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Russia-Ukraine war latest: 7 major developments from Tuesday

A blast is seen in the TV tower, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Kiev, Ukraine March 1, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barria     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
A TV tower in Kyiv was it by a missile strike.(Reuters)

Here's what you need to know on 1 March.

This article was updated at 5.30pm.

Kyiv on the brink Russian troops told Kyiv residents to flee their homes ahead of an anticipated bombardment after an attack on a television tower in the city left five people dead. As a 40-mile long armoured convoy of Russian troops approached the city, Moscow's defence ministry warned it was planning targeted strikes on buildings in Kyiv used by Ukraine's security services. There are widespread fears Russian military commanders, frustrated at the invasion's slow rate of progress, could launch even more devastating attacks in the coming days. Read more (The Independent)

Huge explosion rocks Kharkiv As Kyiv waits, the country's second city of Kharkiv has sustained heavy damage. One particularly shocking video that emerged on Tuesday showed a missile slamming into a local government building and engulfing it in a fireball. The attack - aimed at Freedom Square in the city - injured six people including a child. Ukraine has already accused Moscow of war crimes by bombarding civilian areas in the city. Read more (Yahoo News UK)

Watch: Video shows building engulfed in fireball after Russian missile strike

Zelenskyy's plea to EU Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded with the EU to "prove you are together with us" as he addressed the European Parliament. EU lawmakers, many wearing #standwithUkraine T-shirts bearing the Ukrainian flag, gave Zelenskyy a standing ovation as he made a defiant salute, saying: "We are fighting to be equal members of Europe." Read more (Sky News)

No no-fly zone Boris Johnson has insisted no Nato allies are contemplating heeding Ukraine’s pleas to enforce a no-fly zone over the nation to prevent bombings from Vladimir Putin’s planes. The prime minister again rejected Zelensky’s calls for British forces to actively join the effort, warning it would trigger a wider war with Russia. Read more (Evening Standard)

World turns its back on Russia In a sign Russia is becoming increasingly isolated on the international stage, delegates at the UN Human Rights Council walked out of the chamber as Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov began speaking. They were led by the Permanent Representative of Ukraine, Yevheniia Filipenko, who said the motion "sends a very strong signal to the Russian Federation that such actions are not acceptable". Read more (AFP)

Ambassadors and diplomats leave while Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov (on screen) addresses with a pre-recorded video message at the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Photo by SALVATORE DI NOLFI / POOL / AFP) (Photo by SALVATORE DI NOLFI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Ambassadors and diplomats leave while Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov addresses with a pre-recorded video message at the UN Human Rights Council (Getty)

PM confronted by distraught Ukrainian The UK prime minister was confronted by a distraught Ukrainian woman today as he visited Nato members Poland and Estonia to shore up support for the defence alliance. Daria Kaleniuk, who managed to escape Ukraine a few days ago, told the PM her family and colleagues in Ukraine now "have nowhere to run" as thousands of refugees mass in queues stretching miles on the borders. She accused the PM and Western allies of being "afraid" to intervene. Read more (Yahoo News UK)

Watch: Ukrainian journalist breaks down in tears as she makes emotional appeal to Boris Johnson

Government changes stance on refugees

The UK government has been coming under stiff criticism for not doing more to welcome some of the 600,000 Ukrainians who have been displaces as a result of the conflict. Boris Johnson today announced more Ukrainians will be allowed to enter the UK to join family members as they flee the war zone. The first phase of the plan had allowed people in Ukraine who had immediate family members in the UK to come and join them, but the move was criticised for being too restrictive. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said that would widen eligibility to around 200,000 people, twice the number previously estimated. Read more (Telegraph)