Above: Firefighters pictured in Dnipro, a Ukrainian city which had not previously been under attack by Russian forces.
Three airstrikes reportedly struck near a kindergarten, an apartment block and a shoe factory in the city. So far, one person has been confirmed dead.
The western cities of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk have just become Russian targets too, showing the forces are spreading out across the country and tightening its hold on Ukraine.
Until this point, Russian troops had predominantly focused on the south and the east borders of Ukraine.
The 40-mile Russian convoy has also moved three miles closer to the capital of Kyiv, despite being stationary for days at a time, prompting fears that a new offensive will soon be launched.
Above: Ukrainian emergency workers working with volunteers carry a pregnant woman through the the shell-damaged ruins of the maternity hospital which was bombed earlier this week.
Civilians in the besieged city of Mariupol are facing worsening conditions. This image shows people trying to escape from the shelled hospital, although the Kremlin has rejected claims that this was an attack on innocent citizens.
In a testimony published in both The Times and Guardian, Volkov, a delegate from the International Committee of the Red Cross, claimed that the city’s shops and pharmacies have all been looted, while food has started to run out.
He alleged: “People attack each other for food, or they smash someone’s car to take the petrol out. Residents are falling ill because of the cold.”
There is no water in some areas, which means people have to resort to collecting snow to drink. The city has no electricity, heat or gas either, according to a member of the city council, Petro Andriushchenko.
The exact death toll is unknown although a mass grave has reportedly been dug on the city’s outskirts.
The deputy mayor Serhiy Orlov described has the living conditions as “medieval”.
Above: Putin claimed there had been “positive” developments in the negotiations with Ukraine when speaking to his ally, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
However, this has not been confirmed by the Ukrainian side, who so far has refused to surrender to Russian forces.
The Russian president also alleged that the sanctions against the country could have a positive result on the nation. Western countries have been uniting to freeze the assets of oligarchs with links to the Kremlin and are boycotting the main import of oil.
Putin has said he would accept volunteers from the Middle East to fight on Russia’s behalf in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
He told Russia’s Security Council: “If you see that there are these people who want of their own accord, not for money, to come to help the people living in Donbas, then we need to give them what they want and help them get to the conflict zone.”
Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu claimed there were 16,000 volunteers in the Middle East who were wiling to fight.
Above: A billboard displaying the symbol “Z” – the pro-invasion symbol – in the colours of the ribbon of Saint George has a slogan attached, which reads: “We don’t give up on our people.”
The letter ‘Z’ has become a token for those who support the invasion of Ukraine in Russia and back Putin’s promise to allegedly “denazify” the country.
Yet, as the war goes on, Russia is becoming increasingly isolated.
Major brands like McDonald’s have pulled their operations out of the country over the last week in protest over the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Russia’s disinformation war is continuing too, as the Kremlin has blocked various social media outlets and independent websites, while Facebook and Instagram have “temporarily” agreed not to take down hateful messages promoting violence against Putin.
Above: Soldiers from the Ukrainian Army waiting for a train which would take them to the frontline.
Since Russia invaded, Ukraine has been calling military reservists aged between 18 and 60 to service for up to a year, in a bid to deter Putin’s efforts.
The capital Kyiv remains under Ukrainian control even though Russian troops are closing in, as the resistance forces refuse to surrender.
Some soldiers from the British Army have also gone AWOL this week to fight for Ukraine, triggering a wave of stern warnings from ministers attempting to stop anyone else following suit.
Nato is still standing firm and has refused to send troops to fight with Russia, in a bid to avoid World War 3.