Last updated at 22:00 PM (IST)
Zelensky says Ukraine is fighting for more countries than itself
- US warns of chemical weapons attack in Ukraine
- Zelensky decries hospital bombing as "genocide"
- US House approves $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine, European allies
- EU leaders to discuss economic fallout from Russian attack
- Ukraine's ex-President Poroshenko tells DW Putin's 'blitzkrieg' has 'failed'
Zelensky says Ukraine is fighting for more countries than itself
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky got a standing ovation from the Polish National Assembly. He spoke to the assembly via video link at an event marking the 23rd anniversary of Poland joining NATO.
Zelensky thanked Poland for its military support and for hosting Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian attacks, "when there is someone that is brutal in its attack, you need someone you can count on."
"We are fighting for the Baltic states and for Poland so that they don't have to face [Russia]," he said.
At the same event, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance has more than doubled the number of troops and military equipment deployed in Poland, adding "we will protect Poland."
He again stressed Russia could not dictate who joins NATO.
"Neither Russia nor anyone else has a veto whether any country becomes a member," Stoltenberg said.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said it was essential to support Ukraine against Russia.
"What Russia is doing in Ukraine shows it is still the empire of evil," Duda said. "We cannot allow Russia to overpower the free and independent Ukraine."
Russia carries out first air strikes on western Ukraine
Russia has widened its offensive in Ukraine, striking airfields in the west for the first time.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Moscow used high-precision long-range weapons to put military airfields in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk "out of action."
Russian air strikes also targeted for the first time the eastern city of Dnipro, a major industrial hub and Ukraine's fourth-largest city, on the river of the same name.
Until now, Russian forces have made the biggest advances on cities in the south and east while stalling in the north and around Kyiv.
But the advance had appeared to stall amid reports of food and fuel shortages and attacks by Ukrainian troops with anti-tank missiles.
New satellite photos also appeared to show the massive Russian convoy outside the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, had fanned out.
A 40-mile (64-kilometer) line of tanks and other vehicles had massed outside the city early last week. The Russian military is widely expected to try to encircle Kyiv.
Scholz: Cutting Europe's reliance on Russian energy will take time
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Europe is working to reduce its reliance on Russian oil and gas as quickly as possible in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But he acknowledged that it would take some time.
"Our situation is much different than the US or Canada, who are much less dependent on Russian oil and gas, because they are net exporters," Scholz told a news conference following a summit of EU leaders at Versailles in France on Friday.
"What they are doing, they know that Europe cannot do in the undertake in the same way" he added, referring to the ban on Russian energy by by the US and Canada.
One idea, he said, was to link up electricity and gas networks across Europe to be more efficient.
The German leader also said the Western sanctions on Moscow had been "massive" and were already having "dramatic consequences" on the Russian economy.
Scholz said the Western countries had shown a "strong will to stand together, to stand shoulder to shoulder in managing this crisis."
He added that other EU leaders had welcomed Berlin's decision to drastically hike military spending.
EU summit at Versailles wrapping up
The leaders of EU member states have concluded an informal summit held at France's Versailles Palace with talks centering around the situation in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are among the participants.
There has been strong support of Ukraine's resistance to Russia's invasion.
However, some have stressed that there is no shortcut to EU membership, which Ukraine is seeking as a matter of urgency. Former eastern bloc countries however believe there needs to be a stronger signal towards membership.
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich hit with fresh sanctions, from Canada
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that his country had imposed sanctions on Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and four other oligarchs.
"These individuals will be prevented from dealings in Canada and their assets will be frozen," Trudeau told reporters in Warsaw.
He added that 32 Russian companies and government entities would be barred from receiving defense equipment or supplies from Canada.
However, the Canadian operations of Russian steelmaker Evraz, of which Abramovich is the largest shareholder, will not be affected by the move.
On Thursday, Abramovich — who owns Chelsea Football Club — was included in fresh UK sanctions against Russian individuals.
The football club is among the assets frozen and his planned sale of the club has been stalled.
Kremlin: Russian peace demands handed to Ukraine
Russia said Friday that its concrete demands for ceasing hostilities in Ukraine had been handed over to Kyiv.
