The Ukraine war has entered the 40th day on Monday and president Vlodymyr Zelensky delivered a video address at the Grammys appealing for support, and urging the industry’s top artists to “fill the silence with your music”. In horrific scenes emerging from the conflict-hit nation, images of hundreds of bodies scattered on the streets flooded social media as allegations over mass graves surfaced. Ukraine has accused the Russian forces of carrying out a “massacre” in Bucha, near the capital city of Kyiv, an allegation that Russia called a “staged performance” by Kyiv.
Zelensky made a surprise appearance at the Grammy Awards, in a pre-taped video, seeking support in telling the story of Ukraine’s invasion by Russia. He delivered his message ahead of a performance from John Legend, who performed his song “Free” along with Ukrainian singer Mika Newton and poet Lyuba Yakimchuk.
Russia’s defence ministry has urged the United Nations Security Council to convene for a discussion into what Russia called a “provocation by Ukrainian radicals” in Bucha. Kyiv alleged the role of the Russian forces in the “massacre” of civilians in Bucha. Moscow said it was an attempt by Kyiv to disrupt the ongoing peace talks.As many as 410 bodies were recovered around the Kyiv region that was retaken from Russia. Images of people with hands tied, close-range gunshot wounds and signs of torture, that they claimed were killed execution style, were widely circulated on social media after Ukraine regained control of Kyiv.
A series of explosions were heard in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and in Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa, as reported by local media and a Reuters witness. Russian forces also shelled Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, killing seven people and injuring 34, the regional prosecutor’s office informed.Moscow’s chief negotiator said that the talks between Russia and Ukraine will resume virtually on Monday. Kyiv, however, is yet to confirm the discussions.In the talks so far, Ukraine proposed abandoning its aspirations to join NATO and declaring official neutrality, if it obtains security guarantees from Western countries. It also offered temporarily shelving the question of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, and two breakaway territories in the Donbas that Russia has recognised as independent.
