Russian military forces are continuing their attack on their attack on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol as Ukraine resists calls from Moscow to lay down arms.

Moscow now says it is close to capturing the strategic city, in what would be its biggest victory since this war began almost two months ago.

But Ukrainian forces refuse to give in, and are fighting despite Russian demands to let the city fall.

Russia says it is in control of urban parts of the port city, after military forces refocused their attention from the north of Ukraine to the Donbas region.

Mariupol is seen as a strategic city because it is a potential link between territory held by pro-Russian separatists in the east with Crimea.