February 27, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

New satellite images show a more than three-mile-long Russian military convoy on a roadway that heads toward the capital city.

As Ukrainians continue to repel Russian advances around Kyiv, new satellite images show a more than 3-mile-long Russian military convoy is on a roadway that heads toward the capital city.

According to Maxar, the convoy was seen on satellite images on Sunday around 10:56 a.m. local time on the P-02-02 road near Ivankiv, which is about 40 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of the Ukrainian capital. The P-02-02 road goes toward Kyiv.

Maxar identified fuel and logistical trucks, in addition to tanks, infantry vehicles and self-propelled artillery moving in the convoy.

See the images:

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01:42 - Source: CNN

Ukraine has filed an application to institute proceedings against Russia before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a “dispute … relating to the interpretation, application and fulfillment of the 1948 Convention and Prevention of Punishment of the Crimes of Genocide,” according to an ICJ news release on the filing.   

In the application, Ukraine says Russia has “falsely claimed that acts of genocide have occurred” in the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, adding Russia then subsequently declared and implemented a “special military operation” against Ukraine, the news release says.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the news on Twitter, requesting an “urgent decision” from the ICJ.

Ukraine also accuses Russia of “planning acts of genocide” in the country and says Russia is “intentionally killing and inflicting serious injury on members of the Ukrainian nationality,” according to the news release.

Ambassadors speak during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Sunday, February 27.

The UN Security Council just voted to send the Ukraine issue to the UN General Assembly for a Special Emergency Session due to a permanent member deadlock in the council.

Russia vetoed a US resolution to condemn Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine.

“We ask Russia to tone down its rhetoric,” US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, regarding an announcement of forces being put on nuclear alert.

The vote was procedural, thus not being threatened by another veto. 

The results were similar to last week’s vote which blocked approval of a resolution because of the Russia veto.

France has also submitted a resolution regarding humanitarian issues for the council’s consideration.

This is the first UN Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly since 1982 when an UN Emergency Special Session was convened to address the situation in the occupied Arab territories area of Golan Heights. 

The number of known people killed in Ukraine following the Russian invasion is 352 civilians, Ukraine’s Ministry of Interior said Sunday. 

At least 14 of those killed are children, according to the ministry. 

Another 1,684 people, including 116 children, have been injured.

A CNN team south of Belgorod, Russia, near the Ukrainian border has observed Russian vehicles that are broken down or inoperable, as US and Western officials say that a portion of the Russian forces amassed on the border with Ukraine were unusable.

The team has seen several broken-down armored personnel carriers, an armored vehicle being towed, a howitzer that was being repaired on the side of the road when its track had come off, and more.

On the eve of the invasion, US officials said approximately 80% of Russia’s military force amassed on Ukraine’s borders was in forward positions.

A US official said the US believes a portion of the remaining force was inoperable. At the same time, a European official told CNN Russia’s fictional pullback in the days before the invasion had included removing broken vehicles from the field.

A senior defense official said Sunday morning that Russia still has a significant capacity of forces that have not yet been deployed into Ukraine. 

Oleksandr Svidlo, the acting mayor of Berdyansk on Ukraine’s southern coast, has said that Russian forces have entered and taken control of the city.

Berdyansk, which has a small naval base, has a population of about 100,000.

Svidlo posted a message to the city’s residents on his Facebook page Sunday which said, “A few hours ago, you and I witnessed how heavy military equipment and armed soldiers entered the city and began advancing throughout our hometown. As soon as I learned about that, I tried to inform all the residents of the city so that you have the opportunity to hide in shelters.”

Svidlo continued: “Some time ago, armed soldiers entered the executive committee building and introduced themselves as soldiers of the Russian army, they informed us that all administrative buildings were under their control and that they were taking control of the executive committee building.”

Svidlo said that officials were asked to continue working, “but under the control of armed men. I consider this proposal unacceptable, so we, as all members of the operational headquarters, left the building of the executive committee.”

Svidlo ended his post, saying, “Today Berdyansk was on the line of fire. I don’t know what tomorrow will be like, but I think tonight will be very, very hard.”

Countries on Sunday took steps to further isolate Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

If you’re just reading in now, here is some of what you missed:

France will submit a resolution Monday to the United Nations Security Council calling for “unhindered humanitarian access” in Ukraine as well as a ceasefire, according to a statement from the Elysée Palace Sunday. 

Following a flurry of calls between French President Emmanuel Macron and world leaders this weekend, the president and his counterparts recognized “the need to work on the conditions for the proper delivery of humanitarian aid to Ukraine,” according to the Elysée. 

Additionally, France will call for a ceasefire which “must precede any peace talks,” the statement said. 

Macron held calls this weekend with leaders from: Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the European Union and European Council, Greece, Georgia and Moldova. He also spoke with Belarus’ president.

He held calls Sunday with leaders from Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Abu Dhabi and the EU Commission. 

An outside view of the Consular Section at the US embassy in Bolshoi Devyatinsky Pereulok Street in central Moscow. 

The US Embassy in Russia warned US nationals on Sunday that they should consider leaving “immediately” due to the rising number of airlines that are canceling flights in and out of the country and closing their airspace to Russian airlines.

“An increasing number of airlines are cancelling flights into and out of Russia, and numerous countries have closed their airspace to Russian airlines. U.S. citizens should consider departing Russia immediately via commercial options still available,” the embassy said in an advisory Sunday.

“The US Embassy reminds US citizens that the Department of State’s Travel Advisory level for Russia is at ‘Level 4: Do Not Travel,’” the statement added.

FIFA announced on Sunday that Russia must play all upcoming international fixtures on neutral sites under the name “football union of Russia,” as part of an initial list of sanctions due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. 

“FIFA calls again for the urgent restoration of peace and for constructive dialogue to commence immediately,” the statement continues. “FIFA remains in close contact with the Ukrainian Association of Football and members of the Ukrainian football community who have been requesting support to leave the country for as long as the current conflict persists.”

In coordination with UEFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Bureau of the FIFA Council ruled that all of Russia’s home fixtures in international competitions must be played on neutral territory and without spectators. 

The member association representing Russia must also play all international competitions under the name “Football Union of Russia (RFU)” with no Russian flag or anthem allowed.

Although the initial list of sanctions does not completely ban Russia, FIFA said in the statement that it “will continue its ongoing dialogue with the IOC, UEFA and other sport organisations to determine any additional measures or sanctions, including a potential exclusion from competitions, that shall be applied in the near future should the situation not be improving rapidly.”

The Bureau of the FIFA Council “remains on standby to take any of these decisions,” the statement said.

FIFA also acknowledged they are in contact with the Polish Football Association, the Football Association of the Czech Republic and the Swedish Football Association to find appropriate and acceptable solutions regarding the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers. 

Russia is currently scheduled to host Poland in a playoff semifinal on March 24. The game is set to be held at the VTB Arena in Moscow. The winner of the Poland-Russia match would host either Sweden or Czech Republic on March 29 in the final of their World Cup qualification route.

In a response to FIFA’s sanctions against Russia, Cezary Kulesza, president of the Polish Football Association, released a statement calling FIFA’s decision “totally unacceptable.”

Along with Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden and England have all said they will not play Russia in any of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers next month.

Russian authorities have detained a total of 5,794 people for participating in unsanctioned anti-war protests across the country, since the Kremlin ordered an invasion of Ukraine, independent monitoring site OVD-Info said on Sunday. 

As of 3 p.m. ET, 2,650 people had been detained for protesting in 51 cities throughout the country, OVD-Info also reported, and 1,225 were detained in Moscow alone. 

Under Russian law, large demonstrations require protesters apply for a permit, which has to be submitted no more than 15 but no less than 10 days before the event. Heavy fines — and in some cases even prison time — can be imposed on those who protest without a permit. Individuals are allowed to stage “single pickets,” which are solo protests but it is not unheard of for people to be detained for those as well.  

On Thursday, Russia’s Investigative Committee warned that participation in any anti-war protest was illegal. It also said that offenses could be entered on participants’ criminal records which would “leave a mark on the person’s future”

France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has “strongly recommended” French visitors to Russia to leave the country “without delay,” following the European Union decision to ban Russian and Belarusian airlines from European airspace, according to a Sunday update to official French travel guidelines to Russia. 

A similar update on the website Sunday “formally discouraged” any travel to Belarus. 

The foreign ministry said that “most European [airline] companies, including Air France” suspended routes into and over Russia beginning on Sunday evening due to the EU’s closure of its airspace to Russian aircraft and airlines. 

Due to the increased restrictions, France’s foreign ministry recommended that French people “passing through Russia (tourists, visitors, students, professionals on work trips) make arrangements to leave the country without delay by existing air links,” the travel advice said. 

“It is also advisable to postpone any trip to Russia.”

In the context of military tensions between Ukraine and Belarus, as well as the closure of Belarusian airspace, “French people in Belarus are encouraged to leave the country immediately by road, via border crossing with Lithuania, Poland or Latvia,” the ministry travel update said. 

