Ben Brown
BBC News

The boss of the besieged Azovstal iron and steelworks in Mariupol has been talking to the BBC.

Enver Tskitishvili, director general of the company, explained why it’s been such a fortress for the Ukrainian fighters who are now making a desperate last stand against Russian forces who’ve bombed and shelled it for weeks.

Originally built in 1930, the Soviet authorities equipped it with 36 bunkers, some of them able to withstand a direct nuclear strike. There was also a sprawling network of tunnels, eight metres underground.

After Russia’s incursions into Ukraine in 2014, the Ukrainian government updated Azovstal’s bunker system, and this year, it gave fighters in the city details and maps of the underground network, and supplied the plant with 40,000 packages of food - each one enough for one person for one day.

It helps explain how thousands of fighters and hundreds of civilians have been able to survive underground for weeks on end, only some of the women and children now being evacuated.

"When the war started we made an announcement in the city that all people, if they were injured during the bombing and shelling, could come to us," Tskitishvili said.

But he added: "We thought it was possible we'd be shelled, but we did not expect such a genocide and such an inhumane war."

The director general also explained that Azovstal is a natural fortress because it’s surrounded by water on three sides - a river on one, and the sea on two.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, REUTERS

Hundreds of people remain trapped in a steel plant in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, even as a group of evacuees left on Sunday.

As we've been reporting, efforts to evacuate more civilians have run into delays and it is not clear what is causing the hold-up.

But a commander at the plant, Denys Shlega, said hundreds of people - including small children - were still at the plant.

He also said Russian forces had resumed heavy shelling of the area.

As soon as the civilians who had been evacuated left, "shelling from all kinds of weapons began", he told Ukrainian television.

A first group of people was evacuated with the support of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross who organised an official convoy.

Image source, Telegram/luhanskaVTSA

A school that was standing for over a century - the Lysychansk Multidisciplinary Gymnasium - has been completely destroyed after it caught fire yesterday following targeted shelling, the Luhansk regional head says on Telegram, external.

The Gymnasium survived two world wars and the battle for the town in 2014, "but burnt down because of animals without values in 2022", graduate Yana Honcharenko has said.

Honcharenko also described the Gymnasium as "among the top 100 best schools in the country".

The school was built in the late 19th century and is part of the Belgian architectural heritage of Lysychansk, the regional head's Telegram says.

Russia has moved most of the focus of its war to eastern Ukraine, after pulling back its forces from near the capital Kyiv.

Image source, EBU

Back now to the issue of energy supplies from Russia.

The EU's Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson says Gazprom's decision to suspend gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland is "a turning point in the current crisis" – and warns "any state could be next".

Simson was speaking after a meeting of EU energy ministers, who were discussing how the EU should respond to Gazprom's announcement last week.

The energy commissioner says while there is no immediate threat to European gas supplies, the uncertainty of the situation means member states should be upgrading national contingency plans, building up sufficient gas storage supplies before winter, and diversifying energy sources away from Russian fossil fuels.

Gas storage currently stands at 32% of EU capacity and is rising, Simson says.

Turning now to the sporting world, and we're hearing that Russia has been barred from competing in this summer's women's Euro 2022.

Russian clubs will also be banned from Uefa competitions next season, Europe's football governing body has confirmed.

Uefa has also announced that Russia's bid to host the men's Euro 2028 or Euro 2032 tournaments is now ineligible.

The sanctions come as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues.

We've been hearing more about a reported rocket strike on the Black Sea port city of Odesa in southern Ukraine.

Deaths and injuries are being reported by local governor Maksym Marchenko on the Telegram messaging app.

The strike has also damaged a religious building, the southern military command have said on Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne.

Caroline Davies
Reporting from Moscow

Odesa has been hit in another missile strike this afternoon.

A loud explosion was heard in the city followed by a plume of smoke.

The press centre for the Security and Defense Forces of the South has said that Russian troops launched the strike on what they described as urban infrastructure.

They have said that one religious building was damaged; information about the wounded is being clarified.

It is the second hit in a few days; on Saturday the Ukrainian authorities said that the runway at Odesa’s airport had been hit in a missile strike.

