Ukraine army recruiting over-60s as Kyiv braces
Earlier we reported that the Ukrainian Defence Force, in a tweet, had issued a call for civilian recruits, regardless of age.
The statement from the commander of troops had said: "No age restrictions" - indicating that minors might be allowed too.
However, a new statement from the Defence Minister Alexey Reznikov appears to clarify that the loosening in age restrictions refers to people over 60. It made no mention of minors.
"I decided, in agreement with the Commander of the Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine... to involve in the Troops of the Patriots [those] over 60 years old, who are morally and physically ready to resist and defeat the enemy," Mr Reznikov wrote.
China still declining to condemn Russia
Long-time Russian ally China is still declining to condemn Russia, with its foreign ministry refusing to call Russia's action against Ukraine an "invasion".
At a daily news briefing in Beijing, spokesman Wang Wenbin reiterated China's position that while it respected the territorial integrity of all countries, it also understood "Russia's legitimate concerns on security issues".
He added that China still recognised Ukraine as a legitimate state and believed the door to a political solution still had not shut in Ukraine, but did not give suggestions on how dialogue could take place.
He also did not say whether or not Beijing would recognise the self-declared breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east of Ukraine.
The BBC asked for a response to US President Joe Biden’s comment that “any nation which countenances Russia’s aggression in Ukraine will be stained by association”.
Wang responded that the "country whose reputation will be stained is that which interfered in other nation’s internal affairs in the name of human rights and which went on to wage wars”.
In terms of sanctions, he said that since 2011, the US had imposed more than 100 sanctions on Russia, yet they had not worked, and that sanctions would only cause suffering.
