Meanwhile, at least 120,000 Ukrainians have rushed to the country's borders with Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, while battles.
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The Ukrainian people deserve EU membership, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a defiant and emotional address on Saturday, as at least 120,000 citizens of the country undergoing a Russian invasion are reported to have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.
UNHCR reported that the number might go up to as high as 4 million people, as most Ukrainians trying to escape war are now heading to Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.
On Saturday afternoon, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed a shipment of 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles "as soon as possible."
"The Russian invasion marks a new era. It is our duty to support the Ukrainian forces in their defence against the invasion of Putin's army," Scholz stated.
Earlier on Saturday, Zelenskyy issued a defiant message to his people in a separate address.
In a video recorded on the street in downtown Kyiv, Zelenskyy said that he hasn’t left the city and dispelled claims that Ukraine’s military would lay down its weapons.
“We will protect the country,” he 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.”
Meanwhile one of Zelenskyy's advisers said that fighting is raging in the capital and in the south of Ukraine, but that the Ukrainian military is successfully fending off Russian assaults.
Intense fighting overnight appeared to stem some of the Russian advance towards the capital, creating frustration amongst the Russian military and political leadership, Western intelligence sources claim.
Explosions and gunfire were heard throughout the night around Kyiv, with reports of hundreds of casualties in the fighting. The shelling sliced through at least one Kyiv apartment building and pummelled bridges and schools.
Reports came in from news agencies, citing Ukrainian military sources, that Kalibr missiles have been fired towards Ukraine from Russian vessels in the Black Sea.
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The key points to know
- Several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, have seen heavy fighting, forcing thousands of civilians to take shelter in basements and the city's metro system.
- Ukraine says 198 of its civilians have been killed and more than 1,000 injured since Russia's invasion began.
- Nearly 150,000 Ukrainians have fled the country, with at least 100,000 more internally displaced.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for Ukraine to be granted rapid EU membership.
- Some Russian banks to be cut off from SWIFT international payments system, says EU chief
- Thousands across Europe protest on Saturday against Russia's invasion of Ukraine
- Germany to send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine
- The Ukrainian military has claimed to have pushed back Russian forces at several points, including the main thoroughfare of Kyiv's Victory Avenue.
- The Russian military claims to have captured a key airport after seizing control of the Chernobyl nuclear plant and destroying dozens of Ukrainian military facilities.
- Neither countries' latest military claims have been independently verified.
- Poland and Sweden refuse to play World Cup qualifying matches against Russia
Western allies commit to remove some Moscow banks from SWIFT, block Russian Central Bank assets abroad
The package, thought to be the most severe so far, was co-signed by the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and the EU Commission.
The package, in its several points, vows to remove "selected Russian banks" from SWIFT, ensuring that the banks are "disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally."
The decision also includes imposing "restrictive measures" to prevent the Russian Central Bank from deploying its international reserves, the joint statement said.
Other measures involve the abolition of the so-called golden passports that allowed wealthy Russians to gain access to the financial systems of these countries and a joint task force to ensure the implementation of the sanctions.
"We stand with the Ukrainian people in this dark hour. Even beyond the measures we are announcing today, we are prepared to take further measures to hold Russia to account for its attack on Ukraine," the statement concluded.
Two Danish journalists hurt by gunfire in eastern Ukraine
Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet says two freelancers working for the paper were injured when the car they were travelling in was hit by gunfire near the village of Ohtyrka in eastern Ukraine.
The reporter and photographer were taken to a local hospital, Ekstra Bladet said, adding their injuries were not life-threatening. The paper was working with a security firm to have the two journalists evacuated.
Air raid sirens sound off in Kyiv
Protests in Russia continue despite crackdown
More and more Russians spoke out against the invasion of Ukraine on Saturday, even as their government’s official rhetoric grew increasingly harsher.
Street protests, albeit small, resumed in the Russian capital of Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities for the third day in a row, with people taking to the streets despite mass detentions on Thursday and Friday.
