LVIV, Ukraine – Ukraine accused Russian forces on Saturday of killing seven civilians in an attack on women and children trying to flee fighting near Kyiv, and France said Russian President Vladimir Putin had shown he was not ready to make peace. It blames Ukraine for failed attempts to evacuate civilians from encircled cities, an accusation Ukraine and its Western allies strongly reject. The president suggested Russian forces would face a fight to the death if they sought to enter the capital. Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol remained encircled under heavy Russian shelling, it said. At least 1,582 civilians in Mariupol have been killed as a result of Russian shelling and a 12-day blockade, the city council said on Friday.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 13, 2022 00:24 UTC