Portugal has closed its airspace to Russian airlines in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The country will also equip Ukraine with “military equipment such as waistcoats, helmets, night vision goggles, grenades, various ammunition, portable radios and G3 automatic rifles,” the ministry tweeted.

Portugal joins a slew of European nations who have announced closing their airspaces to Russia, including Germany, Italy, France and Spain.

Videos uploaded to social media are giving a rare view of clashes between Russian and Ukrainian military forces on the streets of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine.

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, has been the target of frequent Russian military strikes since the invasion began early Thursday morning. Now it’s the site of intense street battles as the Russian military attempts to win control of the city.

One sequence of videos uploaded to social media show an attempt by a Russian unit to advance towards an important airfield and arms factory in the northeast of Kharkiv. The airfield at the Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufacturing Company is small — just a single runway — but might be a useful bridgehead for the Russians.

CNN has geolocated and verified the authenticity of the videos.

The first video, taken by a resident, shows a convoy of Russian troops surrounding military vehicles, creeping along a roadway that ends near the airfield.

Suddenly, gunfire is heard and seen. 

A Russian soldier is seen quickly kneeling and firing a shoulder-fired rocket towards the area where the gunfire appears to be coming from.

A second video, taken after the firefight, shows the military vehicles driving in reverse in an apparent retreat. The Russian troops are seen huddled behind their vehicles.

A Reuters journalist was at the location after the firefight and took video that showed one of the Russian military convoy vehicles abandoned and a significant amount of blood staining the snow on the ground. The Reuters journalist spoke with a resident, identified as Yevgeniy, who told them that at least one Russian soldier was killed.

Their efforts to retreat appear to have been stopped by another attack. A convoy of vehicles — the same type — is seen on fire in another video.

“And that’s how we meet the b**** Russian army,” someone is heard shouting in the video. “That’s how it’s going to be for each of them who come to our Kharkiv land.”

It’s not possible to be absolutely sure that the Russian trucks on fire are the same as those trying to reach the airport, but they are in the same location, are the same type, and bear the same markings.

Another video taken at the site of the abandoned military convoy — the vehicles are no longer on fire — shows Ukrainian troops engaging.

“Give it all to them,” a voice yells repeatedly in the video. 

Amid the firefight, a Ukrainian soldier steps out from the wall and is seen firing a shoulder-fired rocket.

Later, another video shows Ukrainian troops around the convoy, appearing to rummage through the abandoned vehicles. Sporadic gunfire is heard and some Ukrainian forces move along a wall in the background. 

“Slava Ukraini,” someone says in the video — “Glory to Ukraine.”

“That’s how we meet Russian world,” another person said. “This will be the same with everyone who will come to stomp on our Kharkiv’s lands! There you go with your Russian-Russian letters ‘Z!’ Everyone will get the same.” 

French national carrier, Air France has suspended its services to Russia in “light of the situation in the region.”

All Air France flights to and from Moscow and Saint Petersburg were suspended from midnight Sunday morning, the airline said. The airline also announced a temporary suspension of flights towards China, Korea, and Japan to give the airline time to study flight plan options avoiding the Russian airspace.

Clients affected by the measures were informed individually, the airline said. 

English football’s governing body, the Football Association (FA), announced on Sunday that England will not play any matches against Russia “for the foreseeable future.” 

Some context: England now join the Czech Republic, Poland, and Sweden in refusing to play in any potential football matches against Russia due to their invasion of Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks at the European Commission in Brussels on Sunday, February 27.

Russia is facing universal condemnation and increased sanctions from Western powers over its unprovoked assault on Ukraine, and more moves were announced Sunday.

The European Union (EU) is closing its airspace to Russia, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“We are proposing a prohibition on all Russian-owned, Russian-registered and Russian-controlled aircraft. These aircraft will no more be able to land in, take off or overfly the territory of the European Union. This will apply to any plane,” von der Leyen said. 

“Our airspace will be closed to every Russian plane. And that includes the private jets of oligarchs too,” she added.

The UK has also banned Russian private jets from its airspace on Friday.

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell also announced a ban for Russian news outlets Russia Today and Sputnik.

Speaking in a joint news conference in Brussels on Sunday, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy announced that the bloc would ban the two outlets in a bid “to fight” Russian disinformation.

And more than half of the central bank reserves of Russia will be blocked as part of new EU sanctions against the country, Borrell added. 

Measures against neighboring country, Belarus will also be “reinforced,” Borrell said, in return for its role in “facilitating the Russian assault against Ukraine.”

Von der Leyen also announced that the EU will provide finance to purchase weapons for Ukraine, adding that this is the first time the bloc has ever done so.

Borrell said the EU is doing so “because this war requires our engagement in order to support the Ukrainian army.”

“We asked for SWIFT and we asked for arms and now we are delivering on both sides,” the diplomat remarked.

Bohdan Andrukh was on his way to meet friends for dinner at a San Francisco restaurant last Wednesday when he received a phone call from his mother in Lviv.

She was crying; the sound of a nearby explosion had woken her. The war has begun, she told Andrukh, who was far from home and unable to help her find safety.

He did his best to assure her that everything would be alright, but in his heart knew that tragedy was fast approaching.

“I knew I was lying and I am way too helpless to make such promises but I had to,” Andrukh, 26, told CNN. “She is mom, she should never cry unless it’s tears of joy.”

Like Andrukh, Ukrainian Americans across the United States are closely monitoring Russia’s violent assault on Ukraine.

They fear for the lives of family and friends, worry the destruction will render their beloved country unrecognizable, and curse Russian President Vladimir Putin for instigating the conflict. Some also feel betrayed by Western governments, who they say abandoned Ukraine in its time of need.

Here’s how they feel and what they want the world to know:

Mariya Soroka has not been able to stop thinking about her last visit to Ukraine.

On the last day of her trip, she spent the evening at a friend’s “fairytale” home on the outskirts of Lviv, where she was surrounded by loved ones, delicious food, and stunning nature.

She recalls dancing in the garden and stargazing on the roof, consumed with joy and love for her homeland, culture and people.

Soroka, 33, was born in Yavoriv, but immigrated to the United States at the age of 15. Despite the many years she’s lived away from Ukraine, she says no day goes by without her longing to return.

“What I love most about Ukraine is the people. And the food,” Soroka told CNN. “I think a lot about Kyiv. It is so beautiful, home to amazing shops and concerts and streets and buildings full of history. Now I wonder when or if I’ll ever see those places again.”

Soroka learned of Russia’s invasion following a dinner with friends at her apartment in Jersey City, New Jersey. Her heart immediately shattered into pieces, she said.

Eventually, she reached her father, who was safe but had decided against evacuating in order to let families with children leave first.

Soroka fears Ukraine’s allies have abandoned it, but remains hopeful for a victory.

“My biggest fear is that the world is not going to do anything, that the war is going to continue and it’s going to destroy my country and my people,” she said. “But the spirit of the fight in Ukrainians is very strong. I don’t think the Russians can fight as hard as we can, because goodness and justice is not on their side.”

She also warns that if Ukraine falls, the impact could be felt across the world.

“You can’t just say Ukraine is not my problem,” Soroka said. “Right now Ukraine is fighting to keep the world order. And if the world leaders won’t get involved in a serious way, a world war will be on their conscious.”

Read more here.

More than half of the central bank reserves of Russia will be blocked as part of new EU sanctions against the country, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell announced on Sunday.

Speaking alongside European Commission chief Ursula Von der Leyen in Brussels, Borrell said later on Sunday he would provide the political endorsement of the 27 EU member states for a new package of sanctions against Russia.

Under the package, “important Russian banks will be excluded from the SWIFT system,” Von der Leyen told the news conference.

Measures against neighboring country Belarus will also be “reinforced,” Borrell said, in return for its role in “facilitating the Russian assault against Ukraine.”

Von der Leyen also announced that the EU will provide finance to purchase weapons for Ukraine, adding that this is the first time the bloc has ever done so.

Borrell said the EU is doing so “because this war requires our engagement in order to support the Ukrainian army.”

“We asked for SWIFT and we asked for arms and now we are delivering on both sides,” the diplomat remarked.

Some more context: SWIFT, the high-security network that connects thousands of financial institutions around the world, was founded in 1973 to replace the telex and is now used by over 11,000 financial institutions to send secure messages and payment orders. With no globally accepted alternative, it is essential plumbing for global finance.

On Saturday, the White House, along with the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Canada, announced that they would expel certain Russian banks from SWIFT, pledging to “collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.”

Read more about SWIFT here.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and aviation bans are creating huge no-go areas in the sky, with major implications for long-haul carriers that normally criss-cross the skies of Eastern Europe en route to Asia.

As of Sunday, many European countries announced that they were closing their airspace to Russian airlines and aircrafts, including Germany, Italy, France and Spain.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed on Sunday that the European Union is shutting down the EU airspace to Russia.

