Vladimir Putin is addressing his security council and told them that his invasion is going to plan, despite widespread surprise that the Russians have not been able to capture more than a single city after eight days.

He said that the invasion was going: “according to schedule,” and “according to the plan.”

“All the goals set by us has been achieved,” he said.

According to an English translation, he described his troops as “heroes” and posthumously decorated one commander who killed himself and fellow troops with a grenade to avoid being captured.

The pro-Russian mayor of a city in eastern Ukraine who cheered and supported President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine was found "shot dead," after being kidnapped from his home, according to reports. Vlodymyr Struk, of Kreminna in Luhansk, was founded murdered on Tuesday after being "abducted from his home."

A grisly photograph of his slain body shows Struk brutally tortured before being shot dead. He had suffered a "gunshot wound to the heart." His wife later confirmed that Struk was shot in his heart after being kidnapped from his home and his body remained on the street for hours. It is believed that he was killed by angry Ukrainian civilians before of being pro-Russian.

Police in Moscow detained two women and five children who wanted to lay flowers at the Ukrainian embassy.

Photographs of their detention showed the children holding a poster saying “No to War.

The children, aged 7 to 11, were held with their mothers in a police van before being taken to a police station. They were released hours later, according to anthropologist Alexandra Arkhipova.

Arkhipova said that the two women detained were Ekaterina Zavizion and Olga Alter along with Liza, 11, Gosha, 11, Matvey, 9, David, 7, and Sofya, 7.

It was the second day of the war. … Me and my husband were afraid to drive to the hospital because of the explosions … The doctor said we needed to go to the bomb shelter … When we entered the shelter we were shocked. It was built in Soviet times and wasn’t maintained, it was crumbling and very wet and cold ...

For us there was a small room without any doors, only a shower curtain that separated us from the main room with 50 people in it. There was no medical technology, just a gynaecological chair. I was trying to not even look over there and hoping to go back to the hospital soon.

Then my waters broke. My doctor looked at me and said: “OK, we will do it here, it’s too dangerous to wait.” At that moment I wasn’t afraid. I trusted my doctor – the only thing on my mind was holding my son and ending the pain.

I was so happy when I saw my son, Fedor. With his black hair he looked like a small copy of my husband, who cut the cord. When I held Fedor he was very warm. I just felt, wow, love and pure happiness and all these mystical feelings.

As I held him in the bunker, I said to him: “You’re lucky, you’re unique, you’re born in Ukraine, you’re a new Ukrainian.”

Televangelist Pat Robertson said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “compelled by God” in his decision to invade Ukraine, suggesting that Russia’s attacks are a precursor to an end-times battle in Israel.

The Christian media mogul returned to “The 700 Club” a few months after he retired from the show he hosted for 55 years on the Christian Broadcasting Network. In his return, Robertson claimed that Putin was simply following God’s wishes when Russia invaded Ukraine — to fulfill a biblical prophecy.

“I think you can say, well, Putin’s out of his mind. Yes, maybe so,” said Robertson, 91. “But at the same time, he’s being compelled by God. He went into the Ukraine, but that wasn’t his goal. His goal was to move against Israel, ultimately.”

Robertson then cited verses from the book of Ezekiel that note how nations will come together to rise up against Israel, suggesting that Ukraine is merely a “staging ground” for an eventual Armageddon batt