Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 5)

As Saturday comes to a close in Kyiv and Moscow, here is a look at the key developments of the day:

Ukraine is asking for more military aid from the U.S. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the plea during a Zoom call Saturday morning with more than 280 members of Congress. Both Democrats and Republicans have signaled their support. Zelenskyy also asked the U.S. to institute a ban on Russian imports, including oil and gas.

A cease-fire failed in less than three hours. Russia agreed to a cease-fire early on Saturday to allow civilians to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha, two cities undergoing heavy shelling. But Ukrainian officials said shelling quickly resumed.

Americans should leave Russia immediately, the State Department said. A new travel advisory was issued on Saturday for U.S. citizens in Russia, marking an escalation from just one day prior when the State Department told U.S. citizens to "consider" leaving Russia immediately.

The third round of talks will begin on Monday. Ukraine and Russia have agreed to meet again to discuss a potential cease-fire that would allow civilians to evacuate. More than a million people have left already, but it is getting harder to do so as the Russian military has targeted civilian areas.

Athletes continue to be impacted. Russian gymnasts and officials have been banned from international competitions by the International Gymnastics Federation. This comes after Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from the Beijing Paralympics that started on Friday. Other global sports organizations are distancing themselves from Russia.

In-depth

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is being covered heavily by Western media. But not every war gets the same coverage.

Past U.S. policy toward Russia has done little to change Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions. Those decades of decisions from previous administrations are part of the calculus in how President Biden is confronting Putin today.

Airbnb reservations are helping get money to Ukrainians. People around the world are booking Airbnbs in Ukraine with no intention of visiting.

Earlier developments

You can read more news from Saturday here, as well as more in-depth reporting and daily recaps here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR's State of Ukraine podcast for updates multiple times a day.

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