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Ukraine crisis: Citizens in Ukraine's capital Kyiv urged to stay at home

Media caption,

Ricky and De-Graft take a look at what's happening in Ukraine.

Fighting has broken out on the streets of Ukraine's capital Kyiv as Russian forces enter the city. The Kyiv government has urged people to stay at home.

Kyiv has been under fire since Friday morning with explosions heard throughout the day and into the early hours of Saturday morning.

The Ukrainian government have said that while there is fighting in parts of the capital, they remain in control of the situation.

Kyiv is home to around 2.8 million people, and since the fighting started the United Nations (UN) have said that around 100,000 people have fled their homes, but lots of Ukrainians have stayed, sheltering in bunkers and underground metro stations.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Hundreds of people have been taking shelter in underground metro stations in cities in Ukraine

Many people are fleeing the fighting and heading to neighbouring countries, such as Poland.

The Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has said that all Ukrainians are welcome, even if they don't have the correct identification, and that they can bring their pets with them too.

Leaders around the world have expressed their shock and anger at the large-scale attack by Russian forces - which took place by land, air and sea.

On Friday night, Boris Johnson posted a video on social media speaking to the people of Russia in their own language, saying: "I do not believe this war is in your name."

He said, in English, that the conflict is "a tragedy for Ukraine, and so too for Russia."

If you're upset by what's going on in the news at the moment, read our guide

The UK, EU and other allies said they would bring in tough new sanctions to punish Moscow - the capital of Russia - but said they would not send in troops.

The UK sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin specifically on Friday, meaning that any assets such as property that he owns in the UK will be taken away from him.

Other places around the world, including Australia and the US, have joined the UK in personally sanctioning Vladimir Putin.

Countries like Japan have brought in other sanctions, targeting trade and Russian banks.

What are sanctions?
  • A sanction is a penalty applied to a country by another when they are seen to be doing something wrong

  • They can also be set against companies, organisations or even individual people

  • They are imposed in an attempt to change a country's government's behaviour

  • They are one of the toughest measures a country can take, short of going to war

  • They are often financial, so about money - for example, a country may say they'll stop trading with another, which impacts how much money that country can make

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, the country has been trying to fend off attacks from three separate areas - the north, south and east of the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia's strikes had targeted military bases and areas where people live.

Russia have said it would not aim strikes at areas where normal people live.

How have people around the world reacted?

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Clockwise from left, you can see London, Paris, Melbourne and New York all showing solidarity with Ukraine

Thousands of Russian people who don't agree with President Putin's decision to go to war have been protesting in cities across the country.

Hundreds of the demonstrators have been arrested by Russian police.

Many countries have also said they will lend aid - such as food and medical supplies, as well as military supplies to Ukrainian forces.

And cities across the world like Paris, Rome and London, have lit up famous landmarks and monuments in solidarity with Ukraine. They used the colours of the Ukrainian flag, which are blue and yellow.