Russia does not rule out taking "full control" of Ukraine's major cities, the Kremlin has said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, "The Russian armed forces do not reject taking 'full control' of Ukraine's major cities to ensure maximum security for citizens.".

Peskov also says that, at the beginning of the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly gave the order "not to assault the cities immediately, including Kiev" .

The reason for that was "the deployment of weapons by militants in the cities". It is unclear what was meant, although Russia says it is "demilitarising Ukraine", namely destroying these weapons.

Earlier, an artillery shell hit a nine-storey apartment building in the Obolon' district of Kiev, killing two people.

The building was partially destroyed between the ground floor and the second floor, and a fire broke out on the second and third floors.

There were three victims, and 17 people rescued from under the rubble.

An airstrike on the town of Okhtyrka in the northeast of Ukraine in Sumy region on Monday has killed at least 3 civilians.

Pavlo Kuzmenko, Mayor of Okhtyrka said: "Okhtyrka - its residential neighbourhood, residential houses - was bombed at night. At least 3 people died, others have not been found yet. Behind me, houses are burning."

In another incident, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the National Defense Control Center of the Russian Federation, said on Monday that the successful operation to unblock Mariupol made it possible to open humanitarian corridors and begin mass evacuation of the population.

"The successful operation to unblock the city made it possible today to open humanitarian corridors for the exit of civilians and to begin mass evacuation of the population, which had been held hostage by neo-Nazis for a long time," Mizintsev said, RT reported.

He also announced the destruction of almost all neo-Nazi firing points that were equipped in the suburban areas of Mariupol.

In addition, he reported the liquidation of the main forces of neo-Nazis in positions in residential areas along the perimeter of Mariupol.

He said almost all the neo-Nazi firing points that were equipped in the suburban areas of Mariupol had been destroyed.

As emphasised in the Russian Ministry of Defense, 200 buses have already been organised to take people out of the city. Fifty buses have arrived in the city and are ready to pick up people.

Mariupol remained one of the hottest spots on the map of Russia's special operation in Ukraine. Russia said the 'neo-Nazis' who settled here held civilians hostage and sabotaged the work of any humanitarian corridors.

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