Putin Appears At Big Rally as Troops Press Attack in Ukraine

A man removes a destroyed curtain inside a school damaged among other residential buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, March 18, 2022. Russian forces pressed their assault on Ukrainian cities Friday, with new missile strikes and shelling on the edges of the capital Kyiv and the western city of Lviv, as world leaders pushed for an investigation of the Kremlin's repeated attacks on civilian targets, including schools, hospitals and residential areas. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

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By Associated Press

March 18, 2022 at 4:12 AM UTC

Updated on

March 19, 2022 at 2:07 AM UTC

(AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared at a huge flag-waving rally at a packed Moscow stadium Friday and lavished praise on his troops fighting in Ukraine, three weeks into the invasion that has led to heavier-than-expected Russian losses on the battlefield and increasingly authoritarian rule at home.

Meanwhile, the leader of Russia's delegation in diplomatic talks with Ukraine said the sides have narrowed their differences. The Ukrainian side said its position remained unchanged.