20:21 18 Apr
Russia operations intensify in the east
We're hearing more about the signs that Russia is beginning its new offensive in the east of the country.
Earlier we told you about a social media post from Ukraine's Armed Forces Command.
Now Ukraine's National Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov has said Russia attempted to break through Ukranian defences "along almost the entire front line of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions".
"They began their attempt to start the active phase," he added, in comments that were televised.
He said Russian troops had captured the town of Kreminna, about 50km (31 miles) northeast of Kramatorsk, but Ukrainian troops were "holding the line" in the other areas.
20:47 18 Apr
Second phase of the war has started - Ukraine's presidential chief of staff
"The second phase of the war has started," the chief of staff to Ukraine's President Zelensky has said.
The remarks from Andriy Yermak echoed the warning given by Ukraine's top security official that Russia had launched its new offensive in the east on Monday morning.
Addressing fellow Ukrainians, Yermak wrote on the Telegram messaging app: "Believe in our army, it is very strong."
21:09 18 Apr
'It's hell' - fighting steps up in Luhansk region
There's been another report of Russia increasing its attacks in eastern Ukraine.
"It's hell," said Sergei Gaidai, the governor of the Luhansk region.
"The offensive has begun, the one we've been talking about for weeks," he wrote on Facebook.
He said fighting was "constant" in the cities of Rubizhne and Popasna.
21:18 18 Apr
BREAKING
Battle for the Donbas now underway - Zelensky
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says the "battle for the Donbas" is now underway.
His comments follow warnings from other senior officials that Russia has begun its much anticipated assault on the eastern region on Monday.
21:36 18 Apr
Eight more civilian deaths in eastern Ukraine
Officials in eastern Ukraine have reported another eight civilian deaths on Monday.
Four people were killed by Russian shelling in the Donetsk area, the region's governor wrote on Telegram.
And at least four others were killed as the city of Kreminna fell into enemy hands overnight, according the head of the Luhansk region.
The two regions form Ukraine's Donbas - where President Zelensky says a major battle for control is now underway.
Earlier today, we reported that, seven people were also killed by fresh missile strikes in the western city of Lviv, and two more in Kharkiv in the north.
21:47 18 Apr
Ukraine says Russia launches its anticipated large-scale offensive in the east
President Zelensky says Russia has launched its expected assault to take the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.
Here's a quick recap of what he and others have been saying this evening.
Zelensky has confirmed that the "battle for the Donbas" is now underway - after fighting in the region intensified
He added that a large part of the Russian army was dedicated to the offensive
"No matter how many Russian soldiers are brought here, we will fight. We will defend ourselves," he says
His comments in a video address followed multiple accounts of Russia stepping up its attacks. The governor of the Luhansk region - which is part of the Donbas - said the situation was "hell", with "constant" fighting in some cities
Zelensky's chief of staff said the assault on the Donbas marked the start of the "second phase" of the war
The country's top security official has also given an update. He said Russian forces had tried to break through almost the entire front line in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv region.
22:12 18 Apr
Convoys of container trucks take water from Odesa to Mykolaiv
The southern city of Mykolaiv saw fresh strikes overnight, with sustained assault and bombardment seriously degrading the city’s critical infrastructure, creating concerns over access to water.
Ukraine’s operational command South said convoys of container trucks are being despatched from Odesa to carry crucial water supplies to the city’s residents.
Ukrainian National Guard officer Daniel Salem, a former actor and TV presenter, has just returned from Mykolaiv and told BBC News “we’re trying to do our best” to help.
He said on the borders of Mykolaiv, and near Kherson, there are a lot of strikes adding “it’s getting really harsh”.
But addressing morale amongst Ukrainian forces, Daniel said “we’re struggling" but added “we have a very good spirit” and a “strong will”.
23:36 18 Apr
Pentagon: Mariupol is holding out
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has said that Mariupol has not fallen, despite "pounding" from Russia.
"We have continued to see the concentration of their [Russian] airstrikes and artillery in the Donbas and in the south, particularly around and in Mariupol," Kirby said.
The Ukrainians are resisting, he said, despite increasingly aggressive action by Russia.
"Russians are doing what we call 'shaping'," Kirby said, meaning they are setting conditions for larger and more overt attacks in Ukraine's east.
Kirby also discussed how American soldiers would soon be training members of the Ukrainian military on how to use howitizers - artillery weapons provided by the US.
The weapons are part of an $800m (£614m) military package from the US to Ukraine. It includes artillery systems, artillery rounds and unmanned coastal defence boats.
23:57 18 Apr
Donbas tourist town braces for onslaught
Jonathan Beale
BBC defence correspondent
In a picturesque resort town on the northern edge of Ukraine's Donbas region, people can hear the shelling coming closer. The Russians are just five miles to the north.
Sviatohirsk was once a staple of the tourist trail, but now it is just another place in the Donbas where people flee the fighting.
Most of its permanent residents have themselves fled, fearing the war will not stop its ruthless advance here.
Just to the north is the city of Izyum where there is already fierce fighting.
The residents who had fled Izyum told us they had been bombed day and night, and been without running water and electricity for weeks.
But some have remained. These are people who are tired, hungry and scared, too scared sometimes to apportion any blame on Russia.
"I will not talk about it," one woman tells me, "because we still have to go home."
Russia operations intensify in the east
We're hearing more about the signs that Russia is beginning its new offensive in the east of the country.