Canada also announced that the country is closing its airspace to Russia as well on Sunday.

The United Kingdom and Russia have banned each other’s aircraft from overflying or landing on their territories. Other bans have begun to follow, with Poland and the Czech Republic both restricting access to Russian aircraft on Friday.

All this could have significant consequences for passengers, airlines and the cost of flying if Europe and Russia revive the Cold War era, when sky routes were diverted around an Iron Curtain that extended into the sky.

Apart from punching a significant hole in the aviation traffic map of Eastern Europe, disruption of long-haul traffic is minimal so far. Even Russian aircraft using international airspace over the Atlantic are unaffected, despite the area being managed by air traffic services based in the UK.

But what about flights to East Asia? During the frostiest days of the Cold War, avoiding the Soviet Bloc meant flying north around Greenland to Alaska, refueling in Anchorage, and then around the Bering Straits to reach Japan. China-bound flights skirted the Black Sea and Caucasus, avoiding Afghanistan and entering China across Central Asia.

We’re not there yet. And perhaps thanks to the range of modern aircraft, such steps won’t be needed.

The effects on already Covid-impacted commercial airlines and their passengers will at this point be relatively limited if the bans stay between Russia on one side and the UK, Poland and Czech Republic on the other. Equally, the situation could easily escalate.

In terms of flight services, the only Russian passenger airline serving the UK is Aeroflot. The UK’s largest carrier, British Airways, served Moscow before the war. BA’s parent company, International Airlines Group, has announced that its airlines will not be overflying Russian airspace.

At the beginning of the conflict, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued NOTAM (Notice To Air Missions) instructions to US carriers to avoid operations in areas that include all of Ukraine, Belarus and western parts of Russia. Few US passenger airlines overfly Russia, with nonstop flights to India slow to restart after aviation’s Covid shutdowns.

British Airways’ and Virgin Atlantic’s Asian networks, meanwhile, have largely not been restored after being suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The relatively closed borders of Japan, China and other countries to international arrivals for public health reasons mean that passenger services by UK airlines remain limited.

Read more about how worldwide air traffic could be impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine here.

CNN’s Al Goodman, Paula Newton, Martin Goillandeau, Hada Messia and Chris Liakos contributed to this report.

US President Joe Biden is receiving regular updates on the evolving situation in Ukraine, according to a White House official.

Biden has been speaking with his national security team regularly, the White House official said.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova speaks during a news conference on February 26, in Washington, DC.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova told CNN’s Dana Bash that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will “definitely not” be part of the delegation attending talks with Russia, saying Zelensky is in Ukraine defending the country.

Markarova called on the Russian president to stop the war, and said that Ukraine would send people to the talks. She added that Ukraine is always ready for talks, “but we are not ready to surrender. And we will defend our country, and we will win.”

Asked whether she thinks Russia is genuine in extending this olive branch, Markarova said, “There is an ongoing, full-fledged war with war crimes conducted by Russians in Ukraine on a daily basis. So how genuine is this proposal? We don’t know.”

On Putin putting deterrence force, including nuclear weapons, on high alert, Markarova said, “This is yet one more example of a terrorist behavior of Russia. They attacked our country. They are scaring everyone.”

Diana Poladova told CNN she hesitated on whether she’d flee the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, but ultimately decided to move Friday.

Poladova described her journey to escape the city as Russia invaded the country, saying at times, people were running when they felt threatened.

She said she was able to eventually find a train going to Rivne, Ukraine, where they were able to stay with a friend.

“We heard by chance that a train was going from the suburban station to Rivne. We ran there. There was some space in one of the train cars, we got up there. It was an electric train. We have been going to Rivne 8 hours, we were standing there 8 hours in crush with bags, with our cats. We arrived in Rivne. It turned out that there was a friend of a friend in this city, and we spent the night at her place. I plan to manage to take the train to Poland. In Rivne we were able to vaccinate and chip our cats in order to have an international passport for them,” she told CNN.

Oil pumping jacks in a Rosneft oilfield near Sokolovka village, Russia.

Oil giant BP will offload its 19.75% shareholding in Russian state-owned oil firm, Rosneft, according to a statement from the company.

Chief Executive Officer Bernard Looney will also resign immediately from Rosneft’s board, according to the statement.

The British company had faced calls from the UK government to offload its ownership stake following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Looney said he “like so many” others was “deeply shocked and saddened by the situation unfolding in Ukraine,” which prompted the company “to fundamentally rethink bp’s position with Rosneft.”

“I am convinced that the decisions we have taken as a board are not only the right thing to do, but are also in the long-term interests of bp,” the CEO added.

BP chair Helge Lund added that “the Rosneft holding is no longer aligned with bp’s business and strategy.”

About “120 or so Americans” have left Ukraine and entered Poland in the last 24 hours, a senior US defense official told reporters Sunday morning.

These individuals “did not need US military assistance,” the official said. “They already had their plans. They already had transportation available,” the official added.

The US is “in discussions” with Polish authorities about what their needs might be and if they need American military resources to help with the flow of people across the Ukraine-Poland border, the official added.

Some 82nd Airborne troops are “poised at a couple of assembly areas farther back from the border” but they have not seen “any ‘customers’ to date,” the official said.

“If there’s a need for additional US military assistance, as the secretary has said, we’ll be poised and trained and ready to do that,” the official said. “But thus far, the Americans that we’ve seen cross the border have been able to take care of themselves quite well.”

People gather for a demonstration against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 27 in Prague, Czech Republic.

Tens of thousands of people attended a pro-Ukrainian rally in Prague on Sunday, filling the Czech capital’s famous Wenceslas Square to the brink.

While protests, vigils and prayer meetings in support of Ukraine are being held across the globe, the event in Prague was particularly poignant given that many of its attendees experienced a Russian invasion first hand.

More background: On Aug. 21, 1968, Soviet-led armies of the Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia, crushing the so-called Prague Spring democratic reform movement and restoring the totalitarian communist regime.

Overnight, an estimated 500,000 troops from the Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, East Germany and Bulgaria flooded the country.

At least 137 people were killed during the invasion. Tens of thousands fled the country during the weeks and months after the invasion. Soviet troops stayed in Czechoslovakia for over two decades, with the last leaving in June 1991, a year and half after the Velvet Revolution toppled the Communist regime.

Protestors take part in a demonstration against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on February 27 in Prague, Czech Republic.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to the nation during a televised address on Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a brief televised statement that he doesn’t expect much from a meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations on Monday. 

“And while our guys are there, the president is here, the chief of staff is here, the prime minister is here, the army is here, the commander-in-chief is here. We will all defend our state and our borders,” he added.

Earlier Sunday, Ukraine’s Deputy Interior Minister Evgeny Yenin said talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations will take place Monday morning local time.

The European Union has banned Russian news outlets Russia Today and Sputnik, according to its top diplomat Josep Borrell.

Speaking in a joint news conference in Brussels on Sunday, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy announced that the bloc would ban the two outlets in a bid “to fight” Russian disinformation.

 “We are killing the snake on its neck,” the diplomat continued.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed on Sunday that the European Union is shutting down the EU airspace to Russia.

“Our airspace will be closed to every Russian plane. And that includes the private jets of oligarchs too,” she said.

Many European countries had already closed their airspace to Russian airlines and aircrafts as of Sunday, including Germany, France and Italy.

Russian forces are 50 kilometers, or approximately 31 miles, outside the city center of Mariupol, a city on the Sea of Azov in the southeast of Ukraine, a senior US defense official said. 

The US believes the city will be “well-defended” based on what the US knows about Ukrainian military positions, the official added.

Russian forces are not moving on Odessa as of right now, according to US assessments, the official said, but there is some Russian military posturing in the Black Sea.

Odessa is a port city on the Black Sea, west of Mariupol.

Russia is also trying to advance on the city of Kherson, to the east of Odessa, using forces that invaded from Crimea, the official said.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks with the press in Tokyo on February 27.

Japan will freeze the financial assets of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin “and other key government officials” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.

Prime Minister Fumio said Russia’s actions are a violation of international law that Japan strongly condemns, NHK reported Sunday.

He also said a united response was needed to safeguard international order, NHK reported.

Prime Minister Fumio also “indicated that Japan will join the United States and European countries in blocking selected Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment network,” NHK said.

The prime minister also said Japan will provide an additional $100 million in emergency humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine, in addition to a prior pledge amounting to ‘about 100 million dollars,’ NHK reported.

SWIFT is the high-security network connecting thousands of financial institutions worldwide. Read more about it here.

The European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said on Sunday that the EU needs to prepare for millions of Ukrainian refugee arrivals.

She added that so far “around 300,000 Ukrainians have come to the EU member states.” 

Interior ministers from across the EU are meeting in Brussels to discuss the fallout from the crisis in Ukraine.

Johansson said she will “launch a solidarity platform” to coordinate the different kind of support that member states will need, and “to Ukrainians that are fleeing Ukraine.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order for his country’s deterrence forces — including nuclear arms — to be placed on high alert, is part of a “dangerous rhetoric,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday.

