Ukraine officials say a series of Russian strikes have hit a residential neighbourhood in Kyiv, igniting a huge fire and frantic rescue effort in a 15-storey apartment building.
Look back on all of Tuesday's updates as they happened.
Key events
- Kyiv imposes 35-hour curfew as Russian shelling continues
- Russia has taken full control of Kherson region, defence spokesperson says
- Four Russian helicopters shot down, Ukraine military says
- Could the war be over by May? This Ukrainian adviser thinks so
- Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says talks with Russia will continue on Tuesday
- News producer arrested after 'no war' protest live on Russian state television
- Former Russian deputy prime minister decries war in Ukraine
- Ukraine says 4,000 people evacuated from frontline cities on Monday
- EU approves fourth round of sanctions against Russia
Live updates
By Kate Ainsworth
That's all for the blog tonight
Thanks for joining us throughout the day.
You can stay up to date with all the latest updates here on the ABC News website and on our app.
By Kate Ainsworth
300 evacuees from Mariupol have reached Zaporizhzhia
About 300 civilians from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol have reached the city of Zaporizhzhia after leaving in the first successful evacuation of residents on Monday, Mariupol city council said.
"As was reported, about 160 cars left Mariupol yesterday. As of 10:00am there is information that about 300 Mariupol residents reached Zaporizhzhia," it said.
At least 200,000 people are in urgent need of evacuation from Mariupol, according to official Ukrainian estimates. Russia denies targeting civilians.
Reuters
By Kate Ainsworth
Russian strikes destroy Dnipro regional airport runway, governor says
Russian forces fired two missiles at the main civilian airport in Ukraine's eastern Dnipro region overnight, regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said.
He said the missiles have destroyed the airport's runway and damaged the terminal building.
Dnipro is around 90 kilometres north of Zaporizhzhia, which is home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant that Russia has claimed control of.
"It will take a lot of time to recover. We will win!," he wrote in a post to his verified Facebook account.
By Kate Ainsworth
Russian journalist fearful for anti-war protester who interrupted state TV news
Marina Ovsyannikova, a journalist who works for the channel, held up signs in English and Russian, reading: "NO WAR. Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They are lying to you here."
Alexey Kovalev, Investigations editor of Russian news outlet Meduza, told News Channel's Karina Carvalho it was a brave move and a powerful message.
"I don't think it has happened before," he said.
Mr Kovalev, who left Moscow 10 days ago, said many Russians would have no idea what was really going on in Ukraine and that the word war was not one that was used in mainstream Russian news, instead referring to it as a "special military operation".
Ovsyannikova was detained after the protest and could face up to 15 years in prison.
Calling it an act of "sabotage against propaganda", Mr Kovalev said he feared Marina would not be charged with just a minor offence.
"It's been more than 12 hours and she hasn't been released which is a very worrying sign," he said.
Speaking about the censorship in Russia, Mr Kovalev, who is now based in Riga, Latvia, said he has accepted he is blacklisted and won't be able to return to Moscow anytime soon because “dictators like this don't disappear in a matter of months.”
By Kate Ainsworth
Russian forces pushed back from Ukraine's Mykolayiv city, governor says
The governor of Ukraine's southern region of Mykolayiv said the security situation is calmer in the area because Russian forces had been pushed back "slightly" from the regional capital, which they have been trying to seize.
In an interview on national television, Governor Vitaliy Kim said Russian troops continued to fire at the city of Mykolayiv and that 80 people were wounded on Monday, including two children.
"You can be 99 per cent sure that Mykolayiv region will continue to hold back the advance of the Russian troops," he said.
"There is the Bug River, which they need to force their way across in order to advance.
"We will not give up the bridges to the invaders."
By Kate Ainsworth
Kyiv imposes 35-hour curfew as Russian shelling continues
The mayor of the Ukrainian capital city, Vitali Klitschko, announced the curfew will begin at 8:00pm on Tuesday night local time, and is expected to be lifted at 7:00am on Thursday morning.
