Ukraine Invation: Moscow issues Mariupol surrender ultimatum, Kyiv refuses

Ukrainian deputy prime minister and defence minister both refused Moscow’s ultimatum for the surrender of the southern port city of Mariupol, asking for the humanitarian corridor to be established as soon as possible — an option the Kremlin refuses.

Earlier on Sunday President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of committing war crimes in Mariupol, saying in a video address that the siege of the city will go down in history for “terror that will be remembered for centuries to come”.

Monday marks the 25th day of the war in Ukraine after the invasion was launched by Moscow on 24 February.

The fighting has forced more than ten million Ukrainians to flee their homes, with thousands of people killed or wounded and widespread damage in the wake of shelling and aerial bombardments.

Only four out of seven agreed humanitarian corridors were functioning on Sunday, with some 7,000 civilians evacuated, Ukrainian authorities said.

At least eight people were killed after the shelling of a shopping centre on the outskirts of Kyiv.

The UN said on Sunday that 10 million people in Ukraine have now fled their homes since the Russian invasion.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says more progress must be made in talks with Ukraine before Russian President Vladimir Putin can meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Peskov says that “in order to talk about a meeting of the two presidents, first it’s necessary to do the homework, it’s necessary to hold talks and agree on the results.”

He adds that “so far the significant movement has not been achieved” in the talks and that “there are not any agreements which they could commit to” at a joint meeting.

Ukraine and Russia’s delegations have held several rounds of talks both in-person and more recently via video link. Zelenskyy has said he would be prepared to meet Putin directly to seek agreements on key issues.