Russia-Ukraine war live updates: Kyiv Tower hit, as Zelenskyy urges ...

Follow our continuing live coverage of the war in Ukraine here.Russia's attack on Ukraine stretched into its sixth day Tuesday, as a massive armored convoy advanced toward the capital, Kyiv, and major cities were hit by more heavy shelling.In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, video captured a deadly explosion at the regional state administration building that left at least 10 people dead, according to Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko.The International Criminal Court said Monday it would open an investigation into whether Russia has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. The decision was announced hours after peace talks in Belarus ended without any clear progress.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy implored the European Union to accept Ukraine's application to join the bloc in a speech before the European Parliament on Tuesday that was met with a standing ovation.It came amid a swift Western response to Russia's invasion, with countries imposing widening sanctions that hit Russia's economy hard and forced its currency, the ruble, to drop to around 30 percent against the U.S. dollar Monday.Follow our in-depth coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis here.ReutersUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday Russia must stop bombing Ukrainian cities before meaningful talks on a ceasefire could start, as a first round of negotiations this week had yielded scant progress.Speaking in an interview in a heavily guarded government compound, Zelenskyy urged NATO members to impose a no fly zone to stop the Russian air force, saying this would be a preventative measure and not meant to drag the alliance into war with Russia.Zelenskyy, who has refused offers to leave the Ukrainian capital as Russian forces advanced, also said Ukraine would demand legally binding security guarantees if NATO shut the door on Ukraine's membership prospects.Setting out his conditions for further talks with Russia, Zelenskyy told Reuters and CNN in a joint interview: "It's necessary to at least stop bombing people, just stop the bombing and then sit down at the negotiating table."Carol E. Under international law, providing targeting information is considered directly participating in a war.Kevin CollierApple has halted all sales of physical products in Russia because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine, a company spokesperson said Tuesday.Apple, which does not have any stores in Russia, normally ships its phones, computers and tablets through its online stores, and it also sells products through third-party retail stores there.The company had already recently stopped Apple Pay service in Russia after the U.S. sanctioned Russian banks.Apple has also restricted the apps for the Russian state news outlets RT and Sputnik to be visible only in Russia, said Fred Sainz, the Apple spokesperson, and Apple Maps is no longer showing traffic in Ukraine to help protect Ukrainian residents.The App Store will still function, and users in Russia will still be able to update their software. That statement, however, included the caveat that "forcing artists, or any public figure, to voice their political opinions in public and to denounce their homeland is not right."Erik OrtizJournalists say two independent Russian media outlets, TV Rain and Echo of Moscow, had their websites blocked within the country Tuesday after the Prosecutor General's Office accused them of reporting "false information" on Russian troop movements.Echo of Moscow, considered a liberal-leaning radio station, tweeted that the Prosecutor General's Office "demanded to restrict access" to it as well as TV Rain, Russia's sole independent television operation.RIA, a Russian state-owned news agency, said the outlets were tagged by the government for restriction because of "materials calling for extremist activity" and for publishing "false information about the actions of the Russian military as part of a special operation" in Ukraine.The website GlobalCheck, which tracks website restrictions, said the outlets' sites had been blocked. On Tuesday, its news page featured a sparse selection of articles about the war, with one prominent article about a survey showing Russian support of Putin had risen in recent days (NBC News has not verified that claim).NBC NewsDareh Gregorian and Charles HermanThe Biden administration is releasing 30 million barrels of crude oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to combat rising fuel prices sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House said Tuesday.The release is being done in coordination with allied countries in the International Energy Agency who are releasing an additional 60 million barrels. He directs joint military exercises with Russia and consented to the deployment of Russian troops along the border of Belarus with Ukraine, Truss said.Gulevich and other individuals sanctioned will be unable to travel to the U.K. and any U.K.-based assets they own will be frozen.Jesse RodriguezUkraine's Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, will be attend President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday night as a guest of first lady Jill Biden, seated in her viewing box, a senior administration official told NBC News.A full list of the first lady’s other guests for tonight’s address is expected to be made public later Tuesday afternoon.Deon J. History repeating…Phil McCauslandThe International Energy Agency said it would release 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves to shore up global oil markets and ensure "there will be no shortfall in supplies as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine."The intergovernmental organization, made up of 30-member countries, holds 1.5 billion barrels of oil in emergency stockpiles.Chaired by U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, the governing board made the decision and encouraged member countries to support Ukraine's oil supply, "recommending that governments and consumers maintain and intensify conservation efforts."Russia is the world's largest exporter of oil and the third largest producer. "Global energy security is under threat, putting the world economy at risk during a fragile stage of the recovery.”Erik Ortiz and Ali GostanianRussian forces on Tuesday fired at the Kyiv TV Tower in the nation's capital, killing at least five people and injuring another five, Ukrainian officials and the State Emergency Service said on Telegram.Video and images posted on social media near the tower, a more than 1,200-foot-high steel structure used for radio and television broadcasting, showed smoke rising and an explosion from a building nearby.Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said a preliminary report indicates it was damaged by two missiles."The transformer substation, which supplies electricity to the TV tower, as well as the hardware on the TV tower itself are damaged," he wrote on Telegram.Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said the damage potentially disrupted the tower's signal, Reuters reported. “What I want to ask of my fellow people of Turtle Island is that if you have a kokum scarf, put it on for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine,” Makokis said.Read the full story here.Chantal Da SilvaUkraine's parliament has reported a fresh shelling in Kharkiv Tuesday.In a post on Telegram, the Ukrainian parliament, known as the Verkhovna Rada, accused Russian forces of launching another strike on Kharkiv, "destroying a building of a hospital."NBC News could not immediately confirm any deaths or injuries associated with the incident. The firms are now in the process of complying with sanctions.The firms Sidley Austin and Venable said Friday that they will also no longer lobby on behalf of VTB and Sherbank, according to Bloomberg Law.Josh LedermanBRUSSELS — The U.S. government is concerned that the Russian government may retaliate for recent Ukraine-related sanctions by arresting American citizens in Russia and holding them as pawns in the conflict, current and former U.S. officials tell NBC News.Among the concerns national security officials are discussing is that President Vladimir Putin’s government may target Americans doing business in Russia — such as employees of U.S. companies — if they comply with the new U.S. sanctions. We can make it!” the hospital worker shouted, according to The Associated Press.Click here to read the full story.Chantal Da SilvaCrews survey the destruction after the regional administration building was hit by shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday.Jason AbbruzzeseSteven Seagal is not fighting for Russia in Ukraine, but that hasn't stopped such a rumor from spreading far and wide — including from Spotify podcaster Joe Rogan.A fake mockup of a CNN story claiming Seagal was spotted with Russian special forces in Ukraine started to spread in recent days, with Rogan posting it to his Instagram account. Terror against Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in a morning speech.Video shared on social media by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and verified by NBC News appeared to capture the attack, with an explosion rocking the Kharkiv Region State Administration Building earlier Tuesday.The attack, Zelenskyy said, was "outright, undisguised terror" that "no one will forgive. "On Monday, the International Criminal Court said it would open an investigation into whether Russia has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.Chantal Da SilvaAt least 10 people were killed, with at least 20 others wounded in a fresh shelling in central Kharkiv Tuesday morning, a Ukrainian interior ministry adviser and state emergency service officials have said.Interior ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko announced the death toll in a Telegram post after video showed an explosion rocking the Kharkiv Region State Administration Building. India confirmed that one of its citizens has died during an attack in Kharkiv Tuesday morning."With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning," Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs, tweeted.The deadly attack comes after Ukrainian officials accused Russia of hitting residential areas of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, with heavy shelling Monday.Rhoda KwanUkraine has recalled its ambassadors from Kyrgyzstan and Georgia over the two countries' responses to the Russian invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday."Our diplomats are implementing just and absolutely necessary decisions in relation to those countries that have betrayed their word and international law," the president said. Ayumi FujimotoThe head of a maternity hospital near Kyiv said the facility was hit in an attack on Tuesday.In a Facebook post, Vitaliy Girin said the incident had caused significant damage to the Adonis hospital.He said officials were able to safely evacuate everyone from the facility, however, and said there appeared to be no serious injuries.The maternity hospital is located near the Zhytomyr highway, where heavy fighting has been reported in recent days.Rhoda KwanUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for their support for Ukraine during Russia's invasion of his country. "He commits more war crimes out of fury, murders innocent civilians." "The world can and must do more," he said, calling on the international community to "INCREASE PRESSURE, ISOLATE RUSSIA FULLY!"NBC News has verified video of explosions hitting Kharkiv's Regional Administration Building, but has not confirmed any deaths in connection with the incident.In a Telegram post, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said the blast had left at least six people injured, including one child, in Ukraine's second-largest city. It said a death toll was still being determined.On Monday, the International Criminal Court said it would open an investigation into whether Russia has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.Chantal Da SilvaDestruction in Kharkiv after an explosion at the regional state administration building.Rhoda KwanGoogle has blocked the YouTube channels of Russian state-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik across Europe. Keir SimmonsTim Stelloh and Alex LoTaekwondo's governing body stripped Russian President Vladimir Putin of an honorary grand master black belt Monday, saying in a statement that it condemned the country's invasion of Ukraine.The "brutal attacks on innocent lives" are contrary to the federation's mantra of "Peace is more precious than triumph," World Taekwondo said.Putin had been given the 9th dan black belt in November 2013, the federation said.The announcement comes one day after the International Judo Federation suspended Putin from his role as honorary president and ambassador to the sport.In a statement Friday, federation President Marius Vizer said the "judo family" had hoped the conflict could be solved to bring "normality and stability in Eastern Europe and the world."Putin co-authored a 2004 book titled "Judo: History, Theory, Practice" and released an instructional video — "Let's Learn Judo With Vladimir Putin" — four years later. Lee, Courtney Kube and Dan De LuceU.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin is growing increasingly frustrated by his military struggles in Ukraine and may see his only option as doubling down on violence, current and former U.S. officials briefed on the matter said.As the Russian economy teeters under unprecedented global sanctions and his purportedly superior military force appears bogged down, Putin has lashed out in anger at underlings, even as he remains largely isolated from the Kremlin in part because of concerns about Covid, the sources said.“This is somebody that’s clearly been caught off guard by the size of the Ukrainian resistance,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said on MSNBC. Some TV providers in Canada have already announced they're dropping RT, formerly known as Russia Today."We cannot allow falsehoods, propaganda and disinformation about Russia’s war to continue spreading in Canada," he said.Daniel ArkinThe Walt Disney Company, one of the most powerful media corporations in the world, announced Monday it would hold off on putting new movies in Russian theaters because of "the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis.""We are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming 'Turned Red' from Pixar," Disney said in a statement on Twitter.