The Russian military has reportedly installed a new mayor in the occupied city of Melitopol following the alleged abduction of Mayor Ivan Fedorov by Moscow's troops on Friday afternoon.

Galina Danilchenko, formerly a deputy on the city council, appeared on local TV where she declared that her main task was construction of "basic mechanisms under the new reality".

Danilchenko said she was preparing to set up a "committee of people's deputies" to run the city, and urged residents not to take part in "extremist actions".

"Respected deputies, we were elected by the people. Our duty above all is to look after their well-being," she said.

"This committee will be tasked with administrative responsibilities on the territory of Melitopol and the Melitopol region."

The BBC cannot independently verify Danilchenko's appointment, though it has been widely reported in local media.

Earlier we reported a Ukrainian allegation that Russian troops had fired on a convoy of women and children leaving a village north-west of Kyiv on Friday, killing seven people.

Ukraine's intelligence service said the incident had happened on an agreed evacuation corridor from Peremoha.

However Ukrainian government officials have now said the victims were not using an agreed evacuation corridor as previously stated.

There was no independent verification of the attack and no immediate comment from Moscow.

Image source, Getty Images

The Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho has said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has unleashed a climate of "Russophobia".

Coelho, who authored the acclaimed novel "The Alchemist", wrote in a Twitter post: "Ukraine crisis a convenient excuse for Russophobia".

The writer was widely condemned by social media users, many of whom urged Coelho to acknowledge the devastating impact of the Russian invasion and to publish photos of the victims and destruction caused by the Russian army.

Addressing the criticism, Coelho followed up, writing: "I was in Lviv, Kyiv, Odessa, Yalta, Chernobyl (Ukraine). I covered 10,000 km by train from Moscow to Vladivostok (Russia). Yes, there is a war: but do not blame ordinary people ".

Image source, Getty Images

The UN's nuclear watchdog says Ukraine told it on Saturday that Russia is planning on taking full and permanent control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine.

In a statement issued on Saturday night, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Ukraine's nuclear regulator, Energoatom, had informed it that Russia plans to operate the facility under the of management of its state owned nuclear company, Rosatom.

Ukraine also alleged that staff are being forced "to coordinate with the Russian forces on all operational issues, including technical matters" and that "Russian experts had arrived at the site a few days ago to assess the radiation situation there".

Russia, which seized the plant after an intense battle with Ukrainian troops on 4 March, has denied the claims.

The IAEA also said Energoatom had informed it that efforts to repair damaged power lines at the Chernobyl nuclear plant were continuing and that diesel generators were providing back-up power to systems relevant for safety.

Energoatom has also alleged that "211 technical personnel and guards have still not been able to rotate, in effect living there since the day before Russian forces took control," the statement said.

People across the UK have been finding ways to help Ukrainians - both those who have fled the war and those who remain in the country. Here are a few examples we've picked up on.

A fleet of seven ambulances, stocked with medical supplies, will soon leave for Ukraine, from Cheltenham, in south-west England. They have been arranged by Khaled El Mayet, who raised £70,000 to purchase the former NHS vehicles. El Mayet and a team of volunteers will drive the vehicles to the Poland-Ukranian border, where they will be handed over to medical professionals for use in Ukraine.

Image source, NFCC

The Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, in the north-east of England, has donated personal protective equipment, fire engines, thermal imaging cameras, generators, lighting, hoses and rescue equipment.

It is part of a nationwide effort by the National Fire Chiefs Council to provide support to those on the frontline.

Convoys of small vans, lorries and HGVs have travelled from Scotland to Poland, carrying essential items such as nappies, blankets and food to reception centres around the border with Ukraine.

Robert Dluzak and Piotr Dziedzic - both born in Poland, but now living in Eyemouth and Kelso - made the 1,500 mile journey to the small town of Hrubieszow, just a few miles from the Ukraine border.

Also in Scotland, pupils at Strathallan School near Perth organised a collection of beds and bedding that was transported on Friday to Grodzisk Mazowiecki, just outside Warsaw in Poland.

Image source, Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and discussed the prospects for peace talks to end the conflict with Russia.

Zelensky said in a post on Twitter that the pair had "talked about Russian aggression and the prospects for peace talks".

He added that he had also requested Bennett' assistance in securing "the release of captive mayor of Melitopol".

A spokesperson for Bennett told the BBC that the conversation had lasted for over an hour and "dealt with ways to stop the fighting in Ukraine and the efforts that Israel is making on the matter".

Image source, Reuters

Protesters called for Nato to "close the skies" over Ukraine at a demonstration outside Downing Street, in central London, earlier today.

The protest, organised by Ukrainian campaign group London Euromaidan, began at 14:00 and finished at around 17:00 on Saturday.

Hundreds of protesters carrying Ukrainian flags attended the event, with crowds chanting "close the skies" and "hands off Ukraine, Putin".

There were also songs and speeches in Ukrainian.

