A massive Russian military convoy consisting of hundreds of tanks, trucks, towed artillery pieces and support vehicles has been pictured slowly making its way toward Kyiv. Satellite images provided by the US company Maxar Technologies show the convoy spanning a distance of about 40 miles (65 kilometers). The Ukrainian news agency UNIAN also reported the same length early on Tuesday. The convoy, which is longer than previously thought, is inching slowly toward the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital. Up until now, Ukrainian forces have managed to slow the Russian invasion, but it is unclear just how long they will be to fend off the Russian push for the capital.
More than 70 Ukrainian troops were killed when Russian troops shelled a military base in the town of Okhtyrka, regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said on Facebook. Okhtyrka is located in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, which borders Russia.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has confirmed the deaths of 102 civilians, including seven children, since the Russian invasion began on Thursday. Hundreds more had been injured, and the figures provided were likely to be undercounted. Residents of Kyiv who have remained in the city have hunkered down in the subway stations.
Russia and Ukraine broke off peace talks Monday, which were held on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. A follow-on round will take place in the coming days. Ukraine had demanded an immediate Russian cease-fire and troop withdrawal as its delegation arrived in Belarus for talks with Russian negotiators.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a formal request for his country to join the European Union as EU leaders said they might discuss the possibility of Ukraine joining the 27-nation bloc at an informal summit in March.
The UN said that more than 500,000 people had fled the country and were seeking safety in neighboring countries.
The US ordered 12 members of Russia’s diplomatic mission to the United Nations in New York to be expelled, mandating their departures by March 7, said Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya.
Sanctions have taken a toll on Russia’s economy, with the Central Bank announcing that it will raise its key interest rate to an unprecedented 20%, up from 9.5%, in the face of new sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian ruble plunged almost 30% against the dollar.
On Monday, hundreds of anti-war protesters were arrested in both Russia and Belarus, according to human rights watchdogs.
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