Russia Ukraine War: Zelenskyy congratulates Emmanuel Macron on his re-election

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated French President Emmanuel Macron after he won the Presidential polls on Sunday. In a Twitter post, Zelenskyy called him a "true friend" of Ukraine and thanked him for his support. "I am convinced that we are moving forward together towards new common victories. Towards a strong and united Europe!," he wrote. 

Ukrainian defenders in the city of Mariupol have posted a new video of people trapped in the Azovstal steel plant. The clip shows Azov fighters bringing food to civilians, mostly women and children, who have been sheltering in the basements of Azovstal for two months. President Volodymymr Zelenskyy, on Sunday, discussed the evacuation of trapped civilians from the besieged city with Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has lost interest in diplomatic efforts to end the war. “He wants to win big,” a source told Financial Times. Notably, the President considered a peace deal with Ukraine last month. On Sunday, Russia's 'Special Military Operation' entered 60th day.

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Lyudmila Denisova claimed that Russia is considering forcing captured Ukrainian military to donate blood to wounded invaders. "The Russian State Duma is proposing to force captured Ukrainian servicemen to donate blood for the wounded occupiers. This fact testifies to the analogy of the atrocities of the Nazis in the concentration camps during the Second World War," she stated, as per Ukrinform. 

Russian tanks bearing Ukrainian flags advanced toward Molodetske, a settlement on the fringes of Hrozove in the captured Kherson district, and then opened fire on civilian houses. "The tanks of the occupiers with Ukrainian flags went to the outskirts of the village of Hrozove, Kherson region. This demonstration column moved in the direction of the village of Molodetske," Ukrainian Pravda reported. 

Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov claimed that the country's missile and artillery troops hit as many as 423 targets in Ukraine overnight as part of the special military operation. He stated that 26 command posts, 25 gun lines, as well as 367 strongpoints and places of the amassment of manpower and military equipment were destroyed by the Russian forces, the TASS news agency reported. 

Advisor to Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko shared images of a place where the Russian cruiser Moskva presumably sank. The site was reportedly discovered by satellite radar based on the assessment of sea pollution (fuels&oils) that cover the surface of the sea above the crash site. 

UK human rights lawyer alleged that Russia is quietly allowing rape in Ukraine. "Russian troops have been given tacit permission to rape civilians during their invasion of Ukraine," Helena Kennedy, who is part of a legal task force helping to build cases of alleged war crimes in Ukraine, said, The Kyiv Independent reported.  

The main intelligence department of Ukraine claimed that Russians have started using rubles in the occupied territory of Kharkiv. "In addition, equipment of Russian mobile operator MegaFon is being installed in the temporarily occupied part of the Kharkiv region," Nexta reported. 

The Intelligence department also stated that Russian troops and FSB officers are trying to demoralize the local population by spreading information that "Ukraine has cut off electricity to settlements," and that "Kharkiv is almost occupied by the Russians." 

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy held a telephonic conversation with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This comes a day ahead of scheduled talks between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. During his talks with the Turkish leader, embattled President Zelenskyy stressed the need for the "immediate evacuation of civilians from Mariupol, including Azovstal, and also an immediate exchange of blocked troops."

Poland has announced it will assist Ukraine with weapons worth around 7 billion PLN (over Rs 12,422 crore). The latest announcement from Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki came after holding a meeting with Ukrainian Premier Denys Shmyhal on Saturday. 

Polish Cabinet spokesperson Piotr Muller said that the aid was a step towards defending the sovereignty of Ukraine, Poland, and Europe. "Poland has provided Ukraine with weapons worth around 7 billion PLN - announced Prime Minister @MorawieckiM during the conference for the initiative Stop Russia NOW. This is over 1.6 billion dollars to defend Ukrainian, Polish and European sovereignty!", he wrote.

Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has accused Ukraine of preparing provocations in order to blame Moscow and its armed forces. In a statement, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed that the Kyiv regime is mulling using toxic chemicals to strike civilian infrastructure in the area of Odesa port 'Yuzhny,' where at least 10 tons of ammonia were delivered on April 18. The most plausible scenario for the staging is a fake missile strike by the Russian Armed Forces against the Ukrainian Navy's western naval base, as a result of which the port's cooling plant will be blown up, the statement read. 

