Earlier the town's mayor made a similar claim about Irpin in the capital's northwestern suburbs, that was the scene of fierce recent fighting.
The unprovoked war Russia has waged in Ukraine is into its second month. As Moscow's offensive stalls in the face of strong Ukrainian resistance, Putin's forces continue to pound targets from afar.
Planned humanitarian corridors to evacuate besieged and terrorised civilians have faltered. Millions of people have fled their homes, while thousands of civilians and military personnel have been killed in the fighting, which has left widespread devastation.
See a summary of Monday's developments in our blog below, and watch our report in the video player above.
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Monday: Key points to know
- Ukraine claims to have "liberated" the town of Irpin, near Kyiv, from Russian forces -- one of several areas in which the Ukrainian army has made reported gains.
- Kyiv suspended all "humanitarian corridors" on Monday for fear that Russia may attack civilians using them.
- Mariupol officials have estimated that 5,000 people have died in the besieged city since the Russian invasion. The mayor has warned of a "humanitarian catastrophe' if evacuations continue to be blocked.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he has launched an effort to achieve a humanitarian cease-fire.
- Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiators experienced symptoms consistent with poisoning earlier in March after a meeting in Kyiv, according to the Wall Street Journal and investigative site Bellingcat. Talks are due to resume in Turkey on Tuesday.
- Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's last independent news outlets, has said it is closing down in the wake of the heightened clampdown on press freedom.
- The G7 (Group of Seven) major economies rejected a Kremlin demand that some countries pay in rubles for Russia's natural gas.
Mairupol escapee condemns Russian 'mass murder'
A survivor of the Russian siege of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol has spoken to the Associated Press about the dire humanitarian and security situation she endured until she managed to escape.
"My mum and I escaped miraculously four days ago," said Alina Beskrovna, 31, moments after reaching Poland at the Medyka border crossing.
"We went with a friend who was lucky enough to have his car operating and who had enough fuel to get us to Zaporizhzhia."
"People live in basements. There is no gas, no electricity, no heating, no cell phone service. We melt snow to have at least something to drink. We cook on open fires under shelling and bombs just because if you don't, you will have nothing to eat.
"The guys from our basement will make water trips to the well about five kilometres away from the basement every other morning, depending on the shelling. It's really bad, the Grads (Grad missiles) hit my house and a huge bomb landed very much nearby.
"There is lack of food. There is no drinking water. There is no medicine. A lot of people are just, I think, starving to death in their apartments right now with no help.
"The situation in Mariupol is just horrific. It's a humanitarian crisis. It's a mass murder that's happening at the hands of the Russians."
(AP)
UN chief launches effort for Ukraine humanitarian cease-fire
The United Nations chief launched an initiative Monday to immediately explore possible arrangements for “a humanitarian cease-fire in Ukraine” in order to allow the delivery of desperately needed aid and pave the way for serious political negotiations to end the month-long war.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he used his “good offices” and asked Undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths, the head of the U.N.’s worldwide humanitarian operations, to explore the possibility of a cease-fire with Russia and Ukraine. He said Griffiths has already made some contacts.
“I hope that he will be able to go to both Moscow and Kyiv as soon as that becomes possible,” Guterres said. “It’s very important to establish a serious dialogue with both parties in relation to the possibility of this humanitarian cease-fire.”
The 193-member U.N. General Assembly, by an overwhelming majority of about 140 nations, has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine twice -- on March 2 and on March 24 -- and Guterres told reporters he thinks “this is the moment” for the United Nations “to assume the initiative.”
(AP)
Biden says remark on Putin's power was about 'moral outrage'
President Joe Biden said Monday that he would make “no apologies” and wasn't “walking anything back” after his weekend comment that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power." The president also insisted he's not calling for regime change in Moscow.
“I was expressing the moral outrage that I felt toward this man,” Biden said. "I wasn't articulating a policy change."
The president's jarring remark about Putin, which came at the end of a Saturday speech in Warsaw that was intended to rally democracies for a long global struggle against autocracy, stirred controversy in the United States and rattled some allies in Western Europe.
Biden on Monday rejected the idea that his comment could escalate tensions over the war in Ukraine or that it would feed Russian propaganda about Western aggression.
“Nobody believes ... I was talking about taking down Putin," Biden said, adding that “the last thing I want to do is engage in a land war or a nuclear war with Russia.”
He said he was expressing an “aspiration" rather than a goal of American foreign policy.
(AP)
Irpin 'liberated' as Ukrainian forces claim to have regained more ground
Ukraine said on Monday night that its forces had "liberated" the town of Irpin, in the suburbs of the capital Kyiv.
