Diana Kuryshko
BBC News Ukrainian

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

More now from the mayor of Mariupol, Vadym Boichenko, who has left the city and has been speaking to the BBC.

He says the destruction of the city's critical infrastructure at the beginning of the invasion was well co-ordinated.

He claims "traitors" passed on co-ordinates to Russian forces early on.

"They knew where to shell. There were many traitors who gave co-ordinates. Everything we had, everything that is considered the critical infrastructure of the city, was destroyed in the first seven days.

"There are 15 power supplies in the city. Even the mayor did not know where they all were. And they knew and in a week destroyed all 15. The city was left without light," he says.

Water points, communication lines and warehouses storing food and medicine were also targeted, Boichenko says.

He accuses the "traitors" of being city council deputies from the pro-Russian The Opposition Platform - For Life party. They now rule the city under the Russian occupation, he says.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify his claims.

Diana Kuryshko
BBC News Ukrainian

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

More than 100,000 people are trapped in occupied Mariupol, the city's mayor Vadym Boichenko tells the BBC.

"They don’t have clean water. There is no food, no electricity, no medications. Hospitals have been damaged, doctors have been killed. People do not live there, they survive, fighting for food," the mayor says.

Russian forces took control of the southern port city in May after months of relentless bombardment.

Boichenko, who has left Mariupol, says the bodies of many victims still lie in bombed buildings.

"There is a lot of dead in Mariupol. Russians have not cleared the bodies of those they killed in the bombings. Many bodies are still under the ruins… According to doctors, this summer in Mariupol will be horrible. And it can take thousands of lives."

Mariupol is at risk of a major cholera outbreak, the UK defence ministry says.

The mayor describes the situation in the city as catastrophic and is calling on international organizations to help organise "green corridors" for evacuation.

"There are no hospitals, no doctors. Russians steal equipment from hospitals that weren’t damaged in the fighting and take it to Donetsk.

"People are waiting for several days in a queue for water and fighting for food. Russians forced people to clean ruins in exchange for water. The city is closed. Nobody is let in or out."

Chris Partridge
BBC News

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the West to send his country modern missile defence systems.

As Russia continues its assault with tanks and artillery in the east, it is also carrying out air strikes in support of its troops on the ground and against other targets.

Missiles continue to hit Ukraine too. Yesterday video was released of four Kalibr cruise missiles launching from a Russian ship in the Black Sea.

Last night President Zelensky said Moscow had launched 2,606 missiles since the strart of the war.

Modern missiles would be more effective against aircraft and cruise missiles.

Ukraine does have a potent air defence system in the shape of S-300 long-range surface-to-air units and shorter-range Buk-M1 SAMs, amongst others. But these are ageing Soviet-era systems and Russia has been successful in destroying some of these in strikes.

The US has supplied Stinger, shoulder-launched Manpads (Man-portable air defence systems) and the UK Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles.

Denmark has sent advanced Harpoon anti-ship missiles to complement Ukraine’s domestic Neptune systems, to defend the Black Sea coast.

Image source, .

But Ukraine really wants to beef up its land-based air defences.

One option might be Nasams fitted with AIM-120 AMRAAM (advanced medium range air-to-air missiles). Developer Raytheon says it gives air defenders "a tailorable, state-of-the-art defence system".

But whether these will be sent is far from clear. Germany has pledged to supply the advanced IRIS-T SL missile system, but this could take many months to arrive in Ukraine.

Image source, Getty Images

Russia and Ukraine are both using heavier weapons against one another, but Russia's are more powerful, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto says.

Speaking during security policy talks in Finland, Mr Niinisto says Finland and other Western countries have been careful to only supply Ukraine with weapons that Russia would also use, making sure that the West can't be accused of escalating the situation, according to comments reported by the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yleisradio Oy).

But he also says that Russian weapons are stronger and include thermobaric bombs, which he describes as "weapons of mass destruction".

Thermobaric weapons are controversial because they are much more devastating than conventional explosives of similar size, and have a terrible impact on anyone caught in their blast radius.

