Russian President Vladimir Putin's "special military operation” into Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with troops crossing the border from Belarus and Russia. Moscow's forces have since been met with “stiff resistance” from Ukrainians, according to U.S. officials.
Russian forces retreated last week from the Kyiv suburbs, leaving behind a trail of destruction. After graphic images emerged of civilians lying dead in the streets of Bucha, U.S. and European officials accused Russian troops of committing war crimes.
A look at the two leaders at the center of the war in Ukraine and how they both rose to power, the difference in their leadership and what led to this moment in history.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Mar 24, 2022, 11:00 AM EDT
Lavrov's stepdaughter among those targeted by latest UK sanctions on Russia
The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on another 33 people and 26 legal entities from Russia on Thursday.
Various Russian banks, including Gazprombank and Alfa-Bank, and Russian paramilitary organization the Wagner Group, were targeted, as well as Polina Kovaleva, the stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Kovaleva reportedly owns a house in London. The assets of these persons and legal entities will be frozen under the sanctions, according to a document published by the U.K. Treasury's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.
The document noted that this latest wave of sanctions were meant to target "key strategic industries and individuals," as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its second month.
Mar 24, 2022, 10:40 AM EDT
Putin has record month of international calls
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a record number of international telephone calls over the past month, according to the Kremlin.
The most calls -- eight -- were placed to French President Emmanuel Macron. Others on the list include leaders of Germany, Israel, India, Turkey, Luxembourg, Uzbekistan, Armenia and the European Council. There were also negotiations with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Finland, Bahrain, Senegal, Abu Dhabi, South Africa, Egypt, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, Syria, Iran and China, according to the Kremlin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting in Moscow, Russia, March 2, 2022.
Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via Reuters
Mar 24, 2022, 10:08 AM EDT
Russia says talks with Ukraine continue virtually
Russia said Thursday that peace talks with Ukraine are continuing and are being held via video conference.
"Negotiations by the Russian and Ukrainian delegations on a draft treaty on the settlement of the situation in Ukraine, its neutrality and guarantees of its security are currently ongoing via video-conferencing. Military, political, and humanitarian aspects are being discussed," Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during a press briefing.
"We hope that Kyiv will still come to realize the inevitability of a peaceful solution to the problem of demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, its transformation into a neutral state," she added. "The sooner representatives of the Kyiv regime understand this, the sooner the special military operation will be completed."
Mar 24, 2022, 10:00 AM EDT
Ukraine accuses Russia of forcibly deporting Mariupol residents
Ukraine claimed Thursday that residents of Mariupol who have survived Russian bombardment are now being forcibly deported to Russia.
"The Russian Federation has launched a new phase of terror against the city of Mariupol," the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. "According to available information, the Russian army has forcibly deported about 6,000 Mariupol residents to Russian filtration camps in order to use them as hostages for political pressure on Ukraine."
"At the same time, the Russian armed forces are firing on evacuation columns trying to leave Mariupol for the unoccupied territory of Ukraine," the ministry added. "Russian troops continue to hold a humanitarian convoy of buses that arrived a few days ago from Mariupol from Zaporizhia."
Children play in front of a building damaged in fighting during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in the besieged southern port of Mariupol, Ukraine, March 23, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters
According to the ministry, some 15,000 residents of the besieged port city in southeastern Ukraine are in danger of being forcibly deported to Russia, with Russian troops confiscating peoples' passports and other identification documents.
"Such actions by Russia are a gross violation of the laws or customs of war, the rules of international humanitarian law," the ministry said.
The ministry called on world leaders to "take urgent action to save the lives of residents of Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities who have been in an inhumane siege by the Russian army."
"The international community must impose new tough sanctions on Russia to stop its deadly military machine, as well as cut off all business ties with Russian companies to stop funding Russia's war against Ukraine," the ministry said.
