Sawt Falasteen - Russia's war on Ukraine: Day six situation on the ground

Here is a summary of the situation on the ground, based on statements from the warring sides, Western defence and intelligence sources and international organisations.

The military situation:

- Russia says will continue "until set goals are achieved"

- Satellite images show 65-kilometre (40-mile) column of Russian trucks, armoured vehicles and artillery north of Kyiv

- Citizens build barricades in city centre

- Russia tells residents near Kyiv intelligence structure to evacuate

- Russian troops and pro-Moscow rebels link up in a key region in eastern Ukraine, Moscow says

- Ukraine says has taken out hundreds of Russian pieces of weaponry, including 29 aircraft, 29 helicopters and 198 tanks

- Russian shelling of Kharkiv kills 10 or more, wounds 20, Ukraine says

- Ukraine says Russia firing rockets into residential areas after failing to take Kharkiv and Chernihiv

- Russian army sets up checkpoints at southern city of Kherson, mayor says

- Russia says fired long-range high-precision weapons from the sea, hitting two unspecified airfields and three air defence radars

- Russian forces made little progress in past 24 hours and don't control Ukraine's airspace, British intelligence says

- France sends hundreds more troops into Romania

- NATO will "defend every inch" of its territory, alliance chief says

The civilian/humanitarian situation:

- UN says 12 million people in Ukraine will need aid

- One million people are displaced within Ukraine, and more than 660,000 have fled abroad, UN says

- China begins evacuating nationals from Ukraine

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V.Said--SF-PST