It is day 21 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. President Zelensky repeated his appeal for no-fly zone.

Ukraine under attack: War-hit President Zelensky appeals for no-fly zone

It is day 21 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and it seems Vladimir Putin is in no mood of stopping the war. Russia has hardened its demand since the invasion.

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Does Putin really want to stop this war or not?

As western countries look for alternate sources of oil, British PM Boris Johnson will travel to Saudi as part of his drive to help lessen the west dependency on Russia.

Saudi, UAE now key players in stabilising oil markets

It is day 21 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Kyiv is under curfew as Russian forces targeting residential areas. Watch this report.

Kyiv under lockdown: Russian forces target residential areas

US President Joe Biden will be making his very first visit to Europe since Russia invaded into Ukraine. This will be a summit to assess where NATO stands at this point.

Ukraine-Russia conflict: Joe Biden to visit Europe next week to assert 'Iron-clad' commitment

Recent attack in Kyiv killed 2 journalists working for Fox News network. They were killed after incoming fire hit their vehicle.

Ukraine under attack: Veteran Journalist working for Fox News killed while reporting near Kyiv

Amid Russia-Ukraine conflict, Ukrainian President Zelensky said that his country must accept that it will not become a member of the NATO.

Russia-Ukraine War Update: Zelensky says, 'Ukraine must accept it won't join NATO'

Now Russia has quit the council of Europe which is the continent's leading human rights watchdog. This came up when the country was expecting expulsion as it continues its invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine war: Russia quits council of Europe before vote on expulsion

Babies are now stuck in a war zone as war in Ukraine has prevented biological parents from claiming their babies.

Surrogacy industry in Ukraine hit by war, citizenship of newborn babies unclear

Russia's ground troops are facing unexpected resistance in the capital city of Kyiv so Russia has chosen to step up its offensive. There has been a substantial increase in air raids as we've been reporting and the latest one has now hit a residential area.

Russia is destroying our country: WION speaks to Kyiv Mayor

It is day 20 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Armies of both countries have been involved in intense fights since Russian troops entered Ukraine.

Day 20 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Kremlin warns Russian can take 'full control'

At least 20 people have been killed and dozens were injured after a missile attack in the Donetsk.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Cluster charge explodes in the centre of Donetsk

Kyiv Digital has transformed from the city's official app to buy transportation tickets to a life-saving tool since Ukraine's invasion.

Before Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, people in the capital used to pay for parking or utility bills through the app.

But after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the app’s focus was changed in just 24 hours. The mastermind behind this transformation is Kyiv deputy mayor Petro Olenych.

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It now has 1.5 million users and is one of the top free applications in the Ukrainian app store as per a spokesperson for CDTO the app.

“Kyiv Digital has become the essential tool for warnings and alarms in the city. The novelties include a map of bomb shelters, map of available pharmacies and the access of insulin, a map of grocery stores, a map of points with free water and bread, pet shops, humanitarian headquarters, and more,” the spokesperson said.

“The app has been around for a while and l found it very useful [before] because you could pay for parking on it and buy tickets for buses and trolleybuses,” said Denys Malakhatka, a scientific academic researcher.

“Since the war started, they changed the app. They now send you alerts about when to take shelter and I also really like the fact that they let you know when the potential attack has ended,” said Malakhatka.

“I think it’s great that they tell you when it’s over and you can relax,” he said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-promises-to-pay-syrian-army-fighters-1100-to-fight-in-ukraine-watchdog-462529">Russia promises to pay Syrian fighters $1,100 to fight in Ukraine: Watchdog</a>

“We must adapt our services and we have done. Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities are working more cohesively and productively than ever. The reason is obvious. We defend our country, our cities, our residents, our parents, our children and our future. This is our home so we will fight to the last,” said Olencyh in a statement.

“There are eight to 10 alarms a day – and when I’m sleeping I don’t want to hear them as well,” said Kyle Kondratiev, a lightning designer-turned humanitarian volunteer humanitarian.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/we-dont-know-how-to-kill-residents-of-odessa-who-cannot-fight-help-with-war-efforts-in-other-ways-462454" hreflang="en">'We don't know how to kill': Residents of Odessa who cannot fight help with war efforts in other ways</a>

Russia stepped up its bombardment of Kyiv on Tuesday, smashing apartments and a subway station, while civilians in 2,000 cars fled Mariupol along a humanitarian corridor in what was believed to be the biggest evacuation yet from the desperately besieged seaport.

On the diplomatic front, another round of talks began between Russia and Ukraine via video, and the leaders of three European Union countries — including Poland, a NATO member on Ukraine’s doorstep — planned a visit to the embattled capital in a bold show of support.

With the number of people driven from the country by the war eclipsing 3 million, large explosions thundered across Kyiv before dawn from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes, as Russia’s assault on the capital appeared to become more systematic and edged closer to the city centre.

Moscow denies targeting civilian areas in Ukraine, despite widespread evidence suggesting otherwise, with Western powers and rights groups accusing it of committing possible war crimes.

(With inputs from agencies)

Kyiv Digital has transformed from the city's official app to buy transportation tickets to a life-saving tool since Ukraine's invasion. Before Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, people in the capital used to pay for parking or utility bills through the app.

