Watch Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky describe the moment he left his children watching cartoons to join Ukraine's reserve army.

The 36-year-old retired from tennis after the Australian Open in January.

Stakhovsky told the BBC it was a "no-win scenario" because if he stayed he wouldn't forgive himself, but now can't forgive himself for leaving.

Image source, Getty Images

Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil is calling for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

In a statement on its website, the company said it was concerned by the "tragic events in Ukraine" and supported the negotiations to end the conflict.

Its board called for "the immediate cessation of the armed conflict and fully supports its resolution through the negotiation process and through diplomatic means".

The company is thought to be one of the first major Russian firms to speak out against the invasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his "special military operation" - otherwise known as Russia's invasion of Ukraine - is "going according to plan".

His claim comes despite many analysts suggesting the invasion has not gone to plan.

In a televised speech, he accused Ukrainian forces of taking "thousands of foreign citizens hostage" and using civilians as "human shields" - he provided no evidence for these claims.

He added that Russians and Ukrainians were "one people" and said he would "destroy this 'anti-Russia' created by the West".

Image source, Getty Images

The editor of a Russian news site apologised to his Ukrainian colleagues for the war, when he appeared alongside a Ukrainian journalist on the BBC.

Ivan Kolpakov has to run his independent news site, Meduza, from outside the country.

Olga Malchevska from BBC Ukrainian - who also appeared on the show - is in London. On Friday, her family home in Kyiv was hit by an attack. Her family are safe.

“I want to say sorry to my Ukrainian colleagues”, Kolpakov said on The Media Show. “I’m really sorry that we didn’t stop Russian authorities from doing that”.

Watch the full exchange below...

Viktoriia Zhuhan
BBC Ukrainian Service, Lviv

Lviv is a town where I would normally come to travel and have fun. But this town in the far west is all about refugees right now, the most popular place for people fleeing other parts of the country.

The main talk is about who needs shelter and how to provide it to them, who needs a car or driver, and who needs food and medical supplies in other parts of the country.

I’ve seen quite a few signs in different parts of the city showing people’s defiance against Russia.

Today I saw a lady selling bright red fresh tulips, a normal thing in Ukraine, but it somehow felt like a reminder of the life we are now losing.

James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Amid the fog of war, it can be hard to see the way forward. Here are some potential outcomes. Most are bleak.

1. Short war

Russia ramps up its military operations with devastating attacks. Thousands die, Kyiv falls, Ukraine's president is killed or flees, and Russia installs a pro-Moscow puppet regime. This would be an unstable outcome, vulnerable to insurgency and future conflict.

2. Long war

Perhaps more likely. Maybe Russian forces get bogged down, with low morale and poor logistics. They may struggle to control even captured cities. Over time, Ukraine's forces become an effective insurgency, while the West continues to supply weapons. Perhaps after many years, Russia eventually leaves.

3. European war

Putin could send troops into ex-Soviet republics like Moldova and Georgia, that are not part of Nato. Or there could just be miscalculation and escalation. Putin might take a risk if he felt it was the only way to save his leadership - if he faced defeat, he might be tempted to escalate further.

4. Diplomatic solution

By already agreeing to talks - even if they haven't made much progress - Putin seems to at least have accepted the possibility of a negotiated ceasefire. If the war goes badly for him, Putin may judge that continuing is a greater leadership threat than the humiliation of ending it.

5. Putin ousted

It might seem unthinkable. Yet the world has changed in recent days. If the war is disastrous for Russia, there may be the threat of popular revolution. And if those who have benefited from Putin no longer think he can defend their interests, such an outcome may not be implausible.

Read James Landale's full analysis here.

Nato is not considering a no-fly zone to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine, the US ambassador to the bloc has said.

Speaking to BBC News, Julianne Smith said: "We do not believe at this point that NATO needs to be party to this conflict.

"[We are] providing a tremendous amount of both lethal assistance and humanitarian assistance."

Nato has faced calls to introduce a no-fly zone to stop Russia using its jets to support its forces on the ground, but many have raised concerns that the move would escalate the conflict.

Smith did reiterate that Nato was not willing to compromise on its policy of having an "open door" to prospective members in Europe.

"That question rests with the aspirant countries... and with the Nato allies. Russia has no veto power whatsoever over that," she said.

"We’re going to begin conversations about longer term posture changes that the alliance may need to take in the weeks and months ahead.

"Nato is doing the opposite of what Russia wants."

She also criticised Russia's decision to put its nuclear forces on high alert.

"We do not like Russia talking about any sort of escalation… as it relates to their nuclear posture," she said.

"We find this rhetoric to be extremely dangerous and it increases the risk of miscalculation. We’re interested right now in seeing Russia leave Ukraine, call for a ceasefire, and de-escalate this situation.”

We are seeing reports of deaths and casualties in the northern city of Chernihiv, which has been subject to heavy shelling in recent days.