According to OVD-Info, a rights group that tracks political arrests, at least 460 people in 34 cities were detained over anti-war protests on Saturday, including over 200 in Moscow.
Open letters condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine kept pouring in, too. More than 6,000 medical workers put their names under one on Saturday. Over 3,400 architects and engineers endorsed another while 500 teachers signed the third one.
Similar letters by journalists, municipal council members, cultural figures and other professional groups have been making the rounds since Thursday.
A prominent contemporary art museum in Moscow called Garage announced Saturday it was halting its work on exhibitions and postponing them “until the human and political tragedy that is unfolding in Ukraine has ceased”.
Belarusian president spoke to Macron on the 'country's position and role in the war'
During the meeting, Lukashenka and Macron "discussed the position and role of Belarus" in the war in Ukraine, the Belarusian presidency said in a statement.
Lukashenka also said his country was ready to host "peace talks [...] anytime and anywhere in Belarus".
Paris on Thursday condemned Russia's use of the territory of its neighbour and Belarusian ally to carry out its invasion of Ukraine, and the European Union called on Belarus "not to take part" in the offensive.
According to Minsk, no Belarusian military personnel are participating at the moment.
Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for almost three decades, has grown considerably closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent months.
According to the Belarusian presidency, Lukashenka described the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons in Belarus as "false" during his conversation with Macron.
However, in mid-February, he had said that his country was ready to host "not only nuclear weapons, but also supernuclear weapons" in case of a "threat".
The Kremlin: Russia 'expanding its offensive'
On the third day of the invasion launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin, fighting continued to take place in many Ukrainian cities in addition to the capital.
Klitschko has instituted a curfew in Kyiv from 5 pm local time on Saturday until 8 am on Monday.
EU foreign ministers to convene on Sunday, Borrell says
The European Union’s top diplomat said he’s calling an urgent meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers on Sunday to weigh yet more measures against Russia as it wages its military campaign in Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted on Saturday that he was "convening a virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers tomorrow at 18.00 to adopt further measures in support of Ukraine, against aggression by Russia.”
Borrell said he will propose to the ministers that they endorse “a package of emergency assistance for the Ukrainian armed forces, to support them in their heroic fight”.
It will be the third time the ministers have met in a week. Previously, they have endorsed two packages of sanctions: one raft targeting Russians involved in the recognition of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, and another hitting Russia’s economy, while also freezing the assets of President Vladimir Putin and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov.
Pope expresses 'deep sorrow' for the war in a call with Zelenskyy
The Ukrainian president posted a message on Twitter in which he "thanked the Pope for praying for peace in Ukraine and a ceasefire."
French government to send military aid to Ukraine, introduce further sanctions against Russia
Russian casualties range from zero to several thousand, according to domestic sources
Differing reports coming out of Russia are creating confusion as to the number of casualties in the Russian army, as the war in Ukraine continues for the third day.
An article of the Russian state news agency TASS published on Saturday stated that around 3,500 Russian soldiers have been killed, wounded or captured by noon local time.
The Russian military also lost over 100 tanks and 14 aeroplanes, including one IL-76 that was purportedly carrying paratroopers over Kyiv.
However, the article in question was quickly removed.
Russian Ministry of Defence spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said on Friday that “none of our soldiers lost their lives in the operations carried out so far”.
Abramovich hands over control of Chelsea to charitable fund
Intelligence sources: Russian army 'expands offensive in all directions'
Russian forces have penetrated deep from the north, east, and south but are facing resistance from the Ukrainian army and have so far not taken full control of any Ukrainian city, according to several Western sources.
Ukrainian forces also reported "heavy" fighting 30 km south-west of the capital where the Russians "are trying to land paratroopers".
Russia has committed "more than half" of the force it previously had massed on Ukraine's borders and appeared "increasingly frustrated" by the Ukrainian army's firm resistance, a senior Pentagon official said.
