this is bbc news broadcasting in the uk and around the globe. i'm victoria derbyshire. our top stories... russian artillery continues to pound cities and towns in ukraine — as the invading forces seek to capture more ground. the besieged city of mariupol will attempt another evacuation of civilians — after a similar plan was abandoned yesterday due to continuing fighting. the un says one point five million people may have fled ukraine by the end of today. and i am at the border crossing, it is expected i million people will have fled to poland alone. credit card companies mastercard and visa join those businesses withdrawing

their services from russia. and solidarity in the streets — and at football grounds — thousands continue to show support for the people of ukraine. hello and welcome to bbc news. russian troops have continued their offensive against ukrainian towns and cities, with heavy bombardment reported in irpin, northwest of kyiv. cities in the south including mariupol, and kharkiv in the north—east, are being attacked. visa and mastercard have become the latest western companies to suspend their services in russia. dan johnson reports. the pummelling of the ukrainian people shows no sign of relenting. it's getting closer to kyiv and it's causing more casualties

as well as forcing more people on the move. it's also sparking more resistance. ordinary ukrainians of all ages are getting ready to fight. i'm a student, i'm 21, so that's the legal age for buying your first gun or rifle here. it's unfortunate to see how many students instead of going to classes, are going to stand in queues to get arms. it's our country. i can't step back, you know. never, never. live or die, for sure. everyone — every russian will die here. we will burn them. all of them. ukrainian forces say this shows their level of resistance, shooting down a russian helicopter. and the country's president has given another defiant rallying speech, with a message to his own people living under occupation. translation: you have to go on the offensive. l it is necessary to fight if there is an opportunity.

it is necessary to go out and drive this evil out of our cities, from our land. there have been protests around the world, but also in russia. with more companies pulling out of the country, life is getting harder. visa and mastercard have announced they are suspending their payment services, so doing business will get even tougher. and speaking in their language, ukraine's president has something to say directly to the russian people in whose name vladimir putin is waging this war. translation: | know that - many of you came to believe that ukraine allegedly hates you, allegedly will attack, allegedly will destroy. liars. liars talk about it every day on the russian television. it's theirjob to lie to you every day, but that shouldn't be your fate. russian promises of a temporary ceasefire weren't kept yesterday, which meant this evacuation centre

stood largely empty, with ukrainians unable to escape from mariupol, which has been under siege for the last ten days. there are dead bodies everywhere in the streets of mariupol, that is why the calls keep coming for nato to impose a no—fly zone, including from ukraine's former president. the russian is completely bombing with the airborne, in the south, the civilian people, and you see all these people are suffering from that and this is completely unacceptable. and when we are asking the no—fly zone, this is exactly for these people. the us and other nato countries have so far resisted that, fearful of all—out war with russia. but the secretary of state was in poland yesterday and stepped across onto ukrainian soil to show solidarity. good afternoon, everyone. we've seen an extraordinary surge of support from around the world against russia's aggression, against russia's war of choice.

against what is happening every single day, every single minute in ukraine to civilians throughout the country as a result of this aggression. ukraine will win this war anyway, because this is the people's war fortheir land and we defend the right cause. the question is the price, the price of our victory. and that price will be paid by the ukrainian people, by the families split up and scattered in fear for their lives. dan johnson, bbc news. president biden has welcomed the decision by visa and mastercard to suspend their services in russia. mastercard said it would no longer support cards issued by russian banks while cards issued outside the country would not work within the country. visa said it would cease all transactions in russia in the coming days.

here's our reporter leigh milner. it's an interesting move by visa and mastercard, essentially what will happen is any cards in russia issued in russia won't work abroad and any foreign—issued cards won't work inside russia either. the aim to make life a lot harder. it's as simple as that. now you may be wondering what if say you live in russia and you have a russian issued mastercard or visa? will it work? well, russia's major banks, including its largest lenders, verbank and the russia central bank, has said that all bank cards will continue to work. they've been quick to reassure customers they'll be able to withdraw money, make payments, make transfers because they say all payments in russia are made through a national system. now we know that russia has been taking steps to increase the independence of its financial system for years, particularly after ties with the west deteriorated over the country's annexation of crimea in 2014. the reason this has happened in alfred kelly's

