KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Russia stepped up its attacks on numerous fronts in Ukraine on Saturday, moving deeper into the besieged southern port of Mariupol and striking a suburb of Kyiv as well as an area near the major western city of Lviv as Ukraine endured what many here believe is Russia’s wrath over the sinking of the flagship of its Black Sea fleet.
Several Ukrainian civilians were reported killed, even as Russia appeared to be targeting crucial military sites, including weapon storage depots, to cripple Ukrainian forces ahead of what is expected to be a protracted and even bloodier battle for the eastern portion of the country.
What was likely a final struggle for control was playing out in Mariupol, the strategic city that has been the scene of relentless Russian attacks during the seven-week war. Ukrainian officials deny the city has fallen, but its last defenders appeared to be holed up and dwindling in numbers amid a desperate fight.
