We do know that some of the lead elements of Russian forces have been decimated by the Ukrainian response,” he said.
However, Sir Tony warned Russian aggression could be ramped up.
“I think there is a real risk because Russia is struggling with its objectives on the ground in Ukraine – and we’ve seen from Russia’s previous actions in Syria and in Chechnya – where it will turn up the violence, it will lead to more indiscriminate killing and more indiscriminate destruction,” he said.
10:21 AM
Raab: China and India must ‘step up’ to help
Dominic Raab has called on China and India to “step up” to stop the war in Ukraine.
He told Times Radio: “It’s a permanent member of the UN Security Council, this is a really important test for China. It ought not to be providing diplomatic cover for Russia”
10:07 AM
Government must ‘make it impossible for Russia to function’, says Sir Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer has said the Government “have to not just isolate Russia, they have to make it impossible for Russia to function”.
The Labour leader said: “Our aim is to push the Government further on sanctions.
“We’ve got the opportunity tomorrow and if sanctions are going to work it’s very important that we know who owns what property here in the United Kingdom.”
He said his “frustration” was that the situation has “echoes of Afghanistan” where the Government “really only begins to get its act together and respond in the heat of the situation rather than preparing for it beforehand”.
10:02 AM
More than 1.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine, says UN
More than 1.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine in the past 10 days in the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War, the United Nations has said.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi tweeted: “More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighbouring countries in 10 days – the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.”
09:54 AM
I don’t need to be ‘lectured’ about what my father went through, says Raab
Dominic Raab told ITV News presenter Nina Hossain that he does not need to be “lectured” about what his father went through.
Mr Raab was asked about the the Government’s response to the growing refugee crisis and whether the UK should make it as simple as it was for his father, who fled Czechoslovakia from the Nazis, to come to the UK.
The Deputy Prime Minister said: “I don’t need to be lectured by you about what my father went through. And you are talking about something you know little about. It was incredibly difficult for my father to get to the UK.”
In relation to Ukraine, he added: “I think we’re doing the right thing in the right way. There’s been a question about whether we should have security checks.
“Look, this is people coming from a war zone. It is absolutely right, given the foreign fighters that are there alongside of the Russians, that we make sure that we do have security checks precisely so that our generosity is directed to those who deserve our compassion, not those who might seek to harm us.”
09:52 AM
Likely to see Russia ‘ratcheting up the violence’, says head of armed forces
The head of the Armed Forces has said western countries “have to have confidence that what we’re doing is the right thing”.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme: “We all have to acknowledge that we’re likely to see Russia ratcheting up the violence, we’re going to see more indiscriminate shelling, we’re going to see more ridiculous violence…
“And the world has to maintain the resolve to keep applying its pressure on Russia, because it’s Putin who can bring this to an end.”
He went on to say: “The world has been incredibly clear about the repercussions that are being borne by Russia now.”
He said its invasion is not going well, that the country is more isolated and less powerful, and that it “cannot continue”.
“So we have to have to have confidence that what we’re doing is the right thing”.
09:50 AM
Russian invasion ‘not going well, says Admiral Sir Tony Radakin
09:45 AM
Ukranians would ‘never trust’ what the Russians say despite agreements over ceasefires
The Ukranian Deputy Prime Minister has said Ukrainians would “never trust” what the Russians say despite agreements over ceasefires.
Olha Stefanishyna told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme every Ukrainian citizen and politician “knows the Russian playbook by heart”.
Ms Stefanishyna hit out at Western leaders who refused to impose a no-fly zone over her country.
“My President was as precise as it is possible and we absolutely support from the bottom of his, of our, hearts (in) everything he says because this is what we feel,” she said.
“It is very upsetting when the group of 30 leaders or ministers or even ambassadors are (…) gathering itself in a fancy cabinet, with the fancy furniture, and talking about the fancy thing, knowing that Ukraine was over this table for all of (these) years sitting in this fancy offices.
