Ukrainian forces recaptured a central suburb of Kyiv last night (Monday) and tightened their desperate grip on the besieged city of Mariupol, as negotiators prepared to meet their Russian counterparts in Istanbul this morning.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Denis Monstirsky said this morning that forces had “liberated” the suburban town of Irpin, a strategic point northwest of the capital that was under Russian control. AFP reporters witnessed heavy shelling in the area and encountered fleeing residents, who described scenes of hell: rain of bombs from the sky and people killed in cold blood while trying to escape.
“We saw cars of residents trying to save themselves, they were crushed by tanks, on all their occupants,” said 55-year-old Roman Molchenov, his voice cracking excitedly. His sister added that the “Russian Orcs” “shot dead people sitting in the cars.”
Western experts have described the loss of Irpin as a significant loss for Russian forces, who are still trying to reorganize after a failed first attempt to crown the capital.
More than a month has passed since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s tanks rolled into Ukraine, hoping to paralyze or oust the democratic government sitting in Kiev. Some 20,000 people have been killed so far, and more than 10 million have been displaced. The chances of ending the war in peace – or a victory soon for either side – seem slim.
The Ukrainian and Russian representatives will resume peace talks during the day, in the shadow of the astonishing allegations that the representatives were poisoned in the previous round of negotiations.
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian negotiators suffered the poisoning earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported. Abramovich and negotiators reportedly developed symptoms including red eyes and flaky skin, although they later recovered.
Ukraine did not dwell on the allegations, and Foreign Minister Dmitry Kolba said talks in Istanbul would focus on easing the humanitarian situation, and sounded skeptical about hopes for success: “If the mood seems to have changed and they are ready for a serious, matter-of-fact conversation “, He added, the talks will again fail.
Putin demanded the “demilitarization and Nazi-fiction of Ukraine,” as well as a declaration of neutral status and recognition of the Donbass region and Crimea as independent provinces.