Russian army nears Kyiv as cease-fire talks conclude

Ukrainian and Russian representatives met for roughly five hours on Monday, according to an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not attend due to safety concerns. The group did not reach a cease-fire agreement but said they are open to a second meeting in the coming days. While delegates discussed, more missiles struck apartment buildings in the Kyiv region, according to Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Ministry.

How close is the Russian army? Tech company Maxar Technologies shared satellite images showing a Russian military convoy has made it within 20 miles of Kyiv. Despite six days of fighting, the eastern cities of Kharkiv and Mariupol have resisted Russian control. Heavy shelling continues in the Black Sea region in sporadic bursts. Experts estimate Putin’s war plan is behind schedule because of unexpectedly strong resistance from Ukraine. The Russian military claimed Monday it hit nearly 1,150 Ukrainian military installations and that more than 110 servicemen had voluntarily surrendered in the previous 24 hours, but that information could not be verified. A regional leader in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, said in a Tuesday Telegram post that more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers died after Russian artillery struck a military base there. Finland and Norway promised Monday to send weapons and equipment, and Canada increased its pledge of anti-tank weapons systems.

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