The Moscow stock exchange will not open for trading Wednesday for the third day in a row, the Russian Central Bank said in a statement.
However, limited operations will be allowed for the first time this week.
Russian economy tanks: Russia has been scrambling to prevent financial meltdown since the United States, European Union and other Western allies imposed sanctions on much of the country's banking system, including freezing hundreds of billions of dollars worth of foreign reserves Moscow had been stockpiling for years to shield the Russian economy.
The Russian ruble has plunged, and shares in Russian companies listed overseas have crashed. Several Western businesses have abandoned Russia since the invasion began, including oil giant BP, Shell and Exxon Mobil.
2:17 a.m. ET, March 2, 2022
Zelensky calls for more international support as Ukraine faces Russian assault largely alone
From CNN's Julia Hollingsworth and Matthew Chance
(CNN)
Russia's brutal onslaught of Ukraine is raging on multiple fronts, but despite desperate pleas for more international assistance, the country faces Moscow's offensive largely alone.
Key cities in Ukraine were attacked from several sides Tuesday, with Russia launching strikes on buildings in the center of the capital Kyiv, and scaling up its bombardment of Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv.
Russian military appears to have taken central Kherson after heavy shelling, with video and social media posts verified by CNN providing new evidence that the Russians are moving throughout the southern Ukrainian city apparently unimpeded.
But while the US and NATO allies have aided Ukraine by sharing arms, military equipment and intelligence while imposing dramatic sanctions on Russia, the alliance has thus far made clear it has no plans to send soldiers into Ukraine -- a position US President Joe Biden reiterated in his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, has mounted a fierce resistance, but in a rare interview from a Kyiv bunker Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that his country -- which has a much smaller military than Russia -- needs more help to prevent the crisis from spreading across Europe.
"I've spoken to Biden many times," Zelensky told CNN. "And I've told them many times that Ukraine will resist and fight stronger than anyone else but on our own against Russia we won't manage it."
Ukraine's youngest MP: "If we can survive Stalin, we can survive Putin"
(CNN)
Sviatoslav Yurash, Ukraine's youngest member of parliament, told CNN on Tuesday he and other Ukrainians were determined to keep fighting Russia's assault on the capital Kyiv.
"My great grandfather survived Stalingrad, so I think we can survive whatever they throw at us," he said, speaking from Kyiv. "We had an unfortunate, tragic, unbelievable history in the 20th century. So if we survive Stalin, we can survive Putin."
Life during war: He described life in Kyiv as having changed "immensely," as citizens brace themselves for the Russian attack.
Money, for instance, no longer has any real value during wartime -- meaning people are exchanging goods instead, he said. His neighborhood is quiet and empty, while military recruitment stations are full.
But supplies such as food and ammunition are running low. "Nothing is enough," he said. So he and his team spend their time organizing supplies, distributing food, providing weaponry and medicine, and "trying to be useful in the defense of our capital," he said.
Some of his assistants with military backgrounds are now out in the combat field, leading platoons and helping construct barricades.
Russia tries to destroy our nation, and we will not let it," he said.
12:50 a.m. ET, March 2, 2022
Blinken calls strike on Holocaust memorial in Kyiv "appalling"
US State Secretary Antony Blinken said in a tweet Tuesday he was "appalled" by the missile attack close to the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial in Kyiv.
"We are appalled by reports that Russian bombs have struck near the memorial site of Babyn Yar, killing more people where tens of thousands of Jews were massacred in the Holocaust. We condemn this brutal war against Ukraine," he wrote.
The Holocaust memorial site was hit by a missile, Ukrainian authorities said Tuesday.
"Putin seeks to distort and manipulate the Holocaust to justify an illegal invasion of a sovereign democratic country is utterly abhorrent," said Natan Sharansky, advisory board chair of the site. He added it was "symbolic" that the attack happened where an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 people were shot by the Nazis.
12:29 a.m. ET, March 2, 2022
It's 7:30 a.m. in Kyiv. Here's the latest on Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Nearly a week since Russia began its invasion, President Vladimir Putin’s troops have occupied several of Ukraine’s border regions and are stepping up attacks on Kyiv.
Here's what you need to know:
Biden's address: US President Joe Biden condemned Russia's invasion in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, saying the US would close its airspace to Russian aircraft and launch an investigation into Russian oligarchs. But he reiterated the US would not deploy troops to Ukraine.
Kyiv battered: The Ukrainian capital came under rocket fire on Tuesday, with a Holocaust memorial and a maternity clinic hit hours after the Russian military warned of "high-precision strikes" and told civilians nearby to flee. Rockets also took out broadcasting hardware, raising fears that Russia is attempting to knock out the city's communications infrastructure.
Cities overwhelmed: Russian forces also attacked other key cities, scaling up bombardment of Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, in the northeast and breaking through a heavily contested port city in the south. The Russian military appears to have taken central Kherson, a strategically important city north of the Crimean peninsula. Crimea has been held by Russia since annexation in 2014.
Death toll: The UN said at least 136 people, including 13 children, have been killed in Ukraine since the invasion began, though the true toll is likely much higher. Ukraine's Interior Ministry reported higher figures on Sunday, saying 352 civilians had died and 1,684 had been injured since the Russian invasion.
