BBC News War in Ukraine

War in Ukraine

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  1. Video content

    Video caption: PMQs: Johnson and Davey on visas for Ukrainian refugees heading to UK

    The Liberal Democrat leader says refuges on the Poland-Ukraine have told him it was “just too complicated" to head to the UK.

  2. Russian bombardment intensifies in east

    Paul Kirby

    BBC News Online Europe editor

    For the past few days, Russia has stressed it is switching its focus to eastern Ukraine, and UK defence intelligence says that is "likely a tacit admission" that it is struggling to sustain operations in the north.

    Seizing land on the south coast is a big aim for President Putin, but so is his bid to "liberate" the east. Russian-backed puppets had already seized control of more than a third of the two eastern areas in 2014.

    Russian forces are tightening their grip on the north-eastern region of Luhansk, but they have far less control of Donetsk region and Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation in the east has reputedly some of the best-trained brigades in the army.

    Map showing Donetsk and Luhansk

    But Russian attacks have intensified on towns to the west of the "line of contact" - the front line from the earlier war.

    Luhansk authorities say there have been 35 artillery attacks on local towns in 24 hours. Only this morning, blocks of flats and a kindergarten were hit in Lysychansk, says the regional military leader.

    Damaged kindergarten in Lysychansk
    Image caption: Luhansk regional military leader Serhiy Haidai says a kindergarten was hit in Lysychansk

    At least one person was killed in a residential block, he says. Details cannot be independently verified.

    Meanwhile, separatist leaders allege at least one person has died in Ukrainian shelling of Russian-held areas of Donetsk.

    Russian advances in the south-east of Ukraine
  3. Video content

    Video caption: Ukraine: Youngsters in Finland worried that war could spread

    In Finland, some young people are worried the war could spread. The fact that Finland shares a border with Russia and is not a member of Nato is causing additional anxiety.