Ukraine's military said on Thursday that Russian forces aimed to block the Ukrainian capital Kyiv while creating a land corridor on the southern coast towards the annexed Crimea peninsula and the Transnistria region of Moldova.
Ukrainian forces battled Russian invaders on three sides on Thursday after Moscow mounted an assault by land, sea and air in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two, prompting tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.
Moldova on Thursday entered a 60-day state of emergency due to the ongoing conflict.