Russian President Vladimir Putin's "special military operation" into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.
The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine's disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Jul 22, 2022, 11:12 AM EDT
Both nations sign agreement to end blockade on Ukraine grain
Russia and Ukraine have signed agreements to restart grain exports from Ukraine, said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
The agreement between the two countries was mediated with Turkey and the United Nations.
The blockade on exporting grain from Ukraine had triggered fears of global famine.
A truck is parked at a grain terminal during barley harvesting in the Odessa region, Ukraine, June 23, 2022.
Igor Tkachenko/Reuters, FILE
The agreement "opens a path for commercial food exports from Ukraine in the Black Sea. It will help avoid a food shortage catastrophe for millions worldwide," Guterres tweeted. "It is a beacon of hope, possibility & relief."
The deal will allow for the transport of grain from three Ukrainian ports. Under the deal Ukraine will not de-mine its ports; instead there will be safe channels for cargo ships to sail through.
The agreement lasts for 120 days with the possibility of an extension.
According to Russian media, in exchange for agreeing to sign the deal, Russia received a guarantee from the U.N. to work on lifting sanctions on Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports.
-ABC News' Patrick Reevell
Jul 20, 2022, 11:41 AM EDT
Zelenska shares photos of killed civilians in her address to Congress
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska spoke to members of Congress on Capitol Hill Wednesday, saying, "Usually the wives of president are exclusively engaged in peaceful affairs: education, human rights, equality, accessibility. And maybe you expected for me to speak on those topics. But how can I talk about them when an unprovoked invasive terrorist war is being waged against my country?"
Zelenska said this marks the first time the wife of a president of a foreign county addressed members of Congress on the Hill.
Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska arrives to give an address to members of the United States Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., July 20, 2022.
Michael Reynolds/Pool via AFP/Getty Images
Zelenska showed members of Congress several images and stories of carnage impacting civilians, including a photo of 4-year-old Liza who was killed by a Russian missile attack last week.
Liza's mother was seriously hurt, and "for several days, nobody dared to tell her that Liza has died," Zelenska said.
Liza Dmitrieva, a 4-year-old who died in a Russian missile strike, is pictured in an undated photo in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.
Logoclub Children's Center via Reuters
She highlighted an Odesa family who lost three generations of women to one missile, and a 96-year-old who survived Nazi concentration camps only to be killed in Kharkiv.
The first lady asked Congress to supply more air defense systems.
Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska gives an address to members of the United States Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., July 20, 2022.
Jabin Botsford/Pool via AFP/Getty Images
"Will my son be able to return to school in the fall? I don't know, like millions of mothers in Ukraine. Will my daughter will be able to go to university at the beginning of the academic year and experience normal student life? I cannot answer," she said. "We will have answers if we had air defense systems."
"America, unfortunately, knows from its own experience what terrorist attacks are and has always sought to defeat terrorists. Help us to stop this terror against Ukrainians," she said.
Zelenska received a standing ovation after her remarks.
3:37
Ukraine’s first lady addresses CongressUkrainian first lady Olena Zelenska delivered remarks to members of Congress on Congress on Capitol Hill.
ABCNews.com
Jul 20, 2022, 9:05 AM EDT
US announces 4 new HIMARS and more ammo for Ukraine
The U.S. will send four more HIMARS advanced rocket systems to Ukraine as part of the new presidential drawdown package coming later this week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Wednesday.
Once these four long-range rocket artillery systems arrive, Ukraine will have a total of 16 HIMARS at its disposal.
Austin said these advanced rocket systems “have made such a difference on the battlefield.”
The new package will also include more ammunition for the HIMARS and for the 155 mm artillery weapons the U.S. and other countries have sent to Ukraine, Austin said at the fourth Ukraine defense contact group meeting, with leaders from roughly 50 nations in virtual attendance.
Austin praised the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland in particular for helping Ukraine boost its ability to hit faraway targets.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, greet Olena Zelenska, spouse of Ukrainian's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, left, at the White House in Washington, July 19, 2022.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Zelenska was presented with a bouquet of flowers in Ukrainian colors: yellow sunflowers, blue hydrangeas and white orchids.
Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., arrived with Zelenska.
Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff then held a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian delegation. Jill Biden said they'll discuss mental health issues for mothers and children who have "suffered such tragedy and the atrocities" during the war.
