Ukraine war: Makariv liberated, Kyiv says, as shelling of cities continues

As the war in Ukraine enters its 26th day after the invasion was launched by Moscow on 24 February, the Ukrainian army said it forced Russian troops out of Makariv, a strategically important Kyiv suburb, preventing Moscow forces from encircling the capital from the northwest.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday night he is ready to consider committing Ukraine not to join NATO in exchange for a ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian armed forces from the country.

“It’s a compromise for everyone: for the West, which doesn’t know what to do with us with regard to NATO, for Ukraine, which wants security guarantees, and for Russia, which doesn’t want further NATO expansion,” Zelenskyy said late Monday in an interview with domestic television channels.

He also repeated his call for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Unless he meets with Putin, it is impossible to understand whether Russia even wants to stop the war, Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said that Kyiv will be ready to discuss the status of Crimea and the eastern Donbas region held by Russian-backed separatists after a ceasefire and steps toward providing security guarantees.

Russian air forces increased their activity, flying over 300 sorties in 24 hours by early Tuesday. However, they are not believed to have established air dominance, Western intelligence sources claim.

The United Nations says 10 million people in Ukraine have now fled their homes since the Russian invasion began at the end of February.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson is warning of a “huge risk” that Ukrainian children and women fleeing the war may fall victim to human trafficking.

Radiation monitors at Chernobyl ‘have stopped working’, Ukraine’s nuclear regulatory agency said on Monday.

LENS, AP, AFP