At least eight die after Kyiv mall hit by shelling

• A Russian court has banned Facebook and Instagram
• At least eight people have died after a Kyiv mall was hit by shelling overnight
• EU foreign and defense ministers have approved rapid reaction force
• A 96-year-old Holocaust survivor has been killed by Russian bombs in Kharkiv
• The Pentagon has accused Russia of committing war crimes

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Warnings of food crisis in Africa because of war in Ukraine

Aid organization Oxfam has warned that East Africa faces a looming food crisis with the war in Ukraine among the main causes.

Oxfam's Executive Director Gabriela Bucher said that Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan were among the countries primarily at risk. "The impact of the Ukraine conflict on the global food system will be felt around the globe, but it is the poorest and most vulnerable people who will be hit hardest and fastest," Bucher said.

East Africa is heavily dependent on wheat imports from Ukraine and Russia. The war is likely to affect supply which will bump up prices.

Biden says Putin considering biological and chemical weapons

US President Joe Biden says Vladimir Putin is considering the use of biological and chemical weapons as a false flag attack, based on US intelligence assessments.

Biden said the Russian president has his back "against the wall," adding "he's talking about new false flags." Biden said the goal of such attacks is "asserting that we in America have biological as well as chemical weapons in Europe."

He added that's "simply not true."

Russian paper publishes, then deletes high casualty figures

Komsomolskaya Pravda briefly published a casualty figure of nearly 10,000 deaths of Russian soldiers since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24 began, but then deleted it.

On Sunday, the report cited Russia's Ministry of Defense before the report vanished. 

Russia previously said only 498 soldiers died.

By contrast, Russia's conflict in Afghanistan saw the loss of some 15,000 soldiers over nine years.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 14,000 Russian soldiers have died in nearly a month since Russia invaded his country on February 24.

Zelenskyy again calls for a meeting with Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said again he is ready to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin "in any format."

"I believe that without this meeting it is impossible to fully understand what they are ready for in order to stop the war," Zelenskyy said.

US says Russia has not established air defense over Ukraine

The US says Russia has not established air superiority over Ukraine nearly one month into the. conflict.

While Russia increased the number of sorties over Ukraine in the last two days to as many as 300 in the past 24 hours, Ukraine has also increased the number of sorties in recent days.

Sorties consist of a single flight path.

NATO has hesitated to provide a no-fly zone out of concern for provoking Russia. A more pragmatic concern has been the limited number of sorties the Ukrainian air force have been flying.

Pentagon sees 'clear evidence' of Russian war crimes

The Pentagon has accused Russian forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine and said it would help gather evidence of them.

"We certainly see clear evidence that Russian forces are committing war crimes and we are helping with the collecting of evidence of that," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing.

"But there's investigative processes that are going to goon, and we're going to let that happen. We're going to contribute to that investigative process. As for what would come out of that, that's not a decision that the Pentagon leadership would make."

Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Ukrainian human rights lawyer and head of the Center for Civil Liberties, told DW that her organization has documented numerous violations by Russian troops. 

"The International Criminal Court will have plenty of work here," she said, referring to an ongoing investigation by the international tribunal into alleged war crimes in Ukraine. 

Some of the violations recorded by the Center for Civil Liberties include "deliberate shelling" of civilian targets, attacks on humanitarian corridors,  "deliberate attacks" on medical personnel, the use of cluster munitions and "forcible transfer of population from occupied parts to [the] Russian Federation," she added. 

Moscow continues media cull, blocks Euronews

In its ongoing effort to shield Russians from outside reporting on the war in Ukraine, Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor on Monday announced that it would block access to all content from European broadcaster Euronews.

The announcement came on the same day a Russian court agreed with the country's FSB intelligence services by labeling the US company Meta (formerly Facebook), an "extremist organization" and banning the company from working in Russia. Both Instagram and Facebook have been blocked in Russia since it invaded neighboring Ukraine on February 24. WhatsApp is still available.