Kyiv Digital has transformed from the city's official app to buy transportation tickets to a life-saving tool since Ukraine's invasion. Before Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, people in the capital used to pay for parking or utility bills through the app. But after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the app’s focus was changed in just 24 hours. The mastermind behind this transformation is Kyiv deputy mayor Petro Olenych. It now has 1.5 million users and is one of the top free applications in the Ukrainian app store as per a spokesperson for CDTO the app. “Kyiv Digital has become the essential tool for warnings and alarms in the city. The novelties include a map of bomb shelters, map of available pharmacies and the access of insulin, a map of grocery stores, a map of points with free water and bread, pet shops, humanitarian headquarters, and more,” the spokesperson said. “The app has been around for a while and l found it very useful [before] because you could pay for parking on it and buy tickets for buses and trolleybuses,” said Denys Malakhatka, a scientific academic researcher. “Since the war started, they changed the app. They now send you alerts about when to take shelter and I also really like the fact that they let you know when the potential attack has ended,” said Malakhatka. “I think it’s great that they tell you when it’s over and you can relax,” he said. Also read | Russia promises to pay Syrian fighters $1,100 to fight in Ukraine: Watchdog “We must adapt our services and we have done. Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities are working more cohesively and productively than ever. The reason is obvious. We defend our country, our cities, our residents, our parents, our children and our future. This is our home so we will fight to the last,” said Olencyh in a statement. “There are eight to 10 alarms a day – and when I’m sleeping I don’t want to hear them as well,” said Kyle Kondratiev, a lightning designer-turned humanitarian volunteer humanitarian. Also read | 'We don't know how to kill': Residents of Odessa who cannot fight help with war efforts in other ways Russia stepped up its bombardment of Kyiv on Tuesday, smashing apartments and a subway station, while civilians in 2,000 cars fled Mariupol along a humanitarian corridor in what was believed to be the biggest evacuation yet from the desperately besieged seaport. On the diplomatic front, another round of talks began between Russia and Ukraine via video, and the leaders of three European Union countries — including Poland, a NATO member on Ukraine’s doorstep — planned a visit to the embattled capital in a bold show of support. With the number of people driven from the country by the war eclipsing 3 million, large explosions thundered across Kyiv before dawn from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes, as Russia’s assault on the capital appeared to become more systematic and edged closer to the city centre. Moscow denies targeting civilian areas in Ukraine, despite widespread evidence suggesting otherwise, with Western powers and rights groups accusing it of committing possible war crimes. (With inputs from agencies)

From transport app to life-saving tool, journey of Kyiv Digital's transformation

There is no end to the relentless shelling by Russia. At least two people died after Russia shelled the Antonov aircraft factory in Kyiv.

Russia Ukraine crisis: Residential buildings hit by artillery firing in Oblon

A live news bulletin was interrupted in Russia by an anti-war protester who held up a sign behind the presenter denouncing Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

An anti-war protester disrupts live bulletin, sign says 'Stop the war they are lying'

Boris administration is facing criticism that they're not doing enough to help the refugees fleeing Ukraine. UK has now launched its homes for Ukraine program for Britons.

Russia Ukraine Crisis: UK launches refugee programme

Russia-Ukraine Conflict enters day 20: 'Russia may take full control of cities'

People have been stuck in underground shelters and basements as the city faces non-stop bombardment from Russian forces.

Ukraine Under Attack: Shelling prevents humanitarian aid from entering Mariupol

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko recorded a video of himself standing in the middle of destroyed buildings as he said, "That's what Russians' war against civilians looks like."

In the video, he showed a city bus that just got hit by a rocket. "Lives are getting lost. There's the war that Russia started," he said. He also said that just like Kyiv, many other Ukrainian cities were destroyed.&nbsp;

"That's the truth. These images are the truth of Russian war against Ukraine. That's what it looks like," he said.

"Putin's dream of creating a Greater Russia is my country's nightmare," he wrote in the caption.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Putin's dream of creating a Greater Russia is my country's nightmare. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaveUkraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaveUkraine</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kyiv?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kyiv</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopPutinsWar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopPutinsWar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Standtogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Standtogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeUkraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeUkraine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreAllUkrainians?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreAllUkrainians</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandWithUkraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandWithUkraine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopTheWar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopTheWar</a> <a href="https://t.co/EKw3K6BsbZ">pic.twitter.com/EKw3K6BsbZ</a>
— Klitschko (@Klitschko) <a href="https://twitter.com/Klitschko/status/1503349955091701767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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After laying siege to southern port city Mariupol, Russian forces are reportedly heading towards the capital Kyiv city even as Ukrainian officials have said that they are “ready to fight”.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-russia-claims-to-have-besieged-two-big-cities-in-ukraine-455211">Also read |&nbsp;Live | EU sanctioning Abramovich among other Russians over Ukraine invasion</a>

On early Saturday morning, air raid sirens and shellings were heard over Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities, local media reported.&nbsp;

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine had “already reached a strategic turning point”.

“It is impossible to say how many days we still have (ahead of us) to free Ukrainian land. But we can say we will do it,” he said. "We are already moving towards our goal, our victory."

