In the city centre, Mykolaiv’s governor Vitaliy Kim is standing in fatigues, explaining how Ukrainian soldiers, helped by new reinforcements, had pushed Russian troops back between 15 and 20km (nine to 12 miles) towards the east, and had even surrounded some Russian
Even so, the city has been something of a safe haven, for people fleeing cities under sustained Russian attack. In the past few days, residents here had begun leaving: we saw giant queues for evacuation trains and the roads west out of
An attack on a children’s hospital in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol has been labelled a war crime, according to the deputy mayor of the city. Three people, including a child, died in the attack that saw parts of the hospital
Outside, the active shift was working during another bitterly cold day, with the snow settling on their shoulders. A tank was in position. A deadly-looking artillery piece was positioned to fire directly, over open sights, at anything coming down the road that
“Everything is bombed,” said Valentina, as she rushed past us, fleeing her home and her life with just a single bag over her shoulder. “There are no lights,” she said, “there’s been no electricity, no gas, and no internet for two to
Artillery and air strikes have caused severe damage in Irpin, with at least one mortar attack killing a woman and two children as they tried to flee. The town has found itself on the frontline between Russian and Ukrainian forces over the
But Sberbank, the country’s largest lender, emphasised that Russians will be able to withdraw cash, make transfers, and pay both in offline stores and Russian internet stores, because transactions in the country pass through the domestic National Payment Card System, which does
“We’re seeing Russia go after critical infrastructure that’s denying Ukrainians water, denying them electricity, denying them heat,” he said. “Those methods are, unfortunately, tragically, part of the Russian playbook under President Putin. And I think we’re likely to see more of that.”
The war in Ukraine means Nato operations are intensifying in Europe, as it boosts its presence in the east. Special Airborne Warning and Control System (Awacs) planes police Nato’s borders from where they can monitor Russian activity. The BBC’s Europe Correspondent Jessica
Russia is the world’s third largest producer of oil, behind the United States and Saudi Arabia. It accounts for 8-10% of global oil supply. Europe relies on Russia for nearly 40% of its natural gas. So, given Russia’s crucial position in the