The reintroduction of the curfew comes as Russian strikes on the city intensify, with a strike on a residential building killing at least one person.
"It is prohibited to move around the city without special permission, except to go to bomb shelters," Klitschko said.
"The capital is the heart of Ukraine, and it will be defended.
Kyiv, which is currently the symbol and forward operating base of Europe's freedom and security, will not be given up by us."
By Kate Ainsworth
Ukraine war at a 'crossroads': Ukrainian presidential adviser
An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy said that the war in Ukraine was at a crossroads that could lead to an agreement at talks with Russia, or a new Russian offensive.
"We are at a crossroads. Either we will agree at the current talks or the Russians will make a second attempt (at an offensive) and then there will be talks again," adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said.
Reuters
By Kate Ainsworth
Squatters briefly occupy London mansion linked to Russian oligarch as protesters ramp up anti-war displays
In an upmarket area in London, surrounded by numerous foreign embassies, a large flag was seen draped over the balcony of a mansion reading: "This property has been liberated".
The multi-million-dollar mansion, linked to the sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, was briefly occupied by a group of squatters overnight.
They said they were reclaiming the Belgrave Square property in central London to house Ukrainian refugees.
"You occupy Ukraine, we occupy you," the squatters, who described themselves as anarchists, said in a statement.
"By occupying this mansion, we want to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine, but also the people of Russia who never agreed to this madness."
After a lengthy stand-off, police in riot gear used a drill to break open the front door and a crane to reach the squatters perched on the side of the building.
By Kate Ainsworth
Former NATO Deputy Secretary General optimistic war will end peacefully
A former NATO Deputy Secretary General has spoken of her hope that there will be a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine.
Rose Gottemoeller told PM efforts are underway to construct a diplomatic "off-ramp" for Vladimir Putin which would provide him with a means of retreating from Ukraine, without it necessarily looking like a humiliating defeat for Russia.
Ms Gottemoeller, who has worked with Russia on no nuclear non-proliferation in the past, told Nick Grimm she found Putin's sabre rattling concerning and unwarranted, adding not even Soviet leaders behaved like this with regard to their statements.
"Putin is something different," she said.
But she said she really hoped a wider war could be avoided.
"NATO is doing everything it can to avoid this terrible invasion of Ukraine from turning into a wider war in Europe," she said.
"They are avoiding World War 3 in every way they can and they will continue to do so."
She said there were signs, and more talks coming up, which would hopefully get us on an exit ramp out of the crisis, with a number of actors engaged in negotiating diplomacy.
Russia had already been hit with sanctions and there was a danger Russia could default on its debts so the country was being punished, but she said the first goal was restoring Ukrainian livelihoods.
By Kate Ainsworth
Woman rescued from damaged apartment building in Kyiv
This elderly woman was among several people who were evacuated from their apartment building that caught fire after a series of Russian strikes in the Ukrainian capital this morning.
By Kate Ainsworth
By Kate Ainsworth
Czech, Polish, Slovenian prime ministers to visit Kyiv
Prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia will travel to Kyiv to meet President Volodomyr Zelenskiy as representatives of European Union leaders, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on social networks.
"The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," he said.]
"The aim of this visit is also to present a broad package of support for Ukraine and Ukrainians."
By Kate Ainsworth
Ukraine plans to open corridors to evacuate civilians
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says they are planning to open nine humanitarian corridors on Tuesday to evacuate civilians from areas besieged by Russian forces.
She said the government will also try to deliver humanitarian supplies to encircled Mariupol.
Reuters
By Daniel Smith
Russia has taken full control of Kherson region, defence spokesperson says
Russia's defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenov says Russian forces have taken full control of all territory in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, Russian news agencies reported.
Russian forces shot down six Bayraktar TB-2 drones in the last 24 hours, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the ministry.
Reuters could not verify the reports independently.
By Daniel Smith
'I just need to run to save my life'
Her story is familiar to 2.8 million other Ukrainians who have been forced to flee following Russia’s brutal invasion, but Slava Soloviova, now safe in the German city of Stuttgart, remains hopeful she can return home.
