Ramzan Kadyrov, the powerful head of Russia's republic of Chechnya, said early on Monday that there will be an offensive by Russian forces not only on the besieged port of Mariupol, but also on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

"There will be an offensive... not only on Mariupol, but also on other places, cities and villages," Kadyrov said in a video posted on his Telegram channel.

"Luhansk and Donetsk - we will...