Deadly strikes rock Ukraine despite talks with Russia

By: 3 years ago

In this handout screen grab taken from a footage of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine released on March 13, 2022, firemen work on the aftermath of air strikes on residential buildings in Chernihiv early on March 13, 2022. | PHOTO: Handout 鈥� State of Emergency Service of Ukraine 鈥� AFP

KYIV 鈥� Russia unleashed a barrage of air strikes Monday on cities across Ukraine as the warring sides traded blame for a deadly attack in a pro-Moscow separatist region 鈥� but made little headway in ceasefire talks.

With Russian forces threatening to take 鈥渇ull control鈥� of several major cities, the fourth round of talks failed to deliver a breakthrough on the 19th day of the invasion, with negotiations to resume on Tuesday.

On the international front, high-ranking US and Chinese officials met for a marathon seven hours of talks, as the United States raised the alarm about a possible Chinese 鈥渁lignment鈥� with Russia 鈥� which the West wants to isolate over the invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbour.

The talks, which follow reports Moscow asked Beijing for military and economic assistance as its troops struggle to make ground in Ukraine, were described by a senior US official as 鈥渧ery candid鈥� 鈥� diplomatic code for a feisty exchange.

The United Nations estimates almost 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine since President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale land and air assault on February 24. It has recorded more than 600 civilian deaths, including dozens of children, though the true toll could be far higher.

Putin鈥檚 effort to control the narrative over the deadly conflict suffered a blow Monday when a dissenting employee entered the studio during Russia鈥檚 most-watched evening news broadcast, holding up a poster saying 鈥淪top the war. Don鈥檛 believe the propaganda.鈥�

An opposition protest monitor says the woman, an editor at the tightly-controlled state broadcaster Channel One, was detained following the highly unusual breach of security.

And on the opposing side of the information war, congressional leaders in Washington announced that Ukraine鈥檚 President Volodymyr Zelensky would deliver a high-profile virtual address to both chambers on Wednesday 鈥� as US lawmakers seek to ratchet up pressure on the White House to take a tougher line over Russia鈥檚 invasion.

Shelling in Kyiv

In the Ukrainian capital 鈥� now hemmed in on two sides and drained of more than half its three million residents 鈥� the latest Russian air strikes killed at least two people.

鈥淭hey say that he is too severely burned, that I won鈥檛 recognise him,鈥� sobbed Lidiya Tikhovska, 83, staring at the spot where a paramedic said the remains of her son Vitaliy lay.

鈥淚 wish Russia the same grief I feel now,鈥� she said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she clung to her grandson鈥檚 elbow for support.

A correspondent for Fox 黑料社鈥� Britain鈥檚 Benjamin Hall 鈥� was injured and hospitalized while reporting on the city outskirts, the network said, a day after a US journalist was shot dead in Irpin, a frontline Kyiv suburb.

As Russian forces shelled Kyiv, Moscow-backed separatists said fragments from a shot-down Ukrainian Tochka-U missile ripped through the centre of the eastern city of Donetsk, killing 23 people. Moscow called it a 鈥渨ar crime鈥� and rebels published images of bloody corpses strewn in the street.

But Ukraine鈥檚 army denied firing a missile at the city, with Ukrainian army spokesman Leonid Matyukhin saying in a statement: 鈥淚t is unmistakably a Russian rocket or another munition.鈥�

In neighbouring Lugansk region, meanwhile, Ukrainian commander Sergiy Gaiday said the whole Ukrainian-held zone was being bombarded, including 鈥渉omes, hospitals, schools, water, gas and electricity networks鈥� as well as trains evacuating civilians.

At the other end of the country, in a village outside the western city of Rivne, local authorities said nine people died and another nine were injured when Russian forces hit a television tower.

Under siege

At the United Nations, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm once again on the dangers of a possible showdown between atomic powers 鈥� a prospect 鈥渙nce unthinkable鈥� but 鈥渘ow back within the realm of possibility.鈥�

And he warned the war already risked triggering a 鈥渕eltdown of the global food system鈥� 鈥� with both Ukraine and Russia vital suppliers of wheat to dozens of the world鈥檚 least developed countries.

During its videoconference talks with Russian representatives, Ukraine said it was demanding 鈥減eace, an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops鈥�.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Putin had ordered his forces 鈥渢o hold back on any immediate assault on large cities because the civilian losses would be large鈥�.

However he said Russia鈥檚 defense ministry 鈥渄oes not rule out the possibility of putting large cities, which are already almost fully encircled, under its full control鈥�.

Russia鈥檚 forces had earlier focused on eastern and southern areas of Ukraine 鈥� home to more ethnic Russians 鈥� but in recent days have moved to the country鈥檚 centre.

But Russian troops have kept up their siege of southern Mariupol, where officials said nearly 2,200 people have been killed.

In a glimmer of hope for residents of the besieged port city, more than 160 civilian cars were able to leave along a humanitarian evacuation route Monday after several failed attempts.

In Kyiv only roads to the south remain open, according to the Ukrainian presidency. City authorities have set up checkpoints, and residents are stockpiling food and medicine.

The northwestern suburb of Bucha is held by Russian forces, along with parts of Irpin, Ukrainian soldiers told AFP, although the Russians are encountering resistance east and west of the capital according to AFP journalists on the scene.

鈥榃orld War III鈥�

Ukraine鈥檚 leader Zelensky on Monday renewed his call for Nato to impose a no-fly zone over his country 鈥� a day after at least 35 people were killed in Russian air strikes near the border with Nato member Poland.

鈥淚f you do not close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian missiles fall on your territory, on Nato territory, on the homes of Nato citizens,鈥� Zelensky warned in a video address.

President Joe Biden and America鈥檚 Nato allies so far have consistently refused, arguing that any attempt to establish a no-fly zone would place them in direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia.

Instead, Washington and its EU allies have poured funds and military aid into Ukraine and imposed unprecedented economic sanctions on Russia.

In Biden鈥檚 words: Nato fighting Russia 鈥渋s World War III鈥�.