Vladimir Putin has ordered his forces "to hold back on any immediate assault on large cities" according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who cited "civilian losses" as the reason for stalling an attack.

He added however that the defence ministry "does not rule out" the possibility of putting large cities "under its full control."

Meanwhile, Ukraine's allies have piled pressure on Putin's regime with unprecedented economic sanctions, and the Kremlin faces domestic pressure despite widespread censorship of the war.