Fighters of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces, the military reserve of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, stand guard by concrete blocks blocking a street in the center of Kyiv on February 28, 2022. AFP
KYIV 鈥� A huge Russian military convoy was massing on the outskirts of Ukraine鈥檚 capital Tuesday as fears grew the invading forces were set to launch devastating assaults aimed at taking control of Kyiv and other major cities.
Satellite images showed a long build-up of armoured vehicles and artillery starting 29 kilometers (18 miles) north of the city, as Moscow defied mounting global pressure and a wave of international sanctions that have smashed Russia鈥檚 economy.
Initial ceasefire talks between Moscow and Kyiv on Monday failed to secure a breakthrough, with Russia shelling residential areas in Ukraine鈥檚 second city Kharkiv and other areas of the country after the negotiations.
The Russian army has been regrouping and massing its forces over the past 24 hours 鈥減rimarily to encircle and take control of Kyiv and other major cities,鈥� the general staff of Ukraine鈥檚 armed forces wrote on Facebook.
The column is more than 65 kilometers long and covers the entire road from near Antonov airport outside Kyiv to the town of Prybirsk, US satellite imaging company Maxar said.
鈥淪ome vehicles are spaced fairly far apart while in other sections military equipment and units are traveling two or three vehicles abreast on the road,鈥� Maxar said.
The images also showed 鈥渁dditional ground forces deployments and ground attack helicopter units鈥� in southern Belarus near the Ukraine border.
Eastern city Kharkiv鈥檚 mayor Igor Terekhov, quoted by Ukrainian media, warned that Moscow鈥檚 armoured vehicles and tanks are 鈥渆verywhere around the city鈥�.
Russian forces killed several civilians including children late Monday, he said.
鈥楩lowers for the grave鈥�
The mayor of Kherson, Igor Kolykhayev, also wrote on Facebook that the Russian army had set up checkpoints at all of the city鈥檚 entrances, but said it 鈥渞emains Ukrainian鈥� and 鈥渨ill be able to resist鈥�.
Explosions were also reported in and around Brovary, a city on the outskirts of the capital.
In Kyiv, many were preparing for a fresh assault with makeshift barricades dotting the streets.
鈥淲e will greet them with Molotov cocktails and bullets to the head,鈥� bank employee Viktor Rudnichenko told AFP. 鈥淭he only flowers they might get from us will be for their grave.鈥�
More than 350 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed since the invasion last Thursday, Ukraine says, while more than half a million people have fled the country.
Moscow claimed Monday it had 鈥済ained air superiority over the entire territory of Ukraine鈥�.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a global ban on Russian planes and ships entering the world鈥檚 airports and seaports in a bid to stem Moscow鈥檚 assault.
War crimes probe
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his demands to bring the war to an end in a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Monday.
They included recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea and Ukraine鈥檚 demilitarization.
Instead, Western nations have moved to increasingly isolate Russia, responding with an intensifying diplomatic, economic, cultural and sporting backlash.
The weekend featured a momentous series of announcements from Europe, with Germany unveiling a historic change to its defence policies.
The EU also said it would buy and supply arms to Ukraine, the first such move in its history.
Moscow came under fire on Monday at the UN General Assembly and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which opened a war crimes investigation.
鈥淚 am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine鈥� since 2014, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement.
Russia also faced urgent calls at an extraordinary UN General Assembly debate to end its 鈥渦nprovoked鈥� and 鈥渦njustified鈥� assault.
Inside the General Assembly hall Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded: 鈥淭he fighting in Ukraine must stop. Enough is enough.鈥�
The United States expelled 12 members of Moscow鈥檚 UN mission from America on Monday for being 鈥渋ntelligence operatives鈥�.
Canada announced a ban on Russian oil imports Monday.
The European Union and its allies were also preparing more sanctions against Russia in the coming days to 鈥渞aise the cost鈥� of war in Ukraine, an aide to Macron told reporters.
And Turkey said it would implement an international treaty to limit ships passing through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits, a move requested by Ukraine to block the transit of Russian warships.
The Russian ruble crashed to a record low as sanctions imposed by the West over the weekend had an immediate impact in Moscow, forcing the central bank to more than double its key interest rate to 20 percent.
Putin also announced emergency measures intended to prop up the ruble, including banning residents from transferring money abroad.
Many Russians raced to withdraw cash.
Retired soldier Edward Sysoyev, 51, fidgeted impatiently while in line at a bank in Moscow.
鈥淣inety percent of Russians are going to rush to withdraw their rubles and change them into dollars, property or even gold鈥� it鈥檒l be ordinary people who pay for this military bun-fight,鈥� he said.
Sporting isolation
The response from the world of sports also gathered steam, as Russia was expelled from the World Cup and the country鈥檚 clubs and national teams were suspended from all international football competitions 鈥渦ntil further notice鈥�, FIFA and UEFA said.
The International Olympic Committee on Monday urged sports federations and organisers to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from international events.
Authorities in badminton, rugby, ice hockey, basketball and Formula One have all moved to act against Russia, either banning Russian national teams and clubs, or suspending events in Russia.
The growing sporting isolation comes as hundreds of thousands flee their homes west into Europe after the Russian invasion.
More than half a million people have already fled abroad, the UN refugee agency said Monday, with neighboring Poland alone having taken in nearly 300,000 people.
Many more are expected to follow.
Iryna Plakhuta, a pregnant 43-year-old executive, had to leave her family behind in the capital because of fears over her safety.
鈥淥ur husbands stayed in Kyiv,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey are protecting Ukraine. It鈥檚 so hard.鈥�
RELATED STORIES
Russia鈥檚 attack slowing down? Not so fast, experts say
鈥楿nprovoked and unjustified:鈥� world reacts to attack on Ukraine
Ukraine鈥檚 president vows to stay put as Russian invaders approach
Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine: Day 5 situation on the ground