Image source, Getty Images

Almost 13 million people are believed to have fled their homes in Ukraine since Russia invaded on 24 February, according to the United Nations.

More than six million people have left for neighbouring countries and at least another 6.5 million people are thought to be displaced inside the war-torn country itself.

Where are Ukraine's refugees going?

The UN says that as of 17 May, external, 6.3 million people have left Ukraine:

• Poland has taken in 3,396,792 refugees
• Romania 930,341
• Russia 863,086
• Hungary 615,256
• Moldova 465,435
• Slovakia 426,605
• Belarus 27,308

Read more.

Image source, Reuters

The UN has recorded 3,778 civilian deaths in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on 24 February - at least 251 of them children - according to its latest update, external.

A further 4,186 were recorded as being injured, mainly as a result of shelling and missile strikes.

However, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said the actual death and injury toll was likely to be considerably higher because of the difficulties of counting casualties in a war zone.

In territory controlled by Russian-affiliated groups, 124 civilians have been killed and 492 injured, according to the UN.

Image source, Russian Defence Ministry/REU

Here's a recap of the main developments in the Ukraine war today:

• Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed decrees to extend martial law and the mobilisation of troops for another 90 days. The proposals, starting from 25 May, need to be approved by at least half of Ukrainian lawmakers

• Progress on Finland and Sweden's Nato membership bids will only be possible if concrete steps are taken to address Turkey's national security concerns, a spokesman for the country's president says
• The EU says it plans to spend up to €300bn to end its reliance on Russian gas and oil imports by 2027. The bloc, which gets 40% of its gas from Russia, has said it will source energy supplies from other countries and boost renewables
• Talks around the evacuation of Ukrainian troops from the Azovstal steelworks have been described as "very difficult" by an adviser to Ukraine's presidency. Mykhaylo Podolyak said negotiations were challenging "because people's lives are at stake" and because the defenders were "symbolic" in a negative way for Russia
• Since Monday, nearly 1,000 Ukrainian fighters have left the steelworks - the last Ukrainian stronghold in Mariupol - and have been taken to Russian-controlled territory, Russia's defence ministry said
• A Russian soldier accused of shooting dead a civilian has pleaded guilty in Ukraine's first war crimes trial in Kyiv

At least 10 civilians, including two children, were killed by Russian forces in the Donetsk region on Wednesday, the regional governor said in a post on Telegram.

Pavlo Kyrylenko said a further seven people had been injured but did not give further details.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify these claims.

Donetsk is in the eastern Donbas region where the Russian forces are currently focusing their efforts.

Part of the region has been controlled by Russia-backed separatists since 2014.

Image source, .

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, Turkey is opposing Sweden and Finland joining Nato.

The two countries' decision to apply was prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has been welcomed by other members of the military alliance.

But what is Nato?

Nato, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was formed in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and France, with the aim of countering Russian expansion in Europe after World War Two.

Members agree to come to one another's aid if they come under armed attack.

Read more here.

Progress on Finland and Sweden's Nato membership bids will only be possible if concrete steps are taken to address Turkey's national security concerns, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman has said.

Ibrahim Kalin, who is Erdogan's chief foreign policy adviser, held calls on Wednesday with counterparts from Sweden, Finland, Germany, the UK and the United States to discuss the proposed NATO enlargement, according to a readout from Erdogan's office, reported on by Reuters.

"It was underlined that if Turkey's expectations were not met, the progress of the process would not be possible," it said.

Also on Wednesday, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York to discuss Turkey's objections.

After the meeting Cavusoglu said Blinken had assured him the necessary messages regarding Turkey's security concerns over Sweden and Finland's membership would be passed on.

Turkey accuses the two Nordic nations of harbouring members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group it views as a terrorist organisation, and followers of Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara accuses of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt.

Without the support of all Nato members, Sweden and Finland cannot join the military alliance.

Image source, Reuters

The US embassy has reopened in Kyiv, three months after it closed ten days before the Russian invasion began.

"The Ukrainian people, with our security assistance, have defended their homeland in the face of Russia’s unconscionable invasion, and, as a result, the Stars and Stripes are flying over the Embassy once again," said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, in a statement on Wednesday.

Last month, the US pledged to re-establish its diplomatic presence in Ukraine, following a visit to the country by Secretary Blinken where he met President Zelensky.

It follows similar moves to reopen embassies by the UK and other European allies, with British ambassador Melinda Simmons returning at the end of April.

Image source, Reuters

As we reported earlier, a Russian soldier accused of shooting a civilian has pleaded guilty in Ukraine's first war crimes trial.

But could Russian President Vladimir Putin ever see the inside of a court room himself?

