tonight at six — a children's hospital is hit by a russian air strike in ukraine's besieged southern city of mariupol. ukrainian officials say 17 staff and women who were in labour were injured in the blast. the attack happened while a ceasefire was supposed to be in place. president zelensky calls it an atrocity. north of the capital, a ceasefire does hold in sumy, allowing many more people to flee. one of the world's biggest brewers heineken becomes the latest to suspend operation in russia as more protest against the war. it follows mcdonald, coca—cola, pepsi and

unilever, as more and more companies halt operations this week leaving russia increasingly isolated. and what a find — more than a century after it sank, extraordinary pictures from the antarctic as scientists finally locate sir ernest shackleton�*s lost ship. it matters because people will see those images and will connect to this extraordinary story from our history, the greatest history story of antarctic survival of all time. and coming up on the bbc news channel, england's bowlers are struggling against the west indies, who have made a good start in their reply on the second day of the first test. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six — live from lviv in western ukraine. russian forces have bombed a maternity and children's hospital

in the southern port city of mariupol, according to ukrainian officials. mariupol�*s city council said the hospital had been destroyed. officials say 17 people, including women in labour, have been injured. the attack came while a ceasefire was supposed to be in place. elsewhere in the country, ceasefires did hold, allowing more civilians to flee other besieged cities. this map shows the areas — here in solid red — which are under russian military control. the striped areas show russian advances. our first report this evening is from our international correspondent, orla guerin. survivors emerge from the wreckage after what ukraine says was a russian air strike on a maternity hospital. the local governor says pregnant women are among the

wounded. there was supposed to be a ceasefire in place to let civilians leave in safety. instead, this. here, the massive craterjust outside the building. ukraine's president volodymyr zelensky called it an atrocity and said there were children under the wreckage. russia's response? "we do not fire on civilian targets". tell that to those we met fleeing the russian bombardment from the town of irpin just outside the capital, kyiv. many had to be carried from here today. they survived the shelling. now they must survive life cast adrift as a refugee. and a staggering i million of ukraine's children has been

uprooted injust 14 of ukraine's children has been uprooted in just 14 days since russia invaded. the united nations calls this a dark historical first. well, hour after hour, people keep believing irpin. the town is being emptied of its residents. and it is notjust happening here. there are other cities in ukraine being bombarded by the russians, where civilians are being driven out. this is just one corner of the fastest—growing refugee crisis in since world war ii. we met svetlana on the road, among the newly homeless. "our house is gone," she says. "we have been in the cellar for 14 days with no light, water or heat. but we will be back, for sure.

" further down the road... the immense relief of reunions. friends and neighbours who were not sure they would ever meet again. svetlana hug is a friend's child. "you are alive my sunlight," she says. under the watchful eye of ukrainian troops, many managed to walk away from irpin today, to relative safety outside. we saw these ukrainian soldiers at the edge of town. "let's go," he says, "we have no time." and time may be running out in irpin. russian forces have advanced inside. here is a little of what is in store let's join our chief international correspondent, lyse doucet, who's in the capital kyiv.

what on earth do we make of a day like today, when the russians allow safe passage to some ukrainian citizens, but then bomb a maternity ward? in every war, there is this cruel constant that when overwhelming military force is unleashed at some point, the most innocent will suffer, and so it seems to have happened again today. we don't know where their russia deliberately targeted that maternity hospital in mariupol. we still don't know how many died or how many children were in that maternity ward but we do know it happened and unfortunately, it wasn't the first and it is unlikely to be the last. the world health organization said yesterday that 16 hospitals were already out of action from russian attacks. the ukrainians put it even higher, that it is as many as 60. this is a war

