Putin’s War - Ukraine Sitrep Day 20

Artillery shelling and endangered cultural sites

Putin's frustration grows as offensive grinds on with limited success.

But Russian forces closing in on the Ukrainian capital increased their artillery shelling of Kyiv today, destroying buildings and killing at least two civilians.

In the south, as Russian forces continue to pound Mariupol, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the government hopes to open nine evacuation corridors for civilians trapped by Russian forces and will try to deliver humanitarian supplies to the besieged southern port city.

Hundreds of thousands of residents of Mariupol have sheltered in basements and the ruins of buildings without water or power for more than a week, as protection agains the constant shelling.

On Monday, Moscow allowed the first convoy of civilians to escape.

Meanwhile, indiscriminate Russian attacks are increasingly threatening threatening the historical sites and heritage that forms Ukraine’s national identity.