Russian military convoy outside Kyiv redeploys in attempt to surround city

A large Russian military convoy bogged down to the north west of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv is redeploying around the outskirts of the city, new satellite imagery shows.

The move suggests Russian forces are trying to encircle and cut off Kyiv by advancing on the capital from multiple positions.

The large Russian column faced strong resistance after reaching Hostomel airport to the north west and also suffered logistical issues, like a shortage of fuel and food supplies.

But satellite imagery suggests the convoy is dispersing around the west and south of the capital.

To the north east, Russian forces have continued efforts to take the city of Chernihiv, but have yet to advance down the east bank of the Dnieper River.

But troops coming from Sumy in the east have made progress and are nearing the capital although reports suggest supply lines are under considerable strain.

Russia invaded Ukraine with ground forces on 24 February from the north, south and east. However, air strikes have been used to target cities and military infrastructure all over the country.

The latest British military intelligence update says Russian tactical aircraft supporting the advance of Russian troops are relying primarily on unguided ‘dumb’ munitions. These weapons are “relatively inaccurate and indiscriminate and their use significantly increases the likelihood of civilian casualties”, the update says.

Critical humanitarian crisis

There have been multiple reports of civilian targets being bombed, including earlier this week of a maternity and children’s hospital in the besieged southern city of Mariupol.

Russian forces have been more successful in making gains in the south as the Russia tries to cut off Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea.

Mariupol remains encircled by Russian forces amid growing concerns for tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the city.

The UN says civilians in the southern cities of Mariupol, Kharkiv, Melitopol and elsewhere "desperately need aid, especially life-saving medical supplies".

People are trapped without food, running water or electricity and, in Mariupol, bodies have been buried in mass graves.

To the west, Russian forces around Kherson appear to be moving toward Mykolaiv and west toward Odesa.

Analysts say taking Odesa would be hugely significant, sealing off Ukraine from its coastline and securing a path for Russian forces from Donetsk to the Moldovan border.

New strikes on Dnipro

Meanwhile, over the past 24 hours, explosions were heard in Dnipro, a key city on the Dneiper River on the route between Kyiv and the south.

This was the first time, Russia targeted Dnipro, an industrial city, since the invasion started with officials there saying that air strikes hit a small shoe factory, an apartment block and a nursery. One person was killed.

Dnipro is full of heavy industry - including a rocket factory - and is strategically important as a point of convergence for Russian troops coming from the south and east.

More than 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees have escaped war and found refuge in neighbouring countries with Poland taking the bulk of arrivals.

EU summit: difficult phase out of Russian energy

Prime Minister Robert Abela at the summit in Versaille

Meanwhile, an EU leaders summit in France that ended on Friday agreed to end Russian energy imports but no deadline has been set.

In a statement released following a summit in Versailles, in the outskirts of Paris, they said countries would “phase out our dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports as soon as possible.”

The 27 leaders said Russia's invasion of Ukraine had “brought war back to Europe,” and committed themselves to boosting economic independence by slashing imports of Russian natural gas, oil and coal.

But the path to achieving this independence is still uncharted given the impact this would have on the cost of energy for European citizens in countries that rely heavily on Russian gas and coal to power their homes.

EU leaders also rejected a fast-track approach to membership of Ukraine in the union but committed to deepening ties with the country.

No agreement was reached on using common EU bonds to help increase the finance of weapons for Ukraine’s defence with a decision expected later next week. Malta has insisted that its contribution to the European Defence Mechanism should not be used to finance weapons in respect of Malta's Constitution.

But leaders agreed on a new raft of sanctions against Russia in a bid to cripple its economy and the ability to finance its war machine.