Russia has intensified its bombardment in Ukraine, reportedly launching deliberate attacks targeting civilians in Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine. Videos of missiles hitting the city's regional state administration building emerged amid reports of shelling in residential areas.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has termed the blitz in Kharkiv a 'war crime' and reported the deaths of dozens of civilians in the attack. The International Criminal Court (ICC) also issued a statement saying that it would open an investigation into possible war crimes or crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba shared a video of the purported attack in Kharkiv, which showed security and safety personnel responding to the massive destruction of the government building.
https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1498569115950272517?s=20&t=eYdE_f_TbDDcLr-uHS-g9Q
Meanwhile, Russian troops have continued their campaign towards Kyiev, with a US firm sharing satellite images it claims show a 40-mile convoy of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles approaching the capital city.
Officials from Russia and Ukraine met on Monday, however the talks did little to halt the Russian's onslaught in Ukraine.
“We could see the synchronization of the shelling with the negotiation process. I believe that in this unsophisticated way Russia is trying to put pressure,” the Ukrainian president said following the meeting. “Fair negotiations can be when one side does not hit the other side with rocket artillery at the moment of negotiations.”
On Monday night, Prime Minister Imran Khan, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Russia began its full-on attack in Ukraine last week, reiterated that Pakistan's foreign policy would remain 'neutral'.
“Growing up, I was always made to realise that I was lucky to have been born in a a foreign country. Therefore I always wanted Pakistan’s foreign policy to be free. This means that the country makes foreign policy for its nation instead of adopt an approach that harms the country,” he said, adding that Pakistan will import gas from Russia, an agreement made during his visit to Moscow.
Last week, the Pakistani Embassy in Ukraine shifted to the western city of Ternopil and released a statement announcing that there was 'no safe place' in Ukraine. The Embassy reported it was facilitating the evacuation of hundreds of Pakistani students stranded in Ukraine. Some students had reported that they were having trouble contacting the Pakistani Embassy for assistance.