NPR News

Photos: Calls for war crime investigation intensify as Russia targets western Ukraine

By Nicole Werbeck,

Marco Storel

Published March 10, 2022 at 8:12 PM PST

<strong>March 9:</strong> Ukrainian emergency employees and volunteers carry an injured pregnant woman from a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say Russian forces shelled the building in the besieged port city. — **March 9:** Ukrainian emergency employees and volunteers carry an injured pregnant woman from a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say Russian forces shelled the building in the besieged port city.

Updated March 10, 2022 at 12:43 PM ET

The United Nations' refugee agency says Russia's invasion of Ukraine has already prompted more than 2 million people to flee the war, sparking the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

Russia's and Ukraine's foreign ministers met for high-level negotiations in Antalya, Turkey, on Thursday. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, proposed new humanitarian corridors out of Mariupol and a 24-hour cease-fire to Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, but no agreement was reached.

The talks came after Ukrainian officials said that three people had died in a Russian airstrike that devastated a hospital complex in Mariupol. Russian officials acknowledged that a strike had been carried out but insisted the facility was being used as a paramilitary base.

Two weeks into the war, meanwhile, Ukrainians continue to flow into neighboring countries; the majority of them, more than 800,000, have crossed into Poland.

Take a look:

<strong>March 9:</strong> A man rides a bicycle in front of an apartment building that was damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine. — **March 9:** A man rides a bicycle in front of an apartment building that was damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine.

<strong>March 9:</strong> A man carries his child away from a damaged maternity hospital in Mariupol. — **March 9:** A man carries his child away from a damaged maternity hospital in Mariupol.

<strong>March 10:</strong> Residents evacuate Irpin, Ukraine, north of Kyiv, the capital. Russian forces rolled their armored vehicles up to the northeastern edge of the besieged country's capital, edging closer in their attempts to encircle Kyiv. — **March 10:** Residents evacuate Irpin, Ukraine, north of Kyiv, the capital. Russian forces rolled their armored vehicles up to the northeastern edge of the besieged country's capital, edging closer in their attempts to encircle Kyiv.

<strong>March 10:</strong> A resident sits in a basement for shelter in Irpin. Kyiv's northwest suburbs, including Irpin and Bucha, have endured shellfire and bombardments for more than a week, prompting massive evacuation efforts. — **March 10:** A resident sits in a basement for shelter in Irpin. Kyiv's northwest suburbs, including Irpin and Bucha, have endured shellfire and bombardments for more than a week, prompting massive evacuation efforts.

<strong>March 10:</strong> A tank sits destroyed after battles between Ukrainian and Russian forces on a main road near Brovary, north of Kyiv. — **March 10:** A tank sits destroyed after battles between Ukrainian and Russian forces on a main road near Brovary, north of Kyiv.

<strong>March 9:</strong> Ukrainian servicemen get ready to depart in the direction of Kyiv at the central train station in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. — **March 9:** Ukrainian servicemen get ready to depart in the direction of Kyiv at the central train station in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.

<strong>March 10:</strong> A resident stands in a basement for shelter in Irpin. — **March 10:** A resident stands in a basement for shelter in Irpin.

<strong>March 10:</strong> A man who was injured by shelling near his home is treated at a hospital in Brovary. — **March 10:** A man who was injured by shelling near his home is treated at a hospital in Brovary.

<strong>March 9:</strong> Smoke rises after shelling in Mariupol. — **March 9:** Smoke rises after shelling in Mariupol.

<strong>March 8:</strong> A firefighter responds to a fire after a chemical warehouse was hit by Russian shelling on the eastern front near Kalynivka village in the region of Kyiv. — **March 8:** A firefighter responds to a fire after a chemical warehouse was hit by Russian shelling on the eastern front near Kalynivka village in the region of Kyiv.

<strong>March 9:</strong> Ukrainians cross an improvised path under a destroyed bridge while fleeing Irpin. — **March 9:** Ukrainians cross an improvised path under a destroyed bridge while fleeing Irpin.

<strong>March 9:</strong> Ukrainians board a bus as they are evacuated from Irpin. — **March 9:** Ukrainians board a bus as they are evacuated from Irpin.

<strong>March 9:</strong> An elderly man is evacuated from Irpin. — **March 9:** An elderly man is evacuated from Irpin.

<strong>March 9:</strong> Barricades partially block the main road in front of Kyiv's Maidan (square), nearly empty during an air raid alarm. — **March 9:** Barricades partially block the main road in front of Kyiv's Maidan (square), nearly empty during an air raid alarm.

