Fighting in Ukraine continues for a sixth consecutive day

The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, with their attack apparently focused on the cities of Kharkiv and Kiev, with a massive 64 kilometer long convoy of Russian forces making its way to the Ukrainian capital.

Fierce shelling in the city of Kharkiv continues. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the Russian attack on Ukraine's second largest city constitutes a war crime: “Russian forces are brutally firing rockets at Kharkiv, this is an evident war crime. It is a peaceful city with no military installments. Witnesses say that this is not due to poor aim, but rather the intentional destruction of the people there. The Russians know exactly where their projectiles will land. There will be an international tribunal for this crime.”

Meanwhile, the police of the self-declared break-away state of the Donetsk People's Republic, together with Russian soldiers, are organizing two humanitarian corridors from the City of Mariupol, through which citizens can evacuate the city until tomorrow. Mariupol is a strategically important port city is located in the south of Ukraine.

More than 100 diplomats from some 40 Western countries, including Japan, walked out of a speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the top U.N. human rights forum on Tuesday in protest over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The boycott included envoys from the European Union, the United States, Britain and others. Envoys from Syria, China and Venezuela were among the delegations that stayed in the chamber with the Russian envoy. In his address, Lavrov outlined Russia's position with regard to western encroachment: “Western countries must not build military installments on the territory of the former Soviet Union, in countries that are not part of the NATO alliance, and they must not use their infrastructure for any activities. American nuclear weapons are stationed in numerous European countries. The bad practice of implementing the united nuclear missions for testing nuclear weapons against Russia continues. American nuclear weapons must return home, and all of the accompanying infrastructure must be destroyed.”

Meanwhile, Kremlin press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, announced today that western sanctions will never change Russia's position regarding Ukraine, and that there is no plan for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Zelenskyy, because Russia does not recognize Zelenskyy as the legitimate Ukrainian leader. Additionally, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, said that Russia will continue its military campaign until it achieves its primary goal of protecting Russia from western threats.

Source: HRT