Ukraine round-up: Russia ramping up attacks in east, officials warn

Ukrainian soldiers in tactical services in Zaporizhzhia on Saturday

Russia is reportedly ramping up its attacks ahead of a possible renewed offensive in the east of Ukraine, 66 days into the war.

"Russian troops are gradually increasing the intensity of their offensive in eastern Ukraine," Ukrainian defence ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk warned.

"There are signs that the aggressor is preparing for an even bigger activation of military actions."

The warning comes as Western officials painted a picture of the invading forces facing serious problems.

The UK Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that Russia has been forced to merge and redeploy "depleted and disparate units" from its failed attempt to seize territory in Ukraine' north-east, combining them into its renewed focus on the east of the country.

But what Russia calls its "special military operation" is "proceeding strictly according to plan", according to the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, about twenty civilians have left the besieged Azovstal industrial complex in Mariupol - the first such release since Russia's President Vladimir Putin announced he was locking down Ukraine's last bastion in the city.

Women's plea to help trapped Mariupol fighters

Olga, left, and Natalia were among the women urging action from Kyiv

Hundreds remain at the steelworks in Mariupol.

Wives, sisters and mothers of Ukrainian fighters trapped there have come to Kyiv to plead with the government to do more to get the men out. They say they're even ready to act as a human shield, if that helps evacuate the men to safety.

"When they talk about green corridors or extraction, they talk about civilians not military, and I am really worried. The military are also people," Olga, one of the women, told the BBC.

"They're in the real hell there, and it's so much worse than simple war."

Read more from the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Kyiv from our live page entry.

Clearing bombs by hand

Sometimes, surviving a bombing isn't the end of the ordeal. Ukrainians lucky enough to escape serious injury might still find themselves dealing with unexploded ordnance on their property.

That's where the bomb disposal unit - part of Ukraine's State Emergency Service - comes in.

The BBC's Carrie Davies followed the team on a run though the Black Sea city of Mykolaiv, which is subjected to near-daily shelling by artillery, as they check to make sure the remaining shells and debris are safe.

The version of events the West doesn't hear

Mr Putin appearing during a meeting at the Federal Assembly in St Petersburg on Wednesday

If you live in the UK, US, or most of Europe, you may be baffled at Russia's claims about what's happening in Ukraine - that it is there to protect people, and that Russia is a victim of Western aggression.

But it's not just Russia that flirts with this version of events. A UN vote to condemn the invasion passed by 141 out of 193 votes. That means more than a quarter of member nations didn't vote at all, abstained, or sided with Russia.

Why?

As the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner explains, "it would be delusional for Western leaders to believe that the entire world shares Nato's view - that Russia is entirely to blame for this catastrophic war - because it doesn't".

Russia reacts angrily to US 'depravity' line

Late on Friday, US defence department spokesman John Kirby became visibly emotional during a press conference and accused the Russian president of "depravity" over his actions in Ukraine.

Today, Russia hit back, describing Mr Kirby's comments as "offensive and unacceptable". The Russian ambassador in Washington said the spokesman was "resorting to street insults".

"It has become a norm here that administration officials base their judgments on dirty lies of the Ukrainian authorities," Anatoly Antonov added.

Amid terse language on all sides, there are fears peace talks between Ukraine and Russia could collapse - read more about the war of words here.

Angelina Jolie visits Ukraine

Film star Angelina Jolie is visiting Ukraine, with locals posting video of her turning up to a cafe in Lviv and a railway station where displaced people from the hardest-hit regions arrive.

The actress has for many years worked as a special envoy for the United Nations, focusing on major crises that force people from their homes and spur the movement of refugees. This visit, however, is in a "private humanitarian capacity", her office says.

A statement says she met with orphaned and displaced children, including some evacuated from hard-hit Mariupol, as well as doctors and volunteers caring for them.

"I'm humbled to witness the resilience and courage and dignity of the Ukrainian people in the face of the terror and trauma of a war they did not choose," Jolie says. "The impact the war is having on a generation of Ukrainian children is devastating to see."