Russia-Ukraine updates: Here’s what happened on Feb. 26

This digest has now been archived. Find the latest Russia-Ukraine updates here.

Open this photo in gallery:

Russia has invaded Ukraine. Here are the latest updates:

• Air strikes and cruise missiles pounded Kyiv early Sunday as more Russian troops closed in on the capital city. Kyiv’s mayor imposed a weekend-long curfew and President Volodymyr Zelensky reassured Ukrainians in a social-media video that he and the city’s defenders were not going anywhere.
• Canada, the United States and other Western allies announced Saturday night they were imposing a new round of sanctions on Russia, including expelling some Russian banks from the SWIFT payment system.
• Dragging suitcases and carrying children, tens of thousands of Ukrainians rushed to the borders Saturday as invading Russian troops pressed toward Kyiv. The Polish government has said that more than 115,000 Ukrainians have entered the country.
• Russian authorities have blocked access to Twitter from within the country and threatened to shut down news outlets that use terms like “invasion” or “declaration of war.”
• From Sydney to Istanbul, crowds gathered at antiwar protests on Saturday to denounce the invasion, which Russians themselves did by the thousands earlier in the week. Canada’s Ukrainian diasporas have also held protests, but many have refocused on fundraising for humanitarian causes and aid to Ukraine’s military.
• Russia’s ambassador in Ottawa should be expelled and Canada’s envoy in Moscow recalled, the federal Conservatives said Saturday.
• It has been three days now since President Vladimir Putin launched the Russian assault, and while much is still unknown about his final military objectives, we have a clearer timeline of how the chaotic first 72 hours unfolded. Here are The Globe’s compendiums of chronological maps and important photographs, and a continuing explainer about why and how the invasion began.

To learn what you can do for Ukrainians, consult our how-to-help guide. For more updates, visit our list of Globe foreign correspondents and other journalists to follow on Twitter.

Map of Ukraine and conflict areas so far

The day in photos

1:43 a.m. ET

Russian troops enter Kharkiv

Ukrainian forces were battling Russian troops on the streets of Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv on Sunday, said regional governor Oleh Sinegubov.

“The Russian enemy’s light vehicles have broken into Kharkiv, including the city centre,” Sinegubov said. “Ukraine’s armed forces are destroying the enemy. We ask civilians not to go out.”

Videos published by Anton Herashchenko, adviser to the interior minister, and Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection showed several light military vehicles moving along a street and, separately, a burning tank.

12:05 a.m.

ICRC urged to repatriate bodies of Russian soldiers

The International Committee of the Red Cross says it is aware of requests by Ukraine’s UN ambassador and others to repatriate the bodies of Russian soldiers killed in action in Ukraine but has no numbers.

Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya tweeted Saturday that Ukraine has appealed to the ICRC “to facilitate repatriation of thousands of bodies of Russian soldiers” killed during its invasion of Ukraine. An accompanying chart claimed 3,500 Russian troops have been killed.

Kyslytsya tweeted that parents in Russia should have a chance “to bury them with dignity.” “Don’t let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin hide scale of tragedy,” he urged.

Laetitia Courtois, ICRC’s permanent observer to the United Nations said the ICRC can act as a neutral intermediary on the return of bodies and other humanitarian issues in conflict.

-The Associated Press

11:25 p.m.

Google blocks RT, other Russian state media from earning ad revenue

Google barred Russia’s state-owned media outlet RT and other channels from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps and YouTube videos, similar to a move by Facebook after the invasion of Ukraine.

Citing “extraordinary circumstances,” Google’s YouTube unit said it was “pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube.” These included several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions, such as those by the European Union. Ad placement is largely controlled by YouTube.

The EU on Wednesday announced sanctions on individuals, including Margarita Simonyan, whom it described as RT’s editor-in-chief and “a central figure” of Russian propaganda.

Videos from the affected channels also will come up less often in recommendations, YouTube spokesperson Farshad Shadloo said. He added that RT and several other channels would no longer be accessible in Ukraine because of a Ukrainian government request.

Meta Platforms Inc, owner of Facebook Inc., on Friday barred Russian state media from running ads or generating revenue from ads on its services anywhere in the world.

