Russia’s isolation intensifies as Ukraine fighting rages

Moscow faced increasing isolation on Tuesday as President Vladimir Putin showed no sign of stopping an invasion of Ukraine, where fierce fighting and Russian bombardment have killed dozens and sparked a refugee crisis.

Russia’s invasion, launched last week, appears not to have achieved the decisive early gains that Putin would have hoped for.

The Russian leader faces mounting diplomatic isolation for launching the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two,and the systemic impact of Western sanctions led to a near 30 per cent collapse in the rouble on Monday before central bank intervention rescued the currency from its lows.

Ceasefire talks held Monday failed to reach a breakthrough and negotiators have not said when a new round would take place.

The United States and its allies have imposed sanctions on Russia’s central bank, its top businesses, oligarchs and officials, including Putin himself, and barred some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system.

NATO ally Turkey delivered another blow to Moscow on Monday by warning warring countries not to send warships through its Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits that separate the Black Sea from the Mediterranean, effectively bottling up Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

Washington has ruled out sending troops to fight Russia or enforcing a no-fly zone as requested by Ukraine, fearing an escalation between the world’s top two nuclear powers.

But, the United States and its allies have instead promised military aid to Kyiv, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned the capital was under constant threat.

“For the enemy, Kyiv is the key target,” Zelenskiy said in a video message late on Monday.

“We did not let them break the defence of the capital, and they send saboteurs to us … We will neutralise them all,” he added.

Zelenskiy said Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation”, was targeting a thermal power plant providing electricity to Kyiv, a city of 3 million people.

Human rights groups and Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States accused Russia of using cluster bombs and vacuum bombs.

The United States said it had no confirmation of their use.

Staging a push for the capital, Russia has massed a convoy of armoured vehicles, tanks and other military equipment that stretches about 40 miles (64 km), U.S. satellite company Maxar said.