Zelensky to CNN: In an exclusive interview with CNN and Reuters from a bunker, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged President Biden to deliver a strong and "useful" message about the Russian invasion during his State of the Union speech. Asked if he felt Ukraine was wasting its time by talking with Russia, he said: "We'll see." Separately, Zelensky made an impassioned plea to European leaders on Tuesday to grant Ukraine immediate membership to the EU.
Russia-Ukraine talks: Officials from both countries met on Monday for the first time since the invasion began. Russian state media reported that a second round of talks will happen Wednesday, but Ukrainian officials have yet to confirm this.
12:28 a.m. ET, March 2, 2022
South Korea to ban 7 Russian banks as part of international sanctions
From CNN’s Gawon Bae in Seoul, South Korea
South Korea will ban financial transactions with seven major Russian banks and their affiliates as part of its economic sanctions on Russia.
The country’s Finance Ministry on Tuesday released a detailed plan on the sanctions after consulting with the US Department of the Treasury.
The seven Russian banks are Sberbank, VEB, PSB, VTB, Otkritie, Sovcom and Novikom.
The ban will follow the US’ grace period for sanctions, and exceptional transactions will be allowed for agriculture, Covid-19 medication and energy support.
The ministry “strongly recommended” local public and financial institutions stop their investments in Russian government bonds issued after Wednesday.
South Korea will also “immediately” block Russian banks from the SWIFT global payments system as soon as the European Union specifies its detailed plan, the ministry added.
12:36 a.m. ET, March 2, 2022
Biden on new measures: Putin has "no idea what's coming"
( Saul Loeb/Pool/Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine — and warned of further measures to punish Russia.
"Tonight, I say to the Russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime, no more," Biden said during his State of the Union address as he announced a new task force under the US Justice Department to investigate Russian oligarchs.
"We are joining with our European allies to find and seize their yachts, their luxury apartments, and their private jets. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains," he said.
The US is also closing its airspace to Russian aircraft, joining a number of countries that took similar measures this past week, "further isolating Russia," Biden said.
He then added, referring to Putin: "He has no idea what’s coming."
"Putin has unleashed violence and chaos. But while he may make gains on the battlefield — he will pay a continuing high price over the long run," Biden said.
11:20 p.m. ET, March 1, 2022
Biden tells Americans "now is the hour" for the US to save democracy
From CNN's Maegan Vazquez
US President Joe Biden sounded an optimistic note in wrapping his first State of the Union address, citing the response of the American people and lawmakers in the House chamber to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a reason to be confident in the face of a critical moment.
In a speech that focused on the war in Ukraine before pivoting to domestic challenges, Biden said the American people are ready for the task ahead of them in keeping the world united in the face of autocracy.
"Now is the hour, our moment of responsibility. Our test of resolve and conscience, of history itself. It is in this moment that our character is formed. Our purpose is found. Our future is forged," Biden said in closing. "Well, I know this nation. We will meet the test. To protect freedom and liberty, to expand fairness and opportunity. We will save democracy. As hard as these times have been, I am more optimistic about America today than I have been my whole life."
Standing ovation: Speaking to political leaders in Washington, Biden started his State of the Union address by sending a resounding message to the world: The West is united in its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and condemns the Russian leader for his aggression. Near the beginning of the speech, Biden encouraged all in the chamber to show that support with a resounding standing ovation and said the US and its allies have "an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny."
Biden noted that Putin's aggression had only made the world's democracies strengthen their resolve to counter rising autocracies.
"Six days ago, Russia's Vladimir Putin sought to shake the foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated," Biden said. "He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined. He met the Ukrainian people." He added, "Let each of us here tonight in this chamber send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world. Please rise if you are able and show that, yes, we the United States of America stand with the Ukrainian people."
Military strike in town west of Kyiv tears through multiple apartment blocks
From CNN's Paul P. Murphy, Josh Pennington and Eoin McSweeney
A Russian military strike Tuesday tore through two apartment blocks in Borodjanka, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the center of Kyiv. (From Facebook)
A Russian military strike in the small Ukrainian town of Borodjanka on Tuesday tore through two apartment blocks, videos on social media show.
Borodjanka, located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the center of Kyiv, is the latest civilian area facing a hail of Russian munitions as President Vladimir Putin's forces advance on the capital.
CNN is unable to verify whether there were any injuries or fatalities in the military strike in Borodjanka. CNN has reached out to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry for comment but has not yet received a response.
The videos from Borodjanka have been geolocated, and their authenticity verified by CNN.
"Look what's happening," a man yells in a video taken moments after the military strike, with smoke still rising nearby and the bombed-out apartment complexes in view. "They are bombing everything."
Videos showed a restaurant on the first floor of the complex reduced to rubble. A number of people, bundled in heavy coats, are shown running away. Additional videos show the extent of the destruction, with the ground behind the complex littered with burning cars.
Parts of the apartment buildings have collapsed, with significant portions missing from the facades. A playground nearby is on fire, with the swinging benches and slides strewn with rubble and splintered trees.
"A plane flew by twice dropping three or four bombs here," another man says in the one of the videos. "Cries can be heard (from inside the rubble). We are trying to find out if anyone's still alive (in there), based on their sounds. Good Lord!"
Back in front, near the destroyed walls of the restaurant, another video shows the roadway littered with debris and the twisted metal frame of a vehicle.
"The Russian world has come to us," a man says in the video. "Just take a look at what they've done."
