Ukrainian forces fought off Russian troops in the capital Kyiv on Friday on the second day of a conflict that has claimed dozens of lives, as Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the Ukrainian army to remove the country's leadership.
Small arms fire and explosions were heard in the city's northern district of Obolonsky as what appeared to be an advance party of Russia's invasion force left a trail of destruction.
11:25PM
Over 50,000 Ukrainians flee country in 48 hours
Tens of thousands of people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion less than two days ago, the United Nations refugee chief said on Friday.
Already on Thursday, the UN refugee agency warned that some 100,000 people had been displaced inside the country, and on Friday it said large numbers were fleeing into neighbouring countries.
6:40PM
6:30PM
Ukraine says 50 Russian troops killed
Ukraine's military said on Thursday it had destroyed four Russian tanks on a road near the eastern city of Kharkiv, killed 50 troops near a town in Luhansk region and downed a sixth Russian aircraft, also in the country's east.
6:25PM
Russian invasion of Ukraine 'justified', says Myanmar junta
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is "justified" and demonstrates Moscow's position as a world power, Myanmar's junta said on Friday, backing its major ally and arms supplier.
The dawn invasion of troops and tanks accompanied by airstrikes on Ukrainian cities has sparked outrage across the world, with the United States and its allies responding with a barrage of sanctions.
6:25PM
Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, was hit by missile strikes on Friday, the second day of Russia’s military offensive. Ukraine’s leaders told residents to “prepare Molotov cocktails” to defend the city.
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 25, 2022
Follow our updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.https://t.co/8SpMVtutQe pic.twitter.com/1DJdgusZpL
6:20PM
UN: Invasion could drive 5 million Ukrainians to flee abroad
Fuel, cash and medical supplies are running low in parts of Ukraine after Russia's invasion, which could drive up to 5 million people to flee abroad, UN aid agencies said on Friday.
At least 100,000 people are uprooted in Ukraine after fleeing their homes since Russia launched its assault on Thursday, while several thousand have already crossed into neighbouring countries including Moldova, Romania and Poland, UN refugee agency spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said.
6:15PM
EU warns Russia of more possible sanctions
The European Commission on Friday warned Moscow that the European Union could impose more sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, a day after EU leaders agreed on a robust package of measures.
"When it comes to the sequencing of packages we have always said we have a massive package prepared and we will be applying this package in a progressive way, responding to concrete actions by Russia, and we are not at the end," Commission spokesman Peter Stano told a daily news conference.
6:10PM
Erdogan accuses Nato, EU of failure to act over Ukraine
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused Nato and the European Union of failing to take a "determined stance" on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"Nato should have taken a more decisive step," Erdogan, whose country is a member of the military alliance, told reporters.
6:00PM
Servicemen of the Ukrainian National Guard take positions in central Kyiv, Ukraine February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich pic.twitter.com/ohC4l1j4we
— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) February 25, 2022
5:55PM
'Only way forward for Ukraine is neutrality'
Russia's Foreign Intelligence (SVR) Chief Sergei Naryshkin said the only way forward for Ukraine was neutrality, a day after Russia launched an invasion of the country.
The Kremlin said earlier it noted Ukrainian statements that Kyiv was willing to discuss neutral status and was analysing them.
5:50PM
LIVE: Maidan square in Kyiv as Russian forces advance into Ukraine https://t.co/co3SprdyeZ
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 25, 2022
5:45PM
Assad: Russian Ukraine invasion a correction of history
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a telephone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday, praised the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying it was a "correction of history".
"President Assad stressed that what is happening today is a correction of history and a restoration of balance in the global order after the fall of the Soviet Union," said a statement from the Syrian presidency.
5:00PM
Russia says ready for talks if Ukraine 'lays down arms'
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday Moscow was ready for talks if Ukraine's military surrendered, as he insisted that invading forces were looking to free the country from "oppression".
Russian President Vladimir Putin "took the decision to conduct a special military operation to demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine so that, freed from oppression, Ukrainians themselves could freely determine their future", Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow.
3:00PM
France: Putin wants to take Ukraine off map of nations
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to destroy Ukraine's statehood and warned that the "security" of its President Volodymyr Zelensky was at risk.
"This is total war. Putin has decided... to take Ukraine off the map of nations," Le Drian told France Inter radio.
2:40PM
Clashes in northern district of Kyiv city
Explosions and gunfire erupted in a northern district of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday, an AFP reporter on the ground heard, as invading Russian forces closed in.
