A 40 mile-long Russian armoured column closes in on Kyiv tonight as Ukraine ’s troops and citizens brace for a “medieval battle” to the death.
Stricken Ukrainian cities were surrounded as Vladimir Putin ’s tanks and invasion forces tightened their steel noose, barraging civilians and troops with rockets.
UK defence chiefs warned of an ever-increasingly more ruthless Russian assault on Ukraine’s civilians as its commanders became desperate to gain ground.
In another day of bloodshed, missiles hit Kyiv’s TV tower, killing five people and sending black smoke billowing over the capital’s centre- an attack branded “barbaric” by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.
Kyiv citizens were ordered to leave or die as Russian forces prepared to launch “precision” strikes against the country’s domestic SBU intelligence agency in the heart of Kyiv.
The SBU - Kyiv’s equivalent of MI5- has been successfully hunting down Putin’s covert assassination, sabotage and reconnaissance units.
Terrifying missile salvoes again smashed into Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv, killing another ten people and wounding 35, adding to an appalling toll.
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And at least five died in a missile strike on the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Centre in Kyiv - where Nazi death squads killed more than 33,000 Jewish people in the space of just two days in 1941.
Airing his frustration at the attack President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s tweeted: “What is the point of saying ‘never again’ for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least five killed. History repeating.”
But, despite the onslaught, defiant Zelenskiy’s government remained in control of Kyiv last night with its brave combined force of soldiers and civilians ready to fight street by street.
Embattled Ukrainian troops held on ferociously to every city throughout the country, helped by Molotov Cocktail-hurling civilians, armed with AK47 assault rifles and bottles of petrol.
One breathtaking video emerged of citizens performing a drive-by attack in a car, hurling plastic-filled petrol bombs at a Russian “electronic warfare” truck, screaming blood-curling and celebratory oaths.
Another plucky Ukrainian, a farmer, was filmed by laughing locals mocking Putin’s troops as they watched him tow away a Russian armoured personnel carrier - using his tractor.
But despite the amazing spirit and bravery of Ukraine, rising numbers of civilian deaths over the last two days were an ominous sign that frustrated Russian commanders are resorting to even more lethal tactics.
Russia still has more forces to throw into the fight even though President Vladimir Putin faces worldwide condemnation and international sanctions for his actions.
Between 2,000 and 4,0000 killer mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group, armed with a 24 man hit-list for assassinations is also moving in on Kyiv.
Target number one is Ukraine’s hero leader President Zelensky and two additions earmarked for a grim end are Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko and his fellow boxing champ brother Wladimir.
Both sports stars have publicly rallied Ukrainian civilians to join them in fighting for the civilian defence forces.
It is believed Ukraine’s cities have been hit with cluster munitions, Multi Launch Rocket Systems and even banned Vacuum bombs.
Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said similar strikes killed and wounded dozens in the previous day.
He warned: “The rubble is being cleared and there will be even more victims and wounded,” as President Zelenskiy branded the strikes “terrorism.”
Philip Reeker, the US Charge d’Affairs to the UK warned “medieval tactics are certainly what we can expect.”
“That is exactly what President Putin and the Russian military have in mind.”
In another chilling move Belarus joined Putin’s assault as thousands of its troops poured into the northern area of Chernihiv, on day six of the invasion of Ukraine.
Pictures released by U.S. satellite company Maxar showed Russian tanks, artillery and fuel trucks stretching for 40 miles to the north.
The huge column had travelled 30 miles towards Kyiv in the past day and was believed to bracing to encircle Kyiv - and grind it down, starving its people.
President Zelensky warned: “For the enemy, Kyiv is the key target.
“We will neutralise them all.”
Some residents in the capital of 3 million people are sheltering in underground metro stations at night.
There are long lines for fuel and some products are running out in shops, but by day the city is still holding out, with a semblance of ordinary life on the streets.
Russian troops fired artillery at Kyiv, Kharkiv and the southern port city of Mariupol overnight while Ukraine side shot down Russian military planes around the capital,
Ukrainian authorities also reported 70 soldiers killed in a rocket attack in a town between Kyiv and Kharkiv.
The south eastern city of Mariupol was believed to be totally besieged by exhausted Ukrainian forces and citizen warriors who were still holding out. They have come under appalling missile attacks and infantry assaults from Russian marines.
In Moscow, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the Kremlin would press its attacks until it achieves its goals.
Britain’s MoD said in an intelligence update that the Russian advance on Kyiv had made little progress in the past 24 hours due to logistical problems.
But it warned of a shift in Russian tactics that could worsen the plight of civilians.
It said in a statement: “The use of heavy artillery in densely populated urban areas greatly increases the risk of civilian casualties.”
Nick Reynolds, a land warfare analyst at RUSI think tank in London, said Russia was falling back on tactics that would involve far more intense bombardment of Ukrainian cities.
He said: “The Russian army is an artillery army primarily, and it looks like they are shifting into war-fighting mode.
“The failure of the Russians to achieve their goals quickly has galvanized Ukraine resistance to them. Really what we are seeing now is the Russian military shifting gears.”
Kharkiv, a mainly Russian-speaking city of 1.5 million people near the Russian border, has borne the brunt of attacks since Monday.
Ukraine’s general staff said Russian losses included 5,710 personnel, 29 destroyed and damaged aircraft and 198 tanks.
Pictures from Ukraine have shown burnt-out Russian tanks and bodies on the road where they have been attacked by Ukrainian defenders.
Putin’s forces could try to starve Ukrainians and “crush” their resistance, the country’s ambassador to Britain warned yesterday(TUES).
Kyiv’s envoy to Britain, Vadym Prystaiko warned Ukrainians were struggling to access cash as tanks besiege major cities.
Asked about the potential for a “food crisis” and looting, he told the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee: “They will try to crush the will of the Ukrainian people to resist.
“We see problems with cash for example - people just running out of cash and they have interruption in their services.
“The terminals won’t be working and we will have to come up with some military solution to the distribution of food.”
He admitted Ukraine had to “pump up all the food we can until the routes are blocked”.
Mr Prystaiko told MPs of the humanitarian plight facing brave citizens remaining in major cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv rather than flee.
“These people have to be fed and so far they have everything - they have communications, they have electricity, they have water,” he said.
“But we see that these infrastructure objects (are) starting to be targeted specifically.”
Mr Prystaiko said Putin was facing a “lack of progress”, with civilians meeting his tanks with “Molotov cocktails from their cars” rather than the “flowers” he dreamed of.
“The support and resilience is going so much against his plans and in Russia themselves start asking questions, ‘What are we doing?’,” the ambassador said.
“I believe they might … try to block our cities, try to soften political position, try and maybe ... some riots in Ukraine, because of the lack of food, against the Government.”
Asked how Ukrainian forces were coping as they battled invaders, Mr Prystaiko said: “Our armed forces are trying their best.
“People are signing up for territorial defence and for reserves.”
“We have plus 100,000 people in forces. We have some issues with equipping them and arming them, but this is just logistical, we will cover it.”
He also accused Moscow of plundering Ukrainian water to supply Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.
“They have already started stealing water from the major rivers,” he said.
“They blew up a dam which was covering a canal from a neighbouring area to Crimea.”
Despite Kremlin soldiers again assaulting sovereign territory, Ukrainian medics were treating wounded Russian troops, he said.
“We have found the softness in our hearts to treat Russians (who are)
wounded and we are keeping them and we promised everybody they will be treated in our hospitals along with our own people and then be returned to Russia after war is over,” said Mr Prystaiko.
