The Russian Ministry of Defence says Russian troops have helped evacuate thousands of civilians trapped in the fighting in Ukraine to western parts of the country in the past 24 hours.

Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia's National Defence Control Centre, said more than 36,000 were evacuated "thanks to the unprecedented security measures taken by the Russian Armed Forces".

He added that an evacuation of Ukrainian citizens to Russia was also ongoing.

The official reiterated claims that Ukrainian forces were hampering evacuation efforts.

Almost three million people have now fled Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, according to the United Nations (UN).

And the UN says there are an estimated 1.85 million internally displaced people inside Ukraine.

Zelensky remarks hint at potential place for dealpublished at 19:16 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2022

19:16 GMT 15 March 2022

James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent

Remarks from President Zelensky earlier today reflected his frustration over Nato - but also a truth that has been known for years, both in Kyiv and Brussels: that Ukraine was not likely to join the alliance soon.

The significance of Zelensky’s remarks come in the timing.

He is saying now – three weeks into a bloody conflict, amid talks to end the fighting – that Ukraine should recognise that fact. He spoke of the importance of finding “new formats of cooperation…with the communities available” so Ukraine can have “reliable” security guarantees.

This may be, therefore, a hint of a concession that could form part of a potential deal with Moscow, which wants Ukraine to adopt some kind of neutral status.

But it is also worth noting that many analysts believe that Ukraine’s potential Nato membership was a sideshow, and that President Putin’s real concerns were about Ukraine’s broader focus west towards the EU and greater democracy.

Image source, Getty Images

A growing line of Western drug makers are now pulling out of Russia as the invasion of Ukraine enters its third full week.

Novartis is suspending all Russian investments and marketing activity, and will also make a $3m (£2.3m) donation to various NGOs.

Eli Lilly says it has halted investments, promotions, clinical trials and the export of non-essential medicines. It will also donate the profits from its remaining Russia sales to humanitarian relief.

AbbVie, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer and Sanofi have also recently announced they will halt certain operations in the country.

The Pentagon says Russian troops continue to make little progress on the ground in Ukraine, 20 days since their invasion began.

But several major cities are suffering heavy bombardment, according to a senior US defence official.

A troop convoy moving toward Kyiv remains some 20 km outside the capital Kyiv, where the official said civilians are increasingly facing assault.

Russians continue to face stiff resistance in their attempt to take Kharkiv - Ukraine's second-largest city - and Mykolaiv, a southern city near the Black Sea.

However, invading forces have isolated Chernihiv in the north, and Mariupol in the southeast, though the US says Ukraine is working to keep lines of communication open with local leaders.

The defence official notes that both the Russians and Ukrainians have used about 90% of their combat power. More US-funded weapons are expected to arrive in Ukraine over the next 24 hours, he said.

Image source, Getty Images

A US astronaut will return to earth aboard a Russian capsule - after initial fears he might be stranded due to tensions over Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Mark Vande Hei, 55, - who has been in space for 355 days - will arrive back on Earth in Kazakhstan. Two Russian cosmonauts will also be brought back.

Dmitry Rogozin, chief of the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, had warned about sanctions causing technical issues to the International Space Station (ISS), but Nasa said it had continued to run smoothly.

The US controls power and life support aboard the ISS and Russia controls things such as its propulsion.

You can read more here.

Sarah Rainsford
BBC Eastern Europe Correspondent

An adviser to the mayor of Mariupol Petro Andrushenko has told the BBC that buses to evacuate people from the city and aid trucks to deliver food and medicine are still being blocked from entering Mariupol by Russian troops.

It’s been the same for 3 days now, he said, with supplies stuck in the town of Berdiansk, currently controlled by Russian forces.

"We don’t know what’s going on," he said. "They didn’t give us any chance for moving [sic].They just block. We don’t understand. But we can’t go without a command by the Russian army".

He said some people who still had fuel were managing to make it out in private cars, which he called ‘a success’.

