A girl reacts to sirens saying new assaults exterior a grocery store in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday. Ukraine moved to solidify its bond with the West on Monday by making use of to hitch the European Union. (Emilio Morenatti, Related Press)
Estimated learn time: 7-8 minutes
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces shelled Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis on Monday, rocking a residential neighborhood, and closed in on the capital, Kyiv, in a 17-mile convoy of lots of of tanks and different automobiles, as talks geared toward stopping the combating yielded solely an settlement to maintain speaking.
Amid ever-growing worldwide condemnation, Russia discovered itself more and more remoted 5 days into its invasion, whereas additionally dealing with unexpectedly fierce resistance on the bottom in Ukraine and financial havoc at house.
For the second day in a row, the Kremlin raised the specter of nuclear warfare, saying that its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines and long-range bombers had all been placed on excessive alert, following President Vladimir Putin’s orders over the weekend.
Stepping up his rhetoric, Putin denounced the U.S. and its allies as an “empire of lies.”
In the meantime, an embattled Ukraine moved to solidify its ties to the West by making use of to hitch the European Union — a largely symbolic transfer for now, however one that’s unlikely to take a seat nicely with Putin, who has lengthy accused the U.S. of attempting to drag Ukraine out of Moscow’s orbit.
A prime Putin aide and head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, stated that the primary talks held between the 2 sides for the reason that invasion lasted almost 5 hours and that the envoys “discovered sure factors on which widespread positions might be foreseen.” He stated they agreed to proceed the discussions within the coming days.
Because the talks alongside the Belarusian border wrapped up, a number of blasts might be heard in Kyiv, and Russian troops superior on the town of almost 3 million. The huge convoy of armored automobiles, tanks, artillery and help automobiles was 17 miles (25 kilometers) from the middle of the town, based on satellite tv for pc imagery from Maxar Applied sciences.
Folks in Kyiv lined up for groceries after the tip of a weekend curfew, standing beneath a constructing with a gaping gap blown in its facet.
Messages aimed on the advancing Russian troopers popped up on billboards, bus stops and digital visitors indicators throughout the capital. Some used profanity to encourage Russians to depart. Others appealed to their humanity.
“Russian soldier — Cease! Bear in mind your loved ones. Go house with a clear conscience,” one learn.
Video from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest metropolis, with a inhabitants of about 1.5 million, confirmed residential areas being shelled, with house buildings shaken by repeated, highly effective blasts. Flashes of fireside and grey plumes of smoke might be seen.
Footage launched by the federal government from Kharkiv depicted what gave the impression to be a house with water gushing from a pierced ceiling. On the flooring sat what appeared like an undetonated projectile.
Authorities in Kharkiv stated a minimum of seven folks had been killed and dozens injured. They warned that casualties might be far greater.
“They needed to have a blitzkrieg, however it failed, in order that they act this manner,” stated 83-year-old Valentin Petrovich, who watched the shelling from his downtown house and gave simply his first identify and his Russian-style center identify out of concern for his security.
The Russian army has denied focusing on residential areas regardless of ample proof of shelling of properties, faculties and hospitals.
Combating raged in different cities and cities throughout the nation. The strategic port metropolis of Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, is “hanging on,” stated Zelenskyy adviser Oleksiy Arestovich. An oil depot was reported bombed within the jap metropolis of Sumy.
Within the seaside resort city of Berdyansk, dozens of protesters chanted angrily in the principle sq. in opposition to Russian occupiers, yelling at them to go house and singing the Ukrainian nationwide anthem. They described the troopers as exhausted younger conscripts.
“Frightened youngsters, frightened seems to be. They wish to eat,” Konstantin Maloletka, who runs a small store, stated by phone. He stated the troopers went right into a grocery store and grabbed canned meat, vodka and cigarettes.
“They ate proper within the retailer,” he stated. “It appeared like they have not been fed in latest days.”
Throughout Ukraine, terrified households huddled in a single day in shelters, basements or corridors.