It's far easier to pin a war crime on the soldier who commits it than the leader who ordered it.

This is why experts say it is important to establish the "chain of command" for any future trials - including whether a leader authorised an atrocity or turned a blind eye to it.

Here our legal correspondent Dominic Casciani explains what a war crime is and how prosecutions could work.

Image source, Reuters

As we've just reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is proposing to extend martial law in the country - but what does that involve?

In Ukraine, it gives the military leadership the power to intervene in areas of civilian life - for example by introducing curfews, prohibiting travel and conducting searches of civilians' homes and vehicles.

It also suspends a raft of rights that civilians have in peacetime, including:

• The inviolability of private homes
• The right to private correspondence and phone conversations
• The right to freedom of movement, including to leave Ukraine
• The right to hold peaceful meetings, rallies, marches and demonstrations
• The rights to work, carry out entrepreneurial activity and to go on strike
• The right to education

Under martial law since the invasion, curfews have been imposed at various times in cities around the country.

Men aged between 18 and 60 have been banned from leaving the country, although there are some exceptions, such as fathers of more than three children.

Image source, EPA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed decrees to extend martial law and mobilisation for another 90 days in the country, starting from 25 May.

The documents have been submitted to the Ukrainian parliament and must be approved by at least half of the lawmakers.

Martial law was implemented in the country on 24 February, the day Russia invaded. The initial period of 30 days has been extended twice so far.

Zelensky's first decree on mobilisation was for 90 days and applied to all regions of the country.

Last week, Ukraine's defence minister said he hoped to arm a million fighters as the country prepared for a "new, long phase of war".

Image source, Reuters

Russian troops are increasingly refusing to take part in combat in Ukraine, the Ukrainian defence ministry's main intelligence directorate says.

In a post on the Telegram messenging service, it says several units of the 70th Guards Motorised Regiment have openly refused to take part in the war and demanded that they be returned to the areas where they are normally deployed.

Unit commanders are making every effort to hide the cases of disobedience, the directorate says, with the most un-cooperative servicemen "sent to the most dangerous area of the front-line in the hope that they would be killed quickly", the post claims.

The agency says the Russian Federal Security Service has decided to infiltrate the regiment's units with "agents and informants".

The BBC is not able to verify this information independently.

Your Questions Answeredpublished at 18:12 British Summer Time 18 May 2022

18:12 BST 18 May 2022

What do you want to know about the war in Ukraine?

BBC News will be taking your questions on the war in Ukraine, this Thursday at 12:30 BST (11:30 GMT) live on BBC News and BBC World.

There will be guests able to answer all aspects of the war - from whether Ukraine really could now win it, to Nato expansion - and what Moscow might do next. They will be speaking to a range of experts and also hearing from young Ukrainians living in Lviv, a western city close to the border with Poland.

This is your chance to ask anything, so send in any questions you have and they'll try to answer as many as they can.

You can get in touch in the following ways:

• Email YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk, external
• Whatsapp: +44 7756 165803
• Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay, external
• Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

In some cases a selection of your comments and questions will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published.

Image source, .

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Reuters

The evacuation of the defenders of Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol continues but ongoing talks around the soldiers' release are "very difficult", an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency has said.

"The negotiations are very difficult because people's lives are at stake," Mykhaylo Podolyak, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, told Ukraine's Radio NV.

"You see, Azovstal, Mariupol and the Azov regiment - all Mariupol defenders are very symbolic, and for Russia as well, in a negative respect," he added.

Podolyak, one of Ukraine's peace negotiators, also urged people commenting about the evacuations to tread carefully, saying statements in the Russian press were "very aggressive... so let us treat this carefully".

He mentioned "influential middlemen" in the talks on the Azovstal evacuation but did not name them.

"We will be able to tell you after the operation ends," he promised.

Since Monday, nearly 1,000 Ukrainian fighters have left the steelworks - the last Ukrainian stronghold in Mariupol - and have been taken to Russian-controlled territory, Russia's defence ministry said.

James Waterhouse
Reporting from Borodyanka

"On 26 February, we were chatting at the police station, and then we heard a loud boom," recalls Ivan Simoroz.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine was two days old and had quickly targeted towns in the Kyiv region as they looked to close in on the capital.

"The ground was shaking, I started calling each of my relatives, my wife, brother, mother, father, grandma - they were all out of reach.

"I realised something bad had happened."

Six members of Ivan's family had been killed.

Read his full story here.

President Biden says the United States will work with Finland and Sweden in event of any outside "aggression" which could threaten national security while their Nato membership is under review.

