Russia-Ukraine latest news: Russia continuing to bomb exit routes despite ceasefire, Mariupol official claims

Kremlin forces are not fully observing the temporary ceasefire agreed between Russia and Ukraine to allow humanitarian corridors out of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials have said.

“The Russians are continuing to bomb us and use artillery… It is crazy,” Serhiy Orlov, deputy mayor of Mariupol, told the BBC.

“There is no ceasefire in Mariupol and there is no ceasefire all along the route. Our civilians are ready to escape but they cannot escape under shelling.”

Earlier, the city council of Mariupol city said Russian forces were not observing the ceasefire along the whole length of a planned route for the evacuation of civilians.

“We are negotiating with the Russian side to confirm the ceasefire along the entire evacuation route,” it said in a statement.

The temporary ceasefire, established in order to facilitate humanitarian corridors out of Mariupol and Volnovakha, was reported by Russian media on Saturday morning.

​​Follow the latest updates below.

11:30 AM

Johnson says free media will not be cowed by violence

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday that a free media would not be cowed by violence as he praised reporters from Britain’s Sky News for their coverage of an ambush in Ukraine earlier this week.

“Free press will not be intimidated or cowed by barbaric and indiscriminate acts of violence,” Johnson said on Twitter.

On Friday, Russia’s parliament passed a law imposing a jail term of up to 15 years for anyone found to be intentionally spreading “fake” news.

11:24 AM

Story continues

Zara owner Inditex closes stores and online platform in Russia

Spanish fashion retailer Inditex has halted trading in Russia, closing its 502 shops and stopping online sales, the company said in a statement on Saturday.

The Zara owner is following some of the biggest western brands which have suspended operations in Russia, including its main rival H&M, following the invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of economic sanctions.

“In the current circumstances Inditex cannot guarantee the continuity of the operations and commercial conditions in the Russian Federation and temporarily suspends its activity”, the world’s biggest fashion company said.

Russia accounts for around 8.5% of the group’s global EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) and all the Inditex stores operate on a rental basis, Inditex said. “The investment is not relevant from a financial point of view”.

Inditex said it would give its workforce of more than 9,000 people a special support plan, without giving any details. The group had said its 79 stores in Ukraine have already been temporarily closed.

11:20 AM

Defiant civilians protest in Ukrainian cities against Russian occupation

An unarmed civilian clambered on top of an armoured vehicle as hundreds gathered in the first major city to be captured during the invasion to demonstrate against Russian occupation of Ukraine, my colleague Patrick Sawer reports.

In an astonishing show of bravery, as many as 2,0000 women and men flying Ukrainian flags staged a defiant protest against Putin’s forces in the central square of the southern city of Kherson.

One man managed to climb on top of a Russian armoured vehicle, from where he brandished his national flag as it sped through the crowds.

In other mobile phone recordings a woman, named as Valentina Maganova, is heard shouting above the sound of gunfire: “We’re not afraid. Repost this across the world. Please, support us. Kherson is Ukraine!”

Anton Gerashchenko, a Ukrainian government advisor and former MP, posted footage on Facebook showing hundreds of people assembling in the city centre on Saturday in defiance of Russian troops.

11:19 AM

Turkey says humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine should be country-wide

The humanitarian ceasefires declared by Russia in two Ukrainian cities should be country-wide and the corridors for evacuations and aid shipments must be opened across the country, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday.

Speaking at a news conference in Baku, Mr Cavusoglu also said that the ceasefire should be made lasting, adding that Ankara was working to evacuate its citizens in Ukraine by bus and train.

11:17 AM

Nato being cowed by Russia, Ukraine says

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has accused the Nato alliance of bending to Russian pressure after Nato members refused to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

Nato was not the force that Ukrainians had previously imagined, Mr Kuleba added.

Speaking on Ukrainian television, Mr Kuleba also said he was open to talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, but only if such negotiations were “meaningful”.

11:09 AM

Ukraine’s Mariupol postpones civilian evacuation, saying Russia not observing ceasefire

Authorities in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol said an evacuation of civilians planned for Saturday had been postponed as Russian forces encircling the city were not respecting an agreed ceasefire.

In a statement, the city council asked residents to return to shelters in the city and wait for further information on evacuation.

11:06 AM

Russian airlines with foreign-leased planes told not to fly abroad from March 6

Russia’s state aviation authority on Saturday recommended Russian airlines with foreign-leased aicraft to suspend flights of passengers and cargo abroad from Russia from March 6 and from foreign countries to Russia starting on March 8.

The European Union, Britain and United States and some other countries closed their airspace starting next week, part of a package of punitive measures after Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation.”

10:56 AM

Italy seizes oligarchs’ villas and yachts in initial sweep

Italian police have seized villas and yachts worth at least 140 million euros ($153 million) from four high-profile Russians who were placed on an EU sanctions list following Moscow’s attack on Ukraine, sources said on Saturday.

A police source said a villa owned by billionaire businessman Alisher Usmanov on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, and a villa on Lake Como owned by state TV host Vladimir Soloviev, had both been seized.

In addition, sources confirmed that yachts belonging to Russia’s richest man, Alexey Mordashov, and Gennady Timchenko, who has close tied with Russian President Vladimir Putin, were impounded overnight in the northern Italian port of Imperia.

Russian oligarchs are believed to have bought numerous villas in choice Italian locations over the past 20 years and sources said more assets were expected to be seized in coming days as Western states implement massive sanctions to try to force Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.

Italian banks were instructed by the Bank of Italy’s financial intelligence division on Friday to urgently let it know of all measures taken to freeze the assets of people and entities placed on the EU list.

10:53 AM

‘Please close the sky,’ Ukrainian refugees plead

Ukrainians fleeing into central European pleaded for Western nations to take tougher steps against Russia following Moscow’s invasion that has created more than one million refugees, Reuters reports.

At the Medyka crossing, Poland’s busiest, along its roughly 500-kilometre (310-mile) border with Ukraine, refugees called for a no-fly zone over Ukraine – something Nato powers have so far ruled out on the grounds it would risk escalating the conflict beyond Ukraine.

“Please close the sky,” said Solomiya Zdryko, 18, who fled from Lviv in western Ukraine. “I know that it’s not possible for us to join Nato but at least close the sky because people are dying.”

“It’s great that the whole world is watching us and supporting us, but it really needs to stop.”

10:45 AM

Watch: Russian helicopter shot down over Ukraine

10:44 AM

Britain urges its nationals to consider leaving Russia

Britain urged its nationals on Saturday to consider leaving Russia after Moscow’s decision to invade Ukraine.

“If your presence in Russia is not essential, we strongly advise that you consider leaving by remaining commercial routes,” the British government said in a statement.

On Monday, Britain advised its citizens against all travel to Russia due to a lack of available flight options and increased economic volatility.

10:26 AM

Russia-Ukraine war: The latest pictures

10:20 AM

Turkey’s Erdogan to speak to Putin on Sunday

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will speak to Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Sunday to discuss the war in Ukraine, spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Saturday, adding Turkey was ready to help resolve the crisis.

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Kalin repeated Turkey’s offer to host talks between Ukraine and Russia and called for an immediate halt to fighting, and reiterated that Turkey could not abandon ties with either Moscow or Kyiv.

10:16 AM

Blinken arrives in Poland near border with Ukraine

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Poland for talks with officials as hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees pour into the country to escape the conflict.

The most senior US official to visit Poland since the war began, Mr Blinken will hold talks with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau in Rzeszow, near the border with Ukraine.

More than 780,000 people have fled Ukraine into Poland since the invasion began on February 24.

Mr Blinken is visiting key allies in Europe that are feeling the pressure from the war, to demonstrate Washington’s support for their security and shore up Western unity against Moscow.

Following his stop in Poland he will travel to Moldova, which has also experienced an inflow of Ukrainians, and the three Baltic states which are particularly concerned by Russian actions.

