As it happened: Russia attacks Kyiv; Australia and US impose sanctions; flood warnings worsen in Queensland and NSW

Thanks for joining us throughout the day for our Russia-Ukraine live blog.

We will have a fresh blog starting up at midnight AEDT with Esther Han, so please switch over for the events and updates as afternoon arrives in Kyiv.

Before we go here are some of the major stories from today:

Russian forces face fierce resistance in Kyiv

‘He has lied’: Australia will slap direct sanctions on Putin

Marise Payne says expelling Russian diplomats is a ‘live option’

‘Help us stop this war’: Hundreds gather in Sydney in support of Ukraine

Ukraine’s comedian President steps into role of wartime leader

Thanks again for your comments and interaction today.

Bye for now.

The Czech Republic’s government has approved a plan to send more arms to Ukraine.

The Czech defence ministry said it is immediately sending machine guns, submachine guns, assault rifles and pistols together with ammunition worth 188 million Czech crowns ($11.8 million).

A man guards a checkpoint in Kyiv on Saturday.Credit: Emilio Morenatti / AP

The ministry said the Czechs will transport the weapons and deliver them to a place determined by the Ukrainian side.

The Czech Republic has already agreed to donate some 4000 pieces of artillery shells worth 36.6 million Czech crowns to Ukraine.

AP

Russia has declared war on Ukraine and launched a major offensive from three sides in the biggest attack on a European state since World War II.

On Thursday AEDT, just minutes after Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared on state television to announce the “special military operation”, explosions broke the pre-dawn quiet in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as well as its second-largest city, Kharkhiv, close to the Russian border in the north-east.

Smoke and flames rise during shelling near Kyiv.Credit: Reuters

At the time of writing, Russian forces had fired missiles at several Ukrainian cities and military centres, landed troops on its south coast from the Black Sea and seized the shuttered Chernobyl nuclear power plant, as more troops spilled over the northern borders with Russia and Belarus.

Many Ukrainian civilians and soldiers have already been killed, and Ukraine has vowed to fight to stop “a new Iron Curtain falling” in Europe, as a fresh wave of cyberattacks hit the country. Invading troops are now closing in on Kyiv. Many residents have taken shelter in metro stations deep underground, taking their sleeping bags and dogs with them, as explosions and gunfire ring out in the city above. Others have taken up arms.

Meanwhile, Western leaders have been moving to send aid to Ukraine and unleash tougher sanctions on Russia, including freezing the assets of President Vladimir Putin himself. NATO countries are ramping up their air, land and sea forces in eastern Europe, and Russians have taken to streets back home to protest the war with their neighbour.

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Newcastle Jets striker Beka Mikeltadze paid tribute to Ukraine after scoring a penalty against Western Sydney Wanderers in their A-League match on Saturday night.

Mikeltadze, a Georgian international, pulled out a bag from behind the goals and took out a T-shirt with a hand-drawn Ukraine flag and a heart in Ukraine blue and yellow which he and his teammates held aloft to the crowd.

Mikeltadze has previously played in Russia among other countries during his professional career.

The Jets and Macarthur finished in a 2-2 draw.

Britain’s defence ministry said on Saturday that the bulk of Russian forces involved in the advance on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv were now 30 kilometres from the city centre.

Britain, which earlier disputed Russian reports that Russian forces had captured the southeastern city of Melitopol, said the Ukrainian military was continuing to put up staunch resistance across the country.

Ukrainian soldiers walk past the debris of a burning military truck on a street in Kyiv, Ukraine on Saturday.Credit: AP

“Russian forces have continued their advance on Kyiv with the bulk of their forces now 30 km from the centre of the city,” the defence ministry said in an intelligence update posted on Twitter.

“Russia has yet to gain control of the airspace over Ukraine greatly reducing the effectiveness of the Russian Air Force. Russian casualties are likely to be heavy and greater than anticipated or acknowledged by the Kremlin,” it said.

Reuters

Russia’s credit rating was cut to junk by S&P Global Ratings, which joined Fitch Ratings in downgrading Ukraine amid an escalation of conflict in the region.

S&P lowered Russia to BB+, below investment grade, from BBB- late Friday and warned of further cuts, citing the “strong” international sanctions slapped on the country following its invasion of Ukraine. S&P also lowered Ukraine to B- from B.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin appears on a television screen at the stock market in Frankfurt, Germany on Friday.Credit: AP

Both countries were also put on review for downgrade at Moody’s Investors Service, which rates Russia Baa3, one notch above junk, and Ukraine at B3, six steps below investment grade.

Fitch took Ukraine’s level down to CCC from B, putting it seven steps below investment grade and on par with El Salvador and Ethiopia.

The war, which entered its third day on Saturday, has prompted the US and its allies to impose a swath of sanctions on Russia. President Joe Biden sanctioned Vladimir Putin and several key aides as Russian troops met opposition in Ukraine’s capital.

“The announced sanctions could have significant direct and second-round effects on economic and foreign trade activity, domestic resident confidence, and financial stability,” S&P said in a statement.

“We also expect geopolitical tensions to drag on private-sector confidence, weighing on growth.”

Bloomberg

Ukrainian interior minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on the world to “fully isolate Russia” as its invasion of Ukraine enters a third day.

Kuleba tweeted his view with a picture of a Kyiv residential building which Ukraine says was hit by a Russian missile overnight with an evacuation now underway.

Our picture editors have put together a gallery of images from the Russia-Ukraine conflict today.

Click here to see the gallery.

Pro-Russian supporters counterprotest in Sydney on Saturday. Credit: Rhett Wyman

Russia’s claims that its forces were met at Melitopol by pensioners waving red flags have been called into question after a video was posted online showing an elderly man, who identifies himself as Russian, berating the invading troops.

Turkish reporter Ragip Soylu shared the video via his Twitter account and said the man was speaking to the soldiers like they were children.

“Grandpa is reprimanding the Russian soldiers in Melitopol like they are children. ‘I’m also Russian. Don’t you have any problems in the state?’,” Solyu tweeted.

Poland will not play a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Russia next month because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a move that heaps pressure on FIFA to boot Russia out of qualifying.

If FIFA does kick Russia out of the World Cup, it will be the hardest sporting sanction issued to the nation since its invasion of Ukraine with the UEFA Champions League final being taken away from St Petersburg and a Formula 1 Grand Prix being stripped from Moscow.

Robert Lewandowski playing for Poland at the European Championships in 2021.Credit: AP

Poland Football Association president Cezary Kulesza said the association was in talks with its Swedish and Czech counterparts regarding playoff matches set for March to fill a slot for the World Cup.

“In light of the escalation of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine, the Polish national team is not going to play a match against Russian Republic,” Kulesza said on Twitter on Saturday.

“This is the only right decision. We are in talks with Swedish and Czech association to present a common position to FIFA.”

Russia is due to host Poland in the semi-finals of its strand of the World Cup playoffs on March 24 and, if its team advances, is scheduled to host either Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 in the Path B final.

With Reuters