Ukrainian soldiers carry the body of a soldier through the rubble at the military school hit by Russian rockets the day before, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on March 19. (Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images)
As Saturday draws to a close in Ukraine, here’s what you need to know about the Russian invasion:
Status of attacks in key cities
Rescue work was carried out in the city of Mykolaiv on Saturday morning at the scene of a missile attack on barracks housing soldiers, regional official Vitalli Kim said. Dozens of soldiers are reported to have been killed in the attack by Russian forces, according to journalists from Swedish CNN affiliate Expressen who were at the scene.
The besieged city of Mariupol is under almost constant shelling, according to a Ukrainian army commander, with residents rationing food and water as bodies lie in the streets. There are also conflicting reports about the state of one of Ukraine’s key industrial facilities, the Azov steel plant in Mariupol. New satellite images show the destruction of the city’s bombed-out theater, with the word “children” clearly visible on the outside of the building.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Russia continues to make “incremental gains” in southern Ukraine and has used “savage and brutal techniques” in the way it has targeted civilians.
Staggering numbers of refugees
Some 1.5 million children have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began and are at risk of being trafficked, according to UNICEF, while “countless others” are displaced within the country.
The mayor of the city of Lviv in western Ukraine told CNN that around 200,000 refugees from across the country are in his city right now.
US says Russia has used hypersonic missiles
US officials confirmed to CNN that Russia launched hypersonic missiles against Ukraine last week, the first known use of such missiles in combat.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that a powerful “Kinzhal” hypersonic missile destroyed a military ammunition depot in western Ukraine on Friday.
Deaths rise
As of Friday, at least 847 civilians, including 64 children, have been killed in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24, according to the latest United Nations update, but the true number is believed to be much higher.
Biden will go to Europe next week
US President Joe Biden will attend a NATO summit in Brussels on March 24 and will also join a European Council meeting, according to the White House. Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko today asked Biden to visit Ukraine while he is in Europe.