Russia Attacks Military Base Between Kyiv and Kharkiv, 70 Ukrainian Soldiers Killed

Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between its capital Kyiv and second-largest city Kharkiv, killing more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers, latest reports say.

This follows Moscow’s shelling of Kharkiv on Monday, rocking a residential neighborhood. Talks between the two warring nations aimed at stopping the fighting yielded only an agreement to keep talking - Ukrainian and Russian delegations met on Ukraine’s border with Belarus on Monday with no positive result.

Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, the head of Okhtyrka region, wrote on Telegram that over 70 soldiers were killed after intense Russian shelling. He posted photographs of the charred shell of a four-story building and rescuers searching rubble. He claimed in a later Facebook post that many Russian soldiers and some local residents were killed during the fighting on Sunday.

According to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, an air strike hit directly in front of a government building in Kharkiv. Russian forces have also reportedly entered the southern city of Kherson.

Ukraine cuts off Russian phone numbers

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine said the country is blocking access to telephones with Russian numbers to their networks. "Communication is one of the key elements of effective combat operations," it posted on Telegram.

60 km-Long Russian Army Convoy Spotted Near Kyiv

A huge Russian military convoy stretching over 60 km was spotted by American satellite imaging company ‘Maxar’ just north of Kyiv. Maxar said the column covered the entire stretch of road from near Antonov airport to Prybirsk town. It added that a number of homes and buildings in Ivankiv, near the roads where the convoy is traveling, are seen burning.

The company has also captured images of "additional ground forces deployments and ground attack helicopter units” in Belarus.

Ukrainian President Appeals for “Immediate” EU Membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the European Union (EU) to grant his country "immediate" membership, as Russia's assault on it went into its fifth day.

"We appeal to the European Union for the immediate accession of Ukraine via a new special procedure. Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing. I'm sure it's fair. I'm sure it's possible,” the leader said in a video address.