The Secretary General added, “That’s the reason why we both provide support to Ukraine, but also why we over the last weeks and months have significantly increased the presence of NATO in the eastern part Alliance, US but also European allies are now stepping up with more troops, more ships, more planes, and why we also have to realize that we are now faced with a new normal for our security.”

He went on to say this was “just the beginning of the adaptation that we need to do as response to a much more aggressive Russia.”

The US continues to see Russian forces face “stiff resistance” and see their momentum slow in the northern part of Ukraine, while Russians are having a “little bit more success” in the south, a senior US defense official told reporters on Sunday, citing fuel shortages and logistical issues.

The US is seeing the most resistance in the Russian advance on the city of Kharkiv, the official said. The Russians are “facing some logistics challenges as well on their advance down north to Kyiv,” the official added.

The official noted that the Russians would learn from their logistical issues and find ways to overcome them. 

Russian forces remain 30 kilometers, or approximately 19 miles, outside Kyiv’s city center, according to the official. They were in that same position 24 hours earlier, indicating that the Russian military has not made appreciable gains in its invasion of Ukraine from the north in that time.

There is some fighting inside Kyiv, which the US believes is the Ukrainians fighting with Russian reconnaissance elements in the city, the official said.  

The US still has no indication that the Russian military has taken control of any Ukrainian city, the official said, but that continues to be Russia’s goal.

In the south, Russian forces that were part of an amphibious assault on Friday on the Sea of Azov, which put navy infantrymen ashore there, have now “moved up towards Mariupol’,” the offfical said.

The airspace over Ukraine is still contested, the official added.

The US is also seeing preparations for a potential siege of Chernihiv, a city approximately 80 miles north-northeast of Kyiv on the Belarussian border. 

The concern comes from observations of increased rocket attacks inside the city and the Russian attempt to surround the city.

“It remains to be seen if that’s exactly what they’re going to end up doing, but the indications are enough in terms of how they’re positioning their forces around the city,” the official said. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Sunday that Turkey has decided that Russia’s invasion to Ukraine is a “war.”

Turkey’s recognition is important for the application of 1936 Montreux Convention that regulates naval passage through the Turkish straits.

The Montreux Convention gives Turkey certain control over the passage of war ships from Dardanelles and Bosporus Straits that connect the Aegean, the Marmara, and the Black Sea. 

In peace times, war ships can pass the straits by prior diplomatic notification with certain limitations about the weight of the ships and arms they carry depending on the ship if it belongs to is a Black Sea country or not. 

During wartime, when Turkey is not at war, warships can use the straits except for those belonging to belligerent states. 

According to the convention, if Turkey is a part of the war or considers itself threatened with imminent danger of war, it can shut down the straits to the passage of warships that have a coast onto the Black Sea or not.

However, as Çavuşoğlu mentions the article 19 of the Montreux Convention provides an exception. The war ships of belligerent countries can return to their base of origin in Black Sea. 

“Now this conflict has turned into a war, in this case, this is how we apply Montreux for the parties, Russia or Ukraine. Article 19 provides an exception. If the ship of the war country will return to its port, an exception is made. We will implement all the provisions of Montreux with transparency.”

This means even if Turkey bans, Russian and Ukrainian ships can return to their base of origin. Çavuşoğlu said when applying the exception countries should not abuse the clause, and added, “I explain Montreux and Turkey’s position.”

More background: The Montreux Convention gives Turkey control over the passage of vessels through those two key straits. 

In peacetime and war time, Turkey does not have the right to restrict civilian ships even if Turkey is part of the war.  

Warships can navigate through the straits during peacetime, but under conditions that restrict aggregate tonnage depending on if they are or are not a Black Sea country and limits the duration of stay in the Black Sea for non-Black Sea nations.

Black Sea nations include Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine.

There are also limitations on the caliber of weapons they can carry, and Turkey needs to be notified of the request. 

Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly mischaracterized the Turkish foreign minister’s comments about applying the Montreux Convention’s exception.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has used two-thirds of the Russian total combat power “he applied to this invasion,” a senior US defense official told reporters Sunday.

The US has assessed that “as of this morning” Russian forces “have launched more than 320 missiles.”

The majority of those missiles are “short-range ballistic missiles,” the official added.

Spain will close its airspace to Russian airlines, according to the Spanish Ministry for Transport. 

The Ministry for Transport announced the move in a tweet Sunday saying the country would “proceed to close its air space to Russian airlines” following the European Union’s directives of cooperation. 

Spain joins a slew of other countries that have closed their airspace to Russian airlines this weekend in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including Germany, Italy, France and Canada.

The Czech Republic football national team has joined Poland and Sweden in refusing to play Russia in a potential match at the upcoming men’s 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Poland and Sweden, individually, made their announcements on Saturday.

See the tweet:

More context: Russia is scheduled to host Poland in a playoff semifinal on March 24. The game is due to be held at the VTB Arena in Moscow.

The winner of the Poland-Russia match would host either Sweden or Czech Republic on March 29 in the final of their World Cup qualification route.

Read more about this here.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova speaks at a press conference on February 25, in Washington, DC.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova welcomed the news of talks with Russia as a possible way to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine but added her home country is “not ready to surrender.” 

Markarova said in an ABC News interview on Sunday Ukraine’s focus has always been on using diplomacy to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in response to news Ukraine has agreed to meet with Russian negotiators at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. 

Markarova also called on the West to offer more military aid to the Ukrainian military and pushed the US and its allies to issue further sanctions on Russia. Markarova also called on US businesses to consider divesting from Russian businesses and financial institutions. 

“We are grateful for everything that is there already and that is about to come, and we need more because we are defending our country against a very strong enemy. We also need sanctions, more sanctions, and we need Russia to clearly see that and feel that it’s not okay in the 21st century, to attack another country, a sovereign country without any reason,” Markarova said. 

“And I also would like to use this opportunity also to call on American business,” Markarova added. “I think it’s time to think about saving reputations and not cooperating with a regime that will end up in The Hague for everything they’ve done and they’re doing now to Ukraine,” referring to the International Court of Justice where alleged war crimes are heard,” she said.

Background: On Saturday, the White House, alongside the European Commission and other allies, announced their intent to expel some Russian banks from the international banking network SWIFT and target the Russian Central Bank with severe sanctions. 

Markarvoa also gave an update on the safety of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he is “as safe as our country.” 

 “He is as safe as our country, and that’s the choice he made to stay in Kyiv, to stay in Ukraine and lead the nation in this very difficult moment,” Markarova said.  

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Sunday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s order to put Russian deterrent forces on alert was an effort to raise pressure on the Ukrainian delegation at Monday’s scheduled talks.

Kuleba added, “But we will not give into this pressure” and said, “We will approach this talks with a very simple approach.”

Kuleba indicated that Ukrainian officials are willing to “listen to what Russia has to say.”

“We will tell them what we think of this. And what we are ready to discuss is how to stop the war and the occupation of our territories. Full stop,’” the foreign minister said.

Kuleba said Putin’s decision “to put on high alert his nuclear weapons is a direct threat to us. I have very simple message. It will be a catastrophe for the world, but it will not break us down.”

President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House on Friday, February 25.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that the current Russian invasion of Ukraine will be included in US President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. 

Psaki added that in his State of the Union address Biden will also reflect on the “resilience” and “strength” of Americans and that he will speak about what lies ahead for the country, noting that the speech is about “delivering a message to the public in a moment in time.” 

“What people will also hear from President Biden is his optimism and his belief in the resilience of the American people and the strength of the American people,” Psaki said. “Leaders lead during crises, that’s exactly what President Biden is doing, he’ll speak to that, but he’s also going to speak about his optimism about what’s ahead and what we all have to look forward to.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to put his country’s deterrence forces, including nuclear arms, on high alert, is “yet another escalatory and totally unnecessary step,” a senior Biden administration official says.

More background: During a televised meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov earlier today, President Putin said, “Top officials in leading NATO countries have allowed themselves to make aggressive comments about our country, therefore I hereby order the minister of Defense and the chief of the General Staff [of the RF Armed Forces] to place the Russian Army Deterrence Force on combat alert.” 

Shoigu replied, “Yes, sir.”

Ukraine’s Deputy Interior Minister Evgeny Yenin says talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations will take place Monday morning local time.

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office said Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko called the Ukrainian President earlier Sunday.

“Aleksander Lukashenko has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on the Belarusian territory will remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation’s travel, meeting and return,” the office continued.

Russian authorities have detained a total of 4,124 people for participating in unsanctioned anti-war protests across the country, since the Kremlin ordered an invasion of Ukraine, independent monitoring site OVD-Info said on Sunday. 

As of 9:50 a.m. ET, 1,002 people had been detained for protesting in 44 cities throughout the country, OVD-Info also reported. 484 were detained in Moscow alone. 

