Putin accuses Ukraine of 'flagrant violation' of international humanitarian law

Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron hit out against alleged "violation of the norms of international humanitarian law by Ukrainian security forces".

"Putin informed them about the real state of affairs," the Russian president's office said, adding, "In particular, numerous facts of the flagrant violation of the norms of international humanitarian law by Ukrainian security forces were cited."

The Russian president reportedly asked Macron and Scholz to speak to Ukrainian authorities about the issue. Putin's latest remarks come amid reports of Russian troops making steady progress towards Kyiv on the seventeenth day of the war as reports claimed an airport was destroyed in Vasylkiv town.

Watch:Battle for Kyiv continues as residents pour out of city

Ukrainian authorities said on Saturday that a mosque with at least 80 civilians was shelled in Mariupol. However, there are no reports of casualties so far. Reports claim Mariupol has been heavily bombed by Russian forces with food and water running low for the past several days.

Meanwhile, Ukraine alleged that Russian soldiers had abducted the mayor of Melitopol in the south as President Volodymyr Zelensky urged France and Germany to help secure his release.

Amid the fighting, the UN said over 2.5 million people had fled the war in Ukraine even as the Kremlin said on Friday that Syrian fighters would be allowed to fight in Ukraine on Russia's behalf fuelling anger in Kyiv as President Zelensky accused Russia of hiring "murderers".

(With inputs from Agencies)