UN confirms at least 351 civilians killed in Ukraine
The United Nations says at least 351 civilians have been killed and 707 injured in Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
It believes the actual numbers were probably "considerably higher," but the UN only reports casualties it has confirmed.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says information from some places where there was intense fighting over the last few days was delayed, and many reports were being corroborated.
Ukrainian officials claim many more civilians have died in the conflict.
US top diplomat Blinken meets refugees in Poland
During a diplomatic trip to Poland, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited a refugee center and met people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Some 3,000 people are currently staying in a former shopping mall in Korczowa, close to the Ukrainian border.
A 48-year-old woman from the Ukrainian town of Kropyvnytskyi said she reached Poland by a bus with her four adopted children and was hoping to reach her brother in Germany. Her home town is 800 kilometers (about 500 miles) from the refugee center. The woman's husband stayed behind.
"There they bombed planes at the airport," she was quoted as saying by the AP news agency. "Of course we were afraid."
The people housed in Korczowa are but a fraction of over 750,000 refugees who have reached Poland, with hundreds of thousands more fleeing to other countries.
UK says its citizens should 'consider leaving' Russia
UK officials advise against "all travel to the whole of Russia" in light of economic volatility and air traffic disruptions triggered by the Ukraine invasion.
The also urged British nationals already in Russia to "consider leaving by remaining commercial routes" if their presence is not essential.
"If you are in Russia, you should be aware that it may not be possible to fly directly to the UK, or via EU countries, and should amend any travel plans accordingly," the UK Foreign Office said on their website. "Connecting flights, largely via the Middle East and Turkey are operational for travel from Russia to the UK and other destinations."
The US issued a similar travel advisory last week with France following suit two days ago.
Germany to build a LNG terminal to reduce reliance on Russia
The German government is funding a terminal to import liquefied natural gas (LNG), officials said on Saturday, as the war in Ukraine has the EU's largest economy reconsider its energy dependence on Moscow.
Currently, Germany has no LNG terminals and imports around 55% of its gas via pipelines from Russia.
The LNG terminal will be located in Brunsbüttel in northwest Germany, where the river Elbe flows into the North Sea. The authorities hope to eventually repurpose it for import of hydrogen, a sustainable energy source.
Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck restated Germany's position that gas would serve to bridge the gap to sustainable energy.
"And it is also necessary to reduce the dependency on imports from Russia, this is urgent at least since Russia's attack on Ukraine," he said in a statement.
Turkey's Erdogan will urge Putin to stop the Ukraine war 'immediately'
Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to speak with Russia's Vladimir Putin on Sunday, and will call on the Russian president to "end this war immediately."
"The president will convey to him the message that we have repeated from the start: end this war immediately, give the ceasefire and negotiations a chance, establish a humanitarian corridor and carry out evacuations," Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told the NTV broadcaster.
Erdogan will also try to facilitate talks between Russia and Ukraine "at the leaders' level" in Turkey.
Separately, Erdogan told EU Council President Charles Michel that NATO member Turkey would continue all its efforts to achieve peace.
Putin: Russia will see no-fly zone over Ukraine as joining conflict
Russia's President Vladimir Putin warned against Kyiv's plea for NATO to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine. NATO has already rejected the idea on Friday.
"Any movement in this direction [toward establishing a no-fly zone] we will see as taking part in the armed conflict by the country from whose territory originate threats for our troops," Putin said on Saturday.
"This same second we will perceive them as parties to the military conflict" regardless of organizations they may be members of, according to the Kremlin chief.
German public broadcasters stop reporting from Russia
German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF have joined other non-Russian media outlets including BBC News and Bloomberg News in suspending reporting from Russia.
The move comes after Russia passed new legislation that foresees jail terms for anyone, including foreigners, if found publishing "false information" about the military.
Russian media have been instructed to take information only from official sources, which refer to Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine as a "special mission."
Russia's Aeroflot halting international flights
Russia's flagship carrier Aeroflot has said it will stop all flights to other countries from March 8, with the exception of those to Belarus.
A statement on the company's website cited new "circumstances that impede the operation of flights."
The move comes amid massive Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
Mariupol evacuation delayed amid alleged cease-fire violations
The Mariupol city council has delayed the evacuation of its citizens through a humanitarian corridor, alleging that Russian troops are violating a cease-fire meant to allow civilians to leave the city within a five-hour window.
"Due to the fact that the Russian side does not adhere to the cease-fire and has continued shelling both of Mariupol itself and its environs and for security reasons, the evacuation of the civilian population has been postponed," city officials said in a statement on social media.
Ukrainian presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych said in a televised broadcast that Russia was not observing the cease-fire.
Mariupol deputy mayor, Serhiy Orlov, also earlier told British broadcaster BBC: "The Russians are continuing to bomb us and use artillery. It is crazy...There is no ceasefire in Mariupol and there is no ceasefire all along the route. Our civilians are ready to escape but they cannot escape under shelling."
Russia says ring around Mariupol being tightened
Pro-Russian separatists are "continuing to tighten the encirclement ring around Mariupol," said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashev.
Konashev also confirmed that the Russian forces declared a localized cease-fire was in effect in Mariupol and Volnovakha, with the humanitarian corridors and evacuation routes agreed with the Ukrainian side.
According to the spokesman, Russian forces are "conducting advancement on a wide front" in Ukraine.
Almost 800,000 refugees from Ukraine in Poland: Border officials
The Polish Border Guard says more than 787,300 people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine have entered Poland.
In a tweet, it said 106,400 people arrived from Ukraine on Friday alone. That is the highest number since the invasion began 10 days ago, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Szefernaker.
F1 team Haas fires Russian driver Nikita Mazepin
US-based Formula One team Haas has decided to end its contract with 23-year-old Russian driver Nikita Mazepin "with immediate effect." They also gave up a sponsorship deal with Russian mining company Uralkali, where the driver's father Dmitry Mazepin works as a non-executive director.
The deal reportedly brought in some €40 million (around $47 million) to the US-based racing team per year.
"As with the rest of the Formula 1 community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes for a swift and peaceful end to the conflict," the company said.
The Mazepin family is believed to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the young driver posting a photo of himself and his father meeting the Russian president in October 2020.
Mazepin was racing for Haas alongside Mick Schumacher, the 22-year-old son of racing legend Michael Schumacher. The Russian national has been with the team for one season but failed to register any points during the championship.
It was not immediately clear who will replace Mazepin less than two weeks before the season officially opens in Bahrain.
Ahead of the Saturday announcement, Haas had already dropped Uralkali branding from their cars. On Thursday, Formula One organizers said they had ended their contract with Russian Grand Prix organizers and would not hold races there.
EU suspends Russia, Belarus from Council of the Baltic Sea States
The European Union said it had agreed with other members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) to suspend Russia and Belarus from the council's activities.
"This decision is a part of the European Union's and like-minded partners response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the involvement of Belarus in this unprovoked and unjustified aggression," it said in a statement.
It said the suspension will "remain in force will remain in force until it is possible to resume cooperation based on respect for fundamental principles of international law."
Russia is one of the co-founders of the council, and Belarus is a CBSS observer state. The body aims to promote regional cooperation. Besides the EU, other members of the council are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden.
Russia announces ceasefire in Mariupol, Volnovakha
The Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday announced that the its army will ceasefire starting 10 a.m. Moscow time (0700 UTC), to allow humanitarian corridors out of the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators had agreed to set up humanitarian corridors in parts of Ukraine badly hit by fighting.
The southeastern port city of Mariupol has been encircled and under Russian fire for days. Its mayor said there was no more running water, electricity or heating.
Ukraine says over 60,000 men returned from abroad to fight
Ukraine's defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, said on Saturday that more than 60,000 Ukrainian men had returned from abroad to help defend their country against the Russian invasion.
He said their return enabled the formation of 12 more combat brigades.
Poland’s Border Guard said last Sunday that some 22,000 people had crossed into Ukraine since the preceding Thursday, when Russia invaded the country.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the first of 16,000 foreign fighters were making their way to Ukraine "to protect freedom and life for us, and for all." That number has not been independently verified.
Elon Musk says Starlink wont block Russian news source
Space X chief Elon Musk has said that his Starlink satellite internet provider will not block Russian news sources.