“But now knowing that we can’t be there because we are operating under the bombarding of (the) Russian Federation and knowing that their intelligence also confirms that further severe attacks on the civil population – including carpet bombarding of the cities, which are basically happening these days already in some cities – will be taking place.”
09:40 AM
Raab: We will reform libel laws to stop oligarchs using British courts
Dominic Raab has said the Government will be reforming libel laws in order to stop Russian oligarchs using Britain’s court system.
He told ITV News: “I’ve already made clear we’re going to reform our libel laws. I’m going to bring forward proposals to do so.
“What we’ve seen, and we’ve seen it in relation to journalists, academics, authors, the kleptocrats and those who are linked to Putin and deep pockets, come to this country, use our jurisdiction to sue those who are shining light on corruption or the excesses of the Putin regime. That cannot be right.
“We will not tolerate it and are going to bring forward proposals, and we very much hope the Labour Party will back them.”
Specifically on the proposals, the Deputy Prime Minister added: “They could deal with anything from allocation of costs, so that you don’t find all those on relatively modest salaries against the might of an oligarchy with very deep pockets. And basically find themselves bankrupted.
“We could look at the threshold for defamation in those kinds of cases, the US operates a different threshold. Those are things to look through quite carefully and we’ll be bringing forward those proposals quite shortly.”
09:38 AM
Situation getting ‘more and more severe’, says Ukranian Deputy PM
Olha Stefanishyna, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, has said the situation in her country was getting “more and more severe”.
Ms Stefanishyna told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme that Russian forces were shelling hospitals, nurseries and schools, and civilian homes.
She said: “This is how the reality looks but it seems like … it does not look like (it is on) the agenda for the new wave of sanctions to be introduced by the democratic world.”
Ms Stefanishyna said the situation reported in the city of Mariupol was replicated across other cities, but the port city would again be the site of a temporary ceasefire on Sunday to try and allow citizens to leave.
A previous ceasefire of Saturday was not upheld.
“Hopefully, today we will manage to make the evacuation based on the agreement reached bilaterally between officials both on Ukrainian and Russian sides.”
09:20 AM
No-fly zone would give Putin a ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’, says Labour
A no-fly zone over Ukraine would give the Russian president a “get-out-of-jail-free card”, the shadow defence secretary John Healey has said.
He told Trevor Phillips On Sunday on Sky News: “Nato has ruled it out and the most essential thing is that the western alliance remains together.
“The big risk is that it gives Putin the grounds to rapidly escalate this conflict and, of course, it gives him the get-out-of-jail-free card to explain to his own people why his military campaign, his invasion in Ukraine, is not going well.”
He also said: “The hard fact is Ukraine is not a member of Nato.
“The best thing that Britain and western countries can do at the moment is step up the military assistance as we have been doing to help Ukrainians defend themselves.”
09:16 AM
Sanctions are ‘legally justified’ and not an ‘act of war’, says Raab
Dominic Raab has defied Vladimir Putin’s claim that the sanctions levelled against him and Russia were a declaration of war.
The Deputy Prime Minister told Trevor Phillips on Sky News: “Just to be clear, sanctions are not an act of war, international law (is) very clear about that.
“Our sanctions are entirely both legally justified but also proportionate to what we’re trying to deal with.”
Mr Raab said he thought Mr Putin’s nuclear posturing was “rhetoric and brinkmanship”, and accused the Russian leader of having “a track record as long as anyone’s arm of misinformation and propaganda”.
He added: “This is a distraction from what the real issues are at hand, which is that it’s an illegal invasion and it is not going according to plan.”
Mr Raab also called on China and India to take a more active role to put on diplomatic pressure.
09:13 AM
The UK must learn the hard lessons from the shattering of the West’s illusions
Seven hundred years ago last month, a mighty roar shattered the night’s silence in the small East Anglian town of Ely, writes Lord Frost.
The elegantly constructed, but inadequately underpinned, tower of the cathedral had come crashing unexpectedly to earth. Luckily, it being midnight, the building was empty, and no-one was hurt.
The cathedral chapter immediately set to work, and just 20 years later the famous octagonal lantern was in its place. It has lasted.
