Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a conversation on Sunday called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for a ceasefire and better humanitarian conditions for civilians following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Erdogan noted the importance of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, the implementation of peace and the improvement of humanitarian conditions in the region," his office said, as reported by Reuters, external.

"President Erdogan stated that Turkey would continue to lend every kind of support regarding the process," the office of the Turkish president tweeted on Sunday.

It added that Putin and Erdogan agreed on holding the next round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.

Yuliya Puglisi-Allegra's mother, Vira, collapsed with pneumonia after a seven-hour wait for a visa.

Many families like Yuliya's, who have been trying to bring their relatives to the UK from Ukraine say they are frustrated by visa delays.

Yuliya, from Bristol in south-west England, applied for a visa in Moldova for her mother and nephew who fled before Russia invaded.

They are stuck in Paris after leaving Romania where refugees have constantly been pouring in, waiting for their visas to be approved.

"She's getting better with pneumonia, but is absolutely depressed," Yuliya says.

Read more here

Dr Jack Watling, research fellow for land warfare at the London-based defence think tank the Royal United Services Institute, gives his latest assessment of Russia's movements inside Ukraine.

He says the Russians have committed most of the forces they've built up and that most of these forces are inside Ukraine; they are not able to redeploy forces around the country.

"So what determines where they make progress now is where they are making the main effort in terms of resources and logistics. The main effort at the moment is the south, where they attempt to finish the battle for Mariupol, and then wrap around the flank of Ukrainian military units in the Donbas, to try and cut them off, so pushing north from a southern axis."

They've gone static between Kherson and Mykolaiv, and it's very unlikely that they will be able to make progress on that front, he adds.

It's more about pushing north from Crimea along the Dnieper river to try and encircle the joint forces operations area which is where many of Ukraine's best units are.

The Russians advanced along more axes than they could sustain in the first part of the conflict, and are now in a position where they can only resource one axis at a time. At the moment, their priority seems to be to defeat Ukrainian forces in the Donbas if they can. Once they finish in Mariupol, they're likely to reinforce the axis against Kharkiv to the north of the Donbas.

And so the intent is very much a slow and methodical capture of towns one by one, he concludes.

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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said it is still unable to get any aid into besieged Mariupol, as it requires Russia and Ukraine to guarantee safe passage.

"The sides have to be the guarantors and have an agreement to allow safe passage. They have to publicise the route and allow plenty of time for people to get out," ICRC spokesman Matt Morris told the BBC. "We don't have a team currently able to access," he said.

International humanitarian law, he said, "requires that people should be allowed to leave, but should not be forced to leave". Many Mariupol residents have been sheltering in cellars for weeks, short of food, water and medicines.

Ukraine accuses Russia of forcibly moving thousands of civilians from the devastated city to Russian-controlled areas. Russia has denied any coercion, but has reported evacuations under Russian escort.

The ICRC says it never assists any forced evacuations and has denied any plan to help Russia "filter" Ukrainian refugees from Mariupol.

If you're just tuning in to our coverage now - good morning. Here are the latest developments to bring you up to speed:

• President Zelensky has said he was willing to consider Ukraine adopting a neutral status, but sovereignty and retaining territory remained priorities
• Both Ukraine and Russia are set to hold fresh peace talks in Turkey this week
• Three nations - France, Greece and Turkey - are negotiating a humanitarian rescue of the 170,000 civilians remaining in Maripol, where there’s constant shelling and a lack of food and water
• Meanwhile schools in Kyiv are due to reopen online on Monday
• New fires have broken out around the Chernobyl nuclear site, which remains controlled by Russian forces, said a Ukrainian minister
• US President Joe Biden backtracked on a throwaway comment where he said Putin “cannot remain in power”, replying “no” to reporters when asked if he was calling for a regime change

• The UN estimates at least 1,100 civilians have died so far and more than 10 million displaced

With that, this is Yvette Tan, Frances Mao and Andrew Clarence signing out across various locations, handing over to our colleagues Nathan Williams and Alexandra Fouché in London.

In its latest update on the situation in Ukraine, the UK's Ministry of Defence says that there has been "no significant change to Russian forces' dispositions in the country" over the last 24 hours.

