Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:
– Russia seeks ‘substantial’ talks –
Russia says it would like its peace talks with Ukraine to be “more active and substantial” after several rounds of inconclusive negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renews his offer of direct talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The Ukrainian leader indicates he is prepared to put the status of Russian-occupied Crimea and breakaway Russian-backed statelets in Donbas — a highly sensitive issue – on the table, adding that any deal would be put to a referendum in Ukraine.
– New Mariupol rescue bid –
Ukrainian authorities announce a new bid to rescue civilians from the bombed-out southern port of Mariupol.
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says authorities will try to get all remaining inhabitants out of the city, which Human Rights Watch describes as a “freezing hellscape riddled with dead bodies and destroyed buildings”.
– Trust fund for Ukraine –
EU leaders intend to set up a “trust fund” for Ukraine to help it rebuild after the war, according to a draft document seen by AFP ahead of an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday that US President Joe Biden is scheduled to attend.
The document commits to helping “the reconstruction of a democratic Ukraine.”
– Warning on chemical weapons –
US President Joe Biden warns Russia will pay a “severe price” if it uses chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine.
He says Moscow’s claim that the US helped Ukraine develop biological weapons is “a clear sign” President Vladimir Putin is himself considering biological or chemical warfare.
– 300 missions in 24 hours –
The Pentagon says Russia is boosting air and sea military operations in Ukraine, flying more than 300 missions in the past 24 hours, in a bid to break Ukrainian resistance.
– New Kyiv curfew –
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko announces a new curfew for the capital from 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Monday to 7:00 am on Wednesday after the bombing of a shopping centre in northwest Kyiv, in which at least eight people were killed.
– Holocaust survivor killed –
Ninety-six-year-old Holocaust survivor Boris Romantschenko is killed by Russian shelling in Kharkiv. Romantschenko had survived detention in Buchenwald, Mittelbau-Dora and Bergen-Belsen.
– Protesters under fire –
Ukraine’s leaders accuse Russian forces of firing on unarmed protesters in the occupied southern city of Kherson. Videos emerge showing residents fleeing flash-bang grenades and bursts of gunfire during the latest demonstration against the Russian invasion.
– Red Cross mission –
The head of the international Red Cross, Peter Maurer, tells AFP he will travel to Moscow this week for talks on the conduct of the war in Ukraine and efforts to secure visits with detainees.
– Russian toll –
Kremlin-allied tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda reports 9,861 Russian troops have been killed and 16,153 injured in the nearly month-old war, 20 times the official tally. The figures are quickly removed from its website.
– Nearly 3.5 million flee –
Nearly 3.5 million Ukrainians have now fled the country following Russia’s invasion, the United Nations says, of the 10 million who have been displaced from their homes.
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