Zelensky accuses Putin of genocide as horrific footage emerges of dead civilians, including a 14-year-old boy, lying in the streets of Kyiv suburb with their hands tied behind their backs
- President Volodymyr Zekensky said Sunday that Russia is engaged in 'genocide' against Ukrainian people
- Said the 'bare minimum' he will accept from Russian President Vladimir Putin is a 100% withdrawal
- 'The guns of the cannons of the tanks cannot dictate us or what the future will be for Ukraine,' Zelensky said
- Came after 'mass graves' were discovered while Russian forces retreated from the recaptured area of Kyiv
- Ukrainians accused Russia of more war crimes, including booby-trapping corpses and executing civilians
- Zelensky's forces took back the 'whole Kyiv region', the country's deputy defense minister said
- Russian armored vehicles on outskirts of Kyiv have been reduced to rubble amid Ukrainian counterattacks
- Ukrainian units report more possible war crimes after finding the bound bodies of dead civilians in Bucha
By KATELYN CARALLE, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and WIRES
PUBLISHED: 00:40 AEST, 4 April 2022 | UPDATED: 04:06 AEST, 4 April 2022
Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Russia is engaging in 'genocide' after mass graves and at least 280 people were found dead in a commuter city outside Kyiv as President Vladimir Putin's troops started fleeing the capital city.
The Ukrainian leader said that for de-occupation to be successful, he will accept nothing less than Putin's full withdrawal from all of Ukraine – including resource-rich areas in the east.
Zelensky said that he will be willing to sit down with Putin again once there is a ceasefire in place and Russian troops leave Ukraine, adding that the world cannot expect him to have further discussions with the authoritarian leader while there is still an active attack.
'The guns of the cannons of the tanks cannot dictate us or what the future will be for Ukraine,' Zelensky told CBS News' Face the Nation in a live virtual interview on Sunday.
'This is what Russia started with when they started the war.'
'Will you settle for anything less than a full withdrawal of Russian troops from every inch of Ukrainian soil?' host Margaret Brennan asked Zelensky.
'This is the bare minimum that we have to start the de-occupation with,' he replied. 'It should be 100 percent withdrawal of troops to their borders that existed prior to the 24 of February, at least.'
President Volodymyr Zekensky said Sunday that Russia is engaged in 'genocide' against Ukrainian people, claiming that the 'bare minimum' he will accept from Vladimir Putin is a 100% withdrawal
He said that withdrawal would allow for discussions, but did not seem to signal that he is open to more talks before that point.
'First the ceasefire, then we can have a meeting with [the] Russian President if they have an approach,' he added. 'Why do we need this bloodshed?'
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 – meaning the conflict in the region has been ongoing for more than five weeks. It all kicked off with the Kremlin claiming that regions in the eastern part of the country needed help to relieve Russian-speakers from some sort of alleged genocide by Ukraine.
'Let's simply sit down together the two of us,' Zelensky said in a public plea to Putin.
Brennan asked Zelesnky of the now month-long war: 'Is this genocide?'
'Indeed. This is genocide,' Zelensky said, claiming that Russian forces are 'destroying and exterminating' Ukrainians.
He said he will not budge on Ukraine maintaining its sovereignty and army.
'We need to have the ability to defend ourselves,' he said. 'After we discuss this, than all of the troops need to be withdrawn.'
The strong remarks come after Ukraine revealed over the weekend that mass graves were discovered on the outskirts of its capital Kyiv amid fears that brutal Russian troops are still carrying out war crimes, including executing civilians, as they retreat.
“This is the bare minimum that we have to…First the cease fire and then discussion...Let's simply sit down together,” Zelenskyy says of Russian President Putin.
'The guns of the cannons of the tanks cannot dictate us or what the future will be for Ukraine,' Zelensky said Sunday, Pictured: Firefighters help put out a fire at an oil refinery near port city of Odesa, amid the ongoing Russia's invasion in Ukraine on April 3, 2022
Horrific images emerged of bodies strewn across the streets of Kyiv commuter town Bucha, which was retaken by Ukrainian forces on Friday.
