Sanctions

• The G7 and the European Union have pledged to block transactions involving the Russian central bank’s gold reserves to hamper any bid by Moscow to circumvent Western sanctions.
• Washington also unveiled fresh sanctions on Russian politicians and defence contractors, while the UK slapped sanctions on 59 more Russian individuals and entities, including the mercenary group Wagner.
• Australia announces new sanctions on Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and his family, as well as on members of the Russian media.
• Separately, Japan has also decided to freeze the assets of 25 more Russians and ban exports to 81 Russian organisations in response to the war.

Refugees

• More than half of Ukraine’s children have been driven from their homes, the United Nations’ children agency, UNICEF, has said.
• The US says it plans to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion.
• The UN says more than 3.6 million people, mostly women and children, have already fled Ukraine.
• Poland has taken in more than 2.1 million people. The government says public services are struggling to cope.

Energy

• German utilities say their country need an early warning system to tackle gas shortages, a day after Russia ordered the switch of contract payments to roubles, raising the risk of a supply squeeze.
• Canada says it plans to increase oil and gas exports this year by up to 300,000 barrels per day, as nations seek to wean themselves off Russian energy supplies.
• Energy and metals firms led a jump in Russian stocks as trading resumed after almost a month’s suspension, reflecting soaring global prices for oil, gas and other commodities on fears the war in Ukraine will threaten supply.

You can read key moments from Day 29 here