More than a hundred thousand people are said to be in the bombed-out city of Mariupol.
Up to thousands of civilians may have lost their lives, but the death toll is difficult to assess.
It now remains to be seen whether or how long Ukraine can resist.
- The question is how long the Ukrainian resistance can withstand.
If nothing unforeseen happens, my assessment is that Marupol will fall within the next week, says Jörgen Elfving.
New directions of attack
Additional Russian control in Mariupol also means openings for new directions of attack, says Elfving.
- An attack direction could be in a northerly direction, to unite with the forces attacking in the Donetsk direction and in a westerly direction.
See more in the clip above where Elfving also analyzes the situation in Kyiv and Kharkiv.