Azerbaijan president promises fuel to Ukraine in case of emergency
Diplomatic efforts to end the bloodshed have so far faltered.
Scholz: Germany is sending in weapons to help Ukraine
Poland and Sweden refuse to play Russia in World Cup playoffs
Polish soccer federation president Cezary Kulesza said it was in talks with other federations to present a unified position to FIFA, responsible for the March 24 game in Moscow.
"No more words, time to act!" Kulesza wrote on Twitter, adding the move was prompted by the "escalation of the aggression."
Sweden, a potential opponent of Russia in next month's playoffs, later joined Poland in declaring its national team would not play a match against the Russians regardless of where it takes place.
"The illegal and deeply unjust invasion of Ukraine currently makes all football fixtures with Russia impossible," said Karl-Erik Nilsson, the Swedish federation's chairman. "We therefore urge FIFA to decide that the playoff matches in March in which Russia participates will be canceled."
Ukrainian embassy in Israel appeals for volunteer combatants
Kyiv residents talk to Euronews about life in the midst of war
What is it like to wake up in the morning to the sound of explosions?
“We were ready for this — as much as one can be ready for a war. But we thought until the last moment that Putin wouldn’t do it,” one citizen of the Ukrainian capital told us.
Read the story by Euronews Spain here: 👇
Dentro de Kiev: “Me he despertado a las 6 por culpa de los disparos”
euronewsUna vecina de Kiev cuenta su experiencia en una ciudad bombardeada y amenazada por el ejército ruso: “Estábamos preparados para esto, si es que se puede estar preparado para una guerra. Pero pensamos hasta el último momento que (Putin) no lo haría"US intelligence: Half of Russian border troop build-up now in Ukraine
The US estimates that more than 50% of Russian combat power arrayed along Ukraine's borders has entered the country -- a number that is up from earlier evaluations on Friday, claiming that about one-third of the Russian force had been committed to the fight.
A US intelligence official who shared the information with the press would not say how many Russian troops that amounts to.
The official said advancing Russian forces were roughly 30 kilometres outside Kyiv as of Saturday, and that an unspecified number of Russian military "reconnaissance elements" had entered the capital.
Meanwhile, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that "the speed of the Russian advance has temporarily slowed likely as a result of acute logistical difficulties and strong Ukrainian resistance."
"Russian forces are bypassing major Ukrainian population centres while leaving forces to encircle and isolate them," the ministry said in statement.
Kyiv: curfew from 5 pm Saturday to Monday morning
Our international affairs reporter Valérie Gauriat is reporting live from Kyiv with the latest update on the situation in the Ukrainian capital.
Watch here: 👇
https://www.facebook.com/euronews/videos/476490574180665
Euronews reporter: 'Hundreds of refugees streaming across Romanian border from Ukraine"
In Paris, thousands protest Russia's invasion
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues on the third day of the war, citizens worldwide gather in anti-war protests to protest the actions of the Kremlin.
In the French capital, thousands have gathered at the Place de la République in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
Parisians rally in support of Ukraine
Facebook Watch🔴 LIVE | People gather in the Place de la République in Paris to show their solidarity for Ukraine as Russia continues its assault.Sweden calls for a total Russia sports ban
The Swedish government is calling for a complete ban on Russia from all sports competitions, in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.
Stockholm wants to convince the other EU countries of a "boycott of sporting links" with Russia "as long as the invasion of Ukraine lasts" Minister of Sports Anders Ygeman said in a statement.
"The most important thing is that Russia's aggression stops. If the EU decided on a sporting boycott, it would help achieve this goal."
The minister is proposing a boycott of all competitions planned in Russia and wants to stop all Russian athletes participate in competitions on European soil.
There have already been several sanctions imposed on Russian sports as a consequence of the invasion of Ukraine. The UEFA Champions League Final will be moved from St. Petersburg to Paris, while the F1 Grand Prix scheduled for Sochi in September has already been canceled.