As for the situation in the city itself, he said: "The shelling and bombing.. the situation today is like yesterday and before. It’s the same..shelling hour by hour – and our people stay[ing] in shelters without any water, electricity, heating and food. It’s a terrible situation in Mariupol".

Earlier today, President Volodymr Zelensky became the first Ukrainian leader to address the Canadian Parliament via video link.

He was introduced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and received a standing ovation from ministers as he is described as a champion of democracy.

Russia's sanctions on US leaders are more symbolic than consequentialpublished at 18:16 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2022

18:16 GMT 15 March 2022

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Hillary Clinton can abandon dreams she may have had of owning a dacha in Sochi, and any Joe Biden post-presidency plans for starting a business in Moscow will have to be shelved.

Jokes aside, the Kremlin “stop” order placed on the US president, senior White House staff and – interestingly – a former secretary of state who has not held public office in nine years is a symbolic, but not particularly consequential reprisal for the sanctions the US and allies have imposed on Russia. It’s not like any of the listed Americans had significant financial interests there.

The move is a reflection, however, of the growing chasm between the US and Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Prohibiting the top American diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, from even setting foot on Russian soil suggests relations between the two nations are at a post-Cold War nadir.

That has very real consequences outside of the Ukrainian conflict, as the US and Russia had hoped to co-operate on Iranian nuclear negotiations, counterterrorism, global warming and other pressing international issues.

Chances of that happening now are increasingly dim.

More than 100 buses loaded with several thousand civilians have left the besieged Ukrainian city of Sumy in two convoys, the International Committee of the Red Cross has told Reuters.

The city of Sumy is surrounded by Russian troops and has been the target of deadly shelling and air strikes in recent days.

The evacuation is being organised jointly by the ICRC and the Ukrainian Red Cross.

The ICRC said Russia had given a greenlight for the evacuation, but the convoys may not be able to take a direct route to the safe city of Poltava, in central Ukraine.

Seven-year-old Amelia was filmed singing a song from the Disney film Frozen whilst in a bomb shelter in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

The video has been watched by millions of people around the world, and even caught the attention of the song's original singer Idina Menzel.

Amelia is now safe in Poland with her grandma.

Watch the video below for more on what Amelia likes about the Disney film, and what it was like sheltering in Ukraine.

The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are scheduled to meet with Ukraine's president Vlodomyr Zelensky in Kyiv at 18:00 GMT, Czech media is reporting.

The three leaders intend to present a broad package of support for Ukraine following a symbolic trip that is intended to show European solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

The three prime ministers reportedly crossed the border into Ukraine this morning before travelling to the capital overland by train.

The visit comes as Russia continues it's attacks on Kyiv - where a curfew lasting until Thursday will shortly come into effect. It is not known how the curfew will impact the leaders' visit.

Orla Guerin
BBC News, Kyiv

Image source, Orla Guerin

Under a bright morning sun Colonel Valeriy Gudz was laid to rest, with military honours, in his hometown of Boryspil on the outskirts of Kyiv. The singing of Orthodox priests was punctuated now and then by the rumble of distant shelling.

Many troops in uniform came to pay their last respects holding bouquets of flowers. As mourners came to place their hands on the coffin, heart-rending cries from the colonel’s loved ones pierced the air.

A lifelong friend told us he was the colonel was patriot who first took up arms in 2014 when Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine went to war with the government.

Burying fallen soldiers is part of the new normal here, as Ukraine’s losses increase. At the weekend President Zelensky said 1,300 soldiers had been killed defending their homeland.

But it does not feel as if resistance is being eroded. Instead, the deaths on the battlefield, and the killing of innocent civilians, seems to be strengthening the resolve here.

Image source, Orla Guerin

US President Joe Biden is expected to join European Union and Nato leaders in Brussels next week, the White House says .

The meeting of EU and Nato leaders will likely focus in large part on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the agenda set to include issues like "security and defence" and "external relations".

The US president will join his EU counterparts on Thursday 24 March, although more details are expected soon.

Carrie Davies
BBC Moscow Correspondent

Image source, MARINA OVSYANNIKOVA

Marina Ovsyannikova, the state TV employee who staged an anti-war protest during a live bulletin last night in Moscow, has been fined 30,000 roubles (£213).

