Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says 'certain positive movements' in negotiations

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has granted Ukrainians with temporary protected status (TPS) amid the conflict with Russia, officials said.

"Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked attack on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing war, senseless violence, and Ukrainians forced to seek refuge in other countries,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. "In these extraordinary times, we will continue to offer our support and protection to Ukrainian nationals in the United States."

Individuals must have continuously resided in the U.S. as of March 1 to be eligible; Ukrainians who arrive after that date will not be eligible. The designation, which will last at least 18 months, allows migrants not otherwise in the U.S. on a legal basis to continue to live and work in the country and not be subject to deportation during that time.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement paused deportations to Ukraine as of Thursday, an agency spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.

A country may be designated for TPS due to ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters or "extraordinary and temporary conditions." The U.S. Department of Homeland Security noted the conditions Ukrainians might face if they are repatriated home.

"This invasion has caused a humanitarian crisis with significant numbers of individuals fleeing and damage to civilian infrastructure that has left many without electricity or water or access to food, basic supplies, shelter and emergency medical services," the department said.

The announcement follows pressure from both sides of the aisle to extend TPS to Ukrainians in the U.S. as the war continues.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer applauded the Biden administration for "taking decisive action so that Ukrainians can stay safely in America,"

"The United States stands with the people of Ukraine," he said in a statement.

-ABC News' Aaron Katersky, Conor Finnegan and Luke Barr

President Joe Biden is opposed to the idea of a 'no-fly' zone over Ukraine because he doesn’t want American service members directly fighting Russians, the White House said Thursday.

"The reason why that has not been a step the president has been willing to take or we have been interested in taking is because a no-fly zone requires implementation," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing.

"It would require essentially the U.S. military shooting down Russian planes and prompting a potential direct war with Russia, the exact step that we want to avoid."

Earlier Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his call for a 'no-fly' zone and said that if nations didn’t want to establish one, they should send him planes.

Psaki suggested the White House viewed sending planes in the same vein as establishing a 'no-fly' zone.

"I’m not going to get into more details of what the Department of Defense may or may not consider," Psaki said. “We are not considering taking steps that would put us in direct conflict with Russia."

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson

The U.S. announced new sanctions Thursday against members of the Russian elite, including Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, and said it would block 19 oligarchs and 47 of their relatives and close associates from traveling to the U.S.

The U.S. will put full-blocking sanctions on eight members of the Russian elite, as well as 17 of their relatives, 12 of their companies, two of their jets and one super-yacht, banning them from the U.S. financial system.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as well as one of Russia’s richest men, Alisher Usmanov, are among the eight sanctioned, according to the White House.

Germany had already seized Usmanov’s super-yacht, and the White House said both the boat and Usmanov’s private jet – which it said was one of the largest privately-owned aircraft in Russia – would be blocked for use in the U.S. or by Americans.

The U.S. also put visa restrictions on 19 Russian oligarchs and on 47 of their relatives and close associates, blocking them from obtaining U.S. visas and traveling to the U.S.

The U.S. also imposed full-blocking sanctions on seven Russian entities and 26 Russian and Ukraine-based people engaging in disinformation.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson

The Russians are targeting civilians and Russian military forces are closing in on Kharkiv, while convoy remains "stalled," a U.S. Defense official told reporters on Thursday.

"Clearly they've shown a willingness to hit civilian infrastructure on purpose, and that you see in the example of media towers and media facilities," the official said.

The Russians have also been hitting government infrastructure in cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv, the official said.

The Russian advance on Kyiv is still "stalled" and is roughly 25K north of the city, which is where it was "about two to three days ago," the official said.

"We believe that their movement has stalled for many reasons, including the Ukrainian resistance, their own logistics and sustainment challenges that they've had, as well as ... certainly it could be possible that the weather is not cooperating. And ... lastly, because we think to some degree they are doing some reassessment of their own," the official said.

Russian forces are closing in on Kharkiv, according to the official.

The official couldn't confirm that Kherson has fallen under Russian control.

The official said one possibility as to why Russia advanced on Kherson is the Russians intend to move past Kherson to the town of Mykolayiv to be in position to move on Odessa from sea and land.

So far, the U.S. hasn't seen any naval moves near Odessa, but they are watching closely, according to the official.

Mariupol is still under Ukrainian control though the city is under increasing bombardment as Russian forces attempt to advance on the city "from the north as well as from the coastline northeast of Berdyansk," according to the official.

Approximately 90% of the more than 150,000 Russian forces that were arrayed at the border are inside Ukraine, according to the official. This is up from an estimated 82% on Wednesday.

As of Thursday morning, the U.S. has counted more than 480 Russian missile launches.

The official said a majority of the Russian missiles are being launched from within Ukraine.

"They have mobile systems, they're moving them inside," the official said. "The next biggest chunk are coming from Russia, more than 160 from Russia. More than 70 are coming from Bellarus. And then a very small number, less than 10, that we've observed coming from the Black Sea."

The official said the Ukrainians "still have a majority of their air and missile defense capabilities available to them."

-ABC News' Matt Seyler