Also on Saturday Britain said it had refused visas for Belarussian basketball players, with Minsk hosting invading Russian troops.
The Norwegian and Swedish ski federations announced on Saturday that Russian athletes were not welcome for the events scheduled in those countries during the next month.
And Poland has announced it will not play against Russia in a World Cup qualifier match in Moscow.
President Zelenskyy: 'Let us rapidly join EU and cut Russia from SWIFT'
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed for Ukraine's urgent ascension to the European Union and Russia to be cut from the SWIFT international electronic bank payment system amid the ongoing invasion.
"Residential buildings destroyed by missiles and artillery are the final argument for the world to stop this occupational invasion together with us,” he said in a defiant video address on Saturday.
“I say it as frankly as it can be, the Ukrainian people deserve and have the right to get membership of the European Union. This will be the main evidence of support for our country."
⬇️ Read the full story here.
Polish PM wants to 'shake Germany's conscience' in Berlin visit
Police: 10,000 people at Helsinki anti-war protests
America announces more military aid for Ukraine
The United States will provide a new package of military aid to Ukraine worth $350 million, or roughly €310 million.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the new funding on Saturday.
"This assistance will include new defensive military assets that will enable Ukraine to combat the armored, airborne and other threats it faces today," Blinken said in a statement.
This assistance will include new defensive military assets that will enable Ukraine to combat the armoured, airborne and other threats it faces today" Blinken said in a statement.
"This is another clear signal that the United States stands with the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereign, courageous, and proud nation" the secretary of state added.
Blinken recalled that the US had released $60m (€53,2m) in military assistance to Ukraine last autumn, then $200m (€177,4m) more in December.
With the $350m announced on Saturday, "this brings to more than a billion dollars the total security assistance that the United States has granted to Ukraine during the past year" Blinken said.
The US joins other countries today pledging more money or weapons to Ukraine on Saturday, including the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
Baltic states ban Russian airlines and urge EU countries to do the same
Kyiv mayor announces tighter curfew for the capital
The previous curfew imposed two days ago was from 10pm until 7am.
Nearly 120,000 Ukrainians have fled violence
She did not immediately have details on numbers by country, but by far the largest numbers were arriving in Poland, where some 2 million Ukrainians have already settled to work in recent years, driven away by Russia's first incursions into Ukraine in 2014 and seeking opportunities in the booming economy of the European Union neighbour.
'It's crazy traffic': Ukrainians queue for hours to get into Poland
euronewsTens of thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing to the country's borders in a desperate attempt to escape the violent fallout from the Russian invasionFrance intercepts Russian cargo ship
French officials say marines patrolling the English Channel area have intercepted a cargo ship sailing under the Russian flag and escorted it to the port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer for an investigation.
The interception of the ship, carrying cars, early Saturday was triggered by financial sanctions levied days ago against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Maritime spokesperson Veronique Magnin said it appeared to be the first such action in the English Channel.
The approximately 130-meter-(427-foot) ship was headed from Rouen, in Normandy, to Saint Petersburg, and was stopped near Honfleur, Magnin said.
Customs officials carrying out the investigation were verifying if the vessel is indeed linked to Russian financial interests, the spokesperson said. The process could take up to 48 hours.
The French government has given maritime officials the power to intercept vessels suspected of contravening the sanctions, she said.
Russia warns it could rethink nuclear pact with West over sanctions
A senior Russian official has warned that Moscow could react to Western sanctions over its attack on Ukraine by opting out of the last remaining nuclear arms pact and freezing Western assets.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and currently the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, shrugged off a set of crippling sanctions imposed by the European Union, Britain, America and other allies.
Medvedev described the sanctions as a reflection of Western "political impotence."
In comments posted on his page on Russian social media VKontakte, Medvedev said the sanctions could offer Moscow an excuse for a complete review of its ties with the West, suggesting that Russia could opt out of the New START nuclear arms control treaty that limits the US and Russian nuclear arsenals.