In an update on April 24, Ukraine's Defence Ministry reported that Ukraine’s resistance “has been strong across all axes and inflicted significant cost on Russian forces.” 

Ukraine repels ‘numerous Russian assaults’ in Donbas, despite some territorial gains by Russia, it added. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after almost an hour-long televised talk with Republic answered in detail a couple of queries posed by Republic TV's team reporting live from Ukraine. Admitting NATO's strategic mistake of not entering into an alliance with Kyiv, the Ukrainian leader stated his war-ravaged country outdid itself by continuing to put forth fierce resistance against Russian forces. 

Speaking about his aspirations for Asian nations, Zelenskyy said, "So these countries and their leaders who are now starting to hear, and I’m sure that mister Prime Minister Modi whom I have met and we had several conversations, and I really feel that people and leaders, and I think of him as a real leader of the biggest democracy in the world. I think that they notice that we have to fight for every step of that democracy," the Ukrainian President said while referring to Indian leadership. 

Upon being questioned about the times he was let down by the West, the Ukrainian President said, "Thank you for your question. If talking about world structure, or world info structure of security, I really can’t influence NATO, and we are not NATO’s member. And that, in my opinion, is a big mistake that during all these years NATO couldn’t find a place, time, and opportunities to accept Ukraine to the Alliance."

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A 3-month-old baby girl was among eight people killed when Russia fired cruise missiles at the Black Sea port city of Odesa, officials said. Zelenskyy said 18 more were wounded. The Ukrainian news agency UNIAN said the baby’s mother, Valeria Glodan, and grandmother also were killed, citing social media posts from the baby’s father and others.

“The war started when this baby was 1 month old. Can you imagine what is happening?” Zelenskyy said. “They are just bastards. ... I don’t have any other words for it, just bastards.”

The Ukrainian military said Saturday it destroyed a Russian command post in Kherson, a southern city that fell to Russian forces early in the war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine is ready to return "any occupied territory immediately" when the country gets sufficient amounts of weapons.

Speaking on the blowback from the Russian people to the prospect of making a deal with Ukraine, Zelenskyy said that he believes even the Russian government was "surprised by the level of hate for Ukraine" they fabricated themselves.

The press conference, held in a metro station, was interrupted by a passing train.

Zelenskyy jokingly said that he wasn't as concerned for his life than his security detail.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on Saturday, said that the war-torn nation sent a list of equipment needed to maintain the safe operation of nuclear power plants. According to the statement released on Saturday, it has also launched a dedicated website that enables the other countries to assist Ukraine to coordinate and implement the delivery of support to Ukraine. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said many IAEA Member States have also expressed readiness to offer such assistance to the country. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said new evidence is emerging that shows Russian troops killed "tens of thousands" of civilians in Mariupol and then tried to cover it up.

Zelenskyy said Russian troops have set up "filtration camps" near Mariupol for those trying to leave the city, which has largely been reduced to rubble.

He also promised to find and punish those responsible for missile attacks on Odesa, which he said killed eight people and wounded 18.

Ukraine said Russia fired seven missiles on Saturday from the Caspian Sea, two of which were shot down, while five-hit residential areas.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said that US State Secretary Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit the embattled nation on Sunday (April 24). Speaking at a press briefing, Zelenskyy added that he is expecting US President Joe Biden to visit Ukraine "and talk to us" as diplomatic visits to Kyiv escalated in the past days. However, the White House has clearly stated that there are no such plans in near future.

On Saturday, Zelenskyy told reporters that "it should not be a secret that people from the US are coming." However, he stopped short of divulging further details of Blinken and the Pentagon chief's visit. According to US-based media, the White House and the US State Department have refused to comment on the visit.

Poland and Ukraine on Saturday signed an agreement to increase cooperation in the railway transport sector. The deal is aimed at helping Ukraine to maintain its trade exchange with foreign countries amid the Russian invasion that has affected its ports. The agreement was signed by Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Poland’s premier, Mateusz Morawiecki, who met on Saturday in Krakow, Poland.

Turkey on Saturday closed its airspace to Russian civilian and military flights between Russia and Syria, a top diplomat told the Associated Press. Turkey's Haberturk television reported that Turkey FM Mevlut Cavusoglu asked Moscow to stop using the airspace during a visit there in March and that Moscow agreed to the Turkish request. This comes at a time when Turkey is trying to balance relations with Ukraine and Russia and in the course of time held meetings between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers and negotiators for peace talks to end the ongoing war. 

