Civilians brace for air raids as Russian troops push closer to Ukraine's capital.
Video / AP
RUSSIAN-UKRAINE KEY POINTS • Ukraine capital Kyiv still 'under control' of resident army • Russian troops enter Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city • Ukrainian President refuses to leave despite US urging him to evacuate • US and EU agree to send weapons to help Ukraine • Australia pledges 'lethal aid' • Allies agree to cut Russia off Swift, heavier sanctions in the works
Ukrainian forces put up fierce resistance to slow the advance of the larger and more powerful Russian military closing in on the capital, as the US and EU rushed ammunition and weapons to Kyiv and announced powerful new financial sanctions aimed at further isolating Moscow.
Huge explosions lit up the predawn sky south of Kyiv. The blasts were near the Zhuliany airport, and the mayor of Vasylkiv, about 40km south of the capital, said an oil depot was hit.
Russian forces entered Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, with footage showing fighting in the streets as residents defended their city.
More from Zelensky. He says what Russia is doing is “terror.”
“What the invaders are doing to Kharkiv, Okhtyrka, Kyiv, Odesa and other cities and towns deserves an international tribunal.” pic.twitter.com/2HQzBbSO78
The president's office also said Russian forces blew up a gas pipeline near Kharkiv. The government warned that smoke from the huge explosion could cause an "environmental catastrophe".
Ukraine's leader, meanwhile, vowed to continue fighting the Russian assault as he appealed for more outside help.
"The real fighting for Kyiv is ongoing," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message in which he accused Russia of hitting infrastructure and civilian targets.
Ukrainian officials reject peace talk offer from Kremlin
Ukraine's president says his country is ready for peace talks with Russia but not in Belarus, which was a staging ground for Moscow's four-day-old invasion.
Speaking in a video message Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named Warsaw, Bratislava, Istanbul, Budapest or Baku as alternative venues. He said other locations are also possible but made clear that Ukraine doesn't accept Russia's selection of Belarus.
The Kremlin said on Sunday that a Russian delegation had arrived in the Belarusian city of Homel for talks with Ukrainian officials. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the delegation includes military officials and diplomats.
"The Russian delegation is ready for talks, and we are now waiting for the Ukrainians," Peskov said.
Fighting in the streets as Russian troops enter Kharkiv
Ukrainian authorities say that Russian troops have entered Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv and fighting is underway in the streets.
The advance has reportedly been met with fierce resistance.
Oleh Sinehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said on Sunday that Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian troops in the city and asked civilians not to leave their homes.
Russian troops approached Kharkiv, which is located about 20km south of the border with Russia, shortly after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine on Thursday. But until Sunday, they remained on its outskirts without trying to enter the city while other forces rolled past, pressing their offensive deeper into Ukraine.
Footage from social and Ukrainian media shows images of military trucks driving through the city early Sunday.
In one video Russian troops accompanied by military vehicles walk through a suburb of the city before being fired upon.
Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, posted on Telegram that there was fighting in the centre of the city and in the area of the Hydropark.
"A group of special forces of the Russian Federation has just burst into the city through Alekseevka. On the street," Gerashchenko said.
Ukrainians woke to the fourth day since Russia invaded their country - with words of defiance dominating social media.
"Kyiv is under control of Ukrainian military and territorial defence forces," The Kyiv Independent tweeted.
Mykola Povoroznyk, first deputy head of Kyiv City State Administration, said there were a few clashes with saboteurs overnight, the media site reported.
It’s another morning in Ukraine and Russia still can’t advance in Kyiv 🇺🇦
Defence reporter at The Kyiv Independent said: "It's another morning in Ukraine and Russia still can't advance in Kyiv."
"Even when we are attacked and everything around us is burning, we continue to work," Ukraine's armed forces tweeted early on Sunday.
72 hours of resistance! The world didn’t believe. The world doubted. But we did not just stand, we confidently continue to fight with russian occupant!We showed the world - don’t be afraid 🇷🇺, be strong & repel it! Support of 🇺🇦 must be more stronger! Your safety depends on us! pic.twitter.com/SlHhv6tGuz
US late-night live TV show Saturday Night Live has made a tribute to Ukraine by beginning the programme with a song from the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York.
Cast members Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong introduced viewers to the choir who sang Prayer for Ukraine.
"I've just spoken to the Defence Minister and we'll be seeking to provide whatever support we can for lethal aid through our NATO partners, particularly the US and the UK," he said.
"We'll be working through those channels because that's the most effective way to do it."
In the personal tweet signed by the couple, they shared: "In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine's future.
"Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine's people as they bravely fight for that future."
In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine’s future.
Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine’s people as they bravely fight for that future 🇺🇦 W & C
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) February 26, 2022
Ukraine contractors removing road signs
A Ukrainian road maintenance company said it was removing all road signs that could be used by invading Russian forces to find their way around the country.