Medvedev also raised the prospect of cutting diplomatic ties with Western countries, saying “there is no particular need in maintaining diplomatic relations” and adding that “we may look at each other in binoculars and gunsights.” He pointed at the possibility of freezing Western assets in the country if the West proceeds with threats to freeze Russian assets.
President Zelenskyy urges Europe to ban Russia from SWIFT financial system
"Almost all EU countries are already in favor of excluding Russia from SWIFT" Zelensky said on Saturday.
Turkey starts land evacuation of its citizens from Ukraine
The Turkish government has started to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine by land.
Czech Republic is the latest European country to send more weapons to Ukraine
The Defense Ministry said it is immediately sending machine guns, submachine guns, assault rifles and pistols together with ammunition worth 188 million Czech crowns (€7.6 million).
The ministry said the Czechs will transport the weapons and deliver them to a place determined by the Ukrainian side.
The Czech Republic has already agreed to donate some 4,000 pieces of artillery shells worth 36.6 million Czech crowns (€1.47 million) to Ukraine.
Euronews reporter: "All night long we could hear the explosions"
Petro Prokopov, a firefighter who was taking part in rescue efforts, said the building on the southwestern edge of Kyiv near Zhuliany airport was hit between 16 and 21 floors on Saturday. He said at least six people were injured and apartments on two floors were gutted by fire. Emergency responders have evacuated 80 people.
Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko posted an image showing a gaping hole on one side of the apartment building.
"People still stay in shelters, the mood is very very grim, they are trying to stay safe, they are trying not to leave the basements or underground metro stations" says Vakulina.
She reports that local authorities are doing their best to give regular updates and warning people to be careful about possible "fake news" and other types of disinformation they might see online.
Tens of thousands flee Ukraine to escape Russian invasion
'It's crazy traffic': Ukrainians queue for hours to get into Poland
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing to the country's borders in a desperate attempt to escape the violent fallout from the Russian invasionNetherlands to send Stinger missiles, sniper rifles to Ukraine
The Dutch Ministry of Defence says it's sending missiles and rifles to help Ukrainian forces battle Russia.
In a letter to the Dutch parliament, the ministry said they received "additional requests for military equipment from Ukraine" and will supply 200 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles as soon as possible to Ukraine."
"The planned delivery of military goods was and is intended for Ukrainian self-defense against the armed attack by Russia," the letter said.
The ministry said some of the equipment has already been shipped on Saturday including sniper rifles and helmets.
On Saturday morning Ukraine's president tweeted that he had a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, and that "weapons and equipment from our partners are on the way to Ukraine."
Russia orders media to remove references to Ukraine invasion
Casualty figures: 198 Ukrainians killed, 1000 more wounded
Viktor Lyashko said Saturday that three children among those killed. It was not clear whether the minister was including both civilian and military casualties in the death toll.
Lyashko said another 1,115 people, including 33 children, were wounded in the Russian invasion that began Thursday with massive air and missile strikes and troops forging into Ukraine from the north, east and south.
Poland won't play Russia World Cup play-off match
Netherlands moves embassy from Ukraine to Poland
"Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra has decided that Ambassador Jennes de Mol and his team will immediately travel to Jaroslaw, on the Polish side of the border with Ukraine , to continue their work from there" the ministry in a statement.
Earlier this week The Hague had already moved its embassy from Kiev to Lviv on Sunday, located some 70 kilometers from the Polish border, in western Ukraine .
Since then, ministry officials say nearly thirty Dutch nationals have requested help from the embassy, whether for travel documents or advice on traveling to Poland.
"It's getting more and more dangerous in Lviv" a ministry official said on Saturday morning, adding that Dutch authorities remained available from Poland to help Dutch nationals leave Ukraine .
"If necessary and safe enough, team members will travel to the Ukrainian side of the border to provide assistance" he said.