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has announced that around 12,000 US troops have been moved along the borders with Russia such as Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Romania, even as he ruled out sending forces to Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies)

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko recorded a video of himself standing in the middle of destroyed buildings as he said, "That's what Russians' war against civilians looks like.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko recorded a video of himself standing in the middle of destroyed buildings as he said, "That's what Russians' war against civilians looks like." In the video, he showed a city bus that just got hit by a rocket. "Lives are getting lost. There's the war that Russia started," he said. He also said that just like Kyiv, many other Ukrainian cities were destroyed. "That's the truth. These images are the truth of Russian war against Ukraine. That's what it looks like," he said. "Putin's dream of creating a Greater Russia is my country's nightmare," he wrote in the caption. Putin's dream of creating a Greater Russia is my country's nightmare. #SaveUkraine#kyiv #StopPutinsWar #Standtogether #FreeUkraine #WeAreAllUkrainians #StandWithUkraine #StopTheWar pic.twitter.com/EKw3K6BsbZ — Klitschko (@Klitschko) March 14, 2022 × After laying siege to southern port city Mariupol, Russian forces are reportedly heading towards the capital Kyiv city even as Ukrainian officials have said that they are “ready to fight”. Also read | Live | EU sanctioning Abramovich among other Russians over Ukraine invasion On early Saturday morning, air raid sirens and shellings were heard over Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities, local media reported. President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine had “already reached a strategic turning point”. “It is impossible to say how many days we still have (ahead of us) to free Ukrainian land. But we can say we will do it,” he said. "We are already moving towards our goal, our victory." Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has announced that around 12,000 US troops have been moved along the borders with Russia such as Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Romania, even as he ruled out sending forces to Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Kyiv mayor records himself as he shows the scale of destruction caused by Russian forces

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters day 19 there is no end to the relentless shelling by Russia. As the Russian troops continue to inch closer to the Ukrainian capital, at least two people have been killed and three others injured.

Russian troops inch closer to Ukrainian capital, Kyiv braces for more Russian strikes

As the Russia Ukraine war enters day 19, there is no end to the relentless shelling by the Russian forces and as the Russian troops continue to end closer towards the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. At least two people have been killed in a Russian strike on a residential building in the capital.

Two killed in Kyiv suburbs after being hit by artillery shelling

Now the Russian assault on Ukraine's capital of Kyiv has intensified. As per reports at least 2 people have been killed in a Russian strike on a residential building in Kyiv.

Residential building shelled in Kyiv; at least 2 people have been killed

Ukraine expects a new wave of attacks on the Kyiv, Kharkiv and Donbass regions after a slowdown in Russia's offensive.

Ukraine: Expecting new attacks on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donbass

With each passing day Russia seems to be turning its cruise on the Ukrainian capital. Russia has said to have surrounded Kyiv from three sides in a pincer attack our correspondent Anas Mallick is in Lyiv and brings in all exclusive information.

Russian troops inches closer towards Kyiv, intense fighting on outskirts of capital

In Russian invasion of Ukraine, fighting is raging on the outskirts of Kyiv. Artillery barrages forced residents to look for shelter in multiple areas around the capital city. &nbsp;

On Saturday, Zelenskyy said that Russia would need to carpet-bomb Kyiv and kill its residents to take the city. “They will come here only if they kill us all. If that is their goal, let them come,” he said.&nbsp;

The bombardment is still ongoing in other cities throughout the country like port city of Mariupol. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The invading forces are pounding the downtown of Mariupol with heavy shelling. Residents are hiding in an iconic mosque and elsewhere. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-send-weapons-worth-200-million-to-help-ukraine-fight-off-russia-461767" hreflang="en">US to send weapons worth $200 million to help Ukraine fight off Russia</a>

Mariupol is witnessing several issues in bringing food, water and medicine and evacuation of trapped civilians. During the siege, more than 1,500 people have died in Mariupol, as per the mayor's office. The continuous shelling has been even interrupting efforts to bury the dead in mass graves. &nbsp;

During a video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said, “They are bombing it (Mariupol) 24 hours a day, launching missiles. It is hatred. They kill children." &nbsp;&nbsp;

On Saturday, the talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire have failed again. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-russia-claims-to-have-besieged-two-big-cities-in-ukraine-455211">LIVE: Ukraine says Russians shot 7 evacuees, including 1 child, near Kyiv</a>

Zelenskyy has also accused Russia of employing 'a new stage of terror' with the alleged detention of a mayor of a different city. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In Irpin, bodies lay out in the open on streets and in a park on Saturday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"We do not have the right to let up our defense, no matter how difficult it may be," Zelenskyy said. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In Russian invasion of Ukraine, fighting is raging on the outskirts of Kyiv. Artillery barrages forced residents to look for shelter in multiple areas around the capital city.

