Russian forces inched towards Kyiv early on Saturday and pounded civilian areas in other Ukrainian cities as concerns grew over the besieged southern port of Mariupol, where officials said more than 1,500 people had been killed.
Air raid sirens sounded in several cities, including the capital Kyiv, Odessa, Dnipro and Kharkiv, according to Ukrainian media.
More than two weeks after Moscow shocked the world by invading Ukraine, the United Nations and others said it may be committing war crimes in cities such as Mariupol, which for days has been under attack by Vladimir Putin's forces.
Survivors have been trying to flee Russian bombardment in a freezing city left without water or heating and running out of food. The situation is "desperate," a Doctors Without Borders official said.
The New Arab is providing live updates of the latest on the ground and additional analysis on the conflict's significance.
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