"The city is now liberated, but it is still dangerous to be there," said Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky.
“In fact, this is what is happening now in a parallel way: the armed forces are advancing, the police are advancing and immediately a total clean-up is done in the streets,” the minister said again.
Earlier the town's mayor made a similar claim (see earlier post), adding that a "mopping-up operation" was underway.
The main checkpoint on the road to Irpin out of Kyiv was open again on Monday, two weeks after it was closed to the media following the death of an American journalist.
But the fighting continued, with about twenty strong explosions of shells heard during the day on Monday in the pine forest that crosses this axis of six kilometres long, noted AFP journalists at the scene.
Irpin was the scene of fierce battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces earlier this month.
It comes on a day of claims that the Ukrainians have made several inroads into Russian-held territory.
A senior US defence official said Washington believes the Ukrainians have retaken the town of Trostyanets, south of Sumy, in the east.
On the eastern outskirts of Kharkiv, the country's second city, Ukrainian forces have regained control of a village, an AFP journalist noted on Monday.
(AP, AFP)
North Macedonia expels Russian diplomats
The North Macedonian foreign ministry says it is expelling five members of staff from Russia's embassy because of "activities that are contrary to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations".
Its statement says the Russian ambassador was summoned on Monday to be told the employees were undesirable and have to leave within five days.
Severe internet disruption in Ukraine, NetBlocks reports
There was a major internet disruption registered on the national provider in Ukraine, internet observatory NetBlocks said, with internet collapsing to 13% of pre-war levels.
National provider Ukrtelecom said in response to questions from customers on Facebook that the disruption was due to a cyberattack. They responded to several customer comments on Facebook that there were connection problems.
"Real-time network data show an ongoing and intensifying nation-scale disruption to service, which is the most severe registered since the invasion by Russia," NetBlocks said in a tweet.
Roman Abramovich and members of Ukrainian peace negotiations suffered poisoning, Bellingcat and WSJ report
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and members of the Ukrainian peace negotiations experienced symptoms consistent with poisoning, Bellingcat and the Wall Street Journal have reported.
Bellingcat said the three people, including Abramovich, had taken part in negotiations and later experienced "eye and skin inflammation and piercing pain in the eyes".
"A Bellingcat investigator was asked to help provide an examination by chemical weapons specialists," the investigative outlet reported.
Euronews could not immediately independently confirm the report.
UN seeking 'humanitarian ceasefire' in Ukraine, Guterres says
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday the international organisation is seeking a humanitarian ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, as the civilian toll continues to rise a month after Moscow's invasion began.
Guterres said he had asked UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths "immediately to explore with the parties involved the possible agreements and arrangements for a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine."
(AFP)
'At least 5,000 killed' overall in Mariupol — officials
At least 5,000 people have been killed in Mariupol since the start of the Russian invasion, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency in charge of humanitarian corridors, told AFP on Monday.
"About 5,000 people have been buried, but people have not been buried for ten days because of the continuous bombardments",,declared Tetiana Lomakina, estimating that "given the number of people still under the rubble (...) could be around 10,000 dead.
Reuters also quoted a spokesperson for the city mayor as saying nearly 5,000 people have been killed in the southeastern port, besieged and bombarded by Russian forces.
The spokesperson quoted data from the mayor's office that said about 90% of buildings in Mariupol had been damaged and about 40% had been destroyed.
Reports on Monday quoted the mayor Vadym Boychenko as predicting a "humanitarian catastrophe" unless an estimated 160,000 people trapped in the city were moved out.
The city authorities estimated in mid-March that more than 2,000 civilians had been killed there since the invasion began.
Irpin mayor claims city 'liberated' from Russian troops
The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Irpin, close to the capital Kyiv, claimed on the Monday the city had been "liberated" from Russian troops.
"Today we have liberated Irpin," Oleksandr Markushyn said in video address posted on Facebook. "Now we are carrying out a mopping-up operation."
In the address Markushyn said people should not return to the city as it was "not safe yet" and he expected further attacks.
He added that Ukrainian forces would next move to liberate other cities near Kyiv, including Bucha, Hostomel, Vorzel.
(AP)
EU judicial agency announces 3-nation team to probe war crimes
European Union judicial coordination agency Eurojust says it has helped Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine to establish a joint investigation team to probe war crimes, crimes against humanity and other crimes committed in Ukraine.
The Hague-based agency said Monday that the three nations signed an agreement on Friday establishing the team. Eurojust says it provided legal and technical support.
