RUSSIAN tanks and other military vehicles destroyed by Ukrainian forces on the road north of Kyiv (VOA/Wikipedia).

The Ukrainian government has refused a Russian demand that the defenders of the key port city of Mariupol put down their firearms in exchange for a promise of a safe evacuation.

According to the Associated Press, the demand followed the bombing of an art school building in the city where about 400 people had taken shelter.

The response to the Russian demand came from Irina Vereshchuk, Ukrainian deputy prime minister, who said, “There can be no talk of any surrender, any laying down of arms.”

The New York Times reports that the fact that some of the rockets and bombs hitting Mariupol came from naval forces in the Black Sea are evidence that a stalemate on the ground is taking place and – unable to make significant advances into Ukraine – the Russian military is seeking to shift its focus to the destruction of cities.

In related news:

• It’s estimated that upwards of 1,500 Russian tanks and other military vehicles have been destroyed or disabled, amounting to about 10 percent of those available.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr on Sunday urged Israel to provide arms and impose economic sanctions against Russia. Speaking to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, he compared the invasion to the Holocaust, in which at least 6 million European Jews were killed by Nazi Germany and its allies.

Sports: Sweet 16 field starting to shape up

The lineup is beginning to fill out for the “Sweet 16” field in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

On Sunday, Duke rallied from a five-point deficit to defeat Michigan State 86-76 and keep legendary coach Mike Krzyewski’s final season still alive in the West region.

Creighton, seeded 10th in the West region, upset Iowa 64-62, knocking off the number two-seeded Hawkeyes in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In other results, Houston defeated Illinois 68-53, Villanova bested Ohio State 71-61 and Iowa State turned back Wisconsin 54-49.

We’ll post more results as they become available.

Weather: It’s our summer preview

West Orange County is in for a glimpse of the summer of 2022 with a warming trend moving in.

The forecast calls for a daytime high of 76 on Monday (overnight low of 53) under partly cloudy skies.

Tuesday will warm to 83 (57) with lots of sun, and Wednesday will reach 86 (57) and also be sunny.