In Russian invasion of Ukraine, fighting is raging on the outskirts of Kyiv. Artillery barrages forced residents to look for shelter in multiple areas around the capital city. On Saturday, Zelenskyy said that Russia would need to carpet-bomb Kyiv and kill its residents to take the city. “They will come here only if they kill us all. If that is their goal, let them come,” he said. The bombardment is still ongoing in other cities throughout the country like port city of Mariupol. The invading forces are pounding the downtown of Mariupol with heavy shelling. Residents are hiding in an iconic mosque and elsewhere. Also Read: US to send weapons worth $200 million to help Ukraine fight off Russia Mariupol is witnessing several issues in bringing food, water and medicine and evacuation of trapped civilians. During the siege, more than 1,500 people have died in Mariupol, as per the mayor's office. The continuous shelling has been even interrupting efforts to bury the dead in mass graves. During a video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said, “They are bombing it (Mariupol) 24 hours a day, launching missiles. It is hatred. They kill children." On Saturday, the talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire have failed again. Also Read | LIVE: Ukraine says Russians shot 7 evacuees, including 1 child, near Kyiv Zelenskyy has also accused Russia of employing 'a new stage of terror' with the alleged detention of a mayor of a different city. In Irpin, bodies lay out in the open on streets and in a park on Saturday. "We do not have the right to let up our defense, no matter how difficult it may be," Zelenskyy said. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Fighting rages on near Kyiv as Mariupol gets pounded heavily

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is now in its 18th day. Russian forces are advancing to Ukraine's capital from the North West and North East.

Russian forces advance towards Kyiv from 3 different directions

Down a dusty stairwell, hidden from the shelling that has become the grim background noise of Ukraine’s capital, Ludmila Yashenko fusses with the babies. There are 19 of them, sleeping or cooing in neatly arranged cribs, fed regularly from tubs of baby formula.

The kitchen has a sterilizer for bottles, while the nursery has a changing station stocked with diapers. Yashenko and other nannies bounce the babies on their laps and straighten their bibs, even as they watch television, wide-eyed, to learn the latest news from the war.

Death and destruction are rampant in Ukraine, but in this basement there is new life, if also new problems.

The babies were born to surrogate mothers, with their biological parents still outside the country. Because of the war, the citizenship of the newborns is unclear, as is the question of who their legal guardians are, since, under Ukrainian law, their biological parents must be present to confirm their nationality.

There is also the question of how, or if, they can possibly be taken to safety.

Elsewhere, expectant surrogate mothers are trapped by the fighting. Couples abroad have no idea how they will pick up their babies. One agent who connects would-be parents with Ukrainian women made a dash out of Kyiv with two of her clients’ newborns.

In the Kyiv basement, Yashenko and the other nannies are caring for the babies, even as they grow increasingly worried about the war raging overhead.

“Of course, we cannot abandon the babies,” said Yashenko, 51. Her husband and two sons, all soldiers in Ukraine’s army, have urged her to get out of Kyiv.

“They want me to leave, but I cannot abandon my colleagues, I cannot abandon my work, I cannot abandon these babies,” she said. “I will remain here until everything is back in its place.”

Ukraine is one of relatively few countries that offer surrogacy services to foreigners. By some estimates, its industry is the largest in the world; lawyers involved in the business say about 500 women are now pregnant in Ukraine as surrogate mothers for foreign clients.

Couples in the United States, Europe, South America and China who cannot have children on their own have turned to Ukraine. Advocates say that surrogacy is safe and provides an irreplaceable service to such couples.

The business has thrived in Ukraine largely because of poverty. Surrogate mothers here typically earn about $15,000 per child. Ukraine does not allow surrogacy for same-sex couples, or for couples who wish to choose the sex of their child.

Fourteen companies offer the service in Ukraine, including BioTexCom, the largest, which is running the basement nursery in Kyiv.

Albert Tochylovsky, owner of BioTexCom, said in an interview that he had faced a hard choice in setting up the basement nursery. The other option, he said, had been to drive about 40 women who were near term across Ukraine during the fighting. He promised to care for the babies.

But Tochylovsky was also fretting about the choice he had made. “Maybe I made the wrong decision,” he said. If the situation worsened, he said he would close the basement nursery and try to evacuate the babies.

Some people in the business have already fled with babies, although the legal implications of doing so are unclear. Svitlana Burkovsa, who has worked as an agent arranging surrogacy services, said she took two newborns to the western city of Uzhhorod, near the border with Slovakia.

“The babies are all right,” she said. “A nanny that I hired and I take good care of them. I do not have a choice but to look after them now.” The clients are two couples in China.

Burkovsa is also keeping track of two pregnant surrogate mothers who were hired by other clients. They are near their due dates but trapped not far from Kyiv, she said. She is trying to have them moved to a maternity ward in western Ukraine in time to give birth.

The business of overseas surrogacy typically relies on careful choreography of travel and legal services, all now disrupted by the war.

Anna, an expectant surrogate mother who, like others quoted, spoke on the condition that only her first name be used, has not left Kyiv because her husband enlisted as a volunteer soldier and she wants to be near him. She is also caring for her own son, she said by telephone.

“I really don’t want to leave him behind. But I have to save two lives: one inside me and the other 9 years old and running around” their apartment, she said.

The biological parents of the baby she is carrying are from China, she said. Although they have a stake in her safety, they cannot now make decisions about her movements.

“I hope the war will end by the time I need to give birth,” she said.

Ania, 26, who has two children of her own, is pregnant as a surrogate mother for the second time. The first time, the baby could not immediately be picked up by clients because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. “I’m just not lucky,” she said.

