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.

ByMorgan Winsor, Libby Cathey, Meredith Deliso, Nadine El-Bawab, Emily Shapiro, Julia Jacobo, Ivan Pereira, Mark Osborne, Celia Darrough, Kevin Shalvey, and Bill Hutchinson
Last Updated: March 22, 2022, 4:04 AM EDT

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, 3:42 PM EST

Biden 'commended the brave actions of the Ukrainian people' during call with Zelensky

President Joe Biden said during his Friday phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he “commended the brave actions of the Ukrainian people” who are defending their country against the Russian military.

A Ukrainian soldier sits injured on the ground inside the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25, 2022.
Emilio Morenatti/AP

On the call Biden said he "also conveyed ongoing economic, humanitarian, and security support being provided by the United States as well as our continued efforts to rally other countries to provide similar assistance."

A woman with a child walk in front of a damaged residential building at Koshytsa Street, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, on Feb. 25, 2022.
Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images

Biden, who met with NATO leaders earlier in the day, said in a statement, "Putin has failed in his goal of dividing the West. NATO is as united and resolute as it’s ever been, and NATO will maintain its Open Door to those European states who share our values and who one day may seek to join our Alliance."

"I have ordered the deployment of additional forces to augment our capabilities in Europe to support our NATO Allies," Biden said. "And I strongly welcome the decision to activate NATO’s defensive plans and elements of the NATO Response Force to strengthen our collective posture, as well as the commitments by our Allies to deploy additional land and air forces to the eastern flank and maritime forces from the High North to the Mediterranean."

Feb 25, 2022, 3:08 PM EST

Classified all-member House briefing set for Monday

Administration officials will provide a classified in-person briefing on the Ukraine crisis to all House members on Monday evening following their return from recess, a senior Capitol Hill official confirmed to ABC News. 

A woman holds a cross as she prays on Independence square in Kyiv, Ukraine on the morning of Feb. 24, 2022.
Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images

Members have had unclassified virtual briefings throughout the week.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan

Feb 25, 2022, 3:01 PM EST

Ukrainian cyber agency reports mass phishing attempts

The Computer Emergency Response Team for Ukraine said it has seen mass phishing emails targeting government websites.

They attribute the emails to officers of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus.

-ABC News' Luke Barr

Feb 25, 2022, 2:57 PM EST

Over 50,000 Ukrainian refugees have fled

More than 50,000 Ukrainians have fled their country in less than 48 hours, mostly to to Poland and Moldova, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees tweeted.

People sit on a bus as they arrive at the border crossing between Poland and Ukraine, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Medyka, Poland, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022.
Kacper Pempel/Reuters

The U.S. is coordinating with its European allies and partners who will be on the front lines receiving refugees, a spokesperson for the State Department told ABC News. That includes diplomatic engagements "to ensure neighboring countries keep their borders open to those seeking international protection," the spokesperson said.

PHOTO: Ukrainian wait in the passport control area after exiting a train arriving from Odessa at Przemysl main train station on Feb. 25, 2022 in Przemysl, Poland.
Ukrainian wait in the passport control area after exiting a train arriving from Odessa at Przemysl main train station on Feb. 25, 2022 in Przemysl, Poland. The Ukrainian government issued an order to stop 18-60 year-old men legible for military conscription from crossing borders.
Omar Marques/Getty Images

People fleeing the conflict in Ukraine arrive at Przemysl train station in Przemysl, Poland, on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022.
Petr David Josek/AP

U.N. Relief Chief Martin Griffiths said Friday that over $1 billion will be required for humanitarian efforts over the next three months.

-ABC News' Cindy Smith, Conor Finnegan

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