The Interfax news agency cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that the demands were related to the advance of NATO infrastructure on Russia's western borders and Ukraine's actions in the southeastern Donbas region.
"For the resolution of these two issues, the concrete demands formulated by the Russian side were handed over to the Ukrainian side. As far as we know, the Ukrainians are discussing these demands with their advisers, primarily from the US and EU countries," Peskov said.
He added that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy had not been ruled out.
"But first, both delegations and ministers must do their part to ensure that the presidents meet not for the sake of the process, not for the sake of talking, but for the sake of the result," Peskov said.
NATO chief: War must not escalate beyond Ukraine's borders
Russia's invasion of Ukraine must not spill over into an open conflict between NATO and Moscow, the military alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg said.
"We have a responsibility to prevent this conflict from escalating beyond Ukraine's borders to becoming a full-fledged war between Russia and NATO," he told AFP news agency on the sidelines of a forum in Turkey.
Kyiv has strongly criticized NATO's refusal to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine to stop Russian missiles and warplanes.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Western military alliance ruled out the measure despite knowing that further Russian aggression was likely.
In his interview with AFP, Stoltenberg warned that a no-fly zone would "most likely lead to a full war," causing "so much more suffering, so much more death and destruction."
Moscow threatens Facebook over posts for calling for 'murder' of Russians
Russia said on Friday it would shut down Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp if the platforms allowed users to call for violence against Russians and death to President Vladimir Putin.
Internal emails seen by Reuters news agency showed Facebook's parent company Meta had temporarily allowed posts that call for the death of Putin or Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed it had eased its rules, allowing posts such as "death to the Russian invaders," although it would not allow calls for violence against Russian civilians.
Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said it was launching a criminal case into the report.
Russia's General Prosecutor's Office also requested that the internet giant be branded "extremist."
Zelensky: 'Strategic turning point' in war with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country has reached a strategic turning point in its war with Russia.
But he cautioned that time and patience were still needed until victory is achieved.
"It is impossible to say how many days we still have to free Ukrainian land," he said in a televised address. "But we can say we will do it.”
Zelensky also urged the international community to step up their sanctions on Moscow.
UN: Credible reports of Russian use of cluster bombs
The United Nations human rights office said on Friday it had received "credible reports" of several cases of Russian forces using cluster bombs in Ukraine.
The munitions are made up of a hollow shell that explodes in mid-air, dispersing dozens or even hundreds of smaller "bomblets" over a wide area.
UNHCR spokesperson Liz Throssell said the use of cluster bombs in populated areas is "incompatible with the international humanitarian law principles governing the conduct of hostilities."
"We remind the Russian authorities that directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as so-called area bombardment in towns and villages and other forms of indiscriminate attacks, are prohibited under international law and may amount to war crimes."
The UNHRC said it had confirmed at least 549 civilian deaths in Ukraine and 57 injuries since the Russian invasion began on February 24, although experts say the real figure is likely higher.
Russia is not a party to a 2008 convention banning cluster bombs, but the country is bound by international humanitarian law.
Minister proposes evacuating wounded to Germany
Germany should play a leading role in providing medical care for the victims of the war in Ukraine, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said Friday.
"Wounded, injured people can be brought to Germany with the help of the International Red Cross and then be distributed throughout the country, he said.
Lauterbach said Germany can also deliver medicines and medical supplies to Ukraine, via Poland.
He also hailed reports that several German nurses and doctors have volunteered to work in Ukraine, describing their decision as a "heroic effort."
'Positive shifts' in Russia-Ukraine talks, Putin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday there had been some progress in talks with Ukraine, but provided no details.
"There are certain positive shifts, negotiators on our side tell me," Putin said in a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, adding that talks continued "practically on a daily basis."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had said Thursday the meeting in Turkey with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, did not bring any decisive progress.
Kuleba said they couldn't agree on the creation of humanitarian corridors for the port city of Mariupol, but that Lavrov would confer with colleagues in Moscow on the issue.
1 million without power in Ukraine: energy firm
Nearly a million people in Ukraine are without electricity, the country's state-owned nuclear energy provider Energoatom said on Friday, as Russia's bombardment of Ukrainian cities continued.
It added that nearly 228,000 consumers were without natural gas.
