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The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia were on their way to Ukraine’s capital on Tuesday on a mission to show support as Russia’s forces move deeper into Kyiv.
The visit by Slovenia's Janez Jansa, Poland's Mateusz Morawiecki and Czech leader Petr Fiala is the first by such a delegation since war broke out in Ukraine and was planned with the leaders of the European Union.
Their train trip to a city under bombardment was described by the Polish leader's chief of staff as "a historic event" and an "unequivocal expression of support for Ukraine" by the three EU member states.
The US said it welcomed the in-person trip but Julianne Smith, the American ambassador to Nato, would not be drawn on whether it threw up safety concerns for the three leaders.
No details about the itinerary were disclosed except that the three leaders were on their way via Lviv in western Ukraine and would meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Mr Jansa used the opportunity to argue Ukraine's case for membership of the EU, an idea supported by many of its eastern neighbours but which senior western officials have said will not be fast-tracked.
"At this moment... there is no country on the whole of the continent which is more European than Ukraine," he said. "Every path in Ukraine is a European path. Soon, it will be an EU path too."
Russia’s offensive in Ukraine edged closer to central Kyiv on Tuesday, with a series of strikes hitting a residential neighbourhood in the capital as the two countries planned a second day of talks.
Shortly before dawn, large explosions thundered across Kyiv from what Ukrainian authorities said was artillery strikes.
The shelling ignited a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in a 15-storey apartment building. At least one person was killed and others remain trapped inside.
After a relative lull, fighting has intensified on the outskirts of Kyiv in recent days, and sporadic air raid sirens ring out around the capital.
There was a rare glimmer of hope in the encircled port city of Mariupol after a convoy of 160 civilian cars left along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported.
Over the past 10 days or so, the lethal siege has pulverised homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine.
Virtual address
Meanwhile, Mr Zelenskyy will deliver a virtual address to US Congress on Wednesday.
“We look forward to the privilege of welcoming President Zelenskyy'sAaddress to the House and Senate and to convey our support to the people of Ukraine as they bravely defend democracy,” Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint letter to politicians.
Anthony Rota, the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, said Mr Zelenskyy would also address MPs in Ottawa on Tuesday.
The fourth round of talks involving higher-level officials from Ukraine and Russia ended without a breakthrough after several hours on Monday, with an aide to Mr Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took “a technical pause” and planned to meet again Tuesday.
The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days.
Martial law
Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Mr Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss “peace, ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops and security guarantees”.
Mr Zelenskyy is seeking to extend martial law until April 24 and to require men aged 18 to 60 to stay in the country to fight.
He submitted the extension in a bill to parliament, which is expected to vote on it this week.
In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that while the Biden administration supports Ukraine’s participation in the talks with Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have to show signs of de-escalating to demonstrate good faith.
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Smoke rising in Kyiv, which mayor Vitali Klitschko says faces a 'difficult and dangerous moment' as Russian forces step up strikes. AFP -
Pope Francis meets visitors holding the Ukrainian flag during his weekly general audience in the Vatican. AFP -
An anti-war protester demonstrates against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in front of the Nato headquarters in Brussels. AFP -
A poster in Saint Petersburg carries the letter Z, a symbol of support for the invasion, and reads: "We are proud of Russia! We are not ashamed!" AFP -
Amid the Ukraine war, there's time for a seaside stroll in Odesa. Reuters -
A child who fled from Ukraine to Belgium waits outside an immigration office in Brussels. EPA -
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy receives a standing ovation as he appears via videoconference to make an address to Canada's Parliament. AP -
A woman walks with a bicycle next to a building damaged during the conflict in the separatist-controlled town of Volnovakha, Donetsk region. Reuters -
A firefighter outside a destroyed apartment building in a residential area of Kyiv. AP -
Ukrainian soldiers pay tribute to Col Valeriy Gudz, who was killed in battle against Russian troops, at a cemetery in the town of Boryspil. AP -
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire in a housing block hit by shelling in the Sviatoshynsky district, in western Kyiv. AFP -
Two people were killed as a series of powerful explosions rocked residential districts in Kyiv just hours before talks between Ukraine and Russia were set to resume. AFP -
The Met Opera and Chorus performs during 'A Concert For Ukraine' in New York City. AFP -
A worker welds metal at the Interpipe Steel plant in Dnipro, Ukraine. Hundreds of Interpipe’s 10,000 employees have joined the fight against Russia. AP -
A woman is rescued by firefighters from her apartment in a burning building that was hit by artillery shells in Kyiv. AP -
Rescuers work at a building damaged by an air strike, in central Kharkiv, Ukraine. Reuters -
A woman who fled Ukraine to Belgium waits outside an immigration office, in Brussels. EPA -
Cars stuck at the Irpin River bridge, as Russia unleashes a barrage of air strikes on cities across Ukraine. AFP -
A firefighter looks at a section of a Ukrainian Tochka-U missile on a street in the separatist Donetsk region. The Russian military said 20 civilians were killed by a ballistic missile launched by the Ukrainian forces. AP -
Musician Davide Martello plays a piano near the Ukrainian border in Medyka, Poland. More than 1.76 million people have crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border into Poland, the Polish Border Guard reported on March 14. EPA -
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, snaps a selfie with a wounded man during a visit at a military hospital after fighting in the Kyiv region.AFP -