10:13 AM

Refinery workers refuse to deal with ship carrying Russian oil

Workers are refusing to deal with a German-flagged ship carrying Russian oil which is moored in the UK.

Unions are urging the Government to close what they believe is a loophole following a ban on Russian vessels docking in the UK, because they say cargo is not covered.

The Seacod is moored near the Stanlow Oil Refinery in the North West.

Unite said because the vessel is German flagged it does not come under the terms of the UK’s ban on Russian shipping.

10:11 AM

Kremlin says the West is behaving like bandits

The Kremlin has said that the West is behaving like bandits but that Russia was far too big to be isolated as the world was much larger than just the United States and Europe.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also told reporters that if the United States imposed sanctions on Russia’s energy exports then it would roil energy markets.

10:10 AM

Zelensky discusses situation with Albanian PM

10:05 AM

Athens evacuates more Greeks from Ukraine

Athens has launched a new operation to evacuate Greek expatriates and citizens from Odessa as Russia’s defence ministry announced a ceasefire to allow civilians in Mariupol and Volnovakha to leave.

According to Athens News Agency quoting diplomatic sources, the evacuation coordinated by the Greek General Consul in Odessa involves 25 people.

Among them, nine are members of the crew of a Greek-owned ship stranded at the port of Odessa since the beginning of the war.

The evacuees, who left Saturday morning, are expected to reach Moldova by the end of the day.

The Greek migration ministry said on Saturday that from the beginning of the war in Ukraine, 3,155 people – including 906 minors – have fled to Greece.

09:59 AM

Italy’s foreign minister and energy group CEO fly to Qatar for energy talks

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio is flying to Qatar with the head of energy group Eni to discuss energy cooperation in light of the Ukraine crisis, the ministry said on Saturday.

The trip follows a visit by the two to Algeria on Monday, where they sought an increase in gas supplies from the North African country as Europe steps up its efforts to tap alternative flows following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

09:53 AM

US, Germany, and Netherlands to deploy more military in Lithuania

Germany will deploy air defence capabilities to Lithuania and the United States will send a troop battalion armed with tanks, Lithuania’s defence minister has said.

The deployments, which are also due to include more troops from the Netherlands, are separate to troops coming for military exercises Lithuania is set to host in March, Arvydas Anusauskas told reporters.

The deployments and exercises will increase the total number of foreign Nato troops in Lithuania to 4,000 by end-March from 3,000 now, the minister said.

Lithuania had asked Nato to add more troops and equipment following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

09:51 AM

Ukraine will import gas from Poland from March 6

Ukraine will be able to import gas from Poland from March 6, including gas from Polish LNG terminals, Ukrainian state-run gas transit system operator said on Saturday.

The two transit operators agreed on the introduction of guaranteed capacity for gas imports and “this allows the physical import of gas from Poland, including from the LNG terminal, on a guaranteed basis”, Ukrainian company said on social media.

It gave no additional details.

Ukraine, one of Europe’s biggest gas consumers, has not imported gas from Russia since 2015 and buys it in Europe.

09:44 AM

Blinken says Ukraine can win war

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that he believes Ukraine can win its war with Russia.

When asked by the BBC if he thought Ukraine could win, he said: “Over time, absolutely.”

“I can’t tell you how long this will go on,” he added.

“I can’t tell you how long it will take. But the idea that Russia can subjugate to its will 45 million people who are ardently fighting for their future and their freedom, that does not involve Russia having its thumb on Ukraine, that tells you a lot.”

09:34 AM

Russian forces not observing full ceasefire on Mariupol evacuation route, says city council

The city council of Ukraine’s Mariupol city has said Russian forces were not observing an agreed ceasefire along the whole length of a planned route for the evacuation of civilians that was due to take place on Saturday.

“We are negotiating with the Russian side to confirm the ceasefire along the entire evacuation route,” it said in a statement.

“The Russians are continuing to bomb us and use artillery. It is crazy,” Mariupol deputy mayor Serhiy Orlov told the BBC.

“There is no ceasefire in Mariupol and there is no ceasefire all along the route. Our civilians are ready to escape but they cannot escape under shelling.”

