Inside a children's hospital and pressure on Russian artists - Ukraine war round-up

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Children are bearing the brunt of Russia's bombardment of Mariupol, writes Wyre Davies

The city of Mariupol continues to suffer from intense Russian bombardment on the 25th day of the war in Ukraine.

Hundreds of people are believed to be trapped in shelters underneath destroyed buildings, including a theatre which was bombed on Wednesday and an arts school.

Ukrainian officials also allege thousands of residents have been forcibly evacuated to Russia, but the BBC has not been able to verify that claim.

BBC correspondent Wyre Davies has been to a children's hospital in Zaporizhzhia, a nearby city where many of Mariupol's injured are taken.

He hears the terrible stories of the children, who, he says, may heal physically, but will carry the psychological trauma forever.

Isolated in a bubble of his own making

Image source, SPUTNIK / AFP

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Isolated - President Putin chairs a meeting in February 2022

Western intelligence agencies believe that understanding Vladimir Putin's mind is critical to avoid escalating the conflict into even more dangerous territory, writes our security correspondent Gordon Corera.

There has been some speculation that Putin is ill, but many analysts believe he has become isolated, with little or no exposure to any alternative views.

He is a "victim of his own propaganda", one analyst said.

Consequences in Russia for opposing the war

Image source, Kamran Manafly

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Kamran Manafly lost his job as a teacher after a post on Instagram

For people in Russia who oppose the war and express their opinions openly, there can be significant consequences.

The BBC has heard from three people who lost their jobs after making their views on the war public.

Kamran Manafly, a 28-year-old geography teacher at a Moscow secondary school, was fired for "immoral" behaviour, after he wrote on Instagram that he didn't want to be a "reflection of state propaganda".

And there is pressure too on musicians, some of whom have found themselves banned from one of Russia's most popular radio stations for speaking out against the Russian invasion.

Ukraine war in maps

Russian advances have ground to a halt in many areas, with Ukrainian forces holding out in several cities and also launching effective counterattacks.

English village opens arms to refugees

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Watch: The Oxfordshire village opening its arms to Ukrainian refugees

One English village is opening its arms to Ukrainian refugees.

North Moreton, in Oxfordshire, is hoping to take in up to 60 people, in a village of just 350 residents.

Those who can't offer a space to live hope to give support in the form of cooking, teaching or transport.

More than three million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded, most have gone to neighbouring EU countries.

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