Ukraine news from @bbcworldservice at 7 AM GMT on 6. March - for ways to listen viz embedded tweet, pls.
The White House says President Biden is working to secure additional funding for Kyiv, following a telephone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodomyr Zelensky. (cont.)
US economic, humanitarian and security assistance will be increased if voted for by Congress. Mr Biden is trying to secure ten billion dollars in emergency funding to respond to the crisis. The two leaders also discussed a possible extension of the sweeping economic sanctions
imposed on Russia. Those already in place have been sharply criticised by President Putin, who likened them to a declaration of war. Mr Biden has also welcomed the decision by the payment firms, Visa and Mastercard, to suspend their services in Russia.
Ukraine news on @bbcworldservice as on air at 6 AM GMT on the 9th day of the war - listen online bbcworldservice.com or on radiogarden or tunein radio app or on shortwave in #Ukraine
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The mayor of the (cont)
Ukrainian port city of Mariupol has said it is vital to release it from the Russian blockade that's left it in dire shortage of water, food and power. Using the Telegram app, Vadim Boychenko said the priority was a ceasefire; he repeated the need for a corridor (cont.)
to bring in food and medicine in the face of Russia's "ruthless" bombardments. Mariupol is home to nearly half a million people. There are unconfirmed reports of fresh fighting on Saturday in the north-eastern city of Sumy and (cont.)
Ukraine headlines from @bbcworldservice at 6 AM GMT - live updates bbcworldservice.com or shortwave radio in #Ukraine
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Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has accused Russia of resorting to (cont.)
"nuclear terror" after invading Russian forces fired on the country's biggest nuclear power station. Blazes broke out at the Zaporizhzhya plant in southern Ukraine, and in a video message Mr Zelensky warned of dire consequences for the whole of Europe
if these should lead to an explosion. That, he said, would be "the end for everyone". The fires didn't affect the facility's core buildings. The Ukrainian authorities say radiation levels have not risen and the plant is currently safe and accessible to emergency services.
The US Treasury has revealed that one of the 7 Russian officials targeted with sanctions is the head of the FSB security service, Alexander Bortnikov. It said the FSB was behind the attempt to murder the opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, with a nerve agent. (cont.) #bbcnews
US also tightening export controls on 14 firms involved in the production of biological and chemical agents. Also blacklisted are the federal prisons administrator, the head of the Kremlin's domestic policy directorate, and 2 dep defence ministers. Moscow has denounced the move
Washington's move was matched by the EU, which imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 4 top officials. With the FSB boss already targeted last October, Brussels today sanctioned the head of Russia's penal system, the prosecutor general and the commander of the national guard.
Navalny: You yourself must introduce yourself, according (to the procedure) order, are you Judge Okuneva?
Judge: Repnikova
Next judge Repnikova introducing the parties: Prosecutor Yekaterina Frolova, Head of Branch No. 15 of the Federal Penitentiary Service Alexander Yarmolin, Navalny's defenders Vadim Kobzev and Olga Mikhailova.
A Russian court has fined Yuliya Navalnaya, jailed opp politician Alexei @Navalny's wife, 260 dollars for taking part in nationwide protests on Sunday. She was among those detained near the Moscow prison where her husband is being held. #bbcnews (cont.)
Navalny's due in court on Tuesday, when prosecutors will ask the judge to activate a 3.5 year suspended sentence he was given for embezzlement in 2014. Mr Navalny's supporters have called for more protests outside the court. #bbcnews (cont)
The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, dismissed the demonstrators as hooligans and provocateurs. The European Court of Human Rights said four years ago that Russian courts had made arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable decisions in Mr Navalny's embezzlement case. #bbcnews