Speaking in his last afternoon message, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the “liberation” of Irpin, a key city on the northwestern outskirts of Kiev. The UK Department of Defense confirmed that Ukrainian forces had “some success” in their counterattacks on Irpin, as well as Bucha and Hostomel, which are also located northwest of the city. Ukraine Live News: Biden Denies Calling for Change in Russian Regime Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:28 “We regain control” Basic updates • Peace talks begin in Istanbul • Zelensky says Ukraine is willing to consider neutrality and offer security guarantees • US disputes Abramovich’s poisoning allegations • More Russian mercenaries head to Ukraine for Putin is “worrying” • More than 200 children among 5,000 dead in besieged Mariupol “The Russians have been pushed out of many positions,” the ministry said in a statement. “However, Russia remains a significant threat to the city through its strike capability.” The Ukrainian president said Russian troops were still in control of northern Kiev and would continue their attacks despite “hundreds and hundreds of units of burned and abandoned enemy equipment.” “Chernihiv regions, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donbass, southern Ukraine – the situation remains tense everywhere, very difficult,” he added. Mariupol, one of the worst-hit cities, remains under siege, and Zelensky said Russian troops did not allow a humanitarian corridor to be set up on Monday. The city center remains under Ukrainian control despite continued heavy bombardment, according to the Foreign Ministry. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:37 Ukraine War: Inside the Izyum Elsewhere, Russian troops maintain siege positions as they try to reorganize, he said. Russia has repeatedly been accused of not allowing people to leave the bombed-out city, and an official said only 586 managed to escape yesterday. Peace talks continue despite allegations of “poisoning”. Russia and Ukraine are holding their first face-to-face peace talks in two weeks on Tuesday. Ukraine has said its main goal in the talks in Istanbul is to secure a ceasefire – although both it and the United States are skeptical of any significant progress. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:26 Drone records the destruction of Mariupol Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said progress in the talks could pave the way for a meeting between the two countries’ leaders. Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is present despite allegations that he and two Ukrainian representatives were the victims of a chemical attack during negotiations earlier this month. The three men showed symptoms such as red eyes, persistent and painful tears and peeling skin on their hands and face, a source confirmed to Sky News, after a meeting on Ukrainian territory on March 3. Mr Abramovich reportedly lost his sight for several hours. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba has now warned people not to “eat or drink” when negotiating with Russia. Image: The United States has disputed allegations that Abramovich was poisoned “I advise anyone who goes to negotiations with the Russian Federation not to eat or drink anything. “And, preferably, avoid touching any surface.” However, the United States has disputed the allegations, with one official saying that “the information suggests that the cause was environmental and not poisoning.” How involved is the Chelsea owner in the Ukraine-Russia negotiations? Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:44 What happened in Ukraine on the 33rd day? More Russian mercenaries are heading to Ukraine The Russian private military company Wagner Group operates in eastern Ukraine, with its mercenaries being diverted from companies elsewhere to help support the Russian military, according to a previous update from the Ministry of Defense. The group is believed to be funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman with close ties to Vladimir Putin. Russia is expected to deploy more than a thousand mercenaries to take up military operations. However, the Ministry of Defense also described the Russian troops as “largely stopped invasion”. Follow the Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker Residents of the city of Izyum said they feared destruction at the hands of Putin’s troops. In the towns and villages surrounding the 50,000-strong provincial town, Sky’s Sally Lockwood saw schools destroyed by precision strikes, health clinics destroyed by bombings, and ordinary homes destroyed by airstrikes.