09:22 AM

Ukraine interior ministry adviser says there will be more civilian evacuation deals

Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko on Saturday said there would be further agreements with Russia on establishing humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from front line communities.

“There will definitely be more agreements like this for all other territories,” he said, referring to an existing evacuation plan for the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol.

09:22 AM

Haas F1 terminates contract with Russian racer Mazepin

Russian Nikita Mazepin will not race in Formula One this season after U.S.-owned Haas said on Friday it has terminated the driver’s contract.

The team also ended its title sponsorship deal with Russian potash producer Uralkali, owned by Mazepin’s father.

09:08 AM

UK will speed up sanctions against Russians, PM says

Britain will be able to move more quickly to sanction Russian businessmen over President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine as a result of new legal measures which will be sent to parliament next week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

Asked by foreign correspondents in London why Roman Abramovich, the highest-profile Russian businessman in Britain due to his ownership of Chelsea Football Club, had not been sanctioned, Mr Johnson said the government had to move carefully.

“None of us want to live in a country where the state can take your house off you without a very high burden of proof and due process,” he was quoted as saying in the interview conducted on Friday by Italy’s La Repubblica and other newspapers.

“There’s no point saying, yeah, we’re going to go after him, and then you come up against the brick wall of lawyers. So we have to get it right. We’re also trying not to just make this about one individual,” Mr Johnson added.

08:54 AM

In pictures: Refugees flee Ukraine

08:44 AM

Chancellor urged to take emergency steps to support Ukrainian people

Unions are urging the Government to take emergency financial measures to support the Ukrainian people, and respond to the impact of the conflict on the cost-of-living crisis in the UK.

In a letter to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the TUC said he should a consider a 100 per cent windfall tax on the profits of companies still invested in Russian state enterprises, among other measures.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Trade unions condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine. We know that working people in Ukraine, Russia and across Europe want peace. The UK Government must pursue all diplomatic efforts to achieve that goal.

“The Chancellor must use his spring statement to act, too. That means ensuring that sanctions are more effective, with funding to crack down on money laundering in the UK.

“And he should fund greater humanitarian assistance for Ukrainians, including safe passage for those fleeing the war.”

08:40 AM

European Union suspends Russia and Belarus from Council of Baltic Sea States

The European Union said it had joined members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) in suspending Russia and Belarus from the Council’s activities.

“This decision is a part of the European Union’s and like-minded partners response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the involvement of Belarus in this unprovoked and unjustified aggression,” it said on Saturday.

“The EU agrees with the other members of the CBSS (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden) that the suspension of Russia and Belarus will remain in force until it is possible to resume cooperation based on respect for fundamental principles of international law,” it added.

08:35 AM

Analysis: Why ceasefire is happening

After the Russian defence ministry declared a ceasefire to allow “humanitarian corridors” out of Mariupol and neighbouring Volnovakha, Mariupol officials announced on social media that the city’s 450,000-strong population could begin to leave by private transport from 9am GMT.

Russia said earlier on Saturday its troops, which have encircled the Azov Sea port city in Ukraine’s south, would stop firing and allow civilians to pass until 2pm GMT.

However, Russia’s RIA news agency has since quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying its troops will continue its “broad offensive” in the country.

AFP reports that the evacuation will be seen as a prelude to a final assault by Russian forces that, if successful, would see their invading army pushing north from occupied Crimea link up with their force from the east and win control of Ukraine’s coast on the Sea of Azov.

The siege of Mariupol came as more Russian forces inched closer to the capital Kyiv, encountering stiff resistance and shelling civilian areas in the western suburbs and the northern town of Chernihiv, where there have been heavy civilian casualties in recent days.

A group AFP of reporters who visited the town on Saturday saw scenes of devastation – despite Moscow’s insistence that it is not targeting civilian areas – and fears are rising in Kyiv that the capital will suffer the same fate once Russian missile artillery is deployed within range.

