Russia steps up assault, heavy shelling hits building in Ukraine's Kharkiv

After Kyiv, Russian forces have stepped up the assault and shelled Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv on Monday. A plume of smoke rising from a residential building in Kharkiv was caught on camera after civilian areas were attacked by Russia.

The country’s embattled president said the stepped-up shelling was aimed at forcing him into concessions.

“I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday in a video address. He did not offer details of the hourslong talks that took place earlier, but said that Kyiv was not prepared to make concessions “when one side is hitting each other with rocket artillery.”

Amid ever-growing international condemnation, Russia found itself



increasingly isolated five days into its invasion, while also facing unexpectedly fierce resistance on the ground in Ukraine and economic havoc at home.

For the second day in a row, the Kremlin raised the specter of nuclear war, announcing that its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines and long-range bombers had all been put on high alert, following President Vladimir Putin’s orders over the weekend.

WATCH: Heavy shelling of buildings in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine pic.twitter.com/J6F6xkGl8d

— BNO News (@BNONews) February 28, 2022