Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to seal off an enclave in Mariupol held by Ukrainian forces.
Putin ordered Russian soldiers to besiege the Azovstal steelworks, where around 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers are holed-up, so that "a fly can’t get through".
Yet he called off plans to storm the factory, which could lead to high Russian losses.
Russia announced on Thursday that the port city of Mariupol had fallen to its forces.
Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Moscow was now in control of the whole city bar the Azovstal metallurgical plant.
The New Arab is providing live updates of what's been happening on the ground and additional analysis on the conflict's significance.