words, he's the boss of visa, is that the company felt compelled to act following russia's unprovoked invasion of ukraine. meanwhile, mastercard has used words like shocking and devastating to describe what's happened there. the decision has been welcomed by president biden. we've just been told that in the last couple of minutes, but remember, this will have been a really difficult decision for them since though they have nearly 200 colleagues there, and they've operated in russia for more than 25 years. the world health organization says it has confirmed several attacks on health care facilities in ukraine, causing multiple deaths and injuries. additional reports are being investigated. writing on twitter, the head of the organisation says such attacks are in breach of medical neutrality and are violations of international humanitarian law. drjarno habitcht is the head of the world health organization's office in ukraine. he talks to us from barcelona. what

facilities have been attacked? what facilities have been attacked? what we have seen _ facilities have been attacked? what we have seen no _ facilities have been attacked? what we have seen no is _ facilities have been attacked? what we have seen no is six _ facilities have been attacked? brief we have seen no is six confirmed attacks, either hospitals or some of them are ambulances. health care workers on the front line really supporting the response. what is important currently is exactly to respect the humanitarian law as well as to ensure safe corridors because the health needs of people are increasing daily. and every hour. it is very important to ensure there is a safe passage of tetris treatments and other essential medical devices to hospitals and ambulances and everywhere. we are also validating additional... it is important in the current environment to ensure surveillance systems are in place. hospitals and ambulances are being

targeted, you say. presumably health workers, medics, health professionals are being killed and injured? professionals are being killed and in'ured? , ., , professionals are being killed and in'ured? , . , , injured? currently what we see is there are some _ injured? currently what we see is there are some targets _ injured? currently what we see is there are some targets and - injured? currently what we see is there are some targets and we i injured? currently what we see is. there are some targets and we are monitoring the situation. it is important that health care is currently very different, they are afraid to go to the ambulance, to the site sometimes because the facilities, the military offensive is progressing. at the same time many health care workers are working in the bomb shelters, babies are delivered there, the situation is quite devastating and we need to think that it is already a relatively straight health system going through the covid outbreak, coming out of the covid wave. the support of the health secretary as needed. i see in the field supplies

to kyiv, to lviv every single day. there is a lot of trauma and surgery needs to car kyiv, odesa, this is what we do in the field whilst also monitoring the attacks. the what we do in the field whilst also monitoring the attacks.— monitoring the attacks. the need safe aths monitoring the attacks. the need safe paths to _ monitoring the attacks. the need safe paths to get _ monitoring the attacks. the need safe paths to get the _ monitoring the attacks. the need safe paths to get the supplies - monitoring the attacks. the need| safe paths to get the supplies into car kyiv and the capital and the south? , , .. , car kyiv and the capital and the south? , , , ., south? this is exactly what we need food. we south? this is exactly what we need food- we are _ south? this is exactly what we need food. we are talking _ south? this is exactly what we need food. we are talking to _ south? this is exactly what we need food. we are talking to our - south? this is exactly what we need food. we are talking to our partnersj food. we are talking to our partners like the uk government that has also ensured some deliveries to kyiv, as we have done in the past days, but access is becoming more and more difficult and that is why the corridors are very needed. even the truck drivers, they are afraid for their lives. we need to ensure safe

paths to the front line that we can save people. paths to the front line that we can save maple-— paths to the front line that we can save people. paths to the front line that we can save --eole. . ~ , . , save people. thank you very much, dr jarno save people. thank you very much, dr jarno habitcht. — save people. thank you very much, dr jarno habitcht, head _ save people. thank you very much, dr jarno habitcht, head of _ save people. thank you very much, dr jarno habitcht, head of the _ save people. thank you very much, dr jarno habitcht, head of the world - jarno habitcht, head of the world health organization's office in ukraine talking to us from barcelona. our correspondent yalda hakim joins us now live from lviv in western ukraine. what stories are you hearing from people? i have come to the train station today, really help for people coming and going. tens of thousands of people have passed through, is busy as ever as people flee the fighting in the north, east and south and make their way to the

relative safety of lviv, not yet hit by any russian bombs are shelling so people are finding this to be a bit of a century as they try to figure out what to do next in their lives. i have been seeing the elderly here looking quite confused, many elderly women weeping at the train station because as they arrive they do not know where they are going to go next, where they will end up, they have small suitcases, just a few things they have carried and have made their way away from the fighting here to lviv, trying to figure out where they should go. i saw a young man rushed up to an elderly woman and ask her if she was ok and she was not. she was visibly upset, weeping, he gave her a warm cup of tea, some biscuits. he took her bags and drove her away somewhere. people are trying to do what they can to help each other but it is incredibly desperate. i am