The town's mayor, Anatoly Fedoruk, last night said: 'We have already buried 280 people in mass graves.'
The corpses of at least 20 men in civilian clothes were found lying along a single residential street, One had his hands tied behind his back with white cloth. A Ukrainian passport lay on the ground nearby.
'All these people were shot, killed, in the back of the head,' Fedoruk said.
Ukrainians claimed Russian forces 'booby-trap corpses and execute civilians while retreating from recaptured Kyiv area'.
Territorial defense fighters told The Times they found the mutilated bodies of 18 people, including women and children as young as 14, in a cellar.
Fedoruk said that many of the bodies had white bandages on them 'to show that they were unarmed' and that a 14-year-old boy was among the dead.
He claimed some of the victims had tried to cross the Buchanka river to Ukrainian-controlled territory and that entire families had perished, including 'children, women, grandmothers. These are the consequences of Russian occupation,' he added.
Kira Rudik, an MP, posted a video of the horrifying scene on Twitter and wrote: 'Russians were killing people with their hands tied behind their backs and left the bodies near the road. I am shaking.'
Bucha, a suburban town of 28,000 people, has been left devastated by the fighting.
Shell explosions have blown gaping holes in apartment blocks and crushed cars litter the streets, according to the first journalists to reach the town.
Sixteen of the 20 corpses found on one street were lying either on the pavement or by the verge. Three were sprawled in the middle of the road and another was lying in the courtyard of a house. One appeared to have been killed as he rode his bicycle.
All were wearing civilian clothes, including jackets or tracksuit tops, jeans or jogging bottoms, and trainers or boots.
An aerial picture shows burned Russian armored vehicles in the outskirts of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on Friday
Columns of Russian armored vehicles have been reduced to rubble as Zelensky's troops continue to repel Russian forces, and in some instances recapture roads and settlements near to Kyiv
Ukrainian policemen check the wreckage of Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers (APC) in Dmytrivka village, west of Kyiv, on April 2
Ukrainian servicemen walk next to destroyed Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers (APC) in Dmytrivka
Burned Russian armored vehicles are seen on the outskirts of Kyiv. Since the conflict began in late February, Russia has lost an estimated 143 planes, 131 helicopters, 625 tanks and 316 artillery pieces
Zelensky warned that Moscow's retreating troops are creating 'a complete disaster' in suburbs and towns outside Kyiv. Shattered homes, military equipment and even the bodies of those killed have been rigged with explosives as Russian forces withdraw, he said in his nightly video address to the nation. 'They are mining the whole territory. They are mining homes, mining equipment, even the bodies of people who were killed. There are a lot of tripwires, a lot of other dangers,' he said.
Local troops have been removing bodies from the roads with long cables for fear they might have been rigged to explode.
One resident in the commuter town of Bucha said departing Russian troops were indiscriminately shooting civilians as they left.
'Those people were just walking and they shot them without any reason. Bang,' one resident said, adding: 'In the next neighborhood, Stekolka, it was even worse. They would shoot without asking any question.'
Ukraine has taken back the 'whole Kyiv region', the country's deputy defense minister Hanna Maliar (pictured) said today. Malyar said: 'The whole Kyiv region is liberated from the invader'
Ukraine said yesterday it had seized back all areas around Kyiv although Russia has depicted its drawdown as a goodwill gesture during peace talks.
Last night, there were signs that peace talks were at a stage where Zelensky could meet in person with Putin. The head of the Ukraine delegation, David Arakhamia, told local television that Russia accepted Ukraine's overall position, with the exception of its stance on Crimea.
Russia did not comment on the claims. The talks would most likely take place in Turkey but both sides have described negotiations in recent days as difficult.
The former UN chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte also called Vladimir Putin a 'war criminal' and called for an international arrest warrant for him.
Ms Del Ponte was in charge of prosecutions of war crime tribunals for the UN in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
Even though several areas have seen Russian retreats, Zelensky said he expected towns they have departed to endure missile and rocket strikes from afar.
