Scroll down for a recap of the updates from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as it happened.
Summary
- The conflict is in its 20th day
- Thousands of people including civilians and soldiers have died
- Leaders of three European Nation countries plan to visit Ukraine's capital Kyiv in show of solidarity with Ukraine
- Russia has stepped up its bombardment of Kyiv
- US president Joe Biden will travel to Brussels for talks with European leaders
Recap of today's events
9.04pm: That concludes 1News' live updates for today. Breakfast will have the latest developments from Ukraine from 6am on TVNZ1 and OnDemand.
8.46pm: More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine for other EU countries since the war began, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
8.44pm: 13,800 Russian soldiers have died since the invasion began on February 24, according to the Ukrainian military.
Meanwhile, a further 430 tanks, 1375 armoured combat vehicles, 190 artillery systems and 108 helicopters were destroyed, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence said in a report.
8:10pm: Once again there were reports of Russian strikes in Kyiv as morning broke. It's currently 9am in Ukraine's capital.
7:30pm: Watch 1News' latest report on the war.
The news has been met with cautious optimism. (Source: 1News)
5.40pm: The Russian military is calling for reinforcements from across the country after suffering "continued personnel losses", The UK Ministry of Defence said.
“Russia is increasingly seeking to generate additional troops to bolster and replace its personnel losses,” the public intelligence assessment read.
“It is likely Russia is struggling to conduct offensive operations in the face of sustained Ukrainian resistance.”
5pm: According to Ukraine's president Zelensky, a diplomatic end to the war may still be on the table as Russian forces stall.
4:05pm: An employee of Russian state television who interrupted a live news program to protest the war in Ukraine was released from custody and fined about US$270 (NZ$398.90) but still could face a prison sentence. Read the full story here.
3:47pm: Ukraine took down at least three Russian military helicopters at the Kherson Airport.
It's the most destructive strike from the Ukrainian military towards Russian helicopters during the war, CNN reports.
3:30pm: From the Associated Press
Ukraine said a fourth Russian general has been killed in the fighting.
Maj. Gen. Oleg Mityaev died Wednesday during the storming of Mariupol, said Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko, who published a photo on Telegram of what he said was the dead officer.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported the death of another Russian general in his nighttime address but didn’t name him.
Mityaev, 46, commanded the 150th motorized rifle division and had fought in Syria, Gerashchenko said.
There was no confirmation of the death from Russia.
3:10pm: The Kyiv Independent is reporting air raid alerts in several major cities and oblasts.
2:55pm: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will virtually address the U.S. Congress on Thursday.
The virtual address won't be the first time Zelensky has appealed directly to members of the House and Senate, who have remained remarkably unified in their support of Ukraine in the fight against Russia.
Nearly two weeks ago, Zelensky told some 300 lawmakers and staff on a private call that if they could not enforce a no-fly zone, at least send more planes.
2:30pm: Ukraine president Vladimir Zelensky's address on the summary of 20 days of war.
"I invite all friends of Ukraine to visit Kiev. It can be dangerous here, because our sky is not yet closed from Russian missiles and planes. The decision to strengthen our arsenal in the air has not yet been approved. We did not get any planes. But the views of all the people of the world are now focused on our capital, on Ukrainians. So everyone who is with us will be appreciated. Not only ours, but also other peoples"
2:10pm: Heart-breaking story of a family killed by Russian shelling in Kyiv.
The BBC’s Orla Guerin has this report from Ukraine’s capital.
2:07pm: From the Associated Press
Russian troops seized a hospital in Mariupol and took about 500 people hostage during another assault on the southern port city late Tuesday, regional leader Pavlo Kyrylenko said.
About 100 doctors and patients also are believed to be inside, he said.
The troops are using those inside the hospital as human shields and are not allowing anyone to leave, he said.
Russian troops drove 400 people from neighboring houses into Regional Intensive Care Hospital, Kyrylenko said.
“It’s impossible to leave the hospital, they are shooting hard,” Kyrylenko said.
Kyrylenko said the main building of the hospital has been heavily damaged by shelling, but medical staff are continuing to treat patients in makeshift wards set up in the basement.
He called on the world to respond to these “gross violations of the norms and customs of war, these egregious crimes against humanity.”
1:45pm: President Joe Biden is reportedly sending an additional US$1billion to Ukraine by Wednesday (Thursday NZT).
The money will go towards military assistance including anti-armour and anti-aircraft weapons.
The money will be funded from the nearly US$14 billion congress gave to Ukraine last week BBC reports.
1:20pm: UNICEF have released, a Ukrainian child becomes a refugee almost every single second and over 1.5 million children have fled the country since the war began.
"This refugee crisis is in terms of speed and scale, unprecedented since the Second World War, and is showing no signs of slowing down," said UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder.
1.00pm From the Associated Press
Ukrainian forces on Tuesday evening (Wednesday NZT) repelled an attack on Kharkiv by Russian troops, who tried to storm the city from their positions in Piatykhatky, a suburb 15 kilometres to the north, the head of the Kharkiv region said.
The Ukrainian army was able “to push the enemy back beyond its previous position,” Oleh Synehubov said on the messaging app Telegram. He called it a “shameful defeat.”
There was no information about casualties on either side.
After dark, Russian forces increased their shelling of the eastern city, Ukraine’s second largest. On Tuesday morning (Wednesday NZT), Synehubov had said Russian troops the previous night had fired more than 60 missiles at the historical centre of the city.
