Russia continues to shell civilians trying to flee Ukrainian cities after LANDMINES were discovered along one 'humanitarian corridor' amid warnings FIVE MILLION will try to leave the country
Horrifying images have laid bare the refugee crisis in Ukraine as Russia continues to shell civilians trying to flee bomb-ravaged cities, after Kyiv rejected Moscow's offer to open 'humanitarian corridors' when it emerged that some of the routes led straight to its territory.
Hundreds of civilians were pictured trying to flee the city of Irpin, to the west of Kyiv, which has been the scene of heavy Russian bombardment in recent days - helped across a partially-destroyed bridge by members of the Ukrainian military who had blow it up days earlier to slow the Russian advance
It came after Ukraine rejected Russia's offer to open up 'humanitarian corridors' from the besieged cities of Sumy, Mariupol, Kharkiv and Kyiv - which have been hammered by artillery strikes for days with Mariupol cut off from electricity and water supplies - because the routes led either to Russian territory or its ally, Belarus.
That is after two attempts to open up similar corridors at the weekend failed after less than an hour because Russian troops resumed shooting. Red Cross workers trying to use one corridor out of Mariupol said the route had been booby-trapped with landmines.
The images emerged as the EU's top diplomat, Joseph Borrell said as many as five million refugees could flee in to the bloc if Russia's barbaric invasion of Ukraine continues. The UN said today that 1.7million have fled the conflict in the first 11 days, which is the fastest-growing refugee crisis since the Second World War.
With the offer of evacuations off the table, Russian forces then resumed their attacks on Gostomel - site of a key strategic airfield north of Kyiv - Kharkiv in the east, Sumy in the northeast, Chernihiv in the north and Mykolayiv in the southwest.
It is not clear how many civilians have been killed in the fighting so-far. Ukraine said last week that 2,000 had died but has not updated the figure since. The UN has confirmed 406 civilian deaths but cautions that it likely a vast undercount. Russia completely denies hitting civilian targets, despite reams of evidence to the contrary.
Moscow's representatives at the International Court of Justice at The Hague today skipped a hearing into whether or not war crimes are being committed.
Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of resorting to 'medieval siege' tactics in some places, and in one encircled city, Mariupol, there was no sign yet of an evacuation.
Russian forces continued to pummel some Ukrainian cities with rockets even after the new announcement of corridors and fierce fighting continued in some areas, indicating there would be no wider cessation of hostilities.
Efforts to set up safe passages for civilians to leave besieged areas over the weekend fell apart. But the Russian Defence Ministry announced a new push on Monday, saying civilians would be allowed to leave the capital of Kyiv, the southern port city of Mariupol, and the cities of Kharkiv and Sumy.The two sides met for a third round of talks on Monday, according to Russian state media, though hopes for any breakthrough were dim. The countries' foreign ministers are also scheduled to meet in Turkey on Thursday, according to that country's top diplomat.
In Mariupol, where an estimated 200,000 people hoping to flee were becoming increasingly desperate, Red Cross officials waited to hear when a safe humanitarian corridor would be established. The city is short on water, food and power, and mobile phone networks are down. Shops have been looted as residents search for essential goods.
Hundreds of civilians have today been fleeing the city of Irpin, to the west of Kyiv, after it came under heavy attack by Russian forces in recent days while Putin's men try to encircle the capital
Elderly people and families with children are helped across a fast-flowing river underneath a destroyed road bridge outside Irpin, a city to the west of Kyiv, which Russian forces have been attacking
Kyiv today rejected Russia's offer of 'humanitarian corridors' to evacuate civilians after it emerged several of them led to Russian territory or its close ally Belarus (top). Red Cross workers in Mariupol also said one of the routes Russia identified for civilians to leave the city had been covered with land mines
A woman in a wheelchair is assisted by local residents as she is evacuated from Irpin
Ukrainian soldiers help an elderly woman to cross a destroyed bridge as she evacuates the city of Irpin,
Residents of Irpin flee heavy fighting via a destroyed bridge as Russian forces entered the city in Irpin
Residents cross the destroyed bridge as they flee from the frontline town of Irpin, Kyiv region in Ukraine following Russia's invasion
A woman is assisted by a member of the Ukrainian military as she flees heavy fighting in Irpin via a destroyed bridge as Russian forces entered the city today
Civilians continue to flee from Irpin due to ongoing Russian attacks in Irpin,
A woman carries her pet cat as evacuees cross a destroyed bridge as they flee the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv
Police moved through the city advising people to remain in shelters until they heard official messages broadcast over loudspeakers to evacuate. Russia and Ukraine traded blame after a planned evacuation mostly failed over the weekend there.Shelling appeared to be mostly on the city's outskirts, but on Sunday, cars of people hoping to leave in an evacuation convoy were gathered in a central square when shells landed nearby. All fled immediately.