She is now 31 weeks pregnant with twins and living near Lviv after fleeing Kamianske, in central Ukraine. Her clients, she said, want her to move to Western Europe. But she is afraid to do so, because she may be required to register as the babies’ legal guardian under the less-permissive surrogacy laws that prevail outside Ukraine.

Frederic, the twins’ biological father, shares the same fears as Ania about the legal uncertainties. He and his wife are from France, where surrogacy arrangements face greater legal hurdles.

In November, as alarms were being raised about the possibility of war in Ukraine, Frederic insisted that the surrogacy agency let him contact Ania directly. He and his wife went to Ukraine, and now live together near Lviv with Ania, her husband and her two children.

“We feel very lonely in this process,” Frederic said. One of their many problems is that all the documents proving that he and his wife are the twins’ genetic parents were left behind in Kyiv.

“Have you heard of any family with the same problem as ours?” he asked.

At BioTexCom’s basement nursery in Kyiv, the babies sleep in numbered cribs. A doctor comes by regularly for checkups. The space is clean and well lit. Their swaddles are in prints of pink elephants or flowers.

“The parents are very worried about the situation in Ukraine,” said Yashenko, the nanny. “They are just waiting for the end of this senseless war.”

Sometimes, she said, she feels that she is sleeping and wants to awake to Ukraine before the war. “This is just a nightmare,” she said. “I want to wake up.” But she said the basement was safe, and that she would remain with the babies.

Yashenko had a message for the babies’ parents: “They are cared for, they are fed, they are loved. We have all we need.”

Down a dusty stairwell, hidden from the shelling that has become the grim background noise of Ukraine’s capital, Ludmila Yashenko fusses with the babies. There are 19 of them, sleeping or cooing in neatly arranged cribs, fed regularly from tubs of baby formula.

Down a dusty stairwell, hidden from the shelling that has become the grim background noise of Ukraine’s capital, Ludmila Yashenko fusses with the babies. There are 19 of them, sleeping or cooing in neatly arranged cribs, fed regularly from tubs of baby formula. The kitchen has a sterilizer for bottles, while the nursery has a changing station stocked with diapers. Yashenko and other nannies bounce the babies on their laps and straighten their bibs, even as they watch television, wide-eyed, to learn the latest news from the war. Death and destruction are rampant in Ukraine, but in this basement there is new life, if also new problems. The babies were born to surrogate mothers, with their biological parents still outside the country. Because of the war, the citizenship of the newborns is unclear, as is the question of who their legal guardians are, since, under Ukrainian law, their biological parents must be present to confirm their nationality. There is also the question of how, or if, they can possibly be taken to safety. Elsewhere, expectant surrogate mothers are trapped by the fighting. Couples abroad have no idea how they will pick up their babies. One agent who connects would-be parents with Ukrainian women made a dash out of Kyiv with two of her clients’ newborns. In the Kyiv basement, Yashenko and the other nannies are caring for the babies, even as they grow increasingly worried about the war raging overhead. “Of course, we cannot abandon the babies,” said Yashenko, 51. Her husband and two sons, all soldiers in Ukraine’s army, have urged her to get out of Kyiv. “They want me to leave, but I cannot abandon my colleagues, I cannot abandon my work, I cannot abandon these babies,” she said. “I will remain here until everything is back in its place.” Ukraine is one of relatively few countries that offer surrogacy services to foreigners. By some estimates, its industry is the largest in the world; lawyers involved in the business say about 500 women are now pregnant in Ukraine as surrogate mothers for foreign clients. Couples in the United States, Europe, South America and China who cannot have children on their own have turned to Ukraine. Advocates say that surrogacy is safe and provides an irreplaceable service to such couples. The business has thrived in Ukraine largely because of poverty. Surrogate mothers here typically earn about $15,000 per child. Ukraine does not allow surrogacy for same-sex couples, or for couples who wish to choose the sex of their child. Fourteen companies offer the service in Ukraine, including BioTexCom, the largest, which is running the basement nursery in Kyiv. Albert Tochylovsky, owner of BioTexCom, said in an interview that he had faced a hard choice in setting up the basement nursery. The other option, he said, had been to drive about 40 women who were near term across Ukraine during the fighting. He promised to care for the babies. But Tochylovsky was also fretting about the choice he had made. “Maybe I made the wrong decision,” he said. If the situation worsened, he said he would close the basement nursery and try to evacuate the babies. Some people in the business have already fled with babies, although the legal implications of doing so are unclear. Svitlana Burkovsa, who has worked as an agent arranging surrogacy services, said she took two newborns to the western city of Uzhhorod, near the border with Slovakia. “The babies are all right,” she said. “A nanny that I hired and I take good care of them. I do not have a choice but to look after them now.” The clients are two couples in China. Burkovsa is also keeping track of two pregnant surrogate mothers who were hired by other clients. They are near their due dates but trapped not far from Kyiv, she said. She is trying to have them moved to a maternity ward in western Ukraine in time to give birth. The business of overseas surrogacy typically relies on careful choreography of travel and legal services, all now disrupted by the war. Anna, an expectant surrogate mother who, like others quoted, spoke on the condition that only her first name be used, has not left Kyiv because her husband enlisted as a volunteer soldier and she wants to be near him. She is also caring for her own son, she said by telephone. “I really don’t want to leave him behind. But I have to save two lives: one inside me and the other 9 years old and running around” their apartment, she said. The biological parents of the baby she is carrying are from China, she said. Although they have a stake in her safety, they cannot now make decisions about her movements. “I hope the war will end by the time I need to give birth,” she said. Ania, 26, who has two children of her own, is pregnant as a surrogate mother for the second time. The first time, the baby could not immediately be picked up by clients because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. “I’m just not lucky,” she said. She is now 31 weeks pregnant with twins and living near Lviv after fleeing Kamianske, in central Ukraine. Her clients, she said, want her to move to Western Europe. But she is afraid to do so, because she may be required to register as the babies’ legal guardian under the less-permissive surrogacy laws that prevail outside Ukraine. Frederic, the twins’ biological father, shares the same fears as Ania about the legal uncertainties. He and his wife are from France, where surrogacy arrangements face greater legal hurdles. In November, as alarms were being raised about the possibility of war in Ukraine, Frederic insisted that the surrogacy agency let him contact Ania directly. He and his wife went to Ukraine, and now live together near Lviv with Ania, her husband and her two children. “We feel very lonely in this process,” Frederic said. One of their many problems is that all the documents proving that he and his wife are the twins’ genetic parents were left behind in Kyiv. “Have you heard of any family with the same problem as ours?” he asked. At BioTexCom’s basement nursery in Kyiv, the babies sleep in numbered cribs. A doctor comes by regularly for checkups. The space is clean and well lit. Their swaddles are in prints of pink elephants or flowers. “The parents are very worried about the situation in Ukraine,” said Yashenko, the nanny. “They are just waiting for the end of this senseless war.” Sometimes, she said, she feels that she is sleeping and wants to awake to Ukraine before the war. “This is just a nightmare,” she said. “I want to wake up.” But she said the basement was safe, and that she would remain with the babies. Yashenko had a message for the babies’ parents: “They are cared for, they are fed, they are loved. We have all we need.”

