Russia captures Chernobyl nuclear power plant after fierce battle, Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after a fierce battle, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak has said. Podolyak said: It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians. This is one of the most serious threats in Europe today. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, also said the Chernobyl area near Kyiv was now under the control of Russian troops. Images of local Ukraine residents taking shelter in metro stations in Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv and the city of Kharkiv, from reporter Benoît Vitkine with the French newspaper Le Monde: The mayor of Kyiv said four metro stations would be used as air raid shelters, while the local Ukrainian leadership in the Donetsk region said Russian forces had hit a hospital there, killing four people, reported Reuters. Fighting has continued throughout the night in Ukraine, with reports of battle in the Ukrainian city of Sumy. During a phone call with Putin earlier today, French president Emmanuel Macron demanded that Putin immediately cease military operations in Ukraine, reports Reuters. According to the Elysee palace, Macron’s demand came after a discussion with the Ukraine president. “After having spoken with the Ukrainian president, and in coordination with him, the president (Macron) called Vladimir Putin to demand the immediate halt of Russian military operations, noting that Russia risked massive sanctions,” said the Elysee as Macron attended an EU summit in Brussels. Putin provided a different account of the meeting, with the Russian government reporting that Putin provided Macron with an “exhaustive” list of reasons for Russia’s military action in Ukraine. The Russian government also said that the two had a “serious and frank exchange of views,” adding that the call took place at Macron’s initiative. The Russian government finally reported that the two world leaders agreed to stay in touch. Macron has remained a key representative for Western countries during discussions with Putin, as Macron has hoped an open communication channel could usher in diplomatic solutions, reports AFP. More on the economic impact of the Ukrainian invasion from the Guardian’s Dominic Rushe, explaining how the war declaration has impacted US markets: Stock market panic following the Ukraine invasion appears to have eased - for now - following Biden’s press briefing. US stock markets collapsed this morning as the conflict sent oil prices soaring and investors worried about the financial impact of the Russian attack. By the end of the day, all the major US markets ended up with the Dow Jones closing over 100 points higher having been down 859 points earlier in the day. Investors were encouraged by Biden announcing that the sanctions against Russia will not disrupt the global oil and natural gas markets, triggering a fall in oil prices which had passed $100 a barrel earlier in the day. Biden’s sanctions also stopped short of kicking Russia off the SWIFT international banking system, one of the most severe financial sanctions the US and its allies could take and a move that would cut Russia off from most international financial transactions. “It is always an option, but right now that’s not the position that the rest of Europe wishes to take,” said Biden. But with the situation in Ukraine deteriorating and the crisis certain to worsen already high energy costs in the US, there are likely to be more wild swings in the markets as the conflict continues. Amid Russia’s declaration of war on Ukraine, global markets have taken a hit, especially European share markets, reports the Guardian’s Peter Hannam. European share markets have largely borne the initial brunt of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with steep falls in stocks, while Wall Street has so far avoided following suit. Russia’s main share index plunged by a third, erasing some $US200 billion in value, in a record rout for that country’s bourse, Bloomberg reported. Europe’s benchmark Stoxx50 index sank 3.6%, a decline echoed in major financial centres from London to Paris and Frankfurt, with those markets all losing about 4%... On currency markets, the Euro, too, lost as much as 1.8% against the US dollar, touching its weakest level of $1.11 since June 2020, according to Bloomberg data. Russia’s ruble hit fresh record lows against the US dollar. Crude oil, meanwhile, pared its earlier advances, with Brent dropping back below the $US100 a barrel level that it reached earlier on Thursday. Still, oil remains near its highest levels since 2014. The invasion of Ukraine, a major wheat exporter, also pushed up food commodity prices, with wheat rising 5% to hit decade highs. Rabobank, an agribusiness specialist, estimates that some 5 million tonnes of Ukraine’s wheat crop had still to be shipped before the invasion, creating a shortfall that would likely be made up US and European supplies. The EU has agreed to roll out another round of sanctions against Russia’s financial, energy and transport sectors as well as impose export controls, reports Reuters. “The European Council today agrees on further restrictive measures that will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia for its action,” read a statement from the 27 national EU leaders who are currently meeting in Brussels. The newest round of sanctions will also include blacklisting more Russian individuals over the Ukrainian invasion. Uncertainty surrounds the situation at Hostomel airfield as an advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office who said that Ukrainian forces had recaptured the airfield is now saying that fighting is ongoing, reports Reuters. While previously declaring the airfield recaptured by Ukrainian military, the advisor is now saying that fighting is still occurring over control of the airbase. Additional explosions have also been reported from the direction of Ukraine’s Hostomel airport, an international cargo airport and testing facility, following attacks by Russian forces this morning. From reporter Jane Lytvynenko: Big explosion from direction of Hostomel airport just now. Bigger than previous ones. One explosion, not several. Lytvynenko adds: Second powerful explosion. The city of Mariupol in Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian ports on the Azov Sea, is under heavy fire with reports of hundreds of explosions. From the Kyiv Post: The Ukrainian city of Mariupol is under heavy fire with reports of hundreds of explosions. The city is one of the biggest Ukrainian ports on the Azov Sea. Taking Mariupol would help Russia secure a direct land route to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukraine’s health minister, Oleh Lyashko, has reported that 57 people have been killed and 169 wounded following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, reported Reuters. The deputy defence minister separately added that heavy shelling was ongoing in the eastern Donetsk region.