Pedestrians ran for safety and small arms fire and explosions were heard in the Obolonsky area. The larger blasts could be heard as far away as the city centre.
2:30PM
Clashes in northern district of Kyiv city
Explosions and gunfire erupted in a northern district of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday, an AFP reporter on the ground heard, as invading Russian forces closed in.
Pedestrians ran for safety and small arms fire and explosions were heard in the Obolonsky area. The larger blasts could be heard as far away as the city centre.
2:25PM
"Where do I go? Tell me please. Where will I run?"
— DW News (@dwnews) February 25, 2022
People across Ukraine were out on the streets, queuing at ATMs, looking for shelter or seeking ways to leave the country. pic.twitter.com/OzevE7PTff
2:20PM
Ukraine ministry says Russia hit 33 civilian sites
Russia has bombed 33 civilian sites in its assault on Ukraine in the last 24 hours, Kyiv's interior ministry said on Friday as Russian troops advanced on the capital, according to Interfax news agency.
"The Russians say they are not striking civilian objects. But 33 civilian sites have been hit over the last 24 hours," the agency quoted an official at Ukraine's Interior Ministry, Vadym Denysenko, as saying.
2:15PM
Russia to deploy paratroopers to guard Chernobyl site
Russia will deploy paratroopers to help guard the closed Chernobyl nuclear power plant near Ukraine's capital Kyiv, a spokesman for Russia's defence ministry said on Friday.
Radiation levels at the plant are normal, the spokesman told a briefing. Russian troops, which started a full-scale military operation in Ukraine on Thursday, have destroyed 118 Ukrainian military infrastructure sites, he said.
2:10PM
"We will defend ourselves."
— TIME (@TIME) February 25, 2022
Photographs of Ukraine under attack: https://t.co/zex6UNEhNi pic.twitter.com/ja52WrkZ81
2:00PM
Zelensky speaks to Boris Johnson
Ukrainian President Zelensky has just tweeted saying he's held morning talks with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
He called for stronger sanctions and more support, tweeting: "Today [we] need the support of partners more than ever."
1:55PM
Ukraine army says fighting Russian forces outside capital
Ukraine's army said on Friday it was fighting invading Russian forces north of the capital Kyiv, as Moscow pressed on with its advance on the pro-Western country for a second day.
Russian forces reached the outskirts of Kyiv on Friday, with the government saying the city was hit by "horrific rocket strikes" in the early hours.
⚡️The Russian military seized two vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, changed into Ukrainian uniform and are moving to the center of Kyiv. They are followed by a column of Russian military trucks, says Deputy Defense Minister.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 25, 2022
1:30PM
Фото наслідків обстрілів у Старобільську, Луганська область pic.twitter.com/qX6X51aRZY
— DSNS.GOV.UA (@SESU_UA) February 25, 2022
1:25PM
UK: Russia wants whole of Ukraine
Russia intends to take the whole of Ukraine but the Russian army failed to deliver on the first day of its invasion, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Friday.
Russia launched its invasion by land, air and sea on Thursday following a declaration of war by President Vladimir Putin, in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two.
1:10PM
Refugees pour into Poland
Refugees from Ukraine, including dozens of children, camp overnight at a train station in neighbouring Poland where reception centres are being hastily set up.
A person walks his dog in front of a damaged residential building, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Kyiv on February 25, 2022 /REUTERS 1:05PM
Ukraine 'left alone'
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says his country has been left on its own to fight Russia. "Who is ready to fight alongside us? I don't see anyone."
Zelensky says at least 137 Ukrainian "heroes" were killed after the first day of fighting and 317 wounded, as he calls up conscripts and reservists nationwide.
1:00PM
PHOTOS: Russia tears through Ukraine, leaving bloodshed and destruction in its wake pic.twitter.com/u3MTEzIDTo
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 25, 2022
12:55PM
‘Russian forces could enter areas outside Kyiv’
A senior Ukrainian defence official warned that Russian forces would enter areas just outside the capital Kyiv later on Friday after officials said the city and other locations had been struck by Russian missiles in the early hours of the morning.
Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar added that Ukrainian army units were defending positions on four fronts despite being outnumbered.
12:40PM
Zelenskiy says Russian actions show sanctions not enough
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that continued Russian aggression against his country showed that sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West were not enough.
Zelenskiy said the world was continuing to observe what was going on in Ukraine after its capital Kyiv and other parts of the countrywere struck by Russian missiles in the early hours of Friday.
