Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, stated that about 400 civilians sought refuge at an art school in the Sea of Azov port town when it was hit by a Russian bomb.
Russia summoned the U.S. Ambassador to protest President Joe Biden’s criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The 26-day-old Russian war against Ukraine is not slowing down. The invasion has caused destruction and taken a huge toll on civilians. According to the U.N. close to 3.4 million people fled Ukraine.
These are the key facts to understand about the conflict.
WHAT IS THE LATEST IN MARIUPOL?
This important port city has seen some the most intense fighting since Russian invasion. Block-by-block, Russian and Ukrainian soldiers fight for control of the city. At least 2,300 people have been killed in this fighting. Some are also buried in mass graves.
According to the Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian electronic warfare complex and a patrol boat.
Officials from Ukraine rejected the Russian offer to allow its troops safe passage outside the city. This would have allowed Mariupol to be handed over to Russia. It would also unite Russian forces in the region of the Sea of Azov.
Zelenskyy stated in a video address that it was unclear how many people were killed in the Russian attack on the art school. This attack occurred just days after a bomb exploded at a Mariupol theater where over 1,000 people were sheltering. It is not known how many people were injured in the attack.
Maria Fiodorova (77-year-old Mariupol resident) said Monday that nearly 90% of the city had been destroyed as she crossed into Medyka, Poland. “There are no more buildings there.”
According to the Ukrainian government, approximately 3,000 people in Mariupol were evacuated Monday.
WHAT IS HAPPENING ELSEWHERE ELSEWHERE in UKRAINE?
Zelenskyy thanked Kherson’s protestors for their courage in facing Russian troops, who used stun guns and fired in the air in an attempt to disperse a demonstration.
Zelenskyy stated that war had made ordinary Ukrainians heroes, and “the enemy doesn’t believe it’s all real.”
Zelenskyy stated in his nighttime video address that Russian forces had shelled along a humanitarian corridor Monday, wounding four children.
He claimed that the shelling occurred in Zaporizhzhia, which was the first destination for those fleeing Mariupol.
After a fierce battle, the Ukrainian army declared that it had forced Russian troops from a strategically vital Kyiv suburb. The Defense Ministry stated Tuesday that the Ukrainian forces took Makariv, 55 km (33 miles) west from the capital. This gave Russia control of an important highway and stopped it from encircling Kyiv.
The ministry stated that Russian forces were able to partially take three suburbs in the northwest, where fighting has been ongoing for several weeks.
The Russian military has stated that it will continue to use state-of the-art hypersonic Kinzhal missiles in order to strike important targets in Ukraine.
According to emergency officials, eight people were killed in Russian shelling that took place on Sunday near Kyiv’s capital. A nearby high-rise building was damaged and a shopping center was destroyed. Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson, said that it had been targeted as it was used for rocket storage. This claim could not be independently verified.
According to the Ukrainian prosecutor general, a Russian shell hit a chemical plant near Sumy. This caused a leakage in a 50-ton ammonia tank that required hours to contain.
Konashenkov claimed that an overnight cruise missile struck a Ukrainian military training facility in the Rivne area, killing 80 Ukrainian and foreign troops.
The Ukrainian nuclear regulatory agency stated Monday that radiation monitors at Chernobyl’s nuclear power plant, which was the site of the worst nuclear meltdown in 1986, have stopped working.
WHAT HAS THE AAP DIRECTLY WITNESSED?
Mstyslav Chernov, an AP video journalist, has shared his harrowing story with Evgeniy Meloletka, an AP photographer. They were the only international journalists to be present in Mariupol during the siege.
“We were the last journalists to visit Mariupol. He said, “Now there are none.”
Russian occupation of Mariupol has led to shortages in food, water, and energy. AP video captures residents pushing carts along streets and passageways littered with debris.
AP journalists who were present at the scene of Russian bombardment in Kyiv saw the destruction of the shopping mall, which was still burning Monday morning. The explosion broke every window of the next-door high-rise and bent its metal frames. Firefighters fought their way through the devastation in densely populated Podil, hearing the sound of artillery.
ARE RUSSIAN FORCES MAKE ANY ADVANCES
According to a senior U.S. defense officer, Russians have increased their military aircraft sorties over Ukraine in the last two days. This was according to an anonymous U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the military’s assessment. This includes a total of 300 sorties in the past 24 hours. Most of these involve air-to ground strikes. According to the official, Russia had already launched over 1,100 missiles against Ukraine as of Monday.
Monday’s official stated that Ukraine, which uses short- and long-range air defence systems and drones in order to strike Russian aircraft, has increased its military flights. However, he declined to give numbers.
Russia’s military has been denied an early victory and is now reverting back to the scorched earth tactics from its previous offensives in Syria, Chechnya, and pounding city with airstrikes, artillery barrages.
HOW ABOUT DIPLOMATIC EFORTS SUROUNDING CONFLICT?
The talks between Russia and Ukraine were held via video, but did not bridge the gap between the two countries. The Kremlin demanded that Ukraine disarm and declare its neutrality. Zelenskyy said late Monday that he was open to the possibility of Ukraine granting a cease-fire and withdrawing Russian troops, as well as a guarantee for Ukraine’s safety.
Zelenskyy recently suggested that Kyiv would openly discuss future discussions about the status of Crimea. Russia took it in 2014 and the Donbas regions held by Russian-backed separatists. He said, however, that this was a topic for another day after a ceasefire and security measures.
Biden will travel to Europe this week to attend a summit of NATO leaders. The summit will seek to strengthen NATO’s deterrence, defense and ability to deal with Putin. The Russian Foreign Ministry has summoned the U.S ambassador to warn that “unacceptable statements” were made by Biden regarding Putin. This apparent reference to American calling the Russian “war criminal”.
According to the White House Biden met with the leaders of France Germany Italy UK on Monday. They discussed concerns about Russia’s tactics and attacks on civilians in Ukraine. They also stressed the need for continued humanitarian and security assistance for Ukraine.
Biden added a stop in Polandto his trip to Ukraine, visiting an important ally that has accepted more than 2,000,000 Ukrainian refugees.
Biden warned U.S. businesses that Russia might be planning to launch cyberattacks on critical infrastructure.
France and Mexico have been pressing the U.N. Members of the U.N. are being urged by France and Mexico to mention Russia’s invasion as part of a resolution regarding the worsening humanitarian situation. South Africa, however, is against this approach. They fear that inserting political questions could block consensus on how to help civilians.
WHAT ARE THE CIVILIANS WHO HAVE DIE IN UKRAINE?
It is difficult to verify the exact number of casualties. The U.N. human right office recorded 1,496 injuries and 925 civilian deaths from the beginning of the conflict to Sunday. Officials in Ukraine claim that thousands of civilians were killed. Although estimates of Russian deaths vary, even conservative estimates are within the thousands.
Mariupol officials stated that at least 2,300 people died during the siege. Some were buried in mass graves. Since then, there has not been an official estimate.