Ukraine’s government says the Russian military has shelled a mosque sheltering more than 80 people in the city of Mariupol.
The Ukraine Foreign Ministry says Russian forces have shelled the Mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the south eastern port city.
Officials added that more than 80 men, women and children had been hiding from the conflict there when the shells struck.
The city has been under siege by Russian forces for some 12 days, with brave Ukraine residents and troops creating a blockade to hold back the invasion.
But Ukraine officials predict the death toll as a result so far is around 1,600.
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Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Iryana Vereshchuk confirmed that several humanitarian corridors were open on Saturday (March 12) including from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia.
She added that she hoped the corridor would allow thousands of residents to escape the bombarded city.
In the capital, UK officials warned that Russian troops were closing in on the city centre.
The UK Ministry of Defence said Russian forces on the ground were just 25km from the centre of Kyiv as a fierce battle continued in the North West.
Mikhail Podoliak, adviser to Ukraine’s hero President Volodymyr Zelensky, said although Kyiv was under siege it was ready to fight.
He added: “The defence is well thought out and supply has been adjusted.”
Mr Podoliak vowed Kyiv’s defenders – troops and civil defence members – are “charged, focused and professional.”
But fears have been growing about the use of chemical weapons, with America 'deeply concerned' Putin could unleash deadly biowarfare.
The Russian army had also spearheaded claims that their Ukrainian enemy had been 'illegally researching' chemical arms, including deadly diseases and pathogens.
But the claims have been criticised by one of Moscow's own top biologists - who accused the Kremlin or "pure lies" and "propaganda" alleging that seized documents clearly showed the claims were "not justifiable in any way".
Meanwhile a Russian warplane has fired on Vladimir Putin's ally country Belarus, the Ukrainian airforce claimed today.
They claimed it was another attempt to drag Belarus into the war.
A third Russian general has been killed in another blow to Putin as Ukraine continues fighting back against the invasion.
General Andrei Kolesnikov, of the 29th Combined Arms Army, has been killed in fighting.