told you have someone you are going told you have someone you are going to talk to now. is that accurate? ido, i do, doctor sasha dovzhyk, a volunteer here. thank you for joining us. you are from the uk, originally from east ukraine, you live in the uk but have come out to help in the league, what are you doing? in help in the league, what are you doin: ? , ., ., ., ., doing? in my normal life i am a secial doing? in my normal life i am a special prejects _ doing? in my normal life i am a special projects curator - doing? in my normal life i am a special projects curator in - special projects curator in ukrainian institute london. i had a feeling i should go home and wait and see what happens because i was not dot like i am based in lviv. i am gritting journalists like yourself and trying to help them navigate the city which has become as you say a century for refugees and the displaced.—

and the displaced. what sort of thin . s and the displaced. what sort of things peeple _ and the displaced. what sort of things people telling _ and the displaced. what sort of things people telling you. - and the displaced. what sort ofj things people telling you. from and the displaced. what sort of- things people telling you. from what i can see, there is a sense of organisation because there are buses but also chaos and a lot of heartache. sure, yes, but from what i see there is an extraordinary effort at the grassroots level to organise and bring people to safety. there are logistics centres coordinating the movement of people. individuals reaching out to their friends and trying to bring friends from the railway stations and helping people to cross the border. people meeting them on the other side of the polish border and bringing them to their home. an extraordinary feeling of help, solidarity and support we are experience here in lviv. you must be hearing horrific stories of what they have actually fired from.

sure, ido sure, i do not need to talk to people here to know. my cousin and my aunt are currently in a bomb shelter in the region where the nuclear station is placed. the power showed a few days ago by the russian army. they have been based in the bomb shelter for a couple of days. they still have food and water supplies but obviously the situation is very fragile. i am currently meeting eight people from there, my best friend, her two kids, my brother, sisters are also fleeing and trying to find safety here in lviv. thank you, doctor sasha dovzhyk. people are trying to do what they can, coming from different parts of the country, outside of the country, to return here to ukraine to help those internally displaced and those becoming refugees and leaving this country. thank you, we will talk later.

the un says 1.5 million people may have fled ukraine by the end of today. of those, more than 920,000 have crossed the border into poland. our correspondent kasia madera is in medyka on the poland—ukraine borderfor us now. one thing is constant, the people keep coming, thousands of people continue to come every few minutes. a group of people making it across the border, just a few metres away from us. people crossing into poland, we have heard what is happening on the other side of the border. when people get here they work overwhelmed, they need space, time to come to terms with what they have experienced. they also need to think about what they do next. if you think about it, just to poland

alone nearly1 million people have come into one country. that is more than the population of this country's second largest city. coming into one country in the space ofjust over a week. so the infrastructure to help these people that has been ongoing as immense. hundreds upon hundreds of volunteers day by day coming to border crossings like this, to the largest border crossing between poland and ukraine, medyka, to set up immediate help for the pupils havejourneys that have belong. nappies, milk formula, children's food, lots of toys donated by people in the local area because they understand the immense journey that these people that have just crossed the border have had. given this overwhelming

number of people have been displaced in the short space of time, given how they have been on the move and how they have been on the move and how they have been on the move and how they are all coming here, organisationally you can see there is a system that buses come and they take these people onto the next leg of their journey. take these people onto the next leg of theirjourney. this bus hasjust packed up, lots of people, a destination further away from the border, a larger town were reception centres have been set up. it is not just the buses, lots of people coming with signs. the signs mean this guy has come on his own, he will take three people to this town further into poland, that is how the country is gearing itself up. people have been advised, if you want to

take in a refugee family, what you should do and they help that they need. they are being driven from places like this, from the actual border itself to reception areas further into poland and then being dispersed across the country and being given the opportunity to go to other countries. lots of people from across the eu coming to places like this to offer transport, offer somewhere to stay. the other story we have been seeing, people going back across the border, so the ukrainian border patrol has been updating their figures and they are saying they are seeing a large amount of people going back into ukraine. the people that have my family there. the workers that have come to poland to work are going back into ukraine to get their children. it is a fluid situation, a very dynamic situation. but this country along with the rest of the eu countries are saying everyone is