Ukrainian soldiers carry rocket-propelled grenades and sniper rifles as they walk towards the city of Irpin, north-west of Kyiv. AFP -
Troops carry an elderly woman on a stretcher across a makeshift bridge as Ukrainians flee Irpin. AFP -
Irina Moprezova, 54, stands in front of a house that was damaged by an air strike in Irpin. AFP -
The flags of Russia and Ukraine are projected on the walls of Jerusalem's Old City, which a representative from the Jerusalem Municipality said is a show of support for diplomatic dialogue between the countries. Reuters -
A person holds a Ukrainian flag during an anti-war demonstration at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. Reuters -
A Ukrainian soldier takes cover as people flee Irpin. AFP -
Ukrainians shelter in an underground train station during the day in Kyiv. EPA -
A Ukrainian serviceman walks carefully with his weapon in the city of Irpin, near Kyiv. AFP -
Ukrainian people flee the city of Irpin, north-west of Kyiv. AFP -
Ukrainian servicemen carry an elderly woman on a stretcher from the city of Irpin. AFP -
A girl plays games on her tablet inside a subway carriage being used as a bomb shelter in Kyiv. AFP -
A Ukrainian firefighter drags a hose inside a large food products storage facility which was destroyed by an air strike on the outskirts of Kyiv. AP -
Ukrainian troops with a Javelin anti-tank missile on the front line in the northern Kyiv region. Reuters -
A woman carries her dog during an evacuation in Irpin. Reuters -
A Ukrainian woman takes shelter in a metro station during the day in Kyiv. EPA -
A member of the Ukrainian armed forces on patrol in Irpin. Reuters -
A Ukrainian fighter takes cover behind a car in the city of Irpin. AFP -
Firefighters at work after air strikes hit residential buildings in Chernihiv, northern Ukraine. AFP -
A man wounded in an air strike is helped by medical staff in Novoiavorivsk, western Ukraine. Getty -
The ruins of the Ukraine Hotel after recent shelling in Chernihiv. EPA
Overnight strikes
Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on the north-west suburbs of Irpin, Hostomel and Bucha, said the head of the Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba.
“Many streets have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations,” Mr Kuleba said on Ukrainian television.
But overall, nearly all of the Russian military offensives remained stalled after making little progress at the weekend, according to a senior US defence official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Russian troops were still about 15 kilometres from the centre of Kyiv, the official said.
The official said that Russian forces have launched more than 900 missiles but that Ukraine’s airspace is still contested, with Russia not achieving total air superiority.
Aid to Mariupol
Ukraine will make a new attempt to deliver supplies to civilians trapped in the encircled city of Mariupol on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
She made her announcement as Vitaliy Koval, the governor of the northern region of Rivne, said the death toll from a Russian air strike on a television tower in his region on Monday had risen to at least 19.
Moscow on Monday allowed the first convoy of civilians to escape from Mariupol, but a senior presidential aide said Russia had again blocked a humanitarian aid convoy trying to reach the city with supplies.
Obtaining safe passage for aid to reach Mariupol and for civilians to leave has been Kyiv's main demand at several rounds of talks. Previous attempts at a local ceasefire in the area have failed.
Ms Vereshchuk said a convoy with humanitarian supplies would head for Mariupol on Tuesday.
“On the way back it will pick up women and children,” she said.
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Graffiti depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holding a bullet-ridden 'Stop' sign by urban artist Tvboy appeared on a street in downtown Barcelona, Spain. EPA -
A painting on a wall near the Russian embassy in Rome, by street artist Laika 1954, shows Russian and Ukrainian tanks making the peace symbol. AFP -
A mural painted by Syrian artists in the rebel-held town of Binnish in Syria's Idlib province to protest against Russia's military operation in Ukraine. AFP -
An Indian artist draws a poster during a protest in Kolkata. EPA -
Artists helped to recreate 'A Dove Has Spread Her Wings and Asks for Peace' by the late Ukrainian painter Maria Prymachenko. The artist had 25 paintings in the Ivankiv Local Museum of History, near Kyiv, which was destroyed by Russian forces. EPA -
Maria Prymachenko was celebrated for her folk art. EPA -
A woman walks past a tank sculpture painted in the colours of the Ukrainian flag by Czech artist David Cerny in Prague. AFP -
A man takes a picture of a fresco by street artist Seth globepainter depicting a girl with a Ukrainian flag walking on tanks in Paris. AFP -
A street art painting by French artist Emyart dedicated to the Ukranian people. AFP -
A street art painting created by French street artist Kelu Abstract in Paris. AFP -
An Indian artist makes a sand sculpture calling for peace on Juhu beach in Mumbai. AP -
An installation by street artist Gregos representing a face in the colors of Ukraine's flag and holding a symbol of peace, in Paris. AFP -
Street artist MyDogSighs's mural in Northcote Lane, Cardiff of a weeping eye in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. PA -
Kosovo artist Alkent Pozhegu works on the final touches of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's portrait made with grains and seeds, in Gjakova, southwestern Kosovo. AFP -
A peace mural showing a dove with a branch in Ukrainian colours by artist Justus Becker is painted on the wall of a house in Frankfurt, Germany. AP -
A woman passes a mural by Berlin street artist Eme Freethinker featuring Russian and Ukrainian girls in Berlin, Germany. AP -
Colombian street artist Arte Vilu works on a mural featuring a Ukrainian woman in traditional dress in Berlin, Germany. AP -
Lidiya Zhuravlyova, an Ukrainian performance artist, takes part in an anti-war protest in Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters
High toll
The UN has recorded at least 596 civilian deaths since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, although it believes the true toll is much higher.
Millions more have fled their homes, with more than 2.8 million crossing into Poland and other neighbouring countries in what the UN has called Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War.
Russia’s military is bigger and better equipped than Ukraine’s, but its troops have faced stiffer-than-expected resistance, bolstered by arms supplied by the West.
