As we've been reporting, Russia is increasing its operations in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region and seeking to enclose some of its key cities.

In a late-night video address on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces have organised a "massacre" in Donbas, trying to destroy "everything living" in the region.

"Nobody destroyed Donbas as much as the Russian army does now," Zelensky said.

Severodonetsk, the largest city under Ukrainian control in Luhansk province, has recently seen some of the most difficult fighting of the conflict so far as Russian forces seek to encircle the city.

In an address to global business and political leaders in Davos earlier on Monday, Zelensky noted that Russian troops had "20 times more hardware" in Donbas than Ukraine did. He stressed that Ukraine needs long-range weapons to prevent losses.

• Russian assault on key Donbas city intensifies

Image source, .

Image source, UKRAINIAN AIRBORNE FORCES COMMAND

Russian nationalists are increasingly criticising the failures of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine and are calling for further action, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank., external

Veterans and military commentators are increasingly calling for further mobilisation "that the Kremlin likely remains unwilling and unable to pursue in the short term", the ISW says.

The All-Russian Officers Assembly, an independent pro-Russian veterans’ association, called on President Putin "to recognise that Russian forces are no longer only 'de-Nazifying' Ukraine but are fighting a war for Russia’s historic territories and existence in the world order", the ISW reports.

The officers also reportedly demanded the death penalty for Russian deserters.

The Assembly said that Moscow has failed to achieve its goals in three months, especially after a failed river crossing where a Russian battalion lost almost all its armoured vehicles this month.

This event "shocked Russian military observers and prompted them to question Russian competence", the ISW had previously said.

Janek Schmidt
Technology of Business reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The war in Ukraine has upended Germany's energy policy.

The nation currently buys around 25% of its oil and 40% of its gas from Russia, contributing billions of euros a year to Moscow's finances.

Germany is moving "as fast as possible" to end that relationship, but it will take time, the country's finance minister recently said.

To help achieve that goal, Veronika Grimm - an economics professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg - wants Germany to "ramp up" its use of hydrogen.

Hydrogen can store vast amounts of energy, replace natural gas in industrial processes, and power fuel cells in trucks, trains, ships or planes that emit nothing but water vapour.

Ms Grimm's enthusiasm is gaining traction, according to the International Energy Agency, external (IEA), an energy research group, dozens of countries have published national hydrogen strategies, or are about to.

Despite this flurry of interest, it's not clear yet that the large-scale use of hydrogen can be made viable.

Read more here.

Abdujalil Abdurasulov
BBC News, Melitopol, Ukraine

Image source, Getty Images

When Russian forces arrived in the southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol in February, they were met with stiff resistance from residents.

Locals tried to block armoured vehicles, and people waved Ukrainian flags as Russian troops rolled in to occupy the city.

When the troops started to crack down on the protestors, the resistance movement evolved and new groups emerged.

From 20 March to 12 April, these "partisans eliminated 70 Russian soldiers during their night patrol," Ukraine's military Intelligence Directorate reported.

These groups are still active - last week, a Russian armoured train was reportedly derailed. Two Russian soldiers were found dead in the street days earlier.

Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, says these attacks were organised by partisan groups. "It's the job of our partisans, our secret services and our soldiers. They do this job together," he tells the BBC.

In response, the Russians are desperately trying to crush all resistance. They are searching houses and detaining people, residents say, often at random.

These resistance groups, however, are only a small part of the movement.

Russia is increasing the intensity of its operations in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, the UK Ministry of Defence says in its daily intelligence update.

Russian forces are seeking to encircle Severodonetsk, Lyschansk, and Rubizhne, the MOD says.

There has been strong Ukrainian resistance with forces occupying well dug-in defensive positions, it adds.

"Russia has, however, achieved some localised successes, due in part to concentrating artillery units," it adds.

Russia’s capture of Severodonetsk would see the whole of the Luhansk region placed under Russian occupation, according to the ministry.

Germany has said the EU is close to a deal on banning Russian oil imports - the bloc had said earlier that it planned to ban all oil imports from Russia by the end of this year.

But how reliant is it on Russian oil and gas?

Russia is the world's third biggest oil producer - after the US and Saudi Arabia.

Before it was sanctioned, about half of its crude oil exports went to Europe.

It sent far lesser oil to the UK and US, both of which have banned Russian oil imports since the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia also supplies 41% of the EU's imported natural gas - Italy and Germany are the biggest importers.

Again, supply to UK is just about 5%. And the US imports no gas from Russia.

Analysts say it's easier to replace Russian oil than gas since there are other major suppliers such as Saudi Arabia. Increasing gas supply however is harder - and switching to greener sources like wind and solar energy will take time.

Read more here on who imports Russian oil and gas.

The European Union is close to agreeing on an embargo on Russian oil imports, Germany's economy minister told broadcaster ZDF Monday night.

"We will reach a breakthrough within days," Robert Habeck said.

But he added that such a ban would not hurt Russia immediately since the surge in global oil prices had meant that it was earning more for lower volumes.

Instead, Habeck said, the EU and US are considering a proposal to cap global oil prices - an "unusual measure", he admited, before adding, "but these are unusual times".

