Quiet night in Ukrainian capital as Russia orders nuclear forces on high alert

In a bid to shore up the plummeting rouble, Russia’s central bank has sharply raised its key rate from 9.5% to 20% amid crippling Western sanctions

An armoured vehicle rolls outside Mykolaivka, Donetsk region, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, in eastern Ukraine (AP)

President Vladimir Putin has dramatically escalated East-West tensions by ordering Russian nuclear forces to be put on high alert as the invasion of Ukraine continues.

Explosions and gunfire that have disrupted life in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv since the start of the invasion appeared to subside overnight as the Kremlin’s military advances were slowed by an outgunned but determined resistance.