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The Russian invasion of Ukraine has just entered its 10th day. Here's a recap of the major developments since the invasion began:

• The number of civilian casualties is still unclear but the UN refugee agency says more than a million people have fled Ukraine since 24 February with millions more on the move
• The first major Ukrainian city to fall was Kherson, located where the Dnieper river meets the Black Sea
• Russian missiles have also been targeting the capital Kyiv and the second-largest city Kharkiv. A massive armoured convoy approaching Kyiv by road is currently stalled

• The southern port of Mariupol is still under siege and Russian troops are also headed towards another port, Odesa - capturing both would cut off Ukraine's maritime access
• Russian troops have also seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest, after shelling it for hours on Friday. The move alarmed world leaders who said the attack could have unleashed a catastrophe.
• The now-retired Chernobyl plant, the site of the 1986 nuclear accident, is also under Russian control
• Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky has condemned the West for its continued refusal to enforce a no-fly zone over his country, saying "all the people who die will die because of you"
• The US and EU have imposed sweeping sanctions freezing Russian assets, targeting the country's central bank, as well as President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle. The rouble has plunged amid the restrictions, which also hit trade, investments and travel
• Independent media, including the BBC, have suspended work in Russia after the country approved a draconian law censoring reporting of the war in Ukraine
• A slew of companies - from Samsung to Airbnb and Cartier - have suspended exports to / or operations in Russia

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Chinese national broadcaster CCTV censored a top Paralympics official's comments at the opening ceremony of the Winter Games currently taking place in Beijing.

Andrew Parsons - the Chairman of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) made an impassioned call for peace in his speech.

“Tonight, I want to begin with a message of peace," he said in English, addressing an audience that included President Xi Jinping.

But in the telecast by CCTV, his voice appeared to be muffled, and a sign language interpreter stopped translating his words onscreen.

The following segments of his speech were also censored:

"As the leader of an organisation with inclusion at its core, where diversity is celebrated and differences embraced, I am horrified at what is taking place in the world right now.

"The 21st Century is a time for dialogue and diplomacy, not war and hate. The Olympic truce for peace during the Olympic and Paralympic Games is a UN Resolution adopted by consensus by 193 Member States at the 76th UN General Assembly.

"It must be respected and observed not violated.”

Last week, the IPC banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the Paralympics in a rare move.

China has so far refused to call the situation in Ukraine an invasion and also abstained from voting against Russia at the UN so far.

Some 1.2 million people have already fled Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, according to the latest figures from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, with over half that number pouring into neighbouring Poland.

As of Thursday 3 March, the latest date for which figures were available, some 650,000 fled to that country, while 150,000 had crossed into Hungary and the rest into other European nations. Neighbours Moldova, Slovakia and Romania accounted for the next largest numbers of refugees.

"Many more are on the move both inside and outside the country," the UNHCR said. "They are in need of protection and support. As the situation continues to unfold, an estimated 4 million people may flee Ukraine."

Ukraine's total population before the invasion was about 44 million.

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The United States Senate has been invited to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky via Zoom, reports say.

Zelensky has been in touch with President Biden but this will be the first time the Senate as a whole will speak to the Ukrainian leader since Russia invaded more than a week ago.

Last week, Ukraine's US ambassador Oksana Markarova met members of the Senate and said her country urgently needed more supplies to fight Russia.

In a rare move, Singapore has said it will impose sanctions against Russia in opposition to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

The city-state, a key financial centre, will impose export controls and targeted financial limits on certain Russian banks, place restrictions on cryptocurrency transactions and ban financial institutions from providing services that could aid Russia’s central bank.

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan earlier told parliament that Singapore intended "to act in concert with many other like-minded countries to impose appropriate sanctions and restrictions against Russia".

It is the first among regional neighbours to enact sanctions, though other members of the Association of South East Asian Nations have condemned Russia's actions.

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Mariupol's mayor Vadym Boichenko has called for a humanitarian corridor, external amid an ongoing blockade and what he has called "ruthless attacks" by Russian troops.

The port city has been under siege since Thursday and Boichenko has already warned of a humanitarian catastrophe there.

The city is home to some 450,000 people - and power and water supply has been cut off amid heavy shelling.

One of Ukraine's biggest ports, Mariupol is strategically important because controlling it would create a land corridor between Crimea and the Russian-backed regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

It is now the dawn hours of Saturday, 5 March in Ukraine, and fighting is continuing into its 10th day.