He has also cautioned that: 'It's still not possible to return to normal life, as it used to be, even at the territories that we are taking back after the fighting.'
As Ukrainian troops advance into areas once controlled by their enemies they are discovering large columns of destroyed Russian armored vehicles.
Ukrainian servicemen ride on a fighting vehicle outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 2, 2022. As Russian forces pull back from Ukraine's capital region, retreating troops are creating a 'catastrophic' situation for civilians by leaving mines around homes, abandoned equipment and 'even the bodies of those killed,' Zelensky warned Saturday
Zelensky suggested Sunday that he won't sit for more talks with Russia until there is a withdrawal from Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with top officials on support to aviation industry in Russia amid western sanctions vis video at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, on Thursday
Destroyed cars are seen on a highway 12 miles from Kyiv, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues Saturday in Ukraine
Ukrainian soldiers are pictured in their tanks, amid Russia's invasion on Ukraine in Bucha, in Kyiv region, Ukraine April 2, 20022. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
A Ukrainian soldier passes by destroyed Russian tanks in the village of Dmytrivka close to Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 2, 2022. At least ten Russian tanks were destroyed in the fighting two days ago in Dmytrivka. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Destroyed cars are seen on a highway 20km from Kyiv, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Kyiv region, Ukraine, April 2, 2022. REUTERS/Mikhail Palinchak
Ukrainian servicemen climb on a fighting vehicle outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 2, 2022. As Russian forces pull back from Ukraine's capital region, retreating troops are creating a 'catastrophic' situation for civilians by leaving mines around homes, abandoned equipment and 'even the bodies of those killed,' Zelensky warned Saturday
The charred and shattered remains of 13 tanks and armored personnel carriers were discovered strewn along a road outside the village of Dmytrivka, about 22 miles west of Kyiv. Russia has lost an estimated 143 planes, 131 helicopters, 625 tanks and 316 artillery pieces since the conflict began in late February.
It came as Ukraine took back the 'whole Kyiv region' from Russian troops, the country's deputy defense minister said today as the fightback against the invaders continues.
In a statement posted on social media, Hanna Maliar said: 'Irpin, Bucha, Gostomel and the whole Kyiv region were liberated from the invader.'
Irpin and Bucha, commuters towns outside Kyiv, were retaken by the Ukrainian army this week. Both towns have suffered vast destruction and high civilian death tolls.
Bucha's mayor said 280 people had been buried in a mass grave in the town and that corpses littered the streets.
At least 200 people have been killed in Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv, since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, while Gostomel, near Kyiv, was the setting of heavy fighting to take control of the airfield there.
Ukraine has said Russia is withdrawing from northern areas and appears to be focusing on the east and south of the country.
Downing Street said that Boris Johnson had called to congratulate Ukrainian President Zelensky's 'brave armed forces' for successfully pushing back Russia's invading forces and agreed to continue increasing the economic pressure on Vladimir Putin.
It came as once-bustling highways on the outskirts of Kyiv have now become a graveyard for scores of Vladimir Putin's tanks as the Ukrainians continue their successful counterattacks around the capital.
Columns of Russian armored vehicles have been reduced to rubble as Zelensky's troops continue to repel Russian forces, and in some instances recapture roads and settlements near Kyiv.
As Ukrainian units advance, they're met with burned-out tanks and heavily-armored personnel transport vehicles that line the roads once populated by commuters that would have been heading in or out of the capital.
But far more grisly finds are being discovered in the villages and towns in Kyiv's urban sprawl. After recapturing Bucha from the Russian forces, Ukrainian troops found the bodies of 20 men in civilian clothes on a single street.
In what could be further evidence of Russian war crimes, eyewitnesses said one of the corpses had his hands tied, with the dead bodies strewn all over residential roads in the suburban town that was once home to 28,000 people.
President Zelensky warned Moscow's retreating forces are leaving behind 'catastrophic' situations by mining the areas outside their homes, abandoning their ruined equipment and the 'bodies of those killed'.
