Moscow announced that its forces responsible for nuclear weapons began reinforced shifts in implementation of President Vladimir Putin's orders, while the Ukrainian army confirmed that the pace of Russia's attacks slowed on the fifth day of its war on the country, in conjunction with ceasefire talks.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday that the Strategic Missile Forces, the North and Pacific Fleets and the Long-Range Aviation Command have all been put into enhanced combat shifts based on orders issued by President Putin on Sunday.
And the "Interfax" news agency quoted the ministry as saying that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Putin that the command posts in those branches had begun "carrying out combat shifts with an increase in the number of soldiers."
Meanwhile, Foreign Policy reported that Russia is deploying more reserve forces to Ukraine and resupplying its forces with ammunition and fuel.
On Monday, the Russian army announced that civilians could leave the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while accusing the Ukrainian authorities of using them as human shields.
"All civilians can freely leave the Ukrainian capital via the Kyiv-Vasylkiv highway" southwest of Kyiv, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a televised statement.
The spokesman confirmed Russia's "air superiority" throughout Ukraine, with the destruction of air defense systems and 5 Ukrainian combat aircraft, he said.
In recent days, the Ukrainian authorities said that advanced units of Russian saboteurs fought inside the capital and repelled them, and Moscow has not yet officially confirmed its launch of an attack on Kyiv.
"The Russian occupiers have slowed the pace of the offensive, but they are still trying to make gains in some areas," the Ukrainian Army Staff said in a statement.
Fatalities in Kharkiv
Ukraine announced that dozens of people were killed in missile strikes carried out by Russian forces on the city of Kharkiv (northeast) on Monday morning.
"Kharkiv was just hit by a barrage of Grad missiles. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds wounded," Anton Hyrashchenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, said in a Facebook post.
In the latest field developments in southern Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said that its forces had taken control of the towns of Berdyansk and Enerhodar (southeast), as well as the area around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
"The nuclear plant crew continues its work in maintaining and controlling the facilities," the ministry's spokesman said.
Russia also announced - on Monday - that its forces are currently working to impose a siege on the city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov from all sides.
As for the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, who are also carrying out an offensive backed by the Russian army, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry announced that they had achieved an additional 19 km advance.