Ukraine: What happened today, Thursday, March 3?

Stanislav, 40, kisses his wife Anna, 35, on a train to Lviv as they say goodbye at the Kyiv station, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3. 2022. Stanislav is staying to fight while his family is leaving the country to seek refuge in a neighbouring country. Picture: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the Russian president to meet with him as the war in Europe continues to rage.

Thursday saw Russian forces battle for control of a vital energy-producing city in Ukraine’s south and also gained ground in their bid to cut off the country from the sea.