Other reports have said the port city of Mariupol, where authorities have tried repeatedly to evacuate civilians, has been without food, running water and electricity for 10 days.
Nighttime temperatures in Ukraine regularly fall below freezing and daytime temperatures hover around 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).
Deutsche Bank maintains operations in Russia
Deutsche Bank has been criticized for not joining other Western companies in leaving Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
Bill Browder, an investor campaigning to expose corruption, said by continuing to do business in Russia, Germany's biggest bank "is completely at odds with the international business community and will create backlash, lost reputation and business in the West."
Ana Botin, president of the European Banking Federation, told Spain's El Mundo newspaper, "Most European banks are applying the strictest sanctions and even going further, trying to do what is right and what needs to be done."
Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing on Thursday defended the decision in a note to staff, saying leaving Russia would “go against our values."
He added that it would not "be the right thing to do in terms of managing those client relationships and helping them to manage their situation."
Deutsche Bank said earlier this week its credit risk exposure to Russia and Ukraine was €2.9 billion ($3.18 billion) and that it had reduced its Russia exposure further over the past two weeks.
EU plans to double military aid financing to Ukraine
The European Union is proposing to spend an extra €500 million ($549 million) to finance military aid to Ukraine, the bloc's foreign policy chief said.
Josep Borrell said he was "certain" EU leaders meeting in France for a second day on Friday would agree to double the spending package that has seen the bloc fund weapons going to Ukraine.
The bloc last month broke a long-standing taboo by agreeing pay fro arms delieveries to Ukraine after Russia invaded its neighbor to the West.
The move by Brussels was part of a broad push by Ukraine's allies to send weapons after pleas from Kyiv to help it fight off the Kremlin's advancing forces.
Officials said the new tranche of money would go towards reimbursing EU nations that were unilaterally sending arms requested by Ukraine.
Two German public broadcasters resume operations in Moscow
A week after they announced they would suspend operations in Russia, German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF have said they will resume broadcasts from Moscow.
The broadcasters said they will report on the "political, economic and social situation in Russia," WDR, a member of the ARD network, said.
Unlike Deutsche Welle, which is also a public broadcaster, the two other German networks' journalists did not have their press accredition revoked by Russian authorities.
Litvinenko's widow: West must counter Putin's 'brainwashing'
The West must step up its battle against the Kremlin's disinformation campaign, Marina Litvinenko, the widow of the poisoned Russian spy and Putin critic Alexander Litvinenko, told DW.
She said the Russian people have been "completely brainwashed" over the past 20 years and most independent media outlets have been shut down.
Litvinenko said Western countries — including Germany — who used to beam Russian language broadcasts into the Soviet Union, were partly responsible for allowing Russian President Vladimir Putin to spread disinformation when they cut their services after the end of the Cold War.
"It was a huge mistake because the people behind this war have been waiting for revenge. When this all proper [truthful] information left Russia, it was ... [replaced] by disinformation, by brainwashing," she added.
Litvinenko called on the Russian people to "stop supporting this regime" by staging strikes and protests.
"Stop working, go outside on the street … against this war. [Putin] is not only destroying Ukraine, he's not only destroying West, he destroyed his own country. In two weeks, the Russian economy has completely collapsed."
UN: 4.5 million displaced by Russian invasion
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says 2.5 million people have now fled Ukraine since Russia invaded 15 days ago.
IOM spokesman Paul Dillon said the figures, taken from national governments, were up to date until Friday morning (GMT).
Dillon said more than 1.5 million refugees have gone to Poland and that around 116,000 of those who've fled Ukraine are "third-country nationals," not Ukrainians.
The UN high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, also gave the 2.5 million figure for refugees and said his agency estimates that about 2 million people are also displaced inside Ukraine.
Putin calls on 'volunteers' to join Russia's offensive
Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed plans to let volunteers from countries fight in Ukraine as the conflict there enters its third week.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia knew of "more than 16,000 applications" from the Middle East, many of them from people who he said helped Russia against the "Islamic State" group, according to a Kremlin transcript.