- Reuters

11:08 p.m.

Elon Musk says Starlink active in Ukraine as Russian invasion disrupts internet

SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk said on Saturday that the company’s Starlink satellite broadband service is available in Ukraine and SpaceX is sending more terminals to the country, whose internet has been disrupted due to the Russian invasion.

“Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route,” Musk tweeted.

He was responding to a tweet by Ukraine’s vice prime minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who asked Musk to provide the embattled country with Starlink stations.

Internet connectivity in Ukraine has been affected by the Russian invasion, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of the country where fighting has been heaviest, internet monitors said on Saturday.

While extremely costly to deploy, satellite technology can provide internet for people who live in rural or hard-to-serve places where fiber optic cables and cell towers do not reach. The technology can also be a critical backstop when hurricanes or other natural disasters disrupt communication.

- Reuters

9:36 p.m.

Zelensky’s office reports blasts near the Zhuliany airport

Open this photo in gallery:

Huge explosions lit up the predawn sky south of Kyiv early Sunday. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office said one of the blasts was near the Zhuliany airport, and the mayor of Vasylkiv, about 40 kilometres south of the capital, said an oil depot was hit. ”The enemy wants to destroy everything around,” said the mayor, Natalia Balasinovich.

The government warned that smoke from the huge explosion could cause an “environmental catastrophe” and advised people to cover their windows with damp cloth or gauze.

There were also reports of heavy fighting near Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, in the northeast, where Russian troops blew up a natural gas pipeline, a Ukrainian state agency said. The gas blast there sent a mushroom cloud up into the darkness.

Russian troops later entered Kharkiv, an interior ministry adviser, Anton Herashchenko, said on Telegram. Videos posted by him and a state agency showed several military vehicles moving on a street and, separately, a burning tank.

Russian-backed separatists in the eastern province of Luhansk said a Ukrainian missile had blown an oil terminal in the town of Rovenky.

- AP and Reuters

8:55 p.m. ET

Trump calls attack on Ukraine ‘appalling’ days after praising Putin’s actions as ‘genius’

At the CPAC conservative gathering in Florida, former President Donald Trump condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and said he was praying for Ukrainians, marking a sharp shift of tone from earlier this week when he praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this week, Trump irked some Republican party members by describing Putin’s actions in Ukraine, where cities have been pounded by Russian artillery and cruise missiles, as “genius” and “pretty savvy.”

Addressing an adoring crowd at CPAC, Trump expressed empathy for Ukrainians and this time praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him “brave” as he stays in Kyiv.

“The Russian attack on Ukraine is appalling. We are praying for the proud people of Ukraine. God bless them all,” Trump said.

- Reuters

8:34 p.m. ET

Investors brace for volatility as West moves to cut Russia off from SWIFT

Investors were preparing on Saturday for more wild gyrations in asset prices after Western nations announced tougher sanctions on Russia, including blocking some banks from the SWIFT international payments system.

Investors had been fearing Russia’s getting kicked off SWIFT, the world’s main international payments network, as it would disrupt global trade and hurt Western interests as well as hitting Russia.

The news comes after a week when worries over the intensifying conflict in Ukraine shook markets across the world, with stocks tumbling and oil prices soaring as investors rushed to gold, the dollar and other safe havens.

- Reuters

5:46 p.m. ET

Canada and Western allies expel some Russian banks from global SWIFT pay system

Canada and key Western allies said they are taking steps to block Russia’s access to the SWIFT international payment system in further punitive action against Moscow for its ongoing military assault on Ukraine.

The move deals a blow to Russian trade and makes it harder for Russian companies to do business. SWIFT, or the “Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication,” is a secure messaging network that facilitates rapid cross-border payments, making it a crucial mechanism for international trade.

The sanctions, agreed with the United States, France, Canada, Italy, Great Britain and the European Commission, also include limiting the ability of Russia’s central bank to support the ruble.

The SWIFT measure comes one day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly called for Russia to be cut off from the international payment system.

The European Union, led by Germany, had been the most opposed. The EU trades significantly with Moscow, including importing Russian oil, gas and wheat, and making payments through SWIFT.

