Paul Adams
Reporting from Zaporizhzhia

Olha Chobotariova lives very close to the scene of this morning's attack and described the fear of her children when the missiles struck.

Another eyewitness, Alla Yermarchenko, has elderly relatives in a building that was hit.

The Zaporizhzhia governor has urged residents of the region's capital city to stay in shelters - posting on Telegram to announce "another enemy missile attack".

Oleksandr Starukh earlier warned of the possibility of repeat strikes following blasts before dawn which he says killed at least two people.

Paul Adams
Reporting from Zaporizhzhia

Three more loud explosions were just heard in Zaporizhzhia a few minutes ago.

Smoke is rising from new locations in the centre of the city.

The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has published its regular intelligence update.

Today, it focuses on the Ukrainian army's progress in its offensive in the region of Kherson: "Advancing south, Ukrainian units have pushed the front line forwards by up to an additional 20km [12 miles]... but not yet threatening the Russian defensive position."

However, the update says "Russian forces have typically broken contact and withdrawn". They now face a "dilemma": whether to withdraw troops from across the Dnipro river to defend the rest of Kherson region, or to remain and defend the area.

The MoD adds that Russia has committed the majority of its "severely undermanned airborne forces" to the defence of Kherson and now has few deployable forces available. The likelihood is it will deploy mobilised reservists soon.

Image source, .

Let's take a wider look at the conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed yesterday to "stabilise" the situation in four Ukrainian regions he's illegally annexed.

Putin announced the "incorporation" of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson following so-styled referendums last month, which were not recognised internationally.

Moscow does not control all the territory in these four regions and has lost ground in certain areas - vowing to take back any territory it loses.

Ukrainian forces are making gains in both the south and the east.

Serhiy Haidai, the regional governor of Luhansk, told the BBC yesterday that six villages in the region had been recaptured, and President Zelensky later said his forces had taken back three more villages in the Kherson region.

The Ukrainian counter-offensive has also seen the strategic town Lyman recaptured.

Image source, .

Two people have been killed in missile attacks early this morning in Ukraine's southern city of Zaporizhzhia, the regional governor says.

"One woman died. Another died in an ambulance," writes Oleksandr Starukh on the Telegram messaging app.

"At least 5 people are under the rubble of buildings. Many people were saved. Among them is a three-year-old girl, the child is fostered. A rescue operation is underway at the scene."

Starukh earlier wrote that the missiles hit residential buildings before dawn, causing fires and "significant destruction".

He urges people to show "maximum caution", saying there is a "high probability of repeated missile attacks".

Russia has been blamed - but is yet to comment.

Paul Adams
Reporting from Zaporizhzhia

Zaporizhzhia was rocked by a series of huge explosions an hour or so before dawn.

Here, on a broad avenue in the middle of the city, rescue workers are combing through the shattered remains of an elegant five-storey apartment building.

Plumes of smoke are rising into the early morning sky. Glass and rubble are strewn across the street. Shops opposite are wrecked.

The local authorities say seven Russian missiles hit residential buildings and that people are under the rubble. There’s no word yet on casualties.

Nearby, we found firemen putting out flames in the smouldering remains of house on a small, quiet street. Neighbours said one woman had died on her way to hospital.

These attacks come at a time when the Ukrainian army has made dramatic progress on two fronts, in the east and south. But scenes like this in Zaporizhzhia serve as another stark reminder of Russia’s ability to hit back indiscriminately.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Good morning, and thanks for joining us as we bring you the latest developments in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Here's a quick look at what's been happening:

• Multiple pre-dawn explosions were heard in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, with the regional governor accusing Russia of attacking residential buildings with rockets
• A rescue effort is under way there following reports of fires and significant destruction, although there's no word yet on casualties. Russia itself has not yet commented
• The strike comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed that the situation in four regions illegally annexed by Russia would be "stabilised"
• For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his country's counter-offensive is gaining ground; in his nightly address, he trumpeted three new villages seized back from Russian forces
• On Wednesday, the European Union (EU) agreed another round of sanctions against Russia - the bloc's eighth - including more restrictions on trade
• A new European "club of nations" - including countries from outside the EU such as the UK - is due to meet in Prague later today
• Some of the world's top oil-producing countries have agreed to cut the amount they export in a decision expected to raise petrol prices around the world. Members of Opec+ - a group that includes Saudi Arabia and Russia - said they would slash production by two million barrels per day

Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates throughout the day.