Even hospitals in Mariupol suffered shortages of antibiotics and painkillers, and doctors performed some emergency procedures without them.
The lack of phone networks has left anxious citizens approaching strangers to ask if they knew whether relatives living in other parts of the city and whether they were safe.
At the International Court of Justice, Ukraine pleaded for an order to halt Russia's invasion, saying Moscow is already committing widespread war crimes and 'resorting to tactics reminiscent of medieval siege warfare'. Russia snubbed Monday's hearings, leaving its seats in the Great Hall of Justice empty.
Well into the second week of war, Russia's plan to quickly overrun the country has been stymied by fierce resistance.
Its troops have made significant advances in southern Ukraine and along the coast, but many of its efforts have become stalled, including an immense military convoy that has been almost motionless for days north of Kyiv.
The battle for Mariupol, in particular, is crucial because its capture could allow Moscow to establish a land corridor to Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 in a move that most other countries considered illegal.
The fighting has sent energy prices surging worldwide, stocks plummeting, and is threatening the food supply and livelihoods of people around the globe who rely on farmland in the Black Sea region.
The death toll, meanwhile, remains unclear. The UN has confirmed a few hundred civilian deaths but also warned the number is a vast undercount. Police for the Kharkiv region said Monday that 209 people have died there alone, 133 of them civilians.
The Russian invasion has also sent 1.7 million people fleeing Ukraine, creating what the head of the UN refugee agency called 'the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since' the Second World War.
In the latest cease-fire proposal, most of the evacuation routes were toward Russia or its ally Belarus, a move Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk called 'unacceptable' and French President Emmanuel Macron said was 'hypocrisy'. Belarus served as a launching ground for the invasion.
'I don't know many Ukrainians who want to seek refuge in Russia. That's hypocrisy,' Mr Macron said in an interview on French news broadcaster LCI.
'Humanitarian actors need to be able to intervene so we must get full cease-fires when they intervene,' Mr Macron said. The issue won't be solved via 'corridors which are being threatened right away (by Russia),' he added.
The Ukrainian government instead proposed eight routes allowing civilians to travel to western regions of Ukraine where there is no shelling.
Kyiv mayor and former boxer Vitali Klitschko said in a Telegram video address that 'fierce battles' continued on Monday in the Kyiv region, notably around Bucha, Hostomel, Vorzel and Irpin - areas away from the humanitarian corridors - and were hitting civilians.
In the Irpin area, which has been cut off from electricity, water and heating for three days, witnesses on Monday saw at least three tanks and said Russian soldiers were seizing houses and cars, while explosions could be heard.
Russian forces continued their offensive in Mykolaiv, opening fire on the city some 300 miles south of Kyiv, according to Ukraine's General Staff. Rescuers said they were putting out fires caused by rocket attacks in residential areas.
Residents of Irpin flee heavy fighting via a destroyed bridge as Russian forces entered the city today. Devastating scenes show civilians trying to leave amid debris
A man carries a stroller as he flees Irpin, which Russian forces entered today, amid debris and a destroyed bridge in the background
Civilians continue to flee from Irpin due to ongoing Russian attacks in the town near Kyiv, surrounded by debris and destroyed infrastructure
A Ukrainian soldier stands guard as residents wait to cross the destroyed bridge as they flee from the frontline town of Irpin
Residents cross the destroyed bridge as they flee from the frontline town of Irpin today. The area was a witness to heavy fighting for almost a week
Residents of Irpin flee heavy fighting via a destroyed bridge as Russian forces entered the city of Irpin
A Ukrainian serviceman looks on as evacuees cross a destroyed bridge as they flee the city of Irpin
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Emergency officials in the Kharkiv region said overnight shelling killed at least eight people and wrecked residential buildings, medical and education facilities and administrative buildings.
'Russia continues to carry out rocket, bomb and artillery strikes on the cities and settlements of Ukraine,' the General Staff said, and repeated earlier Ukrainian accusations that Russia has targeted humanitarian corridors.