Other Western broadcasters banned in Russia include Deutsche Welle, the BBC, Voice of America and Radio Free Europe.

On March 4, Russia passed a law making it illegal for individuals or outlets to post or broadcast "false information" about the "special military operation" it launched to "denazify" Ukraine. Those found guilty of spreading such information — such as calling the conflict a "war" — could face up to 15 years in prison.

US ambassador to Germany slams China over support for Russia

US Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann slammed China for its support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine Monday while speaking to reporters at the US Embassy in Berlin. 

"President Xi [Jinping] says he's being neutral in this conflict. There is no neutrality in this conflict. Not to denounce Mr Putin's aggression as aggression ... is taking a side. China is taking Mr Putin's side in this conflict," said Gutmann, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. 

A political scientist by profession, Gutmann is one of a number of US diplomats just now taking up their posts due to Senate Republicans refusing to confirm President Joe Biden's nominees. The former US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, maintained an antagonistic relationship with his host country and raised alarm bells by courting anti-establishment right-wing movements in Europe. 

ICRC chief will go to Moscow for talks this week

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer will travel to Moscow this week to discuss the war in Ukraine, including efforts to secure visits with prisoners of war on both sides of the conflict.

Maurer told AFP he expects to meet with high-level defense and foreign ministry officials.

Maurer also hopes to make some progress on the issues of "prisoners of war, the deceased, the conduct of hostilities," relating to the Geneva conventions on the treatment of detainees in conflict. The ICRC has yet to gain access to prisoners of war on either side of the conflict.

Zelenskyy says any compromise with Russia would require a referendum

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday said that any possible compromise with Russia to end the war would require the consent of the Ukrainian people. 

"The people will have to speak up and respond to this or that form of compromise. And what they [the compromises] will be is the subject of our talks and understanding between Ukraine and Russia," Zelenskyy told public broadcaster Suspilne.

Some of the issues likely to be raised would regard territory currently occupied by Russian forces — such as Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine — as well as security assurances offered by other countries in lieu of NATO membership, he said.

"I explained it to all the negotiating groups: When you speak of all these changes [in a future accord] and they can be historic ... we will come back to a referendum," Zelenskyy said.   

Biden discusses Ukraine support with European leaders

US President Joe Biden spoke about the situation in Ukraine with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, according to the White House.

"The leaders discussed their serious concerns about Russia's brutal tactics in Ukraine, including its attacks on civilians," the White House said in a readout of the call.

They reiterated their continued support for Ukraine, including by providing security assistance and humanitarian aid, the White House said.

The talks, which reportedly lasted for an hour, came as Biden prepared to head to Europe for urgent talks with NATO and European allies later this week.

US warns of potential Russia cyberattacks

Washington warned there was "evolving intelligence" that the Russian government was exploring options for possible cyberattacks in response to Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

"I urge our private sector partners to harden your cyber defenses immediately," US President Joe Biden said in a statement from the White House on Monday.

Everyone needed "to do their part to meet one of the defining threats of our time," he added.

Vital infrastructure from fuel supply routes to water supplies are at risk from cyberattacks, US authorities said.

But despite Biden's warning, "there is no certainty that there will be a cyber incident on critical infrastructure," Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger told AFP reporters.

Neuberger added there had been "preparatory activity" detected but no sign of a "specific" attack.

Pentagon cannot confirm nor deny Russian hypersonic missile claims

The US Pentagon on Monday said it could neither confirm nor deny Russian claims that it had used next-generation hypersonic missiles to target sites in Ukraine.   

Russia's Defense Ministry on Monday said the country's Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missile, "has proven its efficiency in destroying heavily fortified special facilities." The ministry said the weapon had been used twice over the weekend and promised more such strikes in the future.

"It's a bit of a head-scratcher, to be honest with you, because it's not exactly clear why — if it's true — why would you need a hypersonic missile fired from not that far away to hit a building," a senior US official told reporters, adding, "It could be that they're trying to send a message to the West but also to Ukraine, and trying to gain leverage at the negotiating table."

