Russia's offensive continues despite signs of progress in the talks
Russia's offensive continues despite signs of progress in the talks
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Russian military demolished a theatre in Mariupol where hundreds of people were refuge on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian authorities, and rained fire on other cities, despite the two sides projecting confidence about efforts to negotiate a cease-fire.

According to Ukraine’s foreign ministry, the attack smashed up the middle of the once-elegant structure, which housed hundreds of residents whose homes had been destroyed in the war.

The statement said that numerous individuals were buried in the wreckage, but there was no immediate news on how many people were killed or injured. According to the Maxar space technology business, satellite images from Monday revealed the word “children” painted in enormous white Russian letters in front of and behind the structure.

On Twitter, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba described the strike as a “vast Russian attack.”

On Wednesday, the Russian defence ministry denied that a bomb was dropped on the theatre or anywhere else in Mariupol.

Russian soldiers shelled locations in and around Kyiv, including a residential district 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) from the presidential palace, as inhabitants huddled in homes and shelters behind a citywide curfew that lasts until Thursday morning. After being struck by shrapnel, a 12-story apartment building in central Kyiv caught fire.

According to the Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s Office, ten persons were slain while waiting in line for food in Chernihiv in the north.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke before the US Congress via video and pleaded with the US for additional weaponry and stiffer sanctions against Russia, using Pearl Harbor and 9/11 as examples, stating, “We need you right now.”

President Joe Biden said that the United States will provide Ukraine an additional $800 million in military help, including new anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons, as well as drones. In his strongest rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin since the invasion began, Obama called him a “war criminal.”

The International Court of Justice, often known as the World Court, ordered Russia to halt attacking Ukraine, albeit there was little prospect it would comply. In addition, Russia was excluded from the 47-nation Council of Europe, the continent’s premier human rights forum.

The Russians have began shelling the outskirts of Odesa, Ukraine’s third-largest city and a vital naval and maritime hub, according to a senior US defence official. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss US military assessments, said Russia’s intentions were unclear, but that Western officials have long been concerned about a land assault on the coastal city.

In the most explicit language yet, Zelenskyy conceded Tuesday that Ukraine is unlikely to achieve its aim of joining NATO, raising hopes for diplomatic progress to end the war. Ukraine’s NATO ambitions have long been portrayed by Putin as a threat to Russia.

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Lavrov praised Zelenskyy’s remark, saying that the “businesslike atmosphere” that is emerging in the discussions “gives hope that we may reach an agreement on this problem.”

Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s lead negotiator, said the two sides were discussing a possible compromise for a smaller, non-aligned military in Ukraine.

Russian assertions that Ukraine was open to adopting a neutrality model similar to Sweden or Austria were debunked by Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. To stay safe, Ukraine, according to Podolyak, needs strong partners and “clearly defined security assurances.”

The status of Crimea, which Russia invaded and annexed in 2014, and the separatist-held Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia recognises as separate, is another cause of contention. Both are considered part of Ukraine’s landmass.

“Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of civilians,” Zelenskyy stated in a speech to Congress. However, Biden has turned down Zelenskyy’s pleas to send aeroplanes to Ukraine or impose a no-fly zone over the nation, citing the risk of escalating a conflict between the US and Russia.

The besieged city of Mariupol has been hit the hardest, with more least 2,300 people killed by missile strikes and shelling, according to local officials. The 430,000-strong southern seaport has been under siege for for the whole three-week conflict, leaving residents without food, water, heat, or medication.

“Kindergartens, museums, churches, residential buildings, and engineering infrastructure are all suffering from the incessant firing,” Kyiv regional chairman Oleksiy Kuleba stated.

According to Zelenskyy chief of staff Andriy Yermak, the mayor of Melitopol, who was kidnapped by Russian soldiers five days ago, has been released. He didn’t say how he got his freedom.

After a suspected Ukrainian strike on Tuesday, satellite photographs from Planet Labs PBC examined by The Associated Press showed helicopters and vehicles blazing at the Russian-controlled Kherson airport and air base.