LIVE: UN overwhelmingly votes to condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine, demands withdrawal
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Russia has announced plans to continue its military coordination with Israel over Syria, despite Moscow's unhappiness with Israeli statements about its invasion of Ukraine.
"Our military officials discuss the practical issues of this substantively on a daily basis. This mechanism has proven to be useful and will continue to work," said Russia's embassy in Israel.
But while voicing support for Israel's security needs, it also reiterated opposition to violations of Syrian sovereignty.
Asked about prospects for continued coordination with Russia over Syria, the Israeli military said only that its forces "will act when needed to counter threats, defend the people of Israel and our sovereignty".
Poland's Deputy Interior Minister Pawel Szefernaker on Saturday said 115,000 people had crossed the border into Poland from Ukraine since Russia's invasion started this week.
Just four hours earlier he had put the number at 100,000 arrivals, showing just how quickly the refugees are flowing into their EU neighbour.
As Russian forces launched coordinated cruise missile and artillery strikes on several cities, including the capital Kyiv, fearful Ukrainian families thronged other European Union borders hoping to enter Slovakia, Romania and Hungary.
All Russian units in Ukraine were on Saturday given the order to resume their offensive from all directions after a pause on Friday, the RIA news agency quoted Russia's defence ministry as saying.
Echoing similar comments by the Kremlin, the ministry said Friday's pause had been made in anticipation of talks between Moscow and Kyiv but the offensive resumed after Ukraine refused to negotiate.
Ukraine on Saturday denied suggestions that it was refusing to negotiate a ceasefire with Russia but said it was also not ready to accept ultimatums or unacceptable conditions.
AFP has published photos of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians around the country as Russia invades.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan didn't tell Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Turkey would close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to Russian warships, a senior Turkish official told Middle East Eye on Saturday.
"President Erdogan didn't promise to close the straits," the official, who is directly familiar with the call, said. "Turkey hasn't made a decision to close the straits to Russian ships yet."
The statement contradicted an earlier tweet by Zelensky, which was posted following his telephone conversation with Erdogan.
EXCLUSIVE: Turkey denies closing Black Sea to Russian warships
Turkey, one of the major importers of Russian natural gas, is bracing for the impact of possible western sanctions on Russia in light of its invasion of Ukraine.
Since Russian forces stormed into Ukraine on Thursday, the US, EU and UK have issued escalating sanctions against Moscow to punish Russia’s economy.
But one crucial sector has been missing in the discussion, according to TIME magazine: measures targeting exports of oil and gas, which provided 36% of Russia’s national budget last year.
For Ankara, supplies from Russia are crucial. In 2021, Russian natural gas made up 45% of import-dependent Turkey’s gas purchases, which hit a record high after a drought and a related rise in gas-driven power production.
Turkey also imports crude oil from Russia, between 10% and one third of its annual imports.
President Erdogan has developed strong economic and political relations with both Moscow and Kyiv in recent years, leaving Turkey walking a thin line in its response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ankara cannot afford to fall out with Russia economically because of tourism revenues, gas supplies, grain and other agricultural trade, and a nuclear power project.
A video has surfaced of a Ukrainian driver speaking to Russian troops whose tank ran out of fuel.
"Can I tow you back to Russia?" he asks.
The Ukrainian border guards service said on Saturday Russia had closed off the northwestern part of the Black Sea to navigation.
"The presence of ships and ships in this zone will be regarded as a terrorist threat," it said in a statement.
On Friday, Ukraine said Russia had hit two commercial ships near the southern Ukrainian port of Odessa, one day after Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Under the 1936 Montreux Convention, Turkey has control over the passage of vessels between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, making it an essential player in the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Here's more on the convention and its implications for the Russia-Ukraine conflict:
Turkey's power over the Black Sea explained
Russia's ambassador to Ireland, Yuriy Filatov, gave an extraordinary interview to RTE, Ireland's national broadcaster, last night, denying all charges of human rights violations and saying Russia had "no other choice" but to opt for the "military option" into Ukraine.
There have been calls for him to be expelled from the country.
Presenter David McCullagh ended the interview saying: "Ambassador to Ireland - for the moment at least - thank you for joining us."
The Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to halt military operations in Ukraine, MEE's Turkey bureau chief Ragip Soylu reported on Saturday.
Cavusoglu also offered to host talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Amer Arrogi, a student from Gaza now based in Ukraine, says this is the second war he has witnessed in less than a year.
Arrogi has lived in Ukraine for four years, but was visiting family in Gaza last May during an Israeli bombardment that killed hundreds of Palestinians.
He sounded tired and discombobulated speaking to Middle East Eye as he moved west from Kyiv.
Arrogi knows that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have fled in the same direction and is worried about what he will find there.
He wasn’t expecting war, he said. “I don't know what I feel - I am confused with what I went through in Gaza.
“I’m worried they will put Kyiv under siege.”
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to a global surge in energy prices, with Europe looking towards Gulf states - particularly Opec members - to fill any potential shortfalls should Moscow decide to turn off the taps, or if supply is disrupted.
Russia is the world's second-largest oil producer and responsible for 40 percent of Europe's natural gas. It has not indicated whether it would take such drastic steps, but earlier this week, anger over Moscow's offensive saw Germany halt certification of an $11bn gas pipeline project that was set to relieve pressure on European consumers facing record-high prices.
On Friday, oil prices continued to climb, a day after US President Joe Biden said Washington was working with other countries to coordinate the release of supplies from strategic petroleum reserves.
Energy analysts told Middle East Eye that, according to current trends, the price of a barrel of oil could reach as much as $120, some $15 above where it currently stands, creating a heavy burden for many countries already reeling from the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
All eyes on Opec amid soaring oil prices
Thousands of Arab students studying in Ukraine are frantically calling for help online after finding themselves stranded in a war zone.
There are roughly 2,500 Palestinians living in Ukraine.
45-year-old Amro Issa, originally from Hebron, has been living there since 1995.
He runs the Palestinian community group in Kharkiv, to the northeast of the country.
“We are under bombing from time to time,” he told Middle East Eye on Saturday.
“I am in touch with other Palestinians, many students went to the borders of Poland… even though the way is not safe.”
“We didn't expect the war and for sure not that fast,” he added.
“As a Palestinian who lived most of his life under the Israeli occupation, I can still handle it, but it's hard for the children. We are worried for the children, they don't know what is going on.”