12:45pm: 20,000 civilians escape Mariupol - From the Associated Press
Ukraine said it saw possible room for compromise Tuesday in talks with Russia, while Moscow’s forces stepped up their bombardment of Kyiv, and an estimated 20,000 civilians fled the desperately encircled port city of Mariupol by way of a humanitarian corridor.
The fast-moving developments on the diplomatic front and on the ground came on the 20th day of Russia’s invasion, as the number of Ukrainians fleeing the country amid Europe’s heaviest fighting since World War II eclipsed 3 million.
A top Ukrainian negotiator, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, described the latest round of talks with the Russians, held via videoconference, as “very difficult and viscous” and said there were “fundamental contradictions” between the two sides, but added that “there is certainly room for compromise.” He said the talks will continue on Wednesday (Thursday NZT).
Altogether over three million Ukrainians have fled their country.
12:00pm: From the Associated Press
A funeral service was held Tuesday in Lviv for four Ukrainian soldiers killed in a Russian attack on a training base in Yavoriv in western Ukraine.
The attack on Sunday killed at least 35 people.
Ukrainian soldiers shouldered the caskets into the sanctuary of Church of the Most Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and placed them on bases.
Burials were held Tuesday for three soldiers, Oleg Yaschyshyn, Serhiy Melnyk and Rostyslav Romanchuk.
The fourth soldier, Kyrylo Vyshyvanyi, was previously buried in his hometown of Duliby in the Lviv region. Vyshyvanyi’s family buried his younger brother, Vasyl, on March 4.
11:45am: The BBC is reporting there have been loud explosions on the western edge of the capital that have been heard by the Prime Ministers from Poland who are currently visiting Kyiv.
The Czech Republic and Slovenia took a train ride through the dangerous war zone to show “unequivocal support” for Ukraine.
11:30am: Kyiv is going into a 36-hour curfew from tonight.
11:20am: President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky has met with the Polish government.
11:00am: The BBC is reporting the Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers are in Kyiv to represent the European UN.
The Polish deputy foreign minister said the trip is “risky” but “worth taking for the sake of values”.
10:45am: Kyiv independent is reporting the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) expels Russia from the Council of Europe.
10.20am: Ukrainian Kiwis are pleased the Government has ramped up its humanitarian support, allowing about 4000 of their family members to seek refuge in New Zealand.
The 'Special Ukraine Policy' is open for a year and enables the around 1600 Ukrainian-born New Zealand citizens and residents in New Zealand to sponsor a family member who is in Ukraine and their immediate family, including children.
Mahi for Ukraine says it shows Ukraine is not standing alone. (Source: Breakfast)
Viktoriya Pashorina-Nichols from Mahi for Ukraine, a taskforce representing Ukrainian community organisations in New Zealand, told Breakfast it was "delighted" by the new policy.
8.56am: From the Associated Press
An employee of Russian state television who interrupted a live news program by protesting the war in Ukraine was ordered to pay a fine by a Russian court.
Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee of the Russian Channel 1, walked into the studio during Monday’s evening news show with a poster saying “no war” and “Russians against the war.”
Ovsyannikova spent the night in police custody, and Moscow’s Ostankino District Court ordered Ovsyannikova to pay a fine of around $416 on charges of organising unsanctioned actions for her call to take part in demonstrations against the war.
8.04am: Seven-year-old Amelia touched hearts around the world when a video of her singing Let it go from the Disney movie Frozen – in a bomb shelter in Kyiv – was posted on social media. In good news – Amelia is now safe with her grandmother in Poland. The BBC’s Graham Satchell has this report.
7.27am: From the Associated Press
The European Union has slapped sanctions on Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich as part of a new package of measures targeting Russia.
The EU included the Russian oligarch in its updated list of individuals facing assets freeze and travel bans over their role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The 55-year-old Abramovich had already been punished in Britain by Boris Johnson’s administration last week. The aluminum magnate was among seven wealthy Russians who had their assets frozen under British sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Abramovich has also been suspended as director of the Premier League club.
The EU said Abramovich “has had privileged access to the president, and has maintained very good relations with him. This connection with the Russian leader helped him to maintain his considerable wealth.”
6.50am: The BBC's James Waterhouse has a wrap of the latest development out of Ukraine in this video:
6.37am: From the Associated Press
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says he’s convened a summit for next week of the military organisation’s 30 leaders to discuss Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Stoltenberg says the March 24 summit will be led by US President Joe Biden and “will address the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence in response to a new reality for our security.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that Biden will travel to Brussels for the face-to-face talks with European leaders.
The trip follows on Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to eastern flank NATO countries of Poland and Romania last week to discuss with leaders the growing refugee crisis in eastern Europe sparked by the Russian invasion and to underscore the Biden administration’s support for NATO allies.
6.24am: Around 2000 civilian cars had managed to leave Mariupol along a humanitarian corridor that runs for more than 260 kilometres west to the city of Zaporizhzhia. Another 2,000 cars were waiting to leave along the route, the city's council said.
6.18am: From the Associated Press
Russia stepped up its bombardment of Kyiv, smashing apartments and a subway station. The strikes, carried out of the 20th day of Russia’s invasion, targeted a western district of Kyiv, disrupting a relative calm that returned after an initial advance by Moscow’s forces was stopped in the early days of the war.
6.00am: Fox News video journalist Pierre Zakrzewski was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by fire on Tuesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, the network said. He was the second journalist killed in Ukraine in two days.
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