Russian leaders say the war in Ukraine is entering "another stage." Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that the eastern offensive will be an important moment in what the Russians call the "special operation."

Pro-Russian separatists have been fighting for years for the independence of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Russian leaders granted that recognition even before their troops invaded.

Now, the Russians are pushing for what Lavrov called the "full liberation of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics." The Russians have destroyed most of the port city of Mariupol, which is in Donetsk.

Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister, Hanna Maliar, said Mariupol has been "wiped off the face of the earth." She and other leaders have asked allies for more military aid.

Ukrainian fighters with the Azov Battalion released video of what they said showed people holed up in a steel plant. They said more than a thousand civilians had taken shelter.

Russian commanders have given those at the plant an ultimatum. They want them to lay down their arms or face the consequences.

The Russians had already made a similar offer. Not a single Ukrainian soldier surrendered.