It’s Monday evening in Kyiv. Here’s what you need to know

News Desk March 28, 2022 in EUROPE, UKRAINE WAR, WORLD Tagged Ukraine-Russia conflict - 5 Minutes

Russian airstrikes continue across Ukraine a day before representatives from Russia and Ukraine are set to meet in Turkey for another round of talks. In an interview with Russian independent journalists Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country is “ready” to discuss adopting a neutral status, despite the Kremlin providing little hope for an agreement that would end five weeks of fighting.

Any agreement would have to be put to the Ukrainian people in a referendum, Ukraine’s president said. But Zelensky once again stressed his desire to reach a concrete peace agreement. Zelensky reacted to Russia’s attempt to censor his interview with Russian journalists, saying Moscow was “frightened” from journalists “who can tell the truth.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military intelligence head said Russian President Vladimir Putin could be looking to carve Ukraine in two – like North and South Korea. Russia’s operations around Kyiv have failed and it was now impossible for the Russian army to overthrow the Ukrainian government, he said. Putin’s war has now focused on the south and the east of the country, the official added.

Here are more of the latest headlines from the Russia-Ukraine conflict:

Russia’s military attempting to establish a “corridor” around Kyiv: Ukraine’s deputy defense minister said Monday that Russian forces were attempting to establish a “corridor” around the Ukrainian capital to block supply routes, amid continued fighting around Kyiv’s suburbs. “The enemy is trying to make a corridor around Kyiv and block transport routes,” Hanna Maliar, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister, in televised remarks. “The defense of Kyiv continues. Ground forces, Air Assault Forces, special operations forces, territorial defense are involved.” The Kyiv regional military administration said in a statement Monday that areas around the western suburbs of Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel and Makariv as well as the route from and to the city of Zhytomyr to the west and areas north of Vyshhorod remained very dangerous and prone to shelling by Russian forces.

Heavy fighting continues in Mariupol: Most of Russia’s military gains near the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol are in the southern areas, according to the UK’s latest intelligence update. “Russia has gained most ground in the South in the vicinity of Mariupol where heavy fighting continues as Russia attempts to capture the port,” the UK Ministry of Defence said on Twitter Monday. The mayor of the besieged port of Mariupol said Ukrainian forces were still defending the city and accused the Russian military of committing “genocide.” Zelensky on Sunday called the Russian siege of the port city of Mariupol a “humanitarian catastrophe,” claiming that Russian forces had taken over 2,000 children out of the city as part of what Ukrainian officials have described as a wave of civilian deportations to Russia.

Mariupol mayor calls for complete evacuation of the city: The mayor of Mariupol also provided an update Monday, saying his city was “in the hands of the occupiers” after a weeks-long siege by Russian forces that flattened the city, left an unknown number of civilians dead and forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. “Not everything is in our power,” said Vadym Boichenko, the pro-government mayor of Mariupol, in a live television interview. “Unfortunately, we are in the hands of hands of the occupiers today.” Boichenko called for a complete evacuation of the remaining population of Mariupol.

Independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta suspends publication after second warning: The independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta says it is suspending publication until the end of the war in Ukraine. It comes after Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor issued a second warning Monday to the newspaper following its interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Sunday. “We received another warning from Roskomnadzor. After that, we are suspending the publication of the newspaper on the website, in digital and in print, until the end of the ‘special operation on the territory of Ukraine’,” the Novaya Gazeta editorial board said in a statement.

Russia says peace talks to likely to continue in Turkey: Russia-Ukraine negotiations are set to resume in-person in Istanbul, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday during a news conference. “These negotiations are ongoing. They will be resumed today-tomorrow in Istanbul in-person after a series of video conferences,” Lavrov said. “And we are interested that these negotiations would bring a result and that this result would achieve our fundamental goals,” he said. “The fact that it was decided to continue negotiations in person is important,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday during a call with journalists. Peskov said the negotiations between the two sides are likely to resume Tuesday.

Heineken to pull out of Russia: Dutch brewer Heineken said Monday it will exit the Russian market amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Following the previously announced strategic review of our operations, we have concluded that HEINEKEN’s ownership of the business in Russia is no longer sustainable nor viable in the current environment. As a result, we have decided to leave Russia,” the company said in a press release. Heineken had already halted new investments and exports to Russia and had stopped the sale, production and advertising of its Heineken brand beer in the country.