Other speculation is that Moscow may be turning to higher-end inventory because of what the US says are constraints on Russia's supplies of precision-guided munitions.

"They're failing to launch, or they're failing to hit the targets, or they're failing to explode on contact," said the official.

The Pentagon official called Moscow's decision to turn to long-range missile strikes, "a reflection of what some people believe is a desperate attempt by them to gain some momentum, to try to turn the course of the war. And that's why it's getting so much more dangerous for civilians, because the more you use long-range fires ... the more you're going to hit civilian targets."

Ukraine accuses Russia of seizing grain shipments

Ukrainian prosecutors on Monday announced they have opened an investigation into allegations of the forceful Russian seizure of five ships carrying Ukrainian grain at the southeastern port of Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov.

Ukraine, the world's fifth largest producer of grain, also faces billions of dollars in lost revenue for wheat and corn slated for export as Russia continues to block its ports.

Moreover, authorities are concerned that if the conflict continues, farmers, who are already gravely concerned about sky-high fertilizer prices, may opt not to plant, setting up a potentially disastrous combination of food shortages on top of massive revenue losses.

Zelenskyy: Ukraine won't accept Russia's ultimatums

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country would not bow to ultimatums from Russia to end the war.

"Ukraine cannot fulfil Russian ultimatums. We should be destroyed first, then their ultimatum would be fulfilled," he told local media.

Zeleskyy said Moscow wanted Ukraine to "hand over" Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kyiv, adding that neither the people of those cities "nor me, as president, can do this."

His remarks came after Russia demanded that Ukrainian forces in the southeastern port city of Mariupol lay down their weapons before dawn on Monday for safe passage out.

Germany to host donor conference to aid Moldova, Ukraine refugees 

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday announced that Berlin will host a donor conference on April 5 to assist Moldova in its efforts to house and feed refugees fleeing Ukraine as Russia continues its shelling of the country. 

"It is about support for Moldova which is the most fragile country in this situation," Baerbock told reporters in Brussels, noting that estimates now suggest that as many as 10 million people are expected to flee Ukraine over the next few weeks.

Speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Moldova's Nicu Popescu said, "we have 100,000 refugees from Ukraine, which represents four percent of our population." Popescu said more than 360,000 refugees had also passed through Moldova on their way to other European destinations.

The refugee crisis resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, said Popescu, "is having a big impact on the socio-economic situation" in Moldova, one of the poorest and smallest countries in the EU.  

Speaking of the swelling number of refugees expected to arrive in Moldova over the coming weeks, Germany's Baerbock said, "No country can cope with that on its own ... That is why we must now do everything together to ensure that we can distribute not only thousands but hundreds of thousands of people in the coming weeks." 

According to Baerbock, the donor conference, co-organized by Germany, France and Romania, will also raise cash to help Moldova with its energy needs. It currently relies mainly on Russia for its energy needs. 

Moscow's stock exchange opens for treasury bond trades

Russia's premier stock exchange reopened after being closed for nearly a month since the day after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, causing the closure of the nation's premier bourse.

Only trading of Federal Loan Obligations bonds, known by their Russian acronym OFZ, resumed when the exchange reopened. The price of ruble-denominated Russian debt fell, causing greater borrowing costs.

The Moscow Stock Exchange was not trading stocks though, and it remains unclear when the Russian markets will properly open to service a sector other than the country's burgeoning debt and borrowing costs.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, credit ratings agencies downgraded Russian bonds, currently at "junk" status and the country's finance ministry contemplated defaulting last week, threatening to pay Eurobonds in severely devalued rubles before sending the money owed in dollars.

Germany to provide core of EU rapid reaction force by 2025

German Defense Minister, Christine Lambrecht told reporters ahead of a meeting of EU defense and foreign ministers in Brussels that Germany will provide a rapid reaction force of 5,000 soldiers by 2025.

"Germany can provide the military core," Lambrecht said.

