Ukraine latest: World marks anniversary

Ukrainians honoured their dead and vowed to fight on, while Russia said it was making battlefield gains in the east as its invasion entered a second year on Friday, with no end in sight.

DIPLOMACY

China called for a comprehensive ceasefire and gradual de-escalation in a 12-point paper. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed some elements of the Chinese proposal but said only the country where a war is being fought should be the initiator of a peace plan.

US President Joe Biden said he saw nothing in the Chinese plan “that would be beneficial to anyone other than Russia”.

“This is how it began on February 24 2022,” Zelensky said. “The longest day of our lives. The most difficult day in our recent history. We woke up early and haven't slept since.”

In Moscow, there was a mixture of defiance and some sadness, but no major public events to mark the anniversary.

Washington announced a $2bn package of military aid for Ukraine and a raft of additional sanctions and tariffs hitting Russia's mining and metals industries.

G7 members Canada and Britain unveiled similar measures, as did the 27-nation EU Union, after some hectic last-minute negotiations.

Global financial crime watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) suspended Russia's membership on Friday, saying Moscow's war in Ukraine violated the organisation's principles.

FIGHTING

Ukraine's military said on Friday Russia had doubled the number of ships on active duty in the Black Sea and predicted this could be a preparation for more missile strikes.

Russia said its forces continued to attack in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region on Friday, killing up to 240 Ukrainian soldiers over the past 24 hours.

Reuters could not immediately confirm battlefield claims.