In a Kyiv basement, 19 surrogate babies are trapped by war but kept alive by nannies

The Russian forces are advancing towards the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the north west and the north east regions. A top Ukrainian official stated that Kyiv effectively is 'under seige'.

Top Ukrainian official: Kyiv effectively 'under seige'

Russian forces intensified their campaign of devastation aimed at cities and towns across Ukraine, attacking Kyiv and a strategic port Saturday and detaining the defiant mayor of a captured city, an act that prompted hundreds of outraged Ukrainians to pour into the streets in protest.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of terrorizing the nation in an attempt to break the will of the people. “A war of annihilation,” he called it.

He denounced what he called the kidnapping of the mayor of Melitopol, who had refused to cooperate with Russian troops after they seized the southeastern city in the first days of the invasion, as “a new stage of terror, when they are trying to physically eliminate representatives of the legitimate local Ukrainian authorities.”

Russian forces have not achieved a major military victory since the first days of the invasion more than two weeks ago, and the assaults Saturday reinforced Moscow’s strategic turn toward increasingly indiscriminate shelling of civilian targets.

Unable to mount a quick takeover of the country by air, land and sea, Russian troops have deployed missiles, rockets and bombs to destroy apartment buildings, schools, factories and hospitals, increasing civilian carnage and suffering, and leading more than 2.5 million people to flee the country.

In response to American efforts to supply the Ukrainian military with antitank weapons and other materiel, Russia issued a new and more direct threat Saturday, warning the United States that convoys with weapons sent to Ukraine would be “legitimate targets” for the Russian military.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Russian television that Moscow had warned Washington that the “thoughtless transfer of such types of weapons as portable anti-aircraft and antitank missile systems” to Ukraine could lead to serious consequences.

The heavy shelling and lack of food, water and medicine for thousands of residents in the besieged city of Mariupol have already led to what Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called “the worst humanitarian catastrophe on the planet.”

At least 1,582 civilians have died since the Russian siege of Mariupol began 12 days ago, he said, and residents are struggling to survive and have been forced to bury the dead in mass graves.

“There is no drinking water and any medication for more than one week, maybe even 10 days,” a staff member who works for Doctors Without Borders in Mariupol said in an audio recording released by the organization Saturday.

“We saw people who died because of lack of medication, and there are a lot of such people inside Mariupol,” the staff member said.

During a 90-minute call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron urged Putin to accept an immediate cease-fire, according to the French government, which described the talks as “frank” and “difficult.”

France said Putin showed no willingness to stop the war and said he “placed the responsibility for the conflict on Ukraine” and sounded “determined to attain his objectives.”

In its summary of the call, the Kremlin said Putin had discussed “several matters relating to agreements being drafted to meet the well-known Russian demands” but did not specify those demands.

In the coming weeks, NATO, which has vowed to defend allied countries from any incursion by Russian forces, plans to gather 30,000 troops from 25 countries in Europe and North America in Norway to conduct live-fire drills and other cold-weather military exercises.

The exercises, which Norway hosts biannually, were announced more than eight months ago, NATO said, and are not linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which NATO said it was responding to with “preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory measures.”

But the training has taken on greater significance as Russia steps up its bombardment of Ukrainian population centers.

