Ukrainian military forces are continuing to offer “strong resistance” to Russian forces attempting to seize cities on the second day of Vladimir Putin’s invasion, according to Western sources.
Russian tank units which have entered Ukraine from multiple directions appear to be attempting to encircle capital Kyiv, and there are fears that a bloody and protracted battle for the city may develop with use of indiscriminate violence from the invading forces.
After vilification of leading figures of the Ukrainian government as “Nazis” by the Russian president, there is grave concern that individuals such as Volodymyr Zelensky are now targets for special forces infiltrating the city.
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UK news in pictures 24 February 2022 People protest against the Russian invasion on Ukraine outside Downing Street in London
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UK news in pictures 21 February 2022 Shoes on display at the ROKER AW22 presentation at London Fashion Week, in London
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UK news in pictures 17 February 2021 Activists from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protest against the use of feathers in clothing, ahead of London Fashion Week
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UK news in pictures 15 February 2022 Hailey Duff, left, Vicky Wright, centre and Jennifer Dodds in action for Great Britsin during their women’s curling round robin match against Japan at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Team GB sealed a 10-4 victory
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UK news in pictures 14 February 2022 Members of the Household Cavalry walk past Wellington Arch and a large inflatable heart, on Valentine's Day in London
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UK news in pictures 13 February 2022 People in costume attend the Whitby Steampunk Weekend in Yorkshire
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UK news in pictures 12 February 2022 People in Parliament Square, London, take part in the People's Assembly nationwide protest about cost of living crisis
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UK news in pictures 11 February 2022 Romney sheep graze the grass around the dormant vines at Nyetimber's Manor Vineyard at West Chiltington in West Sussex. The herd from a local farm form part of Nyetimber's sustainability program and are utilised for vineyard maintenance, keeping the grass low, reducing the risk of frost, maintaining grass leys on the estate and saving the cost of fuel for mowing
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UK news in pictures 10 February 2022 Alice Wyllie looks at projections featuring details of some of the illustration plates during the press view for Audubon's Birds of America exhibition at the National Museum Of Scotland, Edinburgh
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UK news in pictures 8 February 2022 Workers move a crate containing Season's Greetings by street artist Banksy from a retail unit at Ty'r Orsaf, Port Talbot, prior to its journey to a temporary storage unit at an undisclosed location
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UK news in pictures 7 February 2022 Dog walkers enjoy the early morning sunrise at Tynemouth Beach in North Tyneside, on the north east coast of England
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UK news in pictures 6 February 2022 A Leicester City invades the pitch as Nottingham Forest celebrate scoring their side’s third goal of the game during the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at the City Ground, Nottingham
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UK news in pictures 5 February 2022 Stadium staff remove a flare from the pitch during the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at Selhurst Park
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UK news in pictures 1 February 2022 Lorries queue for the Port of Dover in Kent, as the Dover TAP is enforced due to the high volume of lorries waiting to cross the Channel
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UK news in pictures 31 January 2022 Nelson Beaumont-Laurencia applies finishing touches to a sculpture of a tiger, commissioned by Manchester Business Improvement District to celebrate the Chinese New Year, is unveiled in St Ann’s Square
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UK news in pictures 29 January 2022 A newly painted bicycle sign is seen on the middle of the road at Westminster Bridge, as the new Highway Code rules start today together with giving pedestrians priority at junctions
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UK news in pictures 26 January 2022 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson jogs with his dog Dilyn, in London
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UK news in pictures 25 January 2022 A member of staff looks at Francis Bacon’s work ‘Second Version of Triptych 1944’ on display in the Francis Bacon: Man and Beast exhibition at the the Royal Academy of Arts in London
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UK news in pictures 22 January 2022 Participants prepare to take part in the Crisis icebreaker cold water challenge at Tooting Bec Lido in London
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UK news in pictures 21 January 2022 Willesborough Windmill, a white smock mill built in 1869 is bathed in the morning sunshine as the moon sets behind in Ashford, Kent
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UK news in pictures 20 January 2022 A jet skier jumps the waves off the coast at Blyth in Northumberland
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UK news in pictures 19 January 2022 Britain’s Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, participate in a therapy session with individuals who have experienced the care system, during a visit to the Foundling Museum in London
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UK news in pictures 18 January 2022 Surfers enter the sea as the sun rises over Tynemouth on the North East coast
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UK news in pictures 17 January 2022 Bonhams’ Danny McIlwraith holds a Nigerian polycrome carved wood mask during a photocall for the sale of the Jim Lennon Collection at Bonhams in Edinburgh
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UK news in pictures 16 January 2022 The moon rises above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire
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UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year
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UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic
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UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London
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UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London
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UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland
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UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London
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UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London
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There are indications of the continued operation of Ukrainian air defences against Russian jets, in a sign that Putin’s key objective of obtaining total dominance of the skies on day one has failed.
