Ukraine-Russia conflict: Latest developments
Published: 05:03 AM,Mar 13,2022 | EDITED : 02:03 PM,Mar 13,2022
Firefighters extinguish a fire on a house after shelling in Kyiv on March 12, 2022.
Here are the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict:
Russian forces launched what appeared to be the westernmost attack of the war, what officials called a missile attack on a Ukrainian military facility near the Polish border. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy warned Russian forces they face a fight to the death if they try to occupy Kyiv.
Russia launched a missile attack, with no apparent casualties, on the biggest military base in western Ukraine, less than 25 km (15 miles) from the Polish border, local military officials said. *
Russia encircling Kyiv - Russian forces advance ever closer to the capital from the north, west, and northeast. Russian strikes also destroy an airport in the town of Vasylkiv, south of the city.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak says Kyiv is already effectively 'under siege' as the army and volunteers prepare to defend the city, street by street.
'Humanitarian catastrophe' in Mariupol - The leaders of France and Germany urge Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call to end the siege of Mariupol, where residents have been trapped without running water and power for 11 days and there are reports of people starving.
The mayor says more than 1,500 civilians have been killed. Corpses are lying uncollected in the streets.
Both Ukrainian and Russian officials have described the quickly worsening humanitarian situation as 'catastrophic'.
Ukraine claims a mosque where about 80 civilians were sheltering was shelled but a person staying there denies the report -- saying the bomb fell 700 metres away.
The US authorizes $200 mn military aid - US President Joe Biden authorizes $200 million in additional military equipment for Ukraine. Washington has already authorized $350 million of military equipment -- the largest such package in US history.
Ukraine says Russians shot 7 evacuees - Russian troops shot at a group of women and children evacuees leaving a village near Kyiv, killing seven, one of them a child, Ukraine's military intelligence service says.
Some evacuations successful - Nine of the 14 humanitarian corridors opened have been successful, Ukraine's deputy prime minister says, with nearly 13,000 people able to evacuate on Saturday on those routes.
1,300 Ukrainian troops killed - 'Around 1,300' Ukrainian troops have been killed since the start of the invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky says, the first time he has given a toll for Ukraine's forces. Russia said on March 2 it had lost 498 soldiers, but Zelensky says it is closer to 12,000.
At least 579 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, the UN says, stressing that its figures were probably much lower than reality.
Economy hit - Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says it will be necessary to restructure Ukraine's economy given the lack of supplies, and urges people in areas with no active combat to return to work.
Zelensky says Moscow taking a different approach - Zelensky says the approach being taken by Moscow is in contrast to earlier talks at which Moscow only 'issued ultimatums' and that he is 'happy to have a signal from Russia' after Putin said he saw 'some positive shifts' in their dialogue.
Russian engineers at the nuclear plant - Russian engineers arrive to measure radiation at a Ukrainian nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia, the seizure of which has sparked international alarm, officials say.
Cancer hospital hit - A cancer treatment hospital and an eye clinic suffer damage in bombardments of the city of Mykolaiv, near the strategic Black Sea port of Odessa, a few days after a maternity hospital in Mariupol was shelled.
Mayor abducted - Ukrainian lawmakers say Russian soldiers have abducted the mayor of the southern city of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov.
UN to meet - The United Nations will meet this week about Russia's war in Ukraine, though it is unclear if it will lead to the adoption of an official text, diplomats say.
No 'World War III' - Biden again rules out any direct intervention by the United States to halt Russia's invasion of Ukraine, warning that such conflict pitting the NATO alliance against the Kremlin 'is World War III'.
Bio-weapons claims rejected - Western countries reject Russian claims that the United States and Ukraine researched using bats to conduct biological warfare. Britain's ambassador to the UN says the claims are 'utter nonsense'.
Amsterdam's Orthodox clergy split from Moscow Patriarch - The clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Dutch city of Amsterdam announce they are splitting from the Moscow church because of threats to them over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich disqualified - The Premier League board disqualifies Roman Abramovich as a director of Chelsea Football Club after the Russian billionaire was placed under Western sanctions.