The statement also accused Russian forces of taking women and children hostage and placing weapons in residential areas of cities - though it did not elaborate or provide evidence.
In the face of a series of punishing sanctions by Western countries, Russia has grown increasing isolated. The rouble's value has plunged and the country's extensive trade ties with the West have been all but severed.
Moscow has also cracked down on independent reporting on the conflict and arrested anti-war protesters en masse. On Sunday, more than 5,000 people in 69 cities were detained, according to rights group OVD-Info - the highest single-day figure since the invasion began.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more action punishment, including a global boycott of Russian oil imports and other products.
'If the invasion continues and Russia does not abandon its plans against Ukraine, then we need a new sanctions package,' he said in a video address. 'If (Russia) doesn't want to abide by civilised rules, then they shouldn't receive goods and services from civilisation. It can be called an embargo, or it can be just morality.'
Mr Zelensky described shelling of Ukrainian cities in the centre, north and south of the country, describing 'terror' facing civilians in the suburbs of Kyiv and in Kharkiv and Mariupol, surrounded by Russian troops.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier said Moscow's attacks could be halted 'only if Kyiv ceases hostilities'. As he has often done, he blamed Ukraine for the war, telling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday that Kyiv needed to stop all hostilities and fulfil 'the well-known demands of Russia'.
Mr Putin launched his invasion with a string of false accusations against Kyiv, including that it is led by neo-Nazis intent on undermining Russia with the development of nuclear weapons.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has particularly alarmed nearby countries. US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Monday began a lightning visit to the three Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, former Soviet republics that are Nato members.
Mr Blinken hopes to reassure them of the alliance's protection in the event Russia chooses to expand its military operations to other neighbouring countries.
The West has broadly backed Ukraine, offering aid and weapon shipments and slapping Russia with vast sanctions. But no Nato troops have been sent to Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky has criticised Western leaders for not responding with more force to Russia. He appealed again on Monday for a no-fly zone over Ukraine or warplanes.
'How do peaceful people in Kharkiv or Mykolaiv differ from (people in) Hamburg or Vienna?' he asked.
Nato so far has ruled out policing a no-fly zone because of concerns such an action would lead to a far wider war.
Poland - which has the largest Ukrainian community in Central Europe - has received more than 1 million Ukrainian refugees since the conflict began on February 24, with the milestone passed late last night.
'Today at 20:00 the number of people who escaped from Ukraine to Poland exceeded one million,' the Polish border guard service tweeted late on Sunday.
Crowds of people with their luggage wait under a destroyed bridge as they flee from the frontline town of Irpin, Kyiv region, today
People cross an improvised path under a destroyed bridge while fleeing the town of Irpin close to Kyiv, Ukraine today, helping one another across
Evacuees carrying bags walks along the river bank near a destroyed bridge as they flee the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, amid debris
Evacuees cross a destroyed bridge as they flee the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, today. Ukraine dismissed Moscow's offer to set up humanitarian corridors from several bombarded cities
A man carries a woman as they cross an improvised path while fleeing the town of Irpin, Ukraine
People cross an improvised path under a destroyed bridge while fleeing the town of Irpin
Civilians cross amid rubble of a damaged bridge in the Irpin city near from Kyiv
Residents shelter by candle light in the basement of a building in Irpin as Russian forces moved through the city today, on day 12 of the invasion
'This is a million human tragedies, a million people banished from their homes by the war.'
A total of 1,735,068 civilians - mostly women and children, as men stayed home to fight - have so far crossed the border into Central Europe, the UNHCR said.
Russian shelling is preventing the evacuation of civilians from Kyiv, Mariupol, Sumy, Kharkiv, Volnovakha and Mykolayiv, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said today.
In a statement it added: 'This prevents the safe passage of humanitarian columns with Ukrainian and foreign citizens, as well as the delivery of medicines and food.'
The ministry called on foreign leaders to force Russia to observe a ceasefire to prevent what it said could be a humanitarian catastrophe.
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a 'special operation'.
Russia's chief negotiator in talks between Moscow and Kyiv accused Ukraine of blocking humanitarian corridors for civilians escaping advancing Russian forces, calling it a 'war crime'.
'The nationalists who have seized positions in cities continue to hold civilians there,' Russia's chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky told state television. He accused Kyiv of using the civilians as 'a human shield' and said that 'this is undoubtedly a war crime.'
