Good morning. Five civilians were killed and a dozen were injured when Russian troops bombed more than 40 cities in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky also responded to suggestions from the West and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger that Ukraine should relinquish territory and make concessions to end the war with Russia.
Here’s what happened last night and you can follow the latest updates on our live blog.
Five civilians killed and a dozen wounded in the bombing of Donbas
Russian forces have bombed more than 40 cities in the eastern Donbass region of Ukraine, killing five civilians and wounding 12, the Ukrainian military said.
The bombing threatens to close the last major escape route for civilians trapped on the road to invasion, which continues into its fourth month.
Russia has deployed thousands of troops to the region, attacking from three sides in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian forces resisting the city of Sievierodonetsk and its twin Lysychansk.
“Occupiers bombed more than 40 cities in the Donetsk and Luhansk region, destroying or damaging 47 civilian sites, including 38 houses and a school,” the Joint Armed Forces Commission of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Facebook.
The statement said 10 enemy attacks were repelled, four tanks and four drones destroyed and 62 “enemy soldiers” were killed.