Under Russian law, large demonstrations require protesters apply for a permit, which has to be submitted no more than 15 but no less than 10 days before the event.

Heavy fines — and in some cases even prison time – can be imposed on those who protest without a permit. Individuals are allowed to stage “single pickets,” which are solo protests but it is not unheard of for people to be detained for those as well.

On Thursday, Russia’s Investigative Committee warned that participation in any anti-war protest was illegal. It also said that offenses could be entered on participants’ criminal records which would “leave a mark on the person’s future”

Ramzan Kadyrov, the pro-Kremlin leader of Russia’s Chechnya region, called on the Russian military Sunday to expand its military offensive in Ukraine. 

Added Kadyrov: “Full coordination of the actions of the military, competent alignment of forces and a decisive assault. That’s it! Nothing else is needed.”

Kadyrov has been accused by international and independent observers of gross human-rights violations in his home territory and beyond. He leads sizable paramilitary forces that — while formally a part of Russian security structures — have personal loyalty to him.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to put Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert are part of a wider pattern of unprovoked escalation and “manufactured threats” from the Kremlin. 

She added: “This is all a pattern from President Putin and we’re going to stand up for it, we have the ability to defend ourselves, but we also need to call out what we’re seeing here from President Putin.”

When asked about further military aid or sanctions, Psaki said that the US is prepared to send more humanitarian, economic and defensive military supplies, noting the administration’s most recent announcements of aid since the conflict started. 

“I would note that the sanctions that we announced yesterday put Russia on par with Iran, cutting them off from a banking system with the global community,” Psaki said. 

Pressed on if the US would take more immediate action against the Russian energy sector, Psaki said that everything is “on the table,” and added that the Administration believes the current conflict illustrates that the US should bolster its domestic supply of energy and diversify beyond oil and gas.  

Psaki added that the US remains in close contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and praised him for his leadership over the course of the first few days of the current war. 

“He is standing up courageously against the invasion of President Putin and Russian leadership,” Psaki said. “We will remain in close contact with him.”

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, in 2021.

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican, on Sunday called the Russian government “a pariah” and said the US should continue “cranking up the sanctions against what is an evil regime.”

“The world is behind the people of Ukraine. … The Russian government is a pariah, and the entire world should be protesting and letting Russia know how badly they’re seen on the world stage,” Romney told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”

The Utah senator in 2012, who would end up being the Republican nominee, called Russia “our number one geopolitical foe,” during an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

“They — they fight every cause for the world’s worst actors,” he said back then.

Asked if it was the right move for the US and Western countries to announce additional sanctions Russia and expel certain Russian banks from SWIFT, Romney said “keep cranking that up.”

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Sunday that sanctions on Russia’s energy sector are not yet off the table as the US continues to punish the county for its invasion of Ukraine.

“We’re ramping up as the Russians ramp up. So there is more to come. And while energy is not on — in this current announcement, it doesn’t mean it’s off the table, but we also want to do everything we can to protect our own economy from the impact of this,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

The UN ambassador told Bash that trying Russians for war crimes in a military tribunal was also “on the table.”

Ukraine has accused Russia of committing war crimes in going after civilian targets and has called for Moscow to face a military tribunal. Russia says its forces are only targeting military installations and are not striking residential areas.

Thomas-Greenfield comments come as the US continues to heighten its response to Russia.

The White House, along with the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Canada, announced Saturday evening that they would expel certain Russian banks from SWIFT, the high-security network that connects thousands of financial institutions around the world, pledging to “collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.”

CNN has geolocated video showing the destruction by Ukrainian forces of a column of Russian armored personnel carriers and other vehicles on the edge of the capital, Kyiv. 

One video shot Sunday morning shows the Russian column moving at speed through a residential neighborhood (Bucha) on the western outskirts of the city.

A short time later, the Russian group is geolocated close by, but most of the vehicles are wrecked and some of them are turned on their sides. There is no sign of the Russian soldiers.

Over one video, a man is heard swearing in Ukrainian and then saying “They came to our land. I wish you all to burn in Hell.”

“I would give my life if needed.”

The man says the Ukrainian Air Force “did its job well,” but it’s unclear how the attack against the convoy was conducted. 

Canada’s airspace is closed to all Russian aircraft operators effective immediately, according to the Canadian Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra.

Canada joins a number European countries, including Germany, Italy and France, that have announced they will close its airspace to Russian aircrafts and airlines in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield on CNN's State of the Union, Sunday. February 27.

As Ukrainian and Russian leaders agree to meet at the Belarus border, the US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on CNN’s State of the Union the US will “look forward to what comes out of those discussions.”

Thomas-Greenfield did not give a direct answer when asked if the US felt that this was a good-faith effort by the Russians. 

“I can’t get into the Russian’s — into Putin’s head or into Russian reasoning, so it remains to be seen, but let’s — see what comes of it,” she said.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office said Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko called the Ukrainian President Sunday.

“Aleksander Lukashenko has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on the Belarusian territory will remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation’s travel, meeting and return.”

Russian state news agencies also reported Sunday that a Russian presidential aide said that Ukraine had confirmed it would meet a delegation from the Russian Federation in the Gomel region of Belarus, without providing details about who would represent the Ukrainian side.

CNN’s Nathan Hodge contributed reporting to this post from Moscow.

Germany will construct two liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday, pledging to do more to protect Germany’s energy supply and as it looks to reduce its Russian gas dependence.

Germany is Russia’s biggest gas customer. CNN has previously reported that Europe relies on Russia for around 35% of its natural gas, Germany over 50%. But with the threat of supply disruption following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Germany along with other European countries has been looking to ramp up LNG imports.

Earlier this week, Germany halted certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which could deliver 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. 

The two LNG terminals can also deal with green hydropower, according to the German Chancellor. 

“The events of the last days and weeks showed to us that an energy policy that looks into the future is decisive for our climate and economy but also for our security and this is why we need to give renewable energy a push, the more we do it the better,” he said.

Scholz also announced that because of the high energy prices, made higher by “Putin’s war,” the government agreed to a package in order to “soften payments of energy for pensioners” and “give allowances to family with low income.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his address to the nation in Moscow, on February 21.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his country’s deterrence forces – which includes nuclear arms – be placed on high alert.

“Yes, sir,” replied Shoigu.

The Russian President also said the sanctions placed on Russia were unlawful.

According to state news agency RIA Novosti, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense, the strategic forces “are designed to deter aggression against Russia and its allies, as well as to defeat the aggressor (inflicting defeat on him), including in a war with the use of nuclear weapons.”

Here’s a list of global sanctions on Russia for the war in Ukraine so far.

An Aeroflot Russian Airlines plane arrives at Frankfurt Airport in Germany, on February 23.

Three additional European countries announced that they will close its airspace to Russian aircrafts and airlines in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Germany said it will close its airspace to Russian aircraft from 3 p.m. local time on Sunday, according to a statement from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

The Ministry added that humanitarian aid flights were exempt from the ban.

Italy’s government said on Twitter it was closing its airspace to Russian aircraft on Sunday, following a similar action.

France said it will shut “its airspace to Russian aircraft and airplanes from this evening onwards”, France’s Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari tweeted on Sunday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany will allocate 100 billion euros for its armed forces as it looks to increase defense spending in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Scholz said that the German army needs to have “new strong competences,” including better devices and equipment which “cost a lot of money,” announcing the 100 billion euro special fund for this purpose as part of the 2022 budget.

He added that the country will invest more than 2% of its GDP in defense every year from now on.

“Those who read Putin’s explanation about history, those who have seen him how he announced the war on TV, and before that I had talked to him for hours, so I cannot have any doubt that he wants to have a Russian empire. He wants to change Europe according to his imagination,” Scholz said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the US is sending nearly $54 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine to assist those affected by Russia’s invasion.

In a statement released Sunday, Blinken said the funds will go to international humanitarian organizations to provide food, water, shelter and health care to Ukrainians in need and help reunify families who have been separated amid Russia’s attacks.

The US has provided nearly $405 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, according to the news release.

Families are enjoying the sun on the bank of the Dnieper river in Kyiv on Sunday, February 20.

Last Sunday, Kyiv was a buzzing European city with hip cafes, artwork at every corner and fresh sushi available on demand at midnight. Now, it’s a war zone.

Sirens blasting through the city, the unmistakable loud bangs of explosions and strikes. The transformation inflicted on the city by the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been surreal.

Just a week ago, Dniprovsʹkyy Park was full of runners and cyclists taking advantage of the sunny weather to get their Sunday workout done.

Cyclists pass the National Museum of History of Ukraine in the Second World War on Sunday, Ferbruary 20.

The traffic-free park sits on an island across the river from the old town, its banks lined by sandy city beaches where kids are normally running around, watching the ducks swim by.

In the historical Mariinskyi Park families were strolling around, with kids enjoying the park’s playground that features large boat-shaped monkey bars.

