Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

(Reuters) – Here’s what you need to know about the Ukraine crisis right now:

HEADLINES

* Ukrainian forces battled Russian invaders around nearly the whole perimeter of the country after Moscow mounted a massed assault by land, sea and air in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two.

* Missiles rained down on Ukrainian targets. Kyiv reported troops pouring across the borders with Russia and Belarus from the north and east, and landing on the coasts from the Black Sea in the southwest and Azov Sea in the southeast.

* Russian President Vladimir Putin said his aim was to demilitarise and “denazify” Ukraine.

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine was listening to the sound of a new iron curtain falling as Russian troops advanced across his country, and he warned that other European countries may be next.

* U.S. President Joe Biden met his Group of Seven counterparts virtually to map out more severe measures against Russia.

* Biden will speak on Ukraine at 12:30pm Eastern Time/1730 GMT.

* NATO put warplanes on alert. It will reinforce troops on its eastern flank but has no plans to deploy any in Ukraine, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

* European Union leaders will agree a second package of sanctions on Russia on Thursday evening, a senior official said.

* Russia would respond with “tit-for-tat” measures, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.

* European countries began preparing to receive people fleeing Ukraine.

* A mood of defiance gripped Kyiv, though the city echoed to the sound of gunfire, sirens and explosions. The mayor said he would impose a curfew.

* Stock markets tumbled. Russia’s rouble hit an all-time low.[FRX/]

* The global finance sector was struggling to respond to the invasion, with share prices suffering heavy falls.

* Major buyers of Russian oil were struggling with bank guarantees, according to sources.

* Ukraine has shut its ports.

QUOTES

– “I have decided to conduct a special military operation… to protect people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide,” Putin said. “We will strive for the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine.”

– “Russia has embarked on a path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself & won’t give up its freedom,” Zelenskiy said.

– “Russia is using force to try to rewrite history… We have no plans to send NATO troops in Ukraine. What we do is defensive,” said Stoltenberg.

– “President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” Joe Biden said.

COMING EVENTS

* Biden also convened his National Security Council.

* EU leaders were discussing further sanctions.

* NATO will hold an emergency summit on Friday.

* The U.N. Security Council will discuss a resolution condemning the invasion.

(Editing by Jon Boyle, John Stonestreet and Hugh Lawson)