Russia is greeting the 20th day of its war in Ukraine by unleashing its firepower across with the embattled country, with reports of artillery fire on civilian structures in the capital, Kiev, the second-largest city, Kharkiv, and in Mariupol — even amid reports of an impressive pushback against Russian troops in that Black Sea port city that despite being subject to the worst violence in the war so far remains in Ukrainian hands. 

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense says the country’s forces repelled an attack yesterday in which 150 Russian soldiers were killed and two Russian tanks destroyed, according to a Sky News report. Ukraine also reportedly claimed that some Russian soldiers have been refusing to follow orders.

In the capital, explosions were reported overnight, the details of which were just beginning to emerge Tuesday. The violence engulfing Ukraine comes as additional peace talks between Moscow and Kiev are said to be set for some point on Tuesday. Many in the West are skeptical of any immediate progress on a ceasefire, including America. The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said, “We’re not seeing any evidence at this point that President Putin is doing anything to stop the onslaught or de-escalate.”

Meanwhile, the reports coming in of new Russian bombardments of Kiev point to an escalation of hostilities as a large Russian armored convoy rumbles ever closer to the city. According to some reports it’s as close as nine miles away as of Tuesday. 

The Ukrainian military said that a series of Russian artillery strikes hit a residential neighborhood in the capital on Tuesday, AP reported, igniting a huge fire and frantic rescue efforts in a 15-story apartment building. Ukrainian emergency services said two bodies were recovered from the inferno and 35 people were rescued. The Svyatoshynskyi district targeted in the attacks is in western Kiev next to Irpin, the once quiet town that has seen some of the worst battles of the war.

Kiev’s subway authority posted a warning on Facebook Tuesday morning that an explosion had damaged the Lukyanivska station’s building facade, and a photo showed the damage. The metro said that trains will not be making stops at the station until repairs can be made. It was not clear if the explosion was a bomb or other means of attack. 

Russian maneuvers were having lethal consequences elsewhere. Ukraine’s emergency services indicated in a Facebook post that seven people were killed as result of Russian attacks on residential areas of Kharkiv that also resulted in fires and destruction. 

A television tower in Ukraine’s northern Rivne region was hit yesterday by Russian forces, resulting in at least nine fatalities and possibly as many as 19. As of early Tuesday this number has not been confirmed. 

The Kyiv Independent reported Tuesday morning that the Russian side has been shooting at evacuating civilians in Hostomel. According to National Police, the newspaper says, “first 10 buses of evacuees safely left the town, when Russians opened fire on the next four buses. One woman was killed, two men injured as a result of the attack.” Hostomel is also the location of a strategic air base that has previously come under Russian fire. 

Recent reports that Russia may be seeking military aid from China have caused a stir and ongoing concerns about the strategic course Vladimir Putin may or not be taking as his war on Ukraine enters its third week. The South China Morning Post reports that the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, told his counterpart in Madrid, the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, in a phone call yesterday that China “is not involved in the crisis and we do not wish to be affected by the sanctions. China has the right to defend its own interests.” 

Avoiding the word “war,” Mr. Yi also said, “From the first day of the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, we have been using our way to foster peace talks as a Permanent Five member of the United Nations Security Council.”

On the economic front, the crackdown on Russian oligarchs continues apace, both through sanctions and by other means, including investigations into corruption. 

A new BBC investigation into Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire sanctioned by the British government last week because of his links to President Putin, claims to have uncovered new evidence about corrupt deals involving his fortune. The Chelsea Football Club owner, the BBC report says, “made billions after buying an oil company from the Russian government in a rigged auction in 1995. Mr Abramovich paid around $250 million for Sibneft, before selling it back to the Russian government for $13 billion in 2005.” The BBC also notes that Mr. Abramovich’s assets have been frozen and he has been disqualified as a director of Chelsea Football Club.