Missiles turn towards Kyiv with Europe bracing for ‘largest refugee crisis this century’

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine reached the fifth day, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said the situation in Ukraine could become "Europe's largest refugee crisis this century" with more than 600,000 refugees believed to have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries so far.

Monday's talks between Russia and Ukraine failed to yield any immediate result, with Russia intensifying assaults in key parts of Ukraine on Tuesday, the CNN reported.

The report added that Russia was sending a massive convoy of armoured vehicles toward the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while "ramping up its bombardment of the country's second-largest city" in the northeast.

Russia's defence ministry had early Tuesday appealed to Ukrainian civilians to leave the capital, Kyiv, as Moscow pressed ahead with its offensive.

"We are appealing to Kyiv's population to leave the city on a certain road that we can guarantee safe passage, I want to reiterate that Russian troops are only hitting military targets," ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a televised address.

The CNN report also said that Russian forces had met stiff resistance, but US officials were warning of a "second wave" of troops which could tip the balance in Russia's favour.

Russian missiles have also struck residential areas in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, according to a regional official in Ukraine.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba in a statement said Russia had launched more than 180 cruise and ballistic missiles at Ukrainian targets since 24 February.

The UAF estimated that, as of 28 February, it had destroyed 29 jet aircraft, 29 helicopters, six drones, 191 tanks, 861 armoured vehicles, 291 trucks and jeeps, 80 fuel trucks, and six anti-aircraft systems, the Kyiv Post reported.

On the other hand, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday he had no data on Russia's losses during the special military operation in Ukraine, the TASS reported.

"We don't have such information. I have no such data and cannot share them with you," he told journalists, adding that information about Russia's losses will be available after the operation is over.

Against this backdrop, another round of talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are scheduled for 2 March, Ukraine's Zerkalo Nedeli media outlet said on Tuesday.

Another Ukrainian media outlet, Glavkom, citing sources in the Ukrainian delegation, said that during Monday's talks Russia had allegedly demanded Ukraine commit to paper its off-bloc status at the parliamentary level and organise a referendum on this matter.

It also demanded that Ukraine recognise the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and drop its demand that Crimea should be returned to Ukraine.

Ukraine, according to Glavkom, demanded a ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a plea to the European leaders on Tuesday to grant Ukraine immediate membership to the EU, CNN reported.

"We have proven our strength. We have proven that, at a minimum, we are exactly the same as you," he told the European Parliament via videolink. "So prove that you are with us. Prove that you will not let us go. Prove that you are, indeed, Europeans."

Earlier, the United States ruled out enforcing a "no-fly zone"  on Russian aircraft over Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western nations to consider such a measure to stop any further bombardment by Russia, Al-Jazeera reported.

On the matter of refugees, Canada has promised to expedite Ukrainian immigration applications. As part of its package of assistance to Ukraine, Canada has announced it will prioritise immigration applications by Ukrainian nationals, the Kyiv Post reported.

The issue of racism has also emerged during the crisis.

Foreign students attempting to leave the country say they are experiencing racist treatment by Ukrainian security forces and border officials, the CNN reported.

One African medical student told CNN that she and other foreigners were ordered off the public transit bus at a checkpoint between Ukraine and Poland border, with the bus driving off with only Ukrainian nationals.

On the trade front, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the UK has passed a law banning ships with "any Russian connection" from entering its ports, the BBC reported.

It was the latest in the line of sanctions against Russia since Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced the start of military operations in Ukraine on 24 February.