Russia on Tuesday said it would press forward with its invasion of Ukraine until its “goals” are met, even as Belarus has reportedly joined the invasion of Ukraine with President Alexander Lukashenko’s troops thought to have entered the Chernihiv region in the north of the country on Tuesday morning. Belarusian soldiers have stepped onto Ukrainian soil, according to a statement from the Ukrainian Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. The Ukrainian Parliament
added that the movement of Belarusian troops was confirmed by Vitaliy Kyrylov, a spokesman for the North Territorial Defence Forces. According to local reports, a Belarusian column of 33 tanks entered the region north of Kyiv before lunchtime on Tuesday. More than 70 Ukrainian servicemen were killed by a Russian rocket attack and dozens of civilians have died in “barbaric” shelling, Ukrainian authorities said on Tuesday, as a huge Russian military convoy approached the capital Kyiv.
A report from Brussels, Belgium, said Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Ukrainians received a standing ovation after he addressed the European Parliament as the Russian military operation entered its sixth day, where he said that Ukrainians are fighting for their land. Speaking at an extraordinary session virtually of the European Parliament on Tuesday, he informed that all the major cities of Ukraine are blocked at present time. “We’re fighting for our land and our freedom despite the fact that all our cities are now blocked. Nobody is going to break us, we are strong, we are Ukrainians,” he said. The Parliament of the European Union (EU) approved Ukraine’s application on Tuesday. Zelenskyy had on Monday applied for Ukraine’s membership in the 27-member European Union.
Meanwhile, shortly after the statement from the Verkhovna Rada, President Lukashenko said his country was deploying more forces to its border with Ukraine to “stop any provocation against Belarus”. “Those are well trained rapid deployment groups which are ready to stop any provocation and any military action against Belarus,” state news agency Belta quoted the President as saying.
It marks a major escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, with the war now stretching further across Europe. Belarus had been hosting peace talks between Russia and Ukraine yesterday, in which President Lukashenko insisted he had no plans to join the invasion. Lukashenko, who is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally, denied Kyiv’s allegations that Russian troops were attacking Ukraine from Belarus’ territory.
However, his promises were met with deep scepticism after Belarus last week held a referendum on proposed changes to the constitution that would end Belarus’ status as a nuclear-free zone. Almost two-thirds of votes were in favour of the move, which could pave the way for the possible deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in the country. It comes as satellite images showed a massive 40-mile long convoy of Russian military vehicles snaking back to Belarusian soil on Tuesday. Military analysts have suggested that Russian troops will surround the capital of Kyiv and blow up key infrastructure such as bridges and highways to prevent people leaving.
The second round of Russia-Ukraine talks is planned for 2 March, Russia’s TASS news agency reported on Tuesday, quoting a source on the Russian side. After the first round of negotiations which took place on Monday and produced no tangible results, the sides had said they would meet again in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Russian said on Tuesday that it would press forward with its invasion of Ukraine until its “goals” are met, as troops were seen moving in a large convoy toward the capital, Kyiv. In the country’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, the mayor said residential areas were being bombed in what he called “a war to destroy the Ukrainian people.” Kharkiv saw at least 10 deaths and injuries in 35 people on Tuesday in rocket strikes by Russian forces on the centre of Ukraine’s second-largest city. In a social media post, interior ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said the toll would rise as debris was being cleared. “The rubble is being cleared and there will be even more victims and wounded,” he said as the Kremlin’s offensive in Ukraine entered its sixth day.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian missile had hit central square of the border city, calling it “war crime” and “undisguised terror”. The Russian army bombed the TV and radio broadcasting tower in Kyiv, forcing channels off the air and creating an information blackout for Ukrainian citizens. Fierce resistance on the ground has so far denied Russian President Vladimir Putin decisive early gains after he last week launched the biggest assault on a European state since World War II. “The Russian advance on Kyiv has made little progress over the past 24 hours probably as a result of continuing logistical difficulties,” the British defence ministry said in a military intelligence update on Tuesday, adding that Russia had increased its use of artillery. “The use of heavy artillery in densely populated urban areas greatly increases the risk of civilian casualties.” it said.
More than 5,00,000 people have left Ukraine since the start of Russia’s military operation and about 1,60,000 have become internally displaced, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council on Monday. The International Criminal Court will launch a probe into the situation in Ukraine, said ICC Prosecutor, Karim Khan. Twelve members of Russia’s diplomatic mission to the UN have been expelled by the United States by March 7, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told reporters on Monday (local time).