Russia supplies 40% of the EU's natural gas and 27% of its imported oil - the EU pays the country roughly €400 billion a year for this supply.

The EU has also announced long-term plans to shift to green energy sources to stop relying on Russian oil and gas completely.

It's past 07:00 in Ukraine, where the war is on the cusp of entering its fourth month. Here's a roundup of the latest developments:

• Germany's economy minister says the EU is close to a deal to ban Russian oil imports - and he also spoke of the possibility of capping global oil prices to shrink Russia's income
• That statement came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the World Economic Forum that "maximum" sanctions must be used against Russia
• Russia has stepped up its attacks in the southern and eastern parts of the country - a key target has been Severodonetsk, the largest city that is still under Ukrainian control in the province of Luhansk
• Meanwhile Russian nationalists are increasingly criticising the Kremlin's military failures in Ukraine, and calling for greater mobilisation - which the Russia is "unwilling and unable to pursue", according to the Institute for the Study of War

We're drawing today's coverage of the war in Ukraine to a close for the day now.

So what have been the main developments?

• Moscow's counsellor to the UN in Geneva, Boris Bondarev, resigned over what he called the "absolutely needless" and "criminal" conflict in Ukraine.
• A Ukrainian court sentenced Russian tank commander Sgt Vadim Shishimarin, 21, to life in prison for fatally shooting Oleksandr Shelipov, a 62-year-old civilian. It's the first war crimes prosecution of the invasion.
• This morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy told global business and political leaders gathered in Davos, Switzerland, that "maximum" sanctions must be used against Russia - a full oil embargo, banks barred from global systems and trade abandoned

• With a large amount of the world's grain supply piling up behind blocked port routes out, Ukraine's deputy PM, Yuliia Svyrydenko, called on world leaders to help lift the current blockade on Ukraine's Black Sea ports
• We have a story on the day's events here.

Updates were brought to you by George Wright, Alex Fouché, Emily McGarvey, Dulcie Lee, Sam Hancock, Phelan Chatterjee, Sofia Ferreira Santos, Thomas Poole, Robert Corp, Heather Sharp, Jeremy Gahagan and Claire Heald.

We'll be back on Tuesday morning Ukraine time.

BBC Ukrainian

Image source, EPA

In his evening address, Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukrainians to help the Armed Forces and help defend Ukraine's position on the international arena.

"To win, we must - each and every one - work for this. In particular, those in the rear. Help the army. Protect the needs of our state in all international platforms to which you have access, in communication with foreign journalists, even just with your friends and acquaintances abroad," he said.

He noted that Ukraine is facing difficult weeks.

According to him, the worst fighting situation today is in the Donbas area in the south east of Ukraine.

"Bakhmut, Popasna, Severodonetsk - in this direction the occupiers have concentrated the most activity so far. They have staged a massacre there and are trying to destroy all living things. Literally. No one destroyed Donbas as the Russian military is doing now," said the president.

"But we have no alternative but to fight. To fight and win. To liberate our land and our people. Because the occupiers want to take away from us not just something, but everything we have. Including the right to life for Ukrainians," Zelensky said.

The European Union is likely to agree an embargo on Russian oil imports "within days", Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck has told German broadcaster ZDF.

Habeck warned an embargo would not automatically weaken the Kremlin, as rising prices were enabling it to rake in more income while selling lower volumes of oil.

Therefore, one consideration was to no longer pay "any price" for oil, but to agree on upper limits, he said.

For that to work, however, many countries would have to participate, he added.

Earlier this month Hungarian minister Zoltán Kovács told the BBC his country would veto the EU's proposal, branding it "unacceptable" and something that would "ruin the Hungarian economy".

James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent

A bit more now on efforts to get grain out of Ukraine via Odesa:

Western policymakers are hoping to agree a deal shortly because there are only five to six weeks until the latest grain harvest is brought in from the fields and there is no space left in silos where last season’s crops are being stored.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis discussed the plans with the UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss during talks in London on Monday.

Writing in the US news website, The Hill, Mr Landsbergis said: “If we are serious about averting a crisis, this is what needs to be done. Odesa must be opened. Ukrainian grain must flow. Russia must not be allowed to starve the world to choke Ukraine.”

Liz Truss said the UK was working on an "urgent solution" to get grain out of Ukraine.

United Nations officials estimate that about 25 million tonnes of grain are currently waiting to be exported out of Ukraine, threatening a global food crisis.

Some Western officials cast doubt on whether such a humanitarian “grain corridor” could be established without Russian agreement because they control the waters south of Odesa.

“To try and do it without their consent would raise the risk of there being an incident,” one said. They said Odesa was heavily defended against invasion but remained vulnerable to precision missile attack.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Russia has forcibly taken 1.4 million Ukrainians to its territory, Kyiv's ombudsman for human rights Lyudmyla Denisova has said, according to the Interfax news agency.

There was "convincing evidence" that Russia had prepared these deportations in advance, and that it expected to remove over two million Ukrainians, she added.

You can read about the experiences of some deported Ukrainians who have spoken to the BBC here.

At the end of last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said more than a million people had been "evacuated" from Ukraine to Russia.

