Russian President Vladimir Putin's offensive against Ukraine has intensified. As Moscow's troops have clashed with the Ukrainian army and civilian militias, the Kremlin has moved to launch more aggressive attacks and target civilian infrastructure - residential neighborhoods - as well.
The latest alarming sign that Russia is targeting civilians was the warning that the Russian military gave to residents of several areas of Kiev telling them that they should leave their homes because they were going to be shelled soon.
While insisting all these days that its mission is a "surgical operation" against "extremist forces" without affecting any civilians, the Russian Defense Ministry said today that it has prepared to shell the Ukrainian capital - the Kiev city tower.
Meanwhile, five people were reported killed and five others wounded this afternoon in an attack near the town of Torez, about 100 km from Donetsk airport, where insurgents have taken control since this week.
Zelenski demanded the "immediate" cessation of attacks, the expulsion of Russia from the UN and that no country acquire resources from Vladimir Putin's regime. He also called on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to impose a no-fly zone. In addition, he denounces that he cannot make progress in cease-fire talks while Putin is bombing Ukraine.
Moscow has justified its invasion of the neighboring state by citing the danger to its nuclear weapons procurement, as well as the alleged involvement in Ukrainian territory and cyber-attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure systems, such as power plants, transport hubs or airports, during the four years since the Russian aggression against eastern Ukraine began.
As part of this propaganda campaign aimed at justifying continued military aggression, the Kremlin media recently released a video showing what they call ?evidence? demonstrating direct interference by Kiev forces in eastern Ukraine through air raids targeting civilian sites with cluster bombs that are prohibited by international law.
Russian troops' missiles hit the cultural center of Ukraine's second-largest city, in what authorities called a deadly and "cruel" attack.
Russian troops are attempting to take Kiev and Kharkiv, but have been met with stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces. Meanwhile, approximately more than half a million refugees have already fled Ukraine; Russian sanctions on food have begun to affect the Russian population as well.
