On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukrainian forces of committing “gross violations” of humanitarian law, calling on his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to put pressure on Kyiv to end it.

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In a telephone conversation with his counterparts, Mr. Putin referred to “extrajudicial assassinations of opponents”, “taking civilian hostages” and “using them as human shields”, as well as “deploying” heavy weapons in residential areas, near hospitals, schools and kindergartens, “according to the Kremlin statement. .

He also accused Ukraine’s “nationalist battalions” of “systematically obstructing rescue operations and intimidating civilians trying to evacuate” the combat zones.

“Vladimir Putin has urged Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz to influence the Kyiv authorities to put an end to these criminal acts,” the Kremlin added.