Russia-Ukraine live news: 1m refugees flee war, ICC opens probe

• Russian troops have seized control of Kherson, in Ukraine’s south.
• Several other cities, including the capital, Kyiv, northeastern Kharkiv and Mariupol, in the southeast, continue to be attacked.
• The United Nations says more than one million people have fled Ukraine amid Russia’s assault.
• Western intelligence agencies claim a miles-long Russian military convoy near Kyiv has “stalled”.
• The International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened an investigation into potential war crimes by Russia.

Here are all the latest updates:

4 mins ago (08:52 GMT)

Why is Kherson important?

The capture of Kherson, strategically located at the mouth of the Dnieper River’s exit into the Black Sea, would be the first significant urban centre to fall since Moscow launched its invasion on February 24.

Control of the city, which is home to about 300,000 people, is important because it could allow Moscow to mass troops there and use it as a launching post to push its forces further inland.

24 mins ago (08:32 GMT)

China says more than 3,000 of its citizens have left Ukraine

More than 3,000 Chinese citizens have been safely relocated from Ukraine to neighbouring countries amid Russia’s offensive, the country’s foreign ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, has told a daily news briefing.

Unlike many countries, China did not tell its roughly 6,000 citizens in Ukraine to leave the country in the days leading up to Moscow’s incursion. Instead, Beijing announced evacuation plans soon after the assault had begun.

46 mins ago (08:10 GMT)

Scramble to exit Kyiv becoming ‘ever more desperate’: AJE correspondent

Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, reporting from the city of Lviv, in western Ukraine, says Western intelligence reports suggest Russia’s enormous military convoy near Kyiv has “stalled”.

“Nevertheless it is still there, its progress will no doubt continue and the people in Kyiv will be very aware that it is coming as the scramble to get out of the city becomes ever more desperate,” Hull said.

Elsewhere in the country, he added, Kharkiv had been under continued bombardment overnight and Kherson had “conclusively fallen” under the control of Russian forces.

“And, of course, the other major flashpoint now is Mariupol, to the east of Kherson … which is encircled and has endured appalling, constant hours of bombardment,” Hull said.

“The deputy mayor there is talking about a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding, he said the Russians are using artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, air strikes and tactical rocket attacks on the city,” he added.

“The city is said to be cut off from heat, electricity and mobile and internet connectivity, so its really increasingly difficult to know what exactly is going on [there].”

1 hour ago (07:55 GMT)

UK says Russian convoy ‘delayed by staunch resistance’

The miles-long Russian military convoy north of Kyiv remains more than 30km (18 miles) from the capital as a result of it having been delayed by “staunch Ukrainian resistance” and logistical issues, the United Kingdom’s defence ministry says.

“The column has made little discernible progress in over three days,” the ministry said in an intelligence update.

It added that the cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol remain in Ukrainian control, despite intense Russian shelling.

The ministry also said the situation in Kherson remained “unclear”, but confirmed some Russian forces had entered the city.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 03 March 2022

Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/94E5eEDqiw

???????? #StandWithUkraine ???????? pic.twitter.com/XFTUykMhQx

— Ministry of Defence ???????? (@DefenceHQ) March 3, 2022

1 hour ago (07:48 GMT)

Multiple explosions rock the capital

At least four major blasts were heard in Kyiv in the early hours of this morning, with footage shared on social media showing the night sky lit up by explosions.

It remains unclear what the targets were, or whether anyone was hurt or wounded amid the incidents.

They came after an earlier explosion near Kyiv’s central train station, which a Ukrainian official said was caused by falling wreckage from a Russian missile that was downed by the country’s air defences.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said there were no casualties as a result of that incident.

1 hour ago (07:40 GMT)

Russian radio station Echo of Moscow dissolved

Echo of Moscow, one of a handful of critical news outlets remaining in Russia, has been dissolved by its board, according to the station’s editor.

The move came shortly after the prosecutor general’s office demanded that access to the station and the TV Rain online news channel be restricted because of their coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Read more on the Kremlin’s intense squeeze on domestic reporting of its war here.

