KYIV, March 2, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Here are the latest developments in
Russia's war in Ukraine:

   - Kharkiv under siege -

   Russian airborne troops land in Ukraine's second city, sparking immediate
and "ongoing" fighting, the Ukrainian military says.

   - Biden denunciation - US President Joe Biden brands Vladimir Putin a
"dictator" in his keynote annual State of the Union address, saying Russia
faces withering economic and diplomatic isolation.

   Biden also announces that Russian aircraft will be banned from US
airspace.

   - Air war in the north -

   Russia steps up its bombing campaign, hitting Kyiv's main television
tower, two residential buildings in a town north west of the city and local
government headquarters in Kharkiv.

   - Southern front -

   Russian checkpoints encircle the Black Sea city of Kherson. Its port and
railway station are now in Russian hands, according to the mayor.

   Russian attacks leave the strategic Black Sea port city of Mariupol
without electricity.

   - Civilians flee -

   More than 677,000 people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion, the
UN's refugee agency says, with the number rising rapidly.

   - 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.

   - Independent media blocked -

   Russia blocks an independent TV channel and a liberal radio station,
tightening a virtual media blackout on news of the war.

   - Companies exit Russia -

  A string of Western companies announce they are scaling back business with
Russia, including three of the world's largest shipping companies and energy
firms Eni, ExxonMobil and Boeing.

   - Race for cash -

   Russians race to withdraw cash after the introduction of capital controls
and as the ruble hovers around record lows against the dollar.

   - EU announces more sanctions -

   The European Union bans Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik from
broadcasting in the bloc.

   - Nord Stream 2 goes under -

   The Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 company goes insolvent after Germany halts
the gas pipeline following Moscow's invasion. The European subsidiary of
Russia's Sberbank also prepares to enter bankrupcy.

   - Soprano scraps concerts -

   Russian soprano Anna Netrebko withdraws from concerts as controversy rages
over her pro-Kremlin stance despite her condemnation of the war.

   - Oil price soars -

   Oil prices soars past $110 a barrel, despite the International Energy
Agency members agreeing to release 60 million barrels from stockpiles.