They want "to take part in what they consider a liberation movement," Shoigu said, on the side of Russia-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
Scholars have cast doubt on the Kremlin's motives, particularly the notion that Moscow maintains it is liberating Ukraine. University of Rochester's associate professor of history Matthew Lenoe called Russia's invasion of its neighbor "a brutal act of aggression with absolutely no justification."
Navalny repeats protest call to stop 'maniac Putin'
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny called for ant-war protests to take place across Russia on Sunday.
"Mad maniac Putin will most quickly be stopped by the people of Russia now if they oppose the war," Navalny posted on Instagram.
"You need to go to anti-war rallies every weekend, even if it seems that everyone has either left or got scared," he said. "You are the backbone of the movement against war and death."
Ukraine will no longer buy Russian nuclear fuel
Ukraine's state-owned nuclear power firm Energoatom will no longer buy Russian nuclear fuel, Reuters news agency reported the company as saying.
The country operates nuclear reactors from the Soviet era and imports its fuel from Russia and the United States.
Last week, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, was caught in the crossfire after fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces caused a fire at the power station.
While no radiation leaks were detected and staff continue to work on the site, the incident sparked fears of a possible nuclear disaster among global leaders.
Air Astana and Pegasus Airlines suspend flights to Russia
Kazakhstan's national airline Air Astana and Turkey's Pegasus Airlines said Friday they were temporarily suspending flights to Russia.
The Kazakh airline tweeted: "Air Astana sincerely regrets to advise that due the withdrawal of insurance coverage for commercial flights to, from and over the Russian Federation, all flights to the Russian Federation are suspended with immediate effect." In a statement, Air Astana said it hoped to "restore flights as soon as possible."
Turkish budget airline Pegasus Airlines said that its flights to Russia will be suspended from March 13 to 27.
Pegasus said the decision to halt flights was brought about by "operational risks" from the sanctions imposed by the European Union.
Russia to declare cease-fire, open evacuation corridors
Russia's Defense Ministry will announce a partial cease-fire on Friday, enabling an opening of routes for the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from five cities, according to the RIA and Interfax news agencies.
The agencies quoted the ministry as saying people could travel to Russia or other cities in Ukraine.
"From 10:00 am Moscow time (0700 GMT/UTC) on March 11, 2022, the Russian Federation will declare a 'regime of silence' and is ready to provide humanitarian corridors," Interfax reported, citing a statement.
The five cities are Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Chernihiv.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said she hopes the route for the besieged city of Mariupol will be successfully opened. Previous attempts to open such a corridor came under fire by Russian forces, Ukrainian officials said.
Vereshchuk added that buses would be sent to multiple Kyiv suburbs to bring people to the capital, and to bring aid to those staying behind.
Civilian targets shelled in Dnipro, Lutsk
Civilian targets came under Russian shelling in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing one, emergency services said.
It appeared to be the first direct attack on the city.
Emergency services said three airstrikes hit a kindergarten, an apartment building and a shoe factory.
Shelling was also reported Friday near the airport in Lutsk, a city in north-western Ukraine, the mayor wrote on Facebook.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its troops targeted airports in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk, another western Ukrainian city some 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Lutsk.
Orban: EU will not impose sanctions on Russian gas or oil
The European Union will not impose sanctions on Russian gas or oil, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.
"The most important issue for us has been settled in a favorable way: there won't be sanctions that would apply to gas or oil, so Hungary's energy supply is secure in the upcoming period," Orban said in a video posted on his Facebook page.
Over 200,000 flee Ukraine to Russia
Since the conflict began on February 24, more than 200,000 people have been evacuated from Ukraine to Russia from Ukraine and its two Russian-backed rebel regions — Donetsk and Luhansk — the Russian state-owned TASS news agency reported on Friday, citing an unidentified source.
The United Nations has estimated that 2.2 million people have fled the fighting since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
Facebook allows posts calling for violence against Russian soldiers, Putin
Meta Platforms will allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russian troops, Reuters reported Friday. It represents a temporary shift in Meta's hate speech policy.
The social media giant is also temporarily allowing some posts that call for the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
A Meta statement on the issue read: "As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as 'death to the Russian invaders.' We still won't allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians."
The Russian Embassy in the United States demanded that Washington stop Meta's "extremist activities," Reuters news agency reported.
"Users of Facebook & Instagram did not give the owners of these platforms the right to determine the criteria of truth and pit nations against each other," the embassy said on Twitter.
US and allies plan to cut Russia's trade status
US President Joe Biden is expected to call for an end of normal trade relations with Russia later on Friday.
Despite the tense relationship between Washington and Moscow, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US currently still affords "most favored nation status" to Russia.
The designation means that a country with the clause must give the same concessions, privileges, or immunities to nations with it as to any other World Trade Organization member.
Removing the special status from Russia would allow the US and allies to impose tariffs on Russian imports, increasing the isolation of the Russian economy in retaliation for the invasion.
The move is expected to be coordinated with other G7 allies, including the UK.
In the US, removing Russia's "Permanent Normal Trade Relations" (PNTR) status will require an act of Congress.
However, lawmakers in both houses of Congress — and on both sides of the aisle — have already signaled their support, officials say.
Russia to declare ceasefire, open evacuation corridors
Russia's Defense Ministry will announce a partial cease-fire on Friday, enabling an opening of routes for the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from five cities, according to the RIA and Interfax news agencies.
The agencies quoted the ministry as saying people could travel to Russia or other cities in Ukraine.
"From 10:00 am Moscow time (0700 GMT/UTC) on March 11, 2022, the Russian Federation will declare a 'regime of silence' and is ready to provide humanitarian corridors," Interfax reported, citing a statement.
The five cities are Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Chernihiv.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said she hopes the route for the besieged city of Mariupol will be successfully opened. Previous attempts to open such a corridor came under fire by Russian forces, Ukrainian officials said.
Civilian targets shelled in Dnipro, Lutsk
Civilian targets came under Russian shelling in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing one, emergency services said.
It appeared to be the first direct attack on the city.
Emergency services said three airstrikes hit a kindergarten, an apartment building and a shoe factory.
Shelling was also reported Friday near the airport in Lutsk, a city in north-western Ukraine, the mayor wrote on Facebook.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its troops targeted airports in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk, another western Ukrainian city some 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Lutsk.
Orban: EU will not impose sanctions on Russian gas or oil
The European Union will not impose sanctions on Russian gas or oil, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.
"The most important issue for us has been settled in a favorable way: there won't be sanctions that would apply to gas or oil, so Hungary's energy supply is secure in the upcoming period," Orban said in a video posted on his Facebook page.
Orban's comments came as EU leaders gathered in France to discuss ways of helping Ukraine.
US passes bill for $14 billion to Ukraine
US lawmakers have passed a huge spending bill that includes almost $14 billion (about €12.7 billion) in humanitarian and military aid for Ukraine.
The money for Kyiv, which piggybacked on wider spending legislation, had support from both Democrats and Republicans who have both rallied behind sending aid to the country.
"We're keeping our promise to support Ukraine as they fight for their lives against the evil Vladimir Putin," Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Senate Democrats, said in a statement.
The emergency aid was said to be more than double what US President Joe Biden's administration had originally requested.
The House of Representatives had passed the bill a day earlier, with the bill now heading to Biden's desk. The aid package is certain to be signed into law by the US president.
Around half the money is for arming and equipping Ukraine and for the Pentagon's costs for sending US troops to Ukraine's next door neighbors.
Much of the remaining sum includes humanitarian and economic help, protecting energy supplies, and cybersecurity.
Over 200,000 flee Ukraine to Russia
Since the conflict began on February 24, more than 200,000 people have been evacuated from Ukraine to Russia from Ukraine and its two Russian-backed rebel regions — Donetsk and Luhansk — the Russian state-owned TASS news agency reported on Friday, citing an unidentified source.
The United Nations has estimated that 2.2 million people have fled the fighting since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
UN Security Council to meet at Russia's behest
The US Security Council is set to meet later on Friday to discuss Russia's claims about alleged US "military biological activities" in Ukraine.
The allegations were made earlier this week, without evidence, by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Washington has responded, saying the claim was "exactly the kind of false flag effort we have warned Russia might initiate to justify a biological or chemical weapons attack."
That statement suggested Russia might seek to create a pretext for further escalating the two-week-old conflict that has seen the Russian offensive slowed, but not stopped, by Ukraine's troops.
"We're not going to let Russia gaslight the world or use the UN Security Council as a venue for promoting their disinformation," Olivia Dalton, spokesperson for the US Mission to the United Nations said late Thursday.
For years, the international community for years has assessed that Russia has used chemical weapons in carrying out assassination attempts against opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia also backs Syria's Bashar al-Assad, whose regime has used chemical weapons against its people in an 11-year-long civil war.
Zelensky says Moscow tank attack targeted human corridor
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian forces of targeting a humanitarian corridor in the city of Mariupol in an operation of "outright terror."
Zelensky said that, while some 100,000 people have been evacuated the country's cities in just two days, some city residents have no way out.
The president said he had decided to send a convoy of trucks into the besieged port city with food, water, and medicine. However, he said, "the occupiers launched a tank attack exactly where this corridor was supposed to be."
"They knew what they were disrupting. They have a clear order to hold Mariupol hostage, to torture it, to carry out constant bombardment."
"The world needs to know that. It has to admit it. We are all dealing with a terrorist state," Zelensky said.
Zelensky also said the city of Volnovakha was "under attack" in a similar way to Mariupol.
Mariupol's mayor says more than 1,200 civilians had died in 9 days of continuous shelling that have left residents with no water, heat, or communications.
International leaders and Ukraine have accused Russia of a "barbaric" attack on a children's hospital in the besieged city.
Satellite pics show Kyiv-bound convoy dispersal
Satellite images appear to show a huge Russian convoy, mired outside the Ukrainian capital since last week, has broken up and redeployed.
The pictures from Maxar Technologies showed the 40-mile (64-kilometer) line of vehicles, including tanks and artillery, has dispersed.
Armored units have been seen in towns near the Antonov Airport north of the city and some have moved into forests, Maxar reported.
The convoy's advance on Kyiv appeared to have stalled last week amid reports of food and fuel shortages.
According to US officials, Ukrainian troops also targeted the line of hardware with anti-tank missiles.
Convoy elements appear to have deployed further north of the airport near the town of Lubyanka, with towed artillery howitzers in firing positions.
Ukraine says Russia shelled nuclear institute
Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have shelled a nuclear research institute in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, setting buildings on fire.
A shell hit a building where some equipment — including an experimental nuclear reactor — could release radiation if it were damaged, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's Interior Ministry, said.
The shelling caused a fire in a neighboring hostel that firefighters brought under control.
Authorities said they had observed no initial change in background radiation.
The Ukrainian parliament's official website had earlier said fighting close to the institute was continuing.
Russian forces have already taken over two nuclear power plants in Ukraine, raising concerns about the security of the nuclear facilities.
Ukraine says it lost contact with Chernobyl nuclear plant
Ukraine told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it lost contact with the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
"Ukraine informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it had lost today all communications with the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the day after the Russian-controlled site lost all external power supplies," the IAEA said.
Schröder's mission to Moscow reportedly on Ukraine's request
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has traveled to Moscow to help mediate in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Politico reported on Tuesday.
In an interview with DW, Politico's Executive Editor, Florian Eder said Schröder met President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine's request.
"The Ukrainian side asked Gerhard Schröder to try and build a bridge to Vladimir Putin and to try to negotiate about possible conditions for a ceasefire or something similar," Eder said.
The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, had suggested a week ago that Schröder should mediate between Ukraine and Russia. The former chancellor is a longtime business associate of Kremlin circles and Putin.
Eder added it was "really very much unprecedented" for a former German leader to pursue diplomacy without telling the current government.
"I think very much that he is there on behalf of his own reputation that has been bruised and damaged in the past weeks, and he might hope to be able to repair that a little bit," he said.
German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told DW that should the report be accurate, the visit was made without consulting the government. Chancellor Olaf Scholz declined to comment when asked about the report in Versailles.
Schröder's wife, So-yeon Schröder-Kim, has since posted an image of herself in central Moscow.
Estonian prime minister calls for bolstering NATO defense posture
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told DW Thursday that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had fundamentally changed how NATO countries in Europe need to think about their defense strategy.
"We need to increase our spending on defense and we need to go from a deterrence posture to defense plans, as in how do we defend our territory?" she said.