1 hour ago (07:31 GMT)

IPC bans Russian and Belarus athletes from Winter Paralympics

Russian and Belarusian athletes are banned from competing in the Winter Paralympics in Beijing, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced in an apparent U-turn after the body earlier said they would be permitted to participate as neutrals.

“In order to preserve the integrity of these Games and the safety of all participants, we have decided to refuse the athlete entries from RPC and NPC Belarus,” the IPC said in a statement.

The move came after the IPC on Monday said Russian and Belarusian athletes would be allowed to compete in the games as neutrals, under the Paralympic flag, but would not be included in the medal table.

The IPC Governing Board has decided to refuse the athlete entries from the RPC and NPC Belarus for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. https://t.co/8rE0szi8YE

— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) March 3, 2022

2 hours ago (07:21 GMT)

Hungary will not veto EU sanctions on Russia

Hungary will not veto European Union sanctions against Russia, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said, describing the unity of the 27-member bloc is paramount amid the war in Ukraine.

In an interview with news website mandiner.hu, Orban said that Hungary’s ties with Russia had been “balanced and fair” until the very recent past, but the conflict has created a new situation.

He added that Budapest condemns the Kremlin’s decision to invade unequivocally. However, he said there was no reason to cut energy ties with Moscow.

2 hours ago (06:52 GMT)

UAE says Ukrainians eligible for visas on arrival, in apparent about-face

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) says Ukrainian nationals are eligible for visas on arrival in the Gulf Arab state, in an apparent reversal of a decision to suspend visa waivers to them amid war in their country.

Kyiv’s embassy in the UAE had previously said that Emirati authorities had temporarily suspended the waivers as of Tuesday.

“Concerning reports on the issuance of advance visas to Ukrainian nationals to enter the UAE, HE Faisal Lutfi, Assistant Undersecretary for Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has announced that Ukrainian nationals continue to be eligible for visa on arrival to the UAE,” the Emirati foreign ministry said in a statement.

2 hours ago (06:42 GMT)

Pro-Russian separatists threaten Mariupol with strikes

Eduard Basurin, a pro-Russian separatist commander in Donetsk, is threatening to launch targeted strikes on the port city of Mariupol unless Ukrainian forces there surrender, according to the Interfax news agency.

Russia and separatists say they have encircled the city of 430,000 located on the Azov Sea coast.

2 hours ago (06:29 GMT)

Bangladeshi sailor killed in attack on port city

A Bangladeshi sailor has been killed in a “rocket or bomb” attack on his vessel in the Black Sea port of Olvia, according to Bangladesh’s state shipping company.

The Banglar Samriddhi, a bulk carrier, arrived in Ukraine a day before Russia invaded, and has since been unable to leave. It was hit on Tuesday.

The ship’s remaining 28 crew members – all Bangladeshis – remain safe, an official at the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation told AFP news agency.

3 hours ago (06:15 GMT)

Wounded Russian troops arriving in Belarus: AP

The Associated Press, citing doctors and residents, said Russian soldiers wounded in fighting around Kyiv are being ferried to a Belarus hospital near the Ukraine border.

The agency said a string of seven bus-size Russian military ambulances – their windows blocked with gray shades – pulled up to the back entrance of the hospital in Belarus’s Gomel region on Tuesday evening.

4 hours ago (04:38 GMT)

Putin, Modi discuss plight of Indian students in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held talks with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the urgent evacuation of Indian students trapped in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

During their video call, Putin said he had ordered Russian soldiers “to ensure the safe exit of Indian nationals from the armed conflict zone and their return to their homeland”, according to a Kremlin statement.

Read more here.

5 hours ago (03:58 GMT)

US says Russia blocks independent news outlets

The United States has accused Russia of launching a “full war on media freedom and the truth” by blocking independent news outlets and preventing Russians from hearing news of the invasion of Ukraine.

“Russia’s government is also throttling Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram platforms that tens of millions of Russia’s citizens rely on to access independent information and opinions,” the Department of State said in a statement.

