Airstrike sirens sounded in most Ukrainian cities on the 17th day of the Russian army’s entry into Ukrainian territory. The Ukrainian government says Russian attacks have prevented civilians from leaving the southern port city of Mariupol as conditions in the city worsen, with those remaining stranded facing low temperatures, power outages, food and water shortages.
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Russia is blocking the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol
Humanitarian corridors have also been established for the northeastern city of Sumy. Most of the Russian forces are 25 kilometers from the center of Kyiv, said the British Ministry of Defense.
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According to the same source, the assessment added that the large Russian column had dispersed, “probably in an attempt to surround the city.” The battle for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, could be Russia’s new Stalingrad, Ukrainian lawmaker Svyatoslav Jurak told the BBC. The cities of Chernihiv, Kharkov, Mariupol and Sumy are also besieged and facing heavy shelling. Moscow says the Russian army has disabled the main communication center of the Ukrainian armed forces on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Residents of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol protested against the alleged abduction of the mayor by Russian forces. Ukrainian authorities have released a video showing Ivan Fedorov leaving blindfolded. Kyiv has accused the Russians of “entering a new phase of terror”.
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