From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Russian forces advanced in southern Ukraine on Thursday as the number of people who fled Ukraine reached one million, a week into Russia’s invasion, says The New York Times.
Mariupol, a port city on the Sea of Azov, continued to hold out despite a massive Russian bombardment that had cut power, water and heat. After capturing the city of Kherson, Russian forces were moving toward Mykolaiv, one of Ukraine’s three largest ports.
Russia’s advance on the capital, Kyiv, however, appeared to be stalled for a third day as the Kremlin sent more troops into the country, according to a U.S. defense official.
The U.N. predicted that 10 million Ukrainians — roughly a quarter of the population — could be displaced, including about four million who could cross borders. Half a million children have fled into neighboring countries, UNICEF said.
Our reporters spoke to refugees making the long journey westward, enduring difficulties but also buoyed by the generosity of their countrymen. Ukrainians were packing into trains in Kyiv, a day after a missile strike damaged its central railway station. The U.N. recorded 802 civilian casualties, with 209 people killed and 553 injured.
Diplomacy: During a second round of talks, Russia and Ukraine agreed to allow supplies of food and medicine to reach areas of intense fighting and establishing “humanitarian corridors” for civilians.
A French official said that a call between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Emmanuel Macron of France left the French leader persuaded that Russia wants “control of all of Ukraine.”
