Russia, Ukraine to meet at Ukrainian-Belarusian border as fighting continues

* Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict came a ray of hope as Russia and Ukraine agreed to meet at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border.

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after his previous refusal, said Ukraine would meet with Russia "without prior conditions" at the border.

* As Russian troops were advancing, residents took to underground metro stations together with their pets to stay safe amid the airstrikes.

* As the military conflict entered a fourth day, the international community continued to call for a peaceful solution.

MOSCOW/KIEV, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict came a ray of hope as Russia and Ukraine agreed to meet at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border.

The agreement came after a seesaw struggle between the two sides. The Kremlin earlier announced that a Russian delegation has arrived in Belarus for negotiations with Ukraine, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Russia's offer to hold talks in Belarus, saying the country is not an option.

Zelensky, after his previous refusal, said Ukraine would meet with Russia "without prior conditions" at the border.

The agreement to hold the talks was reached during a phone call between Zelensky and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Photo taken on Feb. 27, 2022 shows smoke rising in the sky in Kiev, Ukraine. (Xinhua/Lu Jinbo)

Earlier Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the country's deterrence forces to be placed on "a special mode of combat duty" in a meeting with top defense officials, accusing Western countries of imposing "illegitimate sanctions" against Russia's economy.

HORRIFIED RESIDENTS

Another disturbing night fell on Kiev on Saturday, as heavy, black smoke, apparently some distance from the Motherland Monument, billowed.

As Russian troops were advancing, most residents took to underground metro stations together with their pets to stay safe amid the airstrikes.

Vera, a 30-year-old resident who only gave her first name, told Xinhua that her family had hardly slept for three days. "How can one sleep when explosions and sirens are constantly heard?" She asked.

Vera's house has an underground parking lot. Whenever there was an air raid alert, she and her family would rush over for shelter.

"It's especially difficult for a child. Almost every time my daughter cries," she said.

Since the Ukrainian government decreed a state of emergency on Feb. 24, a series of crossfires, explosions and shellings have rocked the capital city. On Friday, a residential building at Lobanovsky Street was hit by a missile and set ablaze, according to a Telegram video posted by Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

A journalist passes a damaged building in Donetsk, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua)

Living in a nine-story building in Kiev, 43-year-old plumber Bogdan said that occupants of the block are using a long-deserted basement as a bomb shelter.

"We took it (rubbish) out with the whole house for several hours in a row, then we put electricity in the basement. Now we spend the night there with the children," said Bogdan, a father of two sons.

At first, Bogdan was able to convince his kids that "it's almost a hike -- we sleep on mats and in sleeping bags."

"But yesterday the trick didn't work -- my elder son cried for half the night because he was afraid that a rocket would hit the house," Bogdan said. "I don't think my children deserve this."

"From time to time, we think of leaving the city," said Vera, "but we do not know where to run."

FIGHTING CONTINUES

Earlier Sunday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a delegation including representatives of the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry and other government agencies has arrived in Belarus.

Meanwhile, all units were ordered to mount an offensive in accordance with the operation plan, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said during a briefing.

Troops from Lugansk have advanced up to 46 km and captured the settlements of Schastia and Muratovo, while troops from Donetsk have advanced another 10 km from the frontline, reported the ministry Saturday.

According to Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko, 198 Ukrainians were killed in Russia's military operation.

The Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 975 Ukrainian military infrastructure objects since the fighting began, Konashenkov said Sunday.

Western countries have taken a military operation in Ukraine off the table while responding with economic sanctions.

Peskov noted that the sanctions have little impact on Russia's top leadership.

On Saturday, the White House said in a joint statement that in concert with the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Britain and Canada, the United States is supporting the expulsion of "selected Russian banks" from SWIFT, the payment system used for most international financial transactions, "within the coming days," to "further isolate Russia from the international financial system and our economies."

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday that the current sanctions against Russia could be a reason to review relations with states that have imposed them, noting that Russia may respond symmetrically to measures taken against Russian citizens and companies abroad, namely by seizing funds of foreigners and foreign companies in Russia.

Additionally, Russian aviation authorities said there would be a "mirror response" to those countries choosing to ban flights for Russian aircraft. Moscow vowed to close its airspace in retaliation.

Photo taken on Feb. 25, 2022 shows diesel and gasoline prices displayed on a screen at a gas station in Frankfurt, Germany. (Photo by Armando Babani/Xinhua)

The shock waves of the conflicts have battered the world's major markets, bringing stocks down to new lows. Due to fears of supply disruptions, crude oil and natural gas prices jumped to multi-year highs.

CALLS FOR PEACEFUL SOLUTION

As the military conflict entered a fourth day, the international community continued to call for a peaceful solution.

During a phone call with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is ready for negotiations with "all constructive forces" to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that the situation "is not irreversible," appealing to all parties concerned for protecting civilians and upholding international humanitarian and human rights law.

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday that the Chinese side supports and encourages all diplomatic efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis during his phone talks with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell as well as Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic counselor to French President Emmanuel Macron.

During his meeting with Putin in Moscow on Thursday, visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said that conflict was not in anyone's interest, underlining Pakistan's belief that disputes should be settled through dialogue and diplomacy, according to a statement released by Khan's office.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said on Thursday that "everything must now be done to avoid further escalation and to protect lives."