Abramovich has already announced his intention to sell the club.
2.6 million flee - Almost 2.6 million people have fled the 'senseless war' in Ukraine, the UN says -- more than half to Poland.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy warned Russian forces they face a fight to the death if they try to occupy Kyiv, while France said Russian President Putin had shown no willingness to make peace.
Daily evacuations from a number of Ukrainian cities nearly doubled to some 13,000 people, the deputy prime minister said. Russian attacks continued in areas where Ukraine was trying to evacuate people and bring aid through humanitarian corridors, said the governors of the Kyiv and Donetsk regions.
Zelensky said around 1,300 Ukrainian troops have been killed during the invasion and Russia was sending more forces after suffering its biggest losses in decades. * Civilian infrastructure and residential buildings throughout the key Black Sea port of Mariupol suffered extensive damage, said private U.S. satellite firm Maxar. * Washington said it was rushing up to $200 million in additional small arms, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine.
Ukraine's foreign minister said his government was willing to negotiate to end the war but would not surrender or accept ultimatums. * The Kremlin said Putin told the leaders of France and Germany about the state of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv and responded to their concerns about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
Zelensky said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Bennett and discussed prospects for peace talks to end the conflict. * Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder met Putin for several hours on Thursday in a bid to end the war, Germany's Bild am Sonntag reported. It was unclear what was achieved.
Ukraine said Russia was planning to take full and permanent control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's biggest, but Russia denied this, according to the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Repairs to damaged power lines at the Chernobyl plant continued and diesel generators were providing backup power to systems relevant for safety.
Ukraine, a major global producer of agricultural products, has banned exports of fertilizers. It has gas reserves of 9.5 billion cubic meters, with production continuing at all plants except those in areas of fighting, the prime minister said.
'If they decide to carpet bomb and simply erase the history of this region ... and destroy all of us, then they will enter Kyiv. If that's their goal, let them come in, but they will have to live on this land by themselves,' Zelensky said of Russian forces.
Russian forces launched what appeared to be the westernmost attack of the war, what officials called a missile attack on a Ukrainian military facility near the Polish border. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy warned Russian forces they face a fight to the death if they try to occupy Kyiv.
Russia launched a missile attack, with no apparent casualties, on the biggest military base in western Ukraine, less than 25 km (15 miles) from the Polish border, local military officials said. *
Russia encircling Kyiv - Russian forces advance ever closer to the capital from the north, west, and northeast. Russian strikes also destroy an airport in the town of Vasylkiv, south of the city.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak says Kyiv is already effectively 'under siege' as the army and volunteers prepare to defend the city, street by street.
'Humanitarian catastrophe' in Mariupol - The leaders of France and Germany urge Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call to end the siege of Mariupol, where residents have been trapped without running water and power for 11 days and there are reports of people starving.
The mayor says more than 1,500 civilians have been killed. Corpses are lying uncollected in the streets.
Both Ukrainian and Russian officials have described the quickly worsening humanitarian situation as 'catastrophic'.
Ukraine claims a mosque where about 80 civilians were sheltering was shelled but a person staying there denies the report -- saying the bomb fell 700 metres away.
The US authorizes $200 mn military aid - US President Joe Biden authorizes $200 million in additional military equipment for Ukraine. Washington has already authorized $350 million of military equipment -- the largest such package in US history.
Ukraine says Russians shot 7 evacuees - Russian troops shot at a group of women and children evacuees leaving a village near Kyiv, killing seven, one of them a child, Ukraine's military intelligence service says.
Some evacuations successful - Nine of the 14 humanitarian corridors opened have been successful, Ukraine's deputy prime minister says, with nearly 13,000 people able to evacuate on Saturday on those routes.
