Russian convoy closes in on Kyiv as Ukraine cities face intense shelling

• Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, hit by intensifying shelling.
• Huge convoy of Russian forces approaching Kyiv.
• “Logistical difficulties” slow Russian forces’ advance, U.K. says.
• First talks between Ukraine and Russia conclude with no immediate breakthrough on Monday.

Satellite images captured by an American firm, Maxar Technologies, showed what it said was a roughly 40-mile convoy of Russian tanks and armored vehicles approaching Kyiv. But Russia’s advance on Ukraine’s capital has made little progress in the past 24 hours due to logistical difficulties, Britain’s defense ministry said Tuesday.

Moscow had also increased its use of artillery north of Kyiv and around Kharkiv and Chernihiv, according to the update posted on Twitter.

“Russia has failed to gain control of the airspace over Ukraine prompting a shift to night operations in an attempt to reduce their losses,” it said.

The first talks between the two countries since Russia invaded its democratic neighbor last week concluded with no immediate breakthrough on Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believed Russia stepped-up its shelling to force his hand.

“We could see the synchronization of the shelling with the negotiation process. I believe that in this unsophisticated way Russia is trying to put pressure,” he said. “Fair negotiations can be when one side does not hit the other side with rocket artillery at the moment of negotiations.”

U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that the Russian leader is growing increasingly frustrated as his purportedly superior military force appears bogged down, and may see his only option as doubling down on violence, current and former U.S. officials briefed on the matter told NBC News.

The International Criminal Court said in a statement Monday that it will open an investigation into possible war crimes or crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

The prospect of a diplomatic resolution to the crisis is unlikely at the moment, Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said on LBC radio on Tuesday.

“I think the prospects for diplomacy at the moment are slim, but we must always make sure that we keep the door to a diplomatic resolution open without, I think, instilling too many hopes in it,” he said.

Ken Dilanian, Anastasiia Parafeniuk and Reuters contributed.