Russian officials announced on March 1 that the military would launch a strike at the site of Kyiv, Ukraine’s largest city, after accusing Russia of exploding in Ukraine’s second largest city.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the military would attack the site of Kyiv, which belongs to Ukrainian security and special operations forces, according to the state news agency.
The ministry said the attack was aimed at stopping “information attacks on Russia” and urged Ukrainians to evacuate the area around the site.
According to Ukrainian, American and British officials, the main purpose of the Russian army is to occupy Kyiv, which has a population of about 2.8 million.
Russian armor pillars were approaching Kyiv on Tuesday.
Photos released by US satellite company Maxar show that Russian tank trucks, cannons, and fuel trucks stretch 40 miles (60 km) along the northern highway.
Still, progress in Kyiv “has made little progress in the last 24 hours,” the UK Ministry of Defense said.
“Kyiv is the main target for the enemy,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who remains in the capital of the Ukrainian rally, said in a message overnight. “We neutralize them all.”
Presidential adviser Olexi Arrestovich said in a briefing that Russian troops fired cannons in Kyiv and the southern port city of Mariupol, and the Ukrainian side shot down Russian military aircraft around the capital.
Ukraine also reported a strike on Kharkov, the second largest city in the country.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on the sixth day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a “Russian barbaric missile attack” targeted Kharkov’s Central Freedom Square and residential areas.
Kreva accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing war crimes. According to Ukraine, civilians were reported among the dozens killed in Kharkov.
A video shared by Ukrainian authorities showed a huge fireball and a large smoke of black smoke that seemed to cover some civilian cars.
Oleg Sinegbov, head of the Kharkov region, said the missile attack struck a residential area.
“Such an attack is a genocide of Ukrainians and a war crime against civilians!” Sinegbov said the city’s defenses are still ongoing.
Russian troops first entered Kharkov on Sunday morning, but the mayor of Kharkov said Ukraine had regained control of the city by evening.
Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Oksana Marcarova, said Russians used vacuum bombs in addition to missiles after meeting with MPs in Washington.
“They used vacuum bombs that are actually banned by the Geneva Convention today, so the devastation Russia is trying to give to Ukraine is great. But we Ukrainians resist. We Is protecting the house. There is no other choice. Never get bored. We will not stop. We will not surrender, “she said.
Russian officials appeared to be arguing behind at least some strikes.
“Russian troops are not occupying Ukrainian territory. We are taking every step to protect the lives and security of civilians. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoig is briefing in Moscow and strikes are military targets. I would like to emphasize that it is done only against it and that it uses only precision weapons. “
“Russian troops do not strike civilian infrastructure or residential areas during special operations. This is out of the question. We are only talking about Ukraine’s demilitarization and military structure. Putin’s spokes. Dmitry Peskov, Mann, said:
The International Criminal Court is seeking approval to investigate alleged war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.
Russian officials claimed that the Ukrainian side used civilians as human shields and placed weapons such as mortars in the courtyards of residential buildings and near schools.
Peskov also emphasized that sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries will not change Russia’s course in Ukraine.
Russia states that it has invaded Ukraine in an attempt to “denazify” it because its neighbors did not comply with the agreement reached many years ago.
Ukraine said the aggression lacked legitimacy and called on Putin to order the complete withdrawal of the army.
The ceasefire negotiations ended on February 28, with no immediate results. According to Ukrainian media, the second round was scheduled for March 2.
Isabel van Brugen and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Zachary Stieber covers US and world news. He is based in Maryland.