Ukrainian air force official said they shot down three Russian planes, including Su-25, Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft, five missiles and 9 UAVs in the past 24 hours. 

Governor of Lugansk region says six civilians were killed in Russian strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday stated that new evidence has emerged that proves Russian troops have killed tens of thousands of civilians in Mariupol and then tried to cover it up. After new satellite images of mass graves in Mariupol surfaced, Zelenskyy said Ukraine has intercepted Russian conversations about “how they are concealing the traces of their crimes.” 

As the war continues to ravage east Europe, UK PM Boris Johnson said that his country could send tanks to Poland so that it further supplies Ukraine with its own Soviet-era armoured vehicles. In addendum, he also vowed to set out plans for a new long-term “security guarantee” for Ukraine after the war ends, which could deter Kremlin from repeating invasion in future. However, the guarantee would stop short of accepting Kyiv into NATO, still stripping it of direct military support in case of another assault or invasion.

The guarantee would “make sure their territory is so fortified as to be impregnable”, said the PM.

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The Ukrainian military on Saturday stated that it destroyed a Russian command post in the southern city Kherson. Two Russian generals were killed and one was critically wounded, said the Ukrainian military intelligence agency in a statement posted on Telegram. According to the Associated Press, Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in an online interview that as many as 50 senior Russian officers were in the command center when it came under attack.

Ukraine Air Force on Saturday destroyed as many as 17 Russian aerial targets, including Su-25, Su-34, and Su-35 aircraft, five missiles and 9 UAVs over the past 24 hours, said Ukraine Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat. 

“Air Force and Land Forces anti-aircraft missiles struck nine operational-tactical drones, three aircraft and five cruise missiles,” the Ukraine MoD said in a statement published on Telegram.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday accused Russia of "sponsoring terrorism" after invading troops bombed Odesa port in the southern part of the country. The attack came as Ukrainians observed the Holy Saturday before Easter holiday. "Today was Holy Saturday for Christians of the Eastern Rite. The day between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. It seems that Russia is stuck on such a day. But there will be a Resurrection. Life will defeat death. The truth will defeat any lies, and evil will be punished," Zelenskyy in his nightly address. 

Upon being asked - "As the President of Ukraine, what do you expect from Asian countries and at what point in time amid war were you let down by Western countries?"

"Thank you for your question. If talking about world structure, or world info structure of security, I really can’t influence NATO, and we are not NATO’s member. And that, in my opinion, is a big mistake that during all these years NATO couldn’t find a place, time, and opportunities to accept Ukraine to the Alliance. And now everyone can see that we could only strengthen the alliance, and now everybody can see that it might be a large percentage of possibility that Russia won’t start that war," translator Anton Zaporozhets quoted Zelenskyy as saying.

"I think it’s a strategic mistake of the Alliance towards Ukraine. No one expected the strength of our state, no one expected we can stand for more than three days, some NATO or EU leaders couldn’t even speak loud about sanctions policy, because they said what’s the reason to impose sanctions if the country is going to be occupied in three days," he added. 

"So these countries and their leaders who are now starting to hear, and I’m sure that mister Prime Minister Modi whom I have met and we had several conversations, and I really feel that people and leaders, and I think of him as a real leader of the biggest democracy in the world. I think that they notice that we have to fight for every step of that democracy," the Ukrainian President said while referring to Indian leadership. 

Ina late-night address on Saturday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Kyiv will stop negotiations if Russia killed any more people in the besieged port city of Mariupol. He further added Kyiv will also step back from the talks if  Russia organizes "pseudo" referendums in occupied territories. 

"There is no trust to Russia. Those are not synonyms, those are antonyms: Russia and trust. Because they're just saying something, and their words do not coincide with actions," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday stated that US State Secretary Antony Blinken and the US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin will visit keys on April 25. Speaking at a late-night press conference, Zelenskyy said, "I don't think this is a secret that people from the US are coming to us tomorrow, State Secretary Mr. Blinken and the defense secretary (Lloyd Austin) who are coming to us." Zelesnkyy is hoping for US President Joe Biden to visit Ukraine and assess the situation in the embattled country. 

