Ukraine

Zelensky warns of new iron curtain as Russia invades

Wearing a military uniform, Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the nation as Russia continued its attack on several fronts, moving closer to the capital.

Exact casualty numbers are unclear, but include Ukrainian civilians.

UN estimates suggest that more than 100,000 people have already fled from their homes.

Thousands have crossed into Moldova and Romania.

Russia invades Ukraine in Europe’s darkest hours since WW2

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his aim is to demilitarise and 'denazify' Ukraine.

Missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities and explosions were heard near the capital Kyiv. Ukraine's military said it destroyed four Russian tanks near the eastern city of Kharkiv, killed 50 troops in the Luhansk region and downed a sixth Russian aircraft.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged all citizens prepared to defend the country to come forward, saying Kyiv would issue weapons to everyone who wants them.

Ukraine-Russia invasion: Europe prepares for wave of refugees

As Russian air strikes hit overnight, many packed up and left Kyiv for the countryside or the border with the European Union.

Traffic jams clogged the roads out of some cities, and some walked on foot into Poland and Hungary.

The UN refugee chief warned that the humanitarian impact will be "devastating".

"We are particularly worried about displacement - about people on the move," Filippo Grandi told the BBC's Lyse Doucet, who is in Kyiv.

Russia to carry out 'special military operation' in south-eastern Ukraine - Putin

Explosions have already been heard in Kyiv, Kharkiv and in the Belgorod province of Russia.

Explosions also rocked the breakaway eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk and civilian aircraft were warned away as the United States said a major attack by Russia was imminent.

Putin made the declaration in a televised speech at the same time as the UN Security Council was imploring him to stop.

Putin says Russia does not plan to occupy Ukrainian territory.

He called on Ukrainian soldiers to immediately lay down their weapons and go home.

Ukraine computers hit by data-wiping software as fears of full-scale Russian invasion rise

It's reported to be part of what Ukrainian officials said was an intensifying wave of hacks aimed at the country.

In a series of statements posted to Twitter, the company said that the data wiping program had been "installed on hundreds of machines in the country," an attack it said had likely been in the works for the past couple of months.

Vikram Thakur of cybersecurity firm Symantec, which is also looking into the attacks, told Reuters that infections had spread widely.

Australia PM: There must be a price

They will target specific Russian individuals and corporations "who are at the heart of this bullying and aggressive behaviour".

"The reason we're doing this is there must be a price for the unprovoked, unlawful, unwarranted, unjustified attacks and threats and intimidation that has been imposed by Russia on Ukraine," Morrison tells reporters in Sydney on Thursday.

Ukrainians currently in Australia and with visas that expire by 30 June will have them extended by six months.

Russia recognises Ukraine separatist regions

The self-declared people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk are home to Russia-backed rebels who have been fighting Ukrainian forces since 2014.

Russia's move is likely to end peace talks in the region, which has been under a tenuous ceasefire for years.

Western powers also fear it could pave the way for Russian military forces to enter Ukraine's eastern regions.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it would be "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine" and break international law. He said it was "a very ill omen and a very dark sign".

Biden agrees in principle to summit with Putin over Ukraine tensions

The talks proposed by France will only take place if Russia does not invade its neighbour, the White House said.

The meeting could offer a possible diplomatic solution to one of the worst security crises in Europe in decades.

US officials say intelligence suggests Russia is ready to launch a military operation, which Moscow denies.

The proposal was announced by the French presidency after two phone calls between President Emmanuel Macron and Mr Putin, which went on for almost three hours in total.

Ukraine crisis: Biden and Johnson say still hope for diplomatic agreement

In a 40-minute call, Joe Biden and Boris Johnson agreed a deal was still possible despite a chorus of warnings of imminent Russian military action.

Russia has always denied plans to invade Ukraine, despite massing more than 100,000 troops on the border.

On Monday its foreign minister said diplomacy was "far from exhausted".

More than a dozen nations have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine, and the US has said aerial bombardments could begin "at any time".

Ukraine seeks meeting with Russia within 48 hours to discuss build-up

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia had ignored formal requests to explain the build-up of troops.

He said the "next step" was requesting a meeting within the next 48 hours for "transparency" about Russia's plans.

Russia has denied any plans to invade Ukraine despite the build-up of some 100,000 soldiers on Ukraine's borders.