Ukraine, Russia agree on evacuation corridors as war rages
STORY: With thousands thought to have died or been wounded as the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two unfolds, Russia and Ukraine agreed on Thursday on the need to create humanitarian corridors to help civilians escape, as the war creates a million refugees.
It is the first apparent progress in talks since the invasion began - now, in its second week.
Russia said "substantial progress" had been made, while the Ukrainian side pointed to an understanding on helping ordinary people, but not the results Kyiv had hoped for.
Despite the progress, Russian forces continued to surround and attack Ukrainian cities, including Mariupol, the main port in the east which has been under heavy bombardment, with no water or power.
Officials say they cannot evacuate the wounded.
Still, Ukrainian soldiers and civilians kept up their resistance to the Russian onslaught. The capital Kyiv and other main cities remained in their hands on Thursday evening.
And In Borodyanka, a town some 30 miles northwest of Kyiv, locals repelled a Russian assault.
Burnt-out hulks of Russian armor could be seen scattered on a highway, surrounded by buildings blasted into ruins.
"Then those bastards started the tank and started shooting into the supermarket which was already burned. It caught fire again. An old man ran outside like crazy, with big round eyes, and said 'give me a Molotov cocktail! I just set their APC on fire!'"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy again pleaded with allies to institute a no-fly zone.
"Tell us how many people must be blown up? How many legs, arms, heads must be torn off and fly away to finally reach you to make you introduce a no-fly zone? How many? Tell me the number. I will go myself and we will count and wait until the time comes.”
The West, however, has continued to respond to Russian President Vladimir Putin's barrage by tightening sanctions.
And Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden announced further punishments for Russian oligarchs - including a ban on travel to the U.S.
"The severe economic sanctions on Putin and all those folks around him, choking off access to technology as well as cutting off access to global financial systems."
French President Emmanual Macron in a phone call with Putin, told him he's making a "major mistake" in Ukraine, one that would cost Russia dearly over the long term, according to a French official, who said Putin said nothing on the call that could reassure them that he got the message.
