If you're just joining us, here is all the main news from Ukraine on the eve of the country's Independence Day celebrations:

• The US state department has warned that Russia could intensify attacks on civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days
• Mass events in the capital Kyiv have been banned until Thursday, ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day tomorrow, following warnings of Russian artillery strikes on the city
• The UN has said it is deeply concerned about Russia's plan to hold a so-called "international tribunal" for captured Ukrainian soldiers
• Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog, says he will personally lead a team to inspect the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant "within days"

• Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on countries to stop "nuclear sabre-rattling" as tensions increase between Moscow and the West.
• Ukraine's military says more than 45,000 Russian troops have been killed since the invasion began in February, though the BBC cannot independently verify this figure

Image source, EPA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to raise the country’s flag in parts of Ukraine currently controlled by Russia.

“Blue-and-yellow flags will fly again at home, where they have a right to be, in all temporarily occupied cities, villages of Ukraine," he said at a flag-raising ceremony in Kyiv, on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day, which marks the country’s freedom from Soviet rule.

His words were followed by a moment of silence in honour of those killed in the conflict.

“We will never recognise someone’s colours on our land and in our sky. We are always ready to defend our blue-and-yellow flag.”

Ukraine says nearly 9,000 of its soldiers have been killed since Russia's 24 February invasion, although the BBC can't verify this figure.

The head of Ukraine’s security and defence council, Oleksiy Danilov, says he expects Moscow to "organise a series of terrorist attacks in Russian cities”. In tweets, written both in Ukrainian and English, he says support for the war is "falling" in Russia and that the Kremlin needs "public mobilization".

He added the attacks could have “mass casualties among civilians”.

The mayor of Dnipro, in central Ukraine, has taken to Facebook to warn residents of explosions hitting the city.

In a post he said:

"Pls stay under cover. There are already... rockets falling on private houses. Details to come later.

We are waiting for official information from the Military Administration.

It comes amid concerns Russia could launch renewed attacks in Ukraine ahead of the country's Independence Day tomorrow.

Imogen Foulkes
BBC Geneva Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The UN Human Rights Office says it is deeply concerned about possible plans by Russia to hold "international tribunals" for POWs in Mariupol.

A UN spokeswoman said there was evidence of cages being built in Mariupol’s philharmonic hall "apparently to restrain prisoners of war during proceedings".

The UN described this as "unacceptable" and "humiliating", and warned Russia that prosecuting prisoners of war simply for having participated in hostilities would constitute a war crime.

UN human rights officers have been denied access to POWs held by Russia.

While the International Committee of the Red Cross has had access to some POWs, it continues to demand access to all of them, as is required under the Geneva Conventions.

Image source, Getty Images

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog has told the BBC he expects to personally lead a mission to the occupied Zaporizhzhia power plant “within days, not weeks”.

Rafael Grossi didn’t specify whether inspectors would travel through Ukrainian or Russian-controlled territory, saying territorial aspects need to be “set aside” because of the urgency of the situation.

Grossi said his team wanted to inspect the plant's integrity and whether it has been compromised, whether safety systems are still operational and the status of the power supply to the plant.

His inspectors will also seek to speak to both Ukrainian and Russian staff at the site, and to establish a permanent presence at the plant.

It comes after Russian leader Vladimir Putin said last week that he was willing to grant International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors access to the site.

The site, Europe's largest, has been under Russian control since March and has come under heavy shelling, with both Kyiv and Moscow accusing the other of attacks.

Image source, EPA

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on countries to stop “nuclear sabre-rattling” and to conduct negotiations to “end the nuclear arms race once and for all”.

The comments come after the UN chief visited Ukraine, where he discussed the crisis around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where renewed fighting has led to fears of a nuclear disaster on the scale of Chernobyl in 1986.

“Nuclear risk has climbed to its highest point in decades,” Guterres said at the UN Security Council. ”The tools that have kept us from catastrophic world war are more important than ever, but they must be fit for today’s rapidly deteriorating international peace and security environment.”

Guterres also called for the same commitment to dialogue and reason that led to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allows food to be exported from Ukrainian ports, and for Russian food and fertilizer to reach global markets.

“I renew my call to all state parties to demonstrate flexibility and the willingness to compromise across all negotiations,” he said.

Will Vernon
Reporting from Moscow

Image source, Reuters

Darya Dugina’s memorial service was held today in the Ostankino TV centre in Moscow. Her father, ultra-nationalist thinker Alexander Dugin said “she died for Russia, for the people”.