where hospitals, kindergartens and schools are being hit. that is the consequence when a power like russia is using long—range, by their nature indiscriminate, attacks against civilians and that is why these so—called humanitarian corridors are so—called humanitarian corridors are so crucial, to allow people to escape from this suffering, from these sieges, and from this kind of shelling. today, there were six that were meant to be in force, pauses in fighting. we do know that in sumy in the east and a town in the south under russian control, people did fully but in the north and in some other areas, around the capital, people again were trapped by the fire. so yet again, we will probably hear tonight that tomorrow will be another effort to bring an end to the fighting but we are reminded again that this is a war where women and children are not near the front line, they are the front line. thank

ou for line, they are the front line. thank you forjoining _ line, they are the front line. thank you forjoining us. _ line, they are the front line. thank you forjoining us. lyse _ line, they are the front line. thank you forjoining us. lyse doucet- line, they are the front line. thank you forjoining us. lyse doucet in l you forjoining us. lyse doucet in kyiv. in the north—east of ukraine, in the city of sumy, thousands of civilians are escaping to relative safety after the russians agreed to a humanitarian route. some 7,000 people were evacuated from the city yesterday, including hundreds of international students who were ta ken to safety in two convoys of buses and cars. our eastern europe correspondent sarah rainsford is in poltava, where people have been arriving from sumy. they've not eaten like this for two weeks. because these children have been hiding beneath ground, as their city above was bombed and shelled by russian troops. this morning, they made it to safety. their care home evacuated from the front line. the director tells me the air

strikes were the scariest. as we speak, a door bangs somewhere and shejumps. it's so far from normal. at the start, we didn't tell the youngest children that there was war. they didn't know, but theyjust started drawing tanks that's not normal. so, she's trying to get help to get them even further from the fighting. children who were vulnerable even before this war now have new trauma. there were more air strikes the day their convoy travelled south. russia claims its liberating ukraine, but no one here asked to be saved, orfor their homes, their lives, to be ruined. and now, families are forced to flee, uprooted, abandoning everything. this girl has been living in a cellar with russian fighter

this girl has been living in a cellar with russian fighter jets flying overhead. her mum can't find them rooms here. poltava has become one giant waiting here away from the front line and the immediate threat, and then stranded. there are people here from all over this region who fled the areas where the fighting is now at its fiercest, and they've come here in hope of getting a ride as far west as possible. but for the moment, there is no information, no trains. they're just standing and waiting. when a train pulls in, they surge forward. it's a moment of hope but it's a fleeting one. this train is travelling east, not west — towards the fighting, not to safety. sarah rainsford, bbc news, poltava.

the un estimates that more than 2 million refugees have fled ukraine since the start of the conflict. they are mostly crossing into neighbouring countries to the west, such as poland, romania, slovakia, hungary and moldova. and despite the russian assault, smaller numbers have also gone to russia and to its ally, belarus. well, our special correspondent fergal keane is here in lviv, and he's been spending time with some of the medics who are working night and day horn blares. ..or by day... ..whether you're young or old... ..if you are sick, they'll be ready. the woman collapsed as she was about to board a train. dehydrated, exhausted.

days travelling on crowded trains create hellish conditions for the vulnerable. we followed the medics from one call to another. to 82—year—old valentyna, travelling alone, with high blood pressure. her family has stayed behind in the east. translation: i don't know anything. i am going, and that's it. i hope there are good people, that's all. i believe i won't be left behind. this used to be a station lounge. now it's a makeshift clinic. this, the lead doctor's evening conference. around the clock, the patients come. like five—year—old nazar, who's been sick with a chest infection for ten days. translation: this is a disaster. it's pain, it's grief.

we have a lot of people, who on the outside are holding it together, but inside are so worried. we don't sleep. at times here, it can seem like watching a nation being emptied of its women, children, its old people. this 70—year—old once fought for the soviet union in afghanistan and is fleeing with his grandchildren. a senior officer in the medical corps, he won multiple decorations. and he's still proud of his service in that lost war. translation: this is the medal for my service in afghanistan. i we did our duty. his daughter—in—law explains that her husband and autistic son when you hear putin calling ukrainians nazis and fascists, what do you feel? he laughs.

