Several Russian missiles have destroyed an aircraft repair plant near the airport in Lviv, the western Ukrainian city’s mayor said.
The plant had been stopped and there were no casualties from the strike, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi added.
Separately, Ukraine’s military said the plant was struck by cruise missiles launched from the direction of the Black Sea.
The type of the missile was likely Kh-555, the military said, which are launched from heavy strategic bombers.
Numerous explosions were heard in the city on Friday morning, with grey smoke seen streaming across the sky around the airport and ambulances and police vehicles raced to the scene.
Follow the latest updates below.
07:55 AM
France says sanctions starting to have impact on Russia
French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Friday sanctions imposed by Western countries on Russia in reaction to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine were starting to have a “real impact”.
“We hope these sanctions will force Vladimir Putin to change his plans,” Mr Attal told BFM TV.
Earlier this week, European Union member states agreed on a fourth package of sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
07:53 AM
Pictured: Smoke fills sky above Lviv following Russian attack
07:39 AM
Japan imposes more sanctions on Russian officials
Japan has said that it will impose sanctions on 15 Russian individuals and nine organisations, including defence officials and the state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport.
The sanctions, which include the freezing of assets, are the latest in a series of measures by Japan following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Japan has now put sanctions on 76 individuals, seven banks and 12 other organisations in Russia, according to the finance ministry.
The government said on Friday Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and several military equipment makers including United Aircraft Corp, which manufactures fighter jets, would be sanctioned.
07:36 AM
Russia claims separatists ‘tightening the noose’ around Mariupol
Russia’s defence ministry said on Friday that separatists in eastern Ukraine with help from Russia’s armed forces were “tightening the noose” around the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency reported.
The defence ministry added that fighting was ongoing in the centre of Mariupol.
07:34 AM
One killed and four wounded after parts of missile fall in northern Kyiv
One person was killed and four wounded after parts of a Russian missile fell on a residential building in the northern part of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday morning, emergencies services said.
The services said in a statement that 12 people were rescued and 98 were evacuated from the five-storey building.
07:33 AM
The latest pictures from Ukraine
07:24 AM
Russian and Belarusian athletes to be excluded from Diamond League
The Diamond League of track and field competitions has banned Russian Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANA) and Belarusian athletes from its events “for the foreseeable future”, organisers said, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this month, World Athletics banned the two countries’ athletes, support staff and officials from all events for the foreseeable future, and said the sanction included Russian athletes who had the ANA status in 2022.
“The Wanda Diamond League meetings accepted the recommendation of the board that Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANA) and Belarus athletes be excluded from all Diamond League meetings for the foreseeable future,” organisers said.
“This recommendation… reflects the practical and logistical issues meetings may face if ANA athletes from Russia and athletes from Belarus were to be invited to compete.
07:23 AM
Ukraine hopes nine humanitarian corridors will operate on Friday
Ukraine hopes to evacuate civilians on Friday through nine humanitarian corridors from cities and towns on the front line of fighting with Russian forces, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said.
07:02 AM
Saudi Arabia extends Ukrainians’ visas on humanitarian grounds, reports state news agency
Saudi Arabia issued a royal directive extending tourist and business visas of Ukrainian citizens without fees or fines for humanitarian considerations, state news agency SPA said on Friday.
The extension will be automatic without the need to visit the migration authorities. (Reporting by Lina Najem; Writing Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
06:53 AM
Lviv airport ‘definitely not’ hit after Russian strikes
Russian forces on Friday struck an area around Lviv’s airport in western Ukraine, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said, as grey smoke streamed across the sky and ambulances and police vehicles raced to the scene.
Writing on messaging app Telegram, Sadovyi said he could not give a precise address of the targeted area “but it’s definitely not an airport.”
A thick pall of grey smoke streamed across clear blue sky over Lviv’s airport in western Ukraine at 7:30 am Friday, an AFP reporter saw.
Armed checkpoints turned motorists back from roads leading to the airport, and a local told AFP he had heard a blast earlier Friday.
Lviv is the largest city in western Ukraine and a popular tourist destination known for its picturesque views.
Located 70 kilometres from the border with Poland, it has largely escaped military strikes from Russian forces in the past.
06:45 AM
Russia imposes no-fly zone over Donbass, Interfax reports
Russia has established a no-fly zone over Ukraine’s Donbass region, according to a separatist official from the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Interfax news agency said on Friday.
