Image source, Getty Images

Russia's reported calls for military supplies and economic assistance from China are putting their relationship in the spotlight, just weeks after the two countries declared that their partnership has "no limits".

Publicly, the Chinese government has called on both sides to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine - and notably has not referred to the Russian military operation as an "invasion".

The two countries have strong economic ties - trade reached a record $147bn (£110bn) last year.

Despite that, and the close personal relationship between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping which was on show at the recent Winter Olympics, China may be wary of facing consequences stemming from continued support for Russia.

In a tweet, Richard Haass, an American diplomat and president of the Council on Foreign Relations, described the dilemma for Xi.

The White House has just released details of a call US President Joe Biden had with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

In it, the two world leaders underscored their commitment to hold Russia accountable for the invasion.

This comes after day 18 of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. On Sunday, a military training base in the western city of Yavoriv was struck by a barrage of cruise missiles.

Nato leaders are facing increasing pressure from Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.

A short time ago, Zelensky warned Nato leaders that without more air support "it is only a matter of time before Russian rockets fall on your territory, Nato territory".

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Dozens of pro-Russia demonstrators rallied in the Serbian capital of Belgrade on Sunday, voicing their support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The demonstrators waved Serbian and Russian flags. Some vehicles were painted with the letter Z, which has become a symbol for Russia's war in Ukraine after being seen on military vehicles.

The protest was reportedly coordinated by a Serbian far-right group.

On 4 March, thousands of Serbs took to the streets of Belgrade in a public show of support for Vladimir Putin and Russia. Then two days later, there was a large anti-war march.

While Serbia voted in favour of a UN resolution condemning Russia's invasion, it has so far not joined the growing list of countries that have announced economic sanctions to punish Moscow.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

The EU has condemned the alleged kidnapping of the mayors of two Ukrainian cities by Russian forces.

Ukrainian officials said on Sunday that armed men had abducted Yevhen Matveyev, mayor of the south-eastern city of Dniprorudne.

It came after CCTV footage showed a man purported to be Ivan Fedorov, mayor of nearby Melitopol, being led out of a building on Friday with a bag over his head.

Writing on Twitter, Josep Borrell Fontelles, the EU’s high representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said: “The EU strongly condemns the kidnapping of the mayors of Melitopol and Dniprorudne by Russian armed forces.

“It is yet another attack on democratic institutions in Ukraine and an attempt to establish illegitimate alternative government structures in a sovereign country.”

In its latest intelligence update, the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) says Russian naval forces have established a blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea coastline, effectively cutting the country off from maritime trade.

It warned of the potential for further amphibious assaults by Russian forces in the coming weeks. One such operation had already taken place in the Sea of Azov, it said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to urge Nato leaders to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

In a video address, external he said: "If you don't close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian rockets fall on your territory, on Nato territory."

Zelensky's plea comes after Russian missiles targeted a military training base in Yavoriv, Ukraine.

Officials have said at least 35 people were killed and 134 were injured in the attack, which was just 25km (15 miles) from Poland, a Nato member.

The US has ruled out a no-fly zone because it could mean Nato forces shooting down Russian aircraft to clear the skies.

That would represent an escalation that US President Joe Biden has described as World War Three.

What are no-fly zones and why is US opposed?

Marc Weller
Professor of international law, University of Cambridge

Image source, Getty Images

As the human toll of Russia's aggression starts to mount, perhaps beyond both Moscow's and Beijing's expectation, China must now make a decision.

Thus far, the government in Beijing has dutifully referred to Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, signalling understanding for the supposed reasons for the invasion - the purported encirclement of Russia by the West. Chinese state media relentlessly re-broadcasts Russian disinformation.

China will now need to decide whether it wishes to remain part of a diverse, but essentially civilised international order.

China can play a powerful role in supporting negotiations to end the conflict. But at least for now, Beijing should be told that it must deliver from its friends in Moscow genuine humanitarian corridors, free of shelling and obstruction, to thousands of encircled and starving civilians.

One phone call from China's President Xi Jinping to his colleague in the Kremlin should do the trick. A failure to make that call will tell us much.

Russia appears to have banned Instagram from operating in the country.

In a tweet, NetBlocks confirmed that real-time data shows that Instagram is now restricted in Russia across multiple providers.

Facebook was blocked earlier on, but Instagram is more popular in the country.

On Friday, the Russian government had said in a statement that it would impose restrictions on access to the platform from 14 March.

Russia made the decision to block Instagram after its parent company Meta decided to temporarily relax its moderation rules and allow users to post anti-Russian messages. In its statement on Friday, Russia said it initiated the process of recognising Meta as an extremist organisation.

Britain's Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid says 21 Ukrainian children who have cancer have been brought to the UK to continue their treatment.

Residents in the Ukrainian city of Kherson have staged another demonstration against the Russian occupation, despite forces firing warning shots.

Footage shows people with Ukrainian flags chanting as Russian tanks, displaying the pro-invasion symbol "Z" pass by the rally.

Mark Lowen
BBC News, Zamosc, Poland

The small eastern town of Zamosc, like many others across Poland, has been transformed in the past two weeks into a refugee hub.

On some days, up to 35,000 people have arrived - most going on further west, but some staying.

Around 1,000 beds have been provided at the reception centre, schools, private homes and even the sports club where karate classes for refugees take place.

The mayor, Andrzej Wnuk, says it's a huge strain on Zamosc, warning that the welcome has its limits.

"Polish people seem infinitely ready to give, but it will end one day," he says.

"We thought there would be a first wave of refugees and then we would get significant support from the government and the EU, but it turns out we were left alone. We need financial help or the quality of our hospitality will drop drastically."

