Russia-Ukraine crisis LIVE: Explosions rock Kyiv as Russian assault continues | One million refugees flee Ukraine
Boris Johnson will update MPs on his talks with allies in eastern Europe as the UK piled more pressure on Russia over its Ukraine invasion.
The Ukraine military says Russian paratroopers have landed in its second-largest city Kharkiv.
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Hide AdAt least 21 people were killed and 112 wounded in the shelling of Ukraine's second most populous city Kharkiv,the city’s mayor has said.
It comes as US President Joe Biden used his first State of the Union address to announce US airspace was closed to Russian flights, adding his administration would be joining the UK and other allies in pursuing the Russian oligarchs and “corrupt leaders who built billions of dollars off (Vladimir Putin’s) violent regime”.
Scotland will send half a million items of medical supplies to Ukraine to help those “fighting a battle for democracy and freedom” against the Russian invasion, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The First Minister visited an NHS Scotland distribution centre in North Lanarkshire on Wednesday to see the medical equipment being packed before it is flown to Ukraine.
Ms Sturgeon said the shipment will be an “initial consignment” of items requested by the Ukrainian Government from NHS Scotland’s reserve stockpile, and she pledged to continue providing the “maximum we possibly can” for the duration of the conflict.
Russian forces unleashed their attack on Ukraine last week on the orders of Vladimir Putin, who announced a “special military operation” at dawn.
There have been reports of significant shelling overnight in Chernihiv in the north of Ukraine overnight.
G7 leaders have condemned Russia’s “unprovoked and completely unjustified attack” on Ukraine as a “serious violation” of international law.
There have been called for the UK to do more to help with the refugee crisis in Ukraine.
You can follow updates in our live blog.
Russia-Ukraine crisis LIVE: Explosions rock Kyiv as Russian assault continues | One million refugees flee Ukraine
The UK’s ambassador at the UN Security Council Dame Barbara Woodward, said Russia has “brought us to the brink”, warning that the country’s actions “will have severe and far-reaching consequences”.
She said an invasion would unleash “the forces of war, death and destruction” on the people of Ukraine.
“The humanitarian impact will be terrible on civilians fleeing the fighting. We know that women and children will suffer most,” she added.
She said the Security Council must be united in calling on Russia to “de-escalate immediately”, as well as “condemning aggression against a sovereign nation and defending the territorial integrity of Ukraine”.
“Russia has brought us to the brink,” she said. “We urge Russia to step back.”
In a letter sent to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and copied to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and other ministers, national chairman of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) Petro Rewko said it is clear the “window for diplomacy” has closed.
He said: “As you will be well aware, the scope for prolonged military threats and potential further aggression is very real and the consequent humanitarian disaster would be unimaginable.
“History shows us that Russia’s invading forces will have no regard to the safety and human rights of the civilian population, that the death toll will be significant, and that war crimes will be committed.”
He added: “We believe that it is time for the UK Government and its Nato partners to act without further delay, as Russia is intensifying its war against Ukraine now.”
“As we speak, there’s a meeting taking place in Brussels now with senior officials to discuss and debate these things.”
The time has come for the EU to impose sanctions on Russia, the Irish Foreign Affairs Minister said.
Simon Coveney said the actions of Russia and the recent comments by Mr Putin on Ukrainian sovereignty were a “signal of intent”.
“And unless Europe and the US and the UK and others respond, I think, clearly and firmly and in a united way, then I don’t think there will be a deterrent for Russia to stop there.”
He said discussions were ongoing in the EU over what form sanctions would take.
Cabinet minister Sajid Javid compared the Ukraine situation to the Cuban Missile Crisis at the height of the Cold War.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I do think it’s as serious a situation as that. There is still an opportunity here for President (Vladimir) Putin to step back, despite him having now chosen confrontation over dialogue. It is not to late for him to step back and bring his troops back into Russia and open dialogue.
“But we have to be realistic – clearly that does not seem his intent, certainly at this point in time, and we have to respond very significantly.
“This is a real test for the West as well.”
Ukraine is not a member of Nato, but Mr Javid made clear that if Russia does carry on and invade one of the alliance’s eastern states, then there will be war.
“If the territorial integrity of a single Nato member is violated then that is tantamount to declaring war on every member of Nato.”
Hungarian airline Wizz Air said it will continue to operate flights between the UK and Ukraine.
It said in a statement: “Wizz Air continues to closely monitor the situation in Ukraine.
“Currently, we have not made any changes to our schedule and all of our flights to/from Ukraine continue to operate as normal.
“All passengers with booked flights to and from Ukraine are advised to regularly check their mailboxes for further information about booked flights.”
So what has prompted the latest sanctions?
Last night in a televised address, Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was an integral part of his country’s history, and described eastern Ukraine as “ancient Russian lands”.
He also said he recognised Luhansk and Donetsk as independent parts of Ukraine - adding fuel to a Russia-backed armed rebellion in eastern Ukraine for the past eight years
Footage released overnight appeared to show Russian military vehicles heading towards the Ukrainian border with Putin saying he has ordered troops into two rebel-held regions in eastern Ukraine and that they would be “peacekeeping” in the breakaway region.