Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv as the Ukrainian capital braces for an intensified Russian assault on the city. Meanwhile, the West plans to cut certain Russian banks off from SWIFT.

Trump condemns Russia invasion

In an about-turn, former US President Donald Trump condemned Russia's invasion on Saturday. Speaking at the CPAC conservative gathering in Florida he called Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy "a brave man." He praised him for "hanging in."

"The Russian attack on Ukraine is appalling, it's an outrage and an atrocity that should never have been allowed to occur," Trump said, adding that it would never have happened had he been president.

The remarks are in sharp contrast to his words earlier in the week when he called Russian President Vladimir Putin "genius" and told donors at his Mar-a-Lago Club that Putin's moves were "pretty smart."

Ukraine envoy praises German decision to send arms

The Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin has welcomed Germany's decision to supply weapons to Ukraine. "We are glad that Germany has finally made this 180-degree turn," Ambassador Andrij Melnyk told Germany's dpa news agency, calling it a historic step.

The German government said Saturday it would provide Ukrainian forces with 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 "Stinger" surface-to-air missiles. Berlin had long held back on sending such weapons due to its long-standing policy of not exporting arms to conflict zones.

"I have always said to my German friends and to the German government that they will not be able to bear the terrible images of the war in Ukraine for long without reacting," Melnyk said.

"The task now is to get the German weapons systems to the Ukrainian defenders as soon as possible.

He also called for Germany to play a leading role in putting together "a comprehensive economic rescue plan" for Ukraine.

Russia restricts social media access

Moscow has restricted access to certain social media platforms to try and keep information of the situation in Ukraine from the Russian public, the latest British defense intelligence update suggests. The update from the Ministry of Defense also said Russian forces were "not making the progress they had planned."

According to internet monitoring group NetBlock, Twitter was heavily restricted and, in some instances, even blocked in Russia on Saturday. On Friday, Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor said it would partly restrict Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram. Many videos and images of the invasion went viral on social media. Meanwhile, the hacktivist collective, Anonymous, claimed it hacked several Russian state TV channels and was broadcasting "the reality of what is happening in Ukraine." The collective also claimed responsibility for hacking the Kremlin, Ministry of Defense, and other government websites.

Massive explosions as fuel supplies hit

There have been multiple reports of two vast explosions in different parts of Ukraine as Russian forces seemingly target vital fuel supplies. An oil depot in Vasylkil on Kyiv's outskirts was struck, and authorities have issued warnings about hazardous fumes. The State Special Communications Service of Ukraine said a fire there was burning out of control.

A gas pipeline is also said to be on fire in Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine. The city was the scene of heavy fighting on Saturday.

SpaceX Starlink active in Ukraine

Billionaire Elon Musk says SpaceX has activated its Starlink satellite broadband service in Ukraine. Internet connectivity in the country has been affected by the Russian invasion. Starlink beams signals for high-speed internet from space but isn't yet available worldwide. Musk wrote on Twitter that his company was sending internet terminals to Ukraine to use the service, though it was unclear how many.

He was responding to Ukraine's vice prime minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who tweeted, "@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space. Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people!"

Fight for Kyiv intensifies

Air raid sirens could be heard as night fell in Kyiv. A curfew is in place in the city until Monday. Residents have been seeking shelter in subway stations. Small numbers of Russian troops were reportedly inside Kyiv, but Britain and the US said the bulk of Russian forces were still 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the city's center as of Saturday afternoon.

The Reuters news agency cited witnesses inside Kyiv as reporting occasional blasts and gunfire in the city. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office said an explosion hit an oil depot south of the capital early on Sunday.