LIVE Russia-Ukraine crisis: No breakthrough in talks as Russian forces advance on Kyiv

An air strike hit a Mariupol children's hospital on Wednesday, Ukraine said, blaming Russia for breaking a ceasefire at the southern port as Ukrainians elsewhere fled the fighting through safe corridors. Local authorities say the hospital was hit several times, causing "colossal" destruction, and that 17 people were wounded.

A Kremlin spokesman said: "Russian forces do not fire on civilian targets" and blamed Ukraine for the failure of a planned evacuation from Mariupol.

Around 35,000 people were evacuated through humanitarian corridors from three cities on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. Another six escape routes are planned for Thursday, according to Zelenskiy.

Over 2 million people have fled Ukraine since the incursion began two weeks ago, the UN said.

Here's the latest of all top developments on March 10

11:58pm: U.S. calls on Russia to allow civilians to safely depart Ukrainian cities

The U.S. State Department on Thursday called on the Russian government to allow civilians to safely depart Ukrainian cities and towns besieged by Russian forces, adding the forces now encircle multiple cities after having destroyed much of the critical infrastructure.

“Putin’s military plan to quickly capture Ukraine, it is clear now has failed. So he’s now turning to a strategy of laying waste to population centers to try to break the will of the people of Ukraine, something he will not be able to do,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters.

11:55pm: Residents in Ukraine’s Mariupol fighting for food

Mariupol residents have become so desperate that some have fought each other for food during Russia’s siege of the Ukrainian city, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday.

“People started to attack each other for food. People started to ruin someone’s car to take the gasoline out,” said Mariupol-based ICRC representative Sasha Volkov in an audio recording.

“Many have no water at all for drinking. All the shops and pharmacies were looted four to five days ago.

“Some people still have food but I’m not sure for how long it will last. Many people report having no food for children.”

11:25pm: Moscow says to open daily humanitarian corridors

Moscow said Thursday that it will open daily humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians fleeing fighting in Ukraine to Russian territory, despite Kyiv insisting that no evacuation routes should lead to Russia.

“Humanitarian corridors towards the Russian Federation will now be opened, without any agreements, every day from 10:00 am,” defence ministry official Mikhail Mizintsev was quoted as saying by Russian agencies. He said evacuation routes in other directions would proceed “in agreement with the Ukrainian side”.

“We ask the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations to work closely with Ukrainian authorities on the ground to inform the population about this Russian imitative,” he said.

10:12pm: No breakthrough in Ukraine talks as Russian forces advance on Kyiv

Russia and Ukraine failed to make a breakthrough Thursday in their first top-level talks since Moscow’s invasion two weeks ago, as Russian advances sparked fears the Ukrainian capital Kyiv could soon be encircled.

After talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Turkey, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said there had been “no progress”, even on a 24-hour ceasefire, although Lavrov said Moscow would keep talking.

Russian forces were encircling at least four major cities in Ukraine on Thursday, with armoured vehicles rolling up to the northeastern edge of the capital Kyiv.

More details here

8:20pm: Putin has chosen to ‘specifically target civilians,’ says Canada’s Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a choice to “specifically target civilians” and any further targeting of civilians in Ukraine is going to be met with the “severest of responses.”

7:20pm: Putin warns sanctions could send global food prices soaring

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday Western sanctions on Moscow for its actions in Ukraine could send global food prices soaring, as Russia was one of the world’s main producers of fertiliser, which is essential to global supply chains.

7:09pm: War has destroyed $100 bn in Ukraine assets so far

The Russian invasion has so far destroyed about $100 billion in roads, bridges and businesses in Ukraine, dealing a huge hit to its economy, a Kyiv government official said Thursday.

“Currently around 50 percent of our businesses are not operating, and those which are still operating are not operating at 100 percent,” said Oleg Ustenko, chief economic advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

More details here

4.53pm: Half of Kyiv population has left, says mayor

The mayor of Ukraine’s capital says about 2 million people have left the city.

That’s about half the residents of the metro area. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko says the city has now turned into a fortress.

4.42pm: Harris calls for international war crimes investigation

US Vice-President Kamala Harris has called for international war crimes investigation of Russia over Ukraine attacks, bombing of civilians.

4.07pm: Turkey says Lavrov-Kuleba meeting was civil despite all difficulties

The meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers in Turkey on Thursday was civil despite all the difficulties and the most important outcome of the talks was establishing contact, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

Speaking at a news conference after the meeting between Dmytro Kuleba and Sergei Lavrov, which Cavusoglu also attended, he said there was a need for both a humanitarian corridor from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol and for a sustainable ceasefire.

3.37pm: Putin discusses Ukraine with Macron and Scholz

Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed the situation in Ukraine in a phone call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying on Thursday.

3.19pm: Lukashenko to meet Putin on Friday

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is to visit Moscow on March 11 to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the state-run Belarusian news agency Belta reported on Thursday.

Lukashenko and Putin will discuss bilateral relations, economic cooperation under sanctions, and the situation in the region and Ukraine, Belta reported.

2.59pm: Putin would not refuse meeting with Zelensky, says Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that President Vladimir Putin would not refuse a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss “specific” issues.

Lavrov gave the comments at a news conference after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Turkey.

2.14pm: Ukraine, Russia make ‘no progress’ on ceasefire at Turkey talks

Ukraine and Russia made no progress towards agreeing a ceasefire after the Russian military operation at tense talks in Turkey, the Ukrainian foreign minister said on Thursday.

After his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Antalya, Kuleba described the meeting as “difficult” and accused his counterpart of bringing “traditional narratives” to the table.

More details here

1.26pm: UK sanctions Russians, including Abramovich

Britain has imposed a travel ban and asset freezes on seven more wealthy Russians, including Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Premier League soccer club Chelsea.

The government said Thursday that Abramovich’s assets are frozen, he is banned from visiting the UK and he is barred from transactions with UK individuals and businesses.

Abramovich said last week he was trying to sell Chelsea as the threat of sanctions loomed.

More details here

1.22pm: Kremlin to ask military for information on Ukraine hospital strike

The Kremlin said Thursday it would approach the Russian military for details of a strike on a hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky called a “war crime”.

1.03pm: Top Russia, Ukraine diplomats begin talks in Turkey

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday began talks in Turkey in the first such high-level contact since Moscow attacked its neighbour, officials from both sides and their hosts said.

The ministers began talks on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in the southern Turkish resort of Antalya, joined by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, a Turkish official told AFP in comments confirmed by the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministries. Turkey has for weeks pushed to play a mediation role in the conflict.

12.58pm: 700 evacuate Russia-occupied towns near Kyiv

Hundreds of Ukrainians living in towns occupied by Russian troops on the outskirts of Kyiv fled Wednesday.

Streams of cars — some fixed with white flags — filed down the road, joined by lines of yellow buses marked with red crosses.

The Interior Ministry said about 700 people were evacuated from Vorzel and Irpin. People from three other Kyiv suburbs were unable to leave. Some who managed to get out said they hadn’t eaten in days.

12.26pm: Ukrainian no-fly zone would end war quicker, says Polish ambassador

Imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine would help bring the conflict there to a faster conclusion and save lives, the Polish ambassador to Kyiv said on Thursday, as Russia continued a bombardment of several cities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading for Nato to impose a no-fly zone, but the alliance is wary of any step that might draw it into direct conflict with Russia.

• Russia-Ukraine crisis: Lavrov arrives in Turkey for talks with Kyiv counterpart