A European official predicted Tuesday that Russia will soon capture the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, while also warning that Russia may commit greater war atrocities than those previously witnessed in the Bucha massacres.
"Mariupol will be controlled in the coming days," the official said, according to reports.
The warning comes two days after Ukraine rejected Russia's call for outright surrender.
With no surrender pledged, Russia then intensified its attack on Mariupol on Tuesday, citing a Reuters report.
The Russian troops reportedly used artillery and rocket barrages to capitalize on what has become known as the "Battle of the Donbas."
Earlier, the Russians seized the city of Kreminna.
Russia also struck the Azovstal steel plant, the main remaining stronghold in Mariupol, with bunker-buster bombs, according to an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted: "55th day of the war. Russia continues to drop heavy anti-tank bombs on Azovstal. The world continues to watch the killing of children live and remain silent. Religious and world leaders can stop this if they agree on a green corridor. Otherwise, the blood will be on their hands."
At the time of this writing, Podolyak's claims had yet to be verified by media or U.S. government sources.
Russia's defense ministry provided the following update Tuesday, which included a new ultimatum for Ukrainian forces.
"Russia's armed forces, based purely on humanitarian principles, again propose that the fighters of nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries cease their military operations from 1400 Moscow time on 20th April and lay down arms," the defense ministry said.
The anonymous European official mentioned above believes Mariupol is the "main objective" for Moscow.
With full control of Mariupol, Russian forces could then establish a land bridge from Crimea to the Donbas, from southern Ukraine toward its eastern territory.
On Tuesday, the leaders of United States, Britain and Canada pledged to send more weapons to Ukraine as a means of combating Russia's invasion of the eastern region.
Last week, President Joe Biden approved an $800 million package of security aid, and a similar package could soon make its way to Ukraine, according to reports.
Ukrainian forces have access to anti-ship, anti-aircraft and anti-tank munitions.
Citing a report from The Hill, a senior U.S. defense official said that inclement weather has impeded the U.S. from collecting more accurate information involving the Russians' next move.
"It's clear that the Russians want to take Mariupol. It's also clear that the Ukrainians are not willing to give it up, certainly not without a fight," the official said.
"And that fight continues. We just don't have the level of specificity to tell you how many troops are in each part of the city and what they're doing, we just can't see that. But broadly speaking, Mariupol is still being fought over."
On April 8, the mayor of the Ukrainian town of Bucha reported that more than 160 residents killed by Russian forces had been identified.
"These are residents of our town who were cynically killed, brutally tortured by the Russians. We know their last names, first names, patronymics [father's names], where they lived, and who they were — fathers, sons, wives, in one family or another."
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