For readers just joining us, here's a summary of the latest developments:

• Cities around Ukraine are under heavy pressure from Russian shelling, with civilian targets being indiscriminately hit. Cities in the south of the country, with access to the Black Sea, have been facing particular pressure, though Russia continues to press from the north and east of the country as well
• Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky condemned the West for its continued refusal to enforce a no-fly zone over his country. "All the people who die will die because of you," he said
• An exodus of Western companies from Russia continues, with Microsoft, Samsung, LVMH among those stopping sales in the country
• Meanwhile, independent media, including the BBC, have suspended work in the country after Moscow approved a draconian law censoring reporting of the war in Ukraine
• The mayor of Mariupol, in southeast Ukraine, has appealed for a humanitarian corridor to his city amid what he called a "blockade" by Russian forces

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Telegram has become a leading source of information and disinformation on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The messaging app now says it will block Russian state media - namely RT - from using its services in Europe.

A spokesperson confirmed on Friday that all RT channels have been blocked. It is unclear if other media outlets like Sputnik will be impacted.

RT is already blocked by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Tiktok, after the European Union imposed sanctions aimed at Kremlin-backed media networks.

EU officials reportedly warned Telegram that it was being used "as a means of war propaganda".

The social network was founded in 2013 by Russian brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov. The latter has since fled Russia.

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CBS News, the BBC's US broadcast partner, and ABC News have joined the ranks of news outlets suspending their work in Russia.

It comes as a new law signed by President Vladimir Putin would impose prison terms of up to 15 years on people charged with spreading "fake news" about the war in Ukraine. The law would, in effect, stop independent reporting in Russia, where news outlets are not allowed to refer to the conflict in Ukraine as a "war".

A CBS spokesperson said it would not broadcast "as we monitor the circumstances for our team on the ground given the new media laws".

ABC also attributed their decision to the censorship law and said it needed to "assess the situation and determine what this means for the safety of our teams on the ground".

Earlier on Friday, the BBC suspended operations within the country, as did CNN and Bloomberg.

Russia's media watchdog has also curbed access to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and independent local outlets.

Robin Brant
BBC News, Beijing

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Ahead of last month's Winter Olympic Games, Chinese leader Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart, and the two leaders declared there was "no limit" to the reinvigorated relationship between Beijing and Moscow.

Days after the Games ended, Russia invaded Ukraine.

China's government has neither condemned nor condoned the attack.

But in recent days, it has expressed "regret" about the military action and signaled it is ready to play a role in mediating a ceasefire.

China also abstained from voting on a United Nation resolution condemning the invasion.

Is it a sign of a shift in China's policy? Read more here.

Image source, Reuters

Thousands of people in the Serbian capital of Belgrade have taken part in a massive demonstration to show support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Some 4,000 people joined the march after gathering in front of a monument of Russian Tsar Nicholas II, where they played the Russian and Serbian national anthems and hailed the two countries as brother nations.

Protesters carried Russian flags and pictures of President Vladimir Putin as they marched through the city towards the Russian embassy.

Serbia is engaged in a difficult balancing act, trying to appease its ties with Moscow without alienating European leaders and derailing its aspirations to join the EU.

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A new survey finds that a solid majority of Americans from both parties believe the US should stop buying oil and gas from Russia.

Russian crude amounts to about 10% of the US's overall oil imports.

80% of those polled by Reuters/Ipsos, including Democrats and Republicans, supported a suspension on imports.

The poll, conducted online over the past two days, also finds that 74% of Americans think the US and its Nato allies should impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine to protect the country from Russian air strikes.

The Biden administration has practically ruled out such a move, warning it could result in "full-fledged war".

Majorities in the Reuters/Ipsos poll also opposed sending American troops to Ukraine and conducting air strikes in support of Ukraine.

The poll gathered responses from more than 800 adults.

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Smartphone maker Samsung is halting shipments of its phones and chips to Russia "due to current geopolitical developments".

The company said it will "continue to actively monitor this complex situation to determine our next steps".

The South Korean electronics giant is the most popular smartphone brand in Russia, ahead of China's Xiaomi and America's Apple.

In addition to suspending sales, the company says it will also donate $6m (£4.5m) - including consumer electronics and voluntary donations from employees - to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

Friday also marked other big exits, with Microsoft suspending sales of its products and services in Russia.

French luxury retailers LVMH, Hermes, Kering and Chanel said they would close their Russian stores, and Danish beer giant Carlsberg halted Russian exports and investments.

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Russian troops are closing in on another Ukrainian nuclear plant, the US ambassador to the UN said on Friday.

After warning that the world had "narrowly avoided disaster" on Thursday night, when Russian forces fired upon Ukraine's largest nuclear plant, Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the invaders were "20 miles, and closing, from Ukraine’s second largest nuclear facility".

She appeared to be referring to the Yuzhoukrainsk Power Station (South Ukraine on the map below), about 200 miles south of Kyiv.

