Russian troops have tried again to storm the Azovstal steelworks in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, the country's General Staff said early Thursday.
"With the support of the air force, the enemy renewed its attack with the aim of taking control of the factory site," the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a situation report.
In addition to the Ukrainian fighters, it is estimated that up to 200 civilians have also sought refuge in the steelworks.
For the next few days, Russia said it will allow a daily ceasefire limited to several hours in a bid to get those people to safety.
The situation also remains tense on other front sections in the Donbass, the eastern region that has become the war's epicentre.
There are reports of Ukrainian troops near Donetsk coming under heavy fire from the Russian artillery and air force.
The Russian military is reportedly trying to launch further attacks on the cities of Liman, Popasna and Sieverodonetsk. But the Ukrainians said that so far, they had been were able to fend off the attacks.
The General Staff also said the Ukrainians had been able to wrest control of several towns on the border between the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions away from the Russians.
The Kiev military leadership did not give any details or place names. The information could not be verified independently.
