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Russia shells Ukraine cities, thousands evacuated

Ukrainian and Russian officials described the fast-worsening humanitarian situation in the pro-European nation as "catastrophic" as Moscow upped the pressure on Kyiv, its forces pummelling civilian areas in several cities.

Amid fresh efforts to deliver aid to the devastated port city of Mariupol, Russian forces shelled the city’s downtown as residents hid in an iconic mosque and elsewhere to avoid the explosions.