Russian forces pound key cities as West prepares new sanctions

Russian artillery pounded the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Kharkiv on Wednesday as the West prepared more sanctions against Moscow in response to civilian killings that Kyiv and its allies have called war crimes, reports Reuters.
The besieged southern port of Mariupol has been under almost constant bombardment since the early days of the invasion that began on Feb 24, trapping tens of thousands of residents without food, water or power.
"The humanitarian situation in the city is worsening," British military intelligence said on Wednesday.
"Most of the 160,000 remaining residents have no light, communication, medicine, heat or water. Russian forces have prevented humanitarian access, likely to pressure defenders to surrender." Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said authorities would try to evacuate trapped civilians through 11 humanitarian corridors on Wednesday, though people trying to leave the besieged city of Mariupol would have to use their own vehicles.
Russian forces last week pulled back from positions outside Kyiv and shifted the focus of their assault away from the capital, and Ukraine's general staff said the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the country's second-largest, also remained under attack.