This has been CNBC's live blog covering updates on the war in Ukraine. [Follow the latest updates here.]
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked other nations to ban Russian energy exports, which he said are enabling Moscow's invasion of his country.
"Oil is one of the two sources of Russian self-confidence, their sense of impunity," he said in the late night address. "Another source — gas — will also be shut down over time. It's just inevitable."
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Zelenskyy late Friday emphasized the need for a war crimes tribunal for Russia and for more weapons support to Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, where he pledged more military and financial support to the embattled country. London is sending armored vehicles and anti-ship missile systems ahead of an expected Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Russian forces are concentrating their efforts in the country's east as thousands of people try to flee the region. Russian air attacks over Ukraine's south and east are expected to increase in the coming days, though it continues to face stiff Ukrainian resistance.
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Several world leaders have fiercely condemned a missile attack on an eastern Ukrainian train station in Kramatorsk that killed at least 52 people, with the EU introducing new sanctions on Russian individuals.
Zelenskyy renews call for immediate embargo on Russian oil, says Ukraine can't wait
Ukraine's president has renewed calls for the "whole civilized world" to immediately ban Russian oil as "Ukraine does not have time to wait."
In his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: "Action must be taken immediately... And the oil embargo should be the first step."
It must be carried out "at the level of all democracies, the whole civilized world," he said. "Then Russia will feel it. Then it will be an argument for them — to seek peace, to stop pointless violence."
Zelenskyy has been pressing world leaders to impose a full embargo on Russian energy for weeks now.
"Oil is one of the two sources of Russian self-confidence, their sense of impunity," he said in the late night address. "Another source — gas — will also be shut down over time. It's just inevitable."
But the Ukrainian leader stressed the urgency, saying that "Ukraine does not have time to wait. Freedom does not have time to wait."
— Joanna Tan
Zelenskyy calls on other countries to follow UK on increasing aid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Western nations to increase their support for the embattled country after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged more military and financial aid.
The two leaders met in Kyiv earlier in the day, leading Britain to increase support for the country.
"It's time to impose a full embargo on Russian energy, to increase the supply of all weapons to us," Zelenskyy said.
—Jessica Bursztynsky
Fragments of a Russian military helicopter near Makariv
Ukrainian servicemen inspected the fragments of a Russian military helicopter Mi-8 near Makariv, Kyiv area, Ukraine, Saturday, April 9, 2022.
— Getty Images
Zelenskyy renews plea for countries to send more weapons
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is committed to pressing for peace despite Russian attacks on civilians that have stunned the world, and he renewed his plea for countries to send more weapons ahead of an expected surge in fighting in the country's east.
"No one wants to negotiate with a person or people who tortured this nation. It's all understandable. And as a man, as a father, I understand this very well," Zelenskyy said. But "we don't want to lose opportunities, if we have them, for a diplomatic solution."
Despite hopes for peace, Zelenskyy acknowledged that he must be "realistic" about the prospects for a swift resolution given that negotiations have so far been limited to low-level talks that do not include Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He displayed a palpable sense of resignation and frustration when asked whether the supplies of weapons and other equipment his country has received from the United States and other Western nations was enough to turn the tide of the war.
"Not yet," he said, switching to English for emphasis. "Of course it's not enough."
Still, he noted that there has been increased support from Europe and said deliveries of U.S. weapons have been accelerating.
— Associated Press
Ukraine exchanges prisoners with Russia
Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange with Russia that included 12 of the country's soldiers and 14 civilians, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in an online post Saturday.
Vereshchuk said it was the third such exchange to have taken place between the countries. She did not say how many Russians were released.
— Michael Wayland
More people flee eastern Ukraine as officials warn of stepped-up Russian attacks
Civilian evacuations moved forward in patches of battle-scarred eastern Ukraine on Saturday, a day after a missile strike killed at least 52 people and wounded more than 100 at a train station where thousands clamored to leave before an expected Russian onslaught.