Ukraine's emergency state service (SES) reports 22 people have been found dead so far after air strikes hit residential buildings.

According to the BBC's Ukrainian Service, several high-rise buildings were also targeted during the shelling.

We've just learned that the Russian Football Union says it will go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to appeal against the ban from international competitions after the country's invasion of Ukraine.

More details here.

Image source, EPA

And here's more from the Ukrainian president - who said direct talks with Vladimir Putin are "the only way to stop this war".

"We are not attacking Russia and we do not plan to attack it. What do you want from us? Leave our land," he said.

"Sit down with me. Just not 30 metres away like with [French President Emmanuel Macron]," he added, referring to the long-table talks last month.

Ukraine's President Zelensky has given a news conference - where he appealed to the West to send him warplanes.

"If you do not have the power to close the skies [enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine], then give me planes," he said.

"If we are no more then, God forbid, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia will be next."

Those countries are part of the Nato defence alliance, which means if Russia invaded one it would be at war with all members.

We'll have more lines from Zelensky soon.

Yolande Knell
BBC Middle East correspondent

Image source, Natalia Miroshnikova

Since Russia invaded their country, some 17,000 Ukrainian holidaymakers have been stuck in Egypt’s Red Sea resorts, watching in horror.

“Panic, tears, shock!” is how Natalia Miroshnikova sums it up. She was on her first foreign trip – a week in Sharm el-Sheikh with her husband and son – but when they tried to leave early on 24 February, there was no sign of their charter flight.

She found out that war had started from a message sent by her son’s school.

“To say we were shocked is an understatement. We’re in a foreign country and all our relatives, acquaintances, in fact our entire lives, remained at home in Ukraine,” she tells me.

Another stranded Ukrainian holidaymaker, Julia - a mother of nine-year-old twins - staying in Hurghada, was forced to tell her children the news.

“I was crying all the time for the first few days and could not hide my feelings,” she admits. “My husband is in Kyiv, and it is very worrying.”

Ukrainians can now choose to stay in their hotels for an extended period at a cheap rate or be moved to three-star accommodation paid for by the Egyptian government.

Russians have previously made up the biggest numbers of tourists in Egypt – with Ukrainians not far behind. Hotels are now being advised to try to keep the two nationalities apart.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Jason

After watching the invasion of Ukraine unfold, Jason, a HGV driver from Somerset, decided he wanted to do something to help.

Within hours Jason was on a 02:00 ferry to Calais and after a 14-hour drive, he arrived at the Ukrainian/Polish border.

He’s spent the last four days transporting Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion across Poland.

“Today I’ve relocated fourteen people,” he says. “Which, when there’s a million people crossing the border, is nothing really.

"All you want to do is give them a hug and tell them how sorry you are, but it’s difficult."

Jason has been self-funding the trips, with some journeys taking “four and a half hours just one way”.

When asked what his advice is for people in the UK wanting to help, he says “don’t feel helpless, even if it’s [donating] a pack of nappies or a blanket, it’s all helping”.

Read more here about UK-based efforts to help refugees.

Wallace warns Russia of 'years' of consequencespublished at 15:49 Greenwich Mean Time 3 March 2022

15:49 GMT 3 March 2022

Jonathan Beale
BBC defence correspondent, Tallinn

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a united response in Europe that President Putin failed to predict.

You can certainly see and feel it in the capital of Estonia.

Public buildings and squares in Tallinn have been lit up with the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Officials wear gold and yellow ribbons in a show of solidarity. But it’s much more than that.

Estonia and Denmark, the two countries Wallace is visiting, are both supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Britain has done the same and says it would help to "facilitate" those deliveries – though UK officials are not giving any details of how.

Denmark, like the UK, also contributes to the Nato military force in Estonia.

It was first set up to act as a deterrent following Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014, and to reassure an ally.

Britain has now doubled the number of troops in Estonia in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

President Putin was warned that this was likely to be one of the consequences of invading Ukraine - more Nato, not less, on Russia's border.

In a press conference in Estonia, Wallace said "the consequences of what we're seeing in Ukraine will ripple through Europe and Nato for weeks, months and years to come".

Image source, Getty Images

Seven days after Russia invaded Ukraine, one million people have fled and attacks are intensifying on key cities - although only one major city has fallen.

Here's the latest:

• Russian forces have taken control of the key port city of Kherson, in the south of Ukraine - the first major city to be captured by Russian troops
• The mayor of Mariupol - a strategic southern port city - says Russian troops have cut off electricity, food, water and heating

• Vladimir Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron that Russia will successfully demilitarise Ukraine - and warned any attempts by Kyiv to delay negotiations would result in Moscow adding to its list of demands
• A second round of talks has started in Belarus between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators, with Ukraine hoping to secure safe passage for civilians fleeing the war
• Russia faces a war crimes investigation after its military was accused of bombing civilians
• Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said that a third world war would be nuclear, but he says this is not something Russians are thinking about
• The capital, Kyiv, remains in government control, although there have been several large explosions. A large Russian convoy remains some distance away

Three things to read:

• Who's in Putin's inner circle and running the war?
• Protests continue in Russia - what effect might they have?
• Is Russia using cluster bombs?