The death toll of civilians in Ukraine has exceeded 3,000 people as of Monday, according to the UN's human rights office (OHCHR).

Since the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February, the OHCHR has recorded 3,153 civilian deaths in Ukraine - but it estimates the real toll is likely to be "considerably higher".

Possible discrepancies in the figures recorded come from the difficulty in receiving information from certain areas of the country and reports that are still pending corroboration.

This includes the lack of verification of large numbers of civilian casualties from places like the besieged port city of Mariupol.

Mariupol has suffered relentless bombing since the start of the war, with the city council estimating about 80% to 90% of the city's buildings have been damaged or destroyed.

Satellites have also identified mass burial sites near Mariupol containing about 200 graves, which are likely used to bury civilian bodies.

Local authorities have estimated vast numbers of civilians have been killed in the bombardment of the city.

The UN believes most civilians across the country have been killed by explosive weapons with a wide impact area (such as missile and air strikes), but the report did not specify who was responsible for the casualties.

If you're just joining us now or need a catch-up, here's what's happened so far today around the war in Ukraine:

• The EU is divided over whether or not to impose an embargo on Russian oil imports. Energy ministers are meeting now in Brussels and we're expecting a press conference shortly
• Germany has today shifted from its more cautious approach, saying that it would be ready to support an oil embargo, but there's still no agreement. This morning Hungary made clear that it remains opposed to it
• Some 100 civilians who have been evacuated from Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant are expected to soon arrive in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia. The group left their dark refuge for the first time in 60 days after negotiations to safeguard their passage finally succeeded
• But hundreds of people, including dozens of small children, are still trapped in the massive plant, a Ukrainian fighter there says. And shortly after the evacuees got out Russian forces resumed their shelling, he said

• Also today, a Russian rocket attack struck a key bridge linking part of the Odesa region to the rest of southern Ukraine, local authorities say

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, EU ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss how the bloc can reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels as a source of energy.

According to one analysis, the EU has spent more than €47bn (£39.4bn) on Russian fossil fuels since the invasion began. You can see the live tracker from the Helsink-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air., external

Last month, the bloc's top diplomat pointed out that the €1bn (£840m) being sent every day to Russia in the form of energy payments was 35 times more than the sum the EU had actually donated to Ukraine to help it to defend itself.

The EU is worried its dependence on Russian fossil fuels is inadvertently helping the Kremlin to fund the invasion of Ukraine, because a significant proportion of the payments are taken by the Russian government in tax.

In fact, in 2021, the International Energy Agency estimated that revenue from oil and gas made up 45% of Russia's federal budget, external.

Laura Bicker
Reporting from Zaporizhzhia

Image source, REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

Efforts to evacuate more civilians from the devastated Ukrainian port city of Mariupol have run into delays. It's not clear what's causing the hold up.

We know the convoy is on its way, but the buses have hundreds of miles to travel along a road which is - in part - rubble.

They also have to go through a number of Russian checkpoints.

The group of around 100 women and children have survived in tunnels under the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol – cut off from food and supplies.

Appeals to get them out were ignored. Until now.

Yesterday, for the first time in more than 60 days, they clambered out of their dark refuge.

Mariupol officials said Russia continued to shell the steel plant overnight. It’s thought several hundred people, including around 20 children, are still stuck in the basement.

Talks are still under way to get everyone out safely, but brokering another deal for a humanitarian corridor out of the besieged city may be difficult.

Jon Donnison
Reporting from Jerusalem

Image source, EPA

More now on the furore that has followed Russia's foreign minister claiming that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler "had Jewish blood".

Sergei Lavrov’s remarks are front page news here and have provoked widespread outrage.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described the comments as “lies”.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid went further: “Unforgivable and outrageous,” he said.

Dani Dayan, the chairman of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem, said Mr Lavrov’s words were "absurd, delusional and dangerous" - adding the claim Hitler was of Jewish descent was completely unfounded.

Over recent months, Israel, which has a large Russian speaking population, has tried to act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine.

But the government has faced criticism for not taking a tough enough line with President Putin and for not offering enough direct military support to Ukraine.

Lavrov’s remarks could increase pressure for that policy to change.

