Putin puts nuclear forces on alert as battles rage in key Ukrainian cities

In Ukraine, blasts were heard before dawn in the capital of Kyiv and in the major city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian authorities said, as diplomatic manoeuvring continued

A man walks in front of a destroyed building after a Russian missile attack in the town of Vasylkiv, near Kyiv. Picture: Ditmar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images

Russia's political and economic isolation deepened on Monday as its forces met stiff resistance in Ukraine's capital and other cities in the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two.

Here's where things stand currently: