Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says 'certain positive movements' in negotiations
A third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine ended without any resolution.
Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.
The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation."
Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance, coming within about 9 miles as of Friday.
Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.
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Latest headlines:
- Ukrainian air force claims Russia carried out false flag airstrike in Belarus
- UN has credible reports of Russian cluster bomb use, attacks on health care
- Putin claims 'certain positive movements' in Ukraine negotiations
- Russian general prosecutor wants Meta declared 'extremist organization'
- Putin orders Russian military to help volunteer fighters from Middle East travel to Ukraine
Russia breaks cease-fire in Mariupol, local officials say
Russia has broken Sunday’s temporary cease-fire in Mariupol, two officials with the mayor’s office told ABC News.
The officials said Russia continued shelling during the first two hours of the cease-fire, which had been scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time.
Mariupol officials earlier said an evacuation of residents would begin at noon local time. Sunday’s planned evacuation was to come after a failed cease-fire on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said.
-ABC News’ Matt Gutman
US ‘stands ready’ to help detained WNBA star, Blinken says
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday reacted to WNBA star Brittney Griner being detained in Russia, saying “whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance and that includes in Russia.”
Blinken noted that he was limited in what he could say, given privacy considerations. He made the comments on Sunday alongside Moldovan President Maia Sandu at a press conference.
He also brought up efforts to seek the release of Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed, two Americas who’ve been detained by Russia.
-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez
1.5 million have fled Ukraine in 10 days: UN
More than 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began, the head of the U.N. Refugee Agency said on Sunday.
"More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighbouring countries in 10 days -- the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II," Filippo Grandi, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, said on Twitter.
Mariupol civilians to evacuate under cease-fire
An official in Mariupol, a Ukrainian city besieged by the Russians, said a cease-fire on Sunday will allow citizens to evacuate.
The temporary cease-fire was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time, with an evacuation starting two hours later, Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of Donetsk Oblast, said on Facebook.
A similar plan had been announced for Saturday, but Russian shells continued to fall throughout the day.
Russia claims Ukraine forces were responsible for the attack on Zaporizhzhia
Russia's representative to the United Nations on Friday reiterated the Kremlin's claim that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
The representative said Russian forces came under small arms fire by a "Ukrainian sabotage group" that was stationed in a training complex building on site.
The representative claimed that Russian troops returned fire, but that as they departed, Ukrainians set the building on fire.
The Russian representative claimed Ukrainian "radicals" are under the West's "close guardianship and protection," giving them "carte blanche," and allowing them to act like "ISIS terrorists" by "hiding behind civilians and placing heavy weaponry and multiple rocket launchers in residential areas."
Ukraine, the U.S. and its allies have denied these claims.
The UN relief chief also fact-checked the Russian delegate on Monday, saying Russia's claim about Ukraine placing weapons in civilian areas was false.
- ABC News' Conor Finnegan