Musk claimed in a tweet that some countries, which did not include Ukraine, have told Starlink to block Russian news sources.
"We will not do so unless at gunpoint," Musk said. "Sorry to be a free speech absolutist."
The tech mogul had on Thursday warned that Starlink internet service could be targeted by a Russian attack.
Musk had also recently sent Starlink antennas to Ukraine to help civilians stay online amid the invasion.
Musk's statement comes as Russia blocked Facebook and passed a law that gave Moscow stronger powers to clamp down on independent journalism.
Journalists have also said that they were instructed by Russian authorities to only publish information based on official sources, which describe the war as a "special military operation" and claim it is intended to "liberate" Russian-speaking communities in Ukraine.
Attacks on Kyiv and Mariupol
Several Ukrainian cities have come under renewed assault as the war enters into its second week.
The southeastern port city of Mariupol has been encircled and shelled. Mariupol is located on the Azov Sea coast, immediately west of the previous line of contact between Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces.
According to Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko, the city had no water, heat or electricity and was running out of food after five days under attack. Ukrainian presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych said Mariupol was "partially under siege."
Meanwhile, Kyiv came under renewed assault and explosions could be heard from the city center. A Russian armored column had been stalled outside the city for days.
Arestovych said battles involving airstrikes and artillery continued northwest of Kyiv.
He added that the northeastern cities of Kharkiv and Okhtyrka came under heavy fire.
Singapore sanctions Russia
Singapore has announced sanctions against Moscow in the strongest stand on the Russian invasion of Ukraine by a Southeast Asian nation so far.
The sanctions include a ban on dealing with four Russian banks and an export ban on electronics, computers and military items as a response to what Singapore said was Russia’s "dangerous precedent" in Ukraine.
It is rare for the international shipping hub to impose sanctions of its own. However, Singapore said it would not allow the export of items that could inflict harm on or subjugate Ukrainians or help Moscow launch cyber attacks.
"We cannot accept the Russian government's violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of another sovereign state," Singapore's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. "For a small state like Singapore, this is not a theoretical principle, but a dangerous precedent. This is why Singapore has strongly condemned Russia's unprovoked attack."
UN Security Council to meet on humanitarian crisis
The United Nations Security Council will convene an emergency meeting on the humanitarian crisis triggered in Ukraine by the Russian invasion, diplomats said on Friday.
Following the public session scheduled for Monday, the 15 members of the Security Council will meet behind closed doors to mull over a possible draft resolution, news agency AFP reported, citing a diplomat.
The closed-door meeting has reportedly been proposed by Mexico and France.
The two countries have been pressing for a draft that urges an end to hostilities in Ukraine and calls for a flow of humanitarian aid and protection of civilians.
Russia, as a permanent member with the power to veto any Security Council resolution, is extremely unlikely to allow any resolution against it to pass.
Over 1.2 million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began.
UN Security Council to meet on humanitarian crisis
The United Nations Security Council will convene an emergency meeting on the humanitarian crisis triggered in Ukraine by the Russian invasion, diplomats said on Friday.
Following the public session scheduled for Monday, the 15 members of the Security Council will meet behind closed doors to mull over a possible draft resolution, news agency AFP reported, citing a diplomat.
The closed-door meeting has reportedly been proposed by Mexico and France.
The two countries have been pressing for a draft that urges an end to hostilities in Ukraine and calls for a flow of humanitarian aid and protection of civilians.
Russia, as a permanent member with the power to veto any Security Council resolution, is extremely unlikely to allow any resolution against it to pass.
Summary of events in Ukraine-Russia crisis
Russia came under heavy criticism on Friday over shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power plant. Russian troops took control of the power plant after fighting early Friday morning.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed NATO for its decision not to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
"Knowing that new strikes and casualties are inevitable, NATO deliberately decided not to close the sky over Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in a video published by the presidency.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation imposing harsh jail terms for publishing "fake news" about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The move led several news organizations to reevaluate their operations in Moscow. Other international news agencies, including DW, have been blocked inside Russia along with the social media networks Facebook and Twitter. The move has serious implications for Russians' ability to access independent sources of information.