We are now pausing our live coverage of the war in Ukraine for today - thank you for following along with us.

Here are all the latest developments:

• Russia's President Vladimir Putin has said he expects the situation to "stabilise" in Ukrainian regions annexed by the Kremlin, after Moscow suffered military setbacks and lost several key towns to Kyiv
• Earlier, his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov pledged that Moscow would regain control of the towns, telling the BBC that they will be "with Russia forever"
• But Ukrainian troops have reclaimed six villages since Tuesday in Luhansk, an area previously entirely under Russian control, the region's head has told the BBC
• Meanwhile, the EU has agreed another round of sanctions against Russia, the bloc’s eighth, including further limits on trade with Russia
• Elsewhere, Opec+ members - a group of the largest oil producers including Russia - have announced they will slash oil production by two million barrels a day
• US President Joe Biden says he is "disappointed" by the move, a senior White House official has said.
• And the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, says he is on his way to Kyiv to discuss the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
• Putin signed a decree transferring it to Russian control, which Ukraine's nuclear agency dismissed as "void".

Today's coverage was brought to you by Matt Murphy, Jasmine Andersson, Emily McGarvey and Laura Gozzi. It was edited by Patrick Jackson, Thom Poole, Heather Sharp and Chris Giles.

The world's major oil exporters have agreed to cut production by two million barrels a day.

Members of oil producers' group Opec+ - which includes Russia - are taking the action to help boost oil prices.

The cost of oil has dropped back since June, when concerns over Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent it soaring.

Image source, .

Opec+ is a group of 23 oil-exporting countries, which meets regularly to decide how much crude oil to sell on the world market.

Opec nations produce around 30% of the world's crude oil, external, with Saudi Arabia being the biggest single oil producer.

At its first face-to-face meeting in Vienna since March 2020, Opec+ members agreed to cut production from August 2022 levels by two million barrels per day to less than 42 million barrels.

The cut, which will take effect from November, represents around 2% percent of the global oil supply and is larger than expected.

It is the biggest reduction by Opec+ since 2020, when it cut production by more than nine million barrels per day in response to the pandemic.

Read the full story here.

Image source, Getty Images

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree transferring the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine into Russian control.

The site - Europe's largest - has been occupied by Russian troops since the early days of the war but it's still run by Ukrainian technicians.

The head of Kyiv's energy regulators has urged workers not to sign any documents with its Russian occupiers.

Ukrainian state nuclear agency Energoatom slammed the decree, calling it "void, absurd and inadequate".

The move marks the first part of Putin's plans to restore "stability" to the illegally annexed province, where Russian forces have been gradually losing ground to Ukrainian forces.

Meanwhile, the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, said it had learned of plans to restart one reactor at the plant. All six reactors at the site have been offline for weeks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had "co-ordinated further steps on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine" during phone call with Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg today.

In a tweet, external, Zelensky said: "I'm in constant contact with our strategic partners. Had a phone call with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg."

Meanwhile, Stoltenberg said that Nato will "sustain and step up support for Ukraine for as long as it takes".

He tweeted, external: "Spoke with President Zelensky and praised the brave Ukrainian people and forces for the impressive progress in regaining their territory from Russian aggressors.

"Russia must stop the war it has started."

Rob Cameron
BBC Prague Correspondent

Police in the Czech capital Prague are investigating after an unknown vandal daubed the walls of the Ukrainian embassy with red paint.

Pictures posted on social media showed a worker cleaning the walls, steps and fence of the building. Officers are examining CCTV footage of the vandalism, which is said to have taken place at around 03:00 local time (01:00 GMT).

The building is located in Prague’s leafy Bubenec district, a quiet area home to many foreign embassies and residences.

Expressions of anti-Ukrainian sentiment are rare in this country, which is broadly supportive of Kyiv’s war effort and has taken in 400,000 Ukrainian refugees.

However, they have been heard recently at a number of anti-government demonstrations, organised by far-right, far-left and pro-Russia groups.

Sameer Hashmi
Middle East Business Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The latest decision by Opec+ is not just significant for oil markets, but for geopolitics as well.

The fact that the Saudi-led cartel has taken this decision just three months after President Joe Biden's controversial trip to Saudi Arabia to is a huge blow for the White House. The US president went their to try and convince the kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, to pump more barrels to cool down prices.

The move not only carries the risk of pushing up oil prices but will also damage efforts by the West to restrict the Russian oil income used to sustain its war in Ukraine.

