Russian forces look poised to extend areas under their control in eastern Ukraine following the Kremlin's claim that it has seized the key port city of Mariupol.
But they are facing fierce resistance from the Ukrainians, who are receiving more military aid from the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to blockade a steel plant in Mariupol where Ukrainian troops and civilians are holed up.

The British defense ministry says Russia would likely suffer significant casualties in a full ground assault on the plant. These losses would further diminish the overall combat effectiveness of Russian forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country's troops are still stationed in a part of Mariupol.

Ukrainian officials are trying to evacuate civilians trapped in the city. It's estimated there are more than 100,000 of them. Three buses carried 79 evacuees to the city of Zaporizhzhia.

A man who is a resident in Mariupol says a horrible thing that cannot be put into words is happening in Mariupol. Russians are just killing people without reason.

Another male resident says they have a small cemetery in their backyard, and they buried seven people there.

The Russian-installed deputy mayor of Mariupol says a military parade will be held in the city on May 9th.
That's the day Russians celebrate the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Analysts say Putin is aiming to put more areas in eastern and southern Ukraine under Russian control by that day.

But the British defense ministry says Russian forces are still hampered by earlier losses. It says inoperable equipment is being shipped back to Russia for repair, in an attempt to reconstitute depleted forces.

Meanwhile, Western nations are providing more weapons to Ukraine.
The United States is sending howitzers, drones and military vehicles.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is scheduled to host a meeting at a US Air Force Base in Germany on Tuesday. He and his counterparts from several nations will discuss Ukraine's current and long-term defense needs.