Russia-Ukraine war Highlights: Russian forces begin withdrawal from Chernobyl, says Kyiv

The media reports suggest that the UK does not want Ukraine to sign a ceasefire agreement with Russia too quickly. It believes that the deal should only be reached when Kyiv is in a stronger position.

A government source told the local media that they believe that before those talks can take place, Ukraine must be in the strongest possible military position, adding that such a scenario could lead to more Russian territorial concessions, sanctions, and even legal persecution of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that France will look into the possibility of becoming a guarantor of Ukraine's future security. Kyiv has suggested a new system of security guarantees for Ukraine, with the UN Security Council members, as well as Turkey, Germany, Canada, Italy, Poland, and Israel, functioning as future guarantors.

Le Drian stated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy's initiatives have been brought to their attention and if they get them, they will investigate them thoroughly and positively. He further said that without security guarantees, Ukraine's neutral status is clearly untenable.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Russia is contemplating "strong strikes" in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. He said that the Russian forces are accumulating resources for heavy strikes in Donbas, Mariupol, and Kharkiv's direction. Zelenskyy further said that they will defend, and they will do everything they can to halt the occupiers of their heinous and senseless atrocities.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated Russia and its President Vladimir Putin's participation in the G20 must reconsider. Trudeau further stated that it will be exceedingly difficult and counterproductive for the G20 to have Vladimir Putin sitting at this table with them. He also said that Vladimir Putin cannot sit at a table and pretend that everything is fine because it isn't, and it's all on him.

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that the situation in the south and the Donbas region remained exceedingly challenging and that Russia was bolstering its soldiers near Mariupol, which is under siege. He stated that there will be battles ahead and that they still have a long way to go to get what they desire.

During a press briefing on Thursday, White House Director of Communications Kate Bedingfield revealed that US President Joe Biden has no plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at this time. When asked if the two leaders have any plans to speak, Bedingfield responded, "Not currently." He further stated that they have been quite clear that any re-engagement of diplomacy at that level would require major evidence of serious de-escalation from the Russians, which they haven't seen.

Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in a press conference called for an end to the war in Ukraine, which has displaced over ten million people, as well as increased aid to Ukrainian refugees. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who was in Ukraine for the first time since Russia launched a large-scale military offensive, urged the international community to help millions of civilians who have been displaced by the war.

Grandi stated that in modern European history, the pace of movement combined with a large number of victims in such a short period of time is unprecedented in modern times.

Ukrainian Defence Ministry has announced that since the invasion began on February 24, Russian soldiers have killed 148 children in shelling and air attacks, fired 1,370 missiles and destroyed 15 Ukrainian airports. It also stated that more than ten million Ukrainians have abandoned their homes.

US President Joe Biden has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is isolated. He also claims that Putin has either released or placed some of his advisers under house detention.

Biden further said he appears to have shut himself off from the rest of the world and that there are also indications that he has been discharged or placed under house arrest by several of his aides. But, at this point, he won't want to place too much emphasis on it because they don't have a lot of solid proof. He also stated that there was no proof that Putin was pulling Russian soldiers out of Ukraine.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated that he had a conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claiming that they discussed details about the situation on the frontlines, Russian war crimes against civilians and damage to infrastructure. He further stated that he is grateful for all of Turkey's assistance, both political and diplomatic.

Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Igor Bondarenko claimed that the Russian Federation's imperial ambitions do not end in Ukraine and that the Baltic and Polish republics will be under attack. Igor Bondarenko emphasised the importance of informing governments and citizens around the world that Russia's war against Ukraine is a worldwide problem, not a solitary act of aggression on one of the territories. He further stated that the Russian Federation wants to fight against all civilised nations.

In retaliation for the EU's sanctions and anti-Russian policies, Russia has placed the EU's leadership, other officials, parliamentarians, journalists, and popular figures on a blacklist, preventing them from visiting Russia, according to Russian media.

Representatives of some EU member states' governments and parliaments, EU commissioners and heads of EU military structures, certain public figures and media talking heads pushing sanctions and inciting Russophobic attitudes, and the vast majority of members of the European Parliament who promote anti-Russian policies are among those on the blacklist, according to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

In a decision, that the White House termed "historic", US president Joe Biden ordered the release of 1 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to tackle ever-surging oil prices.

On Thursday, Russian troops who seized the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on February 24 began leaving the station and other exclusion zones, according to Ukraine's state nuclear company Energoatom.

Amid the Russian aggression against its neighbouring country, Ukraine, the Kyiv government on Thursday has launched a dedicated website to assist the whistleblowers in registering assests of the Russian oligarchs involved in the attack. 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Russia does not appear to be scaling back its military operations in Ukraine but is instead redeploying forces to the eastern Donbas region. Stoltenberg told reporters Thursday that “Russia has repeatedly lied about its intentions,” and must be judged on its actions alone, not the word of its leaders.

