North Korea Says Russia-Ukraine War's Root Cause Is Not Territorial Dispute But US' Sanctions; More Than 520,000 Refugees Flee Kyiv

On Monday, North Korea broke its quiet on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, criticizing the US and the West for their "hegemonic strategy" and "high-handedness."

Russian and Ukrainian officials resumed talks on the Belarusian border as Moscow faced US-led economic sanctions four days after its invasion of Ukraine, which was widely condemned in the West.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry issued its first official statement on Russia's attack, accusing the West of "abuse of power," according to Reuters via MSN. "The root cause of the Ukraine crisis completely lies in the hegemonic policy of the US and the West, which enforce themselves in high-handedness and abuse of power against other countries," the North's official KCNA news agency quoted an unnamed foreign ministry spokesperson.

More Than Half a Million Residents Fled Amid Russia-Ukraine Tension

The message arrived only a day after North Korea fired a missile in what might be its first test after a record number of launches in January despite stalled denuclearization negotiations with the US.

Washington has urged for a resumption of negotiations aimed at eliminating Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, but Pyongyang has rejected the offers, demanding an end to the US's hostile policy and double standards. Pyongyang has also vowed to resume testing of longer-range missiles, possibly including nuclear weapons.

The US has promised to impose export curbs on semiconductors and other advanced technology critical to Russia's weapons development and biotechnology, as well as to prohibit some Russian banks from using the SWIFT international payments system. North Korea accused the United States and its allies of disregarding Russia's fair and lawful requests for legally supported security guarantees.

The vast influx of migrants from Ukraine to the European Union's eastern fringes showed no signs of slowing down on Monday, according to the United Nations. More than 520,000 individuals have reportedly fled Russia's escalating conflict with Ukraine, Market Watch via MSN reported.

At checkpoints around the borders of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Moldova, long lineups of automobiles and buses formed. Others walked across the border, dragging their belongings behind them.

Russia Launches Massive Rocket Attack in Ukraine

Hundreds of migrants congregated in a makeshift reception center in Beregsurany, Hungary's border settlement, awaiting transfer to transit hubs where they would be sent farther into Hungary and beyond. Many of the refugees in Beregsurany, as well as other Eastern European border areas, are from India, Nigeria, and other African nations who were working or studying in Ukraine when the conflict erupted.

More than 520,000 refugees have fled Ukraine, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, who spoke to the UN Security Council via video, adding that the number "has been rising exponentially, hour after hour." Trains continued to bring refugees into the border town of Przemysl on Monday, with Poland reporting the most arrivals at over 280,000. As they departed the station, several wore winter jackets to protect themselves from the near-freezing conditions and carried little luggage.

Cluster munitions are a type of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that discharges or ejects tiny submunitions, which are meant to kill people and destroy vehicles, as per The Independent.

It comes after the Russian military was suspected of employing similar explosives in a separate strike in northeastern Ukraine, which killed a kid and two adults hiding in a pre-school. In the shelling of the Sonechko nursery and kindergarten in Okhtyrka, a second kid was injured. According to Amnesty International, the strike might be considered a war crime.

Peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia began earlier this week along the Belarusian border. The purpose of the discussions, according to the Ukrainian president's administration, was to achieve a quick ceasefire and the evacuation of the Russian military from Ukraine.

After violent confrontations with Russia, Ukrainian troops declared Sunday night that they had successfully repulsed an attack on Kharkiv, the country's second largest city. However, as the battle progresses on a daily basis, the situation has shifted.