Russia might take more Ukraine cities under control: Kremlin

Moscow, Kyiv: Russia on Monday said that it might decide to take control of larger cities in Ukraine while its forces are relentlessly moving into more major cities in the war-torn neighbour, Agence France-Presse reported.

Moscow's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the media that Russian President Vladimir Putin had issued orders to hold back on any immediate attacks on large cities given the civilian losses it could incur. However, the Russian defence ministry has not ruled out moving to put significant cities under Kremlin's control. Many are already almost encircled, he added.

Peskov said it would provide considerations to areas that are used as humanitarian evacuation points.

He further said that the United States and the European Union are provoking Russia towards an immense assault on Ukrainian cities so that they could hold Moscow for the civilian deaths.

Peskov denied reports that Russia has requested Chinese aid for the Ukraine invasion. Russia is potential enough to continue the "operation" on its own, Peskov said.

Meanwhile, in Kyiv, two people were killed on Monday as many neighbourhoods in the Ukraine capital endured rampant shelling missile strikes. City administration informed that one person got killed and ten got wounded when a residential building was shelled in the Obolon district in the north of the city. Missile attack killed one and injured six in the Kurenivka district, officials added.

Amid these, Ukraine released a statement regarding Chernobyl nuclear powerplant that a high voltage powerline into the plant got damaged and the power supply stopped. The line was recently reinstated after it was cut by an earlier attack.