Ukraine war day 40: Kyiv vs Moscow over 'massacre' allegations | 10 updates

Ukraine president Vlodymyr Zelensky made a surprise appearance at the Grammys, seeking support over Russia's invasion in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Moscow negotiators have said that peace talks will resume via video on Monday.

The Ukraine war has entered the 40th day on Monday and president Vlodymyr Zelensky delivered a video address at the Grammys appealing for support, and urging the industry's top artists to "fill the silence with your music". In horrific scenes emerging from the conflict-hit nation, images of hundreds of bodies scattered on the streets flooded social media as allegations over mass graves surfaced. Ukraine has accused the Russian forces of carrying out a “massacre” in Bucha, near the capital city of Kyiv, an allegation that Russia called a "staged performance" by Kyiv.

A Ukrainian service member inspects a compound of the Antonov airfield, in Kyiv region, Ukraine.(REUTERS)

Here are the latest developments on the Ukraine war:

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1. Zelensky made a surprise appearance at the Grammy Awards, in a pre-taped video, seeking support in telling the story of Ukraine’s invasion by Russia. He delivered his message ahead of a performance from John Legend, who performed his song “Free” along with Ukrainian singer Mika Newton and poet Lyuba Yakimchuk.
2. Russia's defence ministry has urged the United Nations Security Council to convene for a discussion into what Russia called a "provocation by Ukrainian radicals" in Bucha. Kyiv alleged the role of the Russian forces in the “massacre” of civilians in Bucha. Moscow said it was an attempt by Kyiv to disrupt the ongoing peace talks.
3. As many as 410 bodies were recovered around the Kyiv region that was retaken from Russia. Images of people with hands tied, close-range gunshot wounds and signs of torture, that they claimed were killed execution style, were widely circulated on social media after Ukraine regained control of Kyiv.
4. A series of explosions were heard in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and in Ukraine's southern port city of Odesa, as reported by local media and a Reuters witness. Russian forces also shelled Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, killing seven people and injuring 34, the regional prosecutor's office informed.
5. Moscow’s chief negotiator said that the talks between Russia and Ukraine will resume virtually on Monday. Kyiv, however, is yet to confirm the discussions.
6. In the talks so far, Ukraine proposed abandoning its aspirations to join NATO and declaring official neutrality, if it obtains security guarantees from Western countries. It also offered temporarily shelving the question of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, and two breakaway territories in the Donbas that Russia has recognised as independent.
7. In the southern port of Mariupol, heavy fighting continued as civilians tried to scramble their way out of the city. Mariupol is a key target for Russia, with Ukrainian forces retaining control of central parts of the city.
8. Earlier, Ukraine regained control of "the whole Kyiv region", deputy defence minister Ganna Maliar said, as Russian military forces retreated from some key towns near the Ukrainian capital. With the troops rolling back, the war-torn nation began counting its dead and assessing the damage of the towns that had turned into mass graves.
9. Oil prices extended losses again on Monday as investors eyed the release of supplies from strategic reserves from consuming nations amid an ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Russian oil refining and exports have been hit by Western sanctions and buyer aversion following its invasion of Ukraine. Estimates of the Russian oil supply loss range from 1 million to 3 million bpd.
10. In what became Europe's worst conflict in decades, the Russian invasion of February 24, has already left some 20,000 people dead in Ukraine, according to latter's estimates. About 4.2 million Ukrainians have fled the country, with nearly 40,000 pouring into neighbouring countries in the last 24 hours alone, the UN refugee agency said.

(with inputs from Reuters, AP)