Pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine's National Guard accused each other of failing to establish a humanitarian corridor out of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Sunday according to a reports, the second time the sides attempted to arrange it.
Ukraine 24 television showed a fighter of the Azov Regiment of the National Guard who said Russian and pro-Russian forces that have encircled the port city of about 400,000 continued shelling the areas that were meant to be safe.
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Children in Mariupol hospital attempt to stay warm as city comes under Russian shelling
(Photo: AP)
The Interfax news agency cited an official of the Donetsk separatist administration who accused the Ukrainian forces of failing to observe the limited ceasefire.
On Saturday, an earlier attempt to arrange self passage for civilians out of the besieged areas failed amid mutual accusations.
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People lay on the floor to protect against Russian shelling in Mariupol hospital
(Photo: AP)
Russia is mustering forces to encircle the Ukrainian city of Dnipro and is turning its main attention to cutting Ukraine off from the Black Sea, Ukraine's top security official Oleksiy Danilov wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday.
Russia still intended to try to capture Kyiv, he said.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian forces were continuing to attack and are preparing to bombard the Black Sea port city of Odessa.
Zelensky on Sunday, urged Russians to protest against their government's invasion of his country.
"Citizens of Russia! For you, this is a struggle not only for peace in Ukraine! This is a fight for your country," Zelensky said in a televised address, switching from Ukrainian to Russian.
"If you keep silent now, only your poverty will speak for you later. And only repression will answer," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call on Sunday that Russia would only halt its military operation if Ukraine stopped fighting and Moscow's demands were met, the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin said the operation was going according to plan and to schedule, and that he hoped Ukrainian negotiators would take a more constructive approach at talks and take into account the reality on the ground, the Kremlin said in statement.
Erdogan urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to declare a ceasefire in Ukraine, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement, his office said on Sunday.
In a statement after a one-hour phone call, the Turkish presidency said Erdogan told Putin that Turkey was ready to contribute to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, adding he stated that a ceasefire would ease concerns over the humanitarian situation.
"President Erdogan renewed his call of 'let's pave the way for peace together'," his office said. "Erdogan emphasized the importance of taking urgent steps to achieve a ceasefire, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement."