Russia sets new Mariupol ultimatum in 'Battle of Donbas' as West pledges more help

A woman pulls a wheel chair while transporting an injured man in a street in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine April 18, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

KYIV/KHARKIV (Reuters) - Russia was intensifying its attack on Ukraine's east on Tuesday as it seized a frontline city and sought a decisive victory in Mariupol, prompting Western governments to pledge more arms and sanctions.

Thousands of Russian troops backed by artillery and rocket barrages were advancing in what Ukrainian officials called the Battle of the Donbas.