More than 70 Ukraine soldiers have been killed by Russian artillery which hit a miliary base in Okhtyrka, a town between Kyiv and Kharkiv in the northeastern Sumy region. The regional governor, Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, posted pictures of the four-story building which was attacked and rescuers searching for survivors. He later posted on Facebook saying that Russian soldiers and local residents in Ukraine died in the fight on Sunday.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukraine president, said Russian troops have intensified the shelling as they seek to force the Ukrainians to agree to the conditions that Russia has put on the table. “The talks were taking place against the backdrop of bombing and shelling of our territory. Synchronizing of the shelling with the negotiating process was obvious. I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method.”
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The president of Ukraine did not give details on what was discussed in the long negotiations which took place at the border of Belarus. Zelenskyy said Ukraine refuses to make concessions “when one side is hitting the other with rocket artillery.” Zelenskyy further said Kyiv is the ultimate goal for the Russian forces. The shelling, which is taking place in Kharkiv, is meant to force the Ukrainians to give in to the demands of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The war has entered the 6th day and the talks are set to continue following the long meeting which took place between the two parties yesterday. No conclusion was reached, and the two parties will have to decide on the best way forward. The war continues and Russia is sending more troops, which are meant to overwhelm the Ukrainian forces who have been putting up a stiff resistance. The sanctions by Western countries have crippled the Russian economy within the space of a week.
Source: AP News, Sky News, image by AP News
