Ukraine: 13 Latest Developments As Russia Steps Up Air Operations
Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:
– Zelensky ready for talks –
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is ready for talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “in any format” to end the conflict.
Zelensky indicates the status of Russian-occupied Crimea and breakaway Russian-backed statelets in Donbas are up for discussion, adding that any peace deal will be put to a referendum in Ukraine.
– Russia steps up air operations –
The Pentagon says Russia is boosting air and sea military operations in Ukraine, flying more than 300 missions in the past 24 hours.
– Eight dead in mall bombing –
At least eight people are killed in the bombing of a shopping centre in northwest Kyiv. The 10-storey building is completely destroyed in the blast. Russia claims the mall was used to store rocket systems.
– Kyiv curfew –
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko announces a new curfew for the capital from 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) until Wednesday morning.
– Holocaust survivor killed –
Ninety-six-year-old Holocaust survivor Boris Romantschenko is killed by Russian shelling of Kharkiv. Romantschenko had survived detention in Buchenwald, Mittelbau-Dora and Bergen-Belsen.
– Kherson protests –
Ukraine’s leaders accuse Russian forces of firing on unarmed protesters in the occupied southern city of Kherson, with videos appearing to show residents fleeing flash-bang grenades and sustained gunfire into the air.
– Red Cross mission –
The head of the international Red Cross Peter Maurer tells AFP he will travel to Moscow this week for talks about the conduct of the war in Ukraine and efforts to secure visits with detainees.
– Russian toll –
Kremlin-allied tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda reports 9,861 Russian troops have been killed and 16,153 injured in the nearly month-old war, 20 times the official tally. The figures were quickly removed.
– Nearly 3.5 million flee –
Nearly 3.5 million Ukrainians have now fled the country following Russia’s invasion, the United Nations says, of 10 million who have been displaced from their homes.
– Biden warning to Russia –
US President Joe Biden warns Russia will pay a “severe price” if it uses chemical weapons in Ukraine.
– Warning on US-Russia ties –
Russia summons the US ambassador to Moscow to protest at Biden’s branding of counterpart Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal”, saying relations are “on the verge of rupture.”
– End to Russia-Japan talks –
Russia abandons long-running talks on a World War II peace treaty with Japan over Tokyo’s criticism of the Ukraine invasion. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida calls the move “unjustified” and “absolutely unacceptable.”
– Facebook, Instagram ban –
A Russian court bans Facebook and Instagram as “extremist”, part of the Kremlin’s sweeping efforts to censor news about the war in Ukraine.