In the wake of the attack in Kramatorsk, several European leaders made efforts to show solidarity with Ukraine, with the Austrian chancellor and British prime minister visiting Kyiv — the capital city that Russia failed to capture and where troops retreated days ago.
Ukrainian authorities have called on civilians to get out ahead of an imminent, stepped-up offensive by Russian forces in the east. With trains not running out of Kramatorsk on Saturday, panicked residents boarded buses or looked for other ways to leave, fearing the kind of unrelenting assaults and occupations by Russian invaders that delivered food shortages, demolished buildings and death to other cities elsewhere in Ukraine.
— Associated Press
Britain will send armored vehicles, anti-ship missiles to Ukraine
Britain is increasing its military support to Ukraine following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
The new assistance includes 120 armored vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems. London will also guarantee an additional $500 million (385 million pounds) in World Bank lending to Ukraine, increasing Britain's total loan guarantee to up to $1 billion.
The increased support is in addition to the roughly $130 million (100 million pounds) worth of military equipment announced by Britain on Friday that included anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles, and high-tech loitering munitions for precision strikes.
The UK will also relax tariffs on most imports from Ukraine.
— Michael Wayland
Johnson vows more aid to Ukraine, warns Putin will intensify pressure in the east
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is promising more aid to Ukraine, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin will intensify pressure in the eastern Donbas region after Moscow withdrew its forces from the areas surrounding Kyiv.
Johnson, speaking at a press conference with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, said Britain will give Ukraine "the economic support but also of course the defensive military support" it needs. Britain is also promising to ratchet up economic pressure on Russia by freezing bank assets, sanctioning oligarchs, and moving away from using the country's hydrocarbons.
Johnson condemned Putin's actions, while praising Zelenskyy and Ukrainians for their bravery "in defying the appalling aggression that we have seen."
Zelenskyy said he was "grateful" for Johnson's visit, calling it "a true reflection of the decisive and significant support" that he wishes other Western countries would follow.
-- Michael Wayland
Diplomats returning to Kyiv to show support
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer says the Austrian embassy staff will return to Kyiv from western Ukraine.
The Austria Press Agency reported that Nehammer announced the move during a visit on Saturday to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Nehammer said that "since the situation around Kyiv has now stabilized somewhat, the Austrian embassy's team will resume its work in the Ukrainian capital." He said it's a sign of Austria's "full support for Ukraine at this very difficult time."
The team had been moved at the beginning of the war to an outpost in Uzhhorod, near the Slovak border in Ukraine's far west.
The European Union also has returned its ambassador to Kyiv and Italy also reportedly plans to reopen its embassy there.
— Associated Press
IMF creates secure way to funnel Ukraine aid
The International Monetary Fund has created an account to give donor countries a secure way to funnel financial assistance directly to war-ravaged Ukraine.
The multilateral lender said in a statement Friday that it's launching the account at the request of several member countries.
The goal is to help Ukraine meet its payment obligations and help stabilize its economy using loans or grants from pooled resources.
The IMF says Canada has proposed routing up to 1 billion Canadian dollars ($795 million) to Ukraine through the new account.
Two weeks after Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, the IMF approved a $1.4 billion emergency loan to Ukraine.
— Associated Press
S&P downgrades Russia's ability to repay foreign debt
S&P Global Ratings has downgraded its assessment of Russia's ability to repay foreign debt, in a sign that Moscow could default on such loans for the first time in more than a century.
The downgrade came after Russia arranged to make foreign bond payments in rubles last week when they were due in dollars.
S&P expects sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine to increase, making it harder for the country to honor its foreign debts.
— Associated Press
Putin could use Biden's support for Ukraine in new campaign to interfere with American politics
Russian President Vladimir Putin could use the Biden administration's support for Ukraine in a new campaign to interfere in American politics, according to U.S. intelligence officials, the AP has reported.
There are no signs yet of the kind of interference seen by Russia in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, officials say.
Yet they say Putin sees the United State's support of Ukraine's resistance as an affront to him, and an incentive to target another election.
