Russia-Ukraine war highlights: Dozens dead after shelling hits military barracks in south Ukraine, reports AFP

Protests mark several main cities of Spain as its citizens raise voices against the soaring cost of food, light and fuel, which has become worse following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Thousands of protesters took to streets with the rallies being called by the country's far-right Vox party, AFP reported. Read more.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Saturday for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow and also urged Switzerland to do more to crack down on wealthy Russian oligarchs who he said were helping wage war on his country with their money. Also read

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Switzerland on Saturday to crack down on Russian oligarchs who he said were helping to wage war on his country from the safety of "beautiful Swiss towns".

China should make the "right decision" and join other nations in condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine's negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter on Saturday.

"China could become an important part of the global security system if it takes the right decision to support the coalition of civilised nations and condemn Russia's barbarism," said Podolyak, who is also an adviser to the Ukrainian president's chief of staff.

The whole world has been shaken today due to many disturbances, it's very imp for India & Japan to have a close partnership. We expressed our views, talked about the serious invasion of Russia into Ukraine. We need a peaceful solution on the basis of int'l law, said Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, following the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit.

Both our countries should increase efforts for an open & free Indo-Pacific. Japan, along with India, will keep trying to end the war & keep providing support to Ukraine & its neighbouring countries, he added.

German broadcaster RTL has hired a Ukrainian presenter to host a daily news show for others who have fled their homeland after the Russian invasion.

According to the commercial broadcaster, Karolina Ashion will present a 10-minute Ukrainian-language news programme Mondays to Fridays addressed to almost 200,000 people who have arrived in Germany from Ukraine in the past month.

Dozens of soldiers were killed after Russian troops struck a Ukrainian military barracks in the southern city of Mykolaiv, witnesses told AFP on Saturday. A rescue operation is underway.

"No fewer than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks" when Russian troops struck early Friday, a Ukrainian serviceman on the ground, 22-year-old Maxim, told AFP without providing his last name. "At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many others are in the rubble," he said. Another soldier estimated that the bombing could have killed around 100 people. Authorities have not yet released an official death toll.

Amid warnings of a chemical or biological attack by Russia - whose invasion of Ukraine is now in its 24th day - the United Kingdom has warned that ongoing peace talks could be a 'smokescreen' for more extreme military manoeuvres by Russian forces. Read more

Nine people were killed and 17 wounded in shelling of the suburbs of the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine on Friday, news agency Reuters quoted deputy mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev as saying on Saturday.

Russian aerospace forces hit 69 Ukrainian military facilities overnight, including four command posts and four anti-aircraft missile systems, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday, reported news agency ANI

India's oil imports from the United States will rise by 11% this year, officials said on Saturday, as the severely energy-deficient country looks to secure supplies from producers around the world, including heavily sanctioned Russia.

The surge in oil prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last month threatens to fan Indian inflation, stretch public finances and hurt growth just when it was emerging from a pandemic-induced slowdown.

Russia's defence ministry said it had destroyed a large underground depot for missiles and aircraft ammunition in Ukraine's Ivano-Frankivsk region using hypersonic missiles, the Interfax news agency reported: Reuters

Russia says that it is using hypersonic weapons in western Ukraine as troops continue invasion in war-torn city, reports AFP. Hypersonic weapons are extremely high-speed and low-flying missiles and rockets that can carry nuclear warheads, and are much harder for existing defence systems to track

A humanitarian corridor for evacuations in Ukraine's Luhansk region will be opened on Saturday morning, regional governor Serhiy Gaiday said on Telegram as per news agency Reuters.

"A humanitarian corridor has been agreed, we will try to evacuate people and bring food today. A 'regime of silence' has been agreed for March 19, starting at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT)," Gaiday said.

Russia’s president addressed the packed Moscow stadium Friday, saying the Kremlin’s troops had fought “shoulder to shoulder” and supported each other. “We have not had unity like this for a long time,” he told the cheering crowd.

Read more: This is the price of Vladimir Putin's Italian jacket

Peace talks with Russia may last at least "several weeks", even though there were signs that Moscow’s position has become more "adequate", Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, told Bloomberg in an interview in the latest developments amid the war.

Read more: How long the war will last? A lowdown on Russia-Ukraine peace talks

A former Russian deputy prime minister who spoke out against the Kremlin's actions in Ukraine has quit as chair of a prestigious foundation after a lawmaker accused him of a "national betrayal" and demanded his dismissal. Read more

Roger Federer on Friday announced a $500,000 donation to aid in schooling for Ukrainian children affected by the ongoing war against Russia. The Switzerland tennis star took to his official Twitter account to confirm the same, adding that he is “horrified” with the scenes in Ukraine and that he “stands for peace.” Read more

In a video address released early Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for meaningful peace and security talks with Moscow, news agency Reuters reported. "The time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk," he said.

Check out the top 10 updates on Ukraine war here.

Two former US presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, showed their support for Ukraine on Friday, by placing bouquets of sunflowers, the country’s national emblem, outside a church in Chicago.

Ukraine’s interior minister said Friday that it will take years to defuse unexploded ordnances after the Russian invasion. Speaking to The Associated Press in the besieged Ukrainian capital, Denys Monastyrsky said that the country will need Western assistance to cope with the massive task once the war is over. Read more

Ukrainian ballet dancer Artyom Datsishin has died, multiple reports said, weeks after sustaining injuries in the Russian shelling in the capital city of Kyiv. Datsishin - principal dancer with the National Opera of Ukraine - died on Thursday. Read more

Russian President Vladimir Putin justified the invasion of Ukraine before a packed soccer stadium on Friday but coverage of his speech on state television was unexpectedly interrupted by what the Kremlin said was a technical problem with a server. Read more

Germany on Friday (local time) announced that the Group of Seven (G7) nations will discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine at a summit in Brussels on March 24. According to the ANI sources, the G7 summit will be led by US President Joe Biden, who is aiming to demonstrate unity not only within the framework of NATO but also the G7 to keep up pressure on Russia.