The company, Ukravtodor, said in a Facebook update: "The enemy has poor communications, they cannot navigate the terrain. Let us help them get straight to hell."
It posted an edited photo of a standard road sign in which directions to nearby cities have been replaced with profanities that could be translated as "Go f*** yourself", "Go f*** yourself again" and "Go f*** yourself back in Russia".
Russian troops blew up an oil pipeline near Kyiv. Photo / Twitter
"At some point, particularly if they go further, you'll start to get very, very nervous business oligarchs in Russia. President Putin keeps very close to the oligarchs. The fact that you're an oligarch and can operate your business means you haven't offended him and you're not in jail. Some do end up in jail for speaking out against him.
"So, in a funny way it may be more the crippling effect of sanctions that has an impact than the West sending small arms."
'These people are unbreakable': Crowds of civilians gather to make molotov cocktails
In #Dnipro crowds of women spent Saturday making Molotov cocktails. Teachers, lawyers, housewives, all crouched on the grass, filling bottles. They told me they try not to think about what they’re doing. They didn’t choose this. But they have to be ready to defend their city pic.twitter.com/TSEKmEs2XG
Snake Island defenders may still be alive - Ukraine govt says
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine says the 13 soldiers who were declared dead on Snake Island may still be alive.
The attack on the island made headlines two days ago when a Russian warship asked them to surrender, only for the defenders to respond with: "Russian warship, go f*** yourself".
The 13 border guards were reported dead but, in a statement today, the State Border Guard Service says it is possible that they are still alive on the island.
"We [have a] strong belief that all Ukrainian defenders of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island may be alive," they said.
"After receiving information about their possible location, the DPSU together with the Armed Forces of Ukraine are conducting work on identifying our soldiers."
Ukraine sets up hotline for relatives of Russian soldiers
In a move that has been described as both compassionate and incredibly smart, Ukraine has set up a hotline so that Russian families can check on their soldiers fighting in Russia.
According to the Kyiv Independent, the hotline, named "Come back alive from Ukraine", was set up yesterday, February 26, and has already received hundreds of calls from relatives of Russian soldiers looking for their loved ones.
ОЧЕНЬ ВАЖНО!
МАКСИМАЛЬНОЕ РАСПРОСТРАНЕНИЕ В РФ!
Сегодня ближе к вечеру в Министерстве обороны откроется «горячая»...
Footage showing a Ukrainian mother crying as she hugs her son and the stranger who reunited her with her kids across the border in Hungary is doing the rounds online. The woman's husband reportedly had to stay behind in Ukraine to fight the Russian troops.
REUNITED AT THE BORDER: A Ukrainian mother is seen crying as she embraces her son and the stranger who brought her kids across the border to Hungary on Saturday, after her husband was forced to hand over their children and stay in Ukraine to fight. pic.twitter.com/KMRUzQCc0T
Elon Musk says the Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. This means Ukrainian people can access satellite internet and makes it harder for Russia to disconnect Ukraine from the world.
The people of Ukraine now have access to the fastest, most robust satellite internet system ever created. This makes it impossible for Russia to disable the Ukrainian internet access fully without cyber attacking foreign data centers
Boxing legend Wladimir Klitschko has sent a message to the whole world asking people to act now to stop the war, before it becomes a "humanitarian catastrophe".
His brother Vitali Klitschko is the mayor of Kyiv, where people are expecting an imminent Russian assault.
Ukrainians asked to turn off geolocation on their phones
The Russian military is reportedly using geolocation to find gatherings of people in the Ukraine. Civilians are being told to turn geolocation off on their phones.
⚠️ If you're in #Ukraine and reading this please turn geolocation off on your phone now. Russia is using it to track gatherings. Tell those around you to do the same.
Western allies agree to cut selected Russian banks off Swift
Huge news coming in that western allies have agreed to cut selected Russian banks off Swift (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication).
This has been a request made by the Ukrainian government multiple times that had, until now, gone unanswered.
The BBC reports that the EU, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Canada, and the US have just released a co-ordinated statement condemning the Russian invasion.
"As Russian forces unleash their assault on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, we are resolved to continue imposing costs on Russia that will further isolate Russia from the international financial system and our economies," the statement reads.
Measures to be implemented in the coming days include removing "selected Russian banks from the Swift messaging system".
In coordination with 🇺🇸🇫🇷🇩🇪🇮🇹🇨🇦🇬🇧 I will now propose new measures to EU leaders to strengthen our response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and cripple Putin’s ability to finance his war machine. https://t.co/iU2waDzo9s
"This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally."
Swift is the main global secure messaging system that banks use to make rapid and secure payments across borders, allowing international trade to flow smoothly.
