Ukraine accuses Russia of attacking children's hospital as war intensifies

Here are the latest developments in Russia's war in Ukraine:

Fury as children's hospital hit 

Ukraine accuses Russia of a "war crime" over an attack on a children's hospital in Mariupol, which wounded 17 people, officials said.

The US condemns the attack as "barbaric," while Britain deems it "depraved."

Footage shows injured people streaming from the devastated building past cars on fire and a giant crater in front of the facility.
35,000 evacuated

At least 35,000 civilians were evacuated from besieged Ukrainian cities during a 12-hour ceasefire on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky says.

They left via three humanitarian corridors, and Zelensky says he hopes more civilians will be able to flee Thursday with three additional routes set to open for the cities of Mariupol, Volnovakha and Izium.

1,207 dead in Mariupol siege

A total of 1,207 civilians have died in a nine-day Russian siege of the port city of Mariupol, its mayor says in a message.

Aid groups have warned of catastrophic conditions, with no water, electricity or heat in the city and repeated attempts to establish safe routes out collapsing under attack.

Fear of Kyiv siege 

Fears are mounting the capital will be encircled, with AFP seeing Russian troops pressing closer.

Overnight, the Ukrainian General Staff warns Russian forces are continuing their "offensive operation" to surround the city.

Chernobyl power cut 'not critical'

Power is entirely cut to the Chernobyl power plant, site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986.

The UN nuclear watchdog IAEA, warns the plant, now in Russian hands, is no longer transmitting data but says it sees no "critical impact on safety".

Patriot missiles

The United States has deployed two new Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries in Poland, in keeping with commitments to defend its NATO allies, a senior Pentagon official says.

But no fighter jets, says US

Fearing a wider conflict, the Pentagon definitively rejects a Polish offer to deliver its Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets to a US base in Germany, to be eventually handed over to Ukraine.

Zelensky pleads, "Look, we're at war! Send us the planes."

More aid

US lawmakers are voting on a $14-billion aid package for Ukraine with Canada pledging more military equipment.

The International Monetary Fund meanwhile approves $1.4 billion in emergency financing for Ukraine.

Turkey talks

Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers are in Turkey to hold face-to-face talks on Thursday in the first high-level contact since the invasion.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warns his expectations for the discussions are "limited."

Britain urges G7 oil ban

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss calls on the entire G7 to ban Russia oil imports, saying the world's leading economies should "go further and faster" in punishing Moscow for invading Ukraine.

But Group of Seven members including France, Germany, Italy and Japan are wary of such a move.

US warns on biological weapons

Washington rejects Russian claims that it supports a bioweapons program in Ukraine, saying the allegations were a sign that Moscow could soon use the weapons themselves.

2.2 million flee

The UN estimates the total number of refugees fleeing Ukraine has risen to around 2.2 million, with more than half in Poland.

It has called the outflow Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.

Oil falls, stocks surge

Oil prices tumble while US and European and Asian stocks surge after days of market turmoil over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.