— Associated Press
At least 1,766 civilians killed in war, UN says
At least 1,766 civilians, including 139 children, have been killed in Ukraine since Russia began its invasion, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
An additional 2,383 people, including 215 children, have been injured from Feb. 24 to April 8, the agency added.
The agency expects the actual figures to be "considerably higher." It's been difficult for officials to determine the extent of injuries and deaths in areas with heavy fighting or that have been taken over by Russian forces.
The bulk of the injuries have been caused by the use of explosive weapons with a "wide impact area," such as shelling from heavy artillery and missile and air strikes, the agency said.
—Jessica Bursztynsky
U.S. restricts Russian and Belarussian access to foreign imports of fertilizer, valves
Washington has added more items to its list of restricted exports to Russia and Belarus, cutting the countries' access to imports of fertilizer and pipe valves.
The Biden administration also restricted flights of U.S.-made aircraft that are owned, controlled or leased by Belarusians from flying to Belarus "as part of the U.S. government's response to Belarus's actions in support of Russia's aggressive conduct in Ukraine."
The measures followed the latest raft of sanctions introduced by Washington on Wednesday hitting several Russian banks and individuals, in response to Russian forces' atrocities against civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
— Natasha Turak
Global donors pledge 9.1 billion euros to support Ukrainian refugees
Donors including the Canadian government and the European Commission on Saturday pledged a combined 9.1 billion euros in donations, loans and grants to support refugees fleeing the war following Russia's invasion.
The fundraising event in Warsaw, Poland, yielded 1.8 billion euros to support internally displaced people inside Ukraine, and 7.3 billion euros for refugees who have fled the country to neighboring states.
Governments, companies and individuals together pledged 4.1 billion euros in donations, which will be distributed largely via the Ukrainian authorities or the United Nations.
The remaining 5 billion euros were loans and grants from EU financial institutions - including a 4 billion euro program to help provide housing, education and healthcare for refugees arriving in EU countries.
"We stand by your side, be it now in the times of war, be it with the refugees, but most importantly after this war has been won by Ukraine, for the time for reconstruction and rebuilding the country," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who visited Kyiv on Friday and co-hosted the event with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
More than 4 million people have now fled Ukraine to seek shelter in EU countries, while 6.5 million people have fled their homes but remain inside Ukraine, the European Commission said.
— Reuters
European Commission pledges 1 billion euros to support Ukraine
The European Commission will pledge 1 billion euros to support Ukraine and countries receiving refugees fleeing the war following Russia's invasion, the president of the EU's executive, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Saturday.
"Six hundred million of those will go to Ukraine, to the Ukrainian authorities and partially to the United Nations," von der Leyen said at a fundraising event for Ukraine in Waraw, Poland.
"And 400 million euros will go to the frontline states that are doing such an outstanding job and helping the refugees that are coming," she said.
—Reuters
UK PM Boris Johnson meets with Zelenskyy in Kyiv
British PM Boris Johnson's office said he has traveled to Ukraine to meet with President Zelenskyy to show solidarity, the Associated Press reported. The visit was not announced in advance.
The Facebook page of Andriy Sybiha, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, posted a photo which showed Johnson and Zelenskyy sitting across from each other at a table. with the flags of their respective countries next to them.
"Right now Boris Johnson's visit to Kiev began with a tet-a-tet meeting with President Zelensky. Great Britain leader in defense support of Ukraine. The leader in the anti-war coalition. Leader in sanctions on Russian aggressor," a translated version of the Facebook post said.
The Ukrainian Embassy in London shared the photo on their Facebook page with the caption "#StrongerTogether."
The two leaders meeting Saturday will discuss the "UK's long term support to Ukraine" including a new package of financial and military aid, the prime minister's office said, AP reported.
— Annie Nova and Riya Bhattacharjee
EU ambassador returns to Kyiv, announces more military aid
The European Union's ambassador has returned to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv after his delegation's evacuation from the country on Feb. 24, when Russian forces first invaded the country.
