France has halted the delivery of the first of two warship deliveries to Russia due to the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.
At least 140,000 people have fled the conflict in eastern Ukraine in the last three weeks alone, with more than a million fleeing the region in total, according to figures published by the UN.
Nato has accused Russia of a “blatant violation” of Ukraine’s sovereignty by engaging in direct military operations to support the pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country.
A pro-Russian rebel leader has told Russian TV that thousands of Russian nationals have joined his forces to fight against the Ukrainian military.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered limits on agricultural and food imports from the US and EU countries in retaliation for sanctions they have imposed on Russia over the crisis in Ukraine.