Around Kyiv, the capital, Russian forces have advanced into the suburbs but have been slowed by Ukrainian troops that have counterattacked with ambushes on armored columns. On Saturday, artillery fire intensified around Kyiv, with a low rumble heard in most parts of the city.

By Saturday, there were no indications of further efforts by the Russian army to move armored columns closer to the capital. Instead, soldiers appeared to be fighting for control of the towns along the highways that encircle it.

In Irpin, a leafy bedroom community northwest of Kyiv, troops were fighting street by street, said Vitaly, a Ukrainian soldier who asked that his last name not be published for security reasons. He spoke outside a gas station minimart, its windows blown out by shelling, on the town’s western edge.

“We are trying to push them back but we don’t control the town,” he said.

In the southern city of Mykolaiv, residents woke Saturday morning to the sounds of a fierce battle hours after Russian shells hit several civilian areas, damaging a cancer hospital and sending residents fleeing into bomb shelters.

The early-morning fight was concentrated in the north of the city, said Col. Sviatoslav Stetsenko of the Ukrainian Army’s 59th Brigade, who was stationed near the front lines.

“They are changing their tactics,” said Vitaliy Kim, governor of the Mykolaiv region. “They are deploying in the villages and lodging in village schools and homes. We cannot shoot back. There are no rules now. We will have to be more brutal with them.”

For nearly two weeks, Russian forces have been trying to surround Mykolaiv and cross the Southern Buh River, which flows through the city and is a natural defense against a Russian push toward the west and Odesa, the Black Sea port that appears to be a prime Russian objective.

Russian forces had not crossed the river as of Saturday morning, Stetsenko said, but “they are continuing to shell Mykolaiv.”

In Melitopol, hundreds of residents demonstrated in the streets, one day after Russian troops forced a hood over the mayor’s head and dragged him from a government building, according to Ukrainian officials.

“Return the mayor!” protesters shouted, according to witnesses and videos. “Free the mayor!”

But nearly as soon as the demonstrators gathered, Russian military personnel moved to shut them down, arresting a woman who they said had organized the protest, according to two witnesses and the woman’s Facebook account.

The episode was part of what Ukrainian officials said was an escalating pattern of intimidation and repression. It also illustrated a problem that Russia is likely to face even if it manages to pummel cities and towns into submission: In at least some of the few cities and towns that Russia has managed to seize — mostly in the south and east — they are facing popular unrest and revolt.

Zelenskyy sought to tap into public rage in an address to the nation overnight.

“The whole country saw that Melitopol did not surrender to the invaders,” he said. “Just as Kherson, Berdyansk and other cities where Russian troops managed to enter didn’t.” He said popular resistance “will not be changed by putting pressure on mayors or kidnapping mayors.”

Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fyodorov had remained stubbornly defiant even after Russian soldiers took over the city after a fierce assault on the first day of the invasion. “We are not cooperating with the Russians in any way,” he had said.

Last weekend, with Fyodorov’s encouragement, people waving Ukrainian flags took to the streets of Melitopol and other occupied cities. For the most part, Russian soldiers stood aside, even as protesters commandeered a Russian armored vehicle in one town and drove it through the streets.

Although the protests in Melitopol were quickly put down, the Ukrainian government renewed efforts to bring aid to Mariupol, dispatching dozens of buses with food and medicine, Ukrainian officials said.

Similar relief efforts had failed in recent days as fighting raged around the city and land mines pocked roads in the area. In an overnight address, Zelenskyy said the inability to bring aid to the city showed that Russian troops “continue to torture our people, our Mariupol residents.”

Still, he said, “We will try again.”

Russian forces intensified their campaign of devastation aimed at cities and towns across Ukraine, attacking Kyiv and a strategic port Saturday and detaining the defiant mayor of a captured city, an act that prompted hundreds of outraged Ukrainians to pour into the streets in protest.

