Russia targets Ukraine's Lviv with cruise missiles, Zelensky demands further arms

Russian forces have struck military targets in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv with high-precision cruise missiles, with former Soviet state's president demanding Western nations give more arms and asking if they are afraid of Moscow. 

The Russian defense ministry said Sunday the military hit a fuel depot being used by Ukrainian troops near Lviv with long-range missiles and used cruise missiles to strike a plant in the city being used to repair anti-aircraft systems, radar stations and sights for tanks.

Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov accompanied a video of the missile strikes in Lviv, located 60 kilometers from the border with NATO-member Poland.

The defense ministry also said Russia used sea-based long-range missiles to destroy an arsenal of S-300 missiles and BUK anti-aircraft missile systems and a number of drones near the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.

Ukraine’s Interior Ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko confirmed the attack on Lviv, saying Russia had started destroying Ukrainian fuel and food storage depots and that the government would have to disperse the stocks of both in the near future.

Officials in Lviv said an unspecified number of people had been wounded in the missile attacks.

In a televised speech on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine following Moscow’s recognition of the eastern regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, collectively known as Donbass.

The conflict has provoked a unanimous response from Western countries, which have imposed a long list of sanctions on Moscow. Russia says it will halt the military operation instantly if Kiev meets Moscow’s list of demands, including ruling out Ukraine’s membership in NATO.

Russia declares first phase of Ukraine military operation complete, focuses on Donbass liberation

Russia says the first phase of its military operation against Ukraine is mostly complete and now it will focus on liberating east Ukraine.

Zelensky demands more arms 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his call for more Western military aid and asked European states whether they are afraid of Russia.

Speaking in a video address, Zelensky stressed that Kiev is asking for “just a tiny fraction of NATO’s arms and not more”.

He warned that Russia’s military operation could endanger the whole Europe, saying Moscow will seek to expand further into Europe if Ukraine falls.

Zelenskiy said several countries have promised to send anti-armor and anti-aircraft missiles as well as small arms but Kiev needed tanks, planes and anti-ship systems.

"The price of procrastination with planes is thousands of lives of Ukrainians," he said, adding NATO does not back his request for a no-fly zone on the grounds it could provoke a wider war.

Washington rejected a surprise offer by Poland earlier this month to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to a US base in Germany to be used to replenish Ukraine's air force.

Macron warns against escalation 

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday warned against verbal "escalation" with Moscow, after US President Joe Biden called Putin a "butcher".

Macron told broadcaster France 3 that he saw his task as "achieving first a ceasefire and then the total withdrawal of (Russian) troops by diplomatic means". 

"If we want to do that, we can't escalate either in words or actions."

Paris has kept diplomatic channels to Moscow open throughout Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's borders and its military action in the country.

He nevertheless accused Putin Sunday of wanting to return to "a Europe of empires, of domination, without respect for the integrity of borders and nations' right to decide for themselves".

Biden used a visit to Poland Saturday to dub Putin "a butcher" who "cannot remain in power".

The White House later scrambled to deny he was seeking "regime change" in Moscow, while the Kremlin said Biden's words could harm bilateral relations. 

Macron said that he would call Putin on Monday or Tuesday to discuss a proposal from France, Greece and Turkey to evacuate Ukrainians from besieged port city Mariupol. 

Breakaway region may hold referendum on joining Russia

The local leader of the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk was quoted as saying that the breakaway region could hold a referendum soon on joining Russia.

"I think that in the near future a referendum will be held on the territory of the republic," Leonid Pasechnik said. "The people will exercise their ultimate constitutional right and express their opinion on joining the Russian Federation."

Russia last month recognized Luhansk and Donetsk self-proclaimed republics as independent and ordered what it called a peacekeeping operation in the region shortly after.

The head of Ukrainian military intelligence said Russia was trying to split Ukraine in two to create a Moscow-controlled region after failing to take over the whole country.

"In fact, it is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine," Kyrylo Budanov said in a statement, adding Ukraine would soon launch guerrilla warfare in the Russian-seized territory.

US, NATO must stop sending weapons, mercenaries to Ukraine: Russia

Russia’s State Duma speaker has urged the US and NATO to stop sending weapons and mercenaries to Ukraine.

UK says to remove bans in case Russia commits to ceasefire 

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said UK sanctions against Russia over its military operation in Ukraine could be lifted if Moscow committed to a full ceasefire and withdrew its troops.

Truss said the Kremlin must also agree to "no further aggression" towards Ukraine for the British sanctions imposed on hundreds of people and entities to be eased.

"Sanctions should only come off with a full ceasefire and withdrawal, but also commitments that there will be no further aggression," Truss told the Sunday Telegraph. “And also, there's the opportunity to have snapback sanctions if there is further aggression in future."

In concert with Western allies, London has sanctioned more than 1,000 Russian and Belarusian individuals and businesses in recent weeks, with the latest round of targets announced just two days ago.

Truss’ comments echoed recent remarks by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the wide-ranging penalties against Russia are "not designed to be permanent" and could "go away" if Moscow changed its behavior.

US double standard in Ukrainian refugee crisis

The US administration has announced that Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict with Russia can enter the United States through the Mexican border.

Washington, which has so far enacted very strict rules to deny asylum from various countries, said that it would allow Ukrainians arriving in Mexico to enter the United States.

In recent days, a significant number of Ukrainians have been allowed to enter the United States via the southern border with Mexico. A Mexican official said at least 310 Ukrainians had arrived by air in the border city of Tijuana this month.

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