Russia invasion Day 26 | Ukraine 'cannot fulfil Russian ultimatums': Zelensky

Russia bombs shopping centre in Kyiv, at least 8 killed: Reports

At least eight people were killed after Russian bombs destroyed a shopping centre in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, according to local officials.

The Retroville shopping mall and cars parked in the adjacent lot caught fire following Russian shelling in Podilskyi district, Ukraine State Emergency Service said late Sunday.

Click here to read more

Russia has ramped up air and naval activity in Ukraine: Pentagon

The Pentagon said on Monday that Russia is boosting air and sea military operations as it struggles to turn the tide of war in Ukraine, where the "dexterity" of the defense mounted by Kyiv is stalling the invasion.

The Kremlin is "desperate" to increase its momentum in a war in which its troops have grown "frustrated and flummoxed" by a resistance that has shown durability despite being outmanned and outgunned, a senior US defense official said

Ukraine 'cannot fulfil Russian ultimatums': Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that Ukraine could not fulfil "Russian ultimatums," claiming Moscow was seeking to "destroy" his country.

"Ukraine cannot fulfil Russian ultimatums. We should be destroyed first, then their ultimatum would be fulfilled," he told local media. He said Moscow wanted Ukraine to "hand over" Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kyiv, adding that neither the people of those cities "or me, as president, can do this."

Russian troops open fire at civilians in occupied city of Ukraine

Russian troops have opened fire on protesters at a demonstration in the occupied-city of Kherson

Video footage shared on social media shows protesters running from the city’s Freedom Square, where Kremlin forces are reported to have opened fire and thrown stun grenades at crowds.

Several people are reported to have been injured as witnesses reported hearing the sound of automatic gunfire.

Kherson is the largest Ukrainian city captured by Russian forces, and has seen regular protests since the occupation began in March.

Moscow court bans Instagram and Facebook, calls them 'extremist'

A court in Moscow has banned popular social media platforms Instagram and Facebook. It has called the platforms "extremist" organisations. Russian authorities have accused US tech giant Meta of tolerating "Russophobia"

Intel reports: Wagner mercenaries in Kyiv with orders to kill Ukrainian President Zelensky

Ukraine conflict may cause 'famine', say EU leaders

The war by Russia in Ukraine risks causing famine in parts of the world because of the two countries' roles as major agricultural exporters, EU ministers in Brussels warned on Monday.

China to send $ 1.57 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine

China on Monday announced that it decided to provide an additional 10 million yuan ($1.57 million) in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

The decision was made on the basis of "the evolvement of situation and the need on the ground," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a daily news briefing, underscoring Beijing's concerns over the escalating humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

Earlier this month, China has announced a batch of supply to Ukraine including food and daily necessities worth 5 million yuan ($791,000).

Wang also confirmed the talks between the Russian deputy defense minister and the Chinese ambassador in Moscow on Friday, saying "they exchanged views on bilateral relations."

Putin "miscalculated" his invasion of Ukraine, says Austrian foreign minister

Russia-Ukraine crisis: Blast rocks Kyiv's shopping district, 8 killed

Zelensky calls on Europe to halt all trade with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on European leaders on Monday to cease all trade with Russia in an effort to pressure Moscow to halt its nearly month-long military assault on his country.

"Please do not sponsor the weapons of war of this country, of Russia. No euros for the occupiers. Close all of your ports to them. Don't export them your goods. Deny energy resources. Push for Russia to leave Ukraine," Zelensky said in a video address.

What is happening in Ukraine?

Here is the latest:

1: Russian demands for surrender in exchange for safe passage out of Mariupol have been denied.

2: Russian soldiers pushing on Kyiv from the northwest have been repelled by Ukrainian opposition, according to the UK government intelligence service.

3: At least four people were killed when Russian shells hit buildings and a shopping sector in Kyiv's Podil neighbourhood.

4: On Sunday, more than 7,000 people were evacuated from cities through humanitarian corridors, according to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, with more than half of them leaving Mariupol.

5: This week, US Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Poland for talks on Ukraine.

6: An ammonia leak at a chemical facility in Sumy, Ukraine's easternmost city, has contaminated a 2.5-kilometer radius. 

Watch | Battle for Kyiv: Shopping district shelled, 4 killed amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine

Ukraine on Monday rejected Russian calls to surrender the port city of Mariupol, where residents are besieged with little food, water and power in a humanitarian crisis that is increasing pressure on European leaders to toughen sanctions on Moscow.

Ukraine's government defiantly rejected Russian calls for Ukrainian forces in Mariupol to lay down their arms in exchange for safe passage out of the city and humanitarian corridors to be opened from 1000 Moscow time (0700 GMT) on Monday.

Mariupol has suffered some of the heaviest bombardments since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Many of its 400,000 residents remain trapped as fighting rages on the streets around them.

Vereshchuk said over 7,000 people were evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on Sunday, more than half from Mariupol. She said the government planned to send nearly 50 buses there on Monday for further evacuations.

Also Read: Russian invasion triggers patriotism wave in Ukraine, turns inspiring tattoos, billboards popular

As invading Russian forces continue to bombard different cities of Ukraine, a wave of patriotism seems to have filled the entire eastern European country.  

In the war-torn nation, patriotic messages have become popular in the form of tattoos and billboards.  

Also Read: As heavy bombardment follows, Mariupol forced to bury dead on roadside

Mariupol is currently going through a tough time, which is filled with horror and confusion.  

As the port city in eastern Ukraine is witnessing heaviest bombardment by Russian forces, it is burying its dead in makeshift graves by the roadside.  

Officials on Sunday (March 20) have revealed that a deputy commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet was killed in combat in the besieged port city of Mariupol. The governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev said on Telegram: "Captain 1st Rank Andrei Nikolayevich Paly was killed in the fighting to liberate Mariupol from Ukrainian Nazis." Click Here to read the full report

Watch | Mariupol: People buried on the roadside as Ukraine's fight against Russian invasion intensifies

Watch | Russia looks to override sanctions imposed by the West amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine

Watch | Ukraine: Art school bombed in Mariupol, satellite images show the extent of damage

Watch | Zelensky compares Russian invasion to Nazi Germany during his address in front of Israeli lawmakers