Zelensky's troops regained control of the Chernobyl nuclear plant today, after Russian forces withdrew from the area.
Ukraine's nuclear agency said the national flag had been raised above the plant and the country's anthem sung.
Despite successful Ukrainian counter attacks, the country still faces no reprieve from more than five weeks of war or that the more than 4 million refugees who have fled Ukraine will return soon.
Zelensky said he expects departed towns to endure missile strikes and rocket strikes from afar and for the battle in the east to be intense.
'It's still not possible to return to normal life, as it used to be, even at the territories that we are taking back after the fighting,' the president told his nation in a nightly video message.
'We need wait until our land is de-mined, wait till we are able to assure you that there won't be new shelling.'
A Ukrainian soldier passes by destroyed Russian tanks in the village of Dmytrivka close to Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Apr. 2, 2022. As Russian forces pull back from Ukraine's capital region, retreating troops are creating a 'catastrophic' situation for civilians by leaving mines around homes, abandoned equipment and 'even the bodies of those killed,' Zelensky warned Saturday
Despite successful counter attacks, the country still faces no reprieve from more than five weeks of war or that the more than 4 million refugees who have fled Ukraine will return soon. Pictured: A destroyed Russian personnel transport
A Ukrainian soldier inspects a damaged Russian tank depicting the 'V' sign as their armed forces continue to share photographs of heavy Russian losses
Pictured: Destroyed Russian machinery in the village of Dmitrivka, near Kyiv on Saturday afternoon
A damaged BMP-2 armored personal carrier is pictured in Bucha, a town of 28,000 on the outskirts of Kyiv
A Ukrainian policeman inspects destroyed Russian heavy vehicles after Zelensky's forces regained control of the village of Dmitrivka near Kyiv on Saturday
As Ukrainian units advance, they're met with burned-out armored tanks and troop transport vehicles that line the roads once populated by commuters heading in or out of the capital. Pictured: Destroyed Russian tanks outside Kyiv
Local residents in the village of Dmitrivka, near Kyiv, emerge from their homes and begin clearing away the burned remains of Russian tanks after a string of successful Ukrainian counterattacks
Pictured: Dozens of burned out Russian armored vehicles line the roads out of Kyiv
A damaged APS is pictured in the recaptured by the Ukrainian army Nova Basan village of Kyiv in Ukraine on Friday
A Ukrainian soldier is seen among the ruins of a burned vehicle in Irpin, Ukraine, on Friday. It came as Ukrainian soldiers regained control in the region that is one of the conflict areas where the most intense battles have taken place
Burned-out tanks and heavily-armored personnel transport vehicles that line the roads once populated by commuters
UK defense sources revealed last night that Kremlin forces have run out of vital weapons and cannot now replenish their stocks
President Zelensky warned Moscow's retreating forces are leaving behind 'catastrophic' situations by mining the areas outside their homes, abandoning their ruined equipment and the 'bodies of those killed'
It comes as Russia threatened to target British weapons as they are shipped to Ukraine after a video showed a UK-made Starstreak missile shooting down a Russian helicopter in the weapon's first use in Ukraine.
Russian ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin said heavy artillery and anti-ship missiles that the Ministry of Defense has signalled it will ship to Ukraine could be targeted by Russian forces as they enter the country from the West.
Shipments of the Starstreak missile started arriving in Ukraine last week, and a new video from the Luhansk region shows one of the missiles hitting a Russian attack helicopter and sending it plummeting to the ground.
The Russian Mi-28N helicopter was shot out of the sky and cut in two as its tail was struck by the portable missile in the clip released yesterday.
Tonight, Downing Street confirmed Boris Johnson had spoken with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Prime Minister updated Zelensky on the progress made at the recent military donor conference, convened by the UK with 35 countries, No 10 said, and 'committed to continue to step up defensive support'.
The spokesperson added: 'President Zelensky underscored the urgency of Ukraine's fight for its survival as a free and democratic nation, and the importance of international assistance.
'President Zelensky also updated on the status on peace negotiations and welcomed further UK involvement in these diplomatic efforts.
