INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Ukraine called on China on Saturday to join the West in condemning "Russian barbarism," as Moscow claimed it had struck a Ukrainian arms
depot with hypersonic missiles in what would be the first use in combat of the next-generation weapons.That attack, not far from the
country's western Romanian border, came as Russia said its troops had broken through Ukrainian defenses to enter the besieged southern port
city of Mariupol, a scene of mounting desperation.With the invasion in its fourth week, Kyiv's embattled leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy pressed
for "meaningful" talks to halt fighting that has forced at least 3.3 million Ukrainians to flee their country.The plea for China to condemn
Twitter, "if it makes a right decision to support the civilized countries' coalition and condemn Russian barbarism."While Western countries
have shown unity in the face of an invasion whose brutality has been clearly documented on social media, China has so far refused to condemn
it.Russia's claim Saturday to have unleashed its new hypersonic Kinzhal missile would mark a dramatic new escalation of its campaign to
force Ukraine to abandon hopes of closer ties with the West.Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ignat told AFP that the arms depot in the
western village of Deliatyn had indeed been hit but "we have no information of the type of missile."Russian President Vladimir Putin, who
unveiled the Kinzhal missile in 2018, has termed it "an ideal weapon" that flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it extremely
difficult for missile defenses to intercept.In another setback, Ukraine officials admitted they had "temporarily" lost access to the Sea of
Azov, though Russia has effectively controlled the coastline for weeks after surrounding Mariupol.'Time to meet'Zelenskiy on Saturday again
appealed for peace, urging Russia to accept "meaningful" talks in his latest video posted on social media."This is the time to meet, to
generations will not recover."But as in previous negotiations there appeared to be little progress in reaching a ceasefire.Russia carried
out air raids on Saturday on the southern city of Mykolaiv in quick succession, Vitaly Kim, head of the regional administration, said, a day
after a deadly strike on a military barracks there.Less than 100 kilometers to the southeast, Ukraine claimed that a Russian general had
been killed by strikes on an airfield outside Kherson, just north of Crimea
Ukraine said he was the fifth top-ranking officer killed since the invasion began on Feb
24.British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Saturday that Moscow was using talks as a "smokescreen" as it carried out "appalling
atrocities."Fierce resistance has managed to stall Russian forces outside Kyiv and several other cities in the east, making them vulnerable
to Ukrainian attacks against supply lines.Britain's defense ministry said that Russia has been forced to "change its operational approach
casualties," it warned.Fighting ragesFriday's attack on the arms depot was the latest strike in western Ukraine, which until a few days ago
had remained relatively unscathed by Russia's push toward key cities from the north and east.Also on Friday, Russian forces destroyed an
aircraft repair plant near the airport of Lviv, the city where millions of people have fled as rockets and shelling continue to rain down on
than 1,000 people had been seeking shelter when it was struck on Wednesday.There was still no information about potential fatalities,
Zelenskiy said, but 130 people had been saved so far, some "heavily injured.""This is no longer Mariupol, it's hell," said resident Tamara
"The streets are full with the bodies of civilians."After weeks cut off from food, water and electricity, the situation in Mariupol has
become "extremely dire," the UN refugee agency said Friday.Tweeting a photo of the wrecked theatre, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba asked
multinational companies that were "still working with or in Russia: how can you keep doing business with them?"His question echoed comments
by Zelenskiy during a live video address to a Swiss rally in which he blasted firms such as Nestle for not severing ties.Appeals to
ChinaRussia's ally China told U.S
President Joe Biden on Friday that the war was "in no one's interest," but showed no sign of giving in to the pressure to join Western
condemnation of Russia.Biden warned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping of "consequences" for any financial or military aid for Russia, a
move that could turn the standoff into a global confrontation.Putin appears undeterred by further threats or sanctions, holding a
triumphalist rally in Moscow on Friday to mark eight years since Russia's seizure of Crimea, saying his goal in Ukraine was "to rid these
people from their suffering and genocide."Russia wants Ukraine to disarm and disavow all Western alliances, in particular to renounce
Moscow.Russia's top negotiator said Friday that Moscow and Kyiv had brought their positions "as close as possible" on a proposal for Ukraine
to become a neutral state.But Podolyak, the Zelenskiy advisor, said his country's position had not budged.