welcome because there is a huge understanding of what the people that have just arrived have experienced. they have left everything. they have left family members, their homes, nobody wants to leave. nobody wanted this to happen and here they are now, packing up what they can, what they can carry, bringing it here and work out where they are going to go. large international community in poland, instrumental in bringing people back with them, housing them. but it also it is the local community groups, opening up their homes, ensuring people arriving have somewhere to go. one thing that is absolutely certain is that the figures will continue to rise as the situation remains so uncertain in ukraine itself. we know people will continue to come into this country, into the neighbouring countries

looking for refuge, safety and just looking for refuge, safety and just looking for refuge, safety and just looking for rest. looking for refuge, safety and 'ust looking for rest.�* looking for rest. thank you, kasia madera, looking for rest. thank you, kasia madera. who _ looking for rest. thank you, kasia madera, who has _ looking for rest. thank you, kasia madera, who has been _ looking for rest. thank you, kasia madera, who has been there - looking for rest. thank you, kasia madera, who has been there all. looking for rest. thank you, kasia - madera, who has been there all weeks on the long border between ukraine and poland. in assyria, edited three months for 1 and poland. in assyria, edited three months for1 million refugees to leave the country, in ukraine it has taken ten days. —— in syria it took three months for1 million refugees to leave the country. from slovakia, rob cameron has this report. 10,000 people a day crossing into slovakia from ukraine. there are five countries on ukraine's western and southern borders, and all of them are witnessing things the region hasn't seen since the second world war. from slovakia, rob cameron

has this report. 10,000 people a day crossing into slovakia from ukraine. 10,000 journeys, 10,000 stories, each similar, each unique, each terrifying in their own way. svetlana is an english teacher from the town of korosten who fled with her seven—year—old son iliya and their cat. without your house, without your clothes, because we went out we just nothing, like, we were hoping that we could come back someday, but i don't know, as far as watching the news, i'm losing my hope, actually. for now, she's heading to the polish city of rzeszow to stay with friends. central and eastern europe is home to a huge ukrainian diaspora. in homes across the region this evening, people will be making up spare beds for their kin. and for those who have no—one in warsaw, bratislava, or prague will be put up by an army of willing volunteers. but not all of these people fleeing the conflict are ukrainians. russia's war has scattered thousands of migrant workers and students and most of them are trying to get home as quickly as possible, but not everyone. foreigners from all over the world were studying in ukraine

when the war started. some just months away from completing their degrees. it is six years already i have been doing my thing, i have been studying late night for exams, i had plans for my life, i will do this, i'll write my exam, i will go to another country, i will become something in my life. but now i don't know what to do. degrees can be finished, of course, but lives lost can't be relived. the red army once liberated this part of europe and slovaks haven't forgotten. but now their neighbours are fleeing russian tanks, not welcoming them. and countries like slovakia are the ones providing the shelter. rob cameron, bbc news, on the slovak—ukrainian border. thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes in ukraine since the russian invasion began last week. ukrainian mp inna (pron: eee—na) sovsun is one of them.

ukrainian mp inna sovsun is one of them. she was forced to leave her home in kharkiv — the country's second largest city which has been subject to intense bombing by russian forces. she spoke to us earlier from the capital kyiv and here's some of what she said. as long as we don't have a no—fly zone imposed over ukraine no money will save us from the bombs falling on her heads —— our heads. people are sitting in shelters from ten daysin are sitting in shelters from ten days in a row, they cannot get out because the russians shell many cities. untilthey because the russians shell many cities. until they stop coming from the air... in 1994 we gave our nuclear weapon arsenal. that's why a lot of people in ukraine feel betrayed by the best because we gave

up betrayed by the best because we gave up the most powerful weapon we had in exchange for assurances of security from the united kingdom, united states and now we are not getting those with the what needs to be understood putin, worst case he kills all of us. he will go into poland, then nato will have to intervene. he will proceed to the baltic states. that is why poland and the baltic states are so supportive of ukraine because they understand they are coming next. we are asking for intervention now so more lives can be saved. we are not asking for someone to come and fight for us, we are ready to fight. that is notjust ourfight, that for us, we are ready to fight. that is notjust our fight, that is the fate of the whole of the european civilisation, we are just defending the eastern front. we are not asking for someone to fight for us on the ground. we have capable people doing that already. my father is with the