EU defense ministers signed off on the 27-nation bloc's new security strategy, known as "Strategic Compass," during the meeting. A summit of EU leaders is scheduled for later this week.

The rapid reaction force is an overhaul of the EU battlegroups that have existed theoretically since 2007 though have never been deployed.

Russia claims bombed Kyiv mall was used to store rockets

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov admitted that Russia had hit a shopping mall on the outskirts of Kyiv.

Konashenkov said Ukrainian forces were using it to store rockets to use against Russian troops.

"The areas near the shopping center were used as a large base for storing rocket munitions and for reloading multiple rocket launchers," Konashenkov told reporters.

"High-precision long-range weapons on the night of March 21 destroyed a battery of Ukrainian multiple rocket launchers and a store of ammunition in a non-functioning shopping center," he said.

His claims could not independently verified.

The bombing of the shopping center in the densely populated Podil district killed at least eight people, according to Ukrainian officials.

Holocaust survivor killed by Russian bombs in Kharkiv

Boris Romantschenko, a 96-year-old Holocaust concentration camp survivor, was killed when a Russian bomb struck his apartment building in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv according to a statement released by the Buchenwald and Mittenwald-Dora Memorials Foundation on Monday. 

"It is with dismay that we have to report the violent death of Boris Romantschenko in the war in Ukraine," read the statement. The foundation said Romantschenko was killed in his home on March 18.

In an English-language Tweet released Monday, the foundation said it was "stunned" at Romantschenko's death.

"This is what they call the 'operation of denazification'," said Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential office, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim that Russian troops are on a "special military operation" to rid Ukraine and Europe of Nazis. "The whole world," said Yermak, "sees Russia's cruelty." 

Although not Jewish, Romantschenko was deported by the Nazis at age 16 to work as a forced laborer. He survived a total of four concentration camps, among them Buchenwald and Bergen-Belsen.  

The foundation called Romantschenko, who served as vice president of the Buchenwald-Dora International Committee, a "close friend" who dedicated his life to educating others of the horrors of the Nazi era.

The Buchenwald and Mittenwald-Dora Memorials Foundation says it is currently partnering with 30 other memorial groups to assist Holocaust survivors still in Ukraine — official statistics put the number thereof at 42,000 — by setting up an aid network as well as helping those fleeing the country to find shelter in Germany.

Ukraine presses China to help end war

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday called on China to step up and play an "important role" in helping resolve the conflict brought about by Russia's February 24 invasion.

"We share Beijing's position on the need to find a political solution to the war against Ukraine and call on China as a global power to play an important role in this effort," posted Kuleba on Twitter.

China, a Russian ally who shares Moscow's distaste for the US, has so far resisted calls to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion and the bombardment he has unleashed upon Ukraine since. 

Kremlin summons US ambassador to complain about Biden

Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday summoned US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan to inform him that US President Joe Biden's recent remarks about Russian President Vladimir Putin — Biden has called Putin a war criminal — were pushing relations between the two countries to the point of collapse.

Russian court bans Facebook, Instagram

A Moscow court ruled in favor of Russia's FSB intelligence services on Monday, agreeing to label the US internet giant Meta (formerly Facebook) an "extremist organization." 

Meta platforms such as Instagram and Facebook were immediately blocked by Kremlin authorities after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in an effort to control the narrative on its "special military operation." Monday's decision adds an official court order that moves beyond blocking access to an outright ban. 

"The activities of the Meta organization are directed against Russia and its armed forces," FSB representative Igor Kovalevsky told judges at Moscow's Tverskoi district court. "We ask [the court] to ban Meta's activities and oblige it to implement this ruling immediately," said Kovalevsky.

Meta drew Russia's ire on March 10 by temporarily relaxing its language rules to allow users to post messages like "death to Russian invaders." Meta later reversed its policy, saying that, "Russophobia and calls for violence against Russian citizens are unacceptable." 

Russia's Investigative Committee crimes outfit has said it will launch a probe of the company, "due to illegal calls for the murder of Russian nationals by employees of the American company Meta."

