Hundreds of civilians have had to flee key Ukrainian city Kherson just weeks after Kyiv’s troops drove Russian forces out.
Russia ’s forces have increased shelling of the community by 10 times since it was liberated - slamming 80 shells into it in one day.
Shortly after it was freed Russia was hitting Kherson with around 10 missiles in one day but have boosted missile attacks after fleeing.
Devastated families have been forced to say tearful goodbyes to friends and loved ones as they evacuated - many for the second time.
Nika Selivanova, 13, made a heart shape with her hands as she waved goodbye to her best friend Inna at the train station.
Tearfully the girls did not know when they would see each other again as Nika’s family left, destination unknown, according to the BBC.
Nika’s mother Elena told the BBC: “Before they shelled us seven to 10 times a-day, now it’s 70-80 times all day long.
“It’s too scary. I love Ukraine and my dear city. But we have to go.”
Since Christmas Day around 400 civilians have fled the city as Russia is shelling from the other side of the Dnipro River, having recorded coordinates before they retreated.
Moscow’s troops have repeatedly hit civilian targets, smashing shells into a local hospital maternity ward, fortunately failing to claim any casualties.
Both Russia and Ukraine have said they were willing to participate in peace talks.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that any peace plan must acknowledge four regions of Ukraine that Russia illegally annexed as Russian territory, a demand that Kyiv flatly rejects.
Russian forces have pressed their offensive to capture all of eastern Ukraine by concentrating in recent weeks on Bakhmut, in Donetsk province.
The battle for Bakhmut has claimed the most Russian troops’ lives in a toll that has topped 103,220 since the February 24 invasion.
His military failures have put Russian President Vladimir Putin under immense pressure.
For a second time this week he cancelled at the last minute a trip inside Russia.
Today he had been due to visit the Titan-Polymer plant and meet with Pskov region Governor Mikhail Vedernikov, but instead conducted the session virtually from St Petersburg.
It will increase speculation about his health, and concerns over his security.
Officially the reason was “unfavourable flying conditions” for the 180 mile routing from St Petersburg but both airports remained open to incoming and departing flights.
Pictures of Pskov showed clear skies.
Last Friday he was reported to have aborted a visit to a major tank plant in Nizhny Tagil, in the Urals, at the last minute despite intense preparations for the visit.
Ukraine’s military is also pushing a counteroffensive toward Kreminna, a city in neighboring Luhansk province, hoping to divide Russia's troops in the east.
It comes as the nation is massively expanding its military drone fleet.
It has bought 1,400 unmanned planes, mostly for reconnaissance and plans to develop combat models that can attack Russia’s kamikaze drones.
Kyiv’s Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov described Russia's war in Ukraine as the first major war of the internet age.
He credited drones and satellite internet systems with having transformed the conflict.
Ukraine has purchased drones like the Fly Eye, a small unmanned aerial vehicle used for intelligence, battlefield surveillance and reconnaissance.
He said: "And the next stage, now that we are more or less equipped with reconnaissance drones, is strike drones.
"These are both exploding drones and drones that fly up to three to 10 kilometers and hit targets."
He predicted "more missions with strike drones" in the future, but would not elaborate, adding:
"We are talking there about drones, UAVs, UAVs that we are developing in Ukraine. Well, anyway, it will be the next step in the development of technologies," he said.
