Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: List of key events from day seven

Russia’s military claims it has taken control of the strategically important city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, as the Ukrainian armed forces said Russian troops had landed in Ukraine’s second-biggest city of Kharkiv and triggered immediate clashes.

Below are the key events from Wednesday, March 2, the seventh day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:

Kherson

• Russia’s military claims to have taken full control of Kherson, a key Ukrainian port city on the Black Sea. Footage showed Russian forces and tanks in the city centre amid reports of erecting checkpoints surrounding the city.

Kharkiv fighting

• Russian paratroopers land in Ukraine’s second city amid heavy fighting. Ukrainian officials say a hospital has been attacked and the barracks of a flight school is on fire after an air raid.

Navalny urges Russians to protest

• Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny urges Russians to protest daily against the invasion of Ukraine, saying they should not be a “nation of frightened cowards”.

Biden brands Putin a ‘dictator’

• US President Joe Biden brands Vladimir Putin a “dictator” in his annual State of the Union address and announces a ban on Russian aircraft from using US airspace.

Russia urges Kyiv residents to flee

• Russia’s defence ministry urged Kyiv residents to flee and said it would strike unspecified areas used by Ukraine’s security services and communications. Russia describes its assault on Ukraine as a “special operation”, not an invasion seeking territory.

Armoured column

• A US official said a miles-long armoured column bearing down on the capital, Kyiv, had not made any advances in the past 24 hours, frozen in place by logistics problems, shortages of fuel and food, and perhaps pausing to reassess tactics.

Russia says it’s ready for more talks

• The Kremlin has said Russian officials are ready to hold a second round of talks with Ukraine, but added it was not clear if Ukrainian officials would turn up.

Civilians flee

• Nearly 875,000 people have now fled Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

UN court to hold war hearings

• The UN’s International Court of Justice says it will hold public hearings on March 7 and 8 over Ukraine’s allegations of “genocide” by Russia as the General Assembly is due to vote later on Wednesday on whether to order Russia to withdraw its troops.

Companies exit Russia

• A string of Western companies say they are freezing or scaling back business with Russia, including Apple, three of the world’s largest shipping companies and energy firms Eni, ExxonMobil and Boeing.

Nord Stream 2 goes under

• Russian-owned Nord Stream 2 goes insolvent after Germany halts the gas pipeline following Moscow’s invasion. The European subsidiary of Russia’s Sberbank is also preparing to enter insolvency.

Oil price soars

• Oil prices soar past $110 a barrel, despite International Energy Agency members agreeing to release 60m barrels from stockpiles.

World’s shipping lines halt Russian deliveries

• Danish shipping giant Maersk, Switzerland-based MSC and France’s CMA CGM say they will no longer take bookings for goods from Russia and will suspend most deliveries.

World Bank aid

• The World Bank has prepared a $3bn aid package for Ukraine, including at least $350m in immediate funds.

You can read key moments from Day 6 here.