Russia stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian cities from Sunday evening into Monday as officials warned that aggressors were preparing to storm the capital Kyiv.
Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, and Chernihiv and Nikolayev, two cities surrounding Kyiv, are facing increased artillery fire as the war enters its 12th day with no end in sight.
“The enemy continues the offensive operation against Ukraine,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement.
Russian forces “began to accumulate resources for the assault on Kyiv,” the statement said.
Moscow announced a limited ceasefire from Monday morning and the opening of humanitarian corridors to allow the evacuation of civilians from Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy. It is not yet clear how long the ceasefire will last.
Russian attacks – by air, land and sea – have forced more than 1.5 million refugees to flee Ukraine.
The death toll from the conflict on Monday remained unclear. The United Nations confirmed several hundred casualties but warned that the actual number was likely much higher.
About eight civilians, including a family, were killed in a Russian shelling on Sunday in the Kiev suburb of Irpin, Mayor Alexander Markyshyn said.
Moscow’s ongoing offensive comes against the backdrop of a third round of talks with Ukrainian leaders scheduled for Monday.
Many Ukrainians have heeded President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call to fight the Russian invaders, who have met with fierce resistance, especially north of Kyiv.
“You must go outside! You must fight!” He stated this on Saturday on Ukrainian television. “We must go out and expel this evil from our cities, from our land.”
The lifeless body of a man killed in a Russian rocket attack lies among the rubble in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city. Photo by AP/Andrey Marienko
About 20,000 foreign volunteers also responded to Zelensky’s call for help and signed up to fight in Ukraine.
Russian troops have made significant gains in southern Ukraine and along the coast, though many of their efforts have stalled, including a military convoy north of Kyiv that has been nearly immobile for days.
The southern port city of Mariupol was in dire need of food, water, medicine and other supplies. There have already been two unsuccessful attempts to evacuate civilians from the city.
In another address to his country, Zelensky called Russian troops assassins and ridiculed Western governments for calling them “silent” about the invasion.
The West has given Ukraine broad support, offering aid and weapons, and imposing massive sanctions on Russia. But NATO troops were not sent to Ukraine.
A Ukrainian soldier assists a wounded soldier in Irpin. A ceasefire planned this Sunday in the Ukrainian town of Irpin to establish a humanitarian corridor failed, leaving many to flee as the Russians attacked.© Diego Herrera/Contacto via ZUMA Press
Zelenskiy has so far unsuccessfully pleaded with the US and NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine so that his forces can fight Russian troops invading his country and stop the bombing of “non-militarized zones.”
On Sunday, US lawmakers warned that the imposition of a no-fly zone could potentially trigger World War III.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the US had given Poland a “green light” to send fighter jets to Ukraine. He added that the US is working on “what we could do to meet their needs if they do decide to provide these fighter jets to the Ukrainians.” Nearly all of Ukraine’s warplanes have reportedly been destroyed.
Refugees fleeing the war line up on their way to the border with Poland in Shehyni, Ukraine. Photo by AP/Daniel Cole
Congress intends to greenlight the Biden administration’s request for $10 billion in aid to Ukraine, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to Democrats released Sunday night.
The California Democrat said the House of Representatives is also “currently studying” a bill that would further isolate Russia on the world stage.
“Our bill would ban Russian oil and energy imports to the United States, end normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus, and take the first step toward denying Russia access to the World Trade Organization,” Pelosi said.
In Irpin, a factory and a shop are on fire after shelling. AP/Emilio Morenatti
Both TikTok and Netflix stopped service in Russia on Sunday. Facebook and Twitter are already blocked in Russia.
American Express announced the suspension of operations there and in allied Russia Belarus. In addition, two of the Big Four accounting firms, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, have announced they are pulling out of Russia.
With mail wires