Ukrainian troops are continuing their all-out defense against the invading Russians.

Ukraine said on Thursday that it had destroyed a Russian landing ship in the occupied southern port of Berdyansk, less than 100 kilometers from the besieged city of Mariupol.

The media is quoting Ukrainian officials as saying the country's military also damaged two other vessels at the port. Russia has reportedly been using Berdyansk as a base to ferry in equipment for its military.

US defense officials say that Russian troops surrounding the capital Kyiv have been pushed back.

Britain's defense ministry says that Russia has almost certainly suffered thousands of casualties.
But Russia's defense ministry condemned Ukraine for allegedly developing biological weapons, including anthrax, at 30 laboratories.

Russian President Vladimir Putin convened a meeting of his National Security Council on Thursday. The presidential office said the council members expressed regret at being unable to start negotiations for a ceasefire.

The UN human rights office says that, as of Wednesday, the civilian death toll in Ukraine has topped one-thousand since the start of the Russian invasion.
Ninety of them were children.

Buses carrying Ukrainian evacuees have arrived at the border with Moldova. A 51-year-old woman from Mykolaiv said that air strikes were continuing and the sirens never stopped. She also said that she fled for fear of being killed by Russian forces.

The UN children's agency says about 4.3 million children have lost their homes.