Ukrainian authorities discovered another mass grave on the outskirts of the besieged city of Mariupol. Satellite images located the grave in the occupied village of Vinogradne. At least 1,000 people are believed to be buried in the graves. 

“Stinking bastards,” Zelenskyy repeatedly called the Russians over the missile attack on Odesa that killed eight people earlier in the day. The victims also include a 3 month-old baby. His remarks came as the Ukrainian President gave a press conference in the Kyiv subway. 

A new mass grave has been found near the southeastern port city of Mariupol. City authorities have said that at least 1000 Ukrainians could be buried there. earlier this month, Maxar Technologies revealed a picture of a mass grave located just a few kilometres outside the city.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that if Putin lost contact with reality, he may use nuclear weapons. Appearing at a news conference, he quipped, "Is this possible?"  "It is. Do I believe in this? To be honest, I don't want to believe in this."

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry claimed that dozens of Ukrainian kids are trapped in the Azovstal steel plant in Ukraine's Mariupol city. It further claimed that Russia did not allow civilian evacuations from the region which it had agreed upon and has resumed the bombings.

In a briefing "on a provocation against the Russian Federation prepared by the USA and NATO", Russia said that US is the only country to use all three types of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Russia reminded the US of using nuclear weapons on Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki during world war II and chemical weapons on Vietnam and Iraq. "All these crimes were not properly assessed by relevant international organizations", the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense took to Twitter to share pictures of Mariupol, the city which is still facing the wrath of Russia's invasion. "This was Mariupol before the invasion of Russian troops. A beautiful city of half a million people. There are currently virtually no undamaged buildings there. There is no Mariupol. And there is also no Viktor Dedov (Vic Dedoff) who took these photos", the Ministry wrote in its tweet.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), in its latest report, revealed that nearly four million Ukrainians have left for Poland since the Russian invasion began on February 24. However, the number of refugees is constantly decreasing, informed that Polish Border Guards as per The Kyiv Independent.

Andriy Yermak, the Ukraine President's Chief of Staff, revealed that a Russian airstrike in Odesa has killed 5, including a three-month-old. Besides, 18 people have been injured although the number of casulaties might increase. 

Ukraine's Defense Ministry revealed that the Ukrainian forces inflicted a 'devastating blow' to Russia as two Russian Generals have been killed near Kherson. This happened after a Ukrainian missile struck a Russian command post which caused severe injury to one. 

Press Secretary of the Pentagon John Kirby on Saturday announced that United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will convene a meeting next week in Germany of defence officials and military leaders from more than 20 countries to discuss the situation in Ukraine and its long-term defence needs.

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Invading Russian soldiers were ordered to kill the prisoners of war [POW] in the strategic Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, according to a transcript of the audio evidence published by The Times. In the chilling commands, the Russian soldiers were asked to “make sure no one ever sees them [captured Ukraine soldiers] again. Read more.

Finland's national power grid operator Fingrid, revealed that the country has reducted the import of electricity from Russia. According to the Kyiv Independent, Fingrid said that the decision has been made to curb Russia's attempts to influence Finland against joining NATO. 

Earlier, Finland's Foreign Affairs department had announced that the country would submit its application for a NATO membership in the coming weeks. 

Ukraine has warned its citizens regarding cyberattacks on Orthodox Easter which is to be celebrated on April 24. State Special Communications Service of Ukraine mentioned in a Telegram post that the enemy may utilise the strategy of deploying virtual greetings to a large group of people via messengers and e-mails to try new cyberattacks.

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Ukraine's foreign ministry claimed that Russia has lost 21,600 personnel along with 854 tanks and 177 aircrafts. In addition to this, Ukraine has also damaged 2,205 armoured personnel vehicles, 154 helicopters and eight Russian boats. 

Russia has forcibly deported 308 residents of Mariupol residents to Vladivostok, which is over 9,000 kilometers east of the Ukrainian city, The Kyiv Independent reported. Among those deported, 90 are children who would reportedly be forced to learn Russian, as per the mayor of Mariupol Petro Andryushchenko.

