Russia-Ukraine updates: US to ban Russian carriers from its airspace

Biden will announce the news in his State of the Union address, a source said.

Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymr Zelenskyy, are putting up "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.

The attack began Feb. 24 as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation."

Russians moving from Belarus towards Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, don't appear to have advanced closer towards the city since coming within about 20 miles, although smaller advanced groups have been fighting gun battles with Ukrainian forces inside the capital since at least Friday.

Russia has been met by sanctions from the U.S., Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting Russia's economy and Putin himself.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 25, 2022, 1:16 PM EST

UK's Boris Johnson announces Putin, Lavrov sanctions

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson will introduce sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on top of the sanctions package announced Thursday, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

PHOTO: A protestor holds a banner depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin during a demonstration in front of the Russian Embassy in Madrid, Feb. 24, 2022.
A protestor holds a banner depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin during a demonstration in front of the Russian Embassy in Madrid, Feb. 24, 2022. Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling, as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee.
Manu Fernandez/AP

The announcement was made during a Friday call with NATO leaders.

“The Prime Minister told the group that a catastrophe was engulfing Ukraine, and President Putin was engaging in a revanchist mission to over-turn post-Cold War order. He warned the group that the Russian President’s ambitions might not stop there and that this was a Euro-Atlantic crisis with global consequences," the Downing Street spokesperson said.

“The Prime Minister urged leaders to take immediate action against SWIFT to inflict maximum pain on President Putin and his regime," the spokesperson added.

If Russia was cut off from the SWIFT -- the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication international banking system -- it would significantly hinder Russia's participation in global markets.

-ABC News' Guy Davies

Feb 25, 2022, 12:55 PM EST

Russia deploying disinformation campaign to damage Ukraine's morale: US official

A U.S. official alleges that Russia is deploying a disinformation campaign to damage Ukrainians' morale through false reports about Ukrainian troops surrendering or through planned threats to kill the family members of Ukraine's military troops.

"We commend the Ukrainian people for showing strength and determination in response to an unprovoked attack by a significantly larger military," the official said. "We are concerned, however, that Russia plans to discourage them and induce surrender through disinformation."

Volunteers, one holding an AK-47 rifle, protect a main road leading into Kyiv, Ukraine on Feb. 25, 2022.
Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images

Firefighters work on a fire on a building after bombings in the eastern Ukraine town of Chuguiv, Feb. 24, 2022, as Russian armed forces invade Ukraine from several directions.
AFP via Getty Images

Earlier Friday, Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed that more than 150 Ukrainian service members "laid down their arms and surrendered," even providing names and figures for where they say these surrenders took place.

"After the stabilization of the situation in the combat area, all surrendered Ukrainian servicemen will be released home," the Ministry of Defense said.

-ABC News' Conor Finnegan, Anastasia Bagaeva

Feb 25, 2022, 12:41 PM EST

NATO activates NATO Response Force

NATO has activated its NATO Response Force, marking the first time the alliance has activated the potentially 40,000-person force for “a deterrence and defence" role, according to a NATO spokesperson. This means that the 8,500 American troops put on heightened alert in late January for this mission could soon be ordered to Europe.

The decision follows a meeting of NATO ministers Friday morning in Brussels.

To be activated, the 30 members of NATO must all agree to activate the force, which is under the command of Gen. Told Wolters, the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

Feb 25, 2022, 11:54 AM EST

Russians planning multiple simultaneous entrance points into Kyiv: Official

Officials are seeing more signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin isn't interested in a diplomatic solution, a senior U.S. official said.

Russian troops are now resupplied and are planning multiple entrance points into Kyiv that will likely be carried out at once, the official said.

Ukrainian soldiers patrol a security checkpoint on Feb. 25, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images

-ABC News' Martha Raddatz

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