Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: List of key events, day 34

Ukrainian soldiers pass a damaged Russian tank in the town of Trostyanets, some 400km (250 miles) east of capital Kyiv [Efrem Lukatsky/AP]

These are the key events so far on Tuesday, March 29. Get the latest updates here.

Fighting

• Air-raid sirens sounded across Ukraine before dawn on Tuesday as Ukrainian and Russian negotiators prepared to meet in Turkey for face-to-face talks, with Kyiv seeking a ceasefire without compromising on territory or sovereignty.
• Russia continues missile and bomb strikes in an attempt to destroy infrastructure and residential areas of Ukrainian cities, Ukraine military general staff says.
• Ukraine claims it seized back control of Irpin, near Kyiv. A United States official said the eastern town of Trostyanets, south of Sumy, was back in Ukrainian hands.
• Russian soldiers who seized the Chernobyl site drove armoured vehicles without radiation protection through a highly toxic zone called the “Red Forest”, workers there have said.

Talks and diplomacy

• Ukrainian and Russian negotiators meet on Tuesday for their first face-to-face talks in two weeks.
• Russia’s foreign minister also says direct talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Vladimir Putin, something the Ukrainian leader has regularly demanded, would be “counterproductive” for now.
• Zelenskyy has urged Western nations to toughen sanctions including an oil embargo.

(Al Jazeera)

Civilians

• The United Nations human rights office said 1,119 civilians had been killed and 1,790 wounded since Russia began its attack.
• Nearly 5,000 people, including about 210 children, have been killed in besieged Mariupol, a spokesman for its mayor said.

Economy

• Russia has said it would not supply gas to Europe for free as it worked out methods for accepting payments for its gas exports in roubles. G7 nations refused the demand.
• US and German officials are due to meet in Berlin this week with energy industry executives to discuss ways to boost alternative supplies for Germany.
• Russia’s invasion has cost Ukraine $565bn in terms of damage to infrastructure, lost economic growth and other factors, economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko has said.

You can read key moments from Day 33 here.