Russian forces tighten hold on Kyiv in attempt to topple government

Almost exactly 30 years after the devastating siege of Sarajevo, another major European capital came under heavy bombardment with shells hitting apartment blocks, driving up the civilian death toll.

After the second day of the invasion, it was clear that it was being fiercely resisted, but also that Russia had much more military might yet to be unleashed on its neighbour.

According to the Pentagon, 10 amphibious landing ships unloaded thousands of naval infantry to the west of Mariupol, potentially cutting off the port city.

Western intelligence agencies have predicted that Zelenskiy and his top officials could be targeted for assassination as Russia seeks to decapitate the country.

The Kremlin also issued a direct threat to Finland and Sweden, which have been openly contemplating Nato membership as a result of the invasion.

In video footage thought to be from south Ukraine, near Crimea, a Ukrainian civilian was shown standing in front of an advancing Russian military convoy, in scenes reminiscent of Tiananmen Square in 1989, in which a lone Chinese protestor stood in front of a tank, stopping its advance.

US officials estimated Russia had launched more than 200 missiles at Ukraine, including both ballistic and cruise weapons. They said most had been aimed at military targets but that some had landed in residential districts, and that it was unclear whether that was accidental or deliberate.

The German finance ministry said on Friday that it was open to the proposal of including Swift sanctions, while the EU and the UK moved to freeze the foreign-held assets of Putin and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov.

The initiative was largely symbolic, as the Russian president is not thought to have identifiable personal wealth abroad.

In Russia, thousands of people defied tough anti-protest legislation to stage anti-war rallies across the country on Thursday night. OVD-Info, which monitors arrests at opposition protests, said more than 1,800 people in 59 cities had been detained.