Russia-Ukraine war Day 18: The latest updates

Russia's military operations against Ukraine entered the 18th day on Sunday. Tensions between the West and Russia over the ongoing war are rising by the day. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has stated that Moscow could use chemical weapons in the war against Kyiv. Moscow, obviously, has denied the claim. Let's take a look at the key developments in the last few hours. 

1) Russia's advancing troops have launched missile attacks in Ukraine's Lviv and Kherson. 

2) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Russia to face death if they try to occupy Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city. France has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had shown no willingness to make peace.

3) Moscow Stock Exchange, which has been shut down since February 25, will stay closed until March 18.

4) The United States will provide $200 million to Ukraine for military equipment. The Joe Biden administration has already authorised $350 million for weapons, equipment and other war resources. 

5) Being a leading global producer of agricultural products, Ukraine has imposed a ban on fertilisers exports. 

6) Ukraine said Russia was planning to take full and permanent control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, but Russia has denied this, according to the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA. 

7) YouTube has blocked access around the globe, including India, to channels associated with Russian state-funded media. The channels blocked are RT and Sputnik.

8) Ukraine President Zelenskyy discussed Russian aggression and possible peace talks with Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

9) Seven Ukrainian civilians, including a child, died when Russia shelled a humanitarian convoy of refugees and forced them to turn back, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said.

10) Ukraine's military intelligence agency, in a Facebook post late Saturday, said that Russian troops shot at a group of evacuees fleeing a village northeast of Kyiv who were on an agreed green corridor. The Facebook post claimed that seven people, including a child, were killed in the attack.

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