Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for more pressure on Russia as the war appears to be entering a stalemate.
Meanwhile, the British government said Ukrainian forces are carrying out successful counterattacks against Russian units on the outskirts of Kyiv and may be regaining lost ground.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance's leaders are expected on Thursday to commit "major increases" in troops along its eastern flank when they meet in Brussels for its extraordinary summit to discuss Russia's war on Ukraine on Thursday.
In his latest video address, Zelenskyy said that about 100,000 people are still stuck in the port city of Mariupol under a "complete blockade" and suffering under "inhumane conditions."
Russian air strikes have turned the besieged port city into the "ashes of a dead land," the city council said, as the U.S. and Europe prepared to slap more sanctions on Moscow.