Eurojust says the main aim of the team is to “support the gathering of evidence and its swift and secure exchange between partners, as well as the transmission of information and evidence.”
Eurojust adds that the team will help the three nations cooperate with International Criminal Court prosecution office, which also has opened an investigation in Ukraine.
Within the first month of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Polish prosecutors said they had collected some 300 witness testimonies from refugees pouring over the border.
Joint investigation teams help nations pool resources and knowledge during complex international investigations. The Netherlands and other countries set up such a team to investigate the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine.
(AP)
Slovenia reinstates diplomatic presence in Kyiv
Slovenia says it has reinstated a diplomatic representative in Kyiv and reopened the country’s embassy in Ukraine.
The ministry says Slovenia’s embassy in Kyiv reopened on Monday after the arrival of the interim charge d’affaires Bostjan Lesjak. Slovenia’s ambassador to Ukraine remains in Rzeszow, a town on the Polish-Ukrainian border.
Slovenia’s move comes after Prime Minister Janez Jansa urged European Union countries to restore their presence in Kyiv in support for Ukraine. Jansa visited Kyiv this month along with the prime ministers of Poland and the Czech Republic.
He said on Twitter on Monday that “we are back.” Jansa adds that “the Slovenian and European flags flutter again in front of the Slovenian Embassy in Kyiv.”
Slovenia’s Foreign Ministry said that Lesjak said upon arrival that the city was deserted, and that alarms and detonations could be heard in the distance.
(AP)
Russian stock market slumps as full trading resumes
Russian shares have slumped as its stock market resumed trading of all companies after a monthlong halt following the invasion of Ukraine.
The benchmark MOEX index slid 2.2% Monday after the Moscow Exchange reopened for all of its several hundred listed companies, but with restrictions still in place to limit volatility.
The last full trading session in Moscow was on Feb. 25, a day after the index tumbled by a third after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
Prices whipsawed last week when the exchange tentatively reopened for two days of limited trading, with investors allowed to trade only 33 of the MOEX index’s 50 companies.
Some restrictions remained in place Monday to prevent another big selloff. The daily session is shortened to four hours and there is a ban on short-selling, which essentially involves betting on stock prices to go down. Foreigners also are unable to sell shares until Friday.
(AP)
Ukraine suspends humanitarian corridors fearing Russian 'provocations'
The Ukrainian government says it is halting all civilian evacuations on Monday for fear of Russian "provocations". It comes ahead of a new session of face-to-face talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Turkey.
“Our intelligence has reported possible provocations by the occupiers on the humanitarian corridor routes. Therefore, for security reasons for civilians, no humanitarian corridors will be open today,” Deputy Prime Minister Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram.
Humanitarian corridors are usually organised daily from the towns most affected by the fighting to allow the evacuation of civilians.
Ukraine has repeatedly denounced Russian attacks on these corridors, especially around Mariupol.
Earlier, the besieged city's mayor warned of a "humanitarian catastrophe" unless it was evacuated of its estimated 160,000 population still trapped (see post below).
(with AFP)
G7 to reject Russian demand for energy payments in rubles, says Germany
Germany’s energy minister says the Group of Seven major economies have agreed to reject Russia’s demand to pay for Russian energy imports in rubles.
Robert Habeck told reporters Monday that “all G7 ministers agreed completely that this (would be) a one-sided and clear breach of the existing contracts”.
He said Vladimir Putin's demand showed the Russian leader had his "back to the wall".
Habeck said after an online meeting with G7 energy ministers that “payment in rubles is not acceptable and we will urge the companies affected not to follow Putin’s demand”, calling Russia an "unreliable supplier".
Vladimir Putin announced last week that Russia would no longer accept payments in dollars or euros for gas deliveries to the EU, giving Russian authorities a week to work out a new ruble settlement system.
"Putin's attempt to divide us is obvious", added Habeck, whose country chairs the G7 this year (US, UK, France, Canada, Japan, Germany and Italy).
Asked by reporters earlier Monday if Russia could cut gas supplies to European customers if they reject the demand to pay for the Russian gas in rubles, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “we clearly aren’t going to supply gas for free”.
(AP, AFP)
Mariupol mayor warns of 'humanitarian catastrophe'
Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne has quoted the mayor of Mariupol as saying that around 160,000 people remain in the besieged port city, and that a “humanitarian catastrophe” would ensue if more evacuations are not possible.
Vadym Boychenko said Monday that Russian forces were preventing civilians from evacuating from the city and had been turning back some who tried to make it out.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich has said that Moscow's announcement it intends to concentrate efforts on "liberating" the Donbas region could lead to a worsening of the situation around Mariupol.
The city authorities estimated in mid-March that more than 2,000 civilians have been killed in the city since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Mariupol, which had a pre-war population of more than 400,000, has seen some of the worst conditions. Russian forces have pounded the city, and scores of civilians have been unable to escape, with no access to essentials and cut off from communication with the shelling of cell, radio and TV towers.
(AP, AFP)
Carlsberg becomes latest beer brand to announce Russia exit
Danish brewing giant Carlsberg announced on Monday that it is pulling out of the Russian market, and putting its extensive operations in the country -- which employs 8,400 staff -- up for sale.
"We have taken the difficult and immediate decision to aim for a complete sale of our Russian operations, which we believe is the right thing to do in the current environment. Once finalised, we will no longer have a presence in Russia" the company said in a statement.
The announcement comes just hours after Dutch brewing giant Heineken said it would stop its Russia operations.
Germany could prosecute people who use pro-Russia Z symbol
Authorities in Germany are considering whether to prosecute anyone who uses the Z symbol in support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Read more in our story here:
EU wants to crack down on 'golden passports' for Russia and Belarus
The European Union wants member states to do more to crack down on so-called 'golden passports' to Russian or Belarussian citizens -- and to consider withdrawing them for people facing sanctions in connection with the war in Ukraine.
Three EU countries -- Bulgaria, Cyprus and Malta -- have for years earned significant revenue from granting nationality to foreigners in exchange for investment. However, all of the schemes are currently suspended.
"Some Russian or Belarusian nationals who are subject to sanctions or significantly support the war in Ukraine may have acquired European Union citizenship or privileged access to the Union, including free travel throughout the Schengen region" the Commission says.
The Commission is not asking countries to look at whether anyone who got a golden passport from Belarus or Russia is on an EU sanctions list, although it doesn't know how many people might be involved.
Leading Russian independent newspaper shuts down
One of the last independent news outlets in Russia has announced it's closing down.
In a statement, Novaya Gazeta said they'd had two warnings from Russian press watchdog Roskomnadzor, which put their operating license at risk, so they had decided to close down while the war in Urkaine is ongoing.
The move comes at a time when Russian authorities are stepping up their pressure against critical voices.
Novaya Gazeta's editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov reveived the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for his work, and the paper says the warnings from Roskomnadzor are about being in breach of Russia's controversial "foreign agents" law.
Specifically, Novaya Gazeta was cites for not having specified an NGO mentioned in one of its articles was classed as a "foreign agent" by the Russian authorities, as required by law.
Sergei Lavrov: Meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy could be "counterproductive"
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says a meeting between Presidents Putin and Zelenskyy would be "counterproductive" for the time being.
Lavrov said on Monday that he thought a meeting would take place only after key elements of a potential peace deal have been negotiated.
Lavrov’s comments follow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement that he’s ready to discuss Ukraine’s neutrality and security guarantees with Russian President Vladimir Putin to secure peace “without delay.” Zelenskyy added that only a face-to-face meeting with Russia’s leader could end the war.
Russian and Turkish negotiators are set to hold another round of talks in Istanbul, Turkey this week to try to draft an agreement.
Speaking in an online interview with Serbian media, Lavrov alleged that Ukraine only want to “imitate talks” while Russia needs specific results that would be secured by the countries’ leaders.
Watch: Zelenskyy says war can be over "quickly" if Putin meets him for talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a group of independent journalists from Russia that the war could be over "quickly" if Vladimir Putin agrees to meet for negotiations.
Delegates from both countries are meeting in Turkey today for peace talks but Ukraine has been pushing for face-to-face discussions between the two presidents for several weeks.
EU team to probe Ukraine war crimes
The EU's agency for criminal justice cooperation, Eurojust, is supporting the setting up of a joint team between Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine to probe alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine.
The agency said the three nations signed an agreement to create the team on Friday.
The aim of the team is "to support the gathering of evidence and its swift and secure exchange between partners, as well as the transmission of information and evidence."
Eurojust will support the process by providing legal and financial assistance to the team's parties. The team will also cooperate with the International Criminal Court, ensuring an exchange of information.
Kremlin calls Biden's comments on Putin 'alarming'
The Kremlin on Monday denounced the "alarming" comments of US President Joe Biden who called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a "butcher", in the midst of a Russian offensive in Ukraine.
"This statement is undoubtedly alarming," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, stressing that Moscow would continue to follow the US president's remarks "very carefully".
Biden's comments came in response to a question as he visited a refugee centre in Poland on Sunday. Biden later that evening said: "For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power." Aides quickly clarified that Biden wasn't calling for regime change in Moscow.
(AP, AFP)
United Nations updates civilian death tolls in Ukraine
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has issued a new estimate of civilian deaths in Ukraine since Russian forces launched an invasion on 24 February.
UNHCR now says it has recorded 1,119 civilian deaths and 1,790 injured civilians during that time.
According to the agency most casualties were caused by use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes. It said it believes actual figures are “considerably higher,” given delays in obtaining information and in corroborating the reports.
Of those killed, 224 were men, 168 women, 15 girls and 32 boys. The sex of another 52 children and 628 adults has not yet been determined.
The report said allegations of many civilian casualties in the besieged southern city of Mariupol and in Volnovakha, Izium, Popasna, Rubizhne and Trostianets were still being corroborated and are not included in the latest totals.
End of the line for last EU-Russia train service
It's the end of the line for train services between the EU and Russia, with the last high speed Allegro service from St. Petersburg to Helsinki arriving at the Finnish capital at 7:07pm on Sunday night.
Read more at our story here:
Heineken announces exit from Russia market
Dutch brewer Heineken says it will be leaving the Russian market, where it has 1,800 employees.
The announcement came on Monday morning with the company citing the war in Ukraine, which it says continues "to unfold and intensify."
"Heineken's ownership of the business in Russia is no longer sustainable or viable in the current environment. Accordingly, we have decided to exit Russia," the world's second-largest brewer said in a statement.
Hundreds of Western companies have stopped doing business with Russia either due to sanctions or because they decided it was untenable to continue their operations after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
But for some companies the situation is not always black and white - as you can read in our story here.
German chancellor interested in Israel-style "Iron Dome" missile shield
Germany is considering the acquisition of an Israeli missile defence shield, similar to Israel's "Iron Dome" system.
Chancellor Scholz said in a Sunday night interview it was "definitely one of the things we are discussing, and for good reason" as part of it's €100 billion military spending plans, which were announced after Russia invaded Ukraine.
"We need to protect ourselves better against the Russian threat. For that, we need a Germany-wide anti-missile shield quickly," said Andreas Schwarz, the Bundestag's defence budget rapporteur and also a member of the chancellor's Social Democratic Party.
According to Bild, the system, inspired by the Israeli "Iron Dome", would cost around 2 billion euros and could be operational as early as 2025 from three sites in Germany.
Read more about Germany's €100 billion military spending plans in our story here.
Russian military plagued by 'lack of momentum and morale'
The British Ministry of Defence released their latest military assessment of the war in Ukraine early Monday morning.
It says there hasn't been much change in the position of Russian forces in the last 24 hours, but that they're facing ongoing logistical problems "compounded by a lack of momentum and morale" as well as "aggressive fighting" from Ukrainian forces.
Read more at their Twitter thread here:
Mariupol: 'Russia is turning the city to dust'
Ukraine's foreign ministry has described the situation in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol as "catastrophic."
The city has been under constant Russian bombardment for weeks, and while many people have managed to flee there are still thought to be tens of thousands of people trapped in the city.
"Russian Armed Forces is turning the city into dust" the ministry wrote on Twitter early Monday morning, sharing pictures of the devastation.
Zelenskyy: Ukraine considering referendum on neutrality and NATO
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a group of independent Russian journalists that his government would consider declaring neutrality and offering security guarantees to Russia, repeating earlier statements.
That would include keeping Ukraine nuclear-free, he said.
He told the reporters that the issue of neutrality – and agreeing to stay out of NATO – should be put to Ukrainian voters in a referendum after Russian troops withdraw. Zelenskyy said any vote could take place within a few months of the troops leaving.
Russian authorities quickly moved to ben the interview from being published. Roskomnadzor, which regulates communications for Moscow, issued the ban, saying there could be action taken against the Russian media outlets that took part, which included “those that are foreign media outlets acting as foreign agents."
Russia-based outlets appeared to comply with the ban although the interview was published abroad.
Zelenskyy responded by saying Moscow was afraid of a relatively short conversation with journalists. “It would be funny if it weren’t so tragic,” he said, according to the Ukrainian news agency RBK Ukraina.
Oscars: A moment of silence, and a plea, for Ukraine
At the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, attendees expressed support for Ukraine by falling silent for 30 seconds.
Some arrived on the red carpet wearing blue-and-gold ribbons, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
Ukrainian-born actress Mila Kunis said: "When you witness the strength and dignity of those facing such devastation, it’s impossible to not be moved by their resilience."
Read more in our story here:
