Mariupol

Reports say numerous explosions have been heard in the Mariupol area of occupied southern Ukraine. Details on the cause, targets or casualties were not immediately available. Mariupol, seized by Russian forces in 2022, has previously been hit by strikes on military and infrastructure targets, so observers are watching for confirmation of what was struck.

Ukraine's steel industry, once among Europe's largest, has been devastated by the war, with major plants damaged or shut and output sharply reduced. Discussion is focusing on how production could be rebuilt, including repair of damaged facilities, securing energy and raw materials, and the conditions needed for plants like those in Mariupol and Kryvyi Rih to return to operation.