She was charged with an administrative offence under Russia’s protest laws. It was because of the video she released calling for others to demonstrate against what the Kremlin calls it’ "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Speaking outside the court, Ovsyannikova said: “It was my anti-war decision. I made this decision by myself because I don’t like Russia starting this invasion. It was really terrible.

“I want to thank everyone for their support, friends and colleagues. It has been very hard few days in my life. I spent two days without sleep. I was being questioned for over 14 hours.”

She accused the authorities of initially denying her legal help. Her lawyers also said in court that despite asking for a lawyer to be present, she was not given access to one for several hours.

“They didn’t allow me to get in touch with close ones and relatives. They didn’t not allow any legal help. I was in a hard condition,” said Ovsyannikova.

She asked to be allowed to rest before commenting further and said again that it was her decision alone to stage her protest.

Days after a deadly attack on a maternity hospital in Ukraine's southern port city of Mariupol, the city's biggest hospital has been captured and 400 patients and staff are being treated like hostages, officials say.

Regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko says, external the regional intensive care hospital, on the western outskirts of Mariupol, was all but destroyed the other day but staff continued to treat patients in the basement.

He has quoted one hospital employee as saying: "The Russians forced 400 people from neighbouring houses to come to our hospital. We can't leave."

Image source, Donetsk regional governor

Authorities say at least 2,400 civilians have already been killed since Russia's bombardment of the city began. Many of Mariupol's residents are trying to survive in underground shelters.

One human rights group accuses Russian soldiers of threatening to shoot anyone who leaves the hospital, and anyone who has tried to get out has been shot and wounded.

You can read more about the terrible conditions in Mariupol here.

A prominent journalist working for a Kremlin-controlled TV station has resigned in the wake of the on-screen protest by Channel One journalist Marina Ovsyannikova.

Vadim Glusker, NTV's Brussels correspondent, has been confirmed to have resigned by the state news agency RIA Novosti.

NTV told RIA Novosti that Glusker stopped working for it "in early March" and that his decision was "to do with health reasons". NTV is Russia's third most popular TV station and is owned by gas giant Gazprom and is firmly pro-Kremlin.

There are also reports that Zhanna Agalakova, Channel One's correspondent in Paris, has resigned - but these have not been confirmed.

Earlier, we brought you reports that a news presenter from NTV had resigned and left the country.

Image source, EPA

Volodymyr Zelensky has appeared to suggest the country should accept it won't be able to join the Nato military alliance.

Speaking at a video conference with military officials earlier today, the Ukranian president said, "Ukraine is not a member of Nato. We understand that. We are adequate people."

He continued: "We have heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we could not join. It's a truth and it must be recognised.

"I am glad that our people are beginning to understand this and rely on themselves and our partners who help us."

Before the invasion, Vladimir Putin had demanded that Ukraine was banned from ever joining Nato, as one of the "security guarantees" Moscow was seeking.

During his address to Canadian MPs, Zelensky says that almost a hundred children have died during Russian's invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine's president explains the southern besieged city of Mariupol has been left without communication networks and nearly running out of food.

Zelensky adds that 97 children had been reportedly killed since the war began.

Hugo Bachega
BBC News, Lviv

Mariupol's deputy mayor Sergei Orlov has been speaking to the BBC about the news just in that Russian troops have taken staff and patients of Mariupol hospital as hostages.

"We received information that the Russian army captured our biggest hospital... and they're using our patients and doctors like hostages," he said.

"We can confirm this information and also the governor of Donetsk region has confirmed this information. We received information that there are 400 people there."

The Russian TV journalist who burst on to a live news programme to protest against the war in Ukraine has been fined 30,000 roubles (about £213 at the current rate) for "organising an unsanctioned mass event".

A court found Marina Ovsyannikova guilty of flouting protest legislation, the RIA news agency reported.

Independent website Meduza says she was fined, external for the video address she had recorded before the protest, not for the protest itself.