Russia asked China for help ahead of US meeting, Zelenskyy wants talks with

The strongman leader of Russia’s republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has posted a video where he claims he is in Ukraine and is preparing to join Russian forces heading toward its capital of Kyiv, reports say.

In the footage — which could not be independently verified — Kadyrov says he is in Hostomel, where the Russian military has been bombarding an airport, according to the New York Times.

The video also appeared to show Kadyrov being briefed by Chechen troops, the newspaper adds.

In 2020, Kadyrov was sanctioned by the U.S. over alleged human rights violations such as torture and extrajudicial killings.

Drone video has emerged showing purported attacks by the Russian military and devastation in the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Officials there say around 2,500 of its residents have been killed during the Russian invasion, according to Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson. 

One person has died Monday and three have been injured after a Russian airstrike hit an apartment building in Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, the Associated Press reports, citing local authorities.

Images taken after the airstrike showed the building in flames as first responders evacuated those inside.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid warned Russian oligarchs Monday that his country “will not be a route to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and other western countries.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating the issue together with partners including the Bank of Israel, the Finance Ministry, the Economy Ministry, the Airports Authority, the Energy Ministry, and others,” he said.

Lapid’s comments come after Israeli media reported private jets belonging to oligarchs landing in Israel in recent days, according to the Associated Press.

Several dozen Jewish tycoons from Russia are believed to have taken on Israeli citizenship or residency over the past few years. Many have good working relations with the Kremlin, and at least four — Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven and Viktor Vekselberg — have been sanctioned internationally because of their purported connections to Putin.

Israel grants automatic citizenship to anyone of Jewish descent. Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union 30 years ago, an estimated 1 million Jews from Russia and other former Soviet republics have moved to Israel. 

Fox News’ Yonat Friling and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak
says a fourth round of negotiations is currently ongoing with Russia “on peace, ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops [and] security guarantees.”

“Although Russia realizes the nonsense of its aggressive actions, it still has a delusion that 19 days of violence against [Ukraine’s] peaceful cities is the right strategy,” he said in a tweet.

“The parties actively express their specified…