At least two people have been killed after strikes on residential areas began in Kyiv, as the battle for the Ukrainian capital intensifies.
Two bodies were pulled from the rubble after a strike on a 16-storey building in the Sviatoshynsky district, emergency services said, adding that 27 people had been rescued from the site.
AFP journalists said they heard at least three powerful explosions in the centre of Kyiv early on Tuesday morning.
Fighting has intensified in recent days around Kyiv, which is almost completely surrounded by Russian forces. More than half of the capital’s three million inhabitants have fled the city since the start of the Russian offensive.
Follow the latest updates below.
08:45 AM
Ukrainian presidential adviser says war is at a ‘crossroads’
An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky said that the war in Ukraine was at a crossroads that could lead to an agreement at talks with Russia or a new Russian offensive.
“We are at a crossroads. Either we will agree at the current talks or the Russians will make a second attempt [at an offensive] and then there will be talks again,” adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said.
08:37 AM
Hungary supports EU sanctions but says energy supply is ‘red line’
The latest package of EU sanctions against Russia do not affect Hungary’s energy supplies and oil and gas group MOL can also continue crude production in the BaiTex field in Russia, Hungary’s foreign minister said today.
In a Facebook video, Peter Szijjarto said it was important for the Hungarian government to maintain European unity on sanctions but “we have a red line which is the security of Hungarian energy supply”.
08:34 AM
Polish, Czech and Slovenian PMs to meet Zelensky in Kyiv today
The prime ministers of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic will travel to Kyiv by train today to meet Volodymyr Zelensky, reports Matthew Day from Warsaw.
Before departing for the Ukrainian capital, Mateusz Morawiecki, the Polish prime minister, said: “At such a turning point for the world, it is our duty to be where history is being made.” He added that “this is not about us, but about the future of our children, who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny.”
In Kyiv, Morawiecki, and Petr Fiala and Janez Jansa, the Czech and Slovenian prime ministers, will speak with President Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on behalf of the European Council, a spokesman for the prime minister’s office said on Tuesday morning.
The aim of the visit, he said, is to confirm the EU’s support for Ukraine in its war with Russia and present a broad aid package for the country and its people.
08:30 AM
Firefighters at an apartment building hit by shelling in Kyiv
08:13 AM
Foreign Office minister praises bravery of Russian news protester
Foreign Office minister James Cleverly has praised the “huge degree of bravery” shown by a woman who interrupted a news bulletin in Russia to protest against the invasion of Ukraine.
Reports suggested the woman was an editor on the news programme on the state-controlled Channel 1, and video footage appeared to show her holding a sign opposing the war.
Mr Cleverly told BBC Breakfast: “We see people protesting on the streets in Russia. We saw that protest on the Russian news programme.
“These are incredibly important. I think it’s a… it shows a huge degree of bravery for those individuals to protest against what we know is an oppressive, authoritarian state, but it’s really important that the Russian people understand what is being done in their name.
“They have been systematically lied to by Vladimir Putin and it’s really important they understand the truth of what’s going on.”
08:04 AM
Huge explosions as Russian artillery hits civilian buildings in Kharkiv
[embedded content]
08:03 AM
Russia’s plan of attack ‘not working’ says James Cleverly
Russia’s “plan of attack is not working” in Ukraine, James Cleverly has said.
The Foreign Office minister told BBC Breakfast: “It was meant to be some kind of lightning war where Russian troops swept across Ukraine.
“But what we’re seeing is the defence by the Ukrainian people has been ferocious. This, of course, is incredibly frustrating to Vladimir Putin and we’re now seeing an escalation, the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure – which of course is illegal in international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict.
“Sadly, this is, I think, a by-product of his anger, his frustration at the ineffective attack that he has put into Ukraine. And obviously, we continue to support the Ukrainian people through humanitarian aid, economic aid and also that defensive military equipment that we’ve been providing.”
08:01 AM
Ukraine aims to get supplies into Mariupol today
Ukraine will make a new attempt to deliver supplies to civilians trapped in the encircled city of Mariupol today, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
She made her announcement as Vitaliy Koval, the governor of the northern region of Rivne, said the death toll from a Russian air strike on a television tower in his region on Monday had risen to at least 19.
Yesterday, Moscow allowed the first convoy of civilians to escape Mariupol, but a senior Ukrainian presidential aide said Russia had again blocked a humanitarian aid convoy trying to reach the city with supplies.