<strong>March 8:</strong> This apartment was destroyed by shelling the day before in Ukraine's second-biggest city, Kharkiv. — **March 8:** This apartment was destroyed by shelling the day before in Ukraine's second-biggest city, Kharkiv.

<strong>March 8:</strong> A wounded serviceman of the Ukrainian military smokes after a battle against Russian troops and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk region. — **March 8:** A wounded serviceman of the Ukrainian military smokes after a battle against Russian troops and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk region.

<strong>March 8:</strong> A Ukrainian woman looks out from a damaged building that was hit by a Russian mortar in Mykolaiv, about 70 miles from Odesa, in southern Ukraine. — **March 8:** A Ukrainian woman looks out from a damaged building that was hit by a Russian mortar in Mykolaiv, about 70 miles from Odesa, in southern Ukraine.

<strong>March 8:</strong> A woman makes a call to relatives in an underground metro station being used as a bomb shelter in Kyiv. — **March 8:** A woman makes a call to relatives in an underground metro station being used as a bomb shelter in Kyiv.

<strong>March 8:</strong> Family members grieve during a service at Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine, during a joint funeral for two soldiers who died during recent fighting. The two servicemen were Victor, 44, who was killed in the Mykolaiv region, and Ivan, 25, who was killed in the Zaporizhzhia region. — **March 8:** Family members grieve during a service at Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine, during a joint funeral for two soldiers who died during recent fighting. The two servicemen were Victor, 44, who was killed in the Mykolaiv region, and Ivan, 25, who was killed in the Zaporizhzhia region.

<strong>March 8:</strong> A joint funeral takes place at Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church in Lviv for two soldiers who died during recent fighting in Ukraine's east. — **March 8:** A joint funeral takes place at Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church in Lviv for two soldiers who died during recent fighting in Ukraine's east.

<strong>March 8:</strong> A man walks between houses destroyed during airstrikes on the central Ukrainian city of Bila Tserkva. Russia had stepped up its bombing campaign and missile strikes on Ukraine's cities. — **March 8:** A man walks between houses destroyed during airstrikes on the central Ukrainian city of Bila Tserkva. Russia had stepped up its bombing campaign and missile strikes on Ukraine's cities.

<strong>March 8:</strong> A Ukrainian serviceman walks past the vertical tail fin of a Russian Su-34 bomber standing in a damaged building in Kharkiv. — **March 8:** A Ukrainian serviceman walks past the vertical tail fin of a Russian Su-34 bomber standing in a damaged building in Kharkiv.

<strong>March 8:</strong> An elderly woman is coated in snow as she sits in a wheelchair after being evacuated from Irpin. — **March 8:** An elderly woman is coated in snow as she sits in a wheelchair after being evacuated from Irpin.

<strong>March 7:</strong> A father puts his hand on the window of an evacuation train as he says goodbye to his daughter at the central train station in Odesa. The city is the site of Ukraine's main port, which is vital to the country's economy. — **March 7:** A father puts his hand on the window of an evacuation train as he says goodbye to his daughter at the central train station in Odesa. The city is the site of Ukraine's main port, which is vital to the country's economy.

<strong>March 7:</strong> A woman looks on as she flees Irpin. — **March 7:** A woman looks on as she flees Irpin.

<strong>March 6:</strong> An Irpin factory and store burn after being bombarded. The city of 60,000 sits on the outskirts of Kyiv. — **March 6:** An Irpin factory and store burn after being bombarded. The city of 60,000 sits on the outskirts of Kyiv.

<strong>March 7:</strong> Strollers sit abandoned under a ruined bridge from when people fled Irpin. — **March 7:** Strollers sit abandoned under a ruined bridge from when people fled Irpin.

<strong>March 7: </strong>People holding their children struggle to get on a train to Lviv at the station in Kyiv. Russia had announced yet another cease-fire and a handful of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukraine. Previous announcements quickly fell apart as Moscow's forces continued to pummel some Ukrainian cities with rockets on March 7. — **March 7:** People holding their children struggle to get on a train to Lviv at the station in Kyiv. Russia had announced yet another cease-fire and a handful of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukraine. Previous announcements quickly fell apart as Moscow's forces continued to pummel some Ukrainian cities with rockets on March 7.

<strong>March 6: </strong>A Ukrainian woman dressed in military attire prays inside the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church in Lviv. — **March 6:** A Ukrainian woman dressed in military attire prays inside the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church in Lviv.