translation: that's the question, here? i nazis, fascists? these people, these? guys, what are you talking about? these are not fascists or nazis. look at them. these are ukrainians. let's get you a chair here. valentyna, aged 82, left for poland today, trusting there, as she must, in the kindness of strangers. fergal keane, bbc news, lviv. that's all from me for the moment. another day of turbulence and trauma in ukraine. back to sophie in the studio now. the foreign secretary, liz truss, has again warned against a no—fly zone in ukraine, saying it would lead to direct confrontation

between nato and russia. but the british government says it will increase its supply of weapons to ukraine for defence purposes, including more anti—tank missiles and possibly anti—aircraft systems. our security correspondent frank gardner looks at the progress of russia's military campaign so far. two weeks into the invasion and russia continues its assault. it's now deployed the vast majority of the forces it assembled to attach ukraine. but what exactly is its military strategy? because russian forces have ta ken military strategy? because russian forces have taken significant losses and britain is about to step up its supply of weapons to ukraine's defenders. in supply of weapons to ukraine's defenders-_ supply of weapons to ukraine's defenders. , , ., ~ ., ., defenders. in response to ukrainian reauests, defenders. in response to ukrainian requests. we've _ defenders. in response to ukrainian requests, we've taken _ defenders. in response to ukrainian requests, we've taken the - defenders. in response to ukrainian requests, we've taken the decision | requests, we've taken the decision to explore the donation of star street high velocity anti—air missiles. we believe that this system will remain within the definition of defensive weapons but will allow the ukrainian force to better defend their sky is.

ukraine's robust resistance armed by the west continues to frustrate moscow's plans. this is almost like a war in two parts. in the north, the russians have made slow progress, as ukraine fights back. they failed to take a single city, pummelling them instead with air strikes and missiles. kyiv is still very much the big prize. you can see here it's being encircled in a pincer movement and its braced for an imminent pincer movement and its braced for an imminent russian pincer movement and its braced for an imminent russian assault. pincer movement and its braced for an imminent russian assault. in pincer movement and its braced for an imminent russian assault. in the south, the russian army has had more success. it's taken the city of curse on and encircled and shelled mariupol —— taken the city of kherson. this has been going on for days as it advances eastwards towards the russian backed rebel held areas. if its forces can take odesa, they can cut ukraine off from the sea. the devastation has added urgency to diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire. china, a possible future mediator, is so far

staying on the sidelines while praising peace efforts. president putin, though, isn't budging. he says the operation is going to plan and he appears determined to inflict untold damage on his neighbour rather than see it become a part of the west. we rather than see it become a part of the west. ~ ., , ., the west. we saw the failures of the initial military _ the west. we saw the failures of the initial military plan _ the west. we saw the failures of the initial military plan to _ the west. we saw the failures of the initial military plan to quickly - initial military plan to quickly subjugate the country, that's failed. so, he is now turning to a strategy of laying waste to the population centres. to the country. amidst a raft of eu and global sanctions, the us has now banned all imports of russian, oil, gas and coal, aiming to help choke off their means of financing the war. {line means of financing the war. one thin is means of financing the war. one thing is very _ means of financing the war. one thing is very clear. _ means of financing the war. (he: thing is very clear. we absolutely have to get out of dependence on russian gas and in fact we have already shown in the last six weeks but we can achieve this independence much faster and do without russian gas. much faster and do without russian as. , ., , ., ., ,

gas. there is no question that this invasion is — gas. there is no question that this invasion is putin's _ gas. there is no question that this invasion is putin's war. _ gas. there is no question that this invasion is putin's war. it - gas. there is no question that this invasion is putin's war. it came as| invasion is putin's war. it came as a surprise to even around him. his problem now is how to end it without it looking like a failure. frank gardner, bbc news. heineken has become the latest high profile name to suspend operations in russia, after mcdonald's, coca—cola and unilever announced they were pulling out too. the us secretary of state anthony blinken says companies leaving russia are having a profound impact and will do in the long term. he said there had been a dramatic exodus of international companies from russia. moscow has accused the united states of waging an economic war on russia after it banned russian oil. our moscow correspondent steve rosenberg reports now on russia's increasing economic isolation. life is changing for russians. sanctions are making their country look very different. at mcdonald's, final orders. it's suspending business in russia over what it calls the needless human suffering