They also say that "ongoing logistical shortages have been compounded by a continued lack of momentum and morale against the Russian military, and aggressive fighting by the Ukrainians".

They add Russia has gained most ground in the south near the city of Mariupol where heavy fighting continues as Russia attempts to capture the port.

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Russians have an estimated $1tn (£760 bn) hidden around the world and countries are trying to find it.

Around one-quarter of this amount is controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his close associates - wealthy Russians known as "oligarchs", US think tank the Atlantic Council estimates in its 2020 report, external.

For decades, Russian oligarchs have moved billions of dollars abroad, putting it in shell companies to make it extremely hard to trace.

Historically, much of this money has gone to Cyprus - enticed by favourable taxes, external. To some, the island became known as "Moscow on the Med".

British Overseas Territories such as the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands are also favourite destinations.

Some of this money finds it way to financial capitals, such as New York and London, where it can be invested and reap returns.

Following the invasion of Ukraine, countries have announced a series of measures to track down Russian money.

Find out more about these measures here.

Arunoday Mukharji
BBC News, Delhi

Sooraj Kumar was one of the 18,000 Indian students studying medicine in Ukraine.

He was in a medical school in Uzhhorod for the past six years and would have qualified as a doctor in three months. But he was evacuated shortly after the war began - and now faces an uncertain future back home in India.

He is unable to continue his studies or find a place in Indian colleges.

Ukraine was seen as an attractive study destination for many students due to its affordable courses.

Read more about the situation Sooraj is now facing here.

Image source, Ukraine Armed Forces on Facebook

The Ukrainian defence forces say that five attacks by Russian forces in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have been repelled, in their daily operational update. Here's what else was in the report:

• Ukrainian forces are continuing to hold back Russian troops aiming to gain control of key roads and settlements in the city of Kyiv by trying to break through Ukrainian defences from the northwest and east
• In Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukrainian forces destroyed two tanks, an infantry vehicle and a car
• Russian forces also suffered casualties, the report said
• The Air Forces of Ukraine said that it had destroyed 4 planes, 1 helicopter and 2 UAVs

The BBC was not able to independently verify these claims.

Students in the capital Kyiv will be able to resume school today - via remote learning online.

Kyiv's mayor announced the re-opening on Sunday, saying courses would be "more adapted to the current conditions...using different educational platforms".

"An important task today is for the city to live and work even in such difficult conditions of martial law," , externalsaid Vitali Klitschko in a Telegram post.

"They are trying to intimidate us. That will not work!" he said.

The UN estimates more than half of the nation's children have fled the country during the war.

Image source, Reuters

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Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has accused Russia of committing "irresponsible" and potentially dangerous acts around the occupied Chernobyl power station.

The site - the scene of the world's worst nuclear accident - was taken soon after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.

Vereshchuk accused Russia of "militarising" the site and transporting old and poorly maintained weapons near it, which she said could damage a containment vessel around its destroyed fourth reactor.

She also accused Russian troops of preventing firefighters from combating a number of fires in the area.

"In the context of nuclear safety, the irresponsible and unprofessional actions of Russian servicemen present a very serious threat not only to Ukraine but to hundreds of millions of Europeans," she said.

The BBC was not able to independently verify these claims.

Russian forces have reportedly left a town they seized just outside the nuclear plant Chernobyl after protests from residents.

According to a Reuters report, Mayor Yuri Fomichev said in an online video post on Monday that troops had completed the work "they had set out to do" and had left the town of Slavutych.

Russian forces had on Saturday took control of Slavutych and briefly detained the mayor.

But their occupation was protested by hundreds of local Ukrainians who took to the streets bearing flags, and he was later released.

Slavutych is home mainly to the workers needed to maintain the now-offline Chernobyl nuclear plant - site of the 1986 nuclear disaster.

Image source, Getty Images

The war in Ukraine has caused more than $63 billion (£47.8bn) in damage to infrastructure, according to a new estimate from the Kyiv School of Economics.

According to the estimate - which calculated the economic impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine through 24 March - at least 4,431 residential buildings have been damaged, destroyed, or seized, along with 92 factories and warehouses and 378 schools.