The SWIFT international payments system said on Saturday it was preparing to implement Western nations’ new measures targeting certain Russian banks in coming days.

Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, said in a statement on Twitter that the new sanctions are aimed at sabotaging Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack.

- Steven Chase and Robert Fife

5:15 p.m. ET

Poland opens its arms and heart to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion

Open this photo in gallery:

After initially hesitating to mass-mobilize in support of refugees, Poland has opened its arms and hearts to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion. The Polish government said that more than 115,000 Ukrainians have entered the country. Most came through Przemysl, the largest city next to the border.

Two days ago, only one city official and a handful of volunteers, mainly from the local Ukrainian cultural centre, were on hand to help hundreds of refugees who arrived from Lviv and Kyiv. There was hardly any food available and only a scattering of folding beds.

By Saturday, the centre was teeming with activity and full of tables loaded with donated food, water, sandwiches, snacks and children’s toys. At one point a truck arrived with boxes of baked goods, and several volunteers moved among the refugees offering free rides across Poland and throughout the European Union. Several city officials were working feverishly to prepare for more than 8,000 refugees who were expected Saturday night.

- Paul Waldie in Przemysl, Poland

5:02 p.m. ET

Anti-war sentiment grows in Russia despite arrests

More and more Russians are speaking out against the invasion, even as the government’s official rhetoric grew increasingly harsher.

Small street protests resumed in Moscow, the second-largest city of St. Petersburg and other Russian cities for the third straight day, with people taking to the streets despite mass detentions on Thursday and Friday. According to OVD-Info, a rights group that tracks political arrests, at least 460 people in 34 cities were detained over anti-war protests on Saturday, including over 200 in Moscow.

- The Associated Press

3:21 p.m. ET

UN Security Council plans vote to call General Assembly meeting on Ukraine

The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Sunday to call for a rare emergency special session of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which would be held on Monday, diplomats said.

The vote by the 15-member council is procedural so none of the five permanent council members - Russia, China, France, Britain and the United States - can wield their vetoes. The move needs nine votes in favor and is likely to pass, diplomats said.

Only 10 such emergency special sessions of the General Assembly have been convened since 1950.

The request for a session on Ukraine comes after Russia vetoed on Friday a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would have deplored Moscow’s invasion. China, India and UAE abstained, while the remaining 11 members voted in favor.

- Reuters

3:21 p.m. ET

Sweden joins Poland in boycotting Russia in the World Cup

Poland’s refusal to play its World Cup qualifier against Russia next month in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine gained wider support when Sweden followed with its own plans to protest to FIFA on Saturday.

Sweden, a potential opponent of Russia in next month’s playoffs, declared its national team would not play a match against the Russians regardless of where it takes place.

“The illegal and deeply unjust invasion of Ukraine currently makes all football fixtures with Russia impossible,” said Karl-Erik Nilsson, the Swedish federation’s chairman. “We therefore urge FIFA to decide that the playoff matches in March in which Russia participates will be canceled.”

The winner of the Poland-Russia match is due to host Sweden or the Czech Republic on Mar. 29 for a place at the World Cup being played in Qatar from Nov. 21-Dec. 18.

-The Associated Press

3:19 p.m. ET

Zelensky says he’s open for talks with Russia in video message

Zelensky said in a video message that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev offered to help organize talks with Russia.

Zelensky also said he and Erdogan “agree that a ban on the passage of Russian warships into the Black Sea is very important today,” adding that “it has been done.” Turkey, however, hasn’t announced any ban for Russian warships to move through Turkish Straits following Erdogan’s talk with Zelensky.

The Ukrainian president offered Friday to negotiate a key Russian demand: that Ukraine declare itself neutral and abandon its ambition of joining NATO. But movement to actually advance any diplomacy has appeared to sputter.

-The Associated Press

3:06 p.m. ET

Germany to send anti-tank weapons to Ukraine

In a significant shift, the German government confirmed Saturday that it has approved the shipment of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine and supports some restrictions of the SWIFT global banking system for Russia.

The German economy and climate ministry said in a statement that Germany is allowing the Netherlands to ship 400 German-made anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.