Three things to watch:

• Putin's former speechwriter on working for the president
• The moment a reporter takes cover as blast lights up Kyiv's sky
• The mothers resortign to giving birth in hospital basements

Image source, Reuters

As we reported earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin had a call with French President Emmanuel Macron today (13:49 GMT post). Here's the French version of how the call went.

The Elysee Palace says Putin claimed the Russian military operation was going "according to plan" and "at the pace he wants it to".

Macron told Putin that he was "committing a serious mistake" and added that the Ukrainian government was not, as Russia claims, a Nazi regime - telling him his point of view did not reflect the reality, the Elysee says.

The French president said he was worried about the impact on civilians including from bombings around Kyiv - something Putin denied.

Macron told his counterpart Russia would end up "as a very isolated, weak country" under sanctions, the Elysee added.

Macron also spoke to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky - who said that his country would not surrender but remained open to dialogue.

Wanyuan Song
BBC News

The 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics starts today - and in a major U-turn, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced a ban on Russian and Belarus athletes from competing, even as neutrals, just hours before the opening ceremony.

However, China, which is hosting the Games, has been trying to maintain a positive public opinion towards the event by seemingly censoring the information.

Chinese media has not reported it. On Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, nothing comes up when searching for "IPC bans Belarus and Russia".

Topics praising the event, such as "#Beijing Paralympics is also amazing”, are now trending. Most comments under the topics are proud of China.

Weibo users who do discuss the ban accuse the International Olympics Committee (IOC) and IPC of “double standards”, questioning why athletes from the US were allowed to participate when the US invaded Iraq.

Beijing has not yet acknowledged the conflict in Ukraine as an “invasion” , externallaunched by Russia. China’s foreign ministry said it “supports and encourages all diplomatic efforts” to solve the problems, external.

Chris Bell
BBC News

Kherson in southern Ukraine has become the first major city to be captured by Russian forces since the invasion began.

Sveta Zorina, who lives there, has been staying at her grandmother’s house since the invasion began.

"The situation is hard, because Russian army soldiers are all over the city," she tells the BBC.

"The restrictions are very hard. We’re not allowed to leave the house when it’s dark. We shouldn’t turn the lights on in the evening."

She also says there is not enough food or medicine in the town.

"There was a point when I thought I could not stand it anymore," she says. "I feel better now."

Sveta has been trying to work from home as an interpreter for a Canadian journalist. She and her grandmother have enough supplies for a couple of weeks - although a nearby store has run out of food.

"I think we are scared all the time, though we’re trying to fight that feeling. But in general she's brave and inspiring me. We're taking care of each other."

How well is Ukraine's army coping?published at 15:09 Greenwich Mean Time 3 March 2022

15:09 GMT 3 March 2022

Leo Sands
BBC News

Image source, Anadolu Agency

It's impossible to get hold of operational information about Ukraine's military as Kyiv is anxious not to give away anything about potential vulnerabilities.

But the BBC has spoken to an expert who says there are two significant challenges facing Ukraine's army in the coming days, despite its forces doing well to slow Russian advances.

Nick Reynolds, research analyst in land warfare at the Rusi think tank, says Ukraine must prevent both scenarios - while continuing to defend the country's cities from Russian attack.

Russian troops meet and cut off the east

There is a risk of Russian troops moving up from the south and making contact with their compatriot forces from the north.

If the two fronts combine into one it would isolate the large number of Ukrainian troops stationed along the line of conflict in Donetsk and Luhansk (in eastern Ukraine) - where they have been concentrated since 2014.

"Right now Russian progress from the south is slow. But a major reason for those operations is so they can cut off the JFO [Joint Forces Operation area in eastern Ukraine]. It would isolate a significant proportion of the Ukrainian army".

Supplies to sustain the fight run out

Reynolds says Ukraine's military could also be close to exhausting its munition supplies.

"Stocks by their own estimate at the start of the war were to last ten days of fighting," he says. "They'll likely be running short fairly soon."

It's difficult to predict what supplies are left seven days in, but given the intensity of the fighting Reynolds predicts Ukraine will not be able to last much longer without fresh air-defence ammunition and artillery shell supplies.

Military aid being transported into Ukraine is having to travel by land after crossing into the country, meaning a slow journey over long distances.

"At the point where Ukrainian forces can't get those types of munitions, they will be at a severe disadvantage even more so than they are now," Reynolds says.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak has just tweeted that he and other officials have started talks with Russian representatives in Belarus.

He outlines key issues on the agenda:

• Immediate ceasefire
• Armistice
• Humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians from destroyed or constantly shelled villages and cities