Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy urges Russian soldiers to lay down their weapons

Kiev demanded an immediate Russian ceasefire and troop withdrawal on Monday as its delegation arrived in Belarus for talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is sceptical about the possibility of a breakthrough in talks with Russia. AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday urged Russian troops to abandon their equipment and leave the battlefield to save their lives, claiming that more than 4,500 Russian soldiers had already died in battle.

He also called on the EU to give Ukraine "immediate" membership, through a special procedure.

Ukraine demanded an immediate Russian ceasefire and troop withdrawal as its delegation arrived in Belarus for talks with Russian negotiators, on the fifth day of the Kremlin's offensive.

Ukraine's delegation is set to meet Russian representatives for the first talks since Moscow's assault, as the fighting for several Ukrainian cities continues and the Russian rouble collapses.

The meeting will take place just across the border in neighbouring Belarus, a key Kremlin ally that has allowed Russian troops passage to attack Ukraine.

"The Ukrainian delegation arrived at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border to take part in talks with representatives of the Russian Federation," the Ukrainian presidency said.

Zelenskyy has said he is sceptical about the possibility of a breakthrough.

"As always: I do not really believe in the outcome of this meeting, but let them try," he said.

US President Joe Biden will hold a secure call with allies and partners on Monday to discuss developments in Russia's attack on Ukraine and “co-ordinate our united response,” the White House has said.

The administration did not elaborate on who would participate in the call, which will take place at 11.15am (4.15pm GMT).

Russian forces have taken over the towns of Berdyansk and Enerhodar in Ukraine's south-eastern Zaporizhzhya region as well as the area around the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, Interfax quoted Russia's Defence Ministry as saying on Monday.

The plant's operations continued normally, it added.

Russia is at the centre of international attention as its forces battle on the streets of Ukraine's cities. The country is facing a barrage of sanctions that include a ban on its national airline from Western airspace and the removal of its banks from crucial financial networks.

Rising death toll

Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said 352 civilians have been killed since Russia’s military operation began, including 14 children. It said an additional 1,684 people, including 116 children, have been wounded.

The ministry’s statement on Sunday did not give any information about casualties among Ukraine’s armed forces.

Russia has claimed that its troops are aiming only at Ukrainian military targets and says that the country's civilian population is not in danger.

Moscow has not released any information on casualties among its troops.

Meanwhile, the Vatican is ready to "facilitate dialogue" between Russia and Ukraine to end the war, its top diplomat said on Monday.

Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who ranks second only to Pope Francis in the Vatican hierarchy, told Italian newspapers that "despite the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine" he was "convinced there is always room for negotiations".

The Russian Defence Ministry acknowledged on Sunday that Russian soldiers have been killed and wounded but did not give any numbers.

UN says Ukraine radioactive waste site was hit

The UN's nuclear watchdog said missiles have hit a radioactive waste disposal site in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, but there are no reports of damage to the buildings or indications of a release of harmful material.

International Atomic Energy Agency director general Rafael Grossi said late on Sunday that the Ukrainian authorities informed his office about the overnight strike.

He said his agency expects to soon receive the results of on-site radioactive monitoring.

The report came a day after an electrical transformer at a similar disposal site in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv was damaged.

Russian rouble plunges to record

Russia’s rouble plunged by more than 28 per cent to a record of 118 against the dollar in early trading on Monday, after the US and EU allies imposed tighter sanctions in response to Moscow's military offensive in Ukraine.

The currency clawed back some ground but was still down 18 per cent as of 7.58am UAE time on Monday at 100.2 to the greenback.

“A bank run has already started in Russia at the weekend, and the rouble … will be well above $100 to the US dollar,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at Oanda.

Equities rallied on Friday and oil dipped as dealers assessed that the punishments imposed on Moscow were light enough to not hit its crucial oil exports — Russia is the world's third-biggest producer — at a time when supplies are thin and demand is surging.

But the picture changed at the weekend, when the US and the EU said they would exclude some Russian banks from the international bank payments system Swift and personally targeted President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.