The company had said the language rule relaxations were only for Ukrainian users, and only for calls of violence against invading troops, not civilians.

The Kremlin has worked hard to limit information on the conflict, going so far as to pass laws prohibiting the use of the word "war" in relation to Ukraine and to jail anyone found guilty of spreading such "false information" to as many as 15 years in prison.

UK summons Russian defense attache 

The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense says it has summoned Russia's defense attache to the country for the second time in recent weeks for consultations related to Moscow's unprovoked February 24 invasion of neighboring Ukraine. 

Ukraine accuses Russia of shelling Odesa

On Monday, authorities in the Black Sea port city of Odesa said that several civilian homes were damaged in a strike by Russian forces. The city council said a resulting fire was quickly extinguished, and there were no casualties. 

"We will not leave Odesa and we will fight for our city," Mayor Hennady Trukhanov said while visiting a residential area that appeared to have been hit by shells.

Odesa, in western Ukraine not far from the border with Moldova, has been largely spared so far from the destruction of the conflict.

Curfew announced in Kyiv

The Mayor of the Ukrainian capital Vitaliy Klitschko introduced a new curfew on Monday that is set to run from Monday evening to Wednesday morning.

The curfew "will begin at 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) and last until 7:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) on March 23," he wrote on Telegram.

The city introduced a curfew several days into the war as a means to identify Russian saboteurs that authorities said were roaming the city at the time.

Siege of Mariupol a 'massive war crime,' EU says

The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that Russia's attacks on the Ukrainian coastal city of Mariupol amount to a "war crime."

"What's happening now in Mariupol is a massive war crime, destroying everything, bombarding and killing everybody," Borrell told reporters.

His comments came ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers where they will discuss imposing further sanctions on Moscow. Borrell said that the ministers will also discuss possible measures against imports of Russian oil.

Russian airstrikes hit military base in western Ukraine

A military base in the western Ukrainian region of Rivne was hit by missiles from the Russian air force on Monday.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that "high-precision air-launched cruise missiles" hit a training center used by Ukrainian as well as foreign soldiers. The Ukrainian agency Ukrinform said that two strikes had hit a firing range.

The attack was confirmed by the mayor of Rivne, Alexandr Tretiak, over his Telegram account, EFE reported.

"Based on initial information, several people were injured. We will update with more details later," he said.

Berlin expects arrival of more Ukrainian refugees

Following a drop in arrivals in recent days, Berlin can expect to see the number of incoming Ukrainian refugees increase to 20,000 per day, the city's accommodation coordinator, Albrecht Broemme, told local radio broadcaster RBB on Monday.

"We had up to 10,000 a day, we can cope with that," Broemme said. "But we should be ready to take in 20,000 refugees a day," he added.

Numbers have fallen in recent days due to blockages in Ukraine, but once these have been dealt with, it is expected that even more people will cross into neighboring countries and on to Germany.

Broemme said that the capital was prepared for the new arrivals and praised the work done to turn the former Berlin-Tegel airport into a shelter for refugees.

"I'm amazed at everything that's been done in such a short time," he told RBB.

Cease-fire talks to restart after Mariupol surrender deadline passes

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet on Monday for a new round of cease-fire talks via video link, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak announced on Sunday.

The Ukrainian delegation had expressed cautious optimism during the last round of talks, saying that Russia had appeared more open to negotiation. However, Podolyak added that it could take weeks to reach a deal with Moscow that would end the war.

Russia has stuck to its demands of demilitarizing Ukraine, the recognition of Donbas and Crimea as Russian territory, as well as guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO.

Kyiv has also said it is unwilling to surrender. A deadline for the surrender of Mariupol to Russian forces passed on Monday morning after Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Sunday evening rejected the call for Ukrainian forces there to lay down their arms.

Overnight shelling in Kyiv leaves eight dead

Emergency services in the densely populated Podil district of the Ukrainian capital said on Monday morning that at least eight people had been killed after shelling hit a shopping center in a residential area. The death toll was revised over the course of the day.

