tonight at ten. global condemnation after a children's hospital is hit by a russian air strike in the besieged southern ukrainian city of mauripol. ukrainian local officials say there are many dead and injured, with children buried under the rubble. the attack happened while a ceasefire was supposed to be in place. mariupol�*s mayor says president putin has destroyed a peaceful city. translation: they wanted to take the lives of our children, _ ourwomen, our doctors, who have been fighting for m days of war for the lives of every child who came under fire from enemy weapons.

in eastern ukraine, a ceasefire in sumy does hold, allowing many more people to flee to safety. we'll also report from a key port city in the south, where residents are preparing for a possible russian attack. and we'll have the latest on the uk government's widely—criticised approach to granting visas to ukrainian refugees. we report from poland, where ukrainians are complaining that the uk visa process is unsympathetic and slow. at the border, the refugees are fighting congestion. here, they're battling through british bureaucracy. a warning from farmers�* leaders that the uk's food prices and supplies will be badly affected by the conflict in ukraine. and deep in the icy waters of antarctica, a remarkable discovery. shackleton�*s vessel endurance, still in once piece a century after it sank.

and coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel, ukraine's olexandr zinchenko and his manchester city side look to finish the job against sporting lisbon to progress to the champions league quarterfinals. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at ten — live from lviv in western ukraine. the russian bombing of a maternity and children's hospital in the southern port city of mariupol has drawn international condemnation. president zelensky has said tonight that there are people trapped under the wreckage, and local officials said the strike had caused colossal damage. 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 flee 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. translation: they wanted to take the lives of our children, _ translation: they wanted to take the lives of our children, our— translation: they wanted to take the lives of our children, our women, - lives of our children, our women, our doctors, who have been fighting for ia days of war for the lives of every child who came under fire from enemy weapons. 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 have been uprooted in just ia days since russia invaded.

the united nations calls this a dark historical first. well, hour after hour, people keep leaving 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 europe 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 ia 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 hugs 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 for irpin. russian forces have advanced inside. here's a little of what is in store if they try to get down the road to the capital. orla guerin, bbc news, irpin. let'sjoin 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? ukrainians, including president zelensky, keep begging the world for help in a war which every day that passes beggars belief. we still don't know if russia deliberately targeted that hospital. that would be a war crime. but it fits the pattern in this war. the united nations has said 18 hospitals have been targeted so far, along with schools and orphanages and kindergartens. and in the case of marie uppal —— of mariupol, it is notjust a case that marie uppal —— of mariupol, it is not just a case that the marie uppal —— of mariupol, it is notjust a case that the maternity hospital was shattered, it is an entire city of suffering, for the past week, they've been without food, water, heat and gas. today was

the fifth straight day where they tried to take advantage of what was supposed to be a humanitarian corridor, to get supplies in and to get people out. it didn't work. but in a lull in the fighting, because there are so many dead bodies lining there are so many dead bodies lining the streets, there was a mass burial. 70 people were buried today, no ceremony, no families. in this war, now in its third week, there is no dignity for the dead, and for the living, there's growing danger, growing but also, growing defiance. lyse doucet, there, reporting from kyiv, thank you. 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 there yesterday, including hundreds of international students. 0ur 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. translation: it's not normal. 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 because they heard the shooting. 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 and 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. when the fighting was paused in sumy again today, it brought this wall of people out of their bunkers. everyone anxious to leave town. poltava, to the south, is just one stage on a long and uncertain journey. this girl has been living in a cellar, with russian fighter jets flying overhead. her mum can't find them rooms here. "it's too expensive," she says, "and everywhere is full." so most are trying to get out. poltava has become one giant waiting room, as thousands are now evacuated 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 the 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 helping those fleeing the disaster. horn blares. whether you reach lviv by night... ..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 have had to stay behind. when you hear putin calling ukrainians nazis and fascists, what do you feel? he laughs. translation: that's the question? here? 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. there are fears that ukraine's biggest seaport, 0desa, could be the next major target for russian ground forces. residents are setting up barricades and sandbags in the southern city. lucy williamson has been hearing from the volunteers preparing to defend 0desa. at a secret location near the southern city of 0desa, they are getting ready to meet the russian army. testing recipes for molotov cocktails and getting in some target practice. two weeks ago, danilo was in his

final year of a law degree. now he is making home—made bombs with ukraine's civil defence force, working side by side with an electrician, a welder, and an olympic athlete. "when did you learn how to make molotov cocktails?" danilo is asked. "it seems it is an optional course for the fourth year of a degree," he quips. bogdan was in kyiv looking for work as a lawyer when the war began. translation: my family said i had to come back home - because they needed my help. ukrainians across the country have met the russian aggressors with these weapons. the team here have been making two crates a day. "we have got a lot better at it," bogdan says. translation: it is like making soup. you need to do everything step—by—step. 0desa has been watching russian ships off its coast for days, its beaches mined, its opera house barricaded, its women and children heading out.