"This imminent danger continues," Thomas-Greenfield said. "The international community must be unanimous in demanding Russia’s forces stop their dangerous assault."

There have been more demonstrations in major cities around the world in support of Ukraine and its President, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Thousands of people attended demonstrations in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi and the Czech capital of Prague on Friday night, where they were addressed by Zelensky via video link.

He also spoke to anti-war protests in Frankfurt, Vilnius, Lyon and Bratislava.

Other pro-Ukraine protests have been recorded over the past day in Lisbon, Lucerne, London, Seoul, Jakarta and La Paz.

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Italian police seized yachts belonging to two of Russia's wealthiest oligarchs in a raid on Friday, as EU sanctions begin to bite.

Officers seized a 213ft (65 metre) yacht worth $27m (£20m) owned by Alexey Mordashov, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and Russia's richest man, in the northern port of Imperia, officials told local media.

Another yacht, owned by Gennady Timchenko, another oligarch with close ties to Putin, has been impounded in Imperia, officials said.

Mordashov is worth an estimated $29bn and built his wealth around the Russian steel producer Severstal, while Timchenko is said to hold around $17bn of assets and made his fortune in oil trading.

The men were among the 680 individuals and 53 entities slapped with sanctions by the EU on Monday.

There were similar seizures in France and Germany this week of yachts belonging to other Russian oligarchs.

America's top diplomat Antony Blinken says the US is not looking for regime change in Moscow.

Speaking to BBC World News, the secretary of state said "it is absolutely not up to us", calling on the Russian people to hold their own leadership accountable for the war.

US Senator Lindsey Graham sparked outrage on Thursday when he tweeted an apparent call for the assassination of President Vladimir Putin.

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An adviser to Ukraine's president has said the country's military is not succeeding by accident or luck.

In a lengthy post on Facebook, Aleksey Arestovich said: "Our success is a pattern, with specifically built and clearly implemented cause-and-effect relationships."

He vowed that resistance by the armed forces as well as by the general public would "grind down the Russian war machine".

"The Russian army is not strong. It's just big," he said.

Arestovich noted that foreign defence officials are "shocked" by how well Ukraine's army and leadership is dealing with the war.

He also bragged that their successes had come in spite of limited time to plan for the scale of the invasion.

"Eight-tenths of Putin's army is here. This is where we will bury them," he promised.

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More now from President Zelensky's address to the Ukrainian people on Friday evening.

Reportedly speaking from his office in Kyiv, Zelensky condemned Nato leaders' refusal on Friday to establish a no-fly-zone over his country.

Zelensky said: "All the people who die, starting today, will also die because of you. Because of your weakness, because of your disconnection."

He continued: "The Nato summit took place today. A weak summit. A confused summit. A summit that shows that not everyone considers the fight for freedom for Europe the number one goal.

"All the intelligence agencies of the Nato countries are well aware of the enemy's plans. They confirmed that Russia wants to continue the offensive.

"Nato has deliberately decided not to close the skies over Ukraine. Nato countries created a narrative that closing the skies over Ukraine would provoke Russia's direct aggression against Nato.

“This is the self-hypnosis of those who are weak, insecure inside, despite the fact they possess weapons many times stronger than we have."

Zelensky later addressed large protests taking place across Europe, telling demonstrators: "If Ukraine does not survive, the whole of Europe will not survive.

"If Ukraine falls, the whole of Europe will fall."

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining us, here's a quick roundup of the main developments on day nine of Russia's invasion of Ukraine:

• After meeting foreign ministers in Brussels, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had made the "painful decision" to rule out calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine
• A furious Ukrainian President Zelensky responded in a statement: “Today the leadership of the [Nato] alliance gave the green light for further bombing of Ukrainian cities and villages"
• Russia has banned Facebook and blocked access to Twitter and YouTube. Moscow says it took action after access to several Russian media accounts was restricted on Facebook
• President Putin signed a bill that punishes the spread of "fake" information about Russia's armed forces with up to 15 years in prison, prompting the BBC, CNN and other foreign media to suspend reporting in the country
• Heavy fighting has continued in Ukraine's north, east and south

• Kyiv has faced new Russian missile strikes, with explosions heard around the capital, while the south-eastern port city of Mariupol has been surrounded and shelled, and the bombardment continues in the north-eastern cities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv
• "The world narrowly averted a nuclear catastrophe," the US says, referring to a Russian attack on Thursday night on Europe's largest nuclear facility, the Zaporizhzhya plant, in Ukraine
• International monitors say no radioactive material was released and the plant is safe
• Thousands of Ukrainian refugees continue their exodus from the wartorn country