Russian state TV broadcast the memorial service live. They showed comments from Russian MPs, who paid tribute to Darya Dugina’s patriotism, calling her a “warrior for the sovereignty of Russia”.

One controversial MP, Leonid Slutsky, called for a square in Kyiv to be renamed in Darya’s honour once “denazification” – code for Russia annexing Ukraine – had been “completed”.

Dugina’s killing remains a top story for Russian state-controlled television. All the TV channels have been reporting as fact the FSB Security Service’s claims that the culprit was a Ukrainian secret agent in a Mini Cooper.

But some here are questioning how the Russian authorities allegedly cracked this case, and the speed with which they did so. It took the FSB less than two days to ‘solve’ the murder - releasing a detailed statement as well as video material.

Many opposition politicians, most of whom are now living abroad due to persecution in Russia, have been asking why other political assassinations in Russia remain unsolved - often for many years.

There are other concerns too that Dugina’s murder may become a pretext for increased repression in Russia, or for increased attacks against Ukraine. Moscow officials and pro-Kremlin commentators have called for retribution against Ukraine following her death.

Ukrainian officials have denied any involvement, and we still don’t really know who was behind the killing, why Daria Dugina was killed and whether she was the intended target.

Image source, Getty Images

An adviser to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has told the BBC that many civilians are leaving Kyiv amid fear of a Russian attack on the country's Independence Day.

It comes after the US state department warned Moscow could seek launch an attack to during the holiday on Wednesday.

"There's certainly some concern in the air," Rodnyansky told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"People are reacting to the news. They are trying to ensure they have contingency plans, they don't want to spend too much time near the centre near the buildings of our government.

"There is a risk Russia will try to strike exactly at that time to compensate for their inability to have any success on the battlefield, to have any success in subduing Ukraine and basically all the failures they have run up over the last six months."

Rodnyansky emphasised that the government has air defences in place and counter-terrorism operations are ongoing to tackle any planned Russian attacks.

Image source, Getty Images

Ukraine's military says that more than 45,000 Russian troops have been killed since President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion in February.

In a Facebook post, the Ukrainian military's general staff wrote that some 45,500 troops have been killed so far. The BBC cannot independently verify this claim.

Moscow closely guards military casualty numbers, and has not issued an update since 25 March when it said some 1,351 soldiers had been killed. Western officials have alleged that the true figure is somewhere between 15-20,000 troops killed in action.

BBC research found that at least 5,416 troops had been killed in fighting in Ukraine.

The figures were arrived at by recording announcements made by government officials, universities and state and local media. However, the number is not a reflection of the full extent of losses and Russia's true casualty numbers are likely far greater.

Image source, Reuters

The Ukrainian Premier League will kick off for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine later today.

The last Ukrainian championship never resumed after its three-month winter break due to the conflict.

Andriy Pavelko, head of the Ukrainian Association of Football, said: "This will be a unique competition. It will happen during a war, during military aggression, during bombardments.

"This is a unique initiative in history. Football against war in war conditions. Football for peace."

There will be no fans in attendance and in the event of an air raid siren, players and coaches will head to shelters that have been built no further than 500 meters away from each stadium.

Shakhtar Donetsk are due to play Metalist 1925 in the opening game of Ukraine's Premier League at 1100 BST.

Two top-flight clubs - Desna Chernihiv and FC Mariupol - have been replaced in the 16-team league after their stadiums were destroyed in fighting.

You can read more about the restart of the Ukranian Premier League here.

Vitaliy Shevchenko
BBC Monitoring

Image source, Reuters

Russian state TV has been giving the death of Darya Dugina prominent coverage, as if Moscow is trying to make a point.

The underlying message of the Kremlin controlled coverage is that Ukraine is a terrorist state, with terms like "monstrous" and "cynical" are being used all the time.

State media reporting extensively features claims by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) that a Ukrainian agent was able to assassinate her in a suburb of Moscow - and then, embarrassingly for the Russian security apparatus, supposedly escape to Estonia.

The big question is what is Russia going to do after Dugina's death? On social media people are talking about the possibility that her death could be used as a reason for a renewed clamp down on opposition within Russia.

Others say it could be used to step up attacks on Ukraine. One contributor on state TV yesterday suggested that a "counter-terrorist" operation should be launched in Ukraine. At the moment, Russia says it is conducting a "special operation" in Ukraine, so this could be away to step-up the conflict.

