Russia-Ukraine war LIVE updates | Putin declares martial law in Ukraine regions annexed by Russia

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will not be travelling to Kyiv as planned, The Guardian reported.

Ukrainian officials are working to create mobile power points after Russia launched new strikes against the country’s energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has announced that he has agreed with Vladimir Putin to create a “gas hub” in Turkey, according to Russian state-owned media.

The European Parliament has awarded the people of Ukraine its annual Prize for Freedom of Thought to honour their fight against Russia’s invasion. The award comes with prize money of €50,000 (£43,500), which the EU said would be distributed to representatives of Ukrainian civil society.

Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament on Wednesday approved Putin's martial law decree for the annexed regions of Ukraine. The approval comes hours after Putin made the announcement in a national security council meeting.

Downing Street on Wednesday, in a rather stern statement said that Russia's use of nuclear weapons will warrant severe consequenes. The statement comes in the backdrop of media reports suggesting that Kremlin may detonate a nuclear warhead over Black Sea. 

"We are very clear with Putin that the use of nuclear weapons will lead to severe consequences. I would guide away from speculating on this as an issue. I think the public need to be reassured that we are taking a strong lead in this area," read the statement. 

"I think it would be a mistake to be drawn into speculation on this rather than focusing on what we are seeing day by day, which is a senseless and barbaric attack on civilians across Ukraine."

Weeks after annexing the Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia through a series of referendums, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced he was imposing martial law in the regions.

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Ukrainian forces have drowned "several Russian rockets", Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Wednesday.

"Air defences have shot down several Russian rockets over Kyiv. Stay in shelters!" Klitschko said on social media.

On Monday, Russian attacks with Iranian-made drones aimed at energy infrastructure killed at least five people in Kyiv.

Israel's Defence Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday said that they will not send weapons to Ukraine.

The move comes two days after Russia warned to cut relations with Israeli if they send arms to Kyiv. 

"Our policy vis-a-vis Ukraine will not change -- we will continue to support and stand with the West, we will not provide weapon systems," Gantz told a briefing of European Union ambassadors, according to a statement from his office.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared martial law in Ukraine regions which Russia says it annexed

According to AFP news agency, several loud explosions were heard in central Kyiv on Wednesday,. 

At least two blasts rang out at about 14:20 Kyiv time (11:20 GMT), after Monday's Russian attacks -- with Iranian-made drones -- aimed at energy infrastructure killed at least five people in the city on Monday. 

The European Union is planning to impose fresh sanctions on Iran for allegedl supplying drones to Russia for use in the Ukrainian war. It further said that it has collected "sufficient evidence", and would soon announcement a decision on this regard.

"Now that we have gathered our own sufficient evidence work is ongoing in the (European) Council in view of a clear, swift and firm EU response," said Nabila Massrali, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borre

Ukrainian forces tried to recapture the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine, but their attempt was thwarted after several hours of fighting, Russia said, the RIA news agency reported.

“After shelling the city, a landing attempt was launched, including an effort to seize Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

“The battle went on for several hours, at least three to three and a half hours,” RIA quoted Russian-installed official Vladimir Rogov saying, adding that the attack was “repelled.”

Russian forces will 'fight to the death' for Ukraine's Kherson, a pro-Moscow official said, according to AFP.

Ukraine on Wednesday said that its military had shot down more than 220 Iranian-made drones in a little more than one month, following this week's attacks that used "kamikaze drones".

"Since the first downing of an Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drone on the territory of Ukraine on September 13, the ... Air Force and other components of the Defense Forces of Ukraine have destroyed 223 UAVs of this type," the military said in a statement. 

Russian supporters were evacuating from key southern Kherson city of Ukranine on Wednesday, as Kyiv's forces make advances on the territory, which has been under the Russian occupation since the war's earliest days.

Kherson was the first major city to fall to Moscow's troops after the February invasion and retaking it would be a major prize in Ukraine's ongoing counter-offensive.

"The entire administration is already moving today," to the left bank of the Dnieper river, the region's Moscow-installed head Vladimir Saldo, said on Russian state television.