Russian shelling pounded the central square in Ukraine's second-largest city and other civilian targets Tuesday and a 40-mile convoy of tanks and other vehicles threatened the capital — as Ukraine’s embattled president accused Moscow of resorting to terror tactics to press Europe’s largest ground war in generations. With the Kremlin increasingly isolated by tough economic sanctions that have tanked the ruble currency, Russian troops advanced on Ukraine’s two biggest cities. In strategic Kharkiv, an eastern city with a population of about 1.5 million, videos posted online showed explosions hitting the region's Soviet-era administrative building and residential areas. A maternity ward relocated to a shelter amid shelling. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack on Kharkiv’s main square “frank, undisguised terror,” blaming a Russian missile and calling it a war crime. “Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget. ... This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation.” As the fighting reached beyond military targets on Day 6 of a Russian invasion that has shaken the 21st century world order, reports emerged that Moscow has used cluster bombs on three populated areas. If confirmed, that would mean the war has reached a worrying new level. The Kremlin denied Tuesday that it has used such munitions and insisted again that its forces only have struck military targets — despite evidence documented by AP reporters of shelling of homes, schools and hospitals. The Russian defense minister vowed Tuesday to press the offensive until it achieves its goals, after a first round of talks between Ukraine and Russia yielded no stop in the fighting. Both sides agreed to another meeting in coming days. Throughout the country, many Ukrainian civilians spent another night huddled in shelters, basements or corridors. More than a half-million people have fled the country, and the U.N. human rights office said Tuesday that it has recorded the deaths of 136 civilians, including 13 children. The real toll is likely far higher. “It is a nightmare, and it seizes you from the inside very strongly. This cannot be explained with words,” said Kharkiv resident Ekaterina Babenko, taking shelter in a basement with neighbors for a fifth straight day. “We have small children, elderly people and frankly speaking it is very frightening.” A Ukrainian military official said Belarusian troops joined the war Tuesday in the Chernihiv region, without providing details. But Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he had no plans to join the fight. Read: At rare UN session, Russia is pressed to stop war in Ukraine With Western powers sending weapons to Ukraine and driving a global squeeze of Russia's economy, President Vladimir Putin's options diminished as he seeks to redraw the global map — and pull Ukraine's western-leaning democracy back into Moscow's orbit. “I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method," Zelenskyy said late Monday in a video address, referring to stepped-up shelling. He did not offer details of the talks between Ukrainian and Russian envoys, but he said Kyiv was not prepared to make concessions “when one side is hitting another with rocket artillery.” As the talks along the Belarusian border wrapped up, several blasts could be heard in the capital, and Russian troops advanced on the city of nearly 3 million. The convoy of armored vehicles, tanks, artillery and support vehicles was 25 kilometers (17 miles) from the center of the city and stretched about 65 kilometers (40 miles), according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies. “They want to break our nationhood, that’s why the capital is constantly under threat,” Zelenskyy said, saying that it was hit by three missile strikes on Monday and that hundreds of saboteurs were roaming the city. Kharkiv, near the Russian border, is another key target. One after the other, explosions burst through a residential area of the city in one video verified by AP. In the background, a man pleaded with a woman to leave, and a woman cried. Determined for life to go on despite the shelling, hospital workers transferred a Kharkiv maternity ward to a bomb shelter. Amid makeshift electrical sockets and mattresses piled up against the walls, pregnant women paced the crowded space, accompanied by the cries of dozens of newborns. On the city's main square, the administration headquarters came under Russian shelling, regional administration chief Oleh Sinehubov said. Images posted online showed the building’s facade and interior badly damaged by a powerful explosion that also blew up part of its roof. The state emergencies agency said that attack wounded six people, including a child. Sinehubov said that at least 11 people were killed and scores of others were wounded during Monday’s shelling of the city. Read: Official: Artillery kills 70 Ukraine soldiers Russia's goals in hitting central Kharkiv were not immediately clear. Western officials speculated that it is trying to pull in Ukrainian forces to defend Kharkiv while a larger Russian force encircles Kyiv. They believe Putin's overall goal is to overthrow the Ukrainian government and install a friendly one. In a worrying development, Human Rights Watch has said it documented a cluster bomb attack outside a hospital in Ukraine’s east in recent days. Local residents have also reported the use of the munitions in Kharkiv and the village of Kiyanka near the northern city of Chernihiv, though there was no independent