Many countries will see this as a clear indication of major oil producers, especially Saudi Arabia, siding with Russia in the name of protective oil market management.

It appears that the decision had support from across the group as the Opec+ energy ministers approved the proposal in a meeting that lasted just 30 minutes.

As far as oil markets go, even though this is a substantial reduction, the actual impact on global supplies on the ground would be smaller because several members of Opec+ are already pumping far below their official quotas.

But that may not be enough to calm the oil markets in the coming days.

You can read more here about the the biggest cut in production by Opec+ since the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Today, President Putin signed a decree exempting several categories of students from mobilisation.

Speaking at a virtual meeting with teachers, Putin said the exemption related to first-time students who were studying in full-time and part-time education in accredited institutions, as well as certain types of postgraduate students, such as those in the field of science.

Hundreds of thousands of Russians have left the country since the Kremlin announced the start of "partial mobilisation", two weeks ago, sparking fears of a "brain drain".

Image source, EPA

A few days ago, Russia withdrew its troops from the strategic town of Lyman in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. The move is being seen as a significant setback for its campaign in the east.

The retreat took place amid fears thousands of soldiers would be encircled in the town, Russia's defence ministry said at the time.

Here are some photos from today, showing the picture on the ground:

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Paul Adams
BBC Diplomatic correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Ukrainian forces, buoyed by recent success, are pressing on, celebrating as they go.

In the south, Ukrainian troops have been raising their blue and yellow flag during a lightning advance since the weekend.

And in the north-east, the head of Ukraine’s Luhansk region told the BBC six villages had been recaptured since yesterday.

For President Zelensky, addressing his people, it's another chance to trumpet his military’s performance, in several areas.

Russia says all lost ground will be retaken. Speaking to teachers during a video call from the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin said the situation would stabilise.

But the chairman of the defence committee of the lower house of parliament told state-run media that Russia needed to stop lying about what’s going on on the battlefield. "Our people are not stupid," he said.

Russia continues to hit back where it can.

Here in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian air defences intercepted a ballistic missile this morning. And in the town of Bila Tserkva, southwest of Kyiv, Iranian-made explosive drones were used to attack what local sources said was a military facility, leaving buildings ablaze and injuring one person.

Russia has used these so-called kamikaze drones before, but never so deep inside Ukraine.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

US President Joe Biden says he is "disappointed" by a move from oil exporting nations to slash production, a senior White House official has said.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the move by Opec+ was a "short-sighted decision" that would hit countries "already reeling" from spiralling inflation.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US had "made its views clear" to the group's members.

Meanwhile, several senior senators said the move showed the US must work towards achieving energy independence. Republican Bill Cassidy said Biden's failure to increase US energy production had left the country "desperately vulnerable" to Opec's move.

Before the cut was confirmed, Senator Chris Murphy, a close ally of Biden's, said the expected decision showed it was time for a "wholesale re-revaluation of the US alliance with Saudi Arabia". The country is a leading member of the group of oil-exporting countries.

Image source, Getty Images

If you are just joining us, here's what's been happening in the war in Ukraine today:

Putin responds to setbacks: Russia's President Vladimir Putin has said he expects the situation to "stabilise" in Ukrainian regions annexed by the Kremlin after Moscow suffered military setbacks and lost several key towns to Kyiv.

Ukraine advances in Luhansk: Ukrainian troops have reclaimed six villages in Luhansk since Tuesday, an area previously entirely under Russian control, the region's head has told the BBC. Our correspondent in Kyiv, Hugo Bachega, says they are "small but very symbolic gains".

Oil producers slash output: Opec+ members - a group of the largest oil producers including Russia - have announced they will slash oil production by two million barrels a day, pushing up prices and boosting Russia's revenue. The US says it is disappointed by the decision.

More EU sanctions: The EU has agreed another round of sanctions against Russia, the bloc’s eighth, including further limits on trade with Russia. Our Brussels correspondent, Jessica Parker, says some EU members are already pushing for firmer measures.

Image source, Reuters

It's been all smiles at Uefa's headquarters today as Ukraine joins Spain and Portugal in a bid to host the 2030 Fifa World Cup.

Representatives of the Spanish, Portuguese and Ukrainian football associations confirmed their plans in a press conference in Switzerland earlier today.

It won't be the only multi-host ticket on the ballot, with Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay also vying to host the tournament.