Ukraine and Nato countries have previously accused Russia of using them in the conflict.

Three Russian missiles have been launched on the northern city of Pryluky, the head of the Chernihiv regional administration, Vyacheslav Chaus, has said on Telegram, external.

He added details about the damage would be provided later.

We will provide further details as we get them.

Image source, EPA

Up to 1,200 bodies, including some found in mass graves, have not yet been identified, the head of Ukraine's National Police has said, according to Interfax news agency.

Ihor Klymenko told Interfax that criminal proceedings had been opened in connection with the deaths of more than 12,000 people - many of them also found in mass graves.

About 75% of the dead were men, about 2% children and the rest women, he said. More than 1,500 civilians died in the Kyiv region alone, with 116 bodies found in a single grave in the town of Bucha, he said.

Law enforcement officers were still finding several bodies each week, he added.

He said identifying some of the bodies was taking a long time.

"This is a long process, quite laborious, because many bodies are in a state of decay" and could not be identified, he told Interfax.

Read more: In April, the BBC's Joel Gunter joined local police officers and bereaved families in Bucha as they carried out the grim task of collecting and documenting the dead.

As we've been reporting, the first of Russia's rebranded McDonald's has opened in Moscow, after the famous fast food chain ended all operations in the country.

Hundreds of people queued to buy burgers from the new outlet Vkusno i Tochka, whose name translates as Tasty and that's it.

The BBC's Russia editor Steve Rosenberg went to visit the restaurant on its first day.

Image source, EPA

Commentators have been lamenting the destruction of the "sunny and hospitable" city of Mariupol, on the eighth anniversary of Liberation Day.

Today, 13 June, marks eight years since pro-Russian forces were driven out of the city following a brief occupation of Mariupol in 2014.

But eight years on, the port city has once again been recaptured by the Russians following weeks of incessant shelling which have left Mariupol decimated.

It is estimated 50% of the builidings in the city were completely demolished by Russian attacks. Today food and power are scarce and - with no access to clean water - there are fears of a widespread cholera outbreak.

"I remember Mariupol to be very sunny and hospitable," Volodymyr Groysman, former prime minister of Ukraine writes on Facebook.

"Now there are thousands of graves instead of happy people in a park."

Photographer Serhiy Vahanov recalls the Day of Liberation celebrations 12 months ago, adding: "Mariupol is waiting to be rescued again".

His thoughts are echoed by the city's mayor Vadym Boychenko, who is no longer in Mariupol but keeps in touch with those still trapped in the city, calling on Ukrainians to liberate the city once again.

Theo Leggett
BBC International Business Correspondent

New research shows Russia earned nearly €100bn from exports of oil and gas during the first 100 days of the conflict in Ukraine – although its revenues declined in May.

The report, from the independent Centre For Research on Energy and Clean Air also warns about potential loopholes in efforts by the EU and the US to limit imports from Russia.

Exports of Russian oil and gas are falling and Moscow’s revenues from energy sales have also declined from a peak of well over $1bn a day in March.

But they remain very high by historical standards – and still exceed widely publicised estimates of the cost of the Ukraine war.

The report says the EU’s planned oil embargo will have a significant impact. But it warns that large quantities of Russian crude are now being shipped to India, where they are being refined and sold on – often to customers in the US and Europe.

The report also points out that as Russia seeks new markets for oil, much of it is being transported by ship – and the majority of the vessels used are European owned.

• Can the world cope without Russian oil and gas?

Image source, .

Image source, AFP

Ukrainian troops remaining in Severodonetsk must "surrender or die", a military representative of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" has said.

Speaking to media in Donetsk, Eduard Basurin says Ukrainian forces will not be able to leave the key city, claiming the last bridge connecting it to the neighbouring city of Lysychansk has been destroyed.

"Ukrainian divisions that are there, are there forever," he says.

Basurin says Ukrainian servicemen must "surrender or die" because "there is no other option".

The BBC can't verify his claims that the last bridge has been destroyed, and we have not had any details of this from the Ukrainian authorities.

