Russia Invasion: Latest developments in Ukraine

Latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine:

Kharkiv fighting 

Russian paratroopers land in Ukraine’s second city amid heavy fighting. Ukrainian officials say a hospital has been attacked and the barracks of a flight school is on fire after an air strike.

“There are practically no areas left in Kharkiv where an artillery shell has not yet hit,” says Interior Minister official Anton Gerashchenko.

Biden brands Putin ‘dictator’ 

US President Joe Biden brands Vladimir Putin as a “dictator” in his annual State of the Union address as he bans Russian aircraft from US airspace with Moscow facing economic and diplomatic isolation.

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 Cities pummelled 

Russia steps up its bombing campaign and missile strikes, hitting Kyiv’s main television tower, two residential buildings in a town west of the city, and the city of Bila Tserkva to the south of the capital.

Kherson: Russia inside city 

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Russian forces push into the besieged Black Sea city of Kherson in the south. Its port and railway station are now in Russian hands, its mayor says.

Mariupol without power 

Russian attacks leave Mariupol, another Black Sea port further to the west without electricity.

Civilians flee 

More than 677,000 people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion, the UN’s refugee agency says, with the number rising rapidly.

UN court to hold war hearings 

The UN’s International Court of Justice says it will hold public hearings on March 7 and 8 over Ukraine’s allegations of “genocide” by Russia as the General Assembly votes on whether to order Russia to withdraw its troops.

 Independent media blocked 

Russia blocks an independent television channel and a liberal radio station, tightening a virtual media blackout on news of the war.

 Companies exit Russia 

A string of Western companies announce they are freezing or scaling back business with Russia, including Apple, three of the world’s largest shipping companies and energy firms Eni, ExxonMobil and Boeing.

ALSO READ: Invasion: Russia bans flight from 36 countries

 Race for cash 

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Russians race to withdraw cash after the introduction of capital controls and as the ruble hovers around record lows against the dollar.

Nord Stream 2 goes under 

Russian-owned Nord Stream 2 goes insolvent after Germany halts the gas pipeline following Moscow’s invasion. The European subsidiary of Russia’s Sberbank also prepares to enter insolvency.

Oil price soars 

Oil prices soar past $110 a barrel, despite the International Energy Agency members agreeing to release 60 million barrels from stockpiles.

 World Bank aid 

The World Bank prepares a $3-billion aid package for Ukraine, including at least $350 million in immediate funds.