Graphic illustrating the current situation between Russia and Ukraine | Picture: iStock
Russian troops have entered Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv and fighting was underway on Sunday, the head of the regional administration said on the fourth day of Moscow’s invasion of the pro-Western country
“The Russian enemy’s light vehicles broke into the city of Kharkiv,” Oleg Sinegubov said in a Facebook post.
“The Ukrainian armed forces are eliminating the enemy.”
While fighting raged in Kharkiv, the city administration in Kyiv, 400 kilometres (250 miles) to the west, said the capital remained completely under the control of Ukrainian forces despite clashes with “sabotage groups”.
The Russian defence ministry claimed on Sunday that its troops had besieged the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and the city of Berdyansk in the southeast.
“Over the past 24 hours, the cities of Kherson and Berdyansk have been completely blocked by the Russian armed forces,” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.
He added that Russian troops had also taken control of Genichesk, a port city along the Sea of Azov, and an airfield near Kherson.
As of Sunday, the Russian army said it had destroyed 975 military facilities in Ukraine and shot down eight fighter jets, seven helicopters and 11 drones.
Konashenkov claimed that Ukrainian servicemen were laying down arms “en masse.”
He claimed that on Saturday forces of an air defence missile regiment near Kharkiv “voluntarily” put down their arms, adding that more than 470 Ukrainian servicemen had been detained.
There was no independent verification of any of these claims and Ukraine insists it has inflicted heavy casualties on the Kremlin’s forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Russian ground forces have pressed into Ukraine from the north, east and south but have encountered fierce resistance from Ukrainian troops, the intensity of which has likely surprised Moscow, according to Western sources.
On Saturday, Moscow ordered its troops to advance in Ukraine “from all directions”, with the Kremlin claiming Ukrainian authorities have refused to hold talks.
Russia praised what it called India’s “independent and balanced” position after Delhi abstained from a UN Security Council vote that deplored Moscow’s “aggression” against Ukraine.
India, along with China and the UAE, did not vote on the resolution Friday, a move in line with the fine balance Delhi has sought to strike between partnerships with Moscow and Western allies.
The Russian embassy in India welcomed India’s stand on Saturday.
“Highly appreciate India’s independent and balanced position at the voting in the UNSC,” it said on Twitter.
“In the spirit of the special and privileged strategic partnership, Russia is committed to maintain close dialogue with India on the situation around Ukraine.”
Despite being the world’s largest democracy and a member of the “Quad” grouping with Australia, Japan and the United States, India has neither explicitly condemned Moscow’s actions, nor called them an invasion so far.
New Delhi and Moscow were close throughout the Cold War, a relationship that endures to this day, and Russia continues to be India’s biggest arms supplier.
The United States has been in discussions with India over its position on Ukraine, and on Saturday it urged Delhi to use its influence with Russia to “protect the rules-based international order”.
“India and Russia have a relationship, including in the defence and security sector, that we don’t have,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
“We have asked every country that has a relationship and certainly those countries that have leverage to use that leverage in a constructive way.”
Since the assault, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, expressing concern over the violence.
Critics have been forthright in condemning India’s balancing act.
“India’s careful, avoid angering Putin at all costs response despite Russia’s blatant aggression vs Ukraine highlights that it remains unprepared to step up to major power responsibilities or be a dependable partner,” foreign relations expert Richard Haass tweeted.
“Disappointing as well as short-sighted given rise of China.”
The diplomatic frenzy comes as India embarks on an air evacuation exercise for thousands of its students stranded in Ukraine after the Russian assault on the capital Kyiv and other cities.
On Saturday, the first batch of some 200 Indian students that arrived on a special flight expressed relief and joy after touchdown in Mumbai.
“I was in Chernovitsky city which is in the west of Ukraine so it was considered safest but a town near us got bombed and we were scared if we were the next to be bombed,” Rutuja Kamble, a medical student told AFP.
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