LIVE Russia-Ukraine crisis: Heavy fighting to the north-west of Kyiv continues

The Russian military assault on Ukraine is on its ninth day.

Russia and Ukraine agreed on the need to set up humanitarian corridors and a possible ceasefire around them for fleeing civilians, both sides said after talks on Thursday, as the war entered its second week.

Ukraine’s defence lines are holding up against the Russian attack, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video, adding there had been no respite in Moscow’s shelling of Ukraine since midnight into Thursday.

The UN human rights office said it had confirmed 249 civilians killed and 553 wounded in Ukraine.

Russian forces are trying to blockade the southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, knocking out power, water and heating supplies with bombardment that is preventing residents from fleeing, local authorities said.

Here's a round-up of all top developments on March 3

9.52pm: Nato, US urge allies to provide Ukraine with equipment

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday in Brussels and the two encouraged Nato allies and partners to allies to provide Ukraine with equipment to deal with Russia’s invasion, the State Department said.

“They encouraged Nato Allies and partners to continue to respond to Ukraine’s requests for supplies and equipment to defend against Russia’s unprovoked aggression”, the State Department said in a statement.

Blinken also met with European Council President Charles Michel in Brussels.

9.24pm: Heavy fighting to the north-west of Kyiv continues

Heavy fighting to the north-west of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv has continued Friday, that has highly likely included renewed fighting around Hostomel Airfield, Britain said in an intelligence update on Friday.

“This is near the front end of the Russian column on the outskirts of the city. The column has made little discernible progress in over four days,” it said.

8.27pm: BBC suspends news operations in Russia

The BBC said Friday it has temporarily suspended news operations within the Russian Federation while it assesses the implications of new legislation adopted by Russian authorities.

BBC News will continue its service in Russian from outside of Russia.

“The safety of our staff is paramount and we are not prepared to expose them to the risk of criminal prosecution simply for doing their jobs,” BBC Director-General Tim Davie said in a statement. “I’d like to pay tribute to all of them, for their bravery, determination and professionalism.”

7.50pm: UN says 1.2 million people have fled Ukraine

The UN refugee agency reported Friday that more than 1.2 million people have left Ukraine since the fighting began.

More than 165,000 people left the country on Thursday — down slightly from Wednesday’s count and well under the nearly 200,000 on Tuesday, which amounted to the peak one-day outflow of people from Ukraine since the conflict began, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

7.46pm: Besieged Ukrainian city is running out of food, says mayor

The Ukrainian city of Mariupol has no water, heat or electricity and is running out of food after coming under attack by Russian forces for the past five days, its mayor said on Friday.

Mayor Vadym Boychenko made a televised appeal for military help and said a humanitarian corridor should be created to evacuate civilians from the southeastern port city.

“We are simply being destroyed,” he said.

6.40pm: Ukraine to confront Russia at International Court of Justice on Monday

Ukraine and Russia will face off Monday at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a hearing on emergency measures sought by Kyiv to order Moscow to suspend military operations, with Russia’s legal team weakened by the resignation of a key lawyer.

The case lodged by Ukraine at the UN court centres on the interpretation of a 1948 treaty on the prevention of genocide, signed by both Russia and Ukraine.

6.16pm: UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Ukraine Friday morning: diplomats

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting requested by Britain Friday at 11.30amafter Russian forces attacked Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Ukraine, diplomatic sources said.

The session was requested by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, diplomats told AFP, with the United States, France, Norway, Ireland and Albania joining the call for an urgent meeting.

6.05pm: Several explosions heard in quick succession in Kyiv, siren sounds

Several explosions were heard in quick succession in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Friday and an air raid siren blasted out, a Reuters reporter said.

The exact origin of the explosions could not be immediately established.

4.18pm: Ukrainian city of Mykolayiv issues air raid warning as Russians attack

Ukraine’s Black Sea port city of Mykolayiv issued an air raid warning on Friday after the authorities reported fighting around the city as Russian forces sought to advance.