One of those attending the event, 23-year-old British-Ukrainian Markiyan, told PA news agency: "I am here to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people and to demand that the UK and Nato as a whole do more to help Ukrainian people.

"We are demanding that they close the skies, we need more sanctions."

He also called on the UK government to speed up the visa process for Ukrainian refugees.

Image source, PA Media

About 13,000 Ukrainians were evacuated through humanitarian corridors on Saturday, Ukraine's deputy prime minister has said - almost twice the number who managed to leave on Friday.

In an online message, Iryna Vereshchuk said no one had managed to leave the besieged city of Mariupol, blaming this on obstruction by Russian forces.

Moscow had earlier accused Ukrainian forces of intentionally trapping people there.

Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent

Image source, Maria Trybus

For the thousands of Ukrainian children who have fled to Poland since the war began, many now face the daunting task of starting new schools in a foreign country.

Some 24,000 Ukrainians are already attending Polish schools, authorities say.

For many, the biggest challenge is the language barrier.

But the Ukrainian students also need support to integrate into their new surroundings and meet their new classmates. And 19-year-old Maria Trybus has come up with a way to help them.

Along with co-founder Maria Szuster, she created a trilingual website, Druha we mnie masz , external(“You Have a Friend in Me”) to connect Ukrainians seeking support with Polish students who want to help them.

In just a week since going online, 7,000 people have contacted the site to either offer help or ask for support.

Trybus, whose own great-grandmother helped save the lives of two Jewish girls during World War Two, says she got the idea after her family began helping an 18-year-old Ukrainian student who had fled the war.

“We realised that it’s not only about helping with basic needs, such as food or clothing, but also emotional support. It’s much easier for an 18-year-old to ask for help from another 18-year-old than a 50-year-old woman,” she tells the BBC.

Image source, Maxar Technologies

Satellite photos taken on Saturday by a private US company have shown extensive damage to residential and civilian infrastructure in the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Maxar Technologies said fires were seen in the western section of the port city and dozens of high-rise apartment buildings had been severely damaged by Russian bombing and shelling.

At least 1,582 civilians in Mariupol have been killed as a result of Russian shelling, the city council said on Friday. The BBC cannot independently verify this figure.

On Saturday, Russia claimed to have captured areas on the outskirts of the city, but Ukrainian Foreign Minster Dmytro Kuleba has said that the city remains under Kyiv's control.

Mariupol sits in a strategic position on the Black Sea coast, preventing Russian forces in eastern Ukraine from forming a land-bridge with Moscow's troops that have invaded from the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Image source, Maxar Technologies

Image source, Maxar Technologies

Image source, Maxar Technologies

Earlier we reported that convoys including humanitarian aid and buses for evacuating civilians were on their way to several Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian officials said evacuations were continuing from several population centres in Kyiv region, although they accused Russian forces of firing on one convoy from the village of Peremoha, killing seven people.

Meanwhile Mariupol Deputy Mayor Serhiy Orlov said he was still waiting and hoping that a convoy from Zaporizhzhya would arrive in the city, although it was moving very slowly.

Zaporizhzhya is about three hours drive away, and the convoy reportedly left around eight hours ago.

But Mr Orlov was unable to confirm reports in the Ukrainian media that Russian troops were stealing aid from the convoy.

Image source, Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has addressed thousands of demonstrators across Italy, as pro-Ukraine protests took place in several cities, including Turin and Florence.

Florence has been twinned with Kyiv since the 1960s, when Ukraine's capital sent aid to the Tuscan city to help it recover from a devastating flood.

Demonstrators in the city waved Ukrainian flags and the bells of the iconic Basilica di Santa Croce rang 17 times, one for each day of the invasion.

In his speech, Zelensky said that 79 children had been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the war. He called for more sanctions against Moscow and urged Western leaders to impose a no-fly zone over the country.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

If you're just joining us, here are all the latest developments from Ukraine as Russia's invasion reaches the end of its 17th day:

• In Mariupol in the south-east of the country, Moscow's forces have made further gains, capturing the eastern outskirts of the port city

• Ukrainian officials have also confirmed that their forces have left the small nearby city of Volnovakha, which they say has been completely destroyed
• But in the occupied city of Melitopol, Russian troops have faced a huge protest from residents against the abduction of Mayor Ivan Fedorov. President Volodymyr Zelensky called his kidnapping a "war crime"
• Elsewhere, Ukrainian officials have claimed that Russian troops fired on a convoy of women and children evacuating a village near Kyiv, killing seven people. Moscow has yet to comment on the allegations
• Polish Border Guards have said that more than 1.6 million people have now fled Ukraine to Poland since the conflict began more than two weeks ago
• Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Vladimir Putin did not show any willingness to end the war in Ukraine during a 75-minute phone call between the French, German and Russian leaders
• And Russia's deputy foreign minister has warned the West that arms convoys delivering weapons to Ukrainian fores could become "legitimate targets" for Moscow's troops

Image source, Getty Images

US President Joe Biden has authorised a further $200m (£153m) worth of military support for Ukraine, the White House has announced.