06:36 AM
Russia has made ‘minimal progress this week’, says UK MoD
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said in its latest update on Ukraine that Russian forces “have made minimal progress this week”.
“Russian forces have made minimal progress this week,” the MoD tweeted.
“Ukrainian forces around Kyiv and Mykolaiv continue to frustrate Russian attempts to encircle the cities. The cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol remain encircled and subject to heavy Russian shelling.
“The UN now states that the number of refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine has already surpassed 3.2 million. This number will continue to rise as a result of ongoing Russian aggression.”
06:15 AM
Russian missiles hit area near airport in Ukraine’s Lviv, mayor says
Russian missiles struck an area near the airport of Ukraine’s western city of Lviv on Friday, its mayor Andriy Sadovy said, though he added that the airport itself had not been attacked.
Authorities are assessing the situation and will issue updates, he said.
Earlier, television station Ukraine 24 said at least three exposions had been heard in the city.
06:03 AM
More footage from Lviv where explosions were heard on Friday morning
05:48 AM
Burger King owner says Russia operator has ‘refused’ to shut shops
The owner of Burger King has said the operator of its 800 stores in Russia has “refused” to close them.
The president of Restaurant Brands International (RBI), which owns Burger King and has operated its restaurants in Russia for a decade in a joint venture which includes Alexander Kolobov, said the company was attempting to withdraw from the Russian market following the invasion of Ukraine.
RBI president David Shear wrote in an open letter to employees: “We contacted the main operator of the business and demanded the suspension of Burger King restaurant operations in Russia. He has refused to do so.
“We suspended all corporate support for the Russian market, including operations, marketing, and supply chain support in addition to refusing approvals for new investment and expansion.”
05:25 AM
Search for Ukraine theatre bombing survivors as war crime claims mount
Rescue workers searched desperately for any survivors buried beneath the rubble of Mariupol’s bombed-out theatre on Friday, as Russia’s forces pounded residential areas across Ukraine, stoking allegations of war crimes.
Twenty-four hours after Mariupol’s once-gleaming whitewashed theatre was hollowed out by a Russian strike, the number of dead, injured or trapped is still unclear.
Ukraine’s ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova said a bombshelter in the building had survived the impact, and some “adults and children” had emerged alive.
“Work is underway to unlock the basement,” she said, amid fears that up to 1,000 people may have been taking refuge underground at the time of the blast.
The attack on a civilian building marked with the words “DETI”, or “children” in Russian, has sparked a wave of international revulsion and heaped pressure on Russia’s few remaining allies – most notably China – to condemn Moscow’s apparent deliberate targeting of civilians.
05:05 AM
Blasts heard in Ukraine’s Lviv
At least three blasts were heard in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Friday morning, Ukraine 24 television station reported through the Telegram messenger.
It published a short video in which a mushroom-shaped plume of smoke could be seen rising on the horizon.
According to claims on social media, the airport was hit by Russian cruise missiles.
Explosions reported in the Western Ukrainian City of Lviv, Smoke is seen rising from near Lviv International Airport, Ukrainian Sources are claiming that the Airport was hit by Russian Cruise Missiles a few minuets ago.
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 18, 2022
04:45 AM
EU seeks energy price-busting strategy amid Ukraine crisis
European states are urgently seeking policies to stem the energy inflation tide amid conflict in Ukraine which has sparked price hikes – notably of oil, which has soared past $100 a barrel.
As companies and consumers alike labour under the strain with food and energy prices soaring to multi-decade highs, governments are pondering what means they have at their disposal to react and lessen the pain.
The policy arsenal includes trimming energy taxes and prices, along with targeted state support with some economies across the continent suffering a heavier burden than others.
The European Commission said at the start of this month it could extend a suspension on rules on budgetary rigour through to next year as several EU states urged a common response to the war’s financial fallout, on the heels of that wrought by the pandemic.
04:35 AM
Russia has recruited 1,000 volunteers from Syrian army and Hezbollah, says Ukraine armed forces
Russia has recruited 1,000 volunteers from the Syrian army and Hezbollah as it looks to make up for losses of personnel, said Ukraine’s military in a daily update.
“According to available information, the Russian occupiers have already picked up close 1,000 volunteers from the so-called army of Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah.”
“The main requirement for foreign fighters is the experience of fighting in the city.”
The update adds that Russian forces continue to partially blockade the city of Chernihiv and carry out artillery shelling of the city.