Now, the same city is reeling from a steady stream of news of yet another terrifying incident. A six-year-old boy killed in heavy gunfire. A high-rise apartment building being hit. The dam of Kyiv reservoir destroyed. The streets are deserted, the sense of dread hanging in the air.

Many have fled the city, encouraged by the authorities to go while there still was a chance. The state railway company has been dispatching extra trains heading to the west for days now, Kyiv’s main train station full of families hoping to get onto the next one.

The same people who were happily shopping in fashion stores lining Kyiv’s boulevards, dining at trendy restaurants are now hunkered down in basements, underground parking lots and subway stations.

Instead of hanging out with friends, enjoying the sunshine, they are now sleeping on the floors, trying to calm their children that don’t understand why they can’t go to kindergarten.

Despite the shock and suffering brought in recent days, Kyiv’s residents are showing incredible resolve and defiance.

Within hours after the invasion started, more than 18,000 have responded a call to defend the city, collecting their firearms from authorities, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.

In the hotel where many western journalists are staying in the city center, the staff, who are now staying there instead of being at home with their families, are alternating between distributing blankets and water bottles in the bomb shelter and serving four different types of egg dishes at the buffet breakfast.

A vast explosion lits up the Kyiv night sky on Sunday, February 27.

And Kyiv’s roads once clogged with heavy traffic are now empty. The electronic signs that were displaying traffic updates just last week are now showing a very different message: “Glory to Ukraine!”

A traffic sign seen on a deserted street in central Kyiv says "Glory to Ukraine" on Saturday, February 26.

Fighting has broken out on the streets of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, after Russian forces entered the city.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has previously said it was targeting only military infrastructure, saying in a statement: “The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation do not strike cities and towns, they take all measures to save the lives of civilians.”

But Zelensky said Sunday: “They lied when they said they would not target civilian population. Since the first hours of the invasion, Russian troops have been hitting civilian infrastructure.”

“This is terror,” he added, while Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Russia was committing “war crimes.”

Meanwhile, the commander of Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv, Oleg Synegubov, has claimed that dozens of Russian troops have surrendered amid continued fighting in the city, which is some 20 miles from the Russian border.

Battles have also raged in the capital of Kyiv and the southern city of Kherson in recent days.

But Russian forces have been unable to capture any of Ukraine’s major cities since launching their invasion on Thursday.

Russia is encountering “stiffer than expected” resistance from the Ukrainian military as well as unexpected difficulties supplying its forces, two senior US officials with direct knowledge tell CNN.

On the battlefield, Russia is suffering heavier losses in personnel and armor and aircraft than expected. This is due in part to the fact that Ukrainian air defenses have performed better than pre-invasion US intelligence assessments had anticipated.

In addition, Russia has yet to establish air supremacy over Ukraine, a senior defense official said, as the Ukrainian Air Force and air defense systems fight for control of the airspace.

Ukrainian servicemen take positions at the military airbase Vasylkiv in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, February 27.

There have been sporadic explosions Sunday morning on the outskirts of Kyiv — to the northeast across the Dnieper River and to the west.

The Ukrainian military says it has thwarted the advance of a Russian column in the western Kyiv neighborhood of Bucha.

Earlier, some sort of projectile hit an apartment building in the same area. There are no details of casualties.

Smoke from the fires caused by a Russian missile attack on the airfield at Vasylkiv on Saturday night was still visible 12 hours later. 

A screen grab from a video shows a Russian armored vehicle burning after it was destroyed by Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, February 27.

The commander of Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv, Oleg Synegubov, has claimed that dozens of Russian troops have surrendered amid continued fighting in the city, which is some 20 miles from the Russian border.

He also claimed that the captured soldiers had complained of demoralization and not understanding the mission, as well as being short of fuel.

Synegubov posted photographs of some of the Russian soldiers allegedly captured on his Facebook account. 

He warned civilians to stay indoors, saying that “Leaving their positions, Russian fighters try to hide among the civilians, asking people for clothes and food.”

Social media videos on Sunday showed several abandoned Russian military trucks surrounded by Ukrainian soldiers in Kharkiv, as fighting was reported to continue after an overnight bombardment by Russian artillery.

Earlier Sunday, Vadym Denysenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, said that Russian forces had tried “to break into our cities. But the city of Kyiv, the city of Chernihiv, the city of Mariupol, the city of Kharkiv, are completely under Ukrainian control. Despite the fact that the Russians are sending their sabotage groups and they shell critical infrastructure, we have defended all our cities.”

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to shock the world, people all over the planet are watching in horror and disbelief.

Rallies, vigils and prayer meetings are being held across the globe in support of Ukraine. Many of those attending have personal or family ties to the country. And they’re asking world leaders to stop Russia’s attack.

Here’s a look at some of the events that took place Sunday:

Thousands of people gather in Tiergarten park to protest against the ongoing war in Ukraine on February 27, in Berlin, Germany.

A woman hangs a flag from a window during a demonstration in support of Ukraine, on February 27, in Brno, Czech Republic.

People gather in protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine outside of the Russian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, on February 27.

Demonstrators hold a giant Ukrainian flag during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 27, in Madrid, Spain.

People hold candles during a protest in support of Ukraine on February 27, in Kyoto, Japan.

CNN’s Brook Joyner contributed to this post.

Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv became a battleground early Sunday after Russian troops entered the area, while huge explosions lit up the night sky to the southwest of the capital Kyiv. The country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of “terror” and called for an international tribunal.

Here’s a look at where the city of Kharkiv is located:

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Sunday there are no Russian troops in the Ukrainian capital.

“Our military, law enforcement, and territorial defense continue to detect and neutralize saboteurs.”

Klitschko said that nine civilians, including one child, have been killed in Kyiv since the Russian invasion began, as well as 18 military and territorial defense personnel.

“It is for the safety of the residents that we have imposed a curfew until tomorrow morning. Do not go outside. You can leave only if, at the signal of the air alarm, you go to the shelter,” he said.

“Russia is shelling residential neighborhoods in the Ukrainian capital. Russia is killing Ukrainians all over Ukraine!”

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has said it is targeting only military installations, not civilians.

The Peace Palace housing the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands.

Ukraine has filed a lawsuit against Russia at the International Court of Justice following Moscow’s invasion of the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday the country submitted its application with the UN’s highest court at The Hague.

“Russia must be held accountable for manipulating the notion of genocide to justify aggression,” Zelensky said.

He requested the court immediately orders Russia to halt its invasion, and that the country expects trials to begin soon.

People coming from Ukraine disembark a ferry boat in Romania, on February 26.

Nearly 400,000 Ukrainian refugees have fled their homes since Russia’s invasion on Thursday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported on Sunday.

“#Ukraine refugee numbers have just been refreshed - these are based on data made available by national authorities. The current total is now 368,000 and continues to rise,” UNHCR tweeted Sunday.

Vast crowds have sought to escape cities and towns in the country, with roads clogged as people moved westwards towards Poland and the European Union.

Related article Fleeing Russia's advancing troops means some Ukrainians are leaving husbands, sons and brothers behind

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a special session of the Bundestag on the war in Ukraine, on February 27.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed Sunday that “very soon the Russian leadership will feel what a high price they will have to pay” for the invasion of Ukraine, as he announced he will raise German military funding in a special session with lawmakers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “will not change his path overnight,” Scholz conceded.

“Yesterday we decided that Germany will deliver weapons to Ukraine to defend themselves. Putin’s aggression meant we cannot give any other response,” he added.

Scholz also revealed he would raise the proportion of Germany’s economic output spent on defence to 2%, and allocate 100 billion euros ($112 billion) to its armed foces, in order to modernize and better equip the country’s army – a significant expansion of German defense spending.

Scholz also mentioned the sanctions package against Russia, which he said was unprecedented.

“February 24, 2022, marks a watershed in history of our continent,” he added in the special session of parliament. “The horrid pictures we see from Kyiv, in Mariupol, show how unscrupulous [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is. This is so unfair, the pain of the Ukrainians, it gets really close to our hearts.”

Scholz mentioned the EU’s decision to remove Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system and said that “Russian banks and companies will be cut off from financing. We will focus on oligarchs in the EU. We have punitive measures against Putin and people around him.”

“We need to support Ukraine in this desperate situation and we have done so during the last weeks and months, the attack on Ukraine means we are in a new time. As democrats, as Europeans, we are on your side, the right side of history,” Scholz said.

Germany locks Russia out of its airspace: Germany also will close its airspace to Russian aircraft from 3pm local time (9aET) on Sunday, according to a statement from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

The Ministry added that humanitarian aid flights were exempt from the ban, which will run initially for three months.

It sees Germany join a growing band of nations in Europe closing its airspace to Russian planes.

Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation and aide to President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russia has given Ukrainian officials a deadline of 3 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) on Sunday to decide whether to meet for talks in the Belarusian city of Gomel.

Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation and aide to President Vladimir Putin, told state news agency RIA Novosti they would stay until the allocated time and wait for a response.