6 hours ago (02:47 GMT)

Russian attacks hit schools, cathedral in Kharkiv

Russian military attacks hit three schools and a cathedral in the northeastern town of Kharkiv, local media reported, adding that several shops near the city council building were also damaged.

In Okhtyrka, dozens of “residential buildings” were destroyed as a result of artillery blasts, the reports said.

No injuries have been reported.

6 hours ago (02:30 GMT)

Amazon CEO pledges support for Ukraine

Amazon.com Inc is using its logistics capability to get supplies to those in need and cybersecurity expertise to help governments and companies as part of its support for Ukraine, Chief Executive Andy Jassy has said.

“Amazon stands with the people of Ukraine, and will continue to help,” Jassy said on Twitter. Amazon, which earlier this week pledged to donate up to $10m for humanitarian efforts, is the latest company to offer aid.

The situation in Ukraine is deeply concerning, and gets more so each day. Amazon stands with the people of Ukraine, and will continue to help. (1/2)

— Andy Jassy (@ajassy) March 3, 2022

7 hours ago (02:10 GMT)

Local officials: Russian forces captured Kherson

“The [Russian] occupiers are in all parts of the city and are very dangerous,” Gennady Lakhuta, head of the regional administration, wrote on the messaging app, Telegram.

With this confirmation from local officials, the Ukrainian city of Kherson becomes the first major urban centre to fall since Moscow invaded.

7 hours ago (01:55 GMT)

Moody’s downgrades Russia’s ratings to B3

Credit rating agency Moody’s says it has downgraded Russia’s long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings to B3 from Baa3, citing severe sanctions Western countries imposed on Russia.

The ratings remain on review for further downgrade, it said.

7 hours ago (01:33 GMT)

Japan’s PPIH says it will support 100 refugee families

Japan’s Pan Pacific International Holdings, formerly Don Quijote Holdings, says it will support 100 refugee families from Ukraine.

In a statement, PPIH said it will support 100 Ukrainian families approved by the Japanese government to enter Japan as refugees, providing them with financial support and job opportunities.

8 hours ago (01:16 GMT)

Ukraine setting up hotline for students trying to leave

Ukraine is setting up a hotline for “African, Asian and other students” who want to leave the country, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba says.

“We are working intensively to ensure their safety & speed up their passage. Russia must stop its aggression which affects us all,” Kuleba said in a Twitter post.

We have established an emergency hotline for African, Asian and other students wishing to leave Ukraine because of Russia’s invasion.

+380934185684

We are working intensively to ensure their safety & speed up their passage. Russia must stop its aggression which affects us all. pic.twitter.com/HRJPoOI0pg

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 2, 2022

8 hours ago (01:11 GMT)

One million refugees have fled Ukraine: UN

“In just seven days we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighbouring countries,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, said in a Twitter post.

The UN refugee agency’s (UNHCR) chief added: “For many millions more, inside Ukraine, it’s time for guns to fall silent, so that life-saving humanitarian assistance can be provided.”

In just seven days we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighbouring countries.

For many millions more, inside Ukraine, it’s time for guns to fall silent, so that life-saving humanitarian assistance can be provided.

— Filippo Grandi (@FilippoGrandi) March 2, 2022

8 hours ago (01:04 GMT)

Enerhodar residents block access to key nuclear plant

Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons, reporting from Lviv, said residents of the southeastern town of Enerhodar have blocked the road to Europe’s largest nuclear power station in an apparent stand-off with Russian forces.

A resident told Al Jazeera: “The [Zaporizhzhia] nuclear plant is under secure protection, all the people are standing under Ukrainian flags. Nobody is going to surrender the city, our people are totally determined.”

17:26 EET People blocking the entrance to Enerhodar for Russian troops where nuclear power plant stays guarded by the National Guard. In the neighboring village Russian troops already injured two civilians https://t.co/66Kd1WeePc pic.twitter.com/z5x8Bz8AUk

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) March 2, 2022

8 hours ago (00:59 GMT)

Shelling and ‘terrifying fighting’ resume in southern Ukraine

Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Dnipro, says there have been “terrifying accounts” from people trying to leave the southern city of Mariupol, who have been describing “horrifically strong and terrifying fighting … this evening,” Stratford said.