“In the Slobozhansky direction, in order to resume offensive operations on the cities of Sumy and Kharkiv, the occupiers are trying to replenish stocks of ammunition and fuel and oil and are forced to use the accumulated human reserves prematurely. In the direction of the city of Izyum, the enemy is trying to resume offensive operations.”
04:16 AM
Pictured: Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a blaze at a warehouse after a bombing in Kyiv
04:10 AM
Ukraine brings down seven Russian aircraft on Thursday
Ukraine’s air defense forces destroyed 14 aerial units on Thursday, including seven aircraft, according to local media.
“According to Ukraine’s Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukraine’s air defense destroyed seven aircraft, one helicopter, three UAVs, and three cruise missiles,” reported the Kyiv Independent.
⚡️Ukraine’s Air Force: Fourteen Russian aerial units destroyed on March 17.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukraine’s air defense destroyed seven aircraft, one helicopter, three UAVs, and three cruise missiles.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 18, 2022
04:00 AM
China will face ‘cost’s if it helps Russia, says Biden
US President Joe Biden will warn his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday that he will face “costs” if Beijing rescues fellow authoritarian ally Russia from intense Western sanctions aimed at punishing Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The two leaders’ 9:00 am (1pm UK time) scheduled phone call will be a chance to air differences as the United States spearheads an unprecedented pressure campaign on Russia, placing China in a geopolitical bind.
It’s “an opportunity for President Biden to assess where President Xi stands,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
Biden has successfully marshalled a tight Western alliance against Russia, while giving military support to Ukrainian forces.
But Beijing has refused to condemn Moscow, and Washington fears the Chinese could switch to full financial and even military support for Russia, transforming an already explosive transatlantic standoff into a global dispute.
The White House was tight-lipped on whether Biden will threaten China with sanctions during his call, but some sort of response is on the table.
03:38 AM
Australia sanctions Russian billionaires with mining industry links
Australia imposed sanctions on Friday on two Russian oligarchs with links to its mining industry, one of them a billionaire with an investment connection to Rio Tinto’s Gladstone alumina refinery joint venture.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia was working in close cooperation with international partners to increase sanctions pressure on oligarchs close to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine.
“Australia has now added two billionaires with links to business interests in Australia, Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg,” Ms Payne said in a statement.
The measures are in addition to curbs on 41 oligarchs and immediate family members who already face targeted financial sanctions and travel bans, she said.
Ms Payne said the government welcomed Australian companies taking a principled stand with moves to cut ties with Russia “in protest of Moscow’s illegal, indefensible war against Ukraine”.
03:32 AM
12 killed in health care attacks so far, says WHO
The World Health Organization says it has verified 43 attacks on health care, with 12 people killed and 34 injured.
“WHO has verified 43 attacks on health care, with 12 people killed and 34 injured, including #healthworkers. In any conflict, attacks on health care are a violation of international humanitarian law”-@DrTedros #NotATarget
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 17, 2022
03:21 AM
One person dead in warehouse fire in Kyiv
One person died after a warehouse caught fire as a result of Russian shelling in the Sviatoshynksy district of Kyiv, the country’s communications agency tweeted at midnight local time on Thursday.
03:01 AM
More than 321,000 Ukrainians have crossed into Maldova
More than 321,000 Ukrainians have crossed into Maldova since the start of the war, said the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicu Popescu.
“Many transited our country but more than 104,000 refugees are still in Moldova, including more than 48,942 minors.”
Update on the #refugee situation in the Republic of #Moldova: since the beginning of the war, more than 321,000 #Ukrainians crossed the border with #Moldova. Many transited our country but more than 104,000 refugees are still in Moldova, including more than 48,942 minors.
— Nicu Popescu (@nicupopescu) March 17, 2022
02:49 AM
Biden to speak with China’s Xi on Friday
US President Joe Biden will speak with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at 9 am Eastern time (1pm UK time ) on Friday.
“This is part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and the (People’s Republic of China),” according to a statement from the White House.
“The two leaders will discuss managing the competition between the two countries as well as Russia’s war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern.”
02:31 AM
In pictures: Ukrainians bear the brunt of cruel war
02:12 AM
Russia accused of dirty tricks as ministers targeted with hoax calls
Russia has been accused of “dirty tricks” after senior Cabinet ministers were targeted with hoax calls from an impostor posing as Ukraine’s prime minister.
A cross-Whitehall security inquiry has been launched after Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, and Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, were targeted.
The alarm was raised by Mr Wallace after he became suspicious during a 10-minute video call on Thursday, with the Defence Secretary publicly accusing Russia of being behind it.