“As soon as we receive this confirmation, we shall immediately set off to meet our counterparts in the negotiations,” Medinsky said. “We stand for peace.”

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he would be willing to hold talks with Russia but rejected their proposal for a meeting to be held in Belarus.

Belarus is an ally of Russia and played a key role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops invaded through the Belarus border with support from Belarus’ government, according to Ukrainian officials. The Biden administration subsequently sanctioned nine Belarusian defense firms for their support of the invasion.

Zelensky directly addressed Belarus in an address on Sunday, saying “aggressive actions” from Belarusian territory meant it was not possible to hold talks in the country. Ukraine said it had intercepted a cruise missile launched toward Kyiv from Belarusian territory.

The US State Department on Thursday said Zelensky remained “a prime target for Russian aggression,” while Zelensky himself said, “the enemy marked me as target No. 1.”

“If the talks are rejected, the Ukrainian side shall bear all responsibility for bloodshed,” Medinsky said. “But we remain here until 15:00 waiting for a response from the Ukrainian side.”

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Sunday he was “waiting” for Ukraine to come to the country for negotiations with Russia, to be hosted by Belarus.

“We are waiting. Everyone is in Gomel waiting. If they come then there will be negotiations,” Lukashenko told reporters after voting in the constitutional referendum in Minsk on Sunday, according to Belarusian state news agency Belta.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters a Russian delegation has already arrived in Belarus for notional talks with the Ukrainian representatives, RIA Novosti reported Sunday.

Ukraine has said it shot down a cruise missile launched at Kyiv on Sunday from neighboring Belarus.

“Ukrainian Air Force shot down a cruise missile launched at the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, by a TU-22 bomber from the territory of Belarus. This is another war crime committed against Ukraine and its people,” Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a tweet Sunday.

Belarus has played an important role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops invaded through the Belarus border with support from Belarus’ government, according to Ukrainian officials, and the Biden administration has sanctioned nine Belarusian defense firms for their support of the invasion. 

A damaged residential building following a rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 26.

At least 64 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine, the UN said on Sunday.

The agency’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported “at least 240 civilian casualties, including at least 64 people killed” in the fighting that has erupted since Moscow launched the attack.

The statement added that the damage to civilian infrastructure has deprived hundreds of thousands of people of access to electricity or water.

Hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed, while bridges and roads damaged by shelling have left some communities cut off from markets, it said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Sunday accused Russian troops of targeting civilians, including children, and called for an international investigation into the conflict.

“What they are doing in Kharkiv, Okhtyrka, Kyiv, Odessa, and other cities and towns deserves an international tribunal. We are documenting their crimes. And there would have been many more of these crimes if it hadn’t been for our courageous defenders,” Zelensky said in a video address posted on his Facebook page.

“We have to call a spade a spade. Russia’s criminal actions against Ukraine show signs of genocide. I spoke about this with the UN Secretary-General,” he said, arguing that Russia should be stripped of its voting rights on the UN Security Council.

Zelensky said there was “not a single facility in Ukraine the Russian troops would consider an unacceptable target.”

In the capital Kyiv, residents awoke Sunday to find the city still firmly under Ukrainian control, despite two massive explosions some 30 kilometers, or about 18 miles, south of the city lighting up the sky overnight.

Fighting has broken out on the streets of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, after Russian forces entered the city

The Russian Ministry of Defense has previously said it was targeting only military infrastructure, saying in a statement: “The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation do not strike cities and towns, they take all measures to save the lives of civilians.”

But Zelensky said Sunday: “They lied when they said they would not target civilian population. Since the first hours of the invasion, Russian troops have been hitting civilian infrastructure.”

“This is terror,” he added, while Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Russia was committing “war crimes.”

“They are fighting against everything and everyone,” Zelensky said. “They are [hitting] kindergartens, residential buildings, and even emergency vehicles. They use artillery and missiles against whole residential blocks where there have never have been any military infrastructure. Many Ukrainian cities and towns are surviving in conditions we previously had only during the World War II.”

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Ukrainian service members collect unexploded shells after a fighting with Russian raiding group in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the morning of February 26, 2022, according to Ukrainian service personnel at the scene. - Ukrainian soldiers repulsed a Russian attack in the capital, the military said on February 26 after a defiant President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed his pro-Western country would not be bowed by Moscow. It started the third day since Russian leader Vladimir Putin unleashed a full-scale invasion that has killed dozens of people, forced more than 50,000 to flee Ukraine in just 48 hours and sparked fears of a wider conflict in Europe. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Ukrainians defy Russia's onslaught for third day

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be willing to hold talks with Russia but rejected the Russian proposal for a meeting to be held in Belarus, a staging ground for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We’ve heard a lot of talk about a meeting between Ukraine and Russia that might end this war and bring the peace back to us. Quite often [Minsk] is mentioned as the place for these negotiations,” Zelensky said in an address posted on the presidency website on Sunday morning. 

“The location was not chosen by [Ukraine] nor by [Belarus]. It was chosen by the Russian leadership.”

Belarus has played a key role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops invaded through the Belarus border with support from Belarus’ government, according to Ukrainian officials. The Biden administration has sanctioned nine Belarusian defense firms for their support of the invasion. 

Addressing Belarus directly, Zelensky said: “If there were no aggressive actions from your territory, we could talk in Minsk, your city. When you were neutral, we talked in Minsk. That’s why we’re not talking in Minsk now.”

In 2015, Ukrainian and Russian officials met in the Belarus capital to draw up the Minsk Agreements, which included a fragile ceasefire in two areas of Ukraine taken over by pro-Russian separatists the year before.

“Of course we want peace and want to meet. We want to end the war. Warsaw, Bratislava, Istanbul and Baku were offered to Russia. Any other cities are fine with us as long as there are no missiles flying from this country,” Zelensky said. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the nation on February 27.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling for people around the world to join the fight against Russia.

In a statement on Sunday, he accused the Russian army of killing civilians and praised Ukrainians for having the courage to defend themselves.

Addressing “all citizens of the world, friends of Ukraine, peace and democracy,” Zelensky said: “Anyone who wants to join the defense of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals.”

The statement added that those who wish to join should contact the Defense Attache of the Embassy of Ukraine in their countries.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also echoed the call, tweeting Sunday:

“Foreigners willing to defend Ukraine and world order as part of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, I invite you to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries. Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin, too.”

The Russian military claimed advances around the southern Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Berdyansk, a Russian Ministry of Defense statement on Sunday said.

Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the Russian MOD spokesperson, said Kherson and Berdyansk “were completely blocked” by Russian forces.

He also claimed the southern city of Henichesk and the Chornobayivka (Chernobayevka) airfield near Kherson had also been brought under control.

CNN could not immediately verify those claims. 

Kherson has been at the center of a fierce battle for a strategic bridge, with days of fighting. When a CNN team arrived in Kherson on Thursday night, Russian tanks were in the streets and jets were flying low overhead, terrifying residents.

Counter claims: The claims come amid reports Russia is making significantly slower progress than Kremlin military planners had first anticipated.

According to an assessment issued by Britain’s Ministry of Defense late Saturday, Ukrainian troops remain high-motivated and able to hold key positions.

Russia is also facing unexpected difficulties supplying its forces, and is experiencing heavier losses in personnel, armor and aircraft than expected, two senior United States officials with direct knowledge told CNN.

Claims of surrender: The Russian statement also claimed, without evidence, there was a “mass refusal of Ukrainian military personnel to continue hostilities.” 

Konashenkov said a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile regiment surrendered in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine, and that 471 Ukrainian servicemen were captured.

Russian state television has frequently shown footage of captured Ukrainian servicemembers, some of whom are shown signing documents pledging to quit hostilities.

Ukrainian Armed Forces shared video on their social media accounts which they say shows Russian vehicles set on fire in Kharkiv.

Street fighting broke out in the center of Kharkiv as Russian troops entered Ukraine’s second largest city, Oleh Synehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration said Sunday. 

Synehubov urged residents of the eastern city to stay in shelters and not to travel anywhere. Russian vehicles entered the city of Kharkiv on Sunday, he said.

Kharkiv, with a population of about 1.4 million people, sits less than 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the Russian border and was approached by Russian forces shortly after the invasion started on Thursday.

Ukrainian forces have managed to deter Russian troops from entering the city for the past three days, but Synehubov said this has now changed, with fighting taking place at the heart of the city. 

A Russian delegation has arrived in Belarus for notional talks with Ukrainian representatives, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti.

Peskov said the delegation included representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense and other departments, including the presidential administration, RIA reported.

“We will be ready to start these negotiations in Gomel [Homiel],” Peskov said, according to RIA.

The Kremlin has continued to put out messaging that Russia would send representatives to the Belarusian capital of Minsk to talk with Kyiv, despite its military’s continued and unprovoked assault on Ukraine.

The Kremlin has claimed previously the Ukrainian side had countered with a proposal to meet in Warsaw and then dropped contact.

