Ukraine has surrendered its first city to Vladimir Putin. The mayor of the southern city of Kherson confirmed last night it had fallen into enemy hands and said Russia planned to set up a "military administration".
It means Mr Putin has now established a bridgehead from which his forces can cross the River Dnieper, which cuts Ukraine in two, and head westwards and northwards to attack Kyiv from a second direction.
The Russian leader is accused of a new tactic of deliberately trapping civilians under relentless artillery fire.
Despite a pledge from him that he would not target cities or civilians, the southern port city of Mariupol is being "flattened", with water and electricity supplies cut off and rail links shut down.
As Senior Foreign Correspondent Roland Oliphant reports from Dnipro, intelligence chiefs suggested Mr Putin had adopted a "classic siege" tactic, while Defence and Security Editor Dominic Nicholls describes how plans for a lightning victory appear to be a thing of the past.
Follow rolling updates in our live blog. And see the latest battle map of the crucial cities now bearing the brunt of Russia's assault.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky claimed early today that 9,000 Russian troops had been killed by his forces since the invasion began last month.
In the town of Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv, well-equipped and fiercely determined Ukrainian soldiers used anti-tank weapons to stop the invaders in their tracks 20 miles from the centre of the capital.
In this 2,500-word reconstruction, Associate Editor Gordon Rayner investigates Ukraine's wall of resistance. In other developments:
Russia banned its citizens from leaving with more than ￡7,500 in cash; Wladimir Klitschko said the BBC risks peddling Russian propaganda; and France hit out at the UK's "overly restrictive" approach to refugees. Putin's commanders 'will be hunted for war crimes'
Russian commanders who follow Vladimir Putin's illegal orders will be hunted down for war crimes, Dominic Raab has insisted. The Justice Secretary said the UK was drawing up plans to help identify and track down fugitives suspected of war crimes. In an interview with Home Affairs Editor Charles Hymas, Mr Raab said Britain had expertise from previous conflicts in garnering intelligence that could provide evidence to put war criminals on trial. It came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson explicitly accused Mr Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine for the first time. The International Criminal Court said an investigation into possible war crimes "will immediately proceed" after it received the backing of 39 countries. Read an article for us by Nadine Dorries, the Culture Secretary, on how the UK can cause Mr Putin real pain.
British mother rescues friends' children from Ukraine
The text arrived at 4am on Friday: "If anything bad happens, can you come and take the children?" While many would still have been wrestling with the question of what to do, the decision was simple for Jo Cope. The mother of three from Chelmsford booked herself on the first flight from Luton to the Polish city of Lublin, close to the Ukrainian border. She tells Helen Brown what happened on her rescue mission...
Daily dose of Matt
View Matt's latest cartoon as he sees the funny side of Roman Abramovich's sale of Chelsea FC.
Comment: Ukraine invasion analysis Allister Heath | West is clinging to a delusion about its survival Con Coughlin | The oligarchs are turning on Russia's new tsar Charles Parton | Xi Jinping will exploit Putin's Ukraine discomfort Jemima Lewis | I'm starting to regret choosing to have children Reader letters | Britons will not accept Ukrainians being shelled Dispatch: Russian missiles defile Holocaust memorial
The Kremlin claimed it was a strike on an enemy communications post, avoiding civilian casualties. But when Russian missiles slammed into the 1,200ft high Kyiv TV tower, the collateral damage did not only involve loss of life. The attack on the tower killed five civilians including Yevhenii Sakun, a TV cameraman. It also defiled another landmark in Ukraine - one where blood was once spilled in far greater quantities. Colin Freeman reports from the site of the Babyn Yar massacre, which honours 34,000 Jews killed by Nazi death squads in just two days in 1941.
Also in the news: Today's other headlines
Pool for prisoners | Inmates will be given privileges including pool tables, gym and work placements if they go on drug-free prison wings and submit to regular testing, says Dominic Raab. The Justice Secretary pledged a major expansion of drug recovery wings in jails, where offenders will get new privileges as well as therapy to help them kick habits. It is part of an abstinence strategy for criminals as a replacement for methadone, a heroin substitute. Read Mr Raab's article for us.
Cotswolds double murder | Man and ex-wife found stabbed to death 'Outdated and sexist' | Stop using term 'chairman', say bosses 'Stop this Covid theatre' | US governor tells people to remove masks Cervical cancer | One-test hope for HPV vaccine recipients Labour | Fury at by-election candidate who talked of race 'uprising' Editor's choice Sarah Everard anniversary | One year one, why flashing is still not taken seriously Ben Lawrence | We got Mary Whitehouse wrong: in many ways she was a force for good TV | 'Let's be honest, people watch Naked Attraction for one reason and one reason only' Sport briefing: Billionaire duo in bid to buy Chelsea
After Roman Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale and promised to donate all net proceeds to the victims of the war in Ukraine, details of an expected bid have emerged. Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and American businessman Todd Boehly have teamed up to make an offer for the club. Football News Correspondent Matt Law reports on one of the most dramatic days in the history of Chelsea and Matt Oliver writes that Abramovich is a potential target for Western sanctions.
Business briefing: Kremlin holds satellites hostage
The Kremlin is holding 36 satellites owned by the British taxpayer-backed company OneWeb hostage in a stand-off over the war in Ukraine. Roscosmos, the Russian state space agency, is refusing to go ahead with a launch of the satellites unless the Government sells its stake in OneWeb and it receives assurances that the business is not for military purposes. Meanwhile, Russia's financial services are on the brink of collapse.
Tonight's dinner
Chilli chicken broth | Warm with chilli and ginger heat, this chicken soup by Angela Hartnett is great for the soul. View the recipe. For more, try our Cookbook newsletter.
Travel: 10 secret corners of Greece
One of Europe's leading low-cost airlines is opening a wider window on Greece's blissful blue skies, mirror clear seas and silk sand beaches. For travellers seeking to discover a more authentic side to the sun-soaked country, there is a new chance for UK travellers to book flights via a single platform to more than 20 lesser-known Greek destinations. Heidi Fuller-Love has the ones that should be at the top of your list.
And finally... for this morning's downtime
The Barbican at 40 | You either love or loathe the Barbican, which turns 40 today. It has been praised as "the greatest work of planning and architecture of the 20th century" by leading architect Piers Gough, who deemed it "sublime…inside and out". And yet it has also won an award as London's ugliest building. Nicholas Kenyon explores the brutalist nightmare we have come to love.
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