confirmation. The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor has said he plans to open a Ukraine investigation and is monitoring the conflict. Meanwhile, flames shot up from a military base northeast of Kyiv, in the suburb of Brovary, in footage shot from a car driving past. In another video verified by AP, a passenger pleads with the driver, “Misha, we need to drive quickly as they’ll strike again.” And Ukrainian authorities released details and photos of an attack Sunday on a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, saying more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed along with some local residents. The attack could not be immediately confirmed. The Russian military's movements have been stalled by fierce resistance on the ground and a surprising inability to dominate Ukraine's airspace. In the face of that Ukrainian resistance and crippling Western sanctions, Putin has put Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert — including intercontinental ballistic missiles and long-range bombers — in a stark warning to the West and a signal of his readiness to escalate the tensions to a terrifying new level. But a senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States had yet to see any appreciable change in Russia’s nuclear posture. Western nations have increased weapons shipments to Ukraine to help its forces defend themselves — but have so far ruled out sending in troops. Messages aimed at the advancing Russian soldiers popped up on billboards, bus stops and electronic traffic signs across the capital. Some used profanity to encourage Russians to leave. Others appealed to their humanity. “Russian soldier — Stop! Remember your family. Go home with a clean conscience,” one read. Fighting raged in other towns and cities. The strategic port city of Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, is “hanging on,” said Zelenskyy adviser Oleksiy Arestovich. An oil depot was reported bombed in the eastern city of Sumy. In the seaside resort town of Berdyansk, dozens of protesters chanted angrily in the main square against Russian occupiers, yelling at them to go home and singing the Ukrainian national anthem. They described the soldiers as exhausted young conscripts. Read: 520,000+ refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia waged war “Frightened kids, frightened looks. They want to eat,” Konstantin Maloletka, who runs a small shop, said by telephone. He said the soldiers went into a supermarket and grabbed canned meat, vodka and cigarettes. "They ate right in the store,” he said. “It looked like they haven’t been fed in recent days.” As far-reaching Western sanctions on Russian banks and other institutions took hold, the ruble plummeted, and Russia’s Central Bank scrambled to shore it up, as did Putin, signing a decree restricting foreign currency. But that did little to calm Russian fears. In Moscow, people lined up to withdraw cash as the sanctions threatened to drive up prices and reduce the standard of living for millions of ordinary Russians. The economic sanctions, ordered by the U.S. and other allies, were just one contributor to Russia's growing status as a pariah country. Russian airliners are banned from European airspace, Russian media is restricted in some countries, and some high-tech products can no longer be exported to the country. International sports bodies moved to exclude Russian athletes — in the latest blow Tuesday, Russians were barred from international ice skating events.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam on Thursday said the government will arrange chartered flights to bring back Bangladeshis who would leave warn-stricken Ukraine and arrive in neighbouring Poland.   “Our first task is to bring our citizens to Poland safely from Ukraine,” he told reporters at his office, adding that they have already talked to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and Biman Bangladesh Airlines about the possible evacuation. The state minister said they will finalize the modalities of evacuation from Poland and if necessary they will talk to foreign airlines too. “They (Bangladeshis) need to come to the Polish border from Ukraine with their own arrangement,” he said, adding that the Polish government, earlier, assured of providing visas for them to cross the border which is yet to begin. Poland will allow Bangladeshis to stay for 15 days upon their arrival from Ukraine and the government of Bangladesh hopes to repatriate its citizens much ahead of the timeline. Shahriar said Bangladesh Embassy in Poland is taking preparations to provide accommodation facilities for Bangladeshis’ stay there until their evacuation. The Bangladesh Embassy in Warsaw approached the Polish government on Thursday morning again to issue arrival visas urgently. “We’re sending additional officials from our missions in Italy and Germany so that required services can be provided to Bangladeshis within the shortest possible time,” said the state minister. Read: Ukraine says Russian army attacked from Belarus Bangladesh on Thursday asked its nationals in Ukraine "to move to safer places" with Kyiv closing its airspace amid a Russian invasion while the country's embassy in Poland is exploring ways to give Bangladeshis shelter. An estimated 500 Bangladeshi nationals, including students, are currently stranded in Ukraine. Bangladesh's Embassy in Poland said that it is in touch with the host government as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka "regarding further steps to ensure the safety of