Russian forces are edging towards Kyiv amid signs the preparations for the final assault on the capital is under way.
The bulk of Kremlin troops are now within 15 miles of the city after more than two weeks of sluggish progress.
Ukraine is preparing to defend the city after confounding Western expectations by denying Vladimir Putin a swift victory.
A Ukrainian politician warned the battle for Kyiv could descend into a new Stalingrad, the bloodiest battle of the Second World War which turned the tide away from Nazi Germany through the sheer number of losses it endured.
Sviatoslav Yurah told the BBC: ‘It’s a massive town of millions and if the Russians try to come in they will have quite a fight on their hands – this will be their Stalingrad if they want to make it so.’
It has been clear from the outset of the invasion that a full-scale assault on Kyiv is central to Russia’s plans, despite the Kremlin’s repeated insistence it is only trying to support breakaway republic in the east of the country.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence said fighting north west of Kyiv has continued with the bulk of Russian ground forces now around 15 miles from the centre of the city.
A daily intelligence update said elements of the large Russian military column north of Kyiv have dispersed.
It said this is likely to support a Russian attempt to encircle the capital, and could also be an attempt by Russia to reduce its vulnerability to Ukrainian counter attacks.
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There have been reports of artillery attacks in the northwestern outskirts of the city, the scene of fierce fighting throughout the war.
To the south of the city, two columns of smoke – one black and one white – rose in the town of Vaslkyiv after a strike on an ammunition depot.
New commercial satellite images appeared to capture artillery firing on residential areas that stood between the Russians and the capital.
The images from Maxar Technologies showed muzzle flashes and smoke from big guns, as well as impact craters and burning homes in the town of Moschun, 20 miles from Kyiv, the company said.
That tallies with the assessment from the Institute of the Study of War, who said: ‘Russian ground forces attempting to encircle and take Kyiv began another pause to resupply and refit combat units on March 11 after failed attacks March 8-10. ‘
Former deputy secretary general of Nato Rose Gottemoeller told the BBC she is ‘sceptical’ Russian forces will ‘gain much success’ by taking on Kyiv head on.
Speaking on the Today programme, she said: ‘I’m wondering if they have the ability to regroup at this point, because their logistics are in such bad shape, they don’t really have the fuel supplies they need for a push on to Kyiv.’
A long convoy of vehicles sent to encircle the city has been in disarray for several days, beset by logistical problems and vulnerable to Ukrainian ambushes and drone strikes.
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Three Russian generals are among the much higher than expected losses inflicted on the invading army and Mr Putin is reportedly furious at the state of his campaign.
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As many as eight generals have reportedly been dismissed in just over a fortnight as the Kremlin looks to wrestle back control of its ailing campaign.
This week, Mr Putin accepted publicly for the first time that conscripts – many of them teenagers – were sent to fight in Ukraine, claiming to have known nothing about it.
With the massive invasion force spread thin in Ukraine, he has appealed to Syrian fighters blooded in urban combat from its own civil war to travel to the continent to fight.
Russia-Ukraine war: Everything you need to know
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the country has suffered widespread damages and loss of life amid a major bombing campaign.
Millions of people have fled the country, with thousands of British people opening up their homes to Ukrainian refugees.
During the course of the war, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained in Kyiv, despite the Ukrainian capital being subjected to a barrage of bombing.
Zelensky has continuously pushed for aid and support from world leaders, as well as pressing for fast-tracked NATO membership.
Meanwhile, Russia's President Vladimir Putin has been widely condemned for his attack on Ukraine.
His actions have been met by harsh economic sanctions, bans from competing in major sporting events, and countries moving away from using Russian oil.
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