Live: Huge Russian military convoy advances on Kyiv

 Russian artillery bombarded residential districts of Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv on Monday, with Moscow facing increasing international isolation as talks to resolve the conflict failed to make a breakthrough. Ukrainian officials said the Kharkiv attacks had killed civilians, including children. Follow our liveblog for updates.

Reports of a Russian air strike on Kyiv.

Cars are seen through the damaged window of a vehicle hit by bullets, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 28, 2022

Satellite images show a huge convoy of Russian armour is advancing on Kyiv.

Russian artillery bombarded residential districts of Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv on Monday, killing possibly dozens of people, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the US said Russia had used a vacuum bomb on Monday in its invasion of Kyiv says 352 civilians have been killed, including 14 children, since the invasion began last Thursday.

The first talks aimed at stopping the fighting between Ukraine and Russia ended Monday with no agreement.

The International Criminal Court plans to open an investigation into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and alleged war crimes committed there.

The UN refugee agency says more than half a million refugees have now fled Ukraine for neighbouring countries.

UN General Assembly holds emergency session began meeting on the crisis in Ukraine on Monday ahead of a vote this week to isolate Russia by deploring its “aggression against Ukraine” and demanding Russian troops stop fighting and withdraw.

US expels 12 Russian UN staff for ‘espionage activities’
Russian President Vladimir Putin tells his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the “demilitarisation and denazification” of Ukraine and Western recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula are prerequisites to ending fighting.

Zelensky says that Kyiv remains “a key goal” for Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russian troops have intensified shelling of Ukraine, calling it an effort to force his government into making concessions.

In a video address late Monday, Zelenskyy says that “the talks were taking place against the backdrop of bombing and shelling of our territory, our cities. Synchronising of the shelling with the negotiating process was obvious. I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method.”

The president gave no details about the hours-long talks themselves. But he says Ukraine is not prepared to make concessions “when one side is hitting each other with rocket artillery.”

Zelensky says that Kyiv, the capital, remains “a key goal” for the Russians and that Russian forces have also shelled the city of Kharkiv with rocket artillery.

Artillery reportedly kills 70 Ukrainian soldiers

More than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, the head of the region wrote on Telegram.

Dmytro Zhyvytskyy posted photographs of the charred shell of a four-story building and rescuers searching rubble. In a later Facebook post, he said many Russian soldiers and some local residents also were killed during the fighting on Sunday. The report could not immediately be confirmed.

To Know More:https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220228-live-kyiv-residents-take-shelter-amidst-reports-of-russian-air-strike