Peter Maurer, President of The International Committee of the Red Cross, assures that he makes every effort to organize humanitarian corridors to and from Mariupol.

According to intelligence gathered by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, Russia is carrying out clandestine mobilisation, has banned military personnel from terminating their contracts and is planning to move up to a thousand fighters belonging to the private military company Liga (formerly the Wagner Group) into the Kyiv area.

Source: latest information from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence as at 18:00 on Tuesday, 8 March

Verbatim: ‘According to the information available, the occupying forces are carrying out clandestine mobilisation under the guise of training to make up for losses.

‘In addition, Russian commanders have decided to ban soldiers from terminating their contracts to halt the exodus of military personnel.

‘The occupying force is planning to move up to a thousand fighters from the private military company Liga (formerly the Wagner Group) with a view to reinforcing troops in the Kyiv area...

‘As things stand at the moment, the occupying force’s progress has slowed significantly and its troops are demoralised.’

Details: On the thirteenth day of the conflict, Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation in the east is leading the defence in the Donetsk and Slobozhanske operational zones and part of the Taurida operational zone. Perimeter defence of Mariupol continues.

In the north and the west, the defence continues in Poliske, Volyn and Sivers'kyi operational zones.

In Kyiv, defence forces continue to repel, restrain and engage the occupying forces and hold defensive lines around the city.

The Ukrainian army continues to defend Chernihiv.

In the south, Ukrainian forces are protecting the coast and defending Mykolaiv and adjacent populated areas.

In other regions, stabilisation and defence operations are taking place.

The Ukrainian Air Force is repelling intense missile and air strikes by occupying forces and providing anti-aircraft protection to critical infrastructure and troops.

Contrary to international humanitarian law, the occupying forces continue to keep civilians hostage, damage residential buildings, rob local populations, sabotage civil infrastructure, locate arms and military equipment in densely populated areas and steal cars while wearing civilian clothing.

Previously: An official US spokesperson recently stated that Russia would be sending around an additional thousand mercenaries to Ukraine ‘in the coming days and weeks’, as the mercenaries already in Ukraine have performed badly.