30 miles away, the queue at moldova's palanca crossing renews itself, day and night. this is the first safe port for people living in 0desa. ukraine's third largest city has been braced for a russian assault for many days now, and having seen what has happened elsewhere, they know what to expect when it comes. angela has just arrived from 0desa with one of her daughters and two grandchildren. her elder daughter is serving in the ukrainian army. "it is not peaceful", she said. "they destroyed the military barracks in our village. we lived for three days in the basement of our house because of the air raid sirens." behind them, 0desa is a city in waiting, a city watching as its people leave, waiting for the russians to come. lucy williamson, bbc news, palanca crossing, moldova.

heineken has become the latest high—profile name to suspend operations in russia, after mcdonald's, coca—cola and unilever announced they were pausing operations. moscow has accused the united states of waging an economic war on russia, after it banned russian oil. 0ur 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. customer alla 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, but only because 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's 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 for 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. isolation will hurt. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. well, as the sanctions start to bite in russia, ukraine, the country which it's attacked,

is in turmoil, with civilians being allowed safe passage to escape in some cities while, in another, a hospitalfor children and pregnant women is bombed. ukraine is having to lurch from apparent lulls in the conflict to being the target of ruthless violence, and no—one knows when this is going to end. well, for now, that is all from me and the team in lviv. now it's back to huw in the studio. reeta, many thanks. and thank you to the team in ukraine. the uk's visa scheme for refugees fleeing the war in ukraine has been branded "a shambles" and "totally chaotic" by the government's critics. some mps say those seeking sanctuary are being held up by bureaucracy or turned away, and they've been heavily critical of the home office response to the crisis. borisjohnson says almost 1,000 visas have now been approved, but there are at least 22,000 applications yet to be processed. 0ur 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 92—year—old 0lena and her 70—year—old daughter lyubov. 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're safe, she knows it, but not yet at rest. "what's 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 wait for days

for an appointment here. i will let them know that yours is at 11. 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 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's very difficult. natalya has come from newcastle, her parents still queueing on the ukrainian side. when the war started 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 them 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's 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 a million people from ukraine. at the border, the refugees are fighting congestion. here, they're 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, rzeszow, eastern poland. russia's foreign minister sergey lavrov has arrived in turkey for talks with his ukrainian counterpart tomorrow. it will be the first high—level contact between the two governments since the invasion began. the uk government says it will increase its supply

of weapons to ukraine for defence purposes, but ministers have warned against imposing a no—fly zone over ukraine, saying it would lead to direct confrontation between nato and russia. the volatile nature of president putin's leadership has made it almost impossible to envisage how the war might end, and the long—term impact on international relations, as our diplomatic correspondent james landale reports from southern turkey. after more than two weeks of fighting, thousands have died, millions fled, and the worst may be yet to come. so just how might russia's war in ukraine play out? well, there could clearly be a military outcome. russian forces could eventually seize kyiv, depose the government and occupy part of ukraine. or they could get bogged down and face years of bloody insurgency against a well—motivated ukrainian resistance, supported over time by british

anti—tank bazookas like these, more of which are on their way, along with something extra for russia's warplanes. so in response to ukrainian requests, the government has taken the decision to explore the donation of starstreak high—velocity man—portable anti—air missiles. we believe that this system will remain within the definition of defence weapons but will allow the ukrainian force to better defend their skies. a military stalemate could lead to a diplomatic outcome, if the scale of the losses and bloodshed convince both sides to compromise. russian and ukrainian officials are already holding talks on the belarus border. russia says it will stop fighting if ukraine gives up crimea, the donbas and nato and eu membership, demands dismissed by ukraine. but tomorrow, here in the southern turkish city of antalya, ukraine's foreign minister, dmytro kuleba, is due to meet his russian counterpart, sergei lavrov.

tomorrow's talks here are the highest level of contact between both sides since the invasion. the fact they are taking place suggests both sides think they have got something to talk about. but expectations are not high. some wonder if china could make a difference. president xi and putin said theirfriendship had no limits but russia now depends on china buying its oil and gas and mr xi could use that leverage on russia. he is already calling for restraint and offering aid. the one outcome most feared is of escalation. western officials say they have serious concerns russia could be preparing to use nonconventional arms, such as chemical weapons. and ukraine's demand for nato jets to enforce a no—fly zone is still being refused for fear of triggering a wider war. our goal is to end the war, not to expand it, including potentially expand it to nato territory.

we want to make sure that it is not prolonged, to the best of our ability, otherwise it is going to turn even deadlier. for now, the fighting continues within ukraine's borders, and much depends on the choices vladimir putin makes next. james landale, bbc news, southern turkey. a reminder that you can find the latest on the conflict — and expert analysis by our teams on the ground and at home — on bbc news online, bbc.co.uk/news, or on your mobile device with the bbc news app. the conflict in ukraine and the resulting impact on the world economy will have a direct impact on food supply chains and prices in the uk, according to the national farmers' union. it points out that russian gas, now being phased out by many countries, plays a critical role in food infrastructure, while supplies of grain and oilseed depend heavily on russian production and ukrainian

workers have been making up a majority of seasonal workers since brexit. 0ur economics editor, faisal islam, examines the prospects ahead. in berkshire, british arable farmers are changing their plans on short notice, today deciding to sow more wheat to make up for supply disruptions from ukraine, where some of the world's most important wheat fields are now littered with russian tanks. well, given the current crisis in ukraine, the demand for food is ever increasing. there's going to be a shortage of wheat and barley, predominantly wheat, so today we are planting spring wheat into some fallow land, which should've remained fallow until next autumn, but indeed, it's grown a crop. farmers are warning of an economy—wide disruption that could last for many years and double digit drops in food production next year, just when homegrown food may be in significant demand.

the ability to produce food is being undermined by spiralling gas prices, say farmers, which in turn has led to shortages and high prices forfertiliser. to invest, so effectively, we are producing the same, and in many areas, producing more food here and making sure that the british public have readily available, high—quality affordable food. even before the conflict, food prices were going up, squeezing the cost of living, sending the official measures of rising prices to 30—year highs. 0ne campaigning cook who has tracked how this affects the poorest in society told mps today that lives were at stake.