Blasts before dawn as Ukraine wakes to ‘crucial 24 hours’ : 9 latest updates

February 28, 2022 at 10:49 AM

  • Russia shelled the northern city of Chernihiv all night, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service says
  • Blasts were also heard before dawn in the capital Kyiv, and second city Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials say
  • President Zelensky says the next 24 hours – the fifth day of the Russian invasion – will be “crucial” for Ukraine
  • The Russian rouble plunges to a new low against the dollar in the wake of severe sanctions, as analysts warn of a possible run on Russia’s banks
  • The EU is taking the unprecedented step of sending arms to Ukraine
  • It is also closing its airspace to Russian aircraft and will ban Russian state media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik
  • Member states will also take Ukrainian refugees and bypass the usual asylum application process
  • Meanwhile a vote in Belarus clears the way for the country, Russia’s ally, to host nuclear weapons
  • The UN is to hold an emergency special session on Monday involving all 193 member countries (BBC)