“They are mining houses, mining equipment, and even the bodies of people who were killed,” Zelensky said in his overnight video address to the nation. “There are a lot of travel cables, a lot of other dangers.”
He urged residents to wait for their normal lives to resume until they are sure the mines have been cleared and the bombing risk has passed.
Zelensky issued the warning as the humanitarian crisis in the besieged port city of Mariupol deepened, with Russian forces blocking evacuation operations for a second day in a row and the Kremlin accusing Ukrainians of launching a helicopter attack on a Russian helicopter.
Ukraine has denied responsibility for the blast, but if Moscow’s claim is confirmed, it will be the first known attack in the war in which Ukrainian aircraft penetrated Russian airspace.
“Certainly, this is not something that can be seen as creating a comfortable environment for the talks to continue,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov, five weeks after Moscow began sending more than 150,000 troops to the Ukrainian border.
Russia has continued to withdraw some of its ground forces from areas around Kyiv after announcing earlier this week that it would reduce military activity near the Ukrainian capital and the northern city of Chernihiv.
The mayor of a city just outside Kyiv, named Bucha, told AFP reporters on Saturday that the Ukrainian army had regained control of the city from the Russians. Mayor Anatoly Fedoruk said the bodies filled the streets of the heavily damaged city and the dead were buried in mass graves.
“In Butsa, we have already buried 280 people in mass graves,” Fedoruk told AFP by telephone.
In Kyiv, there is relief that Ukraine has managed to stop Russia’s advance on the capital for now – but they are not giving up. Many there are convinced that it could be short-lived, says Debora Patta of CBS News.
From soldiers like Sergei defending Kyiv, there is only contempt for Russia’s claim that it has dramatically reduced operations near the capital. Sergei said he did not believe in Russia and that it might be just a retreat in preparation for a stronger attack.
Sergei last took up arms 25 years ago during his recruitment. In a few weeks, his son turns 18 and will accompany him to the fight – Russian barbarism only serves to strengthen their resolve.
Ukraine and its allies have warned that the Kremlin is not de-escalating to boost confidence at the negotiating table, as it claims, but is instead refueling and moving its troops to the east of the country. These moves appear to be preparing for an intense attack on the predominantly Russian-speaking Donbass region in the east of the country, which includes the city of Mariupol.
There are still more than 150,000 residents left in this city – unable or unwilling to leave as Russian tanks continue to pound what is left of it. On Saturday, another Red Cross escort will try to evacuate more residents from the city, which has been under siege for five weeks.
More