Top Ukrainian officials and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have expressed willingness to talk peace with Russia.

The White House, along with several EU nations, announced on Saturday the expulsion of certain Russian banks from SWIFT, the high-security network connecting thousands of financial institutions around the world.

But what exactly is SWIFT and how will it impact Russia?

SWIFT stands for the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. It was founded in 1973 to replace the telex and is now used by over 11,000 financial institutions to send secure messages and payment orders. With no globally accepted alternative, it is essential plumbing for global finance.

Removing Russia from SWIFT would make it nearly impossible for financial institutions to send money in or out of the country, delivering a sudden shock to Russian companies and their foreign customers — especially buyers of oil and gas exports denominated in US dollars.

SWIFT is based in Belgium and governed by a board consisting of 25 people. SWIFT, which describes itself as a “neutral utility,” is incorporated under Belgian law and must comply with EU regulations.

What happens if Russia is removed?

There is precedent for removing a country from SWIFT.

SWIFT unplugged Iranian banks in 2012 after they were sanctioned by the EU over the country’s nuclear program. Iran lost almost half of its oil export revenue and 30% of foreign trade following the disconnection, according to experts.

The United States and Germany have the most to lose if Russia is disconnected, because their banks are the most frequent SWIFT users in communicating with Russian banks, according to Maria Shagina, a visiting fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

Senior Russian lawmakers have responded by saying that shipments of oil, gas and metals to Europe would stop if Russia is expelled.

Has SWIFT commented?

In a statement, SWIFT said it is a “neutral global cooperative” and “any decision to impose sanctions on countries or individual entities rests solely with the competent government bodies and applicable legislators.”

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Poland will provide a special train to transport the wounded from Ukraine to various hospitals in Warsaw, an official said on Saturday.

“Poland does not forget about aid for Ukraine. We are starting a train for the wounded who suffered as a result of Russia’s military operations against Ukraine,” Stanisław Żaryn, spokesperson for the minister of special services coordinator, said in a tweet.

France will send fuel supplies to Ukraine along with defensive equipment to support the country’s resistance to the Russian invasion, the Élysée Palace said in a statement Saturday following a partial meeting of national defense council. 

The statement gave no further detail on the defensive equipment, but an Elysée source told journalists earlier Saturday that this could include anti-tank weapons. 

The national defense council also agreed to freeze the financial assets of Russians targeted by sanctions and announced measures to “combat propaganda from influencers and the Russian media on European soil,” the statement said.

No details were given on these measures. 

French President Emmanuel Macron announced a “strengthening of economic and financial sanctions” in line with the European Union and the US, per the statement. 

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks with the media outside the St. Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Sydney on Sunday.

Australia will work with NATO members to supply weapons to Ukraine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Sunday. 

The move to step up support comes after the Prime Minister said on Friday Australia would provide “non-lethal” military equipment and medical supplies,

Morrison also said Australia has expedited visa processing of Ukrainians seeking to enter Australia and will provide more humanitarian aid in the near future, describing it as a “top priority.”

Ukrainian Maj. Gen. Borys Kremenetsky speaks during a news conference at the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington on Saturday. With him is Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States.

Ukrainian Major General Borys Kremenetsky told reporters in Washington Saturday that Ukraine had captured around 200 Russian soldiers who were “badly equipped.”

CNN has not been able to independently verify the general’s claims. 

Kremenetsky said he is working closely with the Pentagon, but Ukraine still needs more support with military aid. 

“There is list of crucial requirements, and we still need more capabilities. I can assure you that what we received already were used in a proper way,” he said.

Refugees from Ukraine walk into Przemysl, Poland, after crossing the border on Saturday.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said Saturday that more than 150,000 people have been forced to flee Russian violence in Ukraine.

Former US President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday.

Former US President Donald Trump defended his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday while also calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “a brave man” amid Russia’s deadly invasion of his country.

“He’s a brave man, he’s hanging in,” Trump said of Zelensky in remarks at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, even as he declined to back away from complimenting Putin as “smart.”

The former President has repeatedly praised Putin in the days since Russian troops crossed into Ukraine and began launching rocket strikes against the country’s capital of Kyiv. His comments on Zelensky come days after he lavished praise on Putin, calling the Kremlin leader “genius” and “savvy” in a radio interview. 

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Ukraine’s vice prime minister asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to provide internet service to the country amid Russian attacks — and Musk delivered, according to a Twitter exchange between the two on Saturday.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation, tweeted to Musk: “while you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand.”

Starlink is a satellite-based internet constellation intended to blanket the planet in high-speed broadband and could potentially bring connectivity to billions of people who still lack reliable internet access, CNN has reported. 

“Saturday Night Live” returned from a nearly monthlong hiatus without a cold open. Instead of a funny satirical sketch, the NBC variety show chose to present a powerful tribute to the country of Ukraine.

The tribute follows Russia launching a brutal and unprovoked military assault on the country earlier this week. The invasion has caused bloodshed, destruction, forced more than 120,000 people to flee the country and has been condemned by many nations around the world.

Cast members Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong stood center stage at Studio 8H and introduced viewers to the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York.

The choir then sang “Prayer for Ukraine” as the live audience sat silently.

Read more here.

An explosion lights up the sky to the south of Kyiv, Ukraine, early on Sunday.

Massive explosions lit up the night sky near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early Sunday as Ukrainian forces continue to repel Russian attempts to gain control of the historic city, despite overwhelming odds.

Two large explosions appeared to have been around Vasylkiv – a small city with a large military airfield and multiple fuel tanks – some 30 kilometers, or about 18 miles, south of Kyiv.

The explosions come as Ukrainian forces engage in fierce fighting with Russian troops in multiple cities across the country, as ordinary Ukrainians and reservists join efforts to defend their homes and families against Russian acts of violence.

Accusations of war crimes: Concerns are now growing that Russia may look to deploy indiscriminate battlefield weaponry in civilian areas in a desperate attempt to crush Ukrainian resistance.

On Saturday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal accused Russia of war crimes, saying Russian forces shelled kindergartens, residential blocks and “buses with children.”

Though Russia has claimed it is not targeting civilian infrastructure, an increasing body of evidence on the ground suggests otherwise.

Civilian deaths: Ukraine has reported multiple civilian deaths, including a six-year-old boy who died in heavy gunfire in a western district of Kyiv Saturday evening, according to a local hospital.

A woman was killed after a nine-story residential building in the eastern city of Kharkiv was hit by “enemy artillery” on Saturday night, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.

And on Saturday, a large residential apartment block in the west of Kyiv was struck by what a Ukrainian government minister described as a Russian missile, as residents across the city were forced to seek shelter after a terrifying night punctuated by gunfire and explosions.

Michael Kofman, research program director in the Russia Studies Program at CNA, a Washington-based think tank, tweeted:

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Ukrainian service members collect unexploded shells after a fighting with Russian raiding group in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the morning of February 26, 2022, according to Ukrainian service personnel at the scene. - Ukrainian soldiers repulsed a Russian attack in the capital, the military said on February 26 after a defiant President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed his pro-Western country would not be bowed by Moscow. It started the third day since Russian leader Vladimir Putin unleashed a full-scale invasion that has killed dozens of people, forced more than 50,000 to flee Ukraine in just 48 hours and sparked fears of a wider conflict in Europe. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Ukrainians defy Russia's onslaught for third day

Ukraine’s highly-motivated, outgunned forces held their capital against the Russian onslaught into a fourth day Sunday, as battles continued across the country, while a defiant Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged citizens to defend their country against the invading forces.

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Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said a nine-story residential building in the eastern city of Kharkiv was hit by “enemy artillery” on Saturday night, killing one woman.

The emergency service said the building was extensively damaged and about 80 people were rescued. Most had been sheltering in the basement. 

Heavy gunfire in a western district of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Saturday evening killed a six-year-old boy and injured several other people, according to a local hospital.

Serhii Chernysuk, a doctor at Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt hospital, said the injured included two teenagers and three adults. 

Germany has ordered the ban of Russian aircraft from entering the country’s airspace, according to German Minister of Transport Volker Wissing.

The restriction is being prepared at the moment, a ministry spokeswoman told CNN.

German airline Lufthansa will also avoid Russian airspace immediately due to the war in Ukraine, a Lufthansa spokeswoman said Saturday. The airline said it will no longer operate services to Russian destinations.

All flights to and from Russia have been suspended from Saturday for the next seven days. Flights that are in Russian airspace will leave it within a short time. 

“The safety of our passengers and crew has utmost priority for us at any time,” Lufthansa said in a news statement sent to CNN.

Russian forces are facing stiff resistance in Ukraine and making slower progress than they planned, according to Britain’s Ministry of Defense in a statement late on Saturday.

“Russian forces are not making the progress they had planned. They are suffering from logistical challenges and strong Ukrainian resistance,” the United Kingdom MOD intelligence update said. 

The MOD said Russian forces are “sustaining casualties and a number of Russian troops have been taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces.”