Via CNN:
Nearly a week since Russia began its invasion, President Vladimir Putin’s troops have occupied several of Ukraine’s border regions and are stepping up attacks on Kyiv.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Biden’s address: US President Joe Biden condemned Russia’s invasion in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, saying the US would close its airspace to Russian aircraft and launch an investigation into Russian oligarchs. But he reiterated the US would not deploy troops to Ukraine.
- Kyiv battered: The Ukrainian capital came under rocket fire on Tuesday, with a Holocaust memorial and a maternity clinic hit hours after the Russian military warned of “high-precision strikes” and told civilians nearby to flee. Rockets also took out broadcasting hardware, raising fears that Russia is attempting to knock out the city’s communications infrastructure.
- Cities overwhelmed: Russian forces also attacked other key cities, scaling up bombardment of Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, in the northeast and breaking through a heavily contested port city in the south. The Russian military appears to have taken central Kherson, a strategically important city north of the Crimean peninsula. Crimea has been held by Russia since annexation in 2014.
- Death toll: The UN said at least 136 people, including 13 children, have been killed in Ukraine since the invasion began, though the true toll is likely much higher. Ukraine’s Interior Ministry reported higher figures on Sunday, saying 352 civilians had died and 1,684 had been injured since the Russian invasion.
- Zelensky to CNN: In an exclusive interview with CNN and Reuters from a bunker, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged President Biden to deliver a strong and “useful” message about the Russian invasion during his State of the Union speech. Asked if he felt Ukraine was wasting its time by talking with Russia, he said: “We’ll see.” Separately, Zelensky made an impassioned plea to European leaders on Tuesday to grant Ukraine immediate membership to the EU.
- Russia-Ukraine talks: Officials from both countries met on Monday for the first time since the invasion began. Russian state media reported that a second round of talks will happen Wednesday, but Ukrainian officials have yet to confirm this.
