Regional officials in the Black Sea port of Mariupol say hundreds of people are being held effectively as hostages inside one of the city's hospitals after Russian forces seized control of it.
They say more than two thousand four hundred people in the city have died since the Russian onslaught began.
But thousands of civilians have now successfully evacuated the city, after a humanitarian corridor was allowed to function over the last 24 hours.
The Russians were hit with more US sanctions today…but responded by themselves sanctioning top US officials.
Reporter Giles Gibson is in neighboring Latvia, beyond the reach of the Kremlin's reporting restrictions.
IN: "It's a very very…."
OUT: "…Russian federation"
DUR: 32 seconds
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0315giles-self2.mp3
And indeed at the White House press secretary Jen Psaki laughed the Russian move off.
IN: "I would first….."
OUT: "…forge ahead"
DUR: 19 seconds