'Both leaders agreed on the importance of continuing to ratchet up sanctions to increase the economic pressure on (Vladimir) Putin's war machine, so long as Russian troops remain on Ukrainian territory.
'They committed to remain in close contact and speak again in the coming days.'
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said last week that more 'lethal aid' will be sent to Ukraine, including longer-range artillery, while Boris Johnson has repeatedly insisted the UK will provide further defensive support to Ukraine, including a new package of 6,000 more missiles.
And after the emergence of the video, Kelin hit back, telling Kremlin News agency TASS: 'All arms supplies are destabilizing, particularly those mentioned by [Ben] Wallace.
'They exacerbate the situation, making it even bloodier. Apparently, those are new, high-precision weapons. Naturally, our armed forces will view them as a legitimate target if those supplies get through the Ukrainian border.'
He also accused the UK of forming 'overly positive reports' of Ukraine's military and leadership in the article by a Russian state-owned news agency.
The Starstreak system is a laser-guided missile that travels at more than three times the speed of sound to take down low-flying enemy jets and attack helicopters.
Britain is supplying and training Ukrainian troops in the use of the high-velocity anti-air missiles as well as providing body armor, helmets and combat boots.
A local residence examines destroyed Russian tanks in the village of Dmytrivka close to Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A Ukrainian soldier examines a destroyed Russian tank in the village of Dmytrivka close to Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 2, 2022. At least ten Russian tanks were destroyed in the fighting two days ago in Dmytrivka. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A local residence rides a bike by destroyed Russian tanks, in the village of Dmytrivka close to Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
The latest comments follow Zelensky alleging Russian troops were retreating from Ukraine's northern region. He said: 'The occupiers are withdrawing forces in the north of our country. The withdrawal is slow but noticeable.'
The United States will also work with allies to transfer Soviet-made tanks to Ukraine to bolster its defenses in the Donbas region, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing a US official.
The transfers, requested by Zelensky, would begin soon, the unnamed official said. The official declined to tell the paper how many tanks would be sent or from which countries they would come.
And UK defence sources revealed last night that Kremlin forces have run out of vital weapons and cannot now replenish their stocks.
The MoD also gave a further update saying a fire has destroyed several oil tanks at a depot in the Russian city of Belgorod, which is close to the Ukrainian border.
A car passes a destroyed tank after Ukrainian troops retook the village of Dmitrivka near Kyiv today. The village and its surroundings have recently been recaptured by Ukrainian forces amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine
Ukrainian servicemen inspect destroyed Russian machinery after they retook the village of Dmitrivka near Kyiv, April 2
Zelensky has declined to comment on whether he ordered an attack on the Russian fuel depot. In an interview with FOX News, he said he does not discuss any orders he issues as commander in chief.
On Thursday, explosions were reported at an ammunition depot in the surrounding area of the city.
The department added: 'The probable loss of fuel and ammunition supplies from these depots will likely add additional short-term strain to Russia's already stretched logistic chains.
'Supplies to Russian forces encircling Kharkiv (60km from Belgorod) may be particularly affected.'
The update follows Zelensky's forces driving Russia out of dozens of towns around Kyiv and the north in one of the most extraordinary days since the start of the invasion.
A British-made anti-aircraft missile shot down a Russian helicopter in the weapon's first use in Ukraine, said experts. The Starstreak system is a laser-guided missile that travels at more than three times the speed of sound to take down low-flying enemy jets and attack helicopters
Russian ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin (pictured in 2014) said heavy artillery and anti-ship missiles that the Ministry of Defense has signaled it will ship to Ukraine could be targeted by Russian forces as they enter the country from the West
Rescuers evacuate a man in the town of Irpin, the Kyiv region, on April 1. UK defense sources revealed last night that Kremlin forces have run out of vital weapons and cannot now replenish their stocks
What are Starstreak missiles?
The Starstreak high-velocity surface-to-air missile is designed to defend against conventional air threats like fixed wing fighter planes and helicopters.
It is made in Belfast by the company Thales Air Defense.