Image source, Getty Images

Russia has been branded "the successor to Nazi ideology" by a member of the Ukrainian team who's been at peace talks between the two countries.

Mykhaylo Podolyak was responding to controversial comments by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Lavrov had been quizzed by an interviewer about his claims to be "de-Nazifying" Ukraine, given that Ukraine's president is Jewish.

Lavrov said President Zelensky's ancestry did not matter. Referring to unproven historical claims, he suggested even Adolf Hitler "had Jewish blood."

In a tweet, Podolyak - an aide to President Zelensky - accused Moscow of trying to "rewrite history" in order to "justify the mass killings of Ukrainians".

Image source, Reuters

Ministers of European Union countries are discussing how to lessen their dependence on energy supplies from Russia - as a result of its invasion of Ukraine.

Germany has acknowledged EU nations are still divided on a possible Russian energy embargo. The energy minister says his country could handle an oil ban by the end of the year - but not a ban on gas.

Hungary has reiterated that it opposes a ban on either fuel.

As you can see from the graph below, Germany was the world's top importer of Russian gas in 2020, buying 42.6bn cubic metres - according the International Energy Agency.

Hungary, too, was one of Russia's top gas buyers - taking 11.6bn cubic metres that year.

The European Union as a whole bought 41% of its gas from Russia in 2019.

You can read more on the supply and demand from our Reality Check team here.

Image source, .

Jessica Parker
Reporting from Brussels

Poland’s climate minister has called for "immediate sanctions" on Russian oil and gas.

Anna Moskwa was speaking as she arrived for an emergency meeting of EU energy ministers in Brussels.

The agenda for today is primarily focussed on gas stocks and supplies, following Gazprom’s decision to cut off Poland and Bulgaria.

But, speaking in English, Ms Moskwa said fresh energy sanctions were a "necessary" and "urgent" step.

"We will support full sanctions on all Russian fossil fuels. We already have coal. Now it’s time for oil and second step is for gas. The best option is to take them all together."

The European Commission has been holding talks with member states about a potential oil embargo.

However Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck earlier conceded that not all member states were ready to approve such a plan.

Diplomatic sources have told the BBC that compromises are being looked at, particularly for countries such as Hungary and Slovakia.

Poland has generally taken a hard line on sanctions against Russia.

Sophie Williams
Reporting from Lviv

Image source, KONSTANTIN.S

It's another day under Russian occupation for the residents of Kherson. The southern city was taken by the Russians at the start of the war and remains the only regional capital to be captured by them.

For many, getting access to the internet is becoming increasingly difficult with only one supplier said to be operating.

One resident, who did not want to give his name, said ill people were running out of medicine and food shops had shut.

“People are exchanging medicine with each other and are arranging ways of transporting medicine to villages,” he said. Many shops are empty and instead food is being sold from cars and trucks on the street.

“People stand there with their cars and the prices are higher but it’s ok."

There are concerns the Ukrainian banking system will be shut off in the city and people have been trying to make withdrawals just in case. The Russian rouble is meant to have started being used from Sunday but locals are resisting.

About 40% of the population are said to have left. But those who remain haven't given up hope, the resident I spoke to said.

“The majority of people believe Ukraine will have the victory," he said. "We see that Russia is losing. But we are tired of waiting and hiding under such pressure.”

Image source, .

Image source, Retuers

A large group of civilians have managed to get out of the massive steelworks in Mariupol where they've been trapped for months.

It's the first time civilians have been evacuated out of the site, where fighters have been holed up for weeks, mounting a last stand against Russian forces which have razed and occupied the rest of the city.

Who has managed to escape?

A group of about 100 civilians who had been hiding in Mariupol's besieged Azovstal steelworks plant have finally left the site after intense negotiations involving the UN and Red Cross.

The civilians had been trapped for weeks in a vast network of underground tunnels with diminishing supplies and facing intense bombardment.

One woman who escaped said: "You just can't imagine what we have been through - the terror."

"When the bunker started to shake, I was hysterical," 37-year-old Natalia Usmanova told Reuters. "I was so worried the bunker would cave in."

Where are they going?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the group will arrive later today in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia, but this has not happened yet. It's more than 200km away and they need to pass through various checkpoints.

