KYIV, Ukraine — Many of the world lined up in opposition to Moscow within the United Nations on Wednesday to demand it withdraw from Ukraine, as invading Russian forces renewed their bombardment of the nation’s second-biggest metropolis, menaced its capital and besieged its strategic ports.
Russia reported its navy casualties for the primary time because the invasion started final week, saying practically 500 of its troops had been killed and nearly 1,600 wounded. Ukraine insisted Russia’s losses have been far larger however didn’t instantly disclose its personal.
Envoys from Ukraine and Russia are anticipated to fulfill Thursday in Belarus for a second spherical of talks aimed toward ending the combating. However there gave the impression to be little widespread floor between the 2 sides.
The U.N. Basic Meeting voted to demand that Russia cease its offensive and instantly withdraw all troops, with world powers and tiny island states alike condemning Moscow. The vote was 141 to five, with 35 abstentions.
Meeting resolutions aren’t legally binding however can have affect as a mirrored image of worldwide opinion.
The vote got here after the 193-member meeting convened its first emergency session since 1997. International locations that spoke up for Russia included Belarus, Cuba, North Korea and Syria.
In the meantime, Russia pounded Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis with about 1.5 million individuals, with one other spherical of aerial assaults that shattered buildings and lit up the skyline with balls of fireside. At the very least 21 individuals have been killed and 112 injured over the previous day, mentioned Oleg Sinehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional administration.
A number of Russian planes have been shot down over Kharkiv, in response to Oleksiy Arestovich, a high adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Kharkiv immediately is the Stalingrad of the twenty first century,” Arestovich mentioned, invoking what is taken into account one of the vital heroic moments in Russian historical past, the five-month protection of town from the Nazis throughout World Warfare II.
From his basement bunker, Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov informed the BBC: “Town is united and we will stand quick.”
Russian assaults, many with missiles, blew the roof off Kharkiv’s five-story regional police constructing and set the highest ground on fireplace, and in addition hit the intelligence headquarters and a college constructing, in response to officers and movies and pictures launched by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. Officers mentioned residential buildings have been additionally hit, however gave no particulars.
Ukraine discovered itself beneath menace on different fronts as properly: An enormous, 40-mile-long column of Russian tanks and different navy automobiles stood exterior Kyiv, the capital, and Russian invaders pressed their assault on the strategic port cities of Kherson and Mariupol.
Seven days into Russia’s invasion, a refugee disaster unfolded on the European continent, with the U.N. saying that greater than 870,000 individuals have fled Ukraine and that the quantity might quickly hit 1 million.
The State Emergency Service reported that greater than 2,000 civilians have been killed, however that might not be independently verified.
A spokesman for the Russian Protection Ministry, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, gave his aspect’s navy casualty figures, disputing as “disinformation” studies of a lot larger losses. Ukraine’s chief claimed nearly 6,000 Russian troopers have been killed.
Konashenkov additionally mentioned greater than 2,870 Ukrainian troops have been killed and about 3,700 wounded, whereas over 570 others have been captured.
Russia ramped up its rhetoric, with Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov reminding the world concerning the nation’s huge nuclear arsenal. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, he mentioned: “A 3rd world battle shall be nuclear, and devastating,” in response to Russian information websites.
Within the northern metropolis of Chernihiv, two cruise missiles hit a hospital, in response to the Ukrainian UNIAN information company, which quoted the well being administration chief, Serhiy Pivovar, as saying authorities have been working to find out the casualty toll.
In besieged Mariupol, no less than one teenager died and two extra have been wounded by obvious Russian shelling. The boys’ households informed The Related Press the assault got here whereas they have been taking part in soccer close to a college.
Britain’s Protection Ministry mentioned Kharkiv and Mariupol have been encircled. Kherson was additionally beneath strain, however there have been conflicting studies as to who was in management.
Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko mentioned the assaults there had been relentless.
“We can’t even take the wounded from the streets, from homes and flats immediately, because the shelling doesn’t cease,” he was quoted by the Interfax information company as saying.
On the far edges of Kyiv, volunteer fighters properly into their 60s manned a checkpoint to dam the Russian advance.
“In my previous age I needed to take up arms,” mentioned Andrey Goncharuk, 68. He mentioned the fighters wanted extra weapons, however “we’ll kill the enemy and take their weapons.”
On Tuesday, Russia, intensifying its assaults on cities, bombed Kharkiv’s central sq. — the place no less than six individuals have been reported killed — and struck Kyiv’s most important TV tower, the place authorities mentioned 5 died. Kyiv’s close by Babi Yar Holocaust memorial additionally got here beneath fireplace, however the primary monument was not broken.
The introduced talks impressed hope, although it remained unclear what they might yield. Ukrainian Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba mentioned that Russia’s calls for haven’t modified and that he would not settle for any ultimatums.
In different developments:
— The value of oil continued to soar, reaching $112 per barrel, the best since 2014.
— Russia discovered itself much more remoted economically as Airbus and Boeing mentioned they’d minimize off spare components and technical assist to the nation’s airways, a significant blow. Airbus and Boeing jets account for the overwhelming majority or Russia’s passenger fleet.
Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, acknowledged the worldwide financial punishment hitting Russia is unprecedented however mentioned that Moscow had been ready for all method of sanctions and that the potential injury had been taken under consideration earlier than launching the invasion.
“Now we have expertise with this. Now we have been by means of a number of crises,” he mentioned.
The Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, warned that the combating poses a hazard to Ukraine’s 15 nuclear reactors.
“When there’s a battle ongoing, there may be after all a danger of assault or the potential for an unintentional hit,” Rafael Mariano Grossi, director-general of the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company, mentioned in Vienna.
Russia already seized management of the decommissioned Chernobyl energy plant, the scene in 1986 of the world’s worst nuclear catastrophe.
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Isachenkov and Litvinova reported from Moscow; Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Edith M. Lederer and Jennifer Peltz on the United Nations; Mstyslav Chernov in Mariupol, Ukraine; Sergei Grits in Odesa, Ukraine; Robert Burns, Zeke Miller and Eric Tucker in Washington; Francesca Ebel, Josef Federman and Andrew Drake in Kyiv; Lorne Cook dinner in Brussels; and different AP journalists from around the globe contributed to this report.
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Comply with the AP’s protection of the Ukraine disaster at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