There have also been accounts of “terrible shelling and mass casualties around the town of Volnovakha, north of Mariupol,” he said.

“There has been an attempt earlier in the day to try and organise some sort of corridor so that civilians could get out.”

8 hours ago (00:31 GMT)

Toyota suspends operations at Russian plant

Japan’s Toyota says it will suspend operations at its only factory in Russia and stop shipping vehicles to the country, citing “supply chain disruptions” linked to Moscow’s assault on Ukraine.

The carmaker said its Saint Petersburg plant produced about 80,000 vehicles last year, mainly for the Russian market and just a fraction of the 10.5 million Toyotas made worldwide.

9 hours ago (00:15 GMT)

Biden: UNGA vote highlights ‘global unity’

US President Joe Biden has said that the UN General Assembly’s vote to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine “demonstrates the extent of global outrage at Russia’s horrific assault on a sovereign neighbour and showcases unprecedented global unity”.

9 hours ago (23:53 GMT)

Russia billionaires move superyachts to Maldives

At least five superyachts owned by Russian billionaires were anchored or cruising in the Maldives, an Indian Ocean island nation that does not have an extradition treaty with the US, ship tracking data shows.

The yachts included the 88-metre Nirvana owned by Russia’s richest man, Vladimir Potanin.

According to Forbes, Germany seized Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s megayacht Dilbar – worth $600m – citing three sources in the yacht industry. Usmanov was on a list of billionaires to face sanctions from the EU.

9 hours ago (23:50 GMT)

Ukraine has thwarted Russia’s ‘sneaky’ plan: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country thwarted Russia’s “sneaky” plans, and he is proud of the “heroic” resistance to Moscow’s invasion.

“We are a nation that broke the enemy’s plans in a week. Plans written for years: sneaky, full of hatred for our country, our people,” Zelenskyy said in a video posted on Telegram.

He added that some 9,000 Russian soldiers had been killed since the invasion began, a claim not immediately verifiable as Moscow does not report its losses.

10 hours ago (22:55 GMT)

People of colour struggle to escape Russian invasion

Non-white international students say they have faced racism while trying to leave Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion.

Ukraine rejects claims of discrimination by border guards and says it operates on a “first-come, first-served” approach.

Read more here.

10 hours ago (22:45 GMT)

Member of OSCE monitoring mission killed in Kharkiv

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says a member of its special Ukraine monitoring mission was killed on Tuesday in the shelling of Kharkiv.

In a statement, the OSCE named the victim as Maryna Fenina, saying she had died “getting supplies for her family in a city that has become a war zone”.

The OSCE mourns the death of a national mission member of the @OSCE_SMM in Kharkiv yesterday:https://t.co/3BtpxfpLH9

— OSCE (@OSCE) March 2, 2022

11 hours ago (22:22 GMT)

EU bars 7 Russian banks from SWIFT but not those in energy

The EU says it is excluding seven Russian banks from the SWIFT messaging system – but did not include those handling energy payments.

Russia’s second-largest bank VTB, Bank Otkritie, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Bank Rossiya, Sovcombank and VEB will each be given 10 days to wind down their SWIFT operations, the EU said in its official journal.

SWIFT said that it would disconnect the seven Russian banks from their network on March 12, as required by EU regulations.

11 hours ago (22:13 GMT)

ICC prosecutor opens Ukraine investigation

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed he would immediately open an investigation into possible war crimes committed in Ukraine, following a request by 39 of the court’s member states.

“These referrals enable my office to proceed with opening an investigation into the situation in Ukraine from 21 November 2013 onwards, encompassing any past and present allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide committed on any part of the territory of Ukraine by any person,” Karim Khan said.

11 hours ago (22:12 GMT)

World Bank halts all programmes in Russia, Belarus

The World Bank says it has stopped all programmes in Russia and Belarus with immediate effect, following the Russian invasion and “hostilities against the people of Ukraine”.

In a statement, the World Bank said it had not approved any new loans to or investments in Russia since 2014, the year Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.