Obtaining safe passage for aid to reach Mariupol and for civilians to leave has been Kyiv’s main demand at several rounds of talks. Previous attempts at a local ceasefire in the area have failed.
07:59 AM
Foreign Office minister warns of Russian ‘referendums’ in Ukraine
James Cleverly said any attempt by Russia to hold a ‘referendum’ in areas of Ukraine would “be another attempt to put a veneer of credibility on what is an unacceptable, unjustified illegal invasion”.
The Foreign Office minister was speaking to Times Radio after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Russia “may seek to stage a ‘referendum’ in Kherson in an attempt to legitimise the area as a ‘breakaway republic’ similar to Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea”.
Mr Cleverly said: “What we have seen is that there has been a long-standing disinformation campaign coming out from Russia. There has been all kinds of excuses.”
07:54 AM
China says G20 is not an appropriate forum to discuss Ukraine
The G20 grouping of nations is not an appropriate forum to discuss the war in Ukraine, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry told a news conference in Beijing today.
The G20, or Group of 20, consists of 19 countries plus the European Union. Its next summit is set for October on the Indonesian island of Bali.
07:46 AM
Anti-war protester interrupts Russian state TV news broadcast
[embedded content]
07:37 AM
China does not want to be ‘affected’ by Russia sanctions
China’s foreign minister has warned his nation does not want to be impacted by Western economic sanctions on Russia, state media said, as pressure grows on Beijing to withdraw support from an isolated Moscow.
“China is not a party to the crisis, still less wants to be affected by the sanctions,” Wang Yi said, according to a readout of a phone call with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares.
It comes as Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said China should denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He told Sky News: “What we’re saying to all countries is that they should denounce this unprovoked illegal attack into Ukraine by Russia.”
“They should not in any way, be supporting Russia and we urge countries to join the UK and the international community in condemning and sanctioning Russia to choke off the finances which are funding Putin’s war effort.”
“There is no justification at all for this attack, and we urge China and all countries around the world to denounce it and absolutely not to support it.”
07:34 AM
Russia claims to have taken full control of Kherson
The Russian Defence Ministry says its troops have taken full control of Kherson Oblast, according to a statement given to RIA News.
Russian forces shot down six Bayraktar TB-2 drones in the last 24 hours, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the ministry.
07:12 AM
Latest update from MoD
06:57 AM
Russians urged not to start panic buying
Russia said on Tuesday there was no risk of a food shortage on the domestic market and cautioned consumers against rushing out to stock up on staples after the West slapped sanctions.
“There are no conditions for risks of a shortage or for a reduction in product range,” Deputy Prime Minister Viktoria Abramchenko said.
“It is not worth driving up artificial demand with purchases for the future.
“We will reorient the market and establish mutually profitable trade, expand our partnership network with friendly countries.”
Russia has already taken steps to safeguard its food market in light of Western sanctions.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Monday signed an order banning the export of white and raw sugar until August 31, and banning wheat, rye, barley and maize exports to neighbouring Eurasian Economic Union states until June 30.
06:50 AM
Two killed in residential strike on Kyiv
Strikes on residential areas in Kyiv killed at least two people early on Tuesday, emergency services said, as Russian troops intensified their attacks on the Ukrainian capital.
Two bodies were pulled from the rubble after a strike on a 16-storey building in the Sviatoshynsky district, the emergency service said in a Facebook post, adding that 27 people had been rescued from the site.
Another residential building in the Podilsk area also came under attack.
“A fire started on the first five floors of a 10-storey residential building on Mostytska street as a result of ammunition fire,” it said.
AFP journalists said they heard at least three powerful explosions in the centre of Kyiv early on Tuesday morning.
In Podilsk, smoke was still billowing from the blackened impact site in the middle of the building.
Shattered glass and debris were spread around the explosion site while residents were throwing charred wreckage out of their windows.
Windows were blown out by the impact from surrounding blocks.
A private home also was hit by a Russian attack in the Osokorky district in south-eastern Kyiv.
Images shared by Ukraine’s emergency services showed the blackened wall of a two-storey building with smoke seeping from the shattered windows.
05:38 AM
China accuses Washington of spreading ‘malicious disinformation’
China denied on Tuesday claims by US officials that Russia had sought military assistance in Ukraine and accused Washington of spreading “malicious disinformation” that risked escalating the conflict.
“The US has repeatedly spread malicious disinformation against China on the Ukraine issue,” the Chinese embassy in London told Reuters.
