Kishida arrives in Ukraine as Putin meets Xi; Battle for Bakhmut rages on
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Kyiv for a surprise visit on Tuesday at the heels of Chinese President
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Kyiv for a surprise visit on Tuesday at the heels of Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting Russia's Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Kishida is expected to offer continuing support for Ukraine during his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, and Putin and Xi discussed Beijing's peace plan for Ukraine. These meetings come amid the ongoing 13-month-old battle at Ukraine's border regions, including in the eastern town of Bakhmut, where both sides have launched counter-offensives and are engaged in fierce fighting, as per reports.
Published on Mar 21, 2023 06:08 PM IST 8 Photos
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Ukrainian servicemen seen firing an S60 anti-aircraft gun at Russian positions near Bakhmut on March 20. The months-long battle for Bakhmut has become one of the bloodiest of Russia's nearly 13-month-old war in Ukraine. While it is uncertain whether either meeting would change the course of the war, the talks, about 800 kilometers apart, highlight the war’s repercussions for international diplomacy as countries line up behind rival parties. (Aris Messinis / AFP)
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Local resident Volodymyr Alipov, 58, is seen with a dog among the remains of his house destroyed by an airstrike last year during Russia's attack in the village of Tsyrkuny, Kharkiv region, on March 20, In early March, the government issued an order for the compulsory evacuation of families with children from combat areas.(Sofiia Gatilova / REUTERS)
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Local residents Svitlana Mazurina and her son Oleksii seen during an evacuation drive by Ukrainian police in Avdiivka, on March 17, “It’s hard when you’ve lived in this town from birth,” Svitlana told AP. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, about 25,000 people lived in Avdiivka. Despite the shelling, about 2,000 civilians remain,(Evgeniy Maloletka / AP)
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A man seen riding his bicycle in front of a destroyed apartment building after a Russian strike in Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, on March 18. For months, authorities have been urging civilians in areas near the fighting to evacuate to safer parts of the country. But while many have heeded the call, others — including families with children — have steadfastly refused. (Aris Messinis / AFP)
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