Bangladeshis in Ukraine". "Around 500 Bangladeshis are in direct touch with us. We have asked them to take shelter in safer places," Bangladesh's Ambassador to Poland Sultana Laila Hossain told UNB over the phone from Warsaw. She said they are preparing a database which will be shared with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland as traveling to Poland would require visas. The ambassador said they also will request the Polish government to allow Bangladeshis into the country, noting that some of the Bangladeshis might not have passports who will require travel permits. “We’ll seek to know how to proceed considering the current situation," she said. Asked about exact figure of Bangladeshis in Ukraine including undocumented ones, she said they were getting a number in between 1000-1500 but many moved from Ukraine already. We don’t have an accurate figure.”  The ambassador said Bangladeshis are not concentrated in a single place and those who are in touch with the embassy informed this morning about bombing and siren. Read: Russia-Ukraine: What to know as Russia attacks Ukraine  “We had a meeting with them last night. We asked them to move to safer places with required food and money,” said the envoy. She said they are getting updates from those who are in touch with the embassy but they are yet to establish contact with others. However, she said that they (Bangladeshis) are encouraged to share information with each other so that others can also get in touch with the mission. Bangladesh does not currently have an embassy or a consulate in Ukraine. The country's embassy in Poland takes care of its Ukraine affairs. On February 15, the embassy asked Bangladeshi nationals in Ukraine to consider leaving Ukraine temporarily in view of the volatile situation in that country. Bangladeshi nationals were also advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Ukraine and keep the embassy in Poland informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine to enable the mission to reach them easily, according to an earlier advisory. Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions, warning other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences you have never seen". Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of a Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected regime.

The first explosions sounded in Ukraine's cities before dawn Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his long-anticipated military operation in Ukraine. In a televised address as the attack began, Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would “lead to consequences you have never seen in history.” U.S. President Joe Biden declared that the world will “hold Russia accountable." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg condemned Russia's action as a violation of international law and a threat to European security. Ukraine's foreign ministry said Russia's intent was to destroy the state of Ukraine, a Westward-looking democracy intent on moving out of Moscow's orbit. Here are the things to know about the conflict over Ukraine and the security crisis in Eastern Europe: PUTIN MAKES HIS MOVE Putin said the military operation was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine — a claim the U.S. had predicted he would falsely make to justify an invasion. Putin accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demands to block Ukraine from ever joining NATO and offer Moscow security guarantees. Putin said Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine but will “demilitarize” it. Soon after his address, explosions were heard in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa. Russia said it was attacking military targets. He urged Ukrainian servicemen to “immediately put down arms and go home.” Ukraine’s border guard agency said the Russian military has attacked from neighboring Belarus, unleashing a barrage of artillery. The agency said Ukrainian border guards fired back, adding that there was no immediate report of casualties. Russian troops have been in Belarus for military drills. Read:Ukraine says Russian army attacked from Belarus THE WEST REACTS QUICKLY Biden and Stoltenberg quickly condemned Russia's attack as unprovoked and unjustified. Putin “has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” Biden said in a statement. Biden promised united and decisive responses by the United States and its allies. “The world will hold Russia accountable,” he said. "Despite our repeated warnings and tireless efforts to engage in diplomacy, Russia has chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country,'' the NATO leader said. UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT URGES CALM Residents of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, could be heard shouting in the streets when the first explosions sounded. But some kind of normalcy quickly returned, with cars circulating in the streets in the early morning commute. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a video statement declaring martial law. He told Ukrainians that the United States was gathering international support to respond to Russia. He urged residents to stay calm and remain home. WORLD MARKETS FALL Asian stock markets plunged and oil prices surged after Putin announced Russian military action in Ukraine. Market benchmarks in Tokyo and Seoul fell 2% and Hong Kong and Sydney lost more than 3%. Oil prices jumped nearly $3 per barrel on unease about possible disruption of Russian supplies. PUTIN'S DECLARATION OVERTAKES EMERGENCY U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL SESSION At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council called by Ukraine because of the imminent threat of a Russian invasion. In opening the meeting just before Putin's announcement, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Putin: “Stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people have already died.” Guterres later pleaded with Putin, “In the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia.” WHEN WILL THE WEST IMPOSE MORE SANCTIONS? Ukraine's forces are no match for Moscow's military might, so Kyiv is counting on other countries to hit Russia hard — with sanctions. Biden on Wednesday allowed sanctions to move forward against the company that built the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and against the company’s CEO. Biden waived sanctions last year when the project was almost completed, in return for an agreement from Germany to take action against Russia if it used gas as a weapon or attacked Ukraine. Germany said Tuesday it was indefinitely suspending the pipeline.  He said more sanctions would be announced on Thursday. Ukraine's Western supporters said they had already sent out a strong message with a first batch of sanctions on Tuesday. “This is the toughest sanctions regime we’ve ever put in place against Russia,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Wednesday of measures that target banks that fund the Russian military and oligarchs. "But it will go further, if we see a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.” The European Union finalized a similar package, which also targets legislators in the lower house of Russia's parliament and makes it tougher for Moscow to get on EU financial and capital markets. U.S. actions announced Tuesday target high-ranking Russian officials and two Russian banks considered especially close to the Kremlin and Russia’s military, with more than $80 billion in assets. WHAT SANCTIONS WERE UNDER U.S. CONSIDERATION IF RUSSIA INVADED? The Biden administration had made clear it was holding tough financial penalties in reserve in case of just such a Russian invasion. The U.S. hasn't specified just what measures it will take now, although administration officials have made clear that all-out sanctions against Russia's major banks are among the likely options. So are export limits that would deny Russia U.S. high tech for its industries and military. Another tough measure under consideration would effectively shut Russia out of much of the global financial system. HOW IS UKRAINE'S ECONOMY HOLDING UP? It was Ukraine, not Russia, where the economy was eroding the fastest under the threat of war. One by one, embassies and international offices in Kyiv closed. Flight after flight was canceled when insurance companies balked at covering planes arriving in Ukraine. Hundreds of millions of dollars in investment dried up within weeks. The squeezing of Ukraine’s economy is a key destabilizing tactic in what the government describes as “hybrid warfare” intended to eat away at the country from within. The economic woes include restaurants that dare not keep more than a few days of food on hand, stalled plans for a hydrogen production plant that could help wean Europe off Russian gas and uncertain conditions for shipping in the Black Sea, where container ships must carefully edge their way around Russian military vessels. Read:Russia attacks Ukraine as defiant Putin warns US, NATO UKRAINE SEES MORE CYBERATTACKS The websites of Ukraine’s defense, foreign and interior ministries were unreachable or painfully slow to load Thursday morning after a punishing wave of distributed-denial-of-service attacks as Russia struck at its neighbor. In addition to DDoS attacks on Wednesday, cybersecurity researchers said unidentified attackers had infected hundreds of computers with destructive malware, some in neighboring Latvia and Lithuania. Officials have long expected cyberattacks to precede and accompany any Russian military incursion. HOW HAS THE CONFRONTATION BEEN SEEN IN RUSSIA? In the buildup to the attack, Russian state media portrayed Moscow as coming to the rescue of war-torn areas of eastern Ukraine where residents were tormented by Ukraine’s aggression. “You paid with your blood for these eight years of torment and anticipation,” anchor Olga Skabeyeva said during a popular political talk show Tuesday morning. “Russia will now be defending Donbas.” Channel One struck a more festive tone, with its correspondent in Donetsk asserting that local residents “say it is the best news over the past years of war.” “Now they have confidence in the future and that the years-long war will finally come to an end,” she said. Whether ordinary Russians were buying it is another question.

The Russian military says it has knocked out Ukraine’s air defense assets and airbases. The Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian strikes have “suppressed air defense means of the Ukrainian military,” adding that the infrastructure of Ukraine’s military bases has been incapacitated.” It denied the claims that a Russian warplane was shot down over Ukraine. Read:Ukraine says Russian army attacked from Belarus The Ukrainian military, meanwhile, reported that it has shot down five Russian aircraft while fending off the Russian attack on the country. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he unleashed an attack on Ukraine in a televised address early Thursday, drawing international condemnation.