Around 2,000 civilians are believed to have died - Ukraine and Russia latest: the top headlines on Wednesday evening

Russian forces have been intensifying their attacks on major Ukrainian cities as the invasion reaches its seventh day.

Fighting has been raging for a week now in key cities in the north east and south of the country.

On Wednesday (March 2), Ukrainian chiefs confirmed that more than 2,000 civilians have been killed in the first week of war.

It comes as Russian troops have now surrounded the two port cities of Mariupol and Kherson.

READ MORE Ukraine-Russia LIVE updates as children and women dying 'every hour' and '2,000 civilians' killed in week

Ukraine's emergency services said: "Children, women and defence forces are losing their lives every hour."

Russian troops have destroyed kindergartens, homes and hospitals, a statement said.

Meanwhile, Russia has claimed to have captured Kherson, which would be the first big city to fall since the invasion.

It comes as Boris Johnson this afternoon told MPs Vladimir Putin has committed war crimes.

Russian forces have also landed in Kharkiv and attacked a hospital.

Here are the top headlines on Wednesday (March 2)

Ukraine's south-eastern port of Mariupol was under constant shelling from Russia and unable to evacuate, Ukrainian authorities said today.

And in Kherson, on the Black Sea to the west, invading forces completely surrounded the city.

Russia said its forces took control and seized Kherson, in the south, as fighting continued to rage across the country.

However, Ukraine officials have said it still under their control.

Kherson’s Mayor Igor Nikolayev said in a post on Facebook: “We are still Ukraine. Still firm.”

And an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday Russia had not captured Kherson and that there was street fighting going on in the