Russia bombs Ukraine cities, despite pledge to pull back from Kyiv

MALA ROHAN/NEAR IRPIN, Ukraine, March 30 (Reuters) – Russian forces bombarded the outskirts of Kyiv and a besieged city in northern Ukraine on Wednesday after promising to reduce attacks there in what the West dismissed as a ploy by Moscow to stem its heavy losses and regroup for other offensives.

Nearly five weeks into an invasion in which Russia has failed to capture any major city, the top U.N. human rights official said Moscow had bombed 50 hospitals as well as homes and schools across Ukraine in what may amount to war crimes. read more

Ukrainian officials called Russia out for having said on Tuesday it would curtail operations near the capital Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv “to increase mutual trust” for peace talks.

“It’s not true,” Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a video address to European Union regional officials. “The whole night we listened to sirens, to rocket attacks and we listened to huge explosions east of Kyiv and north of Kyiv. There are immense battles there, people died, still die.”

Intensified bombardment could be heard in Kyiv on Wednesday morning from suburbs where Ukrainian forces have regained territory in recent days. Windows rattled from the relentless artillery on its outskirts.

Southeast of Irpin, a Kyiv suburb which has seen intense fighting for weeks, frequent shelling and ordnance exploding on the ground and in the air could be heard. Ukrainians evacuating spoke of heavy shelling north of Irpin and shells landing in Irpin itself.

Ukraine and Western leaders had cautioned that Moscow’s apparent peace gesture at Tuesday’s talks in Istanbul was a cover for reorganizing forces that had failed to take Kyiv.

Russia said on Wednesday its forces had achieved their objectives near Kyiv and Chernihiv and were regrouping to focus on the “liberation” of the breakaway eastern Donbas region. read more

The Pentagon said that Russia had started to reposition under a fifth of its forces arrayed around Kyiv, but warned Moscow was expected to refit and resupply them for redeployment. read more

OIL AND GAS SUPPLY DOUBTS

Western sanctions imposed on Russia as punishment for its invasion have largely isolated its economy from world trade but Moscow is still the biggest supplier of oil and gas to Europe. Russia’s new demand for payment in roubles, rejected by the West, has raised fears of energy shortages and heightened recessionary risks in Europe.

Germany, Russia’s biggest gas customer, declared an “early warning” on Wednesday of a possible emergency if Russia were to cut off supplies. Economy Minister Robert Habeck urged people to reduce consumption, saying “every kilowatt-hour counts”.

Russian sources told Reuters it might keep the energy contract currency as is, with final payment in roubles. read more

Floating a potential compromise, Russian President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that payments could be made in euros and sent to Gazprombank, which would convert…