[Cyprus Times] LIVE: "Tightening" the Russian grip on Kiev, "hammering" in Mariupol

Another night of agony Tanks hit inside Mariupol A convoy of civilians west of Kiev was targeted by bombing Seven killed, including a child Putin told Macron and Solts that he does not intend to end the war, while Zelensky "complained" that he could not reach the Russian president on the phone

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For the 18th day Russia's military has escalated the war in Ukraine tightening its grip on many cities in the country with Russian air strikes targeting large urban areas.

Russia's ground forces are now within 25 kilometres of Kiev. Speaking of a "war of annihilation" for his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky said that "Russia can only occupy Kiev if it flattens it." Late yesterday afternoon a convoy of civilians attempting to leave the Ukrainian capital was "hit".

The humanitarian nightmare is raging in besieged Mariupol; the equally strategic port of Mikolaiv in the Ukrainian south is also under heavy bombardment.

Russia has warned the West, through Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, that it considers arms shipments to Ukraine a "legitimate target".

Minute by minute all developments around the war front

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