It is also possible that the Kremlin is trying to claim the moral high ground after numerous accusations that its troops have committed atrocities in Ukraine.

For years, Russians have been subjected to relentless propaganda, much of it aimed against Ukraine, which is why many still support the war. Russian audiences appear to have been more receptive of anti-Ukrainian messaging compared, for example, to state media calls to get vaccinated against Covid, which seemed to gain relatively little traction last year.

Image source, Reuters

A memorial service for Darya Dugina, who was killed in a car bomb attack on Saturday, has been taking place in Moscow this morning.

Her father, the ultra-nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin, said she died for the people and for Russia and this loss can only be justified by Russia's victory.

The event is being held at the Ostankino TV centre in Moscow and Dugina, a 29-year-old political commentator, had made recent appearances on Russian TV to push the Kremlin's narrative on the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has accused Ukrainian special services of her death, with the country's Federal Security Service (FSB) telling national media it had solved the case and that the assassination was "planned and carried out by Ukrainian special services".

Ukrainian officials have denied any involvement in the explosion, with an adviser to Ukraine's President Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, saying the FSB's version of events was "Russian propaganda" from "a fictional world".

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

President Zelensky has signed a new law for bomb shelters to be installed in every new building in Ukraine.

Back in July the Verkhovna Rada, external - the parliament of Ukraine - adopted the law which Zelensky signed last night.

It also provides for the urgent deployment of a network of bomb shelters across the country.

Russia is calling for the United Nations Security Council to hold a meeting about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The nuclear plant, which is the largest in Europe, was taken over by Russian troops in March but Ukrainian technicians still operate it.

In recent weeks, the area around the facility has come under heavy artillery fire, with Kyiv and Moscow blaming each other for the attacks.

Last week, Russia wrote to the Security Council warning of planned "provocations" by Ukraine at the plant, news agency Tass reported citing a diplomat.

World leaders and nuclear experts have voiced their concerns over a potential nuclear disaster if something is not done to bring fighting in the area to a halt.

James Waterhouse
Kyiv correspondent, BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

In Kyiv, there is a very different feel to the city, even compared to the last few weeks, amid the US warning that Russia could intensify attacks to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day tomorrow.

Public gatherings are banned and we’ve heard air raid sirens this morning. These days they're less frequent, but still present.

On the main street in Kyiv, the government has put captured Russian tanks and armoured vehicles on display. Its a stark contrast to this time last year, when President Volodymyr Zelensky marched down that same street with his military in tow in a show of strength.

Now we have a big moment in Ukraine’s calendar, Independence Day, which Russia has used over the years to increase its operations in Ukraine, notably through supporting militants in the east of the country.

This year there is especially a tone of caution, because we are in a period where we have seen longer range strikes deep into occupied Crimea and the killing of the daughter of a prominent Russian propagandist.

And unlike last year, Ukraine is under a full-scale invasion.

Image source, EPA

More now on that warning from the US State Department which believes Russia is planning to step up its attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and government buildings in the coming days.

Based on downgraded US intelligence an official said: “Given Russia’s track record in Ukraine, we are concerned about the continued threat that Russian strikes pose to civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

The US embassy in Kyiv has urged US citizens who are still in Ukraine to leave the country immediately.

Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent

Image source, Reuters

In the last half an hour Polish President Andrzej Duda has arrived in Ukraine's capital Kyiv by train in order to discuss further military support and supplies to Ukraine.

The head of Duda’s office, Pawel Szrot, said the visit was made at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“His visit includes a meeting with the president, talks on supporting Ukraine in the military sense, in the sense of supplying equipment the country needs to defend against Russian aggression, as well as economic, humanitarian and political support,” Szrot told reporters in Warsaw.

Good morning and thanks for joining our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Here is a recap of the latest developments:

• The US state department has warned that Russia could intensify attacks on civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days
• Mass events in the capital Kyiv have been banned until Thursday, ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day tomorrow, following warnings of Russian artillery strikes on the city
• An extended curfew has also been announced in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv lasting until Thursday
• It follows a warning from President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday that Russia could try something “particularly ugly” to mark the anniversary, which comes six months after Russia invaded Ukraine
• Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the killing of Darya Dugina, the daughter of one of Russia's top propogandists, a “vile crime”
• Yesterday, Moscow blamed Ukrainian security services for the bombing that killed the 29-year-old. Kyiv denies involvement.