It brings the total US funding provided to the country to more than $1.2bn (£920m) since the beginning of 2021, a Biden administration official said.

The funding, which Biden has allocated through the Foreign Assistance Act, can be used to purchase weapons and other defence materials from the US Defense department's stock, as well as military education and training to help Ukraine.

It will include immediate assistance such as anti-armour, anti-aircraft systems and small arms, a senior official said.

The move comes after the US Congress approved $13.6bn (£10.43bn) worth of emergency aid for Ukraine.

Military support, including anti-tank launchers and anti-aircraft missiles, provided by the US and other Western allies has already been used effectively by Ukrainian troops.

Image source, Getty Images

Ukraine's foreign minister has said that the country is ready to enter into negotiations with Russia, but that its forces will not surrender to Vladimir Putin's regime or accept any ultimatums.

Speaking at a virtual event, Dmytro Kuleba told reporters that he has to remain open to diplomatic discussions with Moscow, but warned that Russia is pushing forward demands that are unacceptable to Ukraine.

Kuleba added that Kyiv's forces will need more military supplies and repeated Ukrainian pleas to Western nations to supply the country with fresh fighter jets, saying that more civilian lives can be saved if the country's air defenses are strengthened, allowing it to attack large Russian armour columns.

He also claimed that Moscow has employed tactics similar to the destructive measures it unleashed during the Syrian civil war, and called on Western nations to assist Ukraine with its investigations and potential future prosecutions of alleged Russian war crimes.

Kuleba also said that the south-eastern city of Mariupol remains in Ukrainian hands, despite some reports of Russian breakthroughs.

The UK's Ministry of Defence has tweeted, external another of its updates on the war in Ukraine - this time addressing how Russia is enlisting additional troops to bolster its forces.

It notes that Russian President Vladimir Putin has now publicly acknowledged the recruitment of 16,000 mostly Middle Eastern volunteers. It follows reports that Russia was planning to deploy mercenaries from Russian private military companies.

Russia has also acknowledged this week that it is using conscripted soldiers - that is the compulsory enrolment of people into the military.

The Ministry of Defence update adds that as Russian losses mount it will be forced to draw on alternate sources to reinforce its overstretched regular forces.

We've been reporting today on attempts by Ukrainian civilians to evacuate besieged cities amid heavy shelling by Russian forces.

We're now hearing claims from the Ukrainian military that Russian troops fired on a convoy of women and children leaving a village north-west of Kyiv on Friday, killing seven people.

There's been no independent verification of the attack and no comment from Moscow.

The Ukrainian intelligence service said the incident happened on an agreed evacuation corridor from Peremoha village.

It added that the surviving members of the convoy had been forced back to Peremoha and were not being allowed to leave.

Ukraine has on several occasions accused Russia of not respecting agreed ceasefires and of firing on civilian targets.

Image source, Gett

A rabbi involved in the certification process that enabled Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich to obtain Portuguese citizenship has been detained by police and told he cannot leave the country, reports say.

Daniel Litvak, the leader of Porto's Jewish community, is being held as part of an investigation into possible cases of corruption, money laundering and tax evasion, Portuguese news agency Lusa reports.

He was detained while preparing to travel to Israel, the report adds.

Chelsea FC owner Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government as part of its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He is one of seven oligarchs to be hit with fresh sanctions, external, including asset freezes and travel bans.

Abramovich was granted Portuguese citizenship last year based on a law offering naturalisation to descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled from Portugal more than 500 years ago.

Demonstrations in support of Ukraine have been taking place in several cities across Europe, including in Paris where this woman was photographed:

Image source, AFP

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed crowds via a video link in the Italian city of Florence:

Image source, Getty Images

There were also rallies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Turkey among other places.

Shows of sympathy were also on display at various sporting events across Europe, including at this football in the Dutch city of Rotterdam:

Image source, Getty Images

And this message was flashed at Twickenham in London, ahead of a Six Nations rugby match between England and Ireland:

Image source, Getty Images

In Ukraine itself, in the port city of Odesa, musicians and singers from the famous opera house held an outdoor concert in support of a no-fly zone over Ukraine:

Image source, Getty Images

Meanwhile, refugees continue to cross over into neighbouring countries. The UNHCR says that 2.6m people have now left Ukraine.

More than 235,000 have gone to Hungary - where this photo was taken in Zahony:

Image source, Getty Images

Hyundai has announced that it is suspending its sponsorship of Chelsea Football Club in light of sanctions announced against owner Roman Abramovich on Thursday.

The car giant signed a four-year deal with Chelsea to become a sleeve sponsor in 2018 in an agreement estimated to be worth around £50 million to the club.

"Hyundai has become one of the strongest partners in football over the years and the company supports the sport to be a force for good," the company said in a statement.

"Through our partnership with Chelsea FC, we are proud supporters of the players, the fans and grassroots football. However, in the current circumstances, we have taken the decision to suspend our marketing and communication activities with the Club until further notice," it added.