Germany had long stuck to a policy of not exporting deadly weapons to conflict zones, including Ukraine. As recently as Friday, government officials said they would abide by that policy.

-The Associated Press

2:57 p.m. ET

Russia’s propaganda machine wages information warfare over Ukraine

With Russia’s troops dying in fierce battles against Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, Moscow is choking the flow of outside information to Russian citizens and filling the void with news reports of sunny successes in a conflict that, official Kremlin narratives say, is not a war.

Russia’s official narrative, which its media have been ordered to transmit, is that it is performing a necessary liberation of Ukraine, with a military operation that has spared civilians and secured the “peaceful surrender” of cities like Melitopol, in the country’s east.

In reality, Russian forces have encountered intense fighting across Ukraine that has limited their advances and exacted a heavy toll in lost armour and lives – including in Melitopol, which British officials said Saturday had not actually been captured by Russia.

- Nathan VanderKlippe in Chisinau, Moldova

12:52 p.m. ET

Expel Russia’s envoy from Canada, recall ours from Moscow, Conservatives urge Trudeau

Open this photo in gallery:

Canada should expel Russia’s ambassador in Ottawa, recall his Canadian counterpart in Moscow and revoke any broadcasting licenses for state-funded Russian media such as the Russia Today television network, the Conservative Party urged the Trudeau government on Saturday. Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen called the Russian invasion “a serious violation of international law and our collective humanity,” The Globe and Mail’s Steven Chase reports. She added that Canada’s response should include a rethink of defence policy in the Arctic:

- Globe staff

11:45 a.m. ET

Who’s laughing now? Zelensky’s journey from TV comic to wartime president

When President Volodymyr Zelensky issued another of his signature selfie videos from Kyiv on Saturday, it was a new performance in a role few people could have imagined for him three years ago: National hero. When he first ran for office in 2019, he was best known as a TV actor whose native Russian language raised whispers about whether his allegiances were really with Moscow. Now, no one doubts what side he’s on, The Globe’s Mark MacKinnon reports in a profile of the comedian-turned-president.

Saturday morning’s video, which got three million Instagram views in an hour, promised Ukrainians that Mr. Zelensky was in Kyiv to stay and the country’s armed forces would not give up:

-Globe staff

Open this photo in gallery:

10:43 a.m. ET

Anti-war protests around the world call for action against Moscow

Thousands of people rallied in cities around the world on Saturday, with protesters – including many Ukrainians living abroad – in Sydney, London, Nicosia, Berlin, Athens, Helsinki, Madrid and Milan calling on governments to do more to help Ukraine punish Russia and avoid a broader conflict.

Hundreds demonstrated in the square in front of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, carrying signs that said things such as “Make Ukraine a member of NATO now” and “Say no to Putin.” A rally that organizers estimated numbered 20,000 people was held in the Swiss capital of Bern.

In Russia, antiwar campaigners have voiced their anger in defiance of warnings from the authorities. Police on Thursday detained more than 1,600 Russian protesters.

- Reuters

10:25 a.m. ET

Video: Missile strikes Kyiv apartment block

9:14 a.m. ET

Kyiv to start curfew Saturday night until Monday, mayor’s office says

Kyiv’s mayor has imposed a curfew that will last from Saturday evening until Monday morning without breaks, his office said in a statement. It clarified an announcement earlier in the day that suggested the curfew would last from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m. every day. The rules are necessary “for more effective defence of the capital and security of its residents,” the statement said.

- Reuters

7:41 a.m. ET

Poland boycotts World Cup soccer qualifier against Russia

Poland will not play its World Cup soccer qualifier against Russia next month because of “the escalation of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine,” the president of Poland’s Football Association, Cezary Kulesza, said Saturday.

Russia is scheduled to play Poland in the semifinals of its strand of the playoffs on March 24 and, if its team advances, would be host to either Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 in the Path B final. Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic on Thursday released a joint statement saying Russia should not be allowed to host the qualifiers, but Poland is the first to refuse to play Russia at all, risking effectively withdrawing from the World Cup. Mr. Kulesza said the association was in talks with its Swedish and Czech counterparts regarding the March playoff matches.

