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Talks between Ukraine and Russia took place via video link before a "technical pause" was called until Tuesday, according to a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who is leading Kyiv's delegation.
The fourth round of negotiations came a day after Russia's attacks moved closer to Poland, a member of NATO. A Russian attack on a military base west of Lviv Sunday killed 35 and injured 134, Ukrainian officials said.
Russia's navy has set up a "distant blockade" of Ukraine from the Black Sea, cutting off the country in parts of the south, according to Britain's ministry of defense. But a first group of civilians was able to make it out of the besieged southern city of Mariupol after days of failed attempts to evacuate residents trapped in dire conditions under Russian shelling.
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Ukraine drones should be easy for Russians to blow out of the sky — but that hasn't been the case
A U.S. defense official said Monday that Ukraine has made “terrific” use of Turkish Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles, which can loiter over tanks and artillery and destroy them with devastatingly accurate missile fire. The official said the U.S. is working to help keep the drones flying.
Ukraine received a new shipment of the drones this month, Ukraine’s defense minister said on Facebook. He didn’t say how many. It’s unclear whether the U.S. has made efforts to facilitate the supply of the Turkish drone or other similar systems to Ukraine, in addition to the Javelin anti-tank and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles it is providing.
Before the war began, military experts predicted that Russian forces would have little trouble dealing with Ukraine’s complement of as many as 20 Turkish drones. With a price tag in the single-digit millions, the Bayraktars are far cheaper than drones like the U.S. Reaper but also much slower and smaller, with a wingspan of 39 feet.
As so often has been the case in this war, however, the experts misjudged the competence of the Russian military.
Read the full story here.
European Union approves 4th set of sanctions on Russia
BRUSSELS — The European Union announced late Monday that the 27-nation bloc has approved a fourth set of sanctions to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
France, which holds the EU presidency, said in a statement that the bloc approved a package targeting “individuals and entities involved in the aggression against Ukraine,” along with sectors of the Russian economy.
The exact details of the latest package will be revealed in the EU’s official journal.
Since the war started last month, the EU has adopted tough measures targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s financial system and the country’s oligarchs. Last week, the bloc agreed to slap further sanctions on 160 individuals and added new restrictions on the export of maritime navigation and radio communication technology.
Protester interrupts Russia's main evening news broadcast holding 'No War' sign
A protester interrupted Russia’s main evening news broadcast Monday, holding a sign saying “No War” and telling viewers not to believe the station's “propaganda.”
The independent human rights group OVD-Info said the woman had been detained and taken into custody.
The Kremlin made it a crime punishable by a 15-year prison term this month for people to spread "fake news" and describe the Ukraine invasion as a “war.”
Several foreign news outlets removed their staff members or stopped broadcasting. Local independent news organizations have shuttered or submitted to censorship. The Russian investigative news website Agentsvo reported this month that more than 150 journalists had fled the country.
Russian officials have described the invasion as a special military operation, a term the channel has used while saying the effort aims to “denazify” Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Ukraine continues efforts to repair Chernobyl power plant
The staff at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant continued efforts to repair the site Monday, a day after Russian forces damaged a line that had been reconnected to the power grid, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement.
The plant has been relying on a backup generator since Wednesday, and specialist teams succeeded in restoring one of two damaged power lines Sunday. Ukraine expected to have power running by Monday morning, but the line was compromised again by "occupying forces," Ukraine’s transmission system operator, Ukrenergo, told the atomic energy agency.
Eight of the country’s 15 reactors remained operating, including two at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where a fire broke out more than a week ago after an attack by Russian forces.
Radiation levels at all nuclear plants in Ukraine are in the normal range, according to the atomic energy agency.
Fox News reporter injured outside Kyiv, network says
Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall was injured while reporting outside of Kyiv on Monday and was hospitalized, the network said.
Hall is a Washington-based correspondent who covers the U.S. State Department for Fox News, where he has worked since 2015.
“We have a minimal level of details right now, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds,” Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said in a message to Fox employees.
Fox’s John Roberts read Scott’s statement about Hall on the air at Fox.
Belarus opposition leader says majority of Belarusians oppose war in Ukraine
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said in an interview Monday on MSNBC that "97 percent of Belarusian people are against the war in Ukraine."
Tsikhanouskaya said Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko supported Russia as a means of "paying back" Putin for support after the 2020 election, claiming Belarus troops don't want to be in Ukraine.
"They have [a] symbiotic relationship. They need each other now as never before," she said, attributing the relationship to Lukashenko's need for money and political support and Putin's need for an ally.
"The fate of Ukraine and fate of Belarus are deeply interconnected in this occasion," Tsikhanouskaya added. "Without free Ukraine, there will be no free Belarus, and vice versa."
Zelenskyy expresses condolences for American journalist killed by Russian forces
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his condolences Monday to the family of Brent Renaud, a U.S. journalist who was shot and killed by Russian forces Sunday.
"I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of Brent Renaud who lost his life while documenting the ruthlessness & evil inflicted upon [Ukraine's] people by Russia," Zelenskyy tweeted. "May Brent’s life & sacrifice inspire the world to stand up in fight for the forces of light against forces of darkness."
Zelenskyy also shared a letter addressed to Renaud's family, in which he called Renaud a "talented and brave journalist" and said the people of Ukraine "are mourning with you."
"We are thankful to Brent for his professionalism and commitment to the values of compassion, ethics, and justice," Zelenskyy wrote.
Russian oligarch charged with illegal campaign contributions
A Russian oligarch has been charged with making illegal political contributions as a foreign national, known as "straw donations," in a case that stems from the investigation into Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two associates of Rudy Giuliani.
Andrey Muraviev is charged with wiring $1 million to Fruman and Parnas to fund political contributions in November 2018. Federal prosecutors in New York say the purpose of the contributions was to bolster Muraviev and his fellow co-conspirators’ efforts with obtaining cannabis and marijuana licenses.
The scheme has been extensively reported on, with Muraviev the unnamed “Foreign National-1” in the case (though NBC News has reported his name and involvement).
According to prosecutors, the donations went to federal and state politicians in Florida, Nevada, and Texas. Muraviev also allegedly planned for politicians in New York and New Jersey to get money.