Germany officials said Saturday that the country is preparing to close its airspace to Russian planes.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing backs such a measure and has ordered all preparations for this to be undertaken, his ministry said on Twitter.
Hours earlier, a German-registered DHL cargo plane made a sharp turn back out of Russian airspace, according to air traffic monitoring website FlightAware.com.
Kyiv braces for heavy air raid
Kyiv is expected to be hit by a heavy air raid shortly.
In 30-60 mins #Kyiv will be under attack never seen before.#Russia will hit us with all they have. Main Bessarabka market is a target. All parliamentary chats are exploding
The Michael Fowler Centre building in Wellington will tonight be lit up in support of Ukraine.
The @WgtnCC Michael Fowler Centre will be lit up tonight in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. A small gesture but one I am sure Wellingtonians will support. Thanks to @Wellington_NZ
Horrific news that Russian artillery fire has struck the children's cancer hospital Okhmadyt, in Kyiv.
Reports state one child has died and two have been wounded, as well as two adults.
⚡️Russian artillery fire has struck Kyiv's children's cancer hospital Okhmadyt, killing one child and wounding two, along with two adults, TSN reported.
Eyewitnesses reported that the city is under fire from multiple-launch rocket systems.
"To deprive the aggressor country of the right to vote in the UN Security Council, to qualify Russian actions and statements as genocide of the Ukrainian people, to help with the delivery of corpses of Russian soldiers. Talked about it in a conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres," he posted.
Russian TV hacked to play Ukraine national anthem - reports
A hack has left Russian TV channels broadcasting the Ukrainian national anthem, according to online reports.
This is one of several instances of hacking targetting Russia, including more serious ones on banking and government websites.
Russian TV channels have now been hacked to broadcast Ukraine's national anthem. 🇺🇦
"@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand," he wrote on Twitter.
Brewery switches production to make molotov cocktails
Pravda brewery, in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, has switched to making Molotov cocktails.
According to The Kyiv Independent, the brewery announced the plans after Ukraine's Defence Ministry instructed civilians to make Molotov cocktails to resist invading Russian forces.
Anti-war protests continue around the world
Incredible scenes below from Georgia where thousands protest the war in Ukraine.
Germany to supply Ukraine with anti-tank weapons and stinger missiles
In what is considered a major shift in German policy, the country has agreed to supply Ukraine with 1000 anti-tank weapons and 500 stinger missiles, to help the country in its battle against Russia's invasion.
During his inaugural address in 2019, Zelensky told lawmakers: “I do not want my picture in your offices: the President is not an icon, an idol or a portrait. Hang your kids' photos instead, and look at them each time you are making a decision.” pic.twitter.com/fjsHudv7FV
The weapons, which will come from the Bundeswehr's own stocks, "will be delivered as quickly as possible to Ukraine", the German government said in a statement.
All rail links to Russia destroyed
After another intense day of fighting in Ukraine, all rail links between the country and Russia have been destroyed.
According to the state rail service, Ukraine armed forces blew up all railway tracks from Russia to Ukraine.
Central Kyiv appeared quiet on Saturday, though sporadic gunfire could be heard. And fighting on the city's outskirts suggested that small Russian units were trying to clear a path for the main forces. Britain and the US said the bulk of Russian forces were 30km from the centre of the city.
As Russian troops pressed their offensive with small groups of troops reported inside Kyiv, the city's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, extended an overnight curfew to run from 5pm on Saturday until 8am on Monday, saying any civilians out past curfew "will be considered members of the enemy's sabotage and reconnaissance groups".
Russia claims its assault on Ukraine is aimed only at military targets, but bridges, schools and residential neighbourhoods have been hit since the invasion began on Thursday with air and missile strikes and Russian troops entering Ukraine from the north, east and south.
Ukraine's health minister reported Saturday that 198 people, including three children, had been killed and more than 1,000 others had been wounded during Europe's largest land war since World War II. It was unclear whether those figures included both military and civilian casualties.
In Kyiv, a missile struck a high-rise apartment building in the southwestern outskirts near one of the city's two passenger airports, leaving a jagged hole of ravaged apartments over several floors. A rescue worker said six civilians were injured.
The conflict has driven thousands of Ukrainians from their homes in search of safety. UN officials said more than 120,000 Ukrainians had left the country for Poland, Moldova and other neighbouring nations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine after he spent weeks denying that's what he intended, all the while building up a force of almost 200,000 troops along the countries' borders. He claims the West has failed to take seriously Russia's security concerns about Nato, the Western military alliance that Ukraine aspires to join. But he has also expressed scorn about Ukraine's right to exist as an independent state.
A child drawing in a bomb shelter in Kyiv. Photo / AP
Putin has not disclosed his ultimate plans for Ukraine but Western officials believe he is determined to overthrow Ukraine's government and replace it with a regime of his own, redrawing the map of Europe and reviving Moscow's Cold War-era influence.