Polish national team players expressed their support for the decision. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, whose wife was born in Ukraine, didn’t mince words on Instagram: “I refuse to play against players who choose to represent the values and principles of Russia. I refuse to take part in a sporting event that legitimates the actions of the Russian government.”

7:34 a.m. ET

For German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, war in Ukraine is a political baptism by fire

Open this photo in gallery:

As the Russia-Ukraine standoff reached a crisis point late last year, Olaf Scholz – a politician few outside his native Germany had ever heard of – was just taking over Angela Merkel’s job as chancellor of Europe’s largest economy. Seemingly indifferent to the Ukraine situation at first, he was accused of being the “weak link” in the anti-Putin alliance. But his decision to stall the certification process for the Russian-built Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline has now struck a major blow to the Putin regime’s energy ambitions in Europe.

Eric Reguly, The Globe’s European bureau chief, took a deeper look at where Mr. Scholz came from and how he has responded to the Russian threat.

- Globe staff

6:52 a.m. ET

France seizes cargo ship ‘strongly suspected’ of ties to sanctioned Russian company

Open this photo in gallery:

French sea police seized a ship on Saturday that is “strongly suspected” to belong to a Russian company targeted by European sanctions, Captain Veronique Magnin of the French Maritime Prefecture told Reuters. The ship, carrying cars and bound for St. Petersburg, was diverted to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France, Capt. Magnin said.

French newspaper La Voix Du Nord first reported the news and identified the vessel as Baltic Leader, which, according to marinetraffic.com, sails under a Russian flag. It is mentioned in a U.S. Treasury Department document about recent sanctions, which linked it to a Russian leasing company. Russia’s TASS state news agency quoted the leasing company as saying the vessel had been sold before sanctions were imposed on its parent, Promsvyazbank.

The Russian embassy in France is seeking an explanation from authorities over the seizure, Russia’s RIA news agency quoted the embassy as saying.

- Reuters

6:46 a.m. ET

‘Russia. Bombs. Ukraine.’ Full stop

4:05 a.m. ET

Ukrainian city of Melitopol not in Russian hands: British minister

Russian forces have not captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, British minister James Heappey said Saturday, adding that it was Britain’s assessment that Russia has so far failed to capture any of its day-one targets for its invasion of Ukraine. “Even Melitopol, which the Russians are claiming to have taken but we can’t see anything to substantiate that, are all still in Ukrainian hands,” Mr. Heappey, the undersecretary of state for the armed forces, told BBC radio.

Mr. Heappey said British Defence Minister Ben Wallace had chaired a meeting with 25 other countries on Friday which all agreed to provide further military or humanitarian aid to Ukraine. He said those nations would work together to see how that could be delivered, but he was confident that they could get more weapons and medical supplies to Ukrainian forces.

- Reuters

3:50 a.m. ET

At least 198 Ukrainians killed in Russian invasion

At least 198 Ukrainians, including three children, have been killed as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the head of the Ukrainian Health Ministry was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying on Saturday. He said 1,115 people were wounded, including 33 children. It was unclear whether he was referring only to civilian casualties.

2:14 a.m. ET

Poland, Lithuania and Germany to discuss sanctions on Russia

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Saturday to discuss sanctions on Russia, Polish government spokesperson Piotr Muller said on Twitter. “The European Union must immediately adopt a package of ruthlessly harsh sanctions against Russia,” said Muller, who did not give the time of the meeting.

- Reuters

2:10 a.m. ET

Russia claims to have captured Melitopol

Russian forces captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol on Saturday, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported, a claim disputed by British armed forces minister James Heappey. Mr. Heappey told BBC radio that Britain did not believe Russian forces had captured the southeastern Ukrainian city. “All of Russia’s day one objectives … and even Melitopol, which the Russians are claiming to have taken but we can’t see anything to substantiate that, are all still in Ukrainian hands,” he said.

Ukrainian officials were not immediately available for comment on the fate of Melitopol, a city of about 150,000 people. If confirmed, it would be the first significant population centre the Russians have seized since their invasion began on Thursday.