08:20 AM

Economic Secretary to Treasury defends Tory donations with Russian links

Economic Secretary to the Treasury John Glen has defended donations made to the Conservative Party by people with Russian links.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I don’t think anyone can say that we’ve broken any electoral law with respect to donations.

“We have taken money from a range of individuals… small sums, larger sums, as all political parties do, and all those donations comply with the law.”

08:18 AM

Amendments to Economic Crime Bill will allow for ‘harder and faster’ imposition of sanctions

Amendments to the Economic Crime Bill will “allow us to move harder and faster” with sanctions, Economic Secretary to the Treasury John Glen has said.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the MP for Salisbury said: “What we’re trying to do is make it more straightforward to get a legal basis to move on these individuals. We believe that these changes will make that difference.

“In this situation, we need to look at how we can expedite these decisions more swiftly.”

08:07 AM

Pictured: Long queues at Kyiv station as Ukrainians flee country

08:03 AM

Over 66,200 Ukrainian men have returned from abroad to fight, country’s defence minister says

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said that 66,224 Ukrainian men had returned from abroad to join the fight against Russia’s invasion.

“That’s how many men returned from abroad at this moment to defend their country from the horde. These are 12 more combat and motivated brigades! Ukrainians, we are invincible,” Mr Reznikov said in an online post.

07:57 AM

Overall rate of Russian air and artillery strikes ‘lower in past 24 hours than previous days’, MoD says

The “overall rate of Russian air and artillery strikes observed over the past 24 hours has been lower than in previous days”, according to an intelligence briefing from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

In an update posted on Twitter on Saturday morning, the MoD said Ukraine continues to hold Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol and there have been reports of street fighting in Sumy.

“It is highly likely that all four cities are encircled by Russian forces,” the update said.

“Russian forces are probably advancing on the southern port city of Mykolaiv. There is a realistic possibility that some forces will attempt to circumvent the city to prioritise progression towards Odesa.”

07:49 AM

Putin has turned Russia into organisation ‘more akin to gangster group’, senor Tory says

Vladimir Putin has turned Russia into “an organisation rather more akin to a gangster group or a mafia outfit”, a senior Conservative has said.

Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he wants to see a tribunal modelled on the Nuremberg trials after the Second World War to hold the Russian leader and his associates to account.

He said this would be a “step further” than the investigation announced by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which he said would focus on war crimes.

“What we’re seeing in Ukraine today is not just the result of a crime but actually of an entire conspiracy,” he said.

07:44 AM

Mariupol humanitarian corridor to open for five hours

Civilians will be allowed to leave the Ukrainian city of Mariupol between 12pm-5pm Moscow time on Saturday, Russia’s RIA news agency has cited city authorities as saying.

Russia said earlier on Saturday its troops which have encircled the Azov Sea port city in Ukraine’s south would stop firing and allow civilians to pass.

07:36 AM

Russian gas flows to Europe via Ukraine continue unchanged, RIA quotes operator as saying

Russian state gas company Gazprom was shipping natural gas to Europe via Ukraine in the same volume of 109.5 million cubic metres per day as of Friday, the state-owned RIA news agency has cited Ukraine’s pipeline operator company as saying.

07:27 AM

PayPal shuts down its services in Russia citing Ukraine aggression

Payments company PayPal Holdings Inc shut down its services early on Saturday in Russia, citing “the current circumstances,” joining many financial and tech companies in suspending operations there after the invasion of Ukraine.

“Under the current circumstances, we are suspending PayPal services in Russia,” President and Chief Executive Dan Schulman said in a statement. He added that the company “stands with the international community in condemning Russia’s violent military aggression in Ukraine.”

A company spokesperson said PayPal will support withdrawals “for a period of time, ensuring that account balances are dispersed in line with applicable laws and regulations.”

PayPal, which had only allowed cross-border transactions by users in Russia, stopped accepting new users in the country on Wednesday.

Ukrainian government officials had been calling on PayPal to quit Russia and help them with fundraising.

07:25 AM

The latest images from Ukraine

07:19 AM

Russia continues broad offensive in Ukraine, Russian news agency says

Russian troops continue a broad offensive in Ukraine, Russia’s RIA news agency has quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying.