1,300 Ukrainian troops killed - 'Around 1,300' Ukrainian troops have been killed since the start of the invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky says, the first time he has given a toll for Ukraine's forces. Russia said on March 2 it had lost 498 soldiers, but Zelensky says it is closer to 12,000.
At least 579 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, the UN says, stressing that its figures were probably much lower than reality.
Economy hit - Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says it will be necessary to restructure Ukraine's economy given the lack of supplies, and urges people in areas with no active combat to return to work.
Zelensky says Moscow taking a different approach - Zelensky says the approach being taken by Moscow is in contrast to earlier talks at which Moscow only 'issued ultimatums' and that he is 'happy to have a signal from Russia' after Putin said he saw 'some positive shifts' in their dialogue.
Russian engineers at the nuclear plant - Russian engineers arrive to measure radiation at a Ukrainian nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia, the seizure of which has sparked international alarm, officials say.
Cancer hospital hit - A cancer treatment hospital and an eye clinic suffer damage in bombardments of the city of Mykolaiv, near the strategic Black Sea port of Odessa, a few days after a maternity hospital in Mariupol was shelled.
Mayor abducted - Ukrainian lawmakers say Russian soldiers have abducted the mayor of the southern city of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov.
UN to meet - The United Nations will meet this week about Russia's war in Ukraine, though it is unclear if it will lead to the adoption of an official text, diplomats say.
No 'World War III' - Biden again rules out any direct intervention by the United States to halt Russia's invasion of Ukraine, warning that such conflict pitting the NATO alliance against the Kremlin 'is World War III'.
Bio-weapons claims rejected - Western countries reject Russian claims that the United States and Ukraine researched using bats to conduct biological warfare. Britain's ambassador to the UN says the claims are 'utter nonsense'.
Amsterdam's Orthodox clergy split from Moscow Patriarch - The clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Dutch city of Amsterdam announce they are splitting from the Moscow church because of threats to them over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich disqualified - The Premier League board disqualifies Roman Abramovich as a director of Chelsea Football Club after the Russian billionaire was placed under Western sanctions.
Abramovich has already announced his intention to sell the club.
2.6 million flee - Almost 2.6 million people have fled the 'senseless war' in Ukraine, the UN says -- more than half to Poland.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy warned Russian forces they face a fight to the death if they try to occupy Kyiv, while France said Russian President Putin had shown no willingness to make peace.
Daily evacuations from a number of Ukrainian cities nearly doubled to some 13,000 people, the deputy prime minister said. Russian attacks continued in areas where Ukraine was trying to evacuate people and bring aid through humanitarian corridors, said the governors of the Kyiv and Donetsk regions.
Zelensky said around 1,300 Ukrainian troops have been killed during the invasion and Russia was sending more forces after suffering its biggest losses in decades. * Civilian infrastructure and residential buildings throughout the key Black Sea port of Mariupol suffered extensive damage, said private U.S. satellite firm Maxar. * Washington said it was rushing up to $200 million in additional small arms, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine.
Ukraine's foreign minister said his government was willing to negotiate to end the war but would not surrender or accept ultimatums. * The Kremlin said Putin told the leaders of France and Germany about the state of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv and responded to their concerns about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
Zelensky said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Bennett and discussed prospects for peace talks to end the conflict. * Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder met Putin for several hours on Thursday in a bid to end the war, Germany's Bild am Sonntag reported. It was unclear what was achieved.
Ukraine said Russia was planning to take full and permanent control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's biggest, but Russia denied this, according to the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Repairs to damaged power lines at the Chernobyl plant continued and diesel generators were providing backup power to systems relevant for safety.
Ukraine, a major global producer of agricultural products, has banned exports of fertilizers. It has gas reserves of 9.5 billion cubic meters, with production continuing at all plants except those in areas of fighting, the prime minister said.
'If they decide to carpet bomb and simply erase the history of this region ... and destroy all of us, then they will enter Kyiv. If that's their goal, let them come in, but they will have to live on this land by themselves,' Zelensky said of Russian forces.