Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

Ukraine reported clashes with Russian troops on fronts in the east and south, with six civilians killed in one rocket attack, as the United States sought to marshal international support in opposing Russia's invasion.

Ukraine reported clashes with Russian troops on fronts in the east and south, with six civilians killed in one rocket attack, as the United States sought to marshal international support in opposing Russia's invasion. FIGHTING * At least six people have been killed and more than 30 are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-story apartment block in Ukraine's Donetsk region, collapsing the building, the region's governor said. * Donetsk regional Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on the Telegram messaging service that a Russian missile had struck Druzhkivka, a town behind the front line, and reported shelling of other population centers. * Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Telegram that Russian forces were gathering in the area of the village of Bilohorivka, about 50 km (30 miles) east of Sloviansk, from where they were shelling the surrounding settlements and carrying out air strikes. * Russia's Tass news agency cited pro-Russian separatists as saying Ukrainian forces had fired an artillery barrage into residential districts of the city of Donetsk. * Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts.

DIPLOMACY/ECONOMY * U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging the international community to join forces to condemn Russian aggression, told journalists he had raised concerns with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi over Beijing's alignment with Moscow. * Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed several of Kyiv's senior envoys abroad, including the outspoken ambassador to Germany. * G20 foreign ministers called for an end to the war and grain blockade in Ukraine, as Russia's top diplomat walked out of a meeting and denounced the West for "frenzied criticism" and squandering a chance to tackle global economic problems. * President Vladimir Putin said continued sanctions against Russia could lead to "catastrophic" energy price rises for European consumers.

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