The US president reiterated his support for Sweden and Finland's bid to join Nato, saying it would "further strengthen our defence cooperation" and benefit the entire alliance.

The US is the latest country to offer support to the two countries in the event of any aggression, with several others offering similar assurances.

Last week the UK agreed a mutual security pact with both Nordic nations, ahead of their decision to apply for Nato membership - a decision which has been taken in the light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

You can find out more about Nato and how the application process works here.

Image source, .

Rob Cameron
BBC Prague Correspondent

Image source, Reuters

The Czech government has approved a programme to help citizens of Russia and Belarus who have fled persecution in their home countries.

The programme, called Civil Society, will make it easier for the Czech authorities to grant visas to Russians and Belarussians if they can show they face persecution for opposing undemocratic regimes at home.

Independent journalists and academics were likely to be among those who could take advantage of the programme, foreign minister Jan Lipavsky said.

Belarussian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya recently appealed to the Czech authorities on a trip to Prague to provide protection for activists forced to flee Belarus.

Image source, Reuters

Another pro-Kremlin voice has admitted to "difficulties" in the war with Ukraine, which Russia calls a 'special military operation'.

But Rashid Nurgaliyev, a deputy secretary of Vladimir Putin's Security Council, insisted Russia would achieve its objectives - including the "denazification of Ukraine".

It follows remarks by a retired colonel and military analyst on primetime Russian TV earlier this week, in which Mikhail Khodarenok warned "the situation [for Russia] will clearly get worse".

"We are in total political isolation and the whole world is against us, even if we don't want to admit it," said Khodarenok, while appearing on flagship talk show 60 Minutes.

Russia's Security Council is today holding a meeting with nearly 100 foreign ambassadors to discuss the threats posed by "closed laboratories" and "neo-Nazism".

Nurgaliyev told the gathered ambassadors: "In spite of all the existing difficulties, the special military operation will be completed - while its objectives, including the ones to do with the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine, [and] defence of the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic will be carried out in full."

His remarks were reported by Russia's Interfax news agency.

BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg has suggested the Kremlin may be preparing the Russian public for negative news on the progress of the invasion.

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining us or need a recap, here are the latest developments on the war in Ukraine:

• The European Commission has unveiled a €300bn plan to reduce Europe's reliance on Russian fossil fuels and boost the transition to green energy. Russia currently supplies 40% of EU gas and 27% of its imported oil
• A Russian soldier accused of shooting dead a civilian has pleaded guilty in Ukraine's first war crimes trial. Vadim Shishimarin, 21, admitted shooting a 62-year-old man a few days after the invasion began. He faces life in jail

• Russia says 694 Ukrainian fighters at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol have surrendered in the past 24 hours, bringing the total who have left the plant since Monday to almost 1,000. Ukraine is calling for a prisoner swap for the evacuated defenders, but their fate is currently uncertain
• The number of bodies of civilians found in the Kyiv region since the start of Russia's invasion has reached 1,288, the area's police chief says. It was just over 1,000 in late April
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says negotiations with Ukraine are "really not progressing"

Russia's defence ministry has released footage of what it says are some of the wounded Ukrainian soldiers who have been evacuated from the Azovstal complex in Mariupol since Monday.

The video shows tired-looking men lying on beds in a hospital ward, wrapped in blankets, with many staring straight ahead.

If they are soldiers who were defending the steelworks then they are now in the hands of the army that has bombarded them for weeks.

Some tell the film crew they are being taken care of by doctors, who have given them medication and changed their bandages.

One man says the Russians' attitude is normal and he is not being subjected to physical or psychological abuse.

It is not clear if the men are speaking freely.

Russia says nearly 1,000 fighters have so far surrendered and been taken to territory it controls.

There are increasing fears for their safety, since Moscow has said many will be investigated, with some MPs insisting they must not be exchanged for Russian prisoners.

Image source, Russia Defence Ministry

Image source, .

Earlier we told you about EU plans to help move the bloc away from dependence on Russian gas and oil supplies.

On Wednesday, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced a three-pronged approach to replacing Russian fossil fuels in the EU:

• Switching to supplies from other countries
• Faster rollout of renewable energy
• More effort to conserve energy

She said the EU would fund a €210bn plan - in grants and loans - to end EU reliance on Russian gas and oil by 2027.

Von der Leyen said the costs were expected to rise to €300bn by 2030, and would come on top of funding already needed to meet the EU's 2030 climate target.

But she said, ultimately, the extra investment would slash Europe's fossil fuel import bill, as well as providing a catalyst for the proliferation of green energy in the bloc.

Russia currently supplies 40% of EU gas and 27% of its imported oil.