12:35PM
Imran Khan expresses concern over Ukraine
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed concern over the economic fallout of the Ukraine conflict on developing countries in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, Pakistan's foreign office said in a statement.
Khan was the first world leader to meet Putin since he ordered the launch of Russia's attack on Ukraine, having arrived in Moscow for a previously planned visit just hours before the invasion began.
12:25PM
‘I have asked 27 European leaders whether Ukraine will be in NATO .... Everyone is afraid, no one answers,’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a late night speech https://t.co/Tco566qKpI pic.twitter.com/LZFRh6WM7f
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 25, 2022
12:10PM
ICC prosecutor concerned over invasion of Ukraine
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan on Friday expressed his concern over the Russian invasion of Ukraine and said his court may investigate possible war crimes in the country.
? Statement of #ICC Prosecutor #KarimAAKhanQC, on the Situation in #Ukraine: “While on mission in Bangladesh, I have been closely following recent developments in and around Ukraine with increasing concern." Read more ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/xMshqB8Fid
— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) February 25, 2022
"I remind all sides conducting hostilities on the territory of Ukraine that my office may exercise its jurisdiction and investigate any act of genocide, crime against humanity or war crime committed within Ukraine," Khan said in a statement.
12:05PM
Infographic: Russian invasion of Ukraine
Map of Ukraine locating areas where explosions, strikes and fighting have been reported and under Russian control, updated as of February 25 AFP12:00PM
CPJ calls for protection of journalists in Ukraine
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine escalates into a full-scale attack, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for the protection of Ukrainian journalists, along with the international reporters and media workers who join them in covering the conflict.
As Russia’s invasion of #Ukraine escalates into a full-scale attack, CPJ calls for the protection of Ukrainian journalists, along with the international reporters and media workers who join them in covering the conflict. https://t.co/tjD5l369zd pic.twitter.com/tmZYoBxt6D
— Committee to Protect Journalists (@pressfreedom) February 24, 2022
“At this critical moment, it is crucial that all parties involved recognize that all journalists and media workers are civilians under international humanitarian law, and their rights must be respected and protected,” said CPJ Executive Director Robert Mahoney in a statement issued on Thursday.
“This also applies to protecting the facilities and equipment utilized for reporting and disseminating news,” he said. Read more here.
11:45AM
Companies shut Ukraine operations
Brewer Carlsberg CARLb.CO, Japan Tobacco 2914.T and a Coca-Cola bottler were among firms shutting factories in Ukraine on Thursday following Russia's invasion, while UPS UPS.N and FedEx Corp FDX.N suspended services in and out of the country.
Ukraine closed its airspace as Russian forces attacked in the early hours, leaving budget airline Wizz Air WIZZ.L trying to evacuate its Ukrainian-based crew, their families and four planes stuck in Kyiv and Lviv.
Many companies with exposure to Russia are waiting for more clarity on Western sanctions and assessing the impact of those already announced.
11:30AM
Ukraine: Russian troops largely stopped from advancing
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia resumed missile strikes at 4 a.m. on Friday, but its troops had been stopped from advancing in most directions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky holding a briefing at the Office of the Head of State in Kyiv on February 25, 2022 AFPIn a televised speech, Zelenskiy said the Russian strikes were aimed at both military and civilian targets.
11:25AM
Sirens go off in Lviv city in western Ukraine
Sirens rang out in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv early on Friday, a Reuters witness said.
?URGENTE | Suenan las alarmas de amenaza en la ciudad de #Lviv en #Ucrania, esto mientras #Rusia continúa avanzando en territorio ucraniano pic.twitter.com/empaTmrGIO
— Informa Al Minuto (@InformaAlMinuto) February 25, 2022
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday and Kyiv has reported dozens of casualties and hundreds of wounded. The capital Kyiv came under attack on Friday morning, while a missile hit the airport in the city of Rivne in western Ukraine, its mayor said.
11:25AM
Taiwan to join 'democratic countries' in sanctions on Russia
Taiwan will join "democratic countries" in putting sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, the government said on Friday, with the world's largest contract chipmaker TMSC adding it would comply with all export control rules.
A Ukrainian serviceman holds a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher at fighting positions outside the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine February 24, 2022 ReutersThe crisis is being watched closely in Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory and which has faced increased military pressure from Beijing over the last two years.
"We very harshly condemn such an act of invasion and will join democratic countries to jointly impose sanctions," Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters in Taipei without giving details.
Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said the island will "harshly scrutinize" exports to Russia and "coordinate" with unspecified allies on further actions. She also did not elaborate.
11:20AM
Ukraine central bank bans payments to Russia, Belarus
Ukraine's central bank has banned payments to entities in Russia and Belarus as well as operations involving both nations' currencies, the regulator said on Friday, a day after Russia launched a full-scale invasion.
11:15AM
US citizens are being urged to leave Ukraine immediately
“US citizens in Ukraine should depart immediately if it is safe to do so using any commercial or other privately available ground transportation options,” the US embassy in Kyiv said in a statement.
10:45AM
US Defence Secretary: Russian forces within kilometres of Kyiv
Russian forces that entered Ukraine through Belarus are within kilometres of reaching Kyiv, according to US officials.
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers on a phone call that Russian mechanised forces that entered from Belarus were about 20 miles (32km) from Kyiv, according to a person familiar with the call, the Associated Press reports.
Today, I spoke with my Ukrainian counterpart, @oleksiireznikov, regarding Russia’s reckless war of choice and our efforts to continue providing defensive assistance to Ukraine. https://t.co/q9zCSEXRIf
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) February 25, 2022
The call was said to have taken place about 6:30pm ET.
The officials described another Russian element that entered Ukraine from Russia being a bit further away, but that both were headed toward Kyiv with the goal of encircling the city and potentially toppling the Ukrainian government, according to the lawmaker on the call.
10:30AM
Explosions heard in Kyiv
Ukrainian forces downed an enemy aircraft over Kyiv in the early hours of Friday, which then crashed into a residential building and set it on fire, said Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister.
It was unclear whether the aircraft was manned or whether it could be a missile. Kyiv municipal authorities said at least eight people were injured when the object crashed into an apartment block.
Photos from Ukraine’s State Emergency Services Department show a multi-story building burning in southeast Kyiv. This is in the opposite side of the Dnieper river. pic.twitter.com/ExWd0Inlpr
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 25, 2022
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv had come under a missile attack.
"Horrific Russian rocket strikes on Kyiv," he wrote on Twitter. "Last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941 when it was attacked by Nazi Germany."
10:15AM
137 killed in the Russian invasion
Zelenskiy announced that 137 citizens, including military personnel, had been killed and over 300 had been injured since Russia invaded.
He called the victims "heroes" in the video address. Zelenskiy said that despite Russia's claim it is attacking only military targets, civilian sites have also been struck.
"They're killing people and turning peaceful cities into military targets. It's foul and will never be forgiven," he said.
Ukrainian servicemen stand near an armored personnel carrier BTR-3 on the northwest of Kyiv on February 24, 2022 AFPZelenskiy added that all the border guards on Zmiinyi island in Ukraine's southwestern Odesa region were killed on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Russia had taken Chernobyl, the site of a nuclear disaster in 1986 and where a decommissioned nuclear power plant and exclusion zone remain.
The White House said on Thursday that it was outraged at reports of hostages taken at the facilities at Chernobyl.
10:00AM
Ukraine president orders general mobilization
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree on Thursday on the general mobilization of the population in the wake of Russia's invasion.
Conscripts and reservists will be called up over the next 90 days to "ensure the defense of the state, maintaining combat and mobilization readiness," an entry on the Ukrainian presidency's website said.
"We have been left alone to defend our state," Zelenskiy said in a video address to the nation after midnight.
⚡️Zelensky: This morning we are defending our state alone. Like yesterday, the world's most powerful forces are watching from afar.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 25, 2022
Did yesterday's sanctions convince #Russia? We hear in our sky and see on our earth that this was not enough.
"Who is ready to fight alongside us? I don't see anyone. Who is ready to give Ukraine a guarantee of Nato membership? Everyone is afraid," he added.
The Ukrainian leader vowed to continue fighting, saying that "a new iron curtain" was falling between Russia and the West.
9:45AM
Ukraine's president vows to stay put as Russian invaders approach
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed on Friday to stay in Kyiv as his troops battled Russian invaders advancing toward the capital in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two.
Russia launched its invasion by land, air and sea on Thursday following a declaration of war by President Vladimir Putin. An estimated 100,000 people fled as explosions and gunfire rocked major cities. Dozens have been reported killed.
US and Ukrainian officials say Russia aims to capture Kyiv and topple the government, which Putin regards as a puppet of the United States. Russian troops seized the Chernobyl former nuclear power plant north of Kyiv as they advanced along the shortest route to Kyiv from Belarus to the north. Read more here.
