Several cities are under heavy bombardment again and several are encircled, according to the UK, as Joe Biden attacks Putin in his State of the Union address
Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine are coming under more bombardment in the early hours of Wednesday morning as the Russian military steps up its offensive and moves forces closer towards the capital.
Four people have been killed after homes in the city of Zhytomyr west of Kyiv were hit by a cruise missile apparently aimed at a nearby airbase, Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the interior minister, said on his Telegram channel.
Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv has also been under more heavy bombardment after at least 11 people were killed on Tuesday. A video taken in the city shows wrecked residential buildings with no windows, and fallen trees and power lines, in the aftermath of bombing.
Kharkiv and the southern cities of Kherson and Mariupol, are likely now encircled by the Russians, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
Thousands of Ukrainians are trying to leave Kyiv, our correspondent in Kyiv reported, as Russia’s defence ministry warned residents to leave as it plans to strike targets in the Ukrainian capital. The UN says more than 680,000 people have already fled the city.
Russia’s military move on Kyiv has stalled as its forces struggle with basic logistics challenges, including shortages of food and fuel, with some units appearing to be gripped by low morale. US official also claim that some Russian troops are sabotaging their equipment and surrendering rather than fighting.
Joe Biden’s will use his State of the Union address on Tuesday night to warn Vladimir Putin that he cannot divide the west and that dictators should “pay a price for their aggression”, according to a pre-release of parts of his speech.
The IMF and the World Bank have condemned the Russian action in Ukraine and the “horrifying” suffering of people there. The organisations pledged a $3bn package of support for the country.
Apple has said it will pause all product sales in Russia, heeding requests from Ukrainian officials to take action against the country in response to its invasion.
Boeing is suspending “major operations” in Moscow, as well as “parts, maintenance, and technical support services for Russian airlines”. Ford and the British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover have also suspended operations, along with Nike.
The US and 30 countries have agreed to release 60m barrels of oil from their strategic reserves to stabilise global energy markets, the US department of energy said on Tuesday, as oil prices surged to a seven-year high. It came after Brent crude oil rose 7% on Tuesday to $104.97 a barrel.
The Russian rouble has fallen again in early trading on Wednesday to hit 109.2 to the dollar. Stocks on Wall Street suffered another day of losses amid the jitters over Ukraine.