As a small country formerly part of the Soviet Union, with a significant Russian population, Estonia's inclusion into the European Union and NATO membership allow the country security guarantees.
Former Soviet countries like Georgia and Ukraine, both of which have seen Russian troops on their soil this century, enjoy no such guarantees.
"We are members of NATO, so attacking us would literally mean also attacking France, Germany or the United States," Kallas said. "We have collective defense and we are not afraid. We don't see any miitary threats right now to us, and our focus is on helping Ukraine."
Putin downplays effects of Russia sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that Russia would find a way to "adapt" to the massive international sanctions and pullouts of Western corporations in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
"We have to get through this period," he said, claiming that the unprecedented sanctions would make Russia stronger. "The economy will undoubtedly adapt to the new situation. This will lead to an increase in our independence, self-reliance and sovereignty," Putin said.
As Western goods and services are cut off from Russia, and shortages loom, Putin tried to reassure Russians that the Kremlin had everything under control.
"It is clear that in such moments people's demands for certain categories of goods always increase, but we have no doubt that we will solve these problems in due course in a calm way and gradually people will find their way," Putin said.
Speaking to a televised government conference, Putin said the sanctions, in fact, hurt the West more than Russia.
"Their prices are rising, but that's not our fault. It's the result of their own miscalculations. There's no need to blame us," Putin said. "They are telling their citizens to tighten their belts, to dress warmer," Putin said, adding that Russia was continuing to export oil and gas to Europe.
Many European countries continue to be dependent on Russian oil and gas. The US and UK this week said they would ban imports of Russian petroleum products. The EU is exploring ways to wean itself from Russian energy, but has so far held back from including oil and gas in sanctions packages.
Belarus says it will power Chernobyl
Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant would be powered with energy from neighboring Belarus.
The energy ministry in Minsk made the announcement, according to the BelTA state news agency.
Ukraine's state-run nuclear company said Russian Forces had cut a power line supplying electricity to the site on Wednesday.
Chernobyl no longer generates electricity, but it needs the power to help cool spent nuclear fuel. The UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, reported no critical impact on safety.
Ukraine's state-owned energy firm Ukrenergo criticized Minsk's intervention saying a ceasefire was the best remedy.
"All reports by Russian and Belarusian media on the supply of the Chernobyl power plant from Belarus are a provocation aimed at aggravating the situation," it said in a statement.
Berlin government was unaware of Gerhard Schröder's reported Moscow visit
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Politico reported on Thursday.
He was visiting as part of a mediation effort to end the war in Ukraine, Politico said, referring to "sources familiar with the matter."
German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told DW that should the report be accurate, the visit was made without consulting the government.
Last week Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Schröder to step down from the boards of Russian state-owned energy companies.
Schröder is a longtime business associate of Kremlin circles and Putin. Like Scholz, Schröder is a member of the center-left Social Democrats. His close ties to Russia after leaving politics have embarrassed the party on more than one occasion in recent years.
When asked about the report by journalists on Thursday, Scholz simply replied: "I do not wish to comment on that."
Klitschko: Kyiv turned into a 'fortress'
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said nearly half of the capital's residents had fled and the capital had been turned into a fortress.
"A little less than 2 million people have currently left. However, Kyiv has been transformed into a fortress. Every street, every building, every checkpoint has been fortified," he said in a televised address. "Even people who in their lives never intended to change their clothes, now they are in uniform with machine guns in their hands."
The former boxing champion said the city was determined not to fall to advancing Russian forces. Russian troops have taken over the outskirts in the north and northwest of the city. More attacks are expected from the northeast.
Chelsea wants sanctions relief
Chelsea Football Club said activities would continue despite the sanctions against its owner Roman Abramovich.
The UK government gave the club a special license to operate under limited terms.
Chelsea said they would ask the government to lift the restrictions, including a ban on new ticket sales.
"This will include seeking permission for the licence to be amended in order to allow the Club to operate as normal as possible," the club said in a statement.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, whose portfolio includes sports, earlier said that the sanctions on Abramovich would "obviously have a direct impact" on Chelsea but would deprive "Abramovich of benefiting from his ownership of the club."
He previously said he would sell the club, but the sanctions make that impossible.
