Russia-Ukraine live news: Moscow pushes ahead towards Kyiv

Russia-Ukraine live news: Moscow pushes ahead towards Kyiv

Fighting northwest of Kyiv continues as cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol encircled by Russian troops.

A soldier from Ukraine's military walks in front of a tank in the Luhansk region

Serviceman of the Ukrainian Military Forces goes on a position in the Luhansk region on March 11, 2022. [Anatolii Stepanov/AFP]

Fighting is raging northwest of Kyiv, with the bulk of Russian ground forces 25km (16 miles) from the centre of the Ukrainian capital.

Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine widens, with raids reported on east-central city of Dnipro and airfields in western Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk.

Ukrainian officials say Russian shelling again prevented evacuations from Mariupol, where conditions are “critical”.

United States and its top allies are revoking Russia’s “most favoured nation” status amid pressure campaign on President Vladimir Putin to end the war.

Ukrainian envoy to United Nations dismisses Moscow’s accusation that Kyiv is operating US-backed biological weapons laboratories as “insane delirium”.