TOP HEADLINES

· Ukraine said Russian forces had fired more than 30 missiles at targets across the country, in the latest wave of attacks that have put pressure on Ukraine's air defense systems. "We expect more than 30 missiles, which have already started to appear in various territories. Air defense systems are working," a Ukrainian military spokesman told local media. READ MORE BELOW

· Authorities in Ukraine's southern region of Odesa said two energy facilities were hit by Russian missiles. "There is already information about damage done to two critical energy infrastructure facilities in Odesa. There are no injured," the head of the region's military administration said on social media.

· Ukraine enforced emergency power cuts in Kyiv and several other regions to relieve pressure on the electricity grid following Russian strikes, an operator said. "Due to the threat of a missile attack in Kyiv and the regions of Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk, emergency blackouts have been introduced," said DTEK, Ukraine's largest private power producer. 

· The mayor of Ukraine's capital Kyiv said one person had been killed and two more were wounded after Russia launched more than a dozen missiles in its latest large-scale aerial offensive. "As a result of a rocket hitting a non-residential building in the Golosiivsky district, there is information that one person is dead and two wounded," mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on social media. 

· Ukraine said Russia was upping the pressure in the fight for Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region, and that Kyiv's forces were outnumbered and outgunned. "The enemy is intensifying pressure in the Bakhmut and Vugledar sectors. Now in Donbas, against their superior number of soldiers and weapons, we have the advantage of professional military command and the courage of soldiers," Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar said in a statement.

· UNESCO added the historic center of Ukraine's port city Odesa, often described as "the pearl of the Black Sea", to its World Heritage List, overcoming opposition from Russia. The 21 member states of the agency's world heritage committee approved inscribing designated areas of the city with six votes in favor, one against and 14 abstentions. READ MORE BELOW

· The Kremlin said a decision by Western countries to supply Ukraine with modern tanks meant that they were party to the conflict, after Berlin and Washington approved the weapons for Kyiv. "European capitals and Washington constantly give statements that sending various types of weapons, including tanks, in no way means their involvement in hostilities. We strongly disagree with this. In Moscow, this is perceived as direct involvement in the conflict and we see that this is growing," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

· Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wants the West to send long-range missiles and jets to his war-torn country to help repel Russian troops. "I've spoken with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today," Zelenskyy said in a video address. "We must also open deliveries of long-range missiles to Ukraine, it is important – we must expand our cooperation in artillery." He also urged Western countries to send tanks quickly and in sufficient volumes. 

· Leopard tanks pledged by Germany to help Ukraine repel Russia's attacks will arrive in "late March, early April," Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.

· President Zelenskyy has urged a senior U.N. official to help find a way to resolve what Ukrainian authorities decry as a serious consequence of 11 months of war – the deportation to Russia of thousands of adults and children. Ukraine has for months denounced reports of mass deportations to Russia, often to remote regions thousands of kilometers from Ukraine. Russia denies any suggestion of mistreatment or criminal intent, describing the mass movements as evacuations. 

· Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to compete in this year's Asian Games despite the offensive in Ukraine, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said. The International Olympic Committee said a return for Russians at the 2024 Paris Games should be "further explored" despite calls from Ukraine for them to be banned.

IN DETAIL

Moscow launches series of missile attacks across Ukraine

Russian forces fired more than 30 missiles at targets across Ukraine early on Thursday, hours after two dozen Iran-made attack drones were shot down by air defenses, the Ukrainian military said.

Ukrainian military spokesman Yuriy Ignat told local media that several Russian Tu-95 bombers had launched the missile attack from the northern region of Murmansk.

"We expect more than 30 missiles, which have already started to appear in various territories. Air defense systems are working," Ignat said. "At least 15 were shot down."

Earlier, Ukraine's air force said it had shot down a cluster of Iranian-made attack drones launched by Russian forces from the Sea of Azov in the south of the country.

"Attack UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) were launched from the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov. According to preliminary information, the enemy used 24 Shaheds. All 24 were destroyed," the Ukrainian air force said in a statement online.

Since October, Russia has launched regular waves of aerial attacks against Ukraine, mainly targeting energy infrastructure.

Those assaults have crippled the electricity grid and spurred Ukraine to boost its air defense systems with support from Kyiv's Western allies.

The latest assault comes one day after Ukraine's Western allies, including Germany and the United States, promised to provide Kyiv with modern tanks.

Odesa added to UNESCO's World Heritage List

UNESCO added the historic center of Ukraine's port city Odesa, often described as "the pearl of the Black Sea", to its World Heritage List, despite opposition from Russia.

The 21 member states of the agency's world heritage committee approved inscribing designated areas of the city with six votes in favor, one against and 14 abstentions.

Russia repeatedly tried to delay the vote to recognize the site's "outstanding universal value" and "the duty of all humanity to protect it".

"While the war continues, this inscription embodies our collective determination to ensure that this city, which has always surmounted global upheavals, is preserved from further destruction," said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay after the decision.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who requested the listing in October to shield the city from Russian bombardment, welcomed the decision.

"Today Odessa got UNESCO protection," he tweeted. "I'm grateful to partners who help protect our pearl from the Russian invaders' attacks."

Since the Russian offensive, Ukrainians have rushed to try to protect the city's monuments and buildings with sandbags and barricades.  

Odesa – located about 500 kilometers from capital Kyiv, which sees frequent air strikes from Russian forces – was also added to the List of World Heritage in Danger.