Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now
The EU proposed its toughest sanctions yet against Russia today, including a phased oil embargo, as Ukraine said Moscow was intensifying an offensive in eastern Ukraine and close Russian ally Belarus announced large-scale army drills.
Economic impact - Oil prices jumped on the proposed EU ban on Russian oil imports, which needs approval by EU member states. The Kremlin said it was looking into various options in response.
Germany said prices could go up considerably.
The European Commission has proposed banning in a month's time all shipping, brokerage, insurance and financing services offered by EU companies for the transport of Russian oil worldwide, an EU source told Reuters.
The Czech Republic and Bulgaria will seek exemptions from the planned Russian oil ban. An EU source said Hungary and Slovakia can continue buying Russian crude oil until the end of 2023.
Both said they needed a three-year transition.
Fighting - Ukraine said Russia was trying to increase the tempo of its offensive in the east of the country.
The armed forces of Ukraine's neighbour Belarus began sudden large-scale drills to test their combat readiness.
Russia's defence ministry said it had disabled six railway stations in Ukraine it said were used to supply Ukrainian forces with Western-made weapons in the country's east.
Two cruise missiles were fired at Ukraine from a submarine in the Black Sea, the ministry was quoted by Interfax as saying.
Russia has deployed 22 battalion tactical groups near Ukraine's eastern city of Izium in an apparent effort to capture the cities of Kramatorsk and Severodonetsk in the Donbas region, Britain said.
Buses left Mariupol in a new attempt by Ukraine, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross to evacuate civilians from the besieged city, the regional governor said.
Reuters could not immediately verify reports of battlefield developments.
