Civilians under fire in Ukraine

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A man carries an 18-month-old boy wounded in shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, into a hospital as the boy’s mother runs behind them. The boy, Kirill, later died. Associated Press/Photo by Evgeniy Maloletka

Russia proposed another humanitarian cease-fire with Ukraine on Monday after its shelling stalled similar efforts over the weekend. The Russian Defense Ministry said safe passages would open from the capital city of Kyiv and in the cities of Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Sumy. But Ukrainian officials rejected the proposal that would require civilians to flee into Russia and its key ally, Belarus. Evacuations failed over the weekend due to shelling in Mariupol and several suburbs in Kyiv. About 1.7 million Ukrainians have fled to nearby countries since the invasion began, according to the UN refugee agency.

What can be done to stop Russia? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for NATO to impose a no-fly zone over the country. That would require NATO to enforce the zone by shooting down Russian warplanes over Ukraine—something President Vladimir Putin said would constitute an act of war. The United States and NATO have committed not to send troops to fight directly in Ukraine, so they are not likely to declare a no-fly zone. But they are working to supply Ukraine with Soviet-era fighter jets that the Ukrainian military knows how to fly. Poland would send its MiGs and SU planes to Ukraine, and the United States would supply Poland with American warplanes.

Dig deeper: Read WORLD’s ongoing coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Lynde Langdon

Lynde is WORLD’s executive editor for news. She is a graduate of World Journalism Institute, the Missouri School of Journalism, and the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Lynde resides with her family in Wichita, Kan.

@lmlangdon