Russia hits Kyiv outskirts, Chernihiv despite pledge to pull back

The intensified bombardment comes a day after Moscow stated it will scale down army operations ‘to extend mutual belief’.

A photo of firefighters extinguishing the fire of a house.
Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fireplace after a Russian assault in Chernihiv [File: State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Anadolu Agency]

Russian forces have bombarded the outskirts of Kyiv and the besieged northern metropolis of Chernihiv, a day after promising to scale down army operations within the cities throughout a brand new spherical of negotiations on the warfare in Ukraine.

The renewed aggression follows Russia and Ukraine’s first face-to-face peace talks in practically three weeks at a palace in Istanbul, by which Russia’s defence ministry stated it will curtail operations in that space “to extend mutual belief”.

Intensified bombardment may very well be heard in Kyiv on Wednesday morning from the course of front-line suburbs the place Ukrainian forces have regained territory in current days. The capital itself was not hit, however home windows rattled from the relentless artillery on its outskirts.

Oleksandr Pavliuk, the pinnacle of the Kyiv area army administration, stated there had been 30 Russian raids in residential areas and civilian infrastructure within the Bucha, Brovary and Vyshhorod areas across the capital.

Chernihiv’s Mayor Vladyslav Astroshenko stated Russian bombardment of town had intensified over the previous 24 hours, with greater than 100,000 folks trapped inside with simply sufficient meals and medical provides to final about one other week.

“That is one more affirmation that Russia all the time lies,” he informed CNN. “They really have elevated the depth of strikes,” with “a colossal mortar assault within the centre of Chernihiv” on Wednesday wounding 25 civilians.

Olexander Lomako, the secretary of Chernihiv metropolis council, stated a library and a shopping center have been among the many locations hit with artillery and heavy weapons.

Russian forces additionally attacked industrial amenities in western Ukraine in three strikes in a single day, a regional governor stated.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an in a single day handle that he took nothing Moscow stated at face worth.

“Ukrainians usually are not naive folks,” he stated. “Ukrainians have already discovered throughout these 34 days of invasion, and over the previous eight years of the warfare in Donbas, that the one factor they'll belief is a concrete consequence.”

Some observers dismissed Moscow’s supply to reduce army exercise as a ploy to regroup after having suffered heavy losses.

Presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych stated Moscow was shifting some forces from northern Ukraine to the east, attempting to encircle the primary Ukrainian pressure there. Some Russians would keep behind close to Kyiv to tie Ukrainian forces down.

Ukrainian defence ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk stated nevertheless that Russia’s fundamental efforts have been focused on surrounding Ukrainian forces in japanese Ukraine whereas nonetheless attempting to take the southern port metropolis of Mariupol and the cities of Popasna and Rubizhne.

The Kremlin stated there had been no breakthrough within the newest spherical of talks with Ukraine.

Kyiv offered a peace proposal beneath which it will settle for impartial standing with worldwide ensures to guard it from future assault. The proposal requires a ceasefire and would postpone dialogue of Russia’s territorial calls for.

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