Russian troops have advanced in eastern Ukraine, pounding key cities and aiming “to destroy everything there”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned as Moscow signalled it is digging in for a long war against its neighbour.
In his nightly address to the nation on Tuesday, Mr Zelensky called the situation in Donbas “extremely difficult” and said Russian forces were mounting a massive assault on Severodonetsk and several other cities.
“All the strength of the Russian army which they still have was thrown there for the offensive,” he said. “The occupiers want to destroy everything there.”
Mr Zelensky said supplying Ukraine with rocket-propelled grenades, tanks, anti-ship missiles and other weapons is “the best investment in maintaining stability in the world and in preventing many serious crises that Russia is planning or has already provoked”.
“The longer this war lasts, the greater will be the price of protecting freedom not only in Ukraine, but also in the whole free world.”
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01:12 AM
‘They are erasing Severodonetsk from the face of the earth’
Sergiy Gaidai, governor of the eastern region of Lugansk, has said Russian forces were bombarding the industrial city of Severodonetsk with air strikes, rockets, artillery and mortars in an effort to solidify control over the province and move further into Ukraine.
“The situation is very difficult and unfortunately it is only getting worse. It is getting worse with every day and even with every hour,” Mr Gaidai said in a video on Telegram.
“The Russian army decided to completely destroy Severodonetsk.”
He added: “They are simply erasing Severodonetsk from the face of the earth.”
12:16 AM
Russia bedding in for a long war in Ukraine
Three months to the day since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymr Zelensky mourned the thousands of Ukrainian men and women who have perished.
Mr Zelensky renewed calls for heavy weapons from foreign partners, saying arms for Kyiv were the best investment in stability in the world.
But in Moscow, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu made it clear Russia was bedding in for a long war in Ukraine.
“We will continue the special military operation until all the objectives have been achieved,” Shoigu said, using Moscow’s name for the war.
12:07 AM
Kateryna among the innocent people losing homes
Kateryna Kostiantynivna, above, walked with a neighbour to her shell-damaged home in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
She said three Russian shells hit her house during the first week of the war.
Although she has remained living in an adjacent family home, the neighbourhood remains without electricity.
12:02 AM
Today’s top stories
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The Russian offensive in the Donbas made significant gains on Tuesday, with Ukrainian officials saying the “fate of the country” could be decided in the ongoing battles
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George Soros, the billionaire investor and advocate of European integration, has warned that the conflict in Ukraine could spiral into a Third World War that ends western civilisation
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Kremlin insiders are discussing a successor to Vladimir Putin amid growing discontent with the course of the war in Ukraine, according to a reputable Russian media outlet
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A retired Russian general has reportedly been killed after his plane was shot down over Ukraine, with colleagues saying the 63-year-old returned to the front lines because he “could not stand aside” from the war
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Soldier or civilian, Russian or Ukrainian, the wounds are the same: punctures from flying shrapnel that can cut any organ, at any angle; and respiratory shock from blast waves that can wreck the lungs. And medics risk becoming casualties themselves every time they respond to a call
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Dozens of masterpieces loaned between European and Russian museums are stuck in limbo amid a raft of sanctions imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine
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Russia has stepped up its efforts to plunder Ukraine’s grain reserves, new satellite images have shown, amid fears that Putin’s invasion will lead to a global famine
