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Ukraine's president asked Tuesday for more weapons from the West to help resist Russian forces in Ukraine, as its military is rapidly using up weapons and other supplies that Western countries have already sent.
President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by video to European leaders of the U.K. Joint Expeditionary Force. Pleading for them to "help yourself by helping us," he requested the additional supplies so the Ukrainian military can keep up its attacks on invading Russian forces, the Associated Press reported.
Nearly three weeks ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine, and Russian forces have since encountered fierce resistance across the country. But the Ukrainian military is running out of weapons, and Russian bombings have intensified, resulting in increased mass destruction and casualties.
"We can still stop the Russian war machine, we can still stop the killing of people," Zelensky told the European leaders. "We all are the targets of Russia and everything will go against Europe if Ukraine won't stand, so I would like to ask you to help yourself by helping us." The leaders of Britain, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway were on the video call, according to CNN.
Zelensky's pleas for help come as Russian forces draw closer to the capital city of Kyiv. A series of aerial strikes hit a residential neighborhood on Tuesday, which ignited a huge fire in a 15-story apartment building, trapping residents.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least four people were killed in the attack, but that number could rise. The mayor imposed a curfew lasting 35 hours until 7 a.m. on Thursday, according to The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, an adviser to Mariupol's mayor said it is feared that 20,000 people have died in the city after being under attack for more than two weeks. It was previously reported that 2,500 had died, The Independent reported. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that people trapped in Mariupol were "essentially being suffocated in this city now with no aid."
"[People] are sheltering in unheated basements, risking their lives to make short runs outside for food and water," the ICRC said in a statement. "Dead bodies, of civilians and combatants, remain trapped under the rubble or lying in the open where they fell."
On Monday, a convoy of 160 cars was allowed to leave Mariupol and head to the city of Zaporizhzhia some 140 miles away. It was believed to be the first successful use of a humanitarian corridor in the city. However, Russian troops refused to allow trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter the area.
Nearly 3 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the start of the invasion. Poland has received more than half of the refugees, with a reported 1.8 million people.
Others have fled to neighboring countries such as Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia, according to United Nations data. Approximately 143,000 people have fled to Russia.
Update 03/15/22, 11:45 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information and background.