"Enemy shelling" had caused fires on several floors of the 10-storey building and set several cars ablaze, emergency services posted on Facebook.

The force of the blast left a large crater and piles of debris were still smoldering on Monday as rescue workers searched through the rubble. 

An AFP journalist reported hearing a loud explosion that shook the city. Security footage released by emergency services showed a massive explosion, followed by a cloud of smoke rising from the blast site, AFP reported.

Local residents told the news agency that they had seen a mobile rocket launcher near the shopping center over the previous days.

Ammonia leak at chemical plant in northeast Ukraine — reports

The regional governor of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine said there has been an ammonia leak at a chemical plant. The city is besieged by Russian forces who have been shelling it regularly.

The governor did not elaborate on the cause of the leak but said there had been contamination of an area with a radius of more than 5 kilometers (3 miles).

City authorities have advised people living in the area to breathe through bandages that have been soaked in citric acid.

Millions of children are 'in grave danger'

Humanitarian organization Save the Children says upwards of 6 million children are in imminent danger as a growing number of hospitals and schools come under attack during Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 

"Up to 6 million children in Ukraine remain in grave danger as the war in Ukraine nears the one-month mark," the group's Ukraine director Pete Walsh said.

The organization said that 464 schools and 42 hospitals have been damaged as a resulted of Russian shelling.

According to UN figures, at least 59 children have been killed since the Russian invasion began on February 24.

"School should be a safe haven for children, not a place of fear, injury or death," Walsh said.

The bombardments have forced more than 1.5 million children to flee the country. However, Save the Children points out that nearly 6 million children remain behind.

"The rules of war are very clear: children are not a target, and neither are hospitals or schools. We must protect the children in Ukraine at all costs. How many more lives need to be lost until this war ends?" Walsh said.

Biden to visit Poland during Europe trip

US President Joe Biden will travel to NATO ally Poland on Friday to hold discussions with President Andrzej Duda over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House said.

"The president will discuss how the United States, alongside our allies and partners, is responding to the humanitarian and human rights crisis that Russia's unjustified and unprovoked war on Ukraine has created," said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

Biden's visit will come after a stop in Brussels where he is scheduled to attend special summits of NATO, the G7 and the European Union.

German MP calls for former Chancellor Schröder to be sanctioned

German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lawmaker Michael Brand is calling for sanctions against former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder over his strong links with Russia.

Brand told German publication Taggespiegel that Chancellor Olaf Scholz must ensure that "Schröder, who was placed in leading positions in the Russian energy sector by Putin himself and who collects hundreds of thousands of euros for representing Putin's interests, is finally also sanctioned."

Brand said that it was no longer reasonable for the German taxpayer and the German state "that a German citizen who is involved in financing the brutal war in Ukraine is not on the sanctions list only because he was once SPD leader and chancellor."

Schröder, who is a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin,is chairman of energy firm Rosneft and and has been nominated for a director's position at Gazprom. His Russia ties have come under scrutiny in recent months.

Summary of Sunday's events in Ukraine-Russia crisis

Russia demanded that Ukrainian forces in the eastern port city of Mariupol lay down their arms.

But Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk refuted the notion of surrender in Mariupol, according to reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia's siege of Mariupol would "go down in history for war crimes."

Authorities in Mariupol said Russian forces bombed an art school in which 400 residents had taken shelter.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Russia and Ukraine were getting closer to an agreement on "critical" issues.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told CBS that Ukraine's resistance to Russia's invasion means Putin's ground forces "are essentially stalled."

Ukrainian authorities said that at least 260 civilians have been killed in the fighting around the country's second-biggest city, Kharkiv, since the start of the Russian invasion.

Russia's "devastating" war on Ukraine has driven 10 million people from their homes, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked why he can't get weapons from Israel and said the Iron Dome air-defense system would protect Ukrainians.

ar, ab, kb/wmr, jsi (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)