Ukraine's ambassador to US says Russia used a vacuum bomb on Monday
Outside Smoke Dimitar Of Picture Dilkoff/afp Over The Just Kyiv Via Getty Billows Town Picture: Images File Vasylkiv
Ukraine's ambassador to the United States appealed to members of the US Congress for more assistance on Monday as her country resists a "brutal war" from Russia, saying Russia had used a vacuum bomb on Monday in its invasion of Ukraine.
"They used the vacuum bomb today, which is actually prohibited by the Geneva convention," Ambassador Oksana Markarova said after a meeting with lawmakers.
"The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large."
She said Ukraine was working actively with US President Joe Biden's administration and Congress to obtain more weapons and tougher sanctions.
"They should pay, they should pay a heavy price," she told reporters after leaving the meeting.
One lawmaker who attended the meeting, Democratic Representative Brad Sherman, said the Ukrainians had asked for a US-enforced no-fly zone over Ukraine but that he felt that was too dangerous because it could provoke conflict with Russia.
A vacuum bomb uses oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, typically producing a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than that of a conventional explosive.
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy said on Monday it was time for the West to consider imposing a no-fly zone for Russian missiles, planes and helicopters in response to Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
In a video address, Zelenskiy did not specify how and by whom a no-fly zone would be enforced.
He said Russia had launched 56 rocket strikes and fired 113 cruise missiles in the past five days since beginning its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Zelenskiy accused Russia of committing war crimes and said it should be brought before an international tribunal.
He said Russia had continued to bombard Ukrainian cities during a first round of talks with Ukrainian officials in Belarus on Monday.
"I believe that Russia is trying to apply pressure in this unsubtle way. Do not waste time. We do not accept such tactics.
"Fair negotiations can occur when one side does not hit the other side with rocket artillery at the very moment of negotiations," he said.