Russia said Friday it was opening a criminal case against Meta for "calling for the murder" of Russians, saying the parent company of Facebook and Instagram had relaxed rules on violent messages aimed at Russia's army and leaders.

Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said it was launching an investigation "due to illegal

The Kremlin said Friday that volunteers including from Syria would be welcomed to fight alongside Russia's military in Ukraine, embroiling the Middle East in a conflict the West has worked to contain.

Dozens of men in camouflage, hoisting Kalashnikov assault rifles and pro-Russian banners, appeared in footage Russia's Defense Ministry said was a

Russian strikes hit fresh civilian targets in central and eastern Ukraine on Friday, including a city previously considered a safe haven, as Moscow's troops edged closer to the capital Kyiv.

More than two weeks after Russia invaded its neighbour on February 24, hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped and under bombardment, while the UN

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that there were some "positive shifts" in talks between Russian and Ukraine, two weeks into Moscow's military campaign in the country.

"There are certain positive shifts, negotiators from our side reported to me," Putin told his Belarus counterpart Alexander Lukashenko during a televised meeting in