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Western officials are increasingly confident that the Russian mission is falling behind on its timetable for the invasion, with Putin’s forces still confined largely to rural areas while Ukraine concentrates its troops in urban areas in order to mount a determined defence against the expected assault.
But there are concerns that if they find themselves frustrated in their efforts to swiftly overwhelm the cities, invading force commanders may resort to indiscriminate use of artillery or “thermobaric” high-temperature weapons with the potential for mass civilian casualties.
The UK’s chief of defence intelligence Lt-Gen James Hockenhull told reporters: “Russian forces continue to advance on two axes towards Kyiv. Their objective is to encircle the capital, to secure control of the population and change the regime.
“Russia continues to conduct strikes across Ukraine. Overnight, Russia launched a concerted series of strikes on targets in Kyiv. Rocket launchers have been employed in Chernihiv and Kharkiv.
“Ukrainian armed forces continue to offer strong resistance focusing on the defence of key cities throughout Ukraine.”
As the second day of the invasion drew to an end, Ukrainian forces retain control of all the country’s major cities.
While Russian forces progress towards Kyiv from the north and east, key Hostomel airfield north of the capital has changed hands several times over the past 36 hours amid significant fighting.
The bulk of the invading force is still around 50km away from Kyiv, but there have been some reports of clashes in the northern suburbs as well as indications that Russian special forces and saboteur units are engaging with Ukrainian troops in the outskirts of the city.
So far, it has appeared that Russian troops are reluctant to leave their armoured vehicles to engage in “unmounted infantry” fighting which would leave them more vulnerable to Ukrainian troops.
Ukrainian forces have mounted delaying operations both by engaging with the Russian columns and by blowing up bridges on key routes through the country.
Fighting has been reported along the “line of contact” marking the borders of rebel-held breakaway republics in the eastern Donbass region, as well as around the city of Kherson and the Black Sea port of Mariupol, which is reported to have seen amphibious landings by Russian troops.
Russian forces which entered Ukraine from occupied Crimea to the south are moving northwards towards Melitapol with a view to link up with troops pushing in from the east.
One Western official said that Ukrainian resistance had been stiffened by the unity shown by the country’s political and financial elites.
“It's notable that we've seen a real strengthening of Ukrainian political unity and seen that the political system and the individuals of high net wealth have come together,” said the official.
“That unity is undoubtedly helping in terms of keeping the focus on the Ukrainian military seeking to offer that strong resistance, which they're able to do in some of those key cities at the moment.”
The official said it was increasingly apparent that the invasion was not proceeding according to the plans laid down by Putin, who was expecting a swift and relatively bloodless victory.
“From our understanding of Russia's plans, it's clear that their intent certainly was, in their planning, to move as quickly as they possibly could,” said the official.
“The conflict in in the Ukraine is the choice of President Putin. It was his choice to do this. The problem now is that having committed himself in the way that he has, this is now not a war of choice for him, but a war of necessity.
“He will see this as that he must win this conflict. And my fear is that in order to win that conflict, he would resort to any means necessary with the force he has assembled in the Ukraine.
“And if we do end up with significant urban fighting, then I have a significant concern for the way in which Russia would use sort of indiscriminate force.”
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