A civilian disaster is growing in Ukraine as attempts to evacuate residents of besieged port city Mariupol failed for a second day, with President Volodymyr Zelensky denouncing "murder" as he warned of more shelling to come on Monday.

New shelling and attacks have sent soaring numbers of refugees fleeing, sometimes under fire, as the death toll mounts.

Russian forces stepped up their shelling of Ukrainian cities in the centre, north and south of the country late on Sunday, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich said.

"Russia officially announced the shelling of our territory,” said Mr Zelensky.

“Our enterprises of the defence complex. Most were built decades ago, by the then Soviet power, built in cities. And now they are among the urban environment.

“Thousands of people work there. Hundreds of thousands live nearby. This is murder. Deliberate murder."

Read all the latest here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/03/07/russia-ukraine-latest-news-war-putin-refugees-nato-invasion/

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