He ordered an investigation into the security breach but there are serious questions about Whitehall security after Ms Patel said the same thing happened to her earlier this week.
Mr Wallace said he became suspicious and terminated the call after “several misleading questions”.
Read the full story here.
01:39 AM
Russia planning lightning advance to encircle Ukrainian army
Russia is planning a lightning advance upwards from southern Ukraine to link with other battalions to encircle Volodymyr Zelensky’s army and claim it has won the war, military experts have warned.
The potentially “critical” strategy envisages the recent massive build-up of Russian navy forces in the Black Sea which appear ready to launch an amphibious assault on the coastal city of Odesa as a feint – a bogus attack preparation designed to distract Ukrainian generals from a secret new tactic.
Instead of attacking Odesa, the strategists believe the Russian military machine will continue to “bypass” nearby Mykolaiv by thrusting northwards before heading east to target the Ukrainian army, most of which remains pinned down near Donetsk and Luhansk closer to the Russian border.
READ MORE: Russia planning lightning advance to encircle Ukrainian army and claim victory
01:10 AM
Patel confirms green light for Ukraine’s orphans to travel to UK
A group of Ukrainian orphans evacuated from their war-torn country by a Scottish charity can travel to the UK, the Home Secretary has confirmed.
Priti Patel said the 48 youngsters, who were taken out of Ukraine and into Poland by the Dnipro Kids organisation, had been given the green light to travel to Britain.
It comes after SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford raised their plight in the House of Commons on Wednesday, saying then that the Home office was the “only obstacle” to bringing them to the safety of the UK.
On Thursday, Ms Patel said: “It is deeply troubling that children from the charity Dnipro Kids have been caught up in Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.
“I have been working directly with the Ukrainian Government and asked for their permission to bring these children to the UK.
“I am extremely grateful to the authorities in Ukraine, who have now confirmed to me that the children can come here.”
I’ve been working with the Ukrainian government to help the children from the Dnipro Kids charity and am extremely grateful that we will now be able to bring them to safety in the UK.
No child should be dragged into Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.#StandwithUkraine
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— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) March 17, 2022
She added: “We are working urgently with Poland to ensure the children’s swift arrival to the UK.”
01:02 AM
American soldiers alive, despite Russian ‘fake news’: US military
Three current and former members of the Tennessee National Guard falsely identified in a Russian media report as mercenaries who were killed in Ukraine are in fact alive and well, the Tennessee National Guard said.
A report published in Russia’s Pravda newspaper identified the Americans by name and gave military ranks for each of them, citing information from pro-Russian militia in Ukraine’s Donetsk.
The report offered an intricate explanation for how the three were identified – using items from a backpack “near the remains of one of the militants”, including a Tennessee state flag.
“The Tennessee Guard is aware of the fake news coming out of Russia,” said Tracy O’Grady, a spokesperson for the US National Guard.
The Tennessee Guard said: “They are accounted for, safe, and not, as the article headline erroneously states, US mercenaries killed in Donetsk People’s Republic.”
The National Guard speculated the militia picked the three men while reviewing official imagery associated with a 2018 deployment by Tennessee’s 278th Armoured Cavalry Regiment to Ukraine, suggesting all three had been in Ukraine.
12:21 AM
Adults hosting families with children must undergo ‘enhanced’ checks
All British adults who host Ukrainian refugee families with children will have to undergo “enhanced” security checks, the Government will announce on Friday.
The move follows warnings from charities that “light touch” checks on host families would not be sufficient to protect refugee children living for at least six months in the same house as sponsoring UK adults.
The “enhanced” Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are generally restricted to workers in jobs such as teaching and social services dealing with children and vulnerable adults.
They require the full details of a person’s criminal record.
Ministers say the checks will not delay refugee families coming to the UK because they will not have to be completed until after they arrive.
Read the full story from The Telegraph’s Home Affairs Editor Charles Hymas here.
12:16 AM
150,000 register for UK’s Homes for Ukraine
More than 150,000 people registered their interest in the UK’s Homes for Ukraine scheme ahead of its launch on Friday, but concerns have been raised about how it will work in practice.
The programme aims to match refugees with individuals, charities and other organisations who can provide accommodation for at least six months, enabling Ukrainians without family ties in Britain to enter the country.
Amid concerns about red tape, safeguarding and resourcing, one major charity warned that the Government was “unleashing chaos” with the scheme and refugees could die before being matched with a sponsor and could safely reach the UK.