"Our delegation is coming back, the EU is coming back to Kyiv, and I am sure that other delegations and embassies from member states will follow," Josep Borrell, the EU high representative for foreign affairs, said. He made the announcement during a visit to Kyiv and also outlined plans to provide another 500 million euros in military aid to Ukraine.
The EU delegation in Ukraine had been moved to Poland since the invasion began. Borrell said he expected other countries would return to the country as well.
— Natasha Turak
Ukrainian farmers begin spring sowing season in Zaporizhzhya
With mounting food shortages as Russian aggression continues, Ukrainian farmers begin the spring sowing season in Zaporizhzhya.
— Getty Images
Italy to reopen embassy in Kyiv, reports say
Italy's foreign minister has reportedly told staff that Italy will reopen its embassy in the Ukrainian capital after Easter.
News agency ANSA quoted Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Saturday as telling his ministry's crisis unit that Italy "will be among the first to return" to Kyiv.
He called it "another gesture to demonstrate support for the Ukrainian population, a concrete way to affirm that diplomacy must prevail."
Di Maio said the return would be coordinated with other European Union nations.
The EU itself announced the return of its ambassador on Friday. On Saturday, EU ambassador Matti Maasikas tweeted a picture of an EU flag atop a flagpole with the words "First things first."
— Associated Press
YouTube pulls Russian parliament channel, leading to Kremlin's outrage
Google's YouTube suspended broadcasts from the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, sparking ire from the Kremlin.
The technology giant said the move was in response to applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws. "If we find that an account violates our Terms of Service, we take appropriate action," a Google spokesperson confirmed in a statement.
But Russian officials, who are already upset with YouTube, called for the platform to reverse course. Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor called for YouTube to immediately reverse the decision.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called for users to transfer their video content to Russian platforms. Zakharova, in a translated Telegram post, said the company signed its own "warrant."
—Jessica Bursztynsky
Ukraine 'expects to be granted EU candidate status in June', minister says
Ukrainian minister Olga Stefanishyna says she expects Ukraine to be given European Union candidate country status in June.
Ukraine is "ready to move fast" with its application to become an EU member, Stefanishyna, who is Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said.
On Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged to offer Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a quicker start to Ukraine's bid to become a member of the European Union. The process typically takes years.
"It will not as usual be a matter of years to form this opinion but I think a matter of weeks," von der Leyen said. Zelenskyy said he would come back with answers in a week.
— Natasha Turak
U.K. pledges additional $130 million in military aid to Ukraine
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged an another £100 million ($130 million) in high-grade military equipment to Ukraine, which will include Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, a further 800 anti-tank missiles, and precision munitions capable of hovering in the sky until ready to fire at their target.
He also said Ukraine would be getting more helmets, body armor and night vision equipment, which will be added to the roughly 200,000 pieces of non-lethal military equipment already pledged from the U.K.
Johnson condemned Friday's rocket strike on the Kramatorsk train station that killed at least 52 people, saying that both the U.K. and Germany expressed "revulsion at the brutality being unleashed, including the unconscionable bombing of refugees fleeing their homes," and that the train station attack "shows the depths to which Putin's vaunted army has sunk.''
— Natasha Turak
Zelenskyy says train station attack must be part of future war crimes trial
The missile attack on a train station in Ukraine's eastern city of Kramatorsk that killed at least 52 people Friday must be part of a future war crimes tribunal for Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address late that night.
Kyiv and Washington have blamed Russia for the strike, detailing the type of missile used. Moscow has denied involvement.
"Like the massacre in Bucha, like many other Russian war crimes, the missile strike on Kramatorsk must be one of the charges at the tribunal, which is bound to happen," Zelenskyy said.
"All the efforts of the world will be aimed to establish every minute: who did what, who gave orders. Where did the rocket come from, who was carrying it, who gave the order and how the strike was coordinated," he said.
