War in Ukraine: where has Russia attacked?

As of Thursday evening, a fierce battle for the strategic airbase close to Kyiv appeared to be continuing after Russian helicopters and airborne troops attempted to establish a bridgehead outside the city.

Social media footage appeared to show Russian forces reaching the city of Kherson on the Dnieper, 80 miles (130km) inside Ukraine. Shortly after, around lunchtime, the presidential adviser said fierce fighting was taking place there.

Film posted online was said to show Russian helicopters over the nearby Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. Russian forces had also moved north-eastwards from Crimea to Melitopol, where the presidential adviser said they would meet resistance.

Air and missile strikes appear so far to be mostly focused on military targets, including an air defence site in the frontier down of Mariupol, the Ukrainian naval base in Ochakiv and an arms depot in Kalynivka, 124 miles (200km) south-west of Kyiv, according to the defence intelligence specialists Rochan Consulting.

Some of the Russian ambition has been aimed explicitly at demoralising Ukrainian civilians with the reach of the offensive. While much of the initial barrage was aimed at the east of Ukraine, so far, more sporadic strikes on cities in the west, from Uman to Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk, seem designed to demonstrate the reach of Russian weapons.