Summary

  • Russian missiles hit an oil depot in Vasylkiv, its mayor said, prompting fears of toxic fumes

  • Air raid sirens in Kyiv sound shortly before midnight local time (2200g) warning of incoming missiles

  • A curfew is in place from Saturday evening until Monday morning

  • Kyiv's mayor says anyone seen in the streets will be considered a Russian "saboteur"

  • The US, EU, UK and other allies say they have agreed to remove some Russian banks from the Swift payments system

  • They also pledge to limit the sale of "golden passports" - citizenship - to wealthy Russians

  • Huge numbers of people are fleeing Ukraine, with a 27-hour-long queue of women and children on the Moldovan border

  • Germany also announces it is sending anti-tank missiles and other weapons to Ukraine - marking a major change in policy

  1. Ukraine must now chose its own future - Lavrovpublished at 10:56 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    And here's more now from Sergei Lavrov's news conference in Moscow.

    He questions the stability of the Ukrainian state - and accuses Western nations of deliberately militarising the country.

    Lavrov told reporters that Ukrainian people must now have the chance to "choose their own future".

  2. Kyiv braces for attackpublished at 10:53 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Residents of Kyiv are bracing themselves for further attack as, according to the Ukrainian authorities, Russian troops enter northern districts of the capital.

    A boy plays on a swing in front of a damaged residential block in Kyiv hit by an early morning missile strikeImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A boy plays on a swing in front of a damaged residential block in Kyiv hit by an early morning missile strike

    People hide on bomb shelterImage source, AFP via Getty Images
    Image caption,

    People are hiding in bomb shelters across the city

    Woman with cats in shelterImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Humans and animals alike are sheltering from an expected attack

    People shelter in train stationImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Kyiv's train stations have been filling up

    KyivImage source, AFP via Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Kyiv's Independence Square is almost completely empty

  3. At least 25 civilians killed in Ukraine airstrikes - UNpublished at 10:43 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
    Breaking

    The UN human rights office says it has reports there have been at least 127 civilian casualties in Ukraine, with 25 people killed and 102 injured, due to "shelling and airstrikes".

    The spokeswoman says this is likely to be an under-estimate.

  4. Lavrov attacks Western interventions abroadpublished at 10:38 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    More now from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's news conference in Moscow.

    He dismissed a question from the BBC's Steve Rosenberg, who asked him how Russia could justify the invasion of its Western neighbour.

    Lavrov referenced Western interventions in the former Yugoslavia, Iraq and Libya - which he said caused thousands of casualties in the name of promoting democracy.

  5. Lavrov says aim is to demilitarise Ukrainepublished at 10:30 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has just been answering questions in a media briefing.

    He repeats the line from Vladimir Putin that Moscow does not want to occupy Ukraine - but rather "demilitarise" it.

    Asked whether it was Russia's wish to topple a democratic country, Lavrov implies the country cannot be called democratic.

    He then makes claims about Ukraine's treatment of Russian-speaking people in the country.

  6. Ukraine army recruiting over-60s as Kyiv bracespublished at 10:27 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Earlier we reported that the Ukrainian Defence Force, in a tweet, had issued a call for civilian recruits, regardless of age.

    The statement from the commander of troops had said: "No age restrictions" - indicating that minors might be allowed too.

    However, a new statement from the Defence Minister Alexey Reznikov, external appears to clarify that the loosening in age restrictions refers to people over 60. It made no mention of minors.

    "I decided, in agreement with the Commander of the Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine... to involve in the Troops of the Patriots [those] over 60 years old, who are morally and physically ready to resist and defeat the enemy," Mr Reznikov wrote.

    Regular servicemen of the Ukrainian National Guard take positions in central Kyiv on FridayImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Regular servicemen of the Ukrainian National Guard take positions in central Kyiv on Friday

  7. China still declining to condemn Russiapublished at 10:09 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Long-time Russian ally China is still declining to condemn Russia, with its foreign ministry refusing to call Russia's action against Ukraine an "invasion".