The Netherlands advised its nationals on 12 February to leave Ukraine.
UK Minister: Russian invasion slowed by strong Ukrainian resistance
Speaking on Saturday morning Heappey said fighting in the capital, Kyiv, was so far confined to “very isolated pockets of Russian special forces and paratroopers.”
He said that “the main armored columns approaching Kyiv are still some way off.”
“It looks like the Russian plan is nowhere near running to schedule. I think that will be a great cause of concern for President Putin and rather points to the fact that there was a lot of hubris in the Russian plan and that he may be awfully advised.”
Before entering politics Mr Heappey was a Major in the British Army. He served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.
Spokesman: Russia strikes Ukraine with cruise missiles
The Russian military says it has launched a barrage of cruise missiles at Ukrainian military facilities.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday morning that the military struck a range of Ukrainian military installations with long-range Kalibr cruise missiles.
He said that since the start of Russia’s attack Thursday, the military has hit 821 Ukrainian military facilities, including 14 air bases and 19 command facilities, and destroyed 24 air defense missile systems, 48 radars, seven warplanes, seven helicopters, nine drones, 87 tanks and eight military vessels.
Konashenkov didn’t say how many Ukrainian troops were killed and didn’t mention any casualties on the Russian side. His claims and Ukraine’s allegations that its forces have killed thousands of Russian troops couldn't be independently verified.
Kyiv mayor: Missile hits apartment building
Russian troops were pressing their attack on the Ukrainian capital, trying to advance on the city from several directions.
President Macron: France must prepare for economic impact of war in Ukraine and Russia sanctions
We must "accompany you in terms of income, and accompany our compatriots also on the impacts in terms of costs inevitably" he said.
The food industry sector has concerns that Russian retaliatory measures in response to Western sanctions could disrupt trade. France is Russia's ninth largest supplier of agri-food products, worth 780 million euros a year, according to the French agro-industry association Ania.
Japanese ship hit by shell off Ukraine coast
A Panamanian-registered cargo ship owned by a Japanese company was hit by a shell off Ukraine’s southern coast.
One of its 20 crew members suffered a non-life-threatening injury, according to its owner and media reports.
The ship’s owner, Nikko Kisen K.K., based in Imabari in western Japan, confirmed media reports Saturday that its bulk carrier Namura Queen suffered damage and that one of its 20 Filipino crew members was injured.
The company gave no further details.
The 47,167-ton ship, which was just off the coast of Ukraine in the Black Sea at the time of the incident, remains operable and has headed to Turkey to assess the extent of its damage, Kyodo News agency said.
President Zelenskyy's Saturday morning video message
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a renewed assurance that the country’s military will stand up to the Russian invasion.
In a video recorded on the street in downtown Kyiv, Zelenskyy said that he hasn’t left the city and dispelled claims that Ukraine’s military would lay down its weapons.
“We will protect the country,” he 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.”
Adviser: 'Fighting is raging in the capital'
President Zelenskyy’s adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Saturday that small groups of Russian forces tried to infiltrate Kyiv and engaged in fighting with Ukrainian troops. He said that Russia wants to seize control of the Ukrainian capital and destroy the country’s leadership, but said the Russian military has failed to make any gains and that the Ukrainian forces control the situation in Kyiv.
Podolyak said Russian forces were also focusing on the country’s south, where intense fighting is underway in Kherson just north of Crimea, and in the Black Sea ports of Mykolaiv, Odesa and around Mariupol.
Ukraine's president says allies are sending weapons
Meta bans Russian state media advertising on its platforms
Russian state media organisations are being banned from advertising on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. According to Nathaniel Gleicher, the head of security at parent company Meta, Russian state media won't be able to post adverts or earn any advertising revenue from content "anywhere in the world."
Meta VP Nick Clegg says "We are taking additional steps in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine."
The changes have already started rolling out and Meta says they will continue into the weekend.