Ukraine rejects humanitarian corridors that lead to Russia as shelling of key cities continues

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said a Russian proposal to evacuate civilians out of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, and Sumy is not an acceptable option as the humanitarian corridors mostly lead to Russian cities.

The civilians "aren't going to go to Belarus and then take a plane to Russia," Vereshchuk said.

Earlier on Monday, the Russian army said it was opening humanitarian corridors from the four Ukrainian cities. Russian army spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the ceasefire had begun at 9am Kyiv time to allow civilians to escape.

In Kyiv, Kharkhiv, Mariupol and Sumy, fighting continued on Monday as Russian forces maintain their stranglehold on key cities along their advance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for more sanctions against Russia during a daily briefing. "Russia has not abandoned its plans against Ukraine... we need a new sanctions package."

Zelensky has called for "a boycott of Russian exports, particularly the rejection of oil and oil products from Russia".

The president added that these tougher measures "can be called an embargo or just morality".

In Mariupol, a southern port city, which is encircled by Russian forces, there’s no electricity or running water, people have run out of food, and dead bodies are reported in the streets. The city has experienced horrific shelling.

In other cities, including Irpin, outside the capital, there’s been Russian shelling. Russian artillery is also attacking the residential areas of Mykolaiv, a southern city en route to the tourist seaside city of Odessa. In the east, Ukrainian forces say they’ve recaptured the city of Chuhuiv.

Putin vows to 'neutralise' Ukraine 

As peace talks resume on Monday between Ukraine and Russia, Russian President Vladamir Putin has promised to "neutralise" Ukraine "either through negotiation or through the war."

Putin said there would be "colossal and catastrophic consequences not only for Europe but also the whole world if a no-fly zone is imposed" on Ukraine. 

So far, NATO and its allies have rejected calls to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which would mean active engagement with the Russian military.

Meanwhile, thousands of Ukrainians have been fleeing the war into neighbouring countries to the west and north west.