    At a daily news briefing in Beijing, spokesman Wang Wenbin reiterated China's position that while it respected the territorial integrity of all countries, it also understood "Russia's legitimate concerns on security issues".

    He added that China still recognised Ukraine as a legitimate state and believed the door to a political solution still had not shut in Ukraine, but did not give suggestions on how dialogue could take place.

    He also did not say whether or not Beijing would recognise the self-declared breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east of Ukraine.

    The BBC asked for a response to US President Joe Biden’s comment that “any nation which countenances Russia’s aggression in Ukraine will be stained by association”.

    Wang responded that the "country whose reputation will be stained is that which interfered in other nation’s internal affairs in the name of human rights and which went on to wage wars”.

    In terms of sanctions, he said that since 2011, the US had imposed more than 100 sanctions on Russia, yet they had not worked, and that sanctions would only cause suffering.

    You can read more here on how the Ukraine conflict is a major challenge for China, and also here on what China wants from the crisis.

    Media caption,

    Why China matters in the Ukraine conflict

  8. What do we know about the fighting in Kyiv?published at 09:57 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Kyiv advances

    The Russian forces who have reportedly entered the Ukrainian capital are seemingly centred around the northern district of Obolon.

    The heavily residential area is just 9km north of Kyiv’s parliament and the city centre.

    • Just before 10am local time, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry tweeted that enemy Russian operatives were in the area
    • The defence ministry called on locals to rally and make Molotov cocktails to fight back
    • Meanwhile, several videos online appear to show armoured vehicles rolling down mostly-empty roads in Obolon
    • The BBC has verified that Obolon is the location seen in the videos
    • There are also videos appearing to show fighting between civilians and people in military uniform
    • Kyiv has also been attacked from the air, with residents taking shelter in underground railway stations
  9. Russia bans UK airlinespublished at 09:51 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    BA aircraftImage source, EPA

    Russia has banned all UK-linked planes from its airspace.

    It comes after the UK stopped the Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot from touching down in Britain, in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

    "A restriction was introduced on the use of Russian airspace for flights of aircrafts owned, leased or operated by an organisation linked to or registered in the UK," the Russian aviation authority said.

    It described the decision as a response to "unfriendly decisions of the UK aviation authorities".

  10. Russia and Ukraine matches to be played at neutral venuespublished at 09:49 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    And here's more from the Uefa statement, released minutes ago:, external

    "At today’s meeting, the Uefa Executive Committee also decided that Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams competing in Uefa competitions will be required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice."

  11. Russia loses Champions League finalpublished at 09:44 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
    Breaking

    The 2022 Champions League final will be played in Paris after Russia was stripped of the match following the nation's invasion of Ukraine.

  12. Russia: We are protecting Chernobyl from terroristspublished at 09:37 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Russia's defence ministry has just issued a statement maintaining that its troops are holding the Chernobyl nuclear plant in order to "protect it".

    It says it is doing so to ensure that "nationalistic groups and other terrorist organisations cannot use the situation in the country in order to stage a nuclear provocation".

    Russia also said that the levels of radiation in the plant's surrounding area were normal and that staff were continuing to monitor levels of radioactivity.

    Russian troops seized the notorious nuclear plant on Thursday - you can read more about its significance here.

    Elsewhere in the statement, Russia made various claims about its gains in the war, saying troops had advanced in Donetsk and Luhansk. It also said more than 150 Ukrainian troops had surrendered and that dozens of Ukrainian military infrastructure sites, weapons and vehicles had been destroyed.

    Ukraine's armed forces, meanwhile, made their own competing claims in a Facebook post earlier, external, saying that they were holding the line in Donetsk and Luhansk where Russian troops had had "no success" and had also pushed back Russian troops in other areas.

    It is important to note that neither side's claims can currently be verified.