The ministry confirmed that its units have stopped firing and opened humanitarian corridors near the cities of Volnovakha and Mariupol which were encircled by Russian troops.

06:56 AM

Humanitarian corridors to be established out of Mariupol and Volnovakha, reports Reuters

Reuters is reporting that Russian forces will stop firing at 10am Moscow time to allow humanitarian corridors out of the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha.

06:43 AM

Russia announces temporary ceasefire, according to reports

There are reports that Russia has announced a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine from 10am Moscow time to allow humanitarian corridors to be established.

06:09 AM

International Boxing Associations bans athletes from Russia and Belarus from competitions

The International Boxing Association says it will ban athletes from Russia and Belarus from its competitions due to the invasion of Ukraine.

“[T[hey shall not be invited or allowed to participate in international boxing competitions. Wherever this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons, they shall only be permitted to participate as neutral athletes.”

The association also approved the cancellation of the international events planned in Russia and Belarus this year as per the IOC’s recommendation

05:14 AM

Up to 1,000 more mercenaries could be deployed to Ukraine, reports CNN

Up to 1,000 more mercenaries could be deployed to Ukraine in the coming days and weeks, CNN reports.

According to an anonymous US official, the mercenary forces would bolster flagging units and add to number of mercenaries already thought to be involved in the invasion.

The official said the US believes the mercenaries already in Ukraine have “performed poorly when facing the stiffer-than-expected resistance from the Ukrainians,” and that as many as 200 such mercenaries have already been killed in the war as of late February, CNN reports.

The alleged plans come as Russia now seems prepared to “bombard cities into submission,” CNN quoted another anonymous senior western intelligence official as saying.

04:42 AM

Singapore will hit Russia with financial sanctions

Singapore will hit Russia with financial sanctions along with export controls on items that can be “used as weapons to inflict harm on or to subjugate the Ukrainians”.

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday it will impose financial measures targeted at designated Russian banks, entities and activities in Russia, as well as fundraising activities benefiting the Russian government.

The Singapore Government will also impose export controls on items that can be “directly used as weapons to inflict harm on or to subjugate the Ukrainians”, as well as items that can contribute to offensive cyber operations, MFA added .

Earlier this week, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Singapore will impose sanctions on Russia “in concert with other like-minded countries”, and cited the “unprecedented gravity” of the Russian invasion.

04:28 AM

Fashion brands put business on pause in Russia

The world’s leading luxury brands plan to temporarily close stores and pause business operations in Russia.

Birkin bag maker Hermes and Cartier owner Richemont were the first firms to announce they would do so, followed by LVMH, Kering and Chanel.

Sanctions imposed by the west have made doing business in Russia difficult.

“Given our increasing concerns about the current situation, the growing uncertainty and the complexity to operate, Chanel decided to temporarily pause its business in Russia,” the French luxury fashion house said in a LinkedIn post.

Luxury giant LVMH, which owns such brands as Christian Dior, Givenchy, Kenzo, TAG Heuer and Bulgari among others, will close its 124 boutiques in Russia from Sunday but will continue to pay the salaries for its 3,500 employees in the country, a spokesperson told Reuters.

04:02 AM

Washington Post to omit bylines and datelines from Russia stories

The Washington Post will remove bylines and datelines from stories out of Russia in order to protect its journalists based there, according to one of its staff.

03:57 AM

Scenes of apparent looting in Mariupol

03:47 AM

Boris Johnson’s message to Ukraine on Friday: “Putin must fail”

03:33 AM

Mariupol mayor focused on ceasefire

Mariupol’s mayor said his priority is to establish a ceasefire and set up a corridor to bring in food and medicine as the city comes under blockage by Russian forces.

The city has endured days of “ruthless” attacks, said its mayor.

Capturing Mariupol would give Moscow’s invasion a strategic advantage, connecting it to the Russian forces coming from annexed Crimea – which have already taken the key ports of Berdiansk and Kherson – as well as to the troops in the Donbas.

