Zelensky urges Europeans to do more against Russia

In his latest video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged European leaders to do more against Moscow's continued military assault on Kiev and referred to the Russian bombing of a maternity hospital in the besieged city of Mariupol as an act of "war crime".

The air strike on Wednesday has caused "colossal damage", including burned out buildings, destroyed cars and a huge crater outside the hospital, the BBC quoted the Mariupol city council as saying.

Ukrainian media, citing local officials, said that 17 people were injured, including staff and patients.

In his address early Thursday morning, Zelensky said: "Europeans! You won't be able to say that you didn't see what happened to Ukrainians, what happened to Mariupol residents. You saw. You know.

"We have not done and never would have done anything similar to this war crime to any of the cities of the Donetsk, Luhansk or any other region.

"To any of the cities on earth."

The President went on to say that "everything that the invaders are doing to Mariupol is beyond atrocities already".

Europeans! Ukrainians! Mariupol residents! Today, we must be united in condemning this war crime of Russia, which reflects all the evil that the invaders brought to our land."

He further called on the West to increase sanctions on Russia, and to "put pressure" on Moscow to force it to negotiate and end the war.