Image source, Getty Images

Russian gas sales to certain nations will be conducted in roubles, President Vladimir Putin said in a televised meeting with government ministers on Wednesday.

He said sales to "unfriendly" nations that imposed sanctions on Russia after its invasion will be affected.

Around 40% of Europe gets its gas from Russia. The announcement from Putin immediately rattled the energy markets.

"Russia will continue, of course, to supply natural gas in accordance with volumes and prices... fixed in previously concluded contracts," Putin said.

"The changes will only affect the currency of payment, which will be changed to Russian roubles," he continued.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce on Thursday that the UK will provide Ukraine with about 6,000 extra missiles.

At the Nato and G7 leaders' meetings in Brussels, Johnson will also unveil £25m ($33m) of funding to help pay Ukrainian soldiers and pilots.

The UK government will also provide £4.1m for the BBC World Service to help support its Ukrainian and Russian language services in the region.

"The United Kingdom will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defences as they turn the tide in this fight," Johnson said.

"One month into this crisis, the international community faces a choice. We can keep the flame of freedom alive in Ukraine, or risk it being snuffed out across Europe and the world."

Britain said the new package will come on top of around 4,000 missiles already provided by the UK to Ukrainian forces.

The latest funding is in addition to £400m already committed in humanitarian and economic aid, said UK officials.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Ukrainian government

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been delivering nightly video addresses since the start of the war, has called on people around the world to publicly protest on Thursday - one month since Russia's invasion.

"The war of Russia is not only the war against Ukraine. Its meaning is much wider," Zelensky said, for the first time delivering his address in English.

"Russia started the war against freedom," he continued, adding: "This is only the beginning for Russia.

"Russia is trying to defeat the freedom of all people in Europe. Of all the people in the world."

"It tried to show that only crude and cruel force matters," he continued.

He adds: "The world must stop Russia. The world must stop the war."

"One month already. That long. It breaks my heart, the hearts of all Ukrainians and every free person on the planet."

He goes on to call for street demonstrations and for protesters to march while wearing Ukrainian symbols.

"Come to your squares, your streets. Make yourself visible and heard," he says.

"Say that people matter, freedom matters, people matter, peace matters. Ukraine matters."

Nada Tawfik
BBC News, New York

Image source, Getty Images

It’s getting harder and harder for Russia to deny its isolation on the international stage.

Besides its ally, China, all 13 members abstained from voting on Moscow’s draft.

The common message from most members was if Russia cared, and wanted to relieve the suffering of the Ukrainian people, it could end its war now.

Instead, Russia’s draft does not even recognise it is the sole cause of the humanitarian disaster or respond to the realities on the ground.

Ukraine has its own humanitarian resolution set for a vote in the General Assembly, where Russia cannot wield its veto.

Still, Moscow doesn’t show any sign of changing course.

It denounced the latest General Assembly vote as another anti-Russian show and blamed the humanitarian devastation on Ukrainian "nationalists and radicals".

As British diplomat Barbara Woodward told me after the vote: "I think Russia has consistently misplayed its hand here, and seriously underestimated the consequences of what it's done and the international perception of what it's done.

"They tabled this resolution over a week ago and they kept it on the table and rolled it forward. And, we saw the result today. Only one country supported Russia."

Image source, Getty Images

Ukraine's forces are "increasing pressure" on Russian troops occupying the region north-east of Kyiv, according to the latest intelligence assessment from the UK Ministry of Defence.

Ukraine is continuing to carry out "successful counter attacks" on Russians outside the capital, the report says, and the Ukrainians have probably retaken the towns of Makariv and Moschun.

"There is a realistic possibility that Ukrainian forces are now able to encircle Russian units in Bucha and Irpin," assesses the MoD.

British military officials note that Russian troops along the axis north-east of Kyiv are facing "considerable supply and morale issues".

"It is likely that successful counter attacks by Ukraine will disrupt the ability of Russian forces to reorganise and resume their offensive towards Kyiv," says the report.

Russian advance is stalled on several frontspublished at 22:20 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2022

22:20 GMT 23 March 2022

Frank Gardner
BBC Security Correspondent

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of its Slavic neighbour has triggered Europe’s worst security crisis since the Second World War.

And yet, one month on, Russian forces have failed to exert full control over a single major city, their advance has stalled on several fronts and in some places they have even lost ground to Ukrainian counter-attacks.

Bolstered by hi-tech weaponry from Britain and other Nato countries, Ukrainians have proven themselves both brave and resilient. But their defiance has come at a terrible cost.

The southern port of Mariupol will go down in history as one of the most bombed and shattered cities of our time. Its destruction has been labelled a war crime.

And Ukraine still faces major challenges. Its forces are running low on weapons and ammunition, armed Russian drones are now operating largely with impunity and Moscow is calling up reinforcements.

President Putin appears set on subjugating Ukraine even if that means reducing it to a smouldering ruin.