Russia Attacks Ukrainian Port City as It Advances Towards Kyiv; Issues Stern Warning to US

Ukraine's capital of Kyiv prepares for all-out war as Russian invaders bombard its neighboring cities.

Continued Russian attacks on the cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mariupol, and Sumy prompted the air raid sirens sounding majority of Ukraine's territories on Saturday. Among the victims of the heavy attacks by the Russian military was an iconic mosque in Mariupol, a port city. As per Al Jazeera,

Ukrainian forces reported that around 80 civilians, mostly Turkish citizens, hid in the sacred structure that the Russian military had shelled. The battle between military troops also happened downtown, with explosions occurring almost simultaneously. According to the mayor's office, since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, more than 1,500 people have been killed in Mariupol. Burying the dead has been a great challenge for the authorities and families due to continued attacks halting the procedures.

Humanitarian organizations also report that attempts to deliver relief goods and basic needs for the 430,000 stuck civilians have been blocked. According to a Ukrainian official, Russian soldiers ransacked a humanitarian convoy attempting to enter Mariupol and halted another. Russian forces reportedly stormed Mariupol's eastern suburbs, intensifying their siege of the important port, according to Ukraine's military.

Taking Mariupol and other Azov Sea ports could allow Russia to open a land corridor to Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014, per ABC News.

Russia's New Stage of Terror

The dire situation in the city neighboring Kyiv brought by Russia's aggression was described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "a new stage of terror." Images captured by a satellite of Maxar showed fires and extensive damage to infrastructure and houses. Zelensky said in a video message that Russians are bombing Mariupol "24 hours a day, launching missiles."

"It is hatred. They kill children," the Ukrainian President said during a video address.

Once again, Zelenskyy condemned NATO's refusal to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine and said Ukraine had sought ways to procure air defense assets. United States President Joe Biden earlier declared an additional $200 million in aid to bolster Ukraine's defenses, with an additional $13 billion included in a bill already approved by the House. The legislation is expected to be passed by the Senate in the upcoming days.

However, NATO has noted before that implementing a no-fly zone over Ukraine could further complicate the ongoing war.

Meanwhile, risks of direct conflict between Moscow and NATO heightened as Russia issued a warning to the US that it would launch an attack on weapons shipments to Ukraine, according to CNN.

On-Going War Continue To Displace Civilians

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has entered its third week with thousands of civilians fleeing from the war zone as fighting intensify as Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no indication of pursuing peace, according to France.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said some 13,000 people were evacuated from various Ukrainian cities on Saturday, nearly double the number who were able to leave the day before. In an online statement, Vereshchuk said that no one had been able to leave the besieged city of Mariupol, blaming Russian soldiers for the blockade. Moscow had previously accused the Ukrainian military of trapping people there on purpose.