WASHINGTON/Kyiv: The United States closed its airspace to Russian planes as Russian forces attempted to encircle and subdue Ukrainian cities with intense bombing Wednesday, an offensive in nearly a week that included a massive But the toll was taken. But gave rise to international sanctions.
Russia, already far from the west with its invasion of Ukraine, has shown no signs of stopping an attack that includes an attack on Kyiv and rocket attacks in another city, Kharkiv. Dozens have been killed.
Russia has failed to capture a single city since the full-scale offensive began nearly a week ago, and Western analysts say Moscow is back on a strategy that is destructive before entering built-up areas. Uses firepower. invokes.
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have fled the fighting as Russian army convoys marched towards the city, a mile north of Kyiv. Four people, including a child, were killed on Tuesday by a Russian cruise missile in the city of Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv, a Ukrainian official said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Russia to stop bombing civilians and resume talks.
“It is necessary to at least stop the bombing of people, just stop the bombing and then sit down at the negotiating table,” he told Reuters and CNN in a joint interview at a heavily guarded government compound in Kyiv.
Zelensky later thanked Western leaders for their support. “Today, more than ever, it is important for us to realize that we are not alone,” he wrote on Twitter.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has attracted global condemnation and sanctions that have sent the ruble to historic lows and forced Russians to queue outside banks for their savings.
Putin last Thursday ordered a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine, capture the “neo-Nazis” he says are running the country and his hopes of closer ties with the West. are crushing. for.
In his first State of the Union address, US President Joe Biden said the United States would ban Russian aircraft from its airspace, join the European Union and Canada, and heavily criticized Putin for his decision to invade Ukraine. criticized. The price will have to be paid.
“They don’t know what’s coming,” he said in the chamber of the House of Representatives.
“If you are able to stand up, stand up and send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world, give it to each of us.”
MPs stood up, applauded and roared, many of them waving Ukrainian flags.
‘Freeze and Siege’
Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO, has called on the US-led military coalition to implement a no-fly zone – a request rejected by Washington, which marks a direct conflict between the world’s two largest nuclear powers. invokes. There is a fear of being provoked.
Washington and its allies have instead sent weapons to Kyiv, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the United States has partnered with partners to convene a task force “to seize and confiscate the assets of the dominant Russian elite”. has partnered. Was agreed.
Yellen said in a statement Tuesday after a call with the group of seven officers, “This move will “inflict financial pain on the powerful individuals around Putin and make clear that no one is beyond our collective reach.”
The West is shutting down Russia’s economy from the global financial system, prompting international companies to halt sales, cut ties and dump billions of dollars in investments.
Exxon Mobil joined other major Western energy companies, including British BP plc and Shell, in announcing that it would leave oil-rich Russia on the offensive.
Apple Inc. stopped selling iPhones and other products in Russia, and was making changes to its Maps app to protect citizens in Ukraine. Alphabet Inc.’s Google removed Russian state publishers from its newscast, and Ford Motor suspended operations in the country.
Russia on Tuesday imposed a temporary ban on foreigners seeking to exit Russian assets, meaning there is a risk of billions of dollars being trapped in securities held by foreigners.
civilians killed
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city near the Russian border, saw the heaviest Russian bombing ever. Ukraine’s defense ministry said dozens of residents, including children, were killed when a Russian strategic bomber fired 16 guided missiles toward a residential area on Monday, Ukraine’s defense ministry said.
In Ukraine’s largely Russian-speaking city of Donetsk, an area controlled by Russian-backed separatists, officials said three civilians had been killed in Ukrainian shelling.
Reuters was not able to confirm any casualties. The United Nations says at least 136 civilians have been killed in the attack, but the actual number is likely to be much higher.
Russia has not published any exact casualty figures for its army, but says its losses are much lower than that of the Ukrainian army.
Ukraine’s air force continued to defy hopes that Russia would rapidly gain air dominance.
“There is an active battle every day in the airspace,” a senior US defense official said on condition of anonymity.