Earlier on Friday, the Ukrainian authorities said the Russian advance on the ship-building hub had been halted after Regional Governor Vitaliy Kim reported Russian troops entering the city.

3.42pm: ‘Whole world is against you’, Ukraine envoy tells Putin after UN vote

3.05pm: UN nuclear watchdog chief offers to go to Chernobyl

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog offered Friday to travel to Chernobyl to negotiate with Ukraine and Russia and ensure the security of Ukraine’s nuclear sites.

The offer came hours after Russian forces seized control of Europe’s largest power plant at Zaporizhzhia after a battle with Ukrainian troops that caused a fire and fears of an accident.

“I have indicated to both the Russian Federation and Ukraine my availability... to travel to Chernobyl as soon as possible,” Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters.

“Both sides are considering” the possibility, he added.

2.33pm: Saudi Arabia to extend visas of Ukrainians

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has indicated that the country will extend the visas of Ukrainian visitors, tourists and residents out of humanitarian considerations.

Visas set to expire during this period will be extended for three extendable months.

2.22pm: Russian troops enter Ukrainian city of Mykolayiv

Russian troops have entered the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Mykolayiv for the first time, regional authorities said on Friday.

In a video statement shared online, Governor Vitaliy Kim said fighting was under way in parts of the city.

“Let’s not get nervous,” he said.

2.20pm: No damage to reactors at Ukraine’s Zaporozhzhia nuclear plant, says IAEA chief

No damage has been done to the reactors at Ukraine’s Zaporozhzhia nuclear power plant after a projectile hit a nearby building on the site overnight, U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi said on Friday, adding he believed the projectile was Russian.

Ukrainian staff continue to operate the nuclear facilities while Russian forces control the area, Grossi told a news conference.

2.08pm: UAE votes in favour of UN General Assembly Resolution on Ukraine

The United Arab Emirates has voted in favour of the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the situation in Ukraine.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly’s emergency special session, Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and UAE Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, stated, “We voted for this resolution, and we join the Member States in appealing to peace. A just peace that endures by recognising all parties’ legitimate concerns and abides by the UN Charter’s principles of independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”

Nusseibeh added that resolving the conflict will require dialogue and effective diplomacy.

1.45pm: Kremlin tightens grip on Ukraine war coverage

The Russian parliament has passed a bill introducing sentences of up to 15 years in prison for intentionally spreading “fake” information about military action.

Russian state news agencies reported Friday the passing of the bill in the third and final reading.

The development came amid a crackdown by Russian authorities on independent media and criticism of last week’s attacks on Ukraine.

1.31pm: Ukraine’s president urges Russians to protest over attack on nuclear plant

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed directly to Russians on Friday to stage protests over the seizure of nuclear power infrastructure by Russian troops in Ukraine.

“Russian people, I want to appeal to you: how is this possible? After all we fought together in 1986 against the Chernobyl catastrophe,” he said in a televised address.

12.23pm: Death toll from Russian air strikes on Chernihiv city rises to 47, local authorities say

Forty-seven people were killed in Russian air strikes on a residential district of the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Thursday, regional authorities said on Friday, updating an earlier death toll of 33 killed.

Rescue work had to be suspended on Thursday due to heavy shelling, according to the local emergency services.

12.47pm: Lithuania removes four Russian companies from payment system

Lithuania’s central bank removed four Russia-owned companies from its payment system, and told others to not use it for Russia-linked payments.

The system, which serves as a gateway for European SEPA payments in euros, is used by 150 payment companies in 18 European countries, the central bank said.

12.35pm: Russia conducts searches at shuttered human rights group

Russian law enforcement officers carried out searches on Friday at the Moscow office of human rights group Memorial International as well as Civic Assistance, an organisation that helps migrants and refugees, the OVD-Info protest monitor said.

It was not immediately clear what the searches were about and there was no comment from the police. Memorial International was ordered to shut down in December amid a sweeping crackdown.