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Satellite images show Russian artillery firing as homes burn near Kyiv

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Map: Russia’s latest advances in Ukraine
Poland’s largest cities say they can no longer absorb Ukrainian refugees
Biden administration considers pausing gas tax, Yellen says
A satellite image shows a Russian artillery battalion stationed in Ozera, near Kyiv, firing toward another Ukrainian town. (Maxar Technologies/AP)
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Updated March 12, 2022 at 12:26 a.m. EST|Published March 11, 2022 at 12:30 a.m. EST
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MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — The Russian military escalated its assault on Ukraine on Friday, bombing new cities in the country’s west and shelling residential areas near Kyiv, with fresh satellite images showing several homes on fire.

While Russian forces suffer substantial losses, their relentless bombing is creating a mounting humanitarian catastrophe. Nearly 2.5 million people have fled Ukraine during Moscow’s attack, the United Nations said, and neighboring Poland has taken in so many refugees that mayors in its two largest cities warned they can no longer cope with the influx. Yet, many more remain trapped in a number of Ukrainian cities under near-constant bombardment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of again disrupting the evacuation of civilians, but said 7,144 residents were saved on Friday.  
Map: Russia’s latest advances in Ukraine
Poland’s largest cities say they can no longer absorb Ukrainian refugees
Biden administration considers pausing gas tax, Yellen says

Here’s what to know

  • Russia’s prosecutor general is seeking to have the company Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, declared an extremist organization and banned in Russia following reports that Facebook would allow posts calling for violence against Russian forces in Ukraine.
  • Russia accused the United States at the United Nations of supporting a biological weapons program in Ukraine, repeating a long-running campaign of baseless assertions. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations hit back against Russia’s claims, saying Moscow may be laying the groundwork for using biological or chemical weapons in an assassination or military operations.
  • Ukraine’s military claimed that Russia conducted an airstrike in Belarus so it could blame Ukraine for the attack and incite Belarusian forces to fight with Russia.
  • Putin approved recruiting foreign “volunteers” to support the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine. The country’s defense minister said most applications so far have come from the Middle East.
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Here's what to know:

Russia’s prosecutor general is seeking to have the company Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, declared an extremist organization and banned in Russia following reports that Facebook would allow posts calling for violence against Russian forces in Ukraine.
Russia accused the United States at the United Nations of supporting a biological weapons program in Ukraine, repeating a long-running campaign of baseless assertions. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations hit back against Russia’s claims, saying Moscow may be laying the groundwork for using biological or chemical weapons in an assassination or military operations.
Ukraine’s military claimed that Russia conducted an airstrike in Belarus so it could blame Ukraine for the attack and incite Belarusian forces to fight with Russia.
Putin approved recruiting foreign “volunteers” to support the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine. The country’s defense minister said most applications so far have come from the Middle East.

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