Defying demands to give up the city of Mariupol by dawn, Ukraine’s president says the country will not surrender and its people will not accept Russian occupation.

Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska pleaded with Ukrainians to “hold on” and refuse to lay down their weapons even as Moscow demonstrates it is willing to turn to deadlier tactics and slaughter civilians.

A shopping mall in the capital and a bus carrying children were among the latest targets of attacks.

At least eight people were killed when a bomb hit shops in Kyiv.

There have also been reports Russia has now turned its sights on another port city, Odesa, with pictures appearing on Tuesday morning showing homes damaged by shelling from warships.

Here’s the latest.

‘Ukraine will not surrender’

Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will never bow to ultimatums from Russia and cities such as Kyiv, Mariupol or Kharkiv will not accept Russian occupation.

Russia had set Ukraine a deadline of dawn Monday (local time) to surrender in the besieged port city of Mariupol, promising civilians and fighters a safe passage out of the city if they gave up their weapons.

Ukraine ignored the ultimatum.

“The enemy desperately does not want civilians to break through,” Olena Zelenska, the president’s wife, said in a statement.

“But they will. Please hold on, dear people, I beg you. I will repeat my husband’s words, ‘Ukraine doesn’t abandon her people.’”