Ms Soloviova, who fled her comfortable life in Kyiv after the shelling began, was captured in a viral video expressing her bewilderment, shock and sorrow at the reality of her new life.
Speaking to PM’s Nick Grimm, she said she now feared for those who remained back in her country and her life changed literally overnight after the invasion began.
“I was so scared, I didn't have much time to think of it,” she said adding she tried to pack an emergency bag.
“But then I understood I don’t have time for this, I just need to run to save my life.”
She said most of her colleagues have left, but her mum was in Ukraine because she didn’t want to leave.
“We just need help, we are trying out best we don't want to surrender, we also don't want to die and that’s not the easiest thing to explain,” Ms Soloviova said.
“Two weeks ago I wasn't understanding war as well and I now don't feel like I can expect from others, especially like people in Australia and people far away from it, to understand the situation we are dealing with right now in Ukraine. The Russian army just kills civilians, it just bombs civilian objects, schools, kindergartens… I absolutely want it to stop and this close the sky thing would help, I believe there is no other option, otherwise, the whole world would witness the destruction, the mass killing of the whole nation – a whole independent country.”
Ms Soloviova said she and others had a right to live in their own country without Russians, and warned if Ukraine wasn’t safe, nowhere was.
By Daniel Smith
Kyiv metro station damaged in blasts
Kyiv's metro network has tweeted that the Lukyanivska station and office was damaged in blasts heard earlier this morning.
The station has been closed as a result.
By Daniel Smith
Four Russian helicopters shot down, Ukraine military says
The General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces has posted its regular update on Facebook, saying four helicopters, one plane, and a Russian cruise missile were shot down by Ukraine's military.
"The groups of the occupying forces involved in the offensive did not have significant success in all areas of advance. The main efforts continue to be focused on maintaining the occupied borders," it said.
"The moral and psychological state of the enemy remains low... The enemy is trying to capture Mariupol. Ukrainian soldiers successfully repulsed the attacks of the invaders."
These claims have not been verified.
By Daniel Smith
Russian strikes hit Kyiv apartment building, Ukraine says
A series of Russian strikes hit a residential neighbourhood of Ukraine’s capital on Tuesday, officials said, igniting a huge fire and frantic rescue effort in a 15-storey Kyiv apartment building. At least one person was killed.
The Ukrainian military said in a statement that the strikes were artillery strikes. They hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin that has seen some of the worst battles of the war.
The Ukraine State Emergency Services posted on Facebook that they have now extinguished the fire.
Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on the north-west suburbs of Irpin, Hostomel and Bucha, the head of the Kyiv region Oleksiy Kuleba said on Ukrainian television.
Russian forces also renewed efforts Tuesday to capture the important port city of Mariupol in the south, and unleashed new artillery strikes on downtown Kharkiv in the east, the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said on Facebook.
AP
By Daniel Smith
By Daniel Smith
Sanctioned oligarch's jet returns to Moscow
A jet linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich landed in Moscow early on Tuesday after taking off from Istanbul following a brief stop there, FLIGHTRADAR24 data shows.
The jet linked to Mr Abramovich, the owner of Britain's Chelsea soccer club, arrived in Istanbul from Israel on Monday, shortly after he was seen in Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport.
Mr Abramovich was among seven Russian billionaires added to a British sanctions list last week to try to isolate President Vladimir Putin over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. EU diplomats have embraced a similar move.
The Russian oligarch, who also holds Israeli and Portuguese citizenship, has denied having close ties to Mr Putin.
Reuters could not verify whether he boarded the flight to Istanbul from Tel Aviv on Monday or the one from Istanbul to Moscow.
Mr Abramovich said last week he was selling the London club, but that sale is now on hold with Chelsea operating under a special government licence, and the Premier League board has disqualified him as a club director.
A British transport ministry source said on Friday that Britain was searching out helicopters and jets belonging to the sanctioned oligarchs. Multiple properties including opulent yachts worth hundreds of millions of dollars have been seized by authorities in Europe in recent days.
Reuters