In a first official update about the casualties on its missile cruiser Moskva that sank after alleged Ukrainian missile strike, Russia has claimed that at least one of its sailor died and 27 more are missing in aftermath of the devastating accident. As many as 396 other crew members were rescued, Russia’s defense ministry said, as cited by state affiliated RIA agency. 

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Ukraine claimed that invading Russian forces have committed over 200 war crimes cases against Ukraine's cultural heritage. The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine has recorded nearly 242 cases of war crimes by the Russian troops against the cultural heritage in the war-torn nation.

Russian forces, on April 23, shelled Ukrainians border guards in Chernihiv Oblast, The Kyiv Independent reported. According to the Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, around 10 grenades were fired into the Senkivka village, located several kilometers from Russian and Belarusian borders, from the Russian territory.

According to the Kyiv Independent, dead bodies of victims from the Mariupol Drama Theater attack are being dumped in mass graves by Russian occupiers. Mariupol mayor Petro Andriushchenko reportedly said that the Russians are taking the dead bodies to Manhush village after clearing debris at the theatre that was bombed on March 16.

Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala stated that abandoning Russian gas immediately is considered to be impossible. According to the Prime Minister, it would be hard to do so since the nation is 90% reliant on Russian hydrocarbons. Clarifying his statement, Fiala said the Czech Republic would have to suffer severe consequences if such a choice had been taken, as per media reports.  

Further, the prime minister stressed that the nation is already seeing "a sharp increase in energy and fuel prices". Apart from the Czech Republic, the chancellors of Austria and Germany, as well as Josep Borrel, the director of European diplomacy, spoke from similar positions. 

Since the commencement of the war between Moscow and Kyiv on February 24, the Czech Republic became the first member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to deliver tanks as well as infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to Kyiv on April 5. In an effort to reinforce Ukraine's defence against Russia, a train carrying dozens of Russian-built T-72 tanks and armoured vehicles had passed through the Czech countryside to the besieged ex-Soviet country earlier in the month.  

Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister, met with World Bank President David Malpass on Friday (local time) in Washington to discuss several significant economic issues, including the impact of the Russia Ukraine war. They also discussed India's upcoming G20 Presidency as well as World Bank leadership in India.

In a bid to bolster efforts toward crippling Russia, the US on Friday stated that it does not want India to rely on Moscow for military supplies. Addressing a regular press briefing, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby mentioned that while Washington values New Delhi's partnership, it is "clear" on its notion that India must not depend on Russia to fulfill its defence needs.

"We have been very clear with India as well as other nations that we don't want to see them rely on Russia for defence needs. We've been nothing but honest about that and discouraging that," US Defence Department spokesperson John Kirby said.

Kirby's statement comes after earlier this month US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin during a Congressional hearing on the annual defence budget on April 5, Austin said that he expects India to "scale down" its dependence on Russian military equipment.

UK Defence Intelligence also stated that Russian air and marine forces have been unable to establish authority in either sector due to the efficacy of Ukraine's air and sea defences, which has limited Russia's capacity to make significant advances. The UK Defence Intelligence has claimed that despite increasing activity in Ukraine, the Russian forces have not made any major advancements in the last 24 hours and that it is slowing down in the Donbas region.

In regard to providing assistance to Ukraine amid the Russian war, the United States has emerged as the largest bilateral donor of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. So far Washington has provided worth $8.2 billion in aid to Kyiv, as per Kiel Institute for the World Economy's Ukraine Support Tracker. The $131 million investment comes atop the aforementioned donation. Just for comparison, the European Union states combined have extended $3.14 billion, apart from two separate financings from European Investment Bank and other EU institutions.

Biden began his packages to Ukraine on March 11, when he signed off on an emergency spending of $13.6 billion. Half the money was approved by US Congress, which included $3.65 billion for weapons transfer and sales, according to political scientist Jessica Trisko Darden, as quoted by The Conversation. Subsequently, Biden announced a plethora of packages amounting to $200 million for military assistance, two $800 million tranches for security packages and military aid, and a $500 million in direct economic assistance.

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According to Governor Oleh Synehubov, Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a successful counterattack on April 22, liberating and securing their positions in Bezruky, Slatine and Prudianka villages in Kharkiv Oblast.
 

The Czech Republic has submitted its candidacy to replace Russia on the UN Human Rights Council, as per reports. 