unfolding in ukraine. this customer believes the russian offensive is destroying russia's future. translation: it's very sad. it's notjust mcdonald's that's closing. all western businesses are shutting down. everyone who can is leaving. it is a symbol of the new times. we will be left isolated. back in the ussr, happier times, when mcdonald's opened up here. the fast food was slow, of the huge crowds of customers. it felt then as if russia was getting an appetite for good relations with the west. well, i was actually in the queue here 32 years ago when mcdonald's first opened. it actually took me three hours to get inside. and i can remember the excitement in the crowd because for muscovites, this place was a symbol, a symbol of russia

opening up to the world, a symbol of east embracing west. but it feels now that that is all gone. and instead, russia's increasingly isolated. international brands are vanishing from moscow's shopping centres. but russians have less money to spend here anyway. sanctions have caused the value of the rouble to plunge. but those who back moscow's onslaught in ukraine, many of them claim they couldn't care less about global corporations disappearing from the russian market. the era of post—soviet colonisation by the west started with the arriving of mcdonald's to russia, and the era of sovereign greater russia starts with mcdonald's leaving it. so, have a nice trip. for the moment, moscow is defiant, uncompromising, unapologetic.

but russia is intricately connected to the global economy. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. borisjohnson says almost 1,000 ukrainian refugees have now been granted visas to come to the uk and the numbers will rise sharply. the government has come under pressure to do more to take in refugees fleeing ukraine as vladimir putin's forces continue to bombard towns and cities. our correspondent mark lowen reports from eastern poland where some ukrainian refugees are hoping to make their way to the uk. their long journey of life yields not peace but struggle, for this 92—year—old and her 70—year—old daughter. etched on their faces, the barbarity of the elderly driven from their homes. a halting shuffle to get here, the british visa centre in eastern poland, trying to join family in the uk.

they are safe and she knows it, but not yet at rest. "what is happening to us is a horror," she says. "the attackers are savages, bandits, killing children. "i would like tojoin my son in britain. "of course, i would hope getting there "could be easier." the process can be long. after applying, a weight four days for an appointment here. ——after applying, a wait for days for an appointment here. visas given four hours away in warsaw. while eu countries have scrapped them for ukrainians, britain hasn't. natasha and her family hope to join relatives in bristol. you applied on the 8th of march? eventually. her parents stayed behind in occupied kherson. we speak, and... ..with parents every day, and we say that everything

will be fine and wait. maybe we must wait one week, maybe two weeks, if we want a visa. it is very difficult. natalya has come from newcastle, her parents still queueing on the ukrainian side. when the warstarted and i rang my mum, i did not know if she was alive or not. the anxiety of getting them out, compounded by not knowing when britain will grant the papers. on one hand, it is fair because we have to protect the old people but on the other hand, for the people of ukraine, it is not fair because they are looking for shelter, they are looking for somewhere safe to live. what is striking is that this scene, with long waits and few appointments, is happening here in poland, which has thrown open its arms to well over 1 million people from ukraine. at the border, the refugees are fighting congestion. here, they are battling through british bureaucracy. a generation now on the move, waiting

to be welcomed, and for theirjoy, snatched away, to return. mark lowen, bbc news, eastern poland. a man who became the first person to receive a heart transplant from a genetically—modified pig has died, two months after the operation. 57—year—old david bennett — seen here in the middle — died yesterday. before the operation he said he knew the risks and acknowledged it was a shot in the dark. almost 2 million pupils are regularly missing school, according to new estimates. roughly 1.8 million children are thought to have been absent for at least 10% of lessons. children's commissioner dame rachel de souza said urgent action was needed to identify the children most at risk, and the reasons why they miss school. and finally — to an extraordinary discovery. more than a century after it sank, the lost ship of the antarctic explorer, sir ernest shackleton,

