As the Russian siege of Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant continues, here are the latest developments from Ukraine.
Constant shelling: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the shelling of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol is "not stopping" -- even as "civilians still need to be taken out." In an address on Thursday, he said: "Women, many children remain there. Just imagine the hell -- more than two months of constant shelling, bombing, constant death nearby."
“Bloody battles”: A Ukrainian commander at the steel plant said there are "bloody battles" unfolding inside the complex after Russian troops breached the perimeter. "I am proud of my soldiers who are making superhuman efforts to contain the enemy's onslaught,” said the commander of the Azov Regiment soldiers inside the Azovstal plant, Lt. Col. Denys Prokopenko.

Evacuation ongoing: The "next stage" of the evacuation of Ukrainian civilians from the steel plant is underway, according to Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president's office. The United Nations said it hoped that a joint convoy from the UN and the International Red Cross would be able to evacuate more civilians from Azovstal on Friday.
Soviet-era symbols: Ukrainian officials have posted images from Mariupol showing continuing work by what they call "the occupiers" to restore monuments from the Soviet era. Petro Andrushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the coastal city, distributed new photographs on Friday saying that, in recent days, all the monuments of the Soviet period have been "restored."
More sanctions: Alina Kabaeva, a woman romantically linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been included in the sixth proposed package of EU sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, according to two European diplomatic sources.
US assistance: US provided intelligence that helped Ukraine sink the Moskva, a Russian guided-missile cruiser that was the flagship of Moscow's fleet in the Black Sea, sources familiar with the events told CNN. The Pentagon has denied providing "specific targeting information" to Ukraine.