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced that an evacuation of the residents of Mariupol is planned for today, April 23. New satellite images showed, on Friday, a second possible mass gravesite in a town near Mariupol, where Ukrainian defenders are holed up in a steel plant.

In Mariupol, reduced largely to smoking rubble by weeks of bombardment, Russian state TV showed the flag of the pro-Moscow Donetsk separatists raised on what it said was the city's highest point, its TV tower. It also showed what it said was the main building at the city's besieged Azovstal steel plant in flames.

The Kremlin has thrown over 100,000 troops and mercenaries from Syria and Libya into the fight in Ukraine and is deploying more forces in the country every day, said Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.

“We have a difficult situation, but our army is defending our state,” he said.

Despite the fact that the Western countries are trying to isolate Russia for its unjustified attack on Ukraine by imposing harsh sanctions, some countries are reluctant not to put their relationship with Russia in jeopardy, as it was announced that Malaysia is ready to consider the supply of electronics and semiconductors to Russia if it asks for it.

As per RIA Novosti, Malaysia's ambassador to Moscow, Bala Chandran, said that the country will examine any request from Russia for the sale of semiconductors and electronics.

Chandran also said that the Malaysian economy is driven by the market and that he is confident that any request for products from the Russian side will be taken into account. He further stated that he is not aware of any government-level conversations at this time, but expressed hope for a business-to-business interaction with the Russian Federation. 

Parent company of Malaysia Airlines Bhd, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) said on Thursday that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has posed challenges in managing MAG's operating costs, which are directly impacted by escalating fuel prices as global crude oil prices exceed US$100 per barrel, according to The Edge Markets.

A loud explosion at the Gaisky Mining and Processing Plant (GOK) in the Orenburg Region, Russia has claimed lives of at least three on Saturday, the regional prosecutor's office said, according to TASS. “The incident at the Gaisky mining and processing plant occurred at about 08:50 am (local time), during mining and blasting, an emergency detonation of an explosion occurred at a depth of 1.2 km. 88 workers were evacuated,” the statement by the regional prosecutor Ruslan Medvedev informed. An investigation was ordered into the incident to establish the cause of the blast.

There were no external injuries on the bodies of the dead, Russia’s State-affiliated agency reported. 

"On April 23, at 08:30 [06:30 Moscow time], when arriving at a horizon of 1,205 m, three workers of an underground mine were found without signs of life. The bodies have no external injuries. Mine rescuers are currently working at the site," the mining company said.

The head of the Defense Ministry said that Canada had previously sent 155-millimeter M777 howitzers with a firing range of up to 30 km. Speaking about the number of guns, Kaisa Ollongren said that it is "limited".

Out that of the 37 howitzers that Canada has, Kyiv will receive 4. However, they will also send shells.

It may be noted that the Russian Foreign Ministry had warned that shipments of weapons for Ukraine will be considered by Kremlin forces as legitimate targets. 

Russia can recreate the Crimean Federal District with residents of “liberated” territories of Ukraine becoming its inhabitants, the deputy of the State Duma from the Crimea Dmitry Belik said on Friday. It has been 59 days since Russian president Vladimir Putin launched what he calls ‘Special Military Operation’ in Ukraine with an aim to apparently wipe off neo-Nazis from the country. In over eight weeks, Russian troops have claimed control over a considerable part of Ukraine’s southeast including the critical port of Mariupol.

“No matter how neo-Nazis and their Western curators try to rewrite history now, they will not be able to do it, and historical justice will prevail. The Crimean Federal District can be recreated, and its population will be residents of the liberated territories of Ukraine, which historically belonged to Russia,” Belik said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

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German chancellor Olaf Scholz defended his administration’s reluctance to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine stating the threat of a potential nuclear war in Eastern Europe. Speaking to German weekly Der Spiegel, he asserted that everything must be done to “avoid a direct confrontation between NATO and a highly armed nuclear power like Russia.” While giving no details on the future supply of arms to Ukrainian troops, he said that Berlin would continue to strive “to prevent an escalation that would lead to a third world war.”

Bundestag has triggered severe backlash for its apparent reluctance to send heavy and lethal weapons to Ukraine, despite multiple requests by the Zelenskyy administration. “In this situation, you need a cool head and well-considered decisions, because our country bears responsibility for peace and security throughout Europe,” the German chancellor said adding that “There must be no nuclear war.”