How leaders hope to avert crisis over Ukrainian grainpublished at 21:00 British Summer Time 23 May 2022

21:00 BST 23 May 2022

James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Emergency plans are being drawn up for a protective naval corridor to get desperately needed grain out of Ukraine and avert a global food crisis.

Britain is understood to be discussing options with a coalition of willing allies to help get shipping safely out of the southern port of Odesa.

The aim would require defensive mines to be removed from the approaches to Odesa and a naval escort to protect merchant vessels as they head south through the Black Sea.

Crucially this would require the Ukrainian authorities to be satisfied that Odesa could be protected from possible Russian attack, potentially by being given heavier weapons by the West.

The naval escort could include countries like Egypt and others, which are being significantly affected by Russia’s grain blockade. The agreement of Turkey would also be needed to allow naval warships to enter the Black Sea via the Bosphorus.

And the escort would have to be strong enough to satisfy insurance companies willing to cover the commercial shipping.

Image source, .

It's nearly three months since Russian forces began their onslaught on Ukraine. Here are some images taken around the country today.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, AFP

Paul Kenyon
BBC Panorama

Earlier today, a court in Ukraine jailed a Russian tank commander for life for killing a civilian, at the first war crimes trial since the invasion.

War crimes trials often happen on neutral ground at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. And that could still happen. The International Criminal Court and the United Nations have their own enquiries under way.

But Ukraine wants to move fast. Today’s conviction is unusual – coming just three months into the war.

British barrister Wayne Jordash QC, an adviser to the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office, says this does not mean cutting corners. He says all evidence has to be collected according to international standards.

He also says several thousand more indictments for war crimes are in the pipeline.

Jordash says Ukraine is adamant it wants to try all cases domestically. “The ICC can only do so much,” he tells the BBC's Panorama. The ICC tends to prosecute leaders and their immediate circles, and not lower-level officers.

The Russian government denies it has been targeting civilians.

Watch Panorama's Hunting Putin's War Criminals at 20:30 BST on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer

A "fake grenade" was left outside the Russian consulate in Brazil's most populous city, Brazilian news website Globo reported.

Police officers from the Special Tactical Actions Group who were called to the scene overnight confirmed that it was a fake device, the news website said.

It is unknown who could be responsible for the device.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has justified his decision to maintain a "neutral stance" on the Russia-Ukraine conflict by referring to Russia's strong trade ties with Brazil. He has been accused by Brazilian media outlets of "praising" and making "sympathetic" statements about Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Image source, EPA

Last week, Finland and Sweden submitted their bid to join the Nato military alliance - a move prompted by Russia's invasion of of Ukraine.

But it's something Turkey opposes, with its leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying the two Nordic nations should not even bother sending delegations to convince Ankara of the idea.

You can read here about the diplomatic manoeuvres, and why Turkey's opinion as a member matters.

But Nato's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has told the BBC's HARDtalk he's confident the alliance will find ways to address Turkey's worries.

He also says, when asked, that it will be for the International Criminal Court to decide if Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal or an architect of genocide.

• In the UK, HARDtalk is available on iPlayer. Overseas, the programme will go out on 24 and 25 May on BBC News at 03:30, 08:30, 14:30 & 21:30 GMT and on World Service Radio on 25 May.

Jonathan Beale
BBC defence correspondent

It's likely Ukrainian forces dug in around the city of Severodonetsk will be surrounded by Russian troops, one Western official predicts.

The official says Russian forces have been making “incremental progress” in encircling the pocket of Ukranian resistance around the city – just one part of the Donbas region in south-eastern Ukraine, and shown on this map depicting Russian military advances:

Image source, .

The official, who has asked not to be named, says it has always been the case that Russia has more troops and equipment than their Ukrainian counterparts.

They have not given any details about how many Ukrainian troops are now in danger of being encircled and who could become trapped.

But he stresses their continuing resistance was “performing a vital function…because they are degrading the Russian forces” and “creating time” for the remainder of Ukraine’s forces in the Donbas to prepare and strengthen defences elsewhere.

The official says surrounding Ukrainian troops around the pocket of Severodonetsk is a “more achievable goal” for Russia after it suffered a series of setbacks.

They predict once Russia secures it, they will try to move towards the city of Kramatorsk (to the south-west) – a “big and challenging target that will cost them dearly”.

Steve Rosenberg
BBC Russia editor

Image source, Boris Bondarev

Diplomat Boris Bondarev didn’t hold back in his criticism of President Putin, Foreign Minister Lavrov and the Russian offensive in Ukraine.

“The aggressive war… the most serious crime… warmongering, lies and hatred…”

It’s rare to hear such words from a Russian official. In the three months since Vladimir Putin launched what he’s still calling his ‘Special Military Operation’ in Ukraine (what much of the world calls Russia’s war) there have been few signs of open dissent in Russian state institutions.

Embarrassing for the Russian authorities? Absolutely. They like to make out the state machine here is fully behind President Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.

But one resignation does not automatically mean that many more will follow. Mr Bondarev admitted to me that he’s in the minority. He believes that, for now, most officials in the Russian Foreign Ministry back the official line and support the Kremlin’s 'special operation’.