Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

[February 25, 2022]  (Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the Ukraine crisis right now:

HEADLINES

* Missiles pounded the Ukrainian capital as Russian forces pressed their advance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pleaded with the international community to do more, saying sanctions announced so far were not enough.

* Russian forces would enter areas just outside Kyiv later on Friday even though Ukrainian units were defending positions on four fronts despite being outnumbered, a top Ukrainian defence official said.

* Ukraine's nuclear agency said it was recording increased radiation levels from the site of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which has been captured by Russian forces.

* The invasion could drive up to 5 million people to flee abroad, U.N. aid agencies said on Friday, adding that at least 100,000 people are already uprooted in the country and fuel, cash and medical supplies are running low.

* Russia intends to take the whole of Ukraine but its army failed to deliver on the first day of its invasion, Britain's defence secretary said.

* Ukraine wants peace and is ready for talks with Russia, including on a neutral status regarding NATO, a presidential office adviser told Reuters.

* Britain would like to cut off Russia from the SWIFT global interbank payments system, the defence secretary said. France's finance minister said it would be a "last resort".

* Ukrainian forces downed an aircraft over Kyiv, which then crashed into a residential building, a government adviser said.

* The United States, Britain, Canada, the EU, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and others unveiled sanctions against Russia, targeting banks, military exports and members of Putin's inner circle.

* Stocks in Europe and Wall Street rallied as investors welcomed sanctions that did not block Russia from a global payments system and left its energy sector largely untouched. [MKTS/GLOB]

People gather in an air raid shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi

* Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said NATO and Western reaction had not been decisive.

* The Kremlin said sanctions would cause problems for Moscow, but not insurmountable ones, with Russia set to widen its trade and economic ties with Asian countries.

* Russia has prepared a package of retaliatory sanctions, the TASS news agency reported.

* China stuck to a message of declining to call Russia's action an "invasion".

* Russia banned British airlines from landing at its airports or crossing its airspace after Britain banned flights of Russian flag carrier Aeroflot.

* EU interior ministers will discuss a possible Ukrainian refugee crisis, French officials said. [nL8N2V0391}

QUOTES

- "Last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941 when it was attacked by Nazi Germany," Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

COMING EVENTS

* The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote at 2000 GMT on a draft resolution condemning Russia and requiring it to unconditionally withdraw.

* NATO due to hold a virtual summit at 1330 GMT, news conference at 1700 GMT

* EU to thrash out details of further Russia sanctions at emergency summit at 1400 GMT

(Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)

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