Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces have launched a full-scale offensive in an effort to take over the eastern part of the country.

Zelenskyy said, "We can already say that Russian troops have begun the battle for Donbas, for which they've been preparing for a long time. A significant part of the entire Russian army is now concentrated on this offensive."

The president also said that any more attacks against Ukrainian civilians would put an end to peace talks.

Russian forces continue to shell the port city, where Ukrainian troops remain encircled.

Members of the Azov Battalion of the Ukrainian National Guard remain holed up in a massive steel plant. One of their commanders said Russian forces have begun using bunker-buster munitions against them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the economic sanctions imposed by Western nations are not working.

He said what he called a strategy of "economic blitzkrieg" by the West is hurting those who have introduced them by causing inflation and unemployment.