We know that after people were evacuated from the steel plant, groups were taken Russian-controlled villages where they were given medical care and some spoke to journalists.

On Sunday Russia said it would be handing over any evacuees wishing to "leave" those areas for Ukrainian-controlled territory to the Red Cross and UN.

Why does this evacuation matter?

It's the first time a humanitarian corridor has been successfully agreed to get civilians out of the Azovstal plant, after repeated attempts to negotiate their safe release have all ended in failure.

But for the hundreds of civilians who remain trapped inside, it's still not clear when or if they will be able to make it out. After the group of evacuees left on Sunday, fighters at the plant said Russian forces immediately resumed shelling of the site.

Image source, .

If you're just joining us, here's a round-up of what's been happening so far today around the war in Ukraine:

• EU energy ministers are meeting to discuss whether or not to impose a total embargo on Russian oil, something the bloc is divided over
• Germany appears to be moving closer to supporting a ban and now says its economy would be able to "bear" the pain of no Russian oil, but this morning Hungary repeated its opposition to the proposal

• Around 100 civilians who have been evacuated from Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant are expected to arrive in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia later today. It's the first time a humanitarian corridor out of the besieged steelworks has been negotiated
• Shortly after the evacuees got out, fighters at the plant say Russian forces resumed their shelling. Hundreds more civilians remain trapped inside the complex
• Also today, a Russian rocket attack struck a key bridge linking part of the Odesa region to the rest of southern Ukraine, local authorities say

As we've been reporting, about 100 people have been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the southern city of Mariupol.

Natalia Usmanova, who spent weeks in a bomb shelter at the plant, speaks of the horrors her family went through.

"I was terrified. It seemed to me that the factory is the safest place," she recalls.

She says at first there were around 50 people in the bomb shelter and about 40 in the neighbouring one.

Image source, Reuters

Natalia says there wasn't enough oxygen in the bomb shelter and people had to climb the steps towards the exit to be able to find a place to breathe properly.

"I was afraid to even walk out and breathe some fresh air," she remembers.

She says people came to the bomb shelter by their own free will "to save ourselves".

But as they heard the shelling getting closer, people got more scared and tried to leave the shelter.

Natalia says about 11 people got out of the shelter but were stopped at the exit by people who told them they couldn't leave because Russian soldiers would shoot them.

"Just imagine... at their own risk, with their little children, under shelling they went to the exit point and there they were told - 'no, we won't let you out, we can't risk your lives like that'."

Natalia remembers her relief when she reached the evacuation bus with her husband.

She said to him: "Vasya, we won't have to go to the toilet with a flashlight and we won't need to use a bag."

Laura Bicker
Reporting from Zaporizhzhia

A convoy of more than a hundred people freed from the besieged steel plant in Mariupol are making the journey north-west to safety. Aid workers and medics are standing by.

It’s unclear how long it will take them to get to Zaporizhzhia (more than 200km away). So far progress seems to have been slow.

Talks are still under way to free hundreds more people who have been sheltering in darkness, in maze-like tunnels under the vast Azovstal steel works.

Image source, .

Russia has bombarded the port city for more than 60 days. The basement of the steel plant has become the last stronghold for several thousand Ukrainian fighters.

A few civilians with their own cars are making use of the humanitarian corridor brokered by the United Nations and the Red Cross to get to the refugee centre.

Most of the vehicles are battered - one even had its windscreen smashed. Others are using plastic film and sticky tape to hold parts of the car together.

One, Daniil, had to scramble through the city looking for spare parts for his car after it was hit by shrapnel from a shell which landed just five metres away.

Image source, .

After handing over his papers to officials, Daniil jumped out the car and threw his hands in the air. His fingers made the V for victory sign.

“It’s been difficult, tough, frightening. I lived on a tugboat in the port in Mariupol. We couldn’t even raise our heads. It was so scary to be there,” he said.

I asked him what he will do now. “I am going to leave,” he said.

Image source, .

The wait continues to see how many more civilians from his city will make it out alive.

Mariupol officials said Russia continued to shell the steel plant site overnight. It’s thought that several hundred people, including about 20 children, are still stuck in the basement of the plant.

One unit commander told Ukrainian television there were also around 500 wounded servicemen at the site.