Russian troops get foothold in Ukraine's No 2 city

Russian airborne troops landed in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Wednesday, the same day United States President Joe Biden announced the latest sanctions that ban Russian flights from US airspace.

"Russian airborne troops landed in Kharkiv … and attacked a local hospital," the Ukrainian army said in a statement on social media network Telegram in the morning, adding that there is an ongoing fight between Russian and Ukrainian troops.

Kharkiv, a largely Russian-speaking city near the Russian border, is the second-largest city in Ukraine and has a population of around 1.4 million. It has been a target of Russian forces since President Vladimir Putin launched on Feb 24 a "special military operation" in Ukraine, which intensified on Tuesday.

According to Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, a fire broke out on Wednesday in the barracks of a flight school in the city following an airstrike.

"There are practically no areas left in Kharkiv where an artillery shell has not hit yet," Gerashchenko said in a statement.

In the capital Kyiv, Russian missiles hit the city's iconic TV tower as well as surrounding areas. Ukrainian officials said the attack killed five people.

The strike also temporarily disabled broadcasting services of the Ukrainian Central TV channel, Ukraine's communications authority said, adding that the reserve broadcast facilities were activated.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov confirmed the missile strike, saying they had hit the Ukraine Security Service's technological facilities and the main center for psychological operations in Kyiv with high-precision weapons.

In Kherson, on the Black Sea, Russian forces took control of the railway station and the port overnight, Mayor Igor Kolykhayev told local media.

Screenshots from a local TV channel showed Russian military vehicles moving through the city, apparently unimpeded. Video footage also showed some Russian military vehicles parked on Svobody Square in the city center, where the regional administration building is located.

Konashenkov said that Kherson's basic facilities and services, including transportation, are still operating.

"The city is not experiencing shortages of food and essential goods. Negotiations are ongoing between the Russian command, the administration of the city and the region to address issues of maintaining the functioning of social infrastructure facilities, ensuring law and order and the safety of the population," Konashenkov said.

On Wednesday morning, Ukraine shut down its consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia.

US President Biden announced during his first State of the Union address on Tuesday that the US will close its airspace to all Russian flights "to further isolate Russia, adding an additional squeeze on their economy".

Apple, ExxonMobil and Boeing announced in rapid succession steps to withdraw or freeze business operations in Russia. US credit card giants Visa, Mastercard and American Express said they were blocking Russian banks from their payment networks following international sanctions.

Russia has not yet imposed retaliatory measures to the Western sanctions, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. People in the West can already see the results of the sanctions on Russia, such as rising energy costs, she said.

Sberbank, Russia's largest lender, said on Wednesday it was leaving the European market after coming under pressure from Western sanctions.

Due to an instruction from the Russian Central Bank, Russian banks will not be able to provide liquidity to their European affiliates.