Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

Here is what you need to know about the Ukraine crisis right now:

HEADLINES

* Ukrainians said they were fighting on in the first sizeable city Russia claimed to have seized, while Moscow stepped up its lethal bombardment of major population centres that its invasion force has yet to tame.

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Kremlin would not be able to take his country with bombs and air strikes.

A military adviser to Zelensky said over 7,000 Russian servicemen have been killed since the invasion started and hundreds taken prisoner. Read full story

* Moscow gave its first casualty figures, saying 498 Russian soldiers had died in Ukraine and another 1,597 had been wounded. The defence ministry said more than 2,870 Ukrainian soldiers and "nationalists" had been killed and about 3,700 wounded.

* Britain's ministry of defence said overall Russian gains had been limited in the past 24 hours, probably due to logistical difficulties and strong Ukrainian resistance. Russia has not commented on its battlefield plans or losses.

* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow's aim was the demilitarisation of Ukraine but that Ukrainians must decide on their own leaders. If a third World War were to take place, he said it would involve nuclear weapons and be destructive. Russia describes its assault on Ukraine as a special operation, not an invasion seeking territory.

* The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted for a resolution deploring the invasion and calling on Russia to immediately withdraw all forces from Ukraine.

* Ukraine's deputy foreign minister drew a standing ovation at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, in contrast to a walk-out a day earlier by more than 100 diplomats during an address by Lavrov.

* More than 800,000 Ukrainians have fled the fighting since the invasion began, most crossing into Poland and Romania. The European Commission proposed granting temporary residence to Ukrainian refugees.

* At least 21 people were killed and 112 wounded in shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second biggest city, in the last 24 hours, regional official said. The authorities have said missile attacks hit the centre of the city, including residential areas and the regional administration building.

* Zelenskiy told Reuters and CNN 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.

* Moscow's negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said he expected a ceasefire to be discussed at the next round of peace talks in Belarus on Thursday morning, Russian news agencies reported.

MARKETS, SANCTIONS AND OTHER REACTIONS

* The rouble hit record lows and surging oil prices exacerbated concerns of inflation in the global economy.

* Russia's Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina told bank staff the economy had come up against an extreme situation, something she said they had all hoped would not happen. The bank was doing everything possible to cope with any shocks, she said in a video address.

* Boeing BA.N suspended maintenance and technical support for Russian airlines and US energy firm Exxon Mobil XOM.N said it would exit Russia, joining a growing list of Western companies spurning Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

* Foreign investors are effectively stuck with their holdings of Russian stocks and rouble-denominated bonds after the central bank put a temporary halt on payments and major overseas' settlement systems stopped accepting Russian assets.

* European bank shares halted their slide after dropping to their lowest level in nearly 11-months on fallout from the Ukraine crisis, which has forced the European arm of Russia's Sberbank SBER.MM to close.

* Some of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchanges are staying put in Russia, breaking ranks with mainstream finance in a decision that experts say weakens Western attempts to isolate Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine.

* After US President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday "we are coming for your ill-begotten gains", two sources familiar with the matter said the United States was preparing a sanctions package targeting more Russian oligarchs and their companies and assets.

*French Finance Minister Bruno le Maire said the European Union would include crypto currencies in its sanctions against Russia. Read full story

* US National Economic Council Deputy Director Bharat Ramamurti said targeting Russian oil and gas might prove counterproductive as higher prices could mean more profit for Russia's oil industry and hit US consumers. "So we don't want to go there right now."

QUOTES

* "We are under inhumane attack. But this is not time to cry our tears, we will for sure do (that) after our victory," Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Emine Dzhaparova said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, cited by Interfax news agency, responding to a question about the possibility of NATO-Russia clash:

* There are no guarantees that there'll be no incidents, and there are no guarantees that these incidents couldn't escalate in an absolutely unwanted direction, but definitely, we've heard NATO say that it doesn't have any plans or intentions, and this is at least some manifestation of reason."