Russian forces intensify shelling in Ukrainian cities before peace talks
Russian forces intensified the shelling of Ukrainian cities even as the two countries prepared for the third round of peace talks on Monday, a Ukrainian official said. The shelling of cities hindered efforts to evacuate civilians who have been trying to leave the country. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the attacks will stop "only if Kyiv ceases hostilities."
Increased attacks in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv
Russian forces stepped up shelling in the outskirts of Ukraine's capital Kyiv, Kharkiv (the second-largest city), Chernihiv, and Mykolaiv, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich said. The shelling destroyed a television tower in Kharkiv, local officials said. Officials also said that Russia quickly shut a humanitarian corridor after agreeing to an 11-hour ceasefire in Mariupol to let civilians leave.
'Attempt to break Ukrainian morale'
Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko said, "There can be no 'green corridors' because only the sick brain of the Russians decides when to start shooting and at whom." Speaking about the increased shelling, Britain's defense ministry said, "This is likely to represent an effort to break Ukrainian morale." Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged people to fight, particularly those in cities occupied by Russia.
Ukrainian President asks civilians to fight
"You should take to the streets! You should fight!" Zelenskyy said, "It is necessary to go out and drive this evil out of our cities, from our land." He urged the US and the intergovernmental military alliance NATO to send more warplanes to Ukraine. He also said the sanctions against Russia are not enough and asked western countries to build more pressure against Moscow.
'95% of deployed Russian forces enter Ukraine'
Roughly 95% of Russian forces deployed around Ukraine have now entered the country, a senior US defense official said. Moscow has been trying to isolate Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv, they said. However, the 64-km-long Russian military convoy approaching Kyiv has been stalled, they added.
Russia blames Ukraine
Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry expressed its intention to hit Ukraine's military-industrial complex with precision weapons. The ministry said Ukraine was planning to attack a nuclear reactor in Kharkiv and pin the blame on Moscow. Russia also blamed Ukraine for the fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Russia's Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to a "dialogue" about the nuclear situation in Ukraine.
What else should you know?
Ukraine and Russia are scheduled to hold a third round of peace talks on Monday. The United Nations said the death toll of Ukrainian civilians remains unknown. It pegged the toll around a few hundred, but maintained that the same could be a vast undercount. At least 1.5 million people have fled the country since Russia invaded Ukraine last Thursday.