the endurance, has finally been discovered. it was found by a team of scientists, in remarkably good condition, at the bottom of the weddell sea off antartica. our science editor rebecca morelle has the story. emerging from the antarctic deep, the world's most famous undiscovered shipwreck, now found. it is the first time anyone has seen it in more than 100 years. endurance, perfectly preserved, frozen in time, 3,000 metres beneath the ice. i thought, if there's any wood—built ship that could survive the impact of the sea bed, it will be the endurance, and she did, she held together beautifully. but i have never, ever seen a wreck anything like as beautiful and as inspiring as this one. the condition of sir ernest

shackleton's ship is astonishing. the ship's wheel is almost pristine. bolts gleam in the woodwork. the portholes look polished. and these white circles are dinner plates, abandoned by the crew. this was the polar ice breaker that brought the team to the wreck. the conditions were challenging. the agulhas ii had to carve its way through the thick ice in the weddell sea. until the endurance was at last found. probably the most famous as yet undiscovered shipwreck in the world, and now we know exactly where it is. we know what it looks like, we know what condition it's in and we can broadcast images of that around the world. it matters because people will see those images and will connect to this extraordinary story from our history, the greatest story of antarctic survival of all time.

and this was the ship just before it sank, captured in footage restored and released by the bfi. the endurance became stuck in sea off from south georgia, drifting for months before the crew was eventually ordered to abandon ship. the endurance expedition was amazingly well documented, with photographs, film, and crucially, navigation records, which were vital for locating the wreck beneath the ice. what is extraordinary is it was found just four and a half miles, that's about seven kilometres, from the coordinates recorded on the day the ship sank, more than 100 years ago. this was all down to frank worsley, the ship's captain. frank worsley really needs to be recognised now, even more than he was at the time, as an expert navigator. he was using all of the equipment that was at his disposal at the time and clearly,

because the ship has been found so close to that location, he did a brilliantjob. the discovery gives us a new link between the past and the present. the ship won't be raised, and nothing will be removed. left exactly as it was found, resting in the darkness of this rebecca morelle, bbc news.

it's been very mild today with an east—west split. it's been much milder and further west outbreaks of rain with some of it quite heavy. windy with gales in the west too. we hold on to the mild and breezy weather through tonight and into tomorrow for many of us. higher pressure to the new continent, low—pressure to the west. we are this colder air affecting northern ireland and western scotland this evening and overnight. we'll have that rain moving northwards, affecting much of scotland, so quite damp through the night. drier further south with clear spells further south with clear spells further east. it's going to be mild but further west with the clearer skies, ten quite cold with some frost and fog patches. a chilly but bright start for much of northern ireland tomorrow. elsewhere, a lot of cloud, further showers through central and northern parts of the country thanks to weak weather fronts. they are struggling to get there the east because of that area of high pressure. dry weatherfor east anglia and the south—east and very mild, 1a or 15 but double figures for all, even belfast could see 10 degrees. as we head into friday, more active weather front, low—pressure sweeping in from the

south—west. that's going to bring wet weather to southern and western areas as we go through the day. very strong winds, northern and eastern areas particularly but some of the ring can be quite heavy in the south and west as it pushes north. some of that will reach east anglia and the south—east. fairly mild again, not quite as mild on friday as thursday and this afternoon. a deep area of low pressure could affect the south—west of the uk into friday night and saturday, showers. we'll hold onto that unsettled theme into sunday. perhaps signs of something a bit chilly are pushing in from the west as we go through sunday and into the start of next week. it's looking fairly unsettled as we head into the weekend. a reminder of our main story. ukraine says russia has bombed a maternity and children's hospital in the southern port