Russia-Ukraine crisis live updates | Russians keep pressure on Mariupol; massive convoy breaks up

Here are the latest developments from the Ukraine-Russia ongoing conflict

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine entered its third week, the United States said that Russia could be preparing the ground for using chemical or bological weapons in Ukraine. This statement came in response to Russia’s accusation that Ukraine is running chemical and biological labs with U.S. support.

The United Nations Security Council has scheduled a meeting for today to discuss these claims.

Russia’s offensive on Ukranian cities continued with satellite images showing heavy damage to cities of Kyiv and Mariupol.

The conflict began escalating on February 21, 2022, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and deployed troops in a peacekeeping role.

Here are the latest updates:

Russian forces kept up their bombardment of the port city of Mariupol on Thursday, while satellite photos showed that a massive convoy that had been mired outside the Ukrainian capital split up and fanned out into towns and forests near Kyiv, with artillery pieces moved into firing positions.

International condemnation escalated over an airstrike in Mariupol a day earlier that killed three people at a maternity hospital. Western and Ukrainian officials called the attack a war crime. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian refusal to permit evacuations from the port city amounted to “outright terror.”