One million refugees flee Ukraine as Russia escalates bombardment of key cities
CNN
Russia's relentless bombardment of residential areas across Ukraine has so far forced more than one million refugees to flee the country, according to the United Nations, as fierce fighting continues into its second week.
In the capital Kyiv, residents were awoken in the early hours of Thursday morning by at least one large explosion in the southwest of the city, following a day of heavy shelling. To the south, the mayor of the strategically important city of Kherson on the Black Sea indicated that Russian forces had seized control, though claims remain disputed. And in the port city of Mariupol, residents are without electricity and water, according to the mayor, as Russian troops step up their offensive.
Ukrainian resistance in the country's second biggest city, Kharkiv, also continues to hold out, as Russian strikes hit at least three schools and damaged a cathedral and shops on Wednesday, according to videos and photos posted to social media, geolocated and verified by CNN.