It was unclear in the fog of war how much territory Russian forces have seized. Britain's Ministry of Defence said "the speed of the Russian advance has temporarily slowed likely as a result of acute logistical difficulties and strong Ukrainian resistance."
A senior US defence official said Saturday that more than half of the Russian combat power that was massed along Ukraine's borders had entered Ukraine, and that Russia has had to commit more fuel supply and other support units inside Ukraine than originally anticipated. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal US assessments, did not provide further details.
Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry said a Russian missile was shot down before dawn Saturday as it headed for the dam of the sprawling water reservoir that serves Kyiv, and Ukraine said a Russian military convoy was destroyed near the city early Saturday. Footage showed soldiers inspecting burned-out vehicles after Ukraine's 101st brigade reported destroying a column of two light vehicles, two trucks and a tank. The claim could not be verified.
Ukrainian soldiers take positions outside a military facility as two cars burn in a street in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo / AP
Highways into Kyiv from the east were dotted with checkpoints manned by uniformed Ukrainian troops and young men in civilian clothes carrying automatic rifles. Low-flying planes patrolled the skies, though it was unclear if they were Russian or Ukrainian.
In addition to Kyiv, the Russian assault appeared to focus on Ukraine's coastline, which stretches from near the Black Sea port of Odesa in the west to beyond the Azov Sea port of Mariupol in the east.
If the Russian troops succeed, Ukraine would be cut off from access to all of its seaports, which are vital for its economy. In Mariupol, Ukrainian soldiers guarded bridges and blocked people from the shoreline amid concerns the Russian navy could launch an assault from the sea.
Fighting also raged in two territories in eastern Ukraine that are controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Authorities in the city of Donetsk said hot water supplies to the city of about 900,000 were suspended because of damage to the system by Ukrainian shelling.
The US government urged Zelenskyy early Saturday to evacuate Kyiv but he turned down the offer, according to a senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation. Zelenskyy issued a defiant video recorded on a downtown Kyiv street early Saturday, saying he remained in the city.
In #Dnipro crowds of women spent Saturday making Molotov cocktails. Teachers, lawyers, housewives, all crouched on the grass, filling bottles. They told me they try not to think about what they’re doing. They didn’t choose this. But they have to be ready to defend their city pic.twitter.com/TSEKmEs2XG
"We aren't going to lay down weapons. We will protect the country," the Ukrainian president said. "Our weapon is our truth, and our truth is that it's our land, our country, our children. And we will defend all of that."
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been on the move, seeking safety in the west of the country or beyond. The UN estimates that up to 4 million could flee if the fighting escalates.
Refugees arriving in the Hungarian border town of Zahony said men between 18 and 60 were not being allowed to leave Ukraine.
"My son was not allowed to come. My heart is so sore, I'm shaking," said Vilma Sugar, 68.
Hungary and Poland both opened their borders to Ukrainians. At Poland's Medyka crossing, some said they had walked for 15km to reach the border.
"They didn't have food, no tea, they were standing in the middle of a field, on the road, kids were freezing," said Iryna Wiklenko as she waited on the Polish side for her grandchildren and her daughter-in-law to make it across.
Officials in Kyiv urged residents to seek shelter, to stay away from windows and to take precautions to avoid flying debris or bullets. Many spent Friday night in basements, underground parking garages and subway stations, and prepared to do the same on Saturday.
Shelves wore thin at some Kyiv grocery stores and pharmacies, and some worried how long stockpiles of food and medicine might last.
The United States and other Nato allies have sent weapons and other aid to Ukraine and beefed up their troops on Nato's eastern flank, but ruled out deploying troops to fight Russia.
People run to take cover in bomb shelters in Kyiv. Photo / AP
Instead, the US, the European Union and other countries have slapped wide-ranging sanctions on Russia, freezing the assets of Russian businesses and individuals including Putin and his foreign minister.
Zelenskyy appealed for tougher sanctions, urging holdout countries in Europe to agree to cut Russia out of the SWIFT international payments system.
A senior Russian official on Saturday shrugged off the sanctions as a reflection of Western "political impotence."
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia's Security Council, warned that Moscow could react to the sanctions by opting out of the last remaining nuclear arms pact, freezing Western assets and cutting diplomatic ties with nations in the West.
"There is no particular need in maintaining diplomatic relations," Medvedev said. "We may look at each other in binoculars and gunsights."
Diplomatic efforts to end the bloodshed appeared to have faltered. Zelenskyy offered Friday to negotiate a key Russian demand: that Ukraine declare itself neutral and abandon its ambition of joining Nato.
The Kremlin said it accepted Kyiv's offer to hold talks, but it appeared to be an effort to squeeze concessions out of the embattled Zelenskyy instead of a gesture toward a diplomatic solution.
