The Latest Breaking News from Kyiv

Experts have warned that Russian military could use long-range weaponry such as cruise missiles to target key Ukrainian sites, while explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv

Russia has sent troops and tanks over the northern and southern borders of Ukraine and fired missiles at cities including Kyiv as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls on his people to give blood and sign-up

Russian forces attacked targets across Ukraine on Thursday after President Vladimir Putin vowed to “demilitarise” the country and replace its leaders, triggering the worst security crisis in Europe since World War II as the West threatened further punishing sanctions in response.

To help explain the Russia and Ukraine crisis, we've looked at why the conflict has happened and what Russia wants.

Pro-Russian separatist regions declared independence from Kiev in 2014

Black smoke was seen rising over the Ukrainian defence ministry intelligence headquarters in central Kyiv on Thursday, a Reuters correspondent reported.

Moments of normality puncture mood of shock, fear and quiet disgust in Ukraine’s capital

Valentina Butenko is studying politics in London but returned to Ukraine a few weeks ago to offer help with the security crisis there - she has shared the horror of hearing explosions in Kyiv

"Russia treacherously attacked our state in the morning, as Nazi Germany did in World War II years."

Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar says Kyiv has called on Ankara to close ‘the airspace, Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits’.

The worst, it seems, has now happened in Ukraine. In a pre-dawn televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he had ordered an operation aimed at demilitarizing Ukraine. He blamed the U.S. for crossing “red lines.” Kyiv, he said, would be responsible for any bloodshed. Reports of explosions and gunfire…