Image source, Reuters

For weeks now, Severodonetsk has been the focus of Russian military bombardment in Ukraine.

Reports suggest about 70% of the city is currently under Russian control, with Ukrainian forces "pushed out" of the city centre by their enemy's superior artillery over the weekend.

Severodonetsk, and its twin city, Lysychansk, form an important regional and industrial focal point in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.

Capturing the twin cities would give Russia control of the entire Luhansk region - parts of which are already controlled by Russian-backed separatists.

Image source, .

The twin cities sit astride the strategic Siversky Donets river, while the key, 90km-long (56 miles) central sector of Russia’s front line lies to the west of the river.

On Sunday, the Russians destroyed the second of three bridges into the city. Their aim now is to destroy the last remaining bridge and cut off Severodonetsk from the rest of Ukraine.

Image source, .

Only around 15,000 people, from a pre-war population of 100,000, are still believed to be in the city. With heavy shelling and intense street fighting ongoing, evacuation is impossible at present, with the situation described as "extremely difficult".

Luhansk and the neighbouring region of Donetsk - which run from Mariupol in the south all the way to the northern border with Russia - make up the Donbas.-whose so-called "liberation" is currently President Putin's top priority.

Russian military success in the Donbas could lead to annexation by Moscow of the entire region, US officials believe.

Image source, .

Image source, Getty Images

If you're just joining us, or want a re-cap, here are the latest updates from Ukraine:

Severodonetsk:

• The city of Severodonetsk is at risk of being cut off if the last bridge to the city is destroyed, according to the regional governor

• Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian troops are fighting for "literally every metre" of the city - which is still the focal point of the fighting in the eastern Donbas region

• Ukrainian forces have been pushed out of the city centre due to Russia having a significant advantage in artillery, Ukraine's military says
• Hundreds of civilians are sheltering in the city's Azot chemical plant, which is under heavy fire by Russian forces, the regional governor says

Weapons:

• Ukraine is calling for more weapons to be sent from the West
• The calls come as Russia's defence ministry says its missiles have destroyed a large quantity of weapons and equipment in Donbas, including some sent by the US and European nations
• Defence ministers from around the world are meeting on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, with weapons high on the agenda, says a Ukrainian presidential aide

Gas and oil:

• New research suggests Russia is continuing to earn huge amounts by selling oil and gas, despite facing tighter sanctions around the world since it invaded Ukraine
• The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen is due to visit the Middle East as she tries to set up a new natural gas deal to help replace Russian energy imports to Europe

Image source, .

Russia's defence ministry says it has destroyed a large quantity of weapons and military equipment in the Donetsk region, including some that were sent from the US and Europe.

It said high-precision air-based missiles had struck, external near the Udachne railway station, hitting equipment that had been delivered to Ukrainian forces.

The BBC can't verify the claim, but if true, it would be a significant blow to Ukraine, which is suffering heavy losses in the eastern Donbas region, where Russia has a significant artillery advantage.

An aide to Ukraine's president has echoed the president's pleas for more weapons to be sent from the West to Ukraine.

Writing on social media, Mykhailo Podolyak stated that Ukraine needs "heavy weapons parity" with Russia in order to end the war.

He added that a decision on how many weapons will be sent from the West is expected on Wednesday when defence ministers from around the world meet at the Nato headquarters in Brussels.

Ukrainian troops have been suffering heavy losses in the eastern Donbas region as they fight against Russian forces with a significant artillery advantage.

Image source, AFP

Hundreds of civilians in Severodonetsk are sheltering in the city's Azot chemical plant – which is coming under heavy fire from Russian forces, the regional governor says.

Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine that also includes Severodonetsk, says Russian forces control about 70% of the city and fighting there is fierce.

"About 500 civilians remain on the grounds of the Azot plant in Severodonetsk, 40 of them are children. Sometimes the military manages to evacuate someone," he says.

"The Russians are destroying quarter after quarter," he adds.

It is impossible to conduct mass evacuation and bring humanitarian aid to the city due to shelling, he warns.