The missile has a range of more than 7km and carries a three dart payload.
The Starstreak system is a shoulder-mounted missile that travels at more than three times the speed of sound to take down low-flying enemy aircraft
It uses a laser beam guidance system which the manufacturer says is 'immune to all known countermeasures'.
The weapon can be launched from lightweight land, sea or air platforms and can be unleashed as soon as a target is detected - there is no wait for 'lock on'.
It accelerates to a speed of more than Mach 3 - approximately 2,300mph - in a 'fraction of a second'.
Once hitting full speed it releases its three 'hittiles' which are then guided to the target.
It is a man-portable air-defense system - known by the MANPADS acronym.
The missiles are similar to the US-made Stinger which is already being used by Ukrainian forces.
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Defense Secretary Ben Wallace previously said the Starstreak system – a shoulder-mounted missile that travels at more than three times the speed of sound to take down low-flying enemy jets – was ready to be used imminently.
Wallace said the first Ukrainian troops had been trained and were now deployed with Starstreak, adding that the UK was 'doing more than pretty much anyone else' to help the war-torn country.
'One of the biggest challenges is that the more you go up in sophistication of weapons systems, the more training you require to use them, which is why the real focus of effort has to be helping the Ukrainians either refurbish or locate Russian or Soviet equipment that is already in their inventory,' he told the Mail on Sunday.
'Just providing British tanks wouldn't really work.'
The video released on Friday shows the Starstreak missile in action during its first week of use in the war, a source at the MoD told The Times.
The weapon is by short-range missiles company Thales. It can be shot from a shoulder or stand and has a range of more than four miles.
The missile detaches into three darts mid-air, which are guided to the target by a laser operator on the ground.
The use of lasers rather than being attracted to infrared energy means flares cannot counteract the three-pronged missile.
Britain has already sent thousands of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, although Nato nations have continued to rebuff pleas from Zelensky for tanks and fighter aircraft.
Wallace told Sky News earlier this week: 'There will be more lethal aid going into Ukraine as a result of today.
'Ukraine needs longer-range artillery and that's because of what the Russian army has been doing, which is now digging in and starting to pound these cities with artillery.
'The best counter to that is other long-range artillery, so [Ukraine will] be looking for and getting more long-range artillery, ammunition predominantly.
'They are also looking for armored vehicles of some types — not tanks necessarily, but certainly protective vehicles, and more anti-air [weapons]. All of this will be forthcoming as a result of this conference.'
More than 30 settlements have been reclaimed with Vladimir Putin's forces retreating up to 25 miles in places.
But officials urged caution, saying the movement is part of Russia's 'tactics' to encircle Ukrainian troops in Donbas and split the country in two.
Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said: 'Russian units are not withdrawing but repositioning.'
Among the towns back under Ukrainian control last night were Hostomel, where Moscow had hoped to gain the airport to ease taking control of Kyiv, Chernihiv in the north, and Chernobyl, where Putin's forces were heading across the border to Belarus.
Britain is supplying and training Ukrainian troops in the use of the high-velocity anti-air missiles as well as providing body armor, helmets and combat boots
A Ukrainian soldier poses for photos next to a destroyed Russian helicopter bearing the letter 'Z', the Russian invasion symbol, in the Mala Rohan village which has been recaptured by the Ukrainian army near Kharkiv, northeast Ukraine
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alleged Russian troops were retreating from Ukraine's northern region. He said: 'The occupiers are withdrawing forces in the north of our country. The withdrawal is slow but noticeable'
The weapon seen in the video shared on Friday is by short-range missiles company Thales. It can be shot from a shoulder or stand and has a range of more than four miles. The missile system is pictured above
Starstreak surface-to-air missiles are designed to defend against conventional air threats like fixed wing fighter planes and helicopters
Since the conflict began in late February, Russia has lost an estimated 143 planes, 131 helicopters, 625 tanks and 316 artillery pieces.
Russia has also fired at least 1,100 missiles, raising questions about how long it can maintain such an expenditure rate.