“For now, we are looking for solutions to humanitarian problems and all possible ways to get Mariupol out of the blockade,” said Mayor Vadim Boychenko.

“For five days, our hometown, our family of half a million people, has been under ruthless attack,” he wrote on Saturday, while calling for continued resistance.

Located on the Sea of Azov, the city of 450,000 people has been bombarded by shellings and cut off without water or electricity in the depths of winter.

03:15 AM

Mariupol has been ‘blockaded’, says Mayor

The strategic Ukrainian port city Mariupol has been ‘blockaded’ by Russian forces says its mayor, AFP is reporting.

The city has been desperately clinging on in the face of a Russian onslaught with no water, heat or electricity and dwindling supplies of food.

Mayor Vadym Boychenko has appealed for military assistance and for a humanitarian corridor to be created to evacuate some of the city’s 400,000 residents after five days of bombardment by encircling Russian troops.

03:01 AM

Instagram influencer calls on people to donate to Ukraine via Airbnb bookings

An Instagram influencer has called on people to donate to Ukrainians by booking Airbnb rentals in the country, saying doing so will benefit Ukrainians directly.

Tommy Marcus, 26, from New York, runs the Quentin Quarantino page on social media, set up in 2020.

Speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Marcus said the idea had originally come from one of his followers on social media.

He added that followers have now received messages of gratitude from Ukrainians who have received bookings via Airbnb.

He told PA: “I certainly did not foresee it going so viral… so many of my followers have told me ‘I got this message (of gratitude from a Ukrainian) and then immediately started crying’.

“And that’s maybe not something that happens when you give 20 dollars (£15) to charity. That’s not to say that that money doesn’t go as far when you give it to a charity, but there’s definitely that emotional element that’s unique about this, which I think is probably a very big driving factor and why it was so viral.”

He warned, however, that people should check the Airbnb listing before booking to ensure they know who would receive the money.

02:39 AM

Russian forces closing in on second power plant

Russian forces are just 20 miles away from closing in on Rivne, Ukraine’s second largest nuclear power facility, said the US ambassador to the UN.

The warning comes after Russian forces seized the country’s largest nuclear power plant yesterday after heavy shelling and a fire at the plant.

“Russian forces are now 20 miles and closing from Ukraine’s second largest nuclear facility. So this imminent danger continues,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

02:38 AM

Putin the powerless

A week ago, Vladimir Putin seemed unstoppable, Justin Huggler writes. Russian troops had crossed into Ukraine in overwhelming numbers, and it seemed that it was a matter of days until resistance was crushed.

The West looked powerless to do anything about it. The courage of Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainians was already clear, but they looked doomed to a hopeless last stand. Putin was the master manipulator who had outplayed the West.

However, a week can be a long time in war. The Russian president cut a diminished figure as he met with the same National Security Council by video link from an undisclosed location on Thursday.

There were dark patches beneath his eyes and he seemed to falter as he stood to honour the Russian dead.

Read more: The week Vladimir Putin lost control

02:34 AM

Today’s top stories

• Boris Johnson on Friday night warned that “radioactive clouds” could spread over Europe if the West does not act following Russia’s unprecedented assault on a nuclear power plant

• The attack at Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, was condemned by Western leaders and raises the prospect of widening the war in Ukraine after nine days of conflict

• Western allies have refused to implement a no-fly zone, which would bring Nato into direct conflict with Russia

• The Pentagon on Friday confirmed that it had established a new hotline with Russia’s ministry of defence to prevent “miscalculation, military incidents and escalation”

• Writing for The Telegraph, Gordon Brown, the former prime minister, said a Nuremberg-style trial may be needed to bring Putin and his regime to justice

• The mayor of Mairupol said the city of 400,000 residents was without water, heat or electricity and was running out of food

• US officials said Russia had now deployed 92 per cent of the troops it had massed on Ukraine’s borders prior to the invasion

• In Kherson, the first Ukrainian city captured by the Kremlin’s forces, the conquerors staged a fake victory parade, bussing in Russians from Crimea in an artificial show of support for the invading army