Russian shelling caused a huge fire at the plant over the weekend.

Image source, Ukrainian Airborne Forces Command

Crossing Ukraine's rivers is a risky strategy for Russia's army, and the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) says that such assault operations are "likely to be amongst the most important determining factors in the course of the war."

Last month, the Russian army failed in its attempts to cross a river three times in three days, according to a Ukrainian army official.

Serhiy Haidai, head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, said Russia was trying hard to cross the Siversky Donets river in order to encircle a strategic east Ukrainian city.

But as soon as they crossed, Ukrainian forces destroyed the pontoon bridge in the water, and Russian troops "fell into the trap", Ukrainian information service InformNapalm said.

In order for Russia to continue its advance in the eastern Donbas region now, the MoD says it will either have to complete ambitious flanking actions or conduct assault river crossings. But so far, assault river crossings have proved difficult.

In its latest assessment of the situation in Ukraine, the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) says the battle around Severodonetsk has continued over the weekend and that over the coming months, river crossing operations are likely to be among the most important determining factors in the course of the war.

The key, 90km-long (56 miles) central sector of Russia’s front line in the Donbas lies to the west of the Siverskyy Donets river, it says.

To achieve success in its current offensive, Russia will either have to complete ambitious flanking actions or conduct assault river crossings, it says.

Ukrainian forces have often managed to demolish bridges before they withdraw, while Russia has struggled to put in place the complex co-ordination needed to conduct successful, large-scale river crossings under fire, it adds.

Image source, Reuters

Joe Inwood
Reporting from Kyiv

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for modern missile defence systems for his country, saying that more than 2,600 cruise missiles have landed since the start of the invasion.

Israel’s Iron Dome, American Patriot batteries: these are the sort of systems Zelensky says his country needs.

Russian cruise missiles have rained down on Ukraine since the start of this war; while many have been shot down, many more have made it through.

But air defences are not the only thing the Ukrainians are calling for. They say they are in desperate need of more artillery systems, as the battle in the eastern Donbas region grinds on.

The fight for Severodonetsk has turned into a bloody street battle, with heavy casualties reported on both sides.

Among them is former British soldier, killed last Friday. An adviser to President Zelensky paid tribute to Jordan Gatley, saying “he was a true hero". Mykhailo Podolyak said: “We will always remember his contribution to the protection of Ukraine and the free world.”

Joel Gunter
Reporting from Kharkiv

Russia has killed hundreds of civilians in the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv using indiscriminate shelling and widely banned cluster munitions, according to new research by Amnesty International.

Amnesty says it has found evidence of Russian forces repeatedly using 9N210/9N235 cluster bombs, as well as "scatterable" munitions - rockets that eject smaller mines that explode later at timed intervals.

The BBC visited five separate impact sites in residential neighbourhoods in Kharkiv and saw evidence of a distinctive, symmetrical spalling effect associated with cluster munitions.

We showed images from the sites to three weapons experts, who all said the impacts were consistent with the controversial weapons.

"Those impacts are from cluster munitions, it's a classic signature," said Mark Hizney, a senior researcher in the arms division of Human Rights Watch, a campaign group.

"And in one image you can see a remnant of a stabiliser fin from one of the submunitions," he said.

Read more about this story here.

As we've been reporting, fighting continues in Severodonetsk, where the situation remains "extremely difficult", after the Russian army destroyed a second bridge into the city and has been heavily bombarding the last one, according to regional governor Serhiy Haidai.

The destruction of a second bridge across a river to the neighbouring city of Lysychansk indicates Russia is determined to completely cut off Severodonetsk, he says.

"It is already impassable, and right now they are actively shelling the last, third bridge. As I understand, they just want to completely cut off Severodonetsk to make it impossible to evacuate people or bring in reinforcement there," he said on Sunday.

"Most likely, today or tomorrow, they will throw in all their reserves to try and capture the city. Or maybe to other areas in order to cut off and finally control the Lysychansk-Bakhmut road," he said.