Red Cross volunteers working out of Mariupol also revealed that one of the route out of the city suggested by Russia on Sunday was covered in land mines.
Meanwhile Volodymyr Zelensky vowed that 'God will not forgive' and Ukraine 'will not forget' the slaughter of civilians by Russian forces, saying a 'day of judgement' is coming for them.
Zelensky, in a late-night address to his countrymen on the Orthodox Christian holiday of 'Forgiveness Sunday', recalled how a family of four were among eight civilians killed by Russian mortars while trying to flee the city of Irpin - near Kyiv - earlier in the day. 'We will not forgive. We will not forget,' he told listeners.
'We cannot forgive the hundreds upon hundreds of victims. Nor the thousands upon thousands who have suffered,' he added. 'God will not forgive. Not today. Not tomorrow. Never.'
'Instead of humanitarian corridors, they can only make bloody ones,' Zelensky said, as Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko added: 'There can be no 'green corridors' because only the sick brain of the Russians decides when to start shooting and at whom.'
Shortly after they spoke, columns of smoke were seen rising over the city of Mykolaiv, on Ukraine's Black Sea coast, as Russian forces resumed shelling.
A woman covers herself with a blanket to keep warm after fleeing from the Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland
Refugees, mostly women and children, wait in a crowd for transportation after fleeing from the Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland
Women shelter themselves with blankets outside a temporary accommodation and transport hub for refugees at a former shopping mall, after fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Przemysl, Poland
Refugees, mostly women and children, wait in a crowd for transportation after fleeing from the Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland today
Crowds of refugees pictured waiting for transport after they were able to Ukraine and arrive at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, today
A woman uses her mobile device as she waits with hundreds of refugees for transportation after fleeing from the Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland today
Refugees from Ukraine arrive at the reception point established at the train station in Przemysl, Poland, today, as the invasion continues
Refugees from Ukraine stay at the reception point established at the train station in Przemysl, Poland, pictured today, following Russia's invasion
The exact number of civilian casualties is unclear, though is estimated by Ukraine to be in the thousands as residential areas of major cities are indiscriminately bombed using thermobaric and cluster munitions amid evidence of 'hit squads' targeting civilian vehicles.
The UN has confirmed 406 civilian deaths, though admits the true toll will be higher, and says that that 1.5million people have fled the fighting.
Britain's Europe Minister James Cleverly said Russia's latest offer of a ceasefire and an escape route for civilians was 'cynical beyond belief'.
Evacuation routes published by Russia's RIA Novosti news agency showed that civilians in some areas will only be able to leave towards Russia and Belarus.
Mr Cleverly told BBC Breakfast: 'It appears cynical beyond belief. There is a view that Vladimir Putin believed there was a widespread desire of Ukrainians to be closer to Russia, to be more Russian. I think that has been proven to be a complete nonsense by the circumstances we are seeing.
'Providing evacuation routes into the arms of the country that is currently destroying yours is a nonsense.'
He added that 'ultimately the most humanitarian thing the Russians could do is end this completely illegal, completely unjustified invasion of Ukraine'.
Even after the corridors were announced, Russia's armed forces continued to pummel Ukrainian cities, with multiple rocket launchers hitting residential buildings.
Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of resorting to 'medieval siege' tactics in some places, and in one encircled city, Mariupol, there was no sign yet of an evacuation.
Russian forces continued to pummel some Ukrainian cities with rockets even after the new announcement of corridors and fierce fighting continued in some areas, indicating there would be no wider cessation of hostilities.
Efforts to set up safe passages for civilians to leave besieged areas over the weekend fell apart. But the Russian Defense Ministry announced a new push today, saying civilians would be allowed to leave the capital of Kyiv, the southern port city of Mariupol, and the cities of Kharkiv and Sumy.
The two sides met for a third round of talks Monday, according to Russian state media, though hopes for any breakthrough were dim. The countries' foreign ministers are also scheduled to meet in Turkey on Thursday, according to that country's top diplomat.
Ukrainians, whose ferocious resistance has slowed the invasion and thwarted any hopes Moscow had for a lightning victory, have been reinforcing cities across the country.
The death toll, meanwhile, remains unclear. The U.N. has confirmed a few hundred civilian deaths but also warned the number is a vast undercount. Police for the Kharkiv region said Monday that 209 people have died there alone, 133 of them civilians.
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