President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces were holding their positions in the city amid fierce fighting in the streets as Russia tries to deploy more forces.

“But it is the 103rd day, and the Ukrainian Donbas stands. It stands firmly”, - he said in his nightly address to the nation.

Zelensky also said Moscow’s forces intend to take the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, home to more than 700,000 people, a move that could severely weaken Ukraine’s standing and allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

“In the Zaporizhzhia region … there is the most threatening situation there”, - Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian fighters’ dogged defense of the steel mill frustrated the Kremlin’s objective of quickly capturing Mariupol and tied down Russian forces in the strategic port city.

The defenders’ fate in Russian hands is shrouded in uncertainty. Zelensky said more than 2,500 fighters from the plant are being held prisoner, and Ukraine is working to win their release.