“China has been playing a constructive role in promoting peace talks.
“The top priority now is to ease the situation, instead of adding fuel to the fire, and work for diplomatic settlement rather than further escalate the situation.”
Several US officials said Russia had asked China for military equipment after its invasion of Ukraine, sparking concern in the White House that Beijing might undermine Western efforts to help Ukrainian forces defend their country.
The Kremlin denied any such request had been made.
05:29 AM
Boris Johnson and S.Korea’s president-elect discuss Ukraine
Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korea’s president-elect, held a 15-minute phone call with Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, on Monday to discuss ongoing efforts to push North Korea towards nuclear disarmament and shared concerns over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, The Telegraph’s Asia correspondent Nicola Smith reports.
“Together we’ll deepen cooperation between our countries. We agreed that Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine is a threat to the values of our countries and an attack on freedom and democracy,” tweeted Mr Johnson.
I congratulated Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol this morning on his successful election. Together we’ll deepen cooperation between our countries.
We agreed that Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine is a threat to the values of our countries and an attack on freedom & democracy.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 14, 2022
The two leaders agreed to hold a meeting at an early date when Mr Yoon takes office, where the focus would likely be rising tensions with Pyongyang over recent missile tests, reported Yonhap News Agency.
There are growing fears that North Korea could be preparing to test launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or conduct a nuclear test, breaking a self-imposed moratorium.
Mr Johnson also promised to give Mr Yoon a copy of Winston Churchill’s biography after learning of his interest in the wartime British prime minister.
05:05 AM
Abramovich-linked jet lands in Moscow, flight data shows
A jet linked to sanctioned oligarch Roman Abramovich landed in Moscow early on Tuesday, after taking off from Istanbul following a brief stop there, FlightRadar24 data shows.
The jet linked to Mr Abramovich, the owner of Britain’s Chelsea soccer club, arrived in Istanbul from Israel on Monday, shortly after he was seen in Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.
Mr Abramovich was among seven Russian billionaires added to a British sanctions list last week to try to isolate President Vladimir Putin over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. European Union diplomats have embraced a similar move.
The Russian oligarch, who also holds Israeli and Portuguese citizenship, has denied having close ties to Putin.
03:46 AM
Apartment complex hit in projectile attack
A residential building has been engulfed in fire after being hit by a projectile in Kyiv, according to a tweet:
После недавних взрывов, в Киеве есть прилёт в жилой дом, по предварительной информации. Массивный пожар. Киев. pic.twitter.com/oicsIpJiJU
— octacore (@0ctac0r) March 15, 2022
Shortly before dawn on Tuesday, large explosions thundered across Kyiv as Russia pressed its advance on multiple fronts.
Elsewhere, a convoy of 160 civilian cars left the encircled port city of Mariupol along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported, in a rare glimmer of hope a week and a half into the lethal siege that has pulverised homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine.
03:42 AM
Russia largely stalled in attempted advance: US official
The Russian military was largely stalled in its attempted advance in Ukraine on Monday and made little progress over the weekend, a senior US defence official said.
The official said the Russians had not taken total control of the airspace. All of the Russian military forces that had been arrayed around the country were now inside, and the Russians still retained about 90pc of their combat capabilities.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military assessments, said there were no indications the Russians were trying to bring in reinforcements.
The US had not done any training of the Ukrainian military in the country since the Florida National Guard forces left as the war was beginning, the official said. And a military training base the Russians hit in western Ukraine on Sunday close to the Polish border was not being used as a shipment site for American military supplies to Ukraine.
03:02 AM
Chechen fighters spearhead Russian offensive on Mariupol
The Kremlin-backed leader of the Russian region of Chechnya said Chechen fighters were spearheading a Russian offensive on the strategic port of Mariupol.
Chechnya’s regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on the messaging app Telegram that Chechen fighters went 1.5km (about one mile) inside the Azov Sea city before pausing their attack when night fell.
The Ukrainian military said it had repelled a Russian attempt to take control of Mariupol.
Ukraine’s military General Staff said Russian forces retreated after suffering losses.
02:46 AM
‘We will not allow any country to compensate Russia’
Further talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators to ease the crisis are expected on Tuesday after discussions on Monday via video ended with no new progress announced.
It comes as Russia asked for military and economic support from Beijing, which signalled a willingness to provide aid, according to US officials
Moscow denies that, saying it has sufficient resources to fulfil all its aims. China’s foreign ministry labelled the reports on assistance as “disinformation”.
“We have communicated very clearly to Beijing that we won’t stand by,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters after US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome.
“We will not allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses.”
The seven-hour meeting was “intense” and reflected “the gravity of the moment”, according to a US official.
READ MORE: China ‘willing to supply Russia’ with weapons and military support
02:11 AM
Ukrainians struggle to stay alive amid attacks
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said there could only be a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine and called on Russia to immediately stop its attacks on the country.
Mr Scholz said during a visit to Turkey that “with each day, with each bomb, Russia is moving further away from the international community”.
02:01 AM
Putin in contact with Israeli PM
The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin has had another call with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to talk about Ukraine.
Mr Bennett told Putin about his contacts with other heads of states, and Putin shared his assessments of talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives via video calls, the Kremlin said.
A senior Israeli official said Mr Bennett’s conversation with Putin lasted 90 minutes, with discussions focusing on ceasefire talks and humanitarian issues. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic matters.
Mr Bennett’s office later said that the prime minister also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.
Mr Bennett has visited Moscow for talks and has had numerous phone calls with Putin, Mr Zelensky and Western leaders as he seeks to mediate an end to the war in Ukraine.
01:58 AM
Israel to set up hospital for Ukrainian refugees
Israel plans to set up a field hospital to provide medical treatment for refugees in western Ukraine, officials said on Monday.
The project is spearheaded by the country’s foreign and health ministries, according to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office. The hospital should be operational by next week, the foreign ministry said.
“It’s an initiative that not many countries can take upon themselves, and Israel has this ability and we are going forward,” Mr Bennett said.
The Foreign Ministry said the hospital will operate for a month, providing refugees with an emergency room, a delivery room, and other services.
It has dubbed the operation Kochav Meir – Hebrew for “Shining Star” – after the country’s first female prime minister, Golda Meir, who was born in Ukraine and founded the Foreign Ministry’s international development unit.
Israel has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia and has worked as an intermediary between the two countries since Russia invaded. In recent days, however, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has become increasingly outspoken in his condemnations of Russia’s invasion of its western neighbour.
01:20 AM
Zelensky: Peace talks were ‘pretty good’
Ukraine’s president said late on Monday night that negotiations with Russia had been “pretty good” as he said further talks between the two sides were planned for Tuesday.
Volodymyr Zelensky also said he spoke with Israel’s prime minister, Naftali Bennett, as part of a negotiation effort to end the war with Russia “with a fair peace”.
“Our delegation also worked on this in negotiations with the Russian party,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address on Telegram. “Pretty good, as I was told. But let’s see. They will continue tomorrow.”
Mr Zelensky also used his address to thank the Russian state TV employee who interrupted a broadcast on Monday night to protest against the war.
Marina Ovsyannikova shouted out “no to war” and held up a placard saying: “Don’t believe the propaganda. They’re lying to you here.”
Mr Zelensky said he was “grateful” to Ms Ovsyannikova for “trying to deliver the truth”.
[embedded content]
01:03 AM
Russian armament tycoon’s €140m yacht ‘immobilised’
Spain’s prime minister said authorities in Barcelona had immobilised an 85m (279-foot) superyacht valued at €140 million while links to a prominent Russian armament tycoon are investigated.
The boat, named Valerie, has been moored at an exclusive shipyard in the port.
The yacht is connected through an intricate network of shell companies to Sergei Chemezov, the head of the Rostec state defence conglomerate, according to a consortium of journalists who last year investigated the so-called Pandora Papers involving the murky financial deals of the world’s richest people.
Chemezov is a former KGB agent who has long been close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The European Union last week included him in a list of sanctioned individuals over Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
“We have temporarily immobilised a yacht of one of Russia’s most prominent oligarchs, and there will be more to come,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said late on Monday during an interview in LaSexta television.
12:37 AM
Ill-tempered debate over fresh EU sanctions against Russia
The European Union announced late on Monday that the 27-nation bloc had approved a fourth set of sanctions to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
France, which holds the EU presidency, said in a statement that the bloc approved a package targeting “individuals and entities involved in the aggression against Ukraine”, along with sectors of the Russian economy.
EU ambassadors only agreed on a fourth round of measures against the Kremlin after marathon negotiations in Brussels.
The sanctions were given the green light after a long and ill-tempered debate between increasingly divided member states.
READ MORE: Fresh EU sanctions against Russia agreed after heated row