Open this photo in gallery:

1:30 a.m. ET

Russian, Ukrainian forces clash in streets of Kyiv

Russian and Ukrainian forces clashed in Kyiv on Saturday as authorities urged citizens to help defend the city. Heavy, frequent artillery fire and intense gunfire, apparently some distance from the city centre, could be heard, a witness in Kyiv said.

The Ukrainian military said Russian troops attacked an army base on a main avenue but the assault was repelled. Gunfire was heard after dawn near government buildings in the city centre, a witness said. The air force command reported heavy fighting near an air base at Vasylkiv southwest of the capital, which it said was under attack from Russian paratroopers. As dawn broke in Kyiv, it was not immediately clear how far the soldiers had advanced. Skirmishes reported on the edge of the city suggested that small Russian units were probing Ukrainian defenses to clear a path for the main forces.

Ukraine’s military reported shooting down an II-76 Russian transport plane carrying paratroopers near Vasylkiv, a city 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Kyiv, an account confirmed by a senior American intelligence official. A second Russian military transport plane was shot down near Bila Tserkva, 50 miles (85 kilometers) south of Kyiv, according to two American officials with direct knowledge of conditions on the ground in Ukraine. The Russian military has not commented on either plane.

- Reuters and Associated Press

12:20 a.m. ET

Biden approves $350-million in military aid for Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden instructed the State Department to release $350-million in military aid to Ukraine on Friday as it struggles to repulse the Russian invasion. In a memorandum to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Biden directed that $350-million allocated through the Foreign Assistance Act be designated for Ukraine’s defence.

Friday, Feb. 25, 11:51 p.m. ET

China’s embassy in Ukraine reverses advice for citizens to identify themselves amid backlash

Days after encouraging people to put Chinese flags on their cars if they were travelling, China’s embassy in Ukraine is now warning citizens in the country not to “display identifying signs.”

The advice comes amid unconfirmed reports on social media of a backlash against Chinese in Ukraine after Beijing publicly backed Russia’s invasion of the country.

On Friday night, Beijing’s representative abstained from a vote at the United Nations Security Council condemning Moscow’s actions. Earlier in the day, President Xi Jinping had a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in which Mr. Xi urged negotiation with Kyiv but also acknowledged Russia’s “legitimate security concerns.”

Some 6,000 Chinese citizens live in Ukraine, according to the embassy, which earlier said there were charter flights available for those trying to leave the country.

- James Griffiths in Hong Kong

11:44 p.m. ET

Meta to bar Russian state media from running ads, monetizing on platform

Meta Platforms Inc. is barring Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on its platform anywhere in the world, the parent company of social media giant Facebook said on Friday. “We also continue to apply labels to additional Russian state media,” its security policy head, Nathaniel Gleicher, said on Twitter. “These changes have already begun rolling out and will continue into the weekend.”

- Reuters

10:20 p.m. ET

Ukraine says two commercial ships hit by Russian missiles near Odesa port

Ukraine said Russian warships shelled a Moldovan-flagged chemical tanker and a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship due to load grain near Odesa port in the Black Sea.

Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry said that the Moldovan-flagged vessel, the Millennial Spirit, was carrying 600 tonnes of diesel at the time of the attack from a Russian military ship. Earlier Friday, Moldova’s naval agency said the crew of the Millennial Spirit was Russian and that two of them had been seriously injured.

According to the Ukrainian ministry, the cargo ship Namura Queen was also hit by Russian missiles on Friday.

-Reuters

10:16 p.m. ET

How teachers are helping students make sense of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

At a Ukrainian Saturday school in Oakville, Ont., students typically learn about their culture, participate in dance lessons and study the language. This weekend, however, classes at Oakville Ridna Shkola will have a more sombre tone: The younger children will write letters to soldiers and high-school students will listen to a guest speaker’s lecture about misinformation and how to find reliable sources of news about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We want them to have an understanding of what the real facts are, what is really happening. And the most important thing is to distinguish between the true information and fake information,” said Oksana Levytska, principal at the school.

Oakville Ridna Shkola is one of many institutions across the country that are providing spaces for young people to share how they feel during an uncertain time. Educators are balancing the possibility of spreading fear among students with the benefits of helping them understand the events unfolding in Ukraine.

-Caroline Alphonso