There was a tense calm Monday in Kyiv, but explosions and gunfire were heard in embattled cities in eastern Ukraine as Russia’s invasion continued to meet unexpectedly stiff resistance.
The Russian military assault on Ukraine went into its fifth day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his nuclear forces put on increased alert, ratcheting up tensions yet further. A Ukrainian delegation held talks with Russian officials at the border with Belarus, though prospects of any substantial outcome looked uncertain at best. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with Putin.
Meanwhile, Western sanctions triggered by the invasion sent the Russian ruble plummeting, leading ordinary Russians to line up at banks and ATMs.
Kyiv’s outgunned but determined troops slowed Russia’s advance and held onto the capital and other key cities — at least for the time being.
