Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the Ukraine crisis right now:

HEADLINES

* Russian forces launched coordinated missile and artillery attacks on Ukrainian cities including the capital, Kyiv, where gunfire erupted near government buildings in the city centre, military officials and a Reuters witness said. read more

* "We will not put down weapons, we will defend our state," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, facing the worst European security crisis in decades.

* Russian troops took over the Kyiv hydroelectric power plant north of the capital, the Interfax news agency said, citing Ukraine's energy ministry. read more

* Russian troops attacked an army base located on a main Kyiv avenue but the assault was repelled, the Ukrainian military said. read more

* President Joe Biden instructed the State Department to release $350 million in military aid to Ukraine.

* Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the Ukrainian military to overthrow leadership and negotiate peace. read more

* Ukraine and Russia are discussing a place and time for talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's spokesman said on social media.

* Russia vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution on Friday that would have deplored Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, while China abstained from the vote. read more

* The White House said the United States would, in a rare move, impose sanctions on Putin and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. The European Union and Canada are doing the same. read more

* Canada, the United States, Britain and the European Union said they could act to exclude Russia from the SWIFT global interbank payments system. read more

* The White House asked Congress to approve $6.4 billion in aid to address the humanitarian and security crisis. read more

* Ukraine said more than 1,000 Russian soldiers had been killed. Russia did not release casualty figures. The United Nations said 25 civilians had been killed and 102 wounded. read more

* Ukraine's President Zelenskiy spoke to Biden about strengthening sanctions, defence assistance. read more

* NATO allies will provide more weapons to Ukraine, and will deploy more forces to the Eastern part of the alliance. read more

* Moscow said its forces captured the Hostomel aerodrome outside Kyiv and landed paratroopers in the area. Ukrainian authorities reported heavy fighting there. read more

* The conflict could drive up to 5 million people abroad, U.N. agencies said, adding that at least 100,000 people were uprooted and fuel, cash and medical supplies are running low. read more

* Ukraine said Russian warships shelled a Moldovan-flagged chemical tanker and a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship near Odessa. read more

- "Shots and explosions are ringing out in some neighbourhoods. Saboteurs have already entered Kyiv," said Kyiv's mayor, former world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitchko. "The enemy wants to put the capital on its knees and destroy us."