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
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said that to “prosecute Putin and his regime the full range of war crime charges need to be used including the crime of aggression by a state”.
He said: “With every passing hour the world is witnessing the horrors of Putin’s war in Ukraine… these are war crimes happening in Europe right now. Vladimir Putin is a war criminal and one day soon Putin must face justice in The Hague.
“To prosecute Putin and his regime the full range of war crime charges need to be used including the crime of aggression by a state, but the UK’s always refused to sign up to the prosecution of this crime in international law.
“Surely with Putin’s crime of aggression in plain and horrific sight in Ukraine, now is the time to drop that opposition?
“Will the Prime Minister meet with me to discuss this and will he amend the UK War Crimes Act and will he support the ICC (International Criminal Court) prosecution for Putin for his crimes of aggression against the people of Ukraine?”
Mr Johnson replied: “I’m in principle of course happy to meet (him)… what we have seen already from Vladimir Putin’s regime in the use of the munitions that they have already been dropping on innocent civilians, in my view, already fully qualifies as a war crime and I know that the ICC prosecutor is already investigating, and I am sure the whole House will support that.”
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer pressed the Prime Minister on why the Russian-Israeli owner of Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich, has not been sanctioned.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said: “We must stand up to Putin and those who prop up his regime. Roman Abramovich is the owner of Chelsea Football Club and various other high-value assets in the United Kingdom. He’s a person of interest to the Home Office because of his links to the Russian state and his public association with corrupt activity and practices.
“Last week, the Prime Minister said that Abramovich is facing sanctions. He later corrected the record to say that he isn’t. Well, why on earth isn’t he?”
Mr Johnson said it is not “appropriate” for him to comment on individual cases at this stage, adding: “But what I can say and I stand by what I’ve said in the House and what we put on the record, but be there no doubt that the actions that we’ve already taken, that this House has already taken, are having an effect in Moscow, and by exposing the ownership of properties, of companies in the way that we are, by sanctioning 275 individuals already, a further 100 last week, that the impact is being felt.”
The Prime Minister added: “What we will publish in addition, is a full list of all those associated with the Putin regime.”
Boris Johnson also said he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the UK would “do everything we can to accelerate our transfer of… the weapons”, adding: “We are certainly determined to do everything we can to help Ukrainians fleeing the theatre of conflict.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson told MPs: “Putin has gravely miscalculated; in his abhorrent assault on a sovereign nation, he has underestimated the extraordinary fortitude of the Ukrainian people and the unity and resolve of the free world in standing up to his barbarism.
“The UN General Assembly will vote later today and we call on every nation to join us in condemning Russia and demanding that Putin turns his tanks around.
“If instead Putin doubles down then so shall we, further ratcheting up economic pressure and supporting Ukraine with finance, with weapons and with humanitarian assistance.
“Today the Disasters Emergency Committee is launching its Ukraine appeal and every pound donated by the British people will be matched by the Government, starting with £20 million.”
Describing the UK Government’s reluctance to waive visa requirements as shameful, Ms Sturgeon said: “The position of the UK Government has moved in the right direction in the last couple of days, but it hasn’t gone nearly far enough.
“I would appeal to the Prime Minister to stop moving forward incrementally, stop having to be dragged into a better position.
“Follow the example of the European Union who’s opened its doors and said people from Ukraine will get entry and the right to stay for three years, follow the example of Ireland as they drop visa requirements, open the doors of the UK to people fleeing this horror in Ukraine and sort the paperwork later.
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.
Russian and Belarusian athletes have been given the green light to compete as neutrals at the Paralympic Games in Beijing despite the invasion of Ukraine.
The International Paralympic Committee met to make a decision on the issue on Wednesday, with the Games officially opening on Friday.
“The RPC (Russian Paralympic Committee) and NPC Belarus will participate as neutrals at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games,” an IPC statement read.
“They will compete under the Paralympic flag and not be included in the medal table.”