In the last fortnight, the lofty intellectual edifice of Western diplomacy and Western illusions about the world has suffered a similar catastrophe.
Sober handling and great statesmanship are now needed if we are to share the good luck of Ely’s clergy in avoiding harm and if we are to rebuild as successfully as they did.
Read the full piece from Lord Frost here
09:10 AM
In pictures: Women and children board evacuation trains
09:02 AM
Raab rules out ‘no-fly zone’ over Ukraine
Dominic Raab has ruled out imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying this would lead to a “massive escalation” and would feed into the Russian president’s narrative.
He told Sky News’s Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme: “We’re not going to get ourselves into a direct military conflict with Putin because that would be a massive escalation, but also that feeds Putin’s narrative.
“Putin wants to say that he’s actually in a struggle with the west – he’s not”.
He called no-fly zones “very difficult, very challenging” and said “we will do everything short of that to support Ukrainians”.
08:59 AM
Raab warns Russian commanders of risk of prosecution for war crimes
Dominic Raab has warned Russian commanders and those around Vladimir Putin that they also risked being prosecuted for war crimes at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Mr Raab said the “reckless and frankly applying tactics by the Putin regime must be held to account”.
08:48 AM
Raab: Ukraine ‘definitely proved’ tougher than Putin expected
Ukrainian forces have “proved a far tougher prospect than Putin expected”, Dominic Raab has said.
The Deputy Prime Minister said Russian troops were taking a morale hit.
He said economic sanctions had “put the squeeze on Putin” and therefore “what he’s now doing is responding with evermore brutal tactics”.
“I think the bottom line is none of the major cities have yet fallen,” he said.
“I think we ought to be under no doubt that our mission with our allies is to ensure Putin fails in Ukraine, and it’s going to take some time.
“We’re talking about months, if not years, and therefore we will have to show some strategic stamina because this is not going to be over in days.”
08:47 AM
Raab ‘defends’ UK refusal to countenance no-fly zone
Raab defends UK refusal to countenance a “no fly” zone over Ukraine: “We’re not going to get ourselves into a direct military conflict with Russia.”
It would be a “massive escalation” & also fuel Putin’s false claim that he’s “in a struggle with the West”, Raab tells Sky News.
— Lucy Fisher (@LOS_Fisher) March 6, 2022
08:41 AM
Raab: Ukraine conflict will not be over in days
Dominic Raab has warned the Ukraine conflict is not going to be “over in days”, as he condemned the “reckless” tactics used by Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to Sky News, he said Britain must be prepared to show “strategic stamina”.
He added that the UK will do “”what it takes with nuts and bolts cooperation” to help the ICC prosecute Russian war criminals.
08:30 AM
Boris Johnson issues six-point plan for tackling crisis
Boris Johnson has said that Putin’s act of aggression “must fail and be seen to fail”.
Writing in the New York Times, he issued a six-point plan for Ukraine.
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Mobilise an international humanitarian coalition
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We must do more to help Ukraine to defend itself
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We must maximise the economic pressure on Mr. Putin’s regime
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We must prevent any creeping normalisation of what Russia does in Ukraine
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We should always be open to diplomacy and de-escalation
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We must act now to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security
Read the full piece by the Prime Minister here
08:19 AM
‘Temporary ceasefire’ in Mariupol to begin at 10am
The city council of Mariupol has said a temporary ceasefire will be observed from 10am to 9pm local time, Reuters reports.
08:12 AM
Strength of Ukranian resistance ‘continues to surprise’ Russia, says MoD
The scale and strength of Ukranian resistance continues to surprise Russia, the Ministry of Defence has said.
08:03 AM
As buses sit empty, Mariupol’s evacuation proved to be a false hope that left thousands trapped
The drivers waited for the order all day, their yellow school buses lined up on Zaporizhzhya’s Dnieper embankment facing south, towards the war, reports Roland Oliphant.
They were meant to be the rescue mission: gathered together at short notice to evacuate hundreds of civilians from Russia’s brutal siege of the port city of Mariupol.
