Russia aims to destroy Ukraine’s military

People gather in a subway, using it as a bomb shelter, in Kyiv, on Wednesday

Russia's foreign minister says Moscow is ready for talks to end the fighting in Ukraine but will continue to press its effort to destroy Ukraine's military infrastructure. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Russian delegation submitted its demands to Ukrainian negotiators earlier this week and is now waiting for Kyiv's response in talks set for Thursday.

Lavrov said that Russia will insist on provisions that Ukraine will never again represent a military threat to Russia. He said it will be up to Ukrainians to choose what government they should have. "We are ready to conduct talks, but we will continue the operation because we won't allow Ukraine to preserve a military infrastructure that threatens Russia," he said. Lavrov said that the West has continuously armed Ukraine, trained its troops and built up bases there to turn Ukraine into a bulwark against Russia.

French teacher Pjotr Vyerko, 81, wsays he's prepared to shoot invaders because he has a daughter and grandson. Pics/AP

Russian forces have taken a strategic Ukrainian seaport and set siege to another as Moscow tries to cut its neighbour off from the Black Sea. The Russian military said Thursday it had control of Kherson, which has a population of 2,80,000 people, making it the first major city to fall since the Russian invasion began last week. Heavy fighting continued Thursday on the outskirts of another strategic port city on the Azov Sea, Mariupol, plunging it into darkness.

Refugee count tops 1 million

More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine following Russia's invasion, in the swiftest refugee exodus this century, the UN said Thursday. The U.N. human rights office says at least 227 civilians have been killed and 525 wounded in Ukraine since the start of the invasion on Feb. 24. Ukraine's State Emergency Service has said more than 2,000 civilians have died.

In a video address to the nation early Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his country's resistance. "We are a people who in a week have destroyed the plans of the enemy," he said. He said the fighting is taking a toll on the morale of Russian soldiers, who "go into grocery stores and try to find something to eat." "These are not warriors of a superpower," he said. "These are confused children who have been used."

Neutral Finland, Sweden warm up to NATO membership

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has profoundly changed Europe's security outlook, including for Nordic neutrals Finland and Sweden, where support for joining NATO has surged to record levels. A poll commissioned by Finnish broadcaster YLE this week showed that, for the first time, more than 50% of Finns support joining the Western military alliance. In Sweden, a similar poll showed those in favour of NATO membership outnumber those against.

Stop taking Russian gas: energy minister

Herman Halushchenko. Pic/Facebook

Europe must stop taking natural gas from Russian state firm Gazprom, Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on Thursday, bemoaning that supplies to the bloc had increased since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Gazprom said on Thursday that demand from European consumers stood at stood at 109.5 million cubic metres compared to 103.8 million cubic metres a week ago when Russia began to invade its neighbour.

Tweet talk

Filippo Grandi @FilippoGrandi: In just seven days we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighbouring countries. For many millions more, inside Ukraine, it's time for guns to fall silent, so that life-saving humanitarian assistance can be provided.

Belarus MFA @Belarus MFA: Second round of Russia-Ukraine talks kick off in Belarus.

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Population of Kherson, which has fallen to Russia

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Population of Mariupol, which Russia has encircled

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