Kharkiv hit by fresh strikes amid fears city is still on Russian agenda.

As Russian shells pounded Ukraine’s city of Kharkiv on Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky again accused the West of lacking unity in its approach to Moscow.

Zelensky has urged European leaders to impose tougher sanctions on Russia.

In a late night address, he questioned why some nations had been able to block a new round of punitive measures.

The EU is moving slowly towards a possible ban on Russian oil, but any new action requires all members to be in favour and Hungary is dragging its feet.

"Just look at the situation now. How many more weeks will the European Union try to agree on a sixth package? When it (Russia) receives almost a billion euros a day from Europeans for the supply of energy resources. Of course, I am grateful to those friends who are advocating new sanctions. But where do the people blocking this sixth package get their power from? Why are they allowed to hold such power?"

Zelensky went on to say that his country would remain independent, the only question was at what price.

This is the second time Zelenskiy has hit out at the West in as many days.

On Wednesday, he savaged suggestions that Kyiv make concessions to bring peace.

The next day, the cost of war was only too clear to the people of Kharkiv where authorities say at least seven civilians were killed and 17 others wounded in Russian shelling.

Ukraine's second biggest city had been relatively quiet since Ukrainian forces regained territory around it.

Now Russia's forces appear to have halted their retreat, with Kharkiv's governor reporting on Thursday heavy fighting to the north and northeast of the city.

Moscow denies targeting civilians and calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" to disarm its neighbour.

Ukraine and the West say the war is an unprovoked act of aggression.

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