Asked what made him sure that sending German tanks to Ukraine would trigger a catastrophic reaction from Vladimir Putin, Scholz argued that “there is no textbook for this situation where you can read at what point we are perceived as a belligerent.”

While it was earlier announced that the upcoming Cannes Film Festival will host a special Ukraine Day in support of the war-torn country's film industry, it was recently revealed that the Ukrainian Institute has issued an official letter to the Cannes Film Festival and French director Michel Hazanavicius to rename the latter film Z (Comme Z) which is claimed to be a pro-war symbol of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to media agency Variety, the Ukrainian Institute recently issued an official letter to the Cannes Fim Festival 2022 & French director, Michel Hazanavicius to urge them to rename the latter's movie name titled 'Z (Comme Z)' as it indicates a pro-war symbol of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In Russia, the symbol Z is considered a pro-war symbol and it has recently been adopted by some Russian figures in protest of the ongoing war. 

Russia's army has claimed that it has taken over a large Ukrainian weapons depot in the Kharkiv region.

A top Russian commander has revealed that Russian forces have been aiming to gain absolute control of southern Ukraine as well as the eastern Donbas. According to a CBS News report, as a part of the "second stage" of its offensives toward Ukraine, Russia's military announced on Friday that it intends to conquer all of Donbas and southern Ukraine, and as far south as Moldova.

It is worth noting that the parts of Donbas are controlled by separatist groups, Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic. Further, the declaration establishes significantly broader military objectives than Moscow had previously acknowledged. 

The World Health Organization has said that attacks on healthcare facilities between Feb. 24 and April 16 have caused 73 deaths and 52 injuries. Also, the WHO is said to have reported 162 attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities since Russia's war on Ukraine began 59 days ago. 

The US ambassador to Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Michael Carpenter has said Russia may have used the weapons to “disable Ukrainian fighters and civilians as part of their aggressive capture campaign against Mariupol.”

Meanwhile, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby says assessments show Ukrainian troops are still contesting the southern city of Mariupol despite Vladimir Putin's claim of victory in the battle for the city in Ukraine's industrial heartland, home to coal mines, metal plants and heavy-equipment factories.

Putin on Thursday ordered Russian troops not to storm a giant Mariupol steel mill where an estimated 2,000 Ukrainians remain holed up but to seal it off — in an apparent bid to free up his troops for the broader campaign in the east. Kirby said it was “unclear” why Putin did that and Putin's words need to be viewed with scepticism.

“They made this big show yesterday of him saying he wasn't gonna go into that plant and try to eradicate the people that are there,” Kirby said on Friday. 

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte announced the country will stop all purchases of Russian oil and gas by the end of the year. 

As the Moscow-Kyiv war enters day 59, Russia on Friday relocated a dozen of elite military units from the strategic port city of Mariupol towards eastern Ukraine, the industrial heartland of the country. The shift comes after Russia earlier this week claimed to have "cleared out" the besieged city of defenders and initiated what it calls the "second phase" of its invasion of Ukraine. However, thousands of Ukrainian forces are said to be sheltering in Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol along with civilians who are awaiting a humanitarian corridor for evacuation.

Shortly after Russia claimed control over the port city on Thursday, Russian state TV showed the pro-Russian Donetsk flag hoisted at the highest point in the city.

Russian forces pummeled the Azovstal plant holding 2,000 Ukrainian defenders. "Every day they drop several bombs on Azovstal," said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol’s mayor, as quoted by the Associated Press. "Fighting, shelling, bombing do not stop," he added.

Mariupol is one of the worst-hit cities in Ukraine. It is a prime target of Russia due to its geographical location, sharing land and water border with Crimea through the Sea of Azov and ultimately the economic zone of the Black Sea. 

The US Agency of International Development's administrator Samantha Power made the announcement after Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during his trip to Washington that the USAID will provide an additional USD 131 million to Kyiv. The aid will go to strengthening Ukraine's 'resilience, democracy, economy and healthcare systems', as per the USAID. 

During a press briefing on April 22, the United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that England's Embassy is set to open next week after having relocated to Ukraine's western city of Lviv before the full-fledged Russia-led attacks. 

