Ukrainian bomb-sniffing dog helps locate nearly 100 explosives
A bomb-sniffing dog dubbed “the mascot of Chernihiv” helped rescue workers locate explosive devices in Chernihiv, Ukraine.
USA TODAY, Storyful
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday he was ready to negotiate a deal directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
In an interview with Ukrainian TV channels, Zelenskyi said he was ready to discuss a pledge by Ukraine not to seek NATO membership in exchange for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and a guarantee of Ukraine’s security.
“It’s a compromise for everyone: for the West, which doesn’t know what to do with us in relation to NATO, for Ukraine, which wants security guarantees, and for Russia, which doesn’t want any further NATO expansion,” Zelensky said.
He also repeated his call for direct talks with Putin – without them it would be unclear whether Russia even wanted to end the war, ad Zelenskyy.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army said it drove Russian troops out of Makariv, a strategic suburb of Kyiv, after a fierce battle. This prevents Russian forces from encircling the capital from the northwest, the Defense Ministry said.
The Ukrainian army said early Tuesday it had driven Russian troops out of a strategically important Kiev suburb after a bitter battle. The regained territory allowed Ukrainian forces to retake control of a key westbound highway and prevent Russian troops from encircling Kyiv from the north-west.
But Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Russian forces fighting toward Kyiv were able to partially take other northwestern suburbs, Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin, some of which have been under attack almost since the Russian military invaded late last month be.
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LATEST MOVEMENT: Mapping and tracking the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Latest developments
►Four children evacuated on Monday were among the wounded when Russian forces fired along a humanitarian border, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address.
►Russian troops used stun grenades and fired in the air to disperse protesters in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Monday.
►France and Mexico are urging UN members to mention Russia’s invasion in a resolution on the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine. But South Africa argues against this approach, saying inserting political issues could block consensus on aid to civilians.
►Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will virtually deliver his speech to the Japanese parliament on Wednesday to rally international support for his country’s fight against Russian invasion.
Russian forces have increased the number of military aircraft sorties over Ukraine in the past two days, a senior US defense official said.
The official said the Russians had conducted up to 300 sorties – a combat mission by a single plane – in the past 24 hours. Most of the flights involve air-to-ground strikes, mainly on stationary targets, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the military’s assessment.
Russia has many more planes than Ukraine, but has yet to gain air superiority over the country.
– Celina Tebor
President Joe Biden confirmed Russia’s use of hypersonic missiles in Ukraine and warned Russian President Vladimir Putin “to have our backs to the wall,” meaning he may resort to tougher tactics if the war drags on for another week.
Speaking at the Business Roundtable’s quarterly CEO meeting on Monday, Biden said Russia deployed the fast-flying missiles “because it’s the only thing they can get through Ukraine’s defenses.” He called it a “follow-up weapon” that was “nearly impossible to stop.”
“There’s a reason they’re using it,” Biden said.
Russia said it has twice used its Kinzhal missile system to attack targets in Ukraine. Hypersonic missiles can travel at five times the speed of sound or more. The Russian military said these missiles are capable of hitting targets at a range of more than 1,200 miles, roughly the distance from New York City to Kansas City.
– Courtney Subramanian
A 96-year-old Holocaust survivor was killed in a Russian bomb attack in his hometown of Kharkiv, Ukraine last week.
The victim, Borys Romanchenko, survived the Nazi concentration camps at Buchenwald, Peenemünde, Dora and Bergen-Belsen during World War II. The Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation confirmed Romanchenko’s death on Twitter on Monday.
The foundation said Romanchenko’s granddaughter told them the multi-storey building where he lived was hit by Russian shells, adding they were “deeply disturbed” by the news of his death.
— Jordan Mendoza
Contribution: The Associated Press