The Russian invasion of Ukraine has now displaced nearly 2 million people in less than two weeks. Although Poland has taken in the bulk of refugees, two of Europe’s poorest nations — Romania and Moldova — have accepted about 162,000 people so far. And, Russian forces have increasingly targeted civilians in Ukraine, attacking residential apartments, schools and hospitals. We hear how investigators verify evidence that might constitute war crimes. Plus, Singapore continues to cling to a colonial-era law that criminalizes homosexuality. But six decades later, some Generation Z Singaporeans are pushing hard to get rid of it.

This week, Poland has seen tens of thousands of people crossing the border from Ukraine, fleeing for their lives. Among them are many foreigners who were studying or working in Ukraine before the Russian invasion began. And Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hits close to home for neighboring Moldova, a small, non-NATO country on Ukraine’s eastern border. Last week Moldova condemned Russia's invasion, declared a state of emergency and closed its airspace. Plus, Tonga has reconnected with the rest of the world after its undersea fiber optic cable was severed last month by a massive underwater volcanic eruption, bringing down most of the small Pacific island nation's telecommunications.

Cathedral bells rang out across Europe today. A gesture of solidarity with Ukraine, and a prayer for peace, marking one week of war. Today, Russian forces continued to pummel Ukrainian civilian centers. From Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the aim is to "demilitarize" Ukraine. And, following immense backlash for allowing Russia and Belarus to compete at the upcoming Paralympic Games in Beijing, the International Paralympic Committee has now banned both teams, sending 83 athletes home. Plus, a new US task force called KleptoCapture aims to track down Russia’s politically connected elite, prosecute those who violate US sanctions and seize their assets.

The Russian military continues to bombard Ukraine’s city centers, including civilian populations. “We’ve hardly slept for seven nights,” Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an address to the nation, adding that rest is not possible until there’s victory. And, Syrians also know what it's like to be on the receiving end of Russia's military might. Russia has carried out bombings on hospitals, schools and markets in Syria in an effort to keep leader Bashar al-Assad in power. Plus, hundreds of athletes and international sport federations have demanded the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from the upcoming Paralympics in Beijing. But on Wednesday, the International Paralympic Committee announced that the athletes will be allowed to compete —  under neutral flags.

On the sixth day of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, Kharkiv, the second-largest city, remains under attack. Rocket strikes from the Russian military are hitting the city, including Kharkiv's central square, a city government building, the city's opera house and the ballet theater. Also, Belarus has supported the Russian military’s push south to take control of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. They also hosted the first attempt at negotiations between the Russian government and Ukraine this week. Plus, Ukrainians citizens are stockpiling homemade petrol bombs — Molotov cocktails —  to defend their streets. We hear the story of one Ukrainian brewery that has chosen to bottle up gasoline instead of beer for ordinary Ukrainians to ignite and hurl in self-defense.

Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, is often described as the country’s most Russia-friendly city. Now, Russia forces have unleashed a brutal assault on the city, including a barrage of rockets that fell in residential areas, killing dozens of civilians — including many children. And several European countries are stepping up their response to the Ukraine crisis: Germany is taking a U-turn on defense spending and military aid for Ukraine, and Norway's massive, sovereign wealth fund is selling off Russian assets. The European Union is also closing air space to Russian planes. Plus, as Russia continues to invade Ukraine, they’re also fighting an information war. Russian state media continues to spread propaganda as Ukraine attempts to push back against disinformation and rally citizens to defend the country.

The battle for Kyiv is underway. Explosions have been reported as close as half a mile from the president's headquarters, a large apartment building has been hit by shelling and the Ukrainian military is defending the city's bridges. Hear the latest from Kyiv and what it all means for Ukraine. Also, thousands of Russians have turned out for anti-war protests in more than 50 cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. Demonstrations were followed quickly by arrests. We hear from some of these protesters about how the invasion of Ukraine looks to them. Also, Poland is seeing a large uptick in people crossing into the country as Ukrainians flee the Russian invasion. And, we look at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s history in Ukraine, Belarus and purported meddling in US election politics.

Early this morning, Russia began a full-fledged assault on Ukraine. Multiple cities and military bases are under fire as part of Russia's military offensive. In Kyiv, residents woke up to the sounds of blasts in and around their city. And some US military observers see the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a sort of “shock and awe” effort, aimed at cowing a possible Ukrainian resistance. We hear why some military experts think Russian troops will have a hard time stabilizing an occupied Ukraine. Plus, Turkish pop-star Tarkan just released "Geçcek," or “It Will Pass.” On the surface, the song speaks to getting through the pandemic, but many say it’s a veiled way to express the imminent end to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s rule.

Ukraine declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, calling up its reservists aged 18 to 60. This follows Russian troops moving into the separatist-controlled Donbas region of Ukraine. And new US sanctions target Russia’s sovereign debt and two large Russian financial institutions. But critics say they’ll be ineffective. Plus, a German shepherd’s meteorite-hit dog house just sold for more than $40,000 at Christie's annual auction of rare and unusual meteorites from space. 

In response to Russian troops entering eastern Ukraine, US President Joe Biden spoke today about sanctions against Moscow. European Union foreign ministers also adopted widespread sanctions against Russia. Also, we hear about a massive data breach of Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse and what this revelation says about Switzerland's banking sector. Plus, Los Angeles-based musician Sasami shares stories and music inspired, in part, by Japanese spirit folklore, with her latest album, "Squeeze."