Early on Saturday, Zelensky warned his people that retreating Russian forces were creating 'a complete disaster' outside the capital as they leave mines across 'the whole territory,' including around homes and corpses.
He issued the warning as the humanitarian crisis in the encircled city of Mariupol deepened, with Russian forces blocking evacuation operations for the second day in a row. Meanwhile, the Kremlin accused the Ukrainians of launching a helicopter attack on a fuel depot on Russian soil.
Ukraine denied responsibility for the fiery blast, but if Moscow's claim is confirmed, it would be the war's first known attack in which Ukrainian aircraft penetrated Russian airspace.
'Certainly, this is not something that can be perceived as creating comfortable conditions for the continuation of the talks,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, five weeks after Moscow began sending upwards of 150,000 of its own troops across Ukraine's border.
Russia continued withdrawing some of its ground forces from areas around Kyiv after saying earlier this week it would reduce military activity near the Ukrainian capital and the northern city of Chernihiv.
'They are mining the whole territory. They are mining homes, mining equipment, even the bodies of people who were killed,' Zelensky said in his nightly video address to the nation. 'There are a lot of trip wires, a lot of other dangers.'
The weapon can be launched from lightweight land, sea or air platforms and can be unleashed as soon as a target is detected - there is no wait for 'lock on'
Britain has been supplying Ukraine with light anti-tank weapons known as NLAWs. The UK has now donated 3,615 of the weapons. A Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces member is pictured today holding an NLAW in the outskirts of Kyiv
The Government had initially supplied Ukraine with 2,000 NLAWs but that number has continued to grow. An NLAW anti-tank missile is pictured being fired during a training exercise involving UK forces
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace previously said the Starstreak system – a shoulder-mounted missile that travels at more than three times the speed of sound to take down low-flying enemy jets – was ready to be used imminently
Europe has just a MONTH of gas supplies left before Putin's threat to turn off gas bites
Europe has just a month of gas supplies left before Vladimir Putin's threat to turn off the pipelines if foreign buyers refuse to pay in roubles will start to bite.
European leaders can continue paying in euros or dollars for another month because payments for gas delivered to Europe in April is not due until the end of the month on some contracts and on others, not until early May.
The rouble soared back to its pre-war level last night, trading at 82.75 to the dollar, as it continues to recover after falling to historic lows when the West applied sanctions after President Putin sent his army into Ukraine on February 24
The revelation comes as the rouble soared back to its pre-war level last night, trading at 82.75 roubles to the dollar, following the Russian President's latest attempt to 'blackmail' states reliant on Moscow's energy in what has been seen as a bid to shore up the currency.
Russia has been hit by sweeping sanctions on its economy and trade since the start of Putin's war in Ukraine, pushing the rouble to historic lows, but measures by EU governments have not targeted oil and gas contracts with Moscow because many member states are heavily reliant on the Kremlin's supplies.
Europe is heavily reliant on Russia for its energy needs, with around 40% of its gas coming from the country. If Moscow decides to turn off the taps it could trigger supply shortages, factory closures and crippling energy costs across the region.
Europe's continued purchase of oil and gas, which costs the EU around £266million a day, severely undermines Western sanctions on Russia as the purchases hand Moscow a wodge of foreign money with which the Kremlin can bolster the economy and currency, as well as fund the faltering war next door.
But Putin's latest demands of gas payments in roubles are an attempt to force the West to evade their own sanctions on the Russian economy as buyers have to convert foreign currency into roubles, which are only available through the sanctioned central bank.
European companies and governments yesterday remained adamant they would continue to settle their contracts in euros or dollars and rejected the demands as a breach of existing agreements.
Ukraine's military said it had retaken 29 settlements in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.
Still, Ukraine and its allies warned that the Kremlin is not de-escalating to promote trust at the bargaining table, as it claimed, but instead resupplying and shifting its troops to the country's east. Those movements appear to be preparation for an intensified assault on the mostly Russian-speaking Donbas region in the country's east, which includes Mariupol.
Zelensky warned of difficult battles ahead as Russia redeploys troops. 'We are preparing for an even more active defense,' he said.