“I sit and pray for these negotiations to finish efficiently, in order that they attain an settlement to finish the slaughter,” stated Alexandra Mikhailova, weeping as she clutched her cat in a shelter in Mariupol. Round her, mother and father tried to console kids and hold them heat.
For a lot of, Russia’s announcement of a nuclear excessive alert stirred fears that the West might be drawn into direct battle with Russia. However a senior U.S. protection official, talking on situation of anonymity, stated america had but to see any considerable change in Russia’s nuclear posture.
As far-reaching Western sanctions on Russian banks and different establishments took maintain, the ruble plummeted, and Russia’s Central Financial institution scrambled to shore it up, as did Putin, signing a decree proscribing international foreign money.
However that did little to calm Russian fears. In Moscow, folks lined as much as withdraw money because the sanctions threatened to drive up costs and cut back the usual of dwelling for tens of millions of abnormal Russians.
In yet one more blow to Russia’s financial system, oil large Shell stated it’s pulling in another country due to the invasion. It introduced it would withdraw from its joint ventures with state-owned fuel firm Gazprom and different entities and finish its involvement within the Nord Stream 2 pipeline mission between Russia and Europe.
The financial sanctions, ordered by the U.S. and different allies, had been only one contributor to Russia’s rising standing as a pariah nation.
Russian airliners are banned from European airspace, Russian media is restricted in some nations, and a few high-tech merchandise can now not be exported to the nation. On Monday, in a significant blow to a soccer-mad nation, Russian groups had been suspended from all worldwide soccer.
In different developments:
- The chief prosecutor of the Worldwide Felony Courtroom stated he’ll open an investigation quickly into potential warfare crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity in Ukraine.
- Cyberattacks hit Ukrainian embassies world wide, and Russian media retailers.
- The US introduced it’s expelling 12 members of Russia’s U.N. mission, accusing them of spying.
- The 193-nation U.N. Basic Meeting opened its first emergency session in a long time, with Meeting President Abdulla Shahid calling for an instantaneous cease-fire and “a full return to diplomacy and dialogue.”
The U.N. human rights chief stated a minimum of 102 civilians have been killed and lots of wounded — warning that determine might be an unlimited undercount — and Ukraine’s president stated a minimum of 16 kids had been among the many lifeless.
Greater than a half-million folks have fled the nation for the reason that invasion, one other U.N. official stated, a lot of them going to Poland, Romania and Hungary.
Among the many refugees in Hungary was Maria Pavlushko, 24, an info know-how mission supervisor from a metropolis west of Kyiv. She stated her father stayed behind to combat the Russians.
“I’m proud about him,” she stated, including that a lot of her pals had been planning to combat too.
The negotiators at Monday’s talks met at a protracted desk with the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag on one facet and the Russian tricolor on the opposite.
However whereas Ukraine despatched its protection minister and different prime officers, the Russian delegation was led by Putin’s adviser on tradition — an unlikely envoy for ending a warfare and maybe an indication of how severely Moscow took the talks.
It wasn’t instantly clear what Putin is in search of within the talks, or from the warfare itself, although Western officers consider he needs to overthrow Ukraine’s authorities and exchange it with a regime of his personal, reviving Moscow’s Chilly Battle-era affect.
At this stage, Ukraine is a few years away from reaching the requirements for attaining EU membership. Any addition to the 27-nation bloc have to be authorized unanimously by its members, and Ukraine’s deep-seated corruption may make it exhausting for the nation to win acceptance.
Nonetheless, in an interview with Euronews on Sunday, EU Fee chief Ursula von der Leyen stated: “We would like them within the European Union.”
Contributing: Ellen Knickmeyer, Eric Tucker, Robert Burns, Hope Yen, James LaPorta, Francesca Ebel, Josef Federman, Andrew Drake, Mstyslav Chernov, Nic Dumitrache, Lorne Cook dinner and others world wide
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