Vladimir Putin turning attention to ‘entire Europe project’, Ukraine warns

Ukraine has warned Russia’s wrath could soon by felt by the “entire Europe project”, amid fears Vladimir Putin could set his sights to a new target.

Vladimir Putin has enlisted a feared Russian general to lead Russia’s invasion – amid warnings his target is now “the entire Europe project”.

Captain General Aleksandr Dvornikov – referred to as the Butcher of Syria – helped president Bashar al-Assad crush his enemies in the civil war, The Sun reports.

Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser in Washington, has warned Dvornikov’s promotion would lead to more atrocities.

“This particular general has a resumé that includes brutality against civilians in other theatres – in Syria – and we can expect more of the same.

“This general will just be another author of crimes and brutality against Ukrainian civilians, and the United States is determined to do all that we can to support the Ukrainians as they resist him and the forces that he commands.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon set his sights on the ‘entire Europe project’, Ukraine has warned. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev/SPUTNIK/AFP

Meanwhile, during a late-night address to Ukrainians on Saturday, Ukrainian president Zelensky said Russian aggression “was not intended to be limited to Ukraine alone” and the “entire European project is a target for Russia”.

“That is why it is not just the moral duty of all democracies, all the forces of Europe, to support Ukraine’s desire for peace,” he said.

“This is, in fact, a strategy of defence for every civilised state.

“This will be a hard battle, we believe in this fight and our victory. We are ready to simultaneously fight and look for diplomatic ways to put an end to this war.”

This comes as Ukraine is bracing for what could be the imminent fall of Mariupol to Russia as President Volodymyr Zelensky said he believed “tens of thousands” of people had died in Moscow’s assault on the strategic port.

With the war grinding toward its seventh week, Ukrainian forces said they were also bolstering their positions in the east ahead of an anticipated massive Russian onslaught.

Austria’s chancellor meanwhile became the first European leader to visit Moscow since the Russian invasion, saying he raised alleged war crimes in devastated areas around Kyiv that had been under Russian occupation.

Ukrainian authorities say over 1200 bodies have been found in the area so far and that they are weighing cases against “500 suspects”, including Mr Putin and other top Russian officials.

Seven bodies were found Monday under the rubble of two multistorey buildings in Borodianka, Kyiv region, the state emergency service said in Telegram, bringing the total to 19.

French investigators arrived in Ukraine to help probe suspected Russian atrocities in the area, as the European Union earmarked 2.5 million euros ($A3.6m) to the International Criminal Court for future Ukraine cases.

Russia is believed to be trying to connect occupied Crimea and Moscow-backed separatist territories Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbas and has laid siege to Mariupol, once a city of more than 400,000 people.

Russian soldiers patrol a street in Volnovakha in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR). Picture: Alexander Nemenov/AFP

Denis Pushilin (C), leader of the separatists in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR). Picture: Alexander Nemenov/AFP

“Today will probably be the last battle, as the ammunition is running out,” the 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces said on Facebook.

“It’s death for some of us, and captivity for the rest,” it added, saying it had been “pushed back” and “surrounded” by the Russian army.

A pro-Russia rebel leader, Denis Pushilin, said separatist forces had already taken control of the city’s port, in comments reported by the RIA Novosti news agency.

Speaking to South Korea’s National Assembly by video link in an appeal for military assistance, Zelensky said Russia had “completely destroyed” the city and “burned it to ashes”.

“At least tens of thousands of Mariupol citizens must have been killed,” he said.

Russian forces are also turning their focus to the Donbas region in the east, where Zelensky said Russian troops were preparing “even larger operations”.

“They can use even more missiles against us … But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer,” Zelensky said.

Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday warned that the region could suffer as badly as Mariupol.