Read more of Mark's report here

Tech giants Microsoft, Oracle and SAP should stop supporting their products in Russia in protest at the invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky says.

In a tweet directed at the firms, Zelensky said there can be no "half decisions" or "halftones".

Oracle replied to his tweet saying it had ended all operations in Russia, cut off access to support, made software updates and patches unavailable and suspended all consulting and advanced customer support services.

Additionally, Oracle said it had suspended all Russian partners and their subsidiaries and noted that its products were no longer authorised for export, re-export or transfer to Russia. It will not "explore alternative mechanisms" to provide its services.

On 3 March, Oracle - along with SAP - suspended all business in Russia. The following day, Microsoft announced it was suspending all new sales in the country.

Asked about media reports that Russia was asking China for military help, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington says Beijing is focused on keeping the war in Ukraine from "getting out of control".

Reuters quoted embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu as saying that "the situation in Ukraine is indeed disconcerting".

"The high priority now is to prevent the tense situation escalating or even getting out of control," he said.

Earlier on Sunday, the Financial Times and a number of other media outlets reported that US officials believe Russia has requested Chinese military supplies to help with the war effort, as well as economic support.

When asked about the reports, the spokesperson said that he "never heard of that".

US officials have warned that China would face consequences if it takes steps to help Russia evade sanctions.

China has so far publicly remained neutral in the conflict and refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Staff at Ukraine's Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant are no longer carrying out some tasks because of "physical and mental fatigue", the UN's nuclear watchdog says.

In a tweet, external, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that staff at the plant had been working "non-stop" for nearly three weeks.

Russian forces seized the nuclear power plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster, on the first day of the invasion.

Additionally, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said the "increasingly dire situation" facing Chernobyl staff added "further urgency" to efforts aimed at ensuring the safety of Ukrainian nuclear facilities.

Authorities have expressed concern about the potential consequences of damage to Ukraine's nuclear facilities during fighting.

More tributes to Brent Renaud are coming in - Mea Dols de Jong last spoke to him four days ago, and says he was excited to work on a documentary in Ukraine.

As Ukraine heads towards the end of day 18 of the war, here are Sunday's main developments:

• Ukraine says up to 30 Russian missiles were fired at a military training base, near the border of Nato member Poland, killing 35 people
• Russia later confirmed it had carried out the strikes, saying it was targeting foreign mercenaries and weapons
• A US journalist, Brent Renaud, was shot dead outside Kyiv, in the first reported death of a foreign journalist in the conflict
• Ukrainian and Russian negotiators gave their most upbeat assessments of efforts to end the fighting, speaking of progress, but gave no details
• More than 2,100 Mariupol residents are now known to have been killed, according to officials in the surrounded south-eastern city. The Red Cross says "time is running out" to save desperate civilians in the city
• The global nuclear watchdog says a power line to the Chernobyl nuclear site has been repaired and will be connected on Monday. Earlier Ukraine's nuclear authority said power had already been restored and cooling systems were operating normally

Read more - your guide to day 18 of the conflict

Image source, Getty Images

Russia is asking China for both military and economic assistance, according to reports in the Financial Times and New York Times newspapers.

Moscow wants Beijing to provide military supplies to use in Ukraine, the FT says.

Citing unnamed US officials, the FT reported that Russia had been requesting Chinese equipment since the start of the invasion. The officials declined to specify what kind of equipment Russia is seeking.

The report added that there were indications that China may be preparing to help.

A separate report in the New York Times - again citing US officials - alleges Russia is also asking for economic assistance to mitigate the impact of sanctions.

China has so far sought to portray itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and has not condemned the invasion.

On Monday US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to hold talks with a top Chinese foreign policy official, Yang Jiechi, in Rome.

Speaking to NBC on Sunday, Sullivan said the US would "ensure that China nor anyone else" can compensate Russia for its economic losses.

Hanna Chornous
BBC News, Kyiv

Image source, Hanna Chornous

In a supermarket on the outskirts of Kyiv, bread and dairy shelves are empty.

Still available are delicacies and less popular items, like goat cheese, truffle-flavoured crisps or expensive organic chocolate. The fruit and vegetable stalls are filled with cabbage.

Standing with his friends outside with a cup of latte in his hands, a rare pleasure in Kyiv these days, Yaroslav casually explains they are “staying to defend the city”.

His friend, Iryna, tells of her frustration talking to her relatives in Russia: “We don’t talk because they don’t understand,” she says. “They say every day there is no war.”

“Propaganda is a more powerful weapon than a real weapon,” their friend Serhiy adds.

He tells us young Russians he chats with say they do not believe what they hear from their government: “They understand what will happen in Russia with sanctions, that it will be a new North Korea.

"It is only the young generation that can change something in Russia."

Image source, Getty Images

Time Magazine has paid tribute to the American journalist and filmmaker Brent Renaud, who was killed earlier by gunfire in the Ukrainian town of Irpin.

Renaud, 50, was in Ukraine working on a Time Studios project focused on refugees, the company confirmed on Sunday.

In a statement Time editor-in-chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal and Ian Orefice, the president and chief operating officer of Time and Time Studios, said they were "devastated by the loss".

"As an award-winning filmmaker and journalist, Brent tackled the toughest stories around the world often alongside his brother Craig Renaud," the statement said. "Our hearts are with all of Brent’s loved ones."

Felsenthal and Orefice added that it is "essential that journalists are able to safely cover this ongoing invasion and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine".

Earlier on Sunday US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan accused Russia of "targeting journalists" and said the US would impose "appropriate consequences".