The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
Ukraine's government has urged citizens to take up arms to repel the Russian invasion. Across the country, people from all walks of life are answering the call. (Video: Whitney Shefte, Whitney Leaming, James Cornsilk/The Washington Post, Photo: Heidi Levine for The Washington Post/The Washington Post)

U.S., Canada and European leaders vow to freeze Russian assets, target banks

2 min

This live coverage has ended. For Sunday’s live updates, click here.

The United States, Canada and European allies are preparing to target Russian financial institutions, including the nation’s central bank, with major restrictions in what would be a significant escalation of their efforts to punish the Kremlin for its invasion of Ukraine, the allies said in a joint statement Saturday evening as air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv.  
Skip to end of carousel
On Saturday morning, a high-rise apartment building near one of Kyiv’s international airports was struck by a missile as air raids continued.
Ukraine’s health minister said 198 Ukrainians have been killed in the fighting, with more than 1,000 wounded. There were already signs of a mass exodus. The United Nations said Saturday that more than 150,000 Ukrainians have fled the country. Later it said there had been “at least 240 civilian casualties, including at least 64 dead.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video of himself at daybreak Saturday appearing resolved to remain in Kyiv, even as Western officials warned that Russia plans to capture or kill him.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic have moved to shut their airspace to Russian airlines. Estonia’s prime minister called on all European Union countries to do the same.
End of carousel
Skip to end of carousel
On Saturday morning, a high-rise apartment building near one of Kyiv’s international airports was struck by a missile as air raids continued.
Ukraine’s health minister said 198 Ukrainians have been killed in the fighting, with more than 1,000 wounded. There were already signs of a mass exodus. The United Nations said Saturday that more than 150,000 Ukrainians have fled the country. Later it said there had been “at least 240 civilian casualties, including at least 64 dead.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video of himself at daybreak Saturday appearing resolved to remain in Kyiv, even as Western officials warned that Russia plans to capture or kill him.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic have moved to shut their airspace to Russian airlines. Estonia’s prime minister called on all European Union countries to do the same.
End of carousel