Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.
The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation."
Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance, coming within about 9 miles as of Friday.
Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.
A look at the two leaders at the center of the war in Ukraine and how they both rose to power, the difference in their leadership and what led to this moment in history.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Mar 02, 2022, 7:00 PM EST
Hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles delivered to Ukraine: US official
Several hundred Stinger anti-aircraft missiles were delivered to Ukraine's military Tuesday, a senior U.S. official has confirmed to ABC News.
Additional shipments of the portable surface-to-air missiles are anticipated in the near future, the official said.
The missiles are part of a $350 million lethal defensive aid package to Ukraine that President Joe Biden authorized late last week. It also includes anti-tank weapons, small arms and body armor.
Germany also announced in recent days it will provide 500 Stinger missiles to Ukraine, along with 1,000 anti-tank weapons.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
Mar 02, 2022, 6:21 PM EST
7 Russian banks to be removed from SWIFT network
The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Communication, aka SWIFT, confirmed Wednesday that seven Russian banks will be removed from its network as part of sanctions issued against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
That includes the banks' Russia-based subsidiaries, SWIFT said.
"Diplomatic decisions taken by the European Union, in consultation with the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, bring SWIFT into efforts to end this crisis by requiring us to disconnect select Russian banks from our financial messaging services," SWIFT said in a statement. "As previously stated, we will fully comply with applicable sanctions laws."
The European Union identified the affected banks as Bank Otkritie, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Bank Rossiya, Sovcombank, VEB and VTB.
The sanctions go into effect on March 12, SWIFT said.
-ABC News' Christine Theodorou
Mar 02, 2022, 6:05 PM EST
International Criminal Court now investigating possible war crimes in Ukraine
The International Criminal Court has "immediately" started investigating whether war crimes have been committed in Ukraine, its chief prosecutor announced Wednesday.
ICC prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan had indicated earlier this week that he would move to request an investigation, though he first required authorization for a pretrial chamber or a referral from the court's member states.
On Wednesday, 38 members made the referral -- marking the largest referral in the history of the ICC, according to the British Foreign Office. Khan's office can now move straight into its probe.
"With an active investigation now underway, I repeat my call to all those engaged in hostilities in Ukraine to adhere strictly to the applicable rules of international humanitarian law," Khan said in a statement. "No individual in the Ukraine situation has a licence to commit crimes within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court."
Neither Russia nor Ukraine is among the court's 123 members, but Ukraine has provided authorization for an investigation in its territory, Khan said.
-ABC News' Conor Finnegan
Mar 02, 2022, 5:23 PM EST
Blinken expresses little optimism for Russia-Ukraine talks
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed little optimism for talks between Ukraine and Russia.
"The demands that Russia put on the table were beyond excessive, they were of course nonstarters and what we've seen repeatedly is that Russia goes through the pretense of diplomacy to distract and continue on its aggressive path," Blinken warned.
Blinken also addressed the Russian people in a press briefing Wednesday.
"This is President Putin's war. This isn't the Russian people's war. It's becoming clearer by the day that the Russian people oppose it. Members of the Russian military oppose it and had no idea what they were being sent to do. And now the Russian people will suffer the consequences of their leader's choices," Blinken said.
"The economic costs that we've been forced to impose on Russia are not aimed at you. They're aimed at compelling your government to stop its actions, to stop its aggression. And just as millions of us around the world stand together against Moscow's aggression, we also stand together with you as you demand that your leaders end this war," Blinken added.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken discusses Russia's invasion of Ukraine during a news conference in Washington, March 2, 2022.
Elizabeth Frantz/AP
Blinken said the U.S. is documenting Russian attacks that may have targeted civilians and wants to ensure there's accountability, among other things.
"This is shameful. The number of civilians killed and wounded, the humanitarian consequences will only grow in the days ahead," he said.
Blinken accused Russia of hitting schools, apartment budlings, hospitals, roads, critical infrastructure like drinking water, electricity, and gas - along with Kyiv's TV power and Babyn Yar.
He praised the U.N. General Assembly's vote to condemn the Russian invasion and commented on the five states who voted against the resolution saying, "as Groucho Marx once sort of said, this is not very much a club that I would want to be a member of."
He said the Biden administration's working very actively to get U.S. assistance into Ukraine including lethal defensive aid, but declined to comment on whether the U.S. or Europe would potentially providing war planes to Kyiv.