The IMF forecast says a ban on Russian gas and oil could cost the EU at least 3% of its GDP, depending on the conditions of winter. Kammer also noted that the EU countries must look for alternative suppliers and implement smaller measures to ensure a larger potential impact.

Further, he advised governments to run "public campaigns to reduce energy consumption" and increased storage. Speaking about Ukraine, Kammer said that while the economic growth has slowed sharply for Ukraine, it will "not detail" or lead to a Europe-wide recession.

The Russian war led to an influx of refugees to EU nations, leading to increased energy requirements. Poland is the most affected, with thousands of refugees who have entered its territory. Kammer, however, pointed out that if the refugees decide to stay in the neighbouring nations it will be a "bad situation" for Ukraine.

As the European Union is weighing the impact of the imposition of an embargo on Russian gas, International Monetary Fund (IMF) head of European Department, Alfred Kammer, flagged that Europe can get as far as six months without a regular supply of Russian energy imports. Some countries like Latvia, and Finland are 90% dependent on Russian energy as per data from 2020. If the EU sanctions Russian gas, it will imply a substantial hit to the economy.

The senior IMF official forecasted that beyond the time frame, European nations would have to bear a heavy economic impact in the absence of reliable and inexpensive alternative supplies. Kammer also suggested that the countries dependent on Russian gas in the region must ensure a series of steps to ease the blow if the EU bans Russian energy imports.

The IMF official advised that the countries must reduce consumption and increase inventory. He explained the problem is stemmed from the heavy reliance of European nations on Russian natural gas. Notably, the EU's 43% natural gas is imported from Russia, making Moscow the largest supplier, by far. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Friday, said that he was mulling holding telephonic conversations with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in hopes to bring the war in eastern Europe to an end. The Turkish leader hoped that he could bring both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the negotiation table in the coming days. Ankara has been carefully balancing between Kyiv and Moscow-both allies-while trying to bolster its regional significance amidst the ongoing humanitarian crisis and played host during the latest round of negotiations between both sides in March. 

"Our friends will get in touch with them today, we plan to hold a call again with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy today or tomorrow," he said. Erdogan, who is regarded as a  close ally of the Russian President, underscored that if the talks are successful, he will elevate the process to the leaders in Istanbul.

"Nearly 50 units of Russian equipment were destroyed in Donbas on April 22. Russia lost nine tanks, three artillery systems, 18 units of armoured vehicles, one armoured combat vehicle, 13 units of vehicles and one tanker, the Joint Forces Operation stated. 

As per JFO, the Ukrainian fighters repelled eight Russian attacks in Donbas. 

Austria's Finance Minister Magnus Brunner mentioned that his country seconds all sanctions on Russia except a gas embargo as the same would adversely impact Austria's economy more than Russia's.

In a bid to bolster efforts toward ending the all-out Russian war on Ukraine, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres is set to travel to Moscow on April 26. Gutteres will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for lunch and working discussions. According to UN spokesperson Eri Kaneko, the "urgent visit" is significant as the war entered day 58.

The UN chief will discuss "steps that can be taken right now in order to silence the guns, in order to help the people, and in order to allow the people who need to get out and have safe passage," Kaneko told reporters.

The meeting was confirmed by Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov.

Notably, the visit was announced shortly after Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova about four days ago slammed the apex peacekeeping body for neglected behaviour towards Russia since the beginning of the "special military operation." 

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IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi is set to head a mission to Chornobyl Power Plant to step up efforts to help prevent the dangers of a nuclear accident amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. On Thursday, the UN agency confirmed the same stating that the mission will “deliver vital equipment and conduct radiological and other assessments at the site”. The site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power plant, was under Russian occupation for five weeks before they handed it over to Ukrainian troops.

The Ukrainian President warned that Russia-led full-fledged war on Kyiv was only indicative of Moscow eying invading other countries and that this was only the beginning. 

The comment comes in reference to a recent statement by Rustam Minnekayev, Deputy Commander of the Russian central military district, who said that absolute control over southern Ukraine would pave access to Transnistria, a breakaway Russian-occupied part of Moldova. 

Zelenskyy also said, "The territory where Russa should protect the rights of Russian speakers is Russia itself." He further described Russia as a country with 'no freedom of speech, no freedom of choice, no right to dissent, where poverty thrives and human life is worthless."