Earlier we told you about a social media post from Ukraine's Armed Forces Command.
Now Ukraine's National Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov has said Russia attempted to break through Ukranian defences "along almost the entire front line of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions".
"They began their attempt to start the active phase," he added, in comments that were televised.
He said Russian troops had captured the town of Kreminna, about 50km (31 miles) northeast of Kramatorsk, but Ukrainian troops were "holding the line" in the other areas.
20:47 18 Apr
Second phase of the war has started - Ukraine's presidential chief of staff
"The second phase of the war has started," the chief of staff to Ukraine's President Zelensky has said.
The remarks from Andriy Yermak echoed the warning given by Ukraine's top security official that Russia had launched its new offensive in the east on Monday morning.
Addressing fellow Ukrainians, Yermak wrote on the Telegram messaging app: "Believe in our army, it is very strong."
21:09 18 Apr
'It's hell' - fighting steps up in Luhansk region
There's been another report of Russia increasing its attacks in eastern Ukraine.
"It's hell," said Sergei Gaidai, the governor of the Luhansk region.
"The offensive has begun, the one we've been talking about for weeks," he wrote on Facebook.
He said fighting was "constant" in the cities of Rubizhne and Popasna.
21:18 18 Apr
BREAKING
Battle for the Donbas now underway - Zelensky
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says the "battle for the Donbas" is now underway.
His comments follow warnings from other senior officials that Russia has begun its much anticipated assault on the eastern region on Monday.
"We can now confirm that Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas, which they have been preparing for a long time. A large part of the Russian army is now dedicated to this offensive" from President Volodymyr Zelensky
21:36 18 Apr
Eight more civilian deaths in eastern Ukraine
Officials in eastern Ukraine have reported another eight civilian deaths on Monday.
Four people were killed by Russian shelling in the Donetsk area, the region's governor wrote on Telegram.
And at least four others were killed as the city of Kreminna fell into enemy hands overnight, according the head of the Luhansk region.
The two regions form Ukraine's Donbas - where President Zelensky says a major battle for control is now underway.
Earlier today, we reported that, seven people were also killed by fresh missile strikes in the western city of Lviv, and two more in Kharkiv in the north.
21:47 18 Apr
Ukraine says Russia launches its anticipated large-scale offensive in the east
President Zelensky says Russia has launched its expected assault to take the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.
Here's a quick recap of what he and others have been saying this evening.
Zelensky has confirmed that the "battle for the Donbas" is now underway - after fighting in the region intensified
He added that a large part of the Russian army was dedicated to the offensive
"No matter how many Russian soldiers are brought here, we will fight. We will defend ourselves," he says
His comments in a video address followed multiple accounts of Russia stepping up its attacks. The governor of the Luhansk region - which is part of the Donbas - said the situation was "hell", with "constant" fighting in some cities
Zelensky's chief of staff said the assault on the Donbas marked the start of the "second phase" of the war
The country's top security official has also given an update. He said Russian forces had tried to break through almost the entire front line in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv region.
22:12 18 Apr
Convoys of container trucks take water from Odesa to Mykolaiv
The southern city of Mykolaiv saw fresh strikes overnight, with sustained assault and bombardment seriously degrading the city’s critical infrastructure, creating concerns over access to water.
Ukraine’s operational command South said convoys of container trucks are being despatched from Odesa to carry crucial water supplies to the city’s residents.
Ukrainian National Guard officer Daniel Salem, a former actor and TV presenter, has just returned from Mykolaiv and told BBC News “we’re trying to do our best” to help.
He said on the borders of Mykolaiv, and near Kherson, there are a lot of strikes adding “it’s getting really harsh”.
But addressing morale amongst Ukrainian forces, Daniel said “we’re struggling" but added “we have a very good spirit” and a “strong will”.
23:36 18 Apr
Pentagon: Mariupol is holding out
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has said that Mariupol has not fallen, despite "pounding" from Russia.
"We have continued to see the concentration of their [Russian] airstrikes and artillery in the Donbas and in the south, particularly around and in Mariupol," Kirby said.
The Ukrainians are resisting, he said, despite increasingly aggressive action by Russia.
"Russians are doing what we call 'shaping'," Kirby said, meaning they are setting conditions for larger and more overt attacks in Ukraine's east.
Kirby also discussed how American soldiers would soon be training members of the Ukrainian military on how to use howitizers - artillery weapons provided by the US.
The weapons are part of an $800m (£614m) military package from the US to Ukraine. It includes artillery systems, artillery rounds and unmanned coastal defence boats.
23:57 18 Apr
Donbas tourist town braces for onslaught
Jonathan Beale
BBC defence correspondent
In a picturesque resort town on the northern edge of Ukraine's Donbas region, people can hear the shelling coming closer. The Russians are just five miles to the north.
Sviatohirsk was once a staple of the tourist trail, but now it is just another place in the Donbas where people flee the fighting.
Most of its permanent residents have themselves fled, fearing the war will not stop its ruthless advance here.
Just to the north is the city of Izyum where there is already fierce fighting.
The residents who had fled Izyum told us they had been bombed day and night, and been without running water and electricity for weeks.
But some have remained. These are people who are tired, hungry and scared, too scared sometimes to apportion any blame on Russia.
"I will not talk about it," one woman tells me, "because we still have to go home."