  13. Ukraine army: We need all recruits, no age restrictionspublished at 09:21 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Ukraine's Defence Force has just tweeted again, calling for all civilians to join regardless of their age - even if they're minors, presumably.

    The statement, attributed to the Commander of Troops, Yuri Galushkin, reads:

    "Today, Ukraine needs everything. All procedures for joining are simplified.

    "Bring only your passport and identification number.

    "There are no age restrictions."It tells people if they face problems signing up, they just need to refer to this official tweet.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  14. UK: Why we can't throw Russia out of Swift banking system - yetpublished at 09:19 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Media caption,

    Wallace: We'd like to throw Russia out of Swift banking system

  15. Ukrainians show real heroism - President Zelenskypublished at 09:08 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Earlier, the Ukrainian president hailed the efforts of those defending the country.

    He paid tribute to the bravery of soldiers and civilians. At least 137 Ukrainians died on Thursday.

    Ukraine has called on all citizens who can bear arms to join in the defence of their homeland.

    Media caption,

    Ukraine crisis: President Zelensky hails Ukrainians defending country

  16. Putin is not rational, says UK defence secretary, but I won't start a European warpublished at 08:56 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    And here's a final line from the BBC's interview with UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who has been defending the level of support the UK is giving to Ukraine.

    "I will not trigger a European war. But what I will do is help Ukraine fight in every street with every piece of equipment we can get to them," he says.

    Mr Wallace goes on to say that Russia won't stop after Ukraine.

    "Putin is not rational. He doesn't believe the Baltic states are really countries. We all have to stand up to him."

  17. Videos show armoured vehicles rolling through Kyiv districtpublished at 08:48 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Social media videos are showing what appear to be armoured vehicles driving through Obolon, an area just north of Kyiv's city centre.

    Just in the past hour, Ukraine's defence ministry confirmed that Russian forces had infiltrated the residential district.

    The videos appear to have been taken by locals in their homes. The BBC has verified that the setting in these videos is Obolon.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  18. Russia bombed 33 civilian sites in 24 hours: Ukrainepublished at 08:42 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Russia's military forces are targeting dozens of civilian sites, an official at Ukraine's Interior Ministry has said.

    "The Russians say they are not striking civilian objects, but 33 civilian sites have been hit over the last 24 hours," Vadym Denysenko told the Reuters news agency.

    Russian forces have closed in on the capital Kyiv after rapidly advancing from multiple fronts in the north, east, and south of Ukraine since the invasion began on Thursday.

    Ukrainian officials have said Russian operatives are already in the city, urging locals to fight back with Molotov cocktails (petrol bombs).

  19. The UK won't put fighter jets against Russian forces - Wallacepublished at 08:33 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022

    Now here's more from the UK's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. He has been defending the UK's refusal to support a no-fly zone being set up above Ukraine, pointing out the fact that the country isn't a member of Nato.

    Speaking to the BBC, Wallace says "to do a no-fly zone, I would have to put British fighter jets directly against Russian fighter jets. Nato would have to effectively declare war on Russia. Because that's what you would do".

    "Despite Britain's sponsorship and support for Ukraine going back to 2008, trying to help Ukraine into Nato, other nations didn't want them to come in," Wallace says.

  20. Russian forces are in Kyiv - Ukraine officialspublished at 08:27 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
    Breaking

    Russian operatives are now in Kyiv, Ukraine officials have confirmed in a tweet.

    Ukraine's Defence Ministry said "the enemy" were in the district of Obolon, about 9km (5.5miles) north of Kyiv's parliament in the city centre.

    They've encouraged locals to make Molotov cocktails to fight back, while also advising others to seek shelter.

    "Peaceful residents- be careful. Do not leave the house!"

    Our correspondents in Kyiv earlier reported hearing gunfire although they add it is impossible to know what it signifies at this point. They say they can now hear louder explosions too.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post