territorial defence, i have not had any contact with him during the week, my boyfriend is with the army, so are the majority of people. i am evacuating some female friends whose boyfriends and husbands have been mobilised to the army. but there is resistance on our site would not matter if we —— no matter how hard we try if we do not have help in the air. the israeli prime minister, naftali bennett, has held three hours of talks with vladimir putin at the kremlin. mr bennett is the first western leader to meet the russian president since the invasion began. here's the bbc�*s tom bateman injerusalem. israeli officials say these talks went on for three hours in the kremlin between mr bennett and vladimir putin. i think the fact that the israeli prime minister flew to moscow in the midst of russia's increasing diplomatic isolation gives you a sense of

just how extraordinary these particular talks are. they have not come completely out of the blue. we have known for some days now that there have been at least two phone calls between the israeli prime minister and the russian president and also at the same time, mr bennett has been talking to president zelensky of ukraine. the israeli leader believes he can try to position himself as a mediator between the two countries. he believes israel is uniquely placed to have dialogue with both moscow in the form of mr putin and with mr zelensky. and the reason for that is that israel has significant relations with both countries. long historical, cultural ties with ukraine, and significant relations in russia because of russia's position controlling the skies and its presence on the ground in syria, where israel carries out repeated air strikes against iranian interests.

they have had to develop a pretty delicate but quite deep relationship with russians because of that. now, what happens next? well, mr bennett's officials said he had a phone call with president zelensky after the meeting with mr putin, and that he is now flying to berlin where he will speak to the german chancellor olaf scholz. the israelis say that the talks with the kremlin happened in coordination with key western partners, and they say that in their words, with "the blessing of the white house", so it gives you some indication as to the seriousness, how the israelis are taking this as they think they can position themselves as mediators, and just how extraordinary these talks are, given russia's growing diplomatic isolation, but the question that emerges, even if you have a mediator, what substance is there, to be mediated over. and that is a question we don't have an answer to, we don't know the details of these talks.

i'm joined now by british diplomat simon smith. he has previously served as ambassador to ukraine. it has to be right to keep talking in almost any circumstances. but going into talks with putin at this stage i hope they understand just how colossal a mountain of lies and deceit his aggression on ukraine is based on. i think going into talks with putin on a basis of their are two sides to this question and a middle way has to be found, i think thatis middle way has to be found, i think that is a fundamentally wrong approach to this. this is a totally unprovoked war and as so many people have said, i think it is a vital objective that putin is seen to have failed, that his aggression on

ukraine has failed. can failed, that his aggression on ukraine has failed.— failed, that his aggression on ukraine has failed. can i ask you, mr smith, _ ukraine has failed. can i ask you, mr smith, how _ ukraine has failed. can i ask you, mr smith, how will _ ukraine has failed. can i ask you, mr smith, how will that - ukraine has failed. can i ask you, mr smith, how will that happen? | ukraine has failed. can i ask you, - mr smith, how will that happen? how will he fail in your view? i mr smith, how will that happen? how will he fail in your view?— will he fail in your view? i think what we need _ will he fail in your view? i think what we need is _ will he fail in your view? i think what we need is to _ will he fail in your view? i think what we need is to sustain - will he fail in your view? i think i what we need is to sustain almost will he fail in your view? i think - what we need is to sustain almost a multiple front in ways in which we can bring home both to putin that there is an unsustainable cost to what he has done, economic terms where we pile on not only the sanctions but also the decisions that have been made all around the world to disinvest in russia, and fundamentally disconnect russia from its coexistence in the global economy. its coexistence in the global economy-— its coexistence in the global econom . �* ., ~ economy. and do you think he will care about — economy. and do you think he will care about that? _ economy. and do you think he will care about that? i _ economy. and do you think he will care about that? i think _ economy. and do you think he will care about that? i think it - economy. and do you think he will care about that? i think it would . economy. and do you think he will| care about that? i think it would be foolish of us _ care about that? i think it would be foolish of us to _ care about that? i think it would be foolish of us to stop _ care about that? i think it would be foolish of us to stop and _ care about that? i think it would be foolish of us to stop and ask- foolish of us to stop and ask ourselves well maybe he doesn't care. the important thing for us is to continue to find ways of demonstrating the increasing costs of what he is doing. i think it is

also important in