Summary
It’s now 10.10 am in Ukraine. Here is a recap of where the crisis now stands:
Joe Biden will argue that the “free world” is united in its efforts to support the Ukrainian people, in a speech to be delivered on Saturday during his visit to Poland. Biden will also talk of efforts to hold Russia accountable “for its brutal war” and defend “a future that is rooted in democratic principles”, the White House said in a statement.
In a video address on Friday night, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said his country’s forces had “dealt powerful blows” to Russian troops, adding that their success in repelling attacks was leading the Russian leadership “to a simple and logical idea: talk is necessary.” He reiterated Ukraine’s terms, including sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Earlier, Russia’s defence ministry said the first phase of its military operation was “generally” complete, and that its forces would focus on the “liberation” of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. The comments prompted speculation that Russia is scaling back its ambitions.
Russia also said 1,351 of its soldiers have died in combat. Zelenskiy has claimed at least 16,000 Russians have been killed.
The UK’s ministry of defence warned on Saturday morning that it appeared likely Russia “will continue to use its heavy firepower on urban areas as it looks to limit its own already considerable losses, at the cost of further civilian casualties.” Russia continues to besiege a number of major Ukrainian cities including Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol, it said.
According to a briefing by a US official on Friday, Russia does not at the moment appear to be pursuing a ground offensive towards Kyiv. The official added: “They are digging in, they are establishing defensive positions, they don’t show any signs of being willing to move on Kyiv from the ground.” Airstrikes on Kyiv, however, were ongoing.
The immense human cost of the war has continued to mount. The Russian invasion has killed 136 children so far, while a further 199 children have been injured, according to an update posted on Facebook on Saturday by the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office. It is not possible to verify these figures. The UN rights office on Friday said that it had confirmed 1,081 civilian deaths and 1,707 injuries.
I’m now handing over to my colleague in London, Kevin Rawlinson.
The Guardian