WAR IN UKRAINE Russian army 25 kilometers from Kyiv, bombing continues

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - We have entered the fifth night of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Air and artillery strikes on Ukrainian cities continue. 

23:50 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered a temporary suspension of visas for foreigners wishing to join the International Legion and fight for Ukraine against Russia.

23:05 - Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said Russian troops continue to shell the city.

22:45 - Ukrainian media report new explosions echoing through Kharkiv.

22:40 - Elon Musk activated the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine following a request from Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation.

Starlink will provide internet access after part of Ukraine's telecommunications system was destroyed during the Russian aggression.

22:10 - Russian armed forces are approaching Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Monday, reiterating its "strong concern" on the fifth day of the war.

21:55 - The US Department of Defense says nearly 75 percent of the Russian forces massed on the Ukrainian borders are now inside the country. The main troop advance is now positioned about 25 km from the capital Kyiv, about 5 km more than on Sunday.

The Russians have not yet captured two key cities: Kharkiv in the northeast and Mariupol in the south.

21:45 - There is a high probability that Lukashenko will attack Ukraine, writes the portal Ukrainska Pravda.

21:40 - The United States announced today that it sees no "concrete" moves by Russian nuclear forces and confirmed that the "creative" resistance of the Ukrainians continues to "slow down" the advance of Russian forces towards Kyiv.

21:20 - Ukrainians are resisting the Russian occupation in every way possible, from making Molotov cocktails to throw at Russian armored vehicles to defiance in city streets. 

The footage we received shows the Ukrainian people confronting Russian soldiers and equipment unarmed and stopping them in the streets.

 

Ukrainian civilians unarmed are stopping the Russian army #Ukraine #War #Russia pic.twitter.com/Xg4ludzarl

— NA Patria (@AgencijaPatria) February 28, 2022

20:55 - Turkey has warned both Black Sea and non-Black Sea countries not to allow warships through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, Reuters reports.

20:45 - The United States is expelling 12 Russian diplomats at the UN, giving them until March 7 to leave the country.

20:40 - Satellite images taken today show that Russian ground forces have continued to approach the Ukrainian capital with a military convoy stretching over 27 kilometers, Reuters reports.

According to the private US company Maxar Technologies Inc, satellite images show that the convoy on the eastern edge of Antonov Airport, containing hundreds of armored vehicles, tanks, towed artillery, and logistics support vehicles, continues to move south towards Kyiv.

20:30 - In the Kyiv region, Russians destroyed a dormitory and two five-story residential buildings with a missile strike.

19:51 - New air strikes on Kyiv, the population has been warned to seek safety immediately.

19:45 - Finland will supply Ukraine with weapons and ammunition, said the country's Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

The delivery will include 2,500 assault rifles, 150,000 rounds of ammunition, 1,500 anti-tank weapons, and 70,000 food packages, added Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen.

Speaking after a government meeting today, Kaikkonen told reporters:

Anti-tank weapons can be used to combat armored vehicles.

Kaikkonen hinted yesterday that the Finnish government is considering lifting Finland's long-standing policy that prohibits arms exports to war zones.

The minister also said that Finland, which is not a NATO member and shares a long border with Russia, has given the green light to Estonia to send weapons previously owned by Finland to Ukraine.

19:30 - Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov made a direct appeal to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, saying they would receive full amnesty and financial compensation if they voluntarily laid down their arms.

Reznikov wrote on Twitter: Those of you who do not want to become murderers and die can save yourselves.

19:25 - The European Parliament will adopt a resolution on Tuesday calling on EU institutions to work towards granting Ukraine candidate status for EU membership, while continuing to work on integration into the EU's single market, writes Daniel Boffey of The Guardian.

Read the events that happened during the day HERE