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.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
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
Eurostar is offering free travel to Ukrainians travelling to the UK following Russia’s invasion.
The cross-Channel operator runs trains from Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam to London St Pancras International.
The firm issued a statement on its website which read: “If you have a valid visa to enter the UK, along with your Ukrainian passport, please speak to a member of the Eurostar team at Paris Nord, Brussels-Midi, Lille Europe or Amsterdam Central stations, and they will issue a ticket for travel to London.”
Transport union TSSA welcomed the decision.
General secretary Manuel Cortes said: “Our union warmly welcomes Eurostar’s offer of free travel for Ukrainian nationals heading to Britain and we praise the company for this practical act of support and solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
“Our members working at Eurostar are proud of their employer’s approach and will support Ukrainian passengers in their time of need.”
State rail operators in several European countries such as Poland, Germany and France are also offering free travel to Ukrainians.
A list of 26 prominent Russian figures have been sanctioned by the European Union over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Prime Minister wants to see a message from the United Nations that the “world abhors” the violence it is seeing in Ukraine, according to his official spokesman.
The UN general assembly is due to meet in New York on Wednesday to vote on a motion demanding an immediate halt to Russia’s offensive, and withdrawal of all Moscow’s troops.
Boris Johnson’s official spokesman, asked what the UK wanted to see out of the meeting, said: “We want a clear message from the UN that makes clear that the world abhors what they are seeing in Ukraine – the violence, the unprovoked attack on a democratic country is completely unacceptable.
“The Prime Minister is speaking to, and has been speaking with, a number of leaders to make sure we speak whenever possible with a unified voice on this and send a direct message to Vladimir Putin.”
Asked what would happen to diplomatic relations with countries who vote against or abstain on the motion, the No 10 official said he could not “predict what individual countries will do”.
A “significant proportion” of people who are set to appear on a published UK Government list of people in Briton deemed to have links with Vladimir Putin’s regime will be sanctioned, No 10 said.
Boris Johnson told MPs that his administration was planning to publish “a full list of all those associated with the Putin regime” as part of UK efforts against the Russian president following his invasion of Ukraine.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: “I think it is in the interest of transparency (to publish the list).
“We want to highlight the individuals – and I think you will have seen some MPs doing that in the House, using privilege – and where possible we will publish further details so the public can see where we believe there are individuals who are benefitting from the Putin regime.”
Asked whether those on the list could face sanctions, the spokesman replied: “I think you would expect that a significant proportion would end up on our sanctions regime or indeed sanctions we are co-ordinating with the EU and the US.
“I just can’t be definitive at this point.”
The Government should give money from a Conservative donor with Russian links to Ukrainian humanitarian causes, the Prime Minister has been told.
Labour MP Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) said: “Will the Prime Minister instruct the Conservative Party to give to Ukrainian humanitarian causes the £2m they have accepted from Lubov Chernukhin? This includes £80,000 referred to in data released today by the Electoral Commission.
“I know he doesn’t want to tar everyone with Russian links with the same brush and neither do I, but leaked documents… show that Vladimir Chernukhin received 8 million US dollars from a Russian member of parliament, an ally of Putin who was later sanctioned by the United States.
“This is an opportunity for the Conservative Party and for the Prime Minister to end the suspicion of conflict of interests with Putin whilst showing solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”
Boris Johnson replied: “It is absolutely vital if we are to have a successful outcome in what we are trying to do collectively, united with Ukraine, that we demonstrate that this is not about the Russian people, it is about the Putin regime.”