The bank said it had not approved any new lending to Belarus since mid-2020 when the US imposed sanctions on the country over a disputed presidential election.

11 hours ago (22:11 GMT)

Spotify closes its office in Russia

Audio-streaming platform Spotify says it has closed its office in Russia indefinitely in response to Moscow’s “unprovoked attack on Ukraine”.

“Our first priority over the past week has been the safety of our employees and to ensure that Spotify continues to serve as an important source of global and regional news at a time when access to information is more important than ever,” Spotify said in a statement.

11 hours ago (21:49 GMT)

Kherson mayor says Russian troops in the streets

Igor Kolykhayev, mayor of the southern Ukrainian port city of Kherson, says Russian troops are in the streets and had forced their way into the city council building, Reuters news agency reported.

Kolykhayev urged Russian soldiers not to shoot civilians and called on residents to walk through the streets only in daylight and in ones and twos. “We do not have the Armed Forces in the city, only civilians and people who want to LIVE here!” he said in a statement.

Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Kherson is under Russian soldiers’ “complete control” and the city’s civilian infrastructure, facilities and transport are operating as usual with no shortages of any essential goods.

Ukraine’s government had earlier played down reports that Kherson had fallen to Russia.

11 hours ago (21:26 GMT)

Yellen: US will address potential sources of leakages in Russia sanctions

The US will continue to address potential sources of “leakages” in the sweeping sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen has said.

Yellen said the hard sanctions slapped on Russia were having a significant impact, as reflected in the rouble’s sharp fall. Asked whether energy sanctions could follow, she said nothing was off the table with regard to sanctions.

12 hours ago (21:21 GMT)

Mercedes-Benz halts Russia exports

Mercedes-Benz says it is suspending vehicle exports to Russia and local production in the country, becoming the latest carmaker to respond to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Mercedes-Benz will suspend the export of passenger cars and vans to Russia as well as the local manufacturing in Russia until further notice,” it said in a statement.

German rivals BMW and Volkswagen made similar announcements earlier this week as Western companies withdraw from sanctions-hit Russia.

12 hours ago (21:19 GMT)

Russian advance on Kyiv ‘stalled’: Pentagon

The Russian military’s push towards Kyiv “remains stalled”, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has said.

“From our best estimates, [Russian forces] have not made any appreciable progress geographically speaking, in the last 24 to 36 hours,” Kirby told reporters.

He said the Pentagon believes the advance has slowed because Russian forces are regrouping in the face of unanticipated logistical challenges and Ukrainian resistance.

12 hours ago (21:18 GMT)

US postpones ballistic missile test: Pentagon

The Pentagon says the US has postponed an intercontinental ballistic missile test to avoid escalation with Russia.

“In an effort to demonstrate that we have no intention in engaging in any actions that can be misunderstood or misconstrued, the secretary of defence has directed that our Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test launch scheduled for this week to be postponed,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

“We did not take this decision lightly, but instead to demonstrate that we are a responsible nuclear power.”

12 hours ago (21:18 GMT)

Ukraine’s civilian toll 227 dead, 525 injured: UN

The UN human rights office says 227 civilians have been killed and 525 others injured in Ukraine from the start of the Russian assault to midnight March 1.

“Most of these casualties were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and air strikes,” it said in a statement issued in Geneva.

It added that the true toll is believed to be “considerably higher”, due to reporting delays in areas where intensive hostilities have taken place. Meanwhile, more than 870,000 people have fled Ukraine seeking safety in other countries, according to the UNHCR.

12 hours ago (21:14 GMT)

Blast near Kyiv station caused by falling downed Russian missile

An explosion near Kyiv’s central train station was caused by falling wreckage from a Russian missile that was downed by Ukrainian air defence, interior ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko says.

The falling debris hit a heating pipe, causing the blast, but far less damage and casualties than if the missile had hit its target in central Kyiv, he said online, without detailing if anyone had been hurt in the explosion.

The station was being used to evacuate thousands of women and children, Ukraine’s state-run railway company Ukrzaliznytsya said.

Welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

Read all the updates from Wednesday, March 2, here.