Over 2 million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began
Kyiv:
At least 17 people were injured in a Russian air strike at a children's hospital in Ukraine's Mariupol. Ukraine blamed Russia for breaking a ceasefire at the southern port as civilians elsewhere fled the fighting through safe corridors.
Here are the latest developments on the Russia-Ukraine war:
- A Russian air strike hit a children's hospital in Mariupol. The attack has wounded 17 and caused "colossal destruction", local authorities said.
- A Russia spokesman said: "Russian forces do not fire on civilian targets" and blamed Ukraine for the failure of a planned evacuation from Mariupol.
- Russian troops are pressing closer to Ukraine capital Kyiv and citizens fear that the city will be encircled. In the city's central square, an orchestra played Europe's anthem "Ode to joy" on Wednesday to boost morale.
- Around 35,000 people were evacuated through humanitarian corridors from three cities on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Local officials said civilians had left Sumy in the east and Enerhodar in the south.
- Over 2 million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began two weeks ago.
- Ukraine's nuclear power plant operator said it was concerned for safety at Chernobyl, mothballed site of the 1986 nuclear disaster, after a power cut caused by the fighting. It warned of a potential radiation leak if the outage continued.
- 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.
- The European Union announced more sanctions against oligarchs and lenders in Russia and Belarus.
- Nestle, Philip Morris and Sony joined the list of multinationals stepping back from Russia.
- Oil prices tumble while US and European stocks surge after days of market turmoil over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