— Natasha Turak
Russian forces continue to strike eastern Ukraine, non-combatants: U.K. Ministry of Defence
Russian forces are continuing their missile strikes and air activity is expected to increase in Ukraine's south and east, though troops continue to face stiff Ukrainian resistance, the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence outlined in its daily security update on Twitter Saturday.
"Russia continues to hit Ukrainian non-combatants, such as those killed in yesterday's rocket strike on Kramatorsk railway station in eastern Ukraine," the post read.
"Russian operations continue to focus on the Donbas region, Mariupol and Mykolaiv, supported by continued cruise missile launches into Ukraine by Russian naval forces."
"Russian air activity is expected to increase in the south and east of Ukraine in support of this activity.
However, Russian ambitions to establish a land corridor between Crimea and the Donbas continue to be thwarted by Ukrainian resistance."
— Natasha Turak
Pentagon official says fighting in eastern Ukraine could be a 'knife fight'
Despite major losses, Russia still has a lot of manpower and that could drag on the conflict for a long time, a senior U.S. Defense official said.
"This will be a knife fight," the official said. "This could be very bloody and very ugly."
After failing to capture capital city Kyiv, Moscow is refocusing its efforts on eastern Ukraine, where Russia and Ukraine have fought for eight years.
"The Russians are limiting their geographic aims, but they still have a lot of combat power available. This could go on for a long time," the official said.
The official also said some of the Russian units that attacked Kyiv were "severely mauled."
"We've seen indications of some units that are literally ... eradicated — there's just nothing left at the BTG except a handful of troops and maybe a small number of vehicles," the official said.
Military developments in Ukraine remain difficult or impossible to confirm as the situation on the ground changes rapidly.
— Christine Wang
Ukrainians search for bodies in the devastation of Borodyanka
Ukrainian firefighters and volunteer rescue workers search for bodies in the rubble of a collapsed building in the town of Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv.
— Getty Images
E.U. imposes new sanctions on 216 Russians, including Putin's daughters
The European Union on Friday announced a sweeping new slate of individual sanctions targeting 216 Russian nationals and 18 entities. They include two of the adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska and Herman Gref, the CEO of Sberbank, Russia's largest lending bank.
Katerina Tikhonova and Mariya Putina (above), who are in their 30s, are rarely seen in public and almost never mentioned by their father.
The sanctions are part of a broader package of restrictions announced by the European bloc that includes a ban on imports of Russian coal set to take effect in August. This is the first time the EU has placed an embargo on Russian energy products, a controversial decision in a region that is highly dependent upon Russian oil, coal and gas.
Additionally, the EU imposed full blocking sanctions on four major Russian banks that together represent 23% of the Russian banking sector: VTB Bank, Sovcombank, Novikombank and Otkritie Bank (formerly known as NOMOS Bank).
Finally, the new sanctions bar Russian-flagged maritime vessels from docking in EU member state ports, although it includes a carveout for energy and agricultural shipments.
E.U. officials said the latest round of sanctions came in response to growing evidence of scores of atrocities committed by Russian soldiers against Ukrainian civilians, including rape, torture and execution-style killings.
— Christina Wilkie
Missile attack on Kramatorsk train station was Russian short-range missile, U.S. Defense official says
The devastating attack on the Kramatorsk railway station in eastern Ukraine was carried out by a Russian short-range ballistic missile fired from inside Ukraine, a senior U.S. Defense official said.
The strike killed dozens of people as civilians wait at train stations to flee the eastern part of the country.
The U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to share new details the Pentagon has gathered about the war, added that the U.S. believes the missile was a Russian OTR-21 Tochka, also known as an SS-21 "Scarab" missile. The SS-21 is a Russian-made mobile, short-range, single-warhead ballistic missile with a warhead payload of about 1,000 pounds.
The U.S. military has observed more than 1,500 Russian missile launches since the start of the war, according to the official. Russia has focused in particular on the coastal city of Mariupol.
Following the attack on the Kramatorsk train station, the Pentagon announced that it would reposition a Patriot missile battery in Slovakia to bolster air defense systems.
— Amanda Macias