But as darkness fell, they had moved nowhere.
Read the full report from Roland here
07:57 AM
Ben Wallace: Vladimir Putin could be toying with Emmanuel Macron
Amid the to-ing and fro-ing of world leaders and diplomats between Moscow and other European capitals last month, one visit particularly stood out, writes Ed Malnick.
Striding across the polished floors of Russia’s ministry of defence, Ben Wallace, the UK’s Defence Secretary, was pictured grim-faced in conversation with Sergei Shoigu, his counterpart in Vladimir Putin’s government.
Behind them, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the recently-installed chief of the defence staff, and General Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s chief of the general staff, walked side-by-side in their respective military dress.
Supplementing the more customary visits from diplomats and foreign ministers, Mr Wallace, a former captain in the Scots Guards, wanted to deliver a specific message to the minister and military chief in charge of Russia’s armed forces.
“I managed to say to Shoigu and Gerasimov, the Ukrainians will fight and we will sanction you,” Mr Wallace said in an interview with The Telegraph, almost a month after his trip.
Read the full interview here
07:44 AM
Jill Biden ‘holding her breath’ that the Russia-Ukraine crisis does not turn into ‘world war’
US First Lady Jill Biden says she is “holding her breath” that the Russian invasion of Ukraine does not turn into a full scale world war and wakes up every morning praying that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is still alive.
Speaking at a private fundraiser in San Francisco, Ms Biden said that she has been following the crisis closely on the television and insists her husband is “the right man for this moment in history.”
Her husband, US President Joe Biden, is working day and night with Nato allies to find solutions, she said.
Read the full report from our US Correspondent Jamie Johnson here
07:37 AM
World Health Organisation confirms ‘several attacks’ on healthcare facilities
.@WHO has confirmed several attacks on health care in #Ukraine, causing multiple deaths and injuries. Additional reports are being investigated. Attacks on healthcare facilities or workers breach medical neutrality and are violations of international humanitarian law. #NotATarget https://t.co/Wdc2jeoHIB
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 6, 2022
07:30 AM
Biden has phone call with Zelensky
Joe Biden spoke to Volodymr Zelensky in a phone call last night and highlighted ongoing actions that the US is taking against Russia.
The Ukranian president confirmed that the pair spoke and says they discussed sanctions against Russia, security, and financial support for Ukraine.
Mr Biden said he is working closely with Congress to secure additional funding for Ukraine.
07:24 AM
Ten days that changed the world: How history will look back on Russian invasion
The war has set off a chain of events that could alter the balance of power for good, writes Peter Frankopan exclusively for The Telegraph.
“At the bottom of the Kremlin’s view of world affairs is a traditional and instinctive Russian sense of insecurity,” ran the report of a senior US official reporting back to Washington.
The leadership in Moscow, it continued, was driven by the “necessities of their own past and present position” to present the “outside world as evil, hostile and menacing”.
Decision-making, the report concluded, lay in the hands of “a political force committed fanatically to the belief that with the US there can be no permanent modus vivendi, that it is desirable and necessary that the internal harmony of our society be disrupted, our traditional way of life be destroyed, the international authority of our state be broken…
Read the full piece from Peter here
07:22 AM
Pro-Ukraine protests around the world in pictures
06:47 AM
Russia targeting populated areas as in Chechnya and Syria
Russia has targeted populated areas in a similar way to Chechnya in 1999 and Syria in 2016, however, its advance is being slowed by Ukrainian attacks on supply lines, according to UK military intelligence.
It added that the scale and strength of Ukrainian resistance continues to surprise Russia.
06:15 AM
US officials travel to Russia’s ally Venezuela for talks, Reuters reports
Senior US officials travelled to Venezuela on Saturday for talks with President Nicolas Maduro’s government, seeking to determine whether Caracas is prepared to distance itself from close ally Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine.
