Zelenskiy says Russia likely to intensify attacks

STORY: "Obviously, this week we should expect from Russia an intensification of its hostile activities, as an example," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "And not only against Ukraine, but also against other European countries. We are preparing. We are ready."

The European Commission gave its blessing to the war-torn country on Friday, taking it a step closer to joining the European Union. It's the most dramatic geopolitical shift to result from Russia's invasion. Ukraine applied to join the EU just four days after Russian troops poured across its border in February, and leaders of the 27-nation union are expected to endorse its application by the end of the week.

Russia's military has focused on trying to take complete control of the eastern Donbas region, parts of which were already held by Russian-backed separatists before Moscow launched what it calls a "special operation" on Feb. 24. On Sunday, Russian state media reported that the military had seized a village and "liberated" another settlement near the eastern industrial city of Sievierodonetsk, which has become a prime target of the ongoing assaults. Reuters could not independently verify the reports.