Russian forces intensified their campaign of devastation aimed at cities and towns across Ukraine, attacking Kyiv and a strategic port Saturday and detaining the defiant mayor of a captured city, an act that prompted hundreds of outraged Ukrainians to pour into the streets in protest. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of terrorizing the nation in an attempt to break the will of the people. “A war of annihilation,” he called it. He denounced what he called the kidnapping of the mayor of Melitopol, who had refused to cooperate with Russian troops after they seized the southeastern city in the first days of the invasion, as “a new stage of terror, when they are trying to physically eliminate representatives of the legitimate local Ukrainian authorities.” Russian forces have not achieved a major military victory since the first days of the invasion more than two weeks ago, and the assaults Saturday reinforced Moscow’s strategic turn toward increasingly indiscriminate shelling of civilian targets. Unable to mount a quick takeover of the country by air, land and sea, Russian troops have deployed missiles, rockets and bombs to destroy apartment buildings, schools, factories and hospitals, increasing civilian carnage and suffering, and leading more than 2.5 million people to flee the country. In response to American efforts to supply the Ukrainian military with antitank weapons and other materiel, Russia issued a new and more direct threat Saturday, warning the United States that convoys with weapons sent to Ukraine would be “legitimate targets” for the Russian military. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Russian television that Moscow had warned Washington that the “thoughtless transfer of such types of weapons as portable anti-aircraft and antitank missile systems” to Ukraine could lead to serious consequences. The heavy shelling and lack of food, water and medicine for thousands of residents in the besieged city of Mariupol have already led to what Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called “the worst humanitarian catastrophe on the planet.” At least 1,582 civilians have died since the Russian siege of Mariupol began 12 days ago, he said, and residents are struggling to survive and have been forced to bury the dead in mass graves. “There is no drinking water and any medication for more than one week, maybe even 10 days,” a staff member who works for Doctors Without Borders in Mariupol said in an audio recording released by the organization Saturday. “We saw people who died because of lack of medication, and there are a lot of such people inside Mariupol,” the staff member said. During a 90-minute call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron urged Putin to accept an immediate cease-fire, according to the French government, which described the talks as “frank” and “difficult.” France said Putin showed no willingness to stop the war and said he “placed the responsibility for the conflict on Ukraine” and sounded “determined to attain his objectives.” In its summary of the call, the Kremlin said Putin had discussed “several matters relating to agreements being drafted to meet the well-known Russian demands” but did not specify those demands. In the coming weeks, NATO, which has vowed to defend allied countries from any incursion by Russian forces, plans to gather 30,000 troops from 25 countries in Europe and North America in Norway to conduct live-fire drills and other cold-weather military exercises. The exercises, which Norway hosts biannually, were announced more than eight months ago, NATO said, and are not linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which NATO said it was responding to with “preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory measures.” But the training has taken on greater significance as Russia steps up its bombardment of Ukrainian population centers. Around Kyiv, the capital, Russian forces have advanced into the suburbs but have been slowed by Ukrainian troops that have counterattacked with ambushes on armored columns. On Saturday, artillery fire intensified around Kyiv, with a low rumble heard in most parts of the city. By Saturday, there were no indications of further efforts by the Russian army to move armored columns closer to the capital. Instead, soldiers appeared to be fighting for control of the towns along the highways that encircle it. In Irpin, a leafy bedroom community northwest of Kyiv, troops were fighting street by street, said Vitaly, a Ukrainian soldier who asked that his last name not be published for security reasons. He spoke outside a gas station minimart, its windows blown out by shelling, on the town’s western edge. “We are trying to push them back but we don’t control the town,” he said. In the southern city of Mykolaiv, residents woke Saturday morning to the sounds of a fierce battle hours after Russian shells hit several civilian areas, damaging a cancer hospital and sending residents fleeing into bomb shelters. The early-morning fight was concentrated in the north of the city, said Col. Sviatoslav Stetsenko of the Ukrainian Army’s 59th Brigade, who was stationed near the front lines. “They are changing their tactics,” said Vitaliy Kim, governor of the Mykolaiv region. “They are deploying in the villages and lodging in village schools and homes. We cannot shoot back. There are no rules now. We will have to be more brutal with them.” For nearly two weeks, Russian forces have been trying to surround Mykolaiv and cross the Southern Buh River, which flows through the city and is a natural defense against a Russian push toward the west and Odesa, the Black Sea port that appears to be a prime Russian objective. Russian forces had not crossed the river as of Saturday morning, Stetsenko said, but “they are continuing to shell Mykolaiv.” In Melitopol, hundreds of residents demonstrated in the streets, one day after Russian troops forced a hood over the mayor’s head and dragged him from a government building, according to Ukrainian officials. “Return the mayor!” protesters shouted, according to witnesses and videos. “Free the mayor!” But nearly as soon as the demonstrators gathered, Russian military personnel moved to shut them down, arresting a woman who they said had organized the protest, according to two witnesses and the woman’s Facebook account. The episode was part of what Ukrainian officials said was an escalating pattern of intimidation and repression. It also illustrated a problem that Russia is likely to face even if it manages to pummel cities and towns into submission: In at least some of the few cities and towns that Russia has managed to seize — mostly in the south and east — they are facing popular unrest and revolt. Zelenskyy sought to tap into public rage in an address to the nation overnight. “The whole country saw that Melitopol did not surrender to the invaders,” he said. “Just as Kherson, Berdyansk and other cities where Russian troops managed to enter didn’t.” He said popular resistance “will not be changed by putting pressure on mayors or kidnapping mayors.” Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fyodorov had remained stubbornly defiant even after Russian soldiers took over the city after a fierce assault on the first day of the invasion. “We are not cooperating with the Russians in any way,” he had said. Last weekend, with Fyodorov’s encouragement, people waving Ukrainian flags took to the streets of Melitopol and other occupied cities. For the most part, Russian soldiers stood aside, even as protesters commandeered a Russian armored vehicle in one town and drove it through the streets. Although the protests in Melitopol were quickly put down, the Ukrainian government renewed efforts to bring aid to Mariupol, dispatching dozens of buses with food and medicine, Ukrainian officials said. Similar relief efforts had failed in recent days as fighting raged around the city and land mines pocked roads in the area. In an overnight address, Zelenskyy said the inability to bring aid to the city showed that Russian troops “continue to torture our people, our Mariupol residents.” Still, he said, “We will try again.”

Russia intensifies campaign of destruction in Ukraine’s cities

Amidst the Ukraine-Russian conflict, Russia lost it's most favoured nation status. This move has been taken to isolate the Russian economy further.

Ukraine Under Attack: Russia loses 'most favoured nation' status

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