Ukraine prepared Sunday for a "relentless defence" of Kyiv as the capital faced possible encirclement by advancing Russian forces who have also kept up a bombardment of the besieged southern port city of Mariupol.
A mosque in Mariupol, where 80 civilians were taking shelter, has been shelled by Russian forces, Ukraine's foreign ministry said today. This comes after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said the mayor of Melitopol was kidnapped by Russian soldiers occupying the city.
Russian forces have advanced ever closer to the capital from the north, west and northeast, raising fears of Kyiv becoming encircled imminently. Russian strikes also destroyed an airport in the town of Vasylkiv, south of the city, while troops shot at a group of women and children evacuees leaving a village near Kyiv, killing seven.
The war, which began on February 24 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour, has continued for over two weeks now.
