New satellite image shows the destruction of Russian helicopters at an airport in Kherson while survivors and drone footage reveal the scale of devastation in the southern city of Mariupol.
Here's the latest:
- Zelensky's NATO signal: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has dropped his clearest hint yet that he does not expect his country to join NATO anytime soon. “For years we have been hearing about how the door is supposedly open [to NATO membership] but now we hear that we cannot enter. And it is true, and it must be acknowledged,” he said. Kyiv's wish to be part of the 30-member defense alliance was among the grievances Russian leader Vladimir Putin cited in an attempt to justify his invasion of Ukraine. In another address Tuesday, Zelensky said NATO's Article 5 — the principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all — "has never been as weak as it is now."
- Zelensky to address US lawmakers: The Ukrainian President is set to deliver a rare wartime speech to the US Congress Wednesday and is likely to make fresh calls for steps like a no-fly zone and help acquiring fighter jets. President Joe Biden has rejected those moves as potentially dragging the US into conflict with Russia, but is coming under increasing pressure from lawmakers to do more on Ukraine. The US President is expected to announce an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, a White House official told CNN.
- On the ground: Recent satellite and drone images show the Ukrainian military destroyed at least three Russian military helicopters at Kherson airport in southern Ukraine. It comes as key cities, including around Kyiv and Mariupol, reported extensive damage and dire situations that have been described as "hell." Explosions were heard in Kyiv's suburbs early Wednesday as air raid sirens once again blared in the Ukrainian capital. Fatalities were also reported Tuesday after shelling hit buildings in residential areas across Kyiv.
- Hospital captives allegations: A Ukrainian official has accused Russian troops of holding people captive at a Mariupol hospital. The head of Donetsk regional administration said doctors and patients were being held against their will in the Mariupol regional intensive care hospital. The city's deputy mayor also said Russian forces are "destroying" the besieged city. In Mariupol, smoldering homes could be seen. Ukrainian officials estimate more than 2,500 civilians have died in the city.
- EU leaders' visit: The Czech Prime Minister said the "main goal" of the Polish, Slovenian and Czech leaders' visit to Kyiv was to tell Ukrainians they are "not alone" in their fight against the Russian invasion. The three leaders arrived by train Tuesday and met with Zelensky and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
- Evacuations: Nearly 29,000 civilians were evacuated through evacuation corridors Tuesday, Ukraine's deputy prime minister said, with most of them — 20,000 — leaving Mariupol. Of the 4,000 cars that left the city, 570 had arrived in the southeastern city of Zaporizhia, an official said. Thousands more were evacuated from the Sumy region, while 320 wards and employees of a hospital were evacuated from the Kharkiv region.
