The Russian army has been ordered to broaden its Ukraine advance “from all directions” after Ukraine said it had repulsed an attack on capital Kyiv but “sabotage groups” remained in the city.
Ukraine has rejected Russian suggestions that it was refusing to negotiate a ceasefire but said it was not ready to accept “unacceptable conditions” after the Kremlin accused the country of prolonging the military conflict.
Russian forces pounded Ukrainian cities with artillery and cruise missiles on Saturday but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said capital Kyiv remained in Ukrainian hands.
Russia’s invasion force is being slowed and frustrated by unexpectedly stiff resistance from Ukrainian troops, keeping them outside Kyiv, a senior US defence official has said, according to news agency AFP.
The official has said that according to information with the Pentagon, Russia now has at least 50 per cent of its massive invasion force inside Ukraine.
Germany and its Western allies have agreed to cut Russia out of the SWIFT global payment system, a spokesperson for the German government said, in a third sanctions package aimed at halting the invasion.
Ukraine President Zelensky has spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking “political support” at the United Nations after India abstained from a vote to condemn Russia’s invasion that was vetoed by Moscow.
Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Lyashko yesterday said 198 civilians, including three children, had been killed in the conflict and 1,115 wounded.
Around 3,500 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured so far, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. “We are striking the enemy around Kyiv. The enemy is not moving for now,” said Oleksiy Arestovych.
President Joe Biden has instructed the US State Department to release up to an additional $350 million worth of weapons from US stocks to Ukraine. Germany and France are also sending military equipment.
Poland has said 100,000 refugees have crossed its border from Ukraine since Russia invaded, with the UN estimating that a similar number are internally displaced. Some 50,000 have entered Hungary and Romania with thousands more crossing into Moldova.