2. Refugee crisis grows 

One million refugees have fled Ukraine in the week since Russia’s invasion, the UN’s refugee agency announced on Thursday.

Filippo Grandi, the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees, tweeted. “For many millions more, inside Ukraine, it’s time for guns to fall silent, so that life-saving humanitarian assistance can be provided.”

The UK has only approved “a couple of hundred” visas, out of a million refugees that have fled Ukraine, a minister has suggested.

Damian Hinds, the security minister, admitted that there had been a “relatively small number” of applications processed in the past week, while the Government refused to waive the visa requirements needed to come to the UK.

3. Germany sending more weapons 

Germany will increase its weapons deliveries to Ukraine following the Russian invasion by sending 2,700 anti-aircraft missiles to the conflict zone, a government source told the AFP news agency on Thursday.

The government “approved further support for Ukraine”, involving the delivery of STRELA-type anti-aircraft missiles of Soviet manufacture, which were previously used by the army of communist East Germany, the source said.

4. France warns ‘worst is ahead of us’ 

France on Thursday expressed fear that the worst phase of Russia’s war on Ukraine could be yet to start, with key Ukrainian cities at risk of encirclement by Russian forces.

“I think it is possible that the worst is ahead of us,” Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France 2 TV, saying that Russia had entered into a “logic of siege” after its initial expectations of a quick victory were scuppered by Ukrainian resistance. 

The French government on Thursday advised French citizens to leave Russia where possible, in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.