The trip, the highest-level US visit to Venezuela in years, comes as part of a US effort to isolate President Vladimir Putin. Some analysts also see U.-sanctioned Venezuela as a potential alternate source of oil supplies should Washington attempt to restrict Moscow’s energy shipments.
US and Venezuelan officials held a round of talks on Saturday but reached no agreement, Reuters reported, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter. It was unclear whether a further meeting would be held.
05:49 AM
Russian troops headed to Kaniv hydroelectric plant
Russian troops are headed towards the Kaniv Hydroelectric Power Plant, about 100 kilometers south of Kyiv, The Kyiv Independent is reporting.
In an earlier report the General staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said: “The occupier intends to seize another important infrastructural object – the dam of Kaniv Hydro Power Plant.”
05:27 AM
RFE/RL suspends operations in Russia following Kremlin attacks
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has suspended its operations in Russia amid pressure from authorities.
The organisation said its journalists there have been continuously threatened, intimidated and harassed by authorities and its operation been the subject of bankruptcy proceedings.
“These Kremlin attacks on RFE/RL’s ability to operate in Russia are the culmination of a years-long pressure campaign against RFE/RL, which has maintained a physical presence in Russia since 1991 when it established its Moscow bureau at the invitation of then-President Boris Yeltsin,” the company said.
The announcement comes as Russians could now face prison sentences of up to 15 years for spreading information that runs counter to the government’s position on the invasion of Ukraine.
RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said: “Following years of threats, intimidation and harassment of our journalists, the Kremlin, desperate to prevent Russian citizens from knowing the truth about its illegal war in Ukraine, is now branding honest journalists as traitors to the Russian state.”
04:59 AM
Some 3,000 Americans have volunteered to fight in Ukraine, reports VOA
Around 3,000 Americans have pledged their commitment to the cause in Ukraine and fight against the Russian invasion, Voice of America reports.
It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the formation of an “international legion” of foreign volunteers to help fight the war as Western nations continue to abstain from getting involved in the war militarily.
04:33 AM
Russian plan to repatriate alleged spies at UN, CBS reports
A Russian plane has apparently been authorised to land in the US to repatriate members of Russia’s UN mission accused of spying.
The plane is expected to arrive in New York on Sunday afternoon, according to CBS News citing a Russian diplomat.
Last month, The United States expelled 12 Russian diplomats at the United Nations over national security concerns.
04:20 AM
Ukraine armed forces releases update
Ukraine’s armed forces say they shot down four Russian helicopters, five planes and one unmanned aerial vehicle in the past 24 hours.
“Significant losses were inflicted on the personnel and equipment of the occupying forces”, said the General Staff of the Armed Forces in an update.
“Several air raids were made on columns of enemy equipment, and the losses are being clarified,” they added.
The update added that Russian forces continue to concentrate their efforts on encircling the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Mykolayiv, reaching Luhansk and Donetsk, and creating a land corridor with Crimea.
In Mariupol, which came under blockade on Saturday, the report says Russians continue to block the city and carry out artillery shelling of the city’s civilian infrastructure.
04:01 AM
‘Ukraine is bleeding but has not fallen’
Ukraine is bleeding but has not fallen, and stands with both feet on the ground, said Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba.
Applauding the country’s armed forces in pushing back Russian forces on a number of fronts, Mr Kuleba said “the myth of the unbeatable and almighty army is already ruined.”
He said the defence forces have achieved some major successes over the past 24 hours and that the Russians keep bearing devastating losses on the ground.
“Ukraine is bleeding but Ukraine as not fallen and stands with both feet on the ground,” he said.
03:24 AM
Crowds of Ukrainian men line up to join army
Crowds of men have been lining up in Kyiv to join the Ukrainian army.
An order from Ukraine’s government prohibited men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country to keep them available for military conscription.
But some like Volodymyr Onysko volunteered to fight.
“We know why we are here. We know why we defend our country. And our guys that are actually standing there and fighting Russian military forces,” he told Sky News. “We know what we are doing and that’s why we will win.”
Others, like British Army veteran Mark Ayres, travelled to Ukraine to help.