Additionally, 12 airports have been destroyed, damaged, or captured, as well as seven thermal or hydroelectric powerplants.

The estimate notes that since the school's previous estimate was published on 17 March, a total of $3.5bn worth of damage has been sustained.

Image source, Reuters

Here are the latest developments:

Zelensky insists on sovereignty: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his priorities are sovereignty and territorial integrity at the next round of peace talks with Russia. Face-to-face negotiations are due to take place in Turkey this week. He earlier said he's willing to discuss Ukraine adopting a neutral status - a major point of contention with Russia.

Biden denies calling for regime change: "No" - that's what US President Joe Biden said to reporters when asked if he was calling for regime change in Russia. On Saturday, in a speech in Poland's capital Warsaw he said Putin "cannot remain in power”. Since then the Biden administration has been downplaying the off-the-cuff remarks, saying Biden meant Putin shouldn't wield power over neighbours.

Ukraine claims Russia's withdrawing some troops: Russia has suffered heavy losses in the Kyiv region and has been forced to withdraw forces, the General Staff of Ukraine's military says. He said two battalion tactical groups of the Russian army have been withdrawn into neighbouring Belarus, which is an ally of Russia.

Oscars show of support: Hollywood stars have got behind Ukraine on the Oscar awards red carpet. Several celebrities tributes and a moment's silence was held to show support for the people of Ukraine.

With that, this is Thomas Poole in London signing off, handing over to my colleagues Yvette Tan and Frances Mao in Singapore.

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Russia has been forced to withdraw forces from the Kyiv region after suffering heavy losses, the General Staff of Ukraine's military says.

In an update on the fighting, the General Staff said that two battalion tactical groups of the Russian army were withdrawn into Belarus, which it said is typical of units that have suffered "significant losses".

Additionally, the update noted that there is a "significant decrease in the intensity" of units moving from Russia into Ukraine.

In another recent assessment, the UK's Ministry of Defence said Russia had effectively cut off Ukraine from international maritime trade through a naval blockade of the Black Sea coast.

Last week Russia said it planned to refocus its invasion on the east, although since then reports of strikes in major cities have continued.

Image source, Reuters

Tens of thousands of civilians are trapped in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, where they've been left without gas, running water, or electricity after a month of heavy fighting.

Chernihiv, located on the banks of the Desna River, was among the first Ukrainian cities to be attacked by Russian troops who crossed over from Belarus in an effort to reach Kyiv.

A month on, the city has yet to fall - but is effectively cut off from the rest of the country.

"There is no safe way out," Chernihiv state governor Vladyslav Chaus told the BBC.

Demonstrations took place across the world on Sunday, with protesters calling for an end to war in Ukraine.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Ukrainian doctors have reported a dramatic spike in the number of premature births as the country's war with Russia grinds on into its second month.

Prenatal clinics in the frontline city of Kharkiv and in Lviv, in Ukraine's west, told the BBC that they've seen the rate of preterm births double or triple in the past few weeks.

The risk of premature birth rises due to infections, a lack of medical attention, and poor nutrition.

One such baby, Polina, was born in a Kharkiv clinic weighing just 630g (1.4lbs) - a fifth of the average weight of a full-term baby girl.

Read more about the plight of Ukraine's premature babies and their families here.

Image source, EPA

"No" - that's what US President Joe Biden said to reporters when asked if he was calling for regime change in Russia.

On Saturday, in a speech in Poland's capital Warsaw he said Putin "cannot remain in power”.

Since then the Biden administration has been downplaying the off-the-cuff remarks, saying Biden meant Putin shouldn't wield power over neighbours.

The Kremlin also responded, saying "that's not for Biden to decide - the president of Russia is elected by Russians".

The comments caused some concern among US allies, with French President Emmanuel Macron warning a verbal escalation could prevent efforts to broker a ceasefire.

Image source, Getty Images

A number of celebrities wore tributes to Ukraine at the Oscars, which is under way in Los Angeles.

One actor, Sean Penn, said he would smelt his Oscar awards if the Academy doesn't let Ukraine's President Zelensky speak, although it is not clear whether he will actually do so.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images