He did not say anything about the latest round of talks, which took place Friday by video. At a round of talks earlier in the week, Ukraine said it would be willing to abandon a bid to join NATO and declare itself neutral - Moscow's chief demand - in return for security guarantees from several other countries.
The invasion has left thousands dead and driven more than 4 million refugees from Ukraine.
Mariupol, the shattered and besieged southern port city, has seen some of the worst suffering of the war. Its capture would be a major prize for Russian President Vladimir Putin, giving his country an unbroken land bridge to Crimea, seized from Ukraine in 2014.
On Friday, the International Committee for the Red Cross said it was unable to carry out an operation to bring civilians out of Mariupol by bus. City authorities said the Russians were blocking access to the city.
'We do not see a real desire on the part of the Russians and their satellites to provide an opportunity for Mariupol residents to evacuate to territory controlled by Ukraine,' Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol's mayor, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
He said Russian forces 'are categorically not allowing any humanitarian cargo, even in small amounts, into the city.'
Around 100,000 people are believed to remain in the city, down from a prewar 430,000. Weeks of Russian bombardment and street fighting have caused severe shortages of water, food, fuel and medicine.
'We are running out of adjectives to describe the horrors that residents in Mariupol have suffered,' Red Cross spokesperson Ewan Watson said.
On Thursday, Russian forces blocked a 45-bus convoy attempting to evacuate people from Mariupol and seized 14 tons of food and medical supplies bound for the city, Ukrainian authorities said.
Zelensky said more than 3,000 people were able to leave Mariupol on Friday.
He said he discussed the humanitarian disaster with French President Emmanuel Macron by telephone and with the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, during her visit to Kyiv.
'Europe doesn't have the right to be silent about what is happening in our Mariupol,' Zelensky said. 'The whole world should respond to this humanitarian catastrophe.'
Elsewhere, at least three Russian ballistic missiles were fired late Friday at the Odesa region on the Black Sea, regional leader Maksim Marchenko said. The Ukrainian military said the Iskander missiles did not hit the critical infrastructure they targeted.
Odesa is Ukraine's largest port and the headquarters of its navy.
As for the fuel depot explosion, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said two Ukrainian helicopter gunships flew in extremely low and attacked the civilian oil storage facility on the outskirts of the city of Belgorod, about 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the Ukraine border.
A destroyed military truck is seen on an empty street in the town of Makariv, in the Kyiv region, on Friday as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues
Local residents walk past buildings damaged by shelling in the town of Makariv, in the Kyiv region of Ukraine, on April 1
A residential house destroyed by shelling is seen in the town of Makariv, Ukraine. Zelensky warned of difficult battles ahead as Russia redeploys troops. 'We are preparing for an even more active defense,' he said
A dog walks along an empty street as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues. Ukraine's military said it had retaken 29 settlements in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions
Flowers left on a damaged Ukrainian BMP-2 armored personal carrier are seen in the town of Makariv, Ukraine, on Friday
The regional governor said two workers at the depot were wounded, but the Rosneft state oil company denied anyone was hurt.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's national security council, said on Ukrainian television: 'For some reason they say that we did it, but in fact this does not correspond with reality.'
Later, in an interview with Fox, Zelensky refused to say whether Ukraine was behind the attack.
On the outskirts of Kyiv, where Russian troops have withdrawn, damaged cars lined the streets of Irpin, a suburban area popular with young families, now in ruins. Emergency workers carried elderly people on stretchers over a wrecked bridge to safety.
Three wooden crosses next to a residential building that was damaged in a shelling marked the graves of a mother and son and an unknown man. A resident who gave her name only as Lila said she helped hurriedly bury them on March 5, just before Russian troops moved in.
'They were hit with artillery and they were burned alive,' she said.
An Irpin resident who gave his name only as Andriy said the Russians packed up their equipment and left on Tuesday. The next day, they shelled the town for close to an hour before Ukrainian soldiers retook it.
'I don't think this is over,' Andriy said. 'They will be back.'