Mr Ayres said the Ukrainian people have been inspiring and “it’s galvanized everybody.”
“I’ve got no illusions. I’ve got no romantic ideas of war or like ‘I’m going to be some hero’ or make a difference . but it is what I do,” he said.
03:18 AM
Biden working with Congress to secure more funding for Ukraine
US President Joe Biden is working with Congress to secure additional funding as he reiterated his concern over the attack on a nuclear power plant earlier this week.
Mr Biden, who spoke on Saturday evening with President Zelensky, said he welcomed the moves by Visa and Mastercard to suspend payment services in Russia, adding that his administration was working closer with Ukraine to offer more support and with Congress to secure more funding.
“President Biden noted his administration is surging security, humanitarian, and economic assistance to Ukraine and is working closely with Congress to secure additional funding.”
“President Biden reiterated his concern about the recent Russian attack on a Ukrainian nuclear power plant, and he commended the skill and bravery of the Ukrainian operators who have kept the reactors in safe condition. The leaders also discussed the recent talks between Russia and Ukraine.”
03:10 AM
Ukrainians protect their country and statues
Volunteers have been weaving camouflage nets for the Ukrainian army.
For fear of damage, volunteers are also covering and wrapping statues and windows on several of the historically significant structures.
03:02 AM
Zelensky thanks Musk for Starlink support
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk for giving Ukraine access to his company’s satellite-internet system, Starlink.
“I’m grateful to him for supporting Ukraine with words and deeds,” Mr Zelenskyy said in a tweet.
“Next week we will receive another batch of Starlink systems for destroyed cities.”
He joked that they discussed possible space projects, which he would talk about “after the war”.
03:00 AM
US tells China that Moscow will pay a high price
China said it opposes any moves that “add fuel to the flames” in Ukraine.
In a phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the world is watching to see which nations stand up for the principles of freedom and sovereignty.
The US State Department said Mr Blinken underscored that the world is acting in unison in response to Russian aggression and ensuring that Moscow will pay a high price.
China has broken with the US, Europe and others that have imposed sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
China said that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations should be respected, but that sanctions create new issues and disrupt the process of political settlement.
02:57 AM
‘We know why we defend our country’
Hundreds of men have been lining up in Kyiv to join the Ukrainian army.
An order from Ukraine’s government prohibited men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country to keep them available for military conscription.
But some, like Volodymyr Onysko, volunteered to fight.
“We know why we are here. We know why we defend our country. And our guys that are actually standing there and fighting Russian military forces,” he told Britain’s Sky News. “We know what we are doing and that’s why we will win.”
Others, like British Army veteran Mark Ayres, travelled to Ukraine to help.
Mr Ayres said the Ukrainian people have been inspiring and “it’s galvanised everybody”.
“I’ve got no illusions. I’ve got no romantic ideas of war or like ‘I’m going to be some hero’ or make a difference . but it is what I do,” he said.
01:27 AM
Today’s top stories
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Ben Wallace has warned Vladimir Putin not to “test” the United Kingdom, as the Defence Secretary indicated that he could pour more funds into the light weapons wreaking havoc on Russian tanks and aircraft in Ukraine
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Vladimir Putin has hinted at a nuclear strike on the West at a cosy meeting with air stewardesses gathered around a table laden with teapots and flowers
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A promised ceasefire failed, buses remain stationary, and civilians are trapped inside what has become one of the most violent battles of the 10-day old Russian invasion of Ukraine
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The French interior minister has written to Priti Patel accusing Britain of “lacking humanity” in its response to Ukrainian refugees
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Lord Frost, the former Cabinet Office minister, and Sir Michael Fallon, the ex-defence secretary, have warned that defence spending must increase following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, as senior Tories insisted that funding should rise immediately by at least 25pc
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Syrians were celebrating on Saturday night as a Russian pilot involved in bombing raids on their country was reportedly shot down over Ukraine and captured by local forces.
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The stalled Russian advance to the north of Kyiv is a perfect example of “poor planning and poor execution”, Western officials have said.