“According to our intelligence, Russian units are not withdrawing but repositioning. Russia is trying to regroup, resupply and reinforce its offensive in the Donbas region,” he said.

Heavy fighting raged on the outskirts of Kyiv and other zones Thursday amid indications the Kremlin is using talk of de-escalation as cover while regrouping and resupplying its forces and redeploying them for a stepped-up offensive in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an early morning video address that Ukraine is seeing “a buildup of Russian forces for new strikes on the Donbas, and we are preparing for that.”

Russian forces on Thursday attacked a Ukrainian military base in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. According to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko, two people were killed and five injured as a result of the attack tweeted the Kyiv Independent. Earlier, the Kharkiv region of north-eastern Ukraine has come under heavy shellfire in the past 24 hours, the region's military governor said in a statement.

Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow will start forcing "unfriendly countries" -- including all European Union states -- to pay for their natural gas supplies in the ruble, he has finally signed the decree on Thursday. As per the decree, current gas supply contracts will be stopped if buyers from ‘unfriendly countries’ do not meet new payment terms
 

Spanish Defence Ministry, on Thursday, announced that a total of ten planes were sent to Ukraine. According to Defense Minister Margarita Robles, the plane will reach Ukraine by Thursday evening. 

The Ukrainian emergency services say the death toll after a Russian missile strike Tuesday on the regional government headquarters in the southern city of Mykolaiv has risen to 20. The emergency services said rescuers had now found 19 bodies in the ruins since the strike devastated the government building Tuesday morning. One other person died in hospital. The regional governor accused Russia of waiting until people arrived for work before striking the building. Emergency services said they are still working at the scene

 Italian Premier Mario Draghi says Europe is pushing for a cap on gas prices with Russia because its payments are financing the war in Ukraine.

Draghi told foreign reporters Thursday that the prices that Europe is paying are out of line with the global market.

“We, Germany and Italy, along with other countries that are importers of gas, coal, grains, corn ... are financing the war. There is no doubt,” Draghi said. “For this reason, Italy along with other countries are pushing for a cap on the price of gas. There is no substantial reason that the price of gas is so high for Europeans.”

As the United States prepares to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees following Russia’s invasion of their country, existing communities in cities like Sacramento and Seattle are already mobilizing to provide food, shelter and support to those fleeing the war.

The federal government hasn’t said when the formal resettlement process will begin, but Ukrainian groups in the U.S. are already providing support to people entering the country through other channels, including on visas that will eventually expire or by flying to Mexico and crossing over the border.

A convoy of buses headed to Mariupol on Thursday in another attempt to evacuate people from the besieged port city, while Russia pressed its attacks in several parts of Ukraine ahead of a planned new round of talks aimed at ending the fighting. After the Russian military agreed to a limited cease-fire in the area, the Red Cross said its teams were travelling to Mariupol with relief and medical supplies and hoped to help pull civilians out of the beleaguered city on Friday. Previous attempts at establishing a similar humanitarian corridor have fallen apart.

After addressing Australian Parliament on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Dutch Parliament wherein he appealed to the lawmakers to stop all trade with Russia. During his address, he demanded that lawmakers send more weapons to Ukraine in order to fight Russian aggression.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has announced 14 new sanctions on Thursday, March 31, on Russian propagandists and state media who spread lies and deceit about Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. This includes Sergey Brilev, a famous TV anchor on Russia's state-owned media Rossiya and propagandist for Putin. Having previously lived in the UK, Brilev will no longer be able to access any of his UK assets or continue business dealings.

Turkey’s top diplomat says Ankara is working to bring the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers together again for talks. In an interview with Turkey’s A Haber channel, Mevlut Cavusoglu said the meeting could happen within two weeks.

His comments came days after Turkey hosted Ukrainian and Russian negotiators for face-to-face talks in Istanbul. Cavusoglu said decisions taken during the talks had not fully been put into effect on the ground.

The press secretary of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Peskov, said that the meeting between Putin and Zelensky should be preceded by the finalization of work on the text of the agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

 Britain’s defence ministry says Russia continues to pound Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, despite Moscow’s claim to have scaled back its offensive around that city and Kyiv.

The Ministry of Defense says “significant Russian shelling and missile strikes have continued.”

It said Thursday that “Russian forces continue to hold positions to the east and west of Kyiv despite the withdrawal of a limited number of units. Heavy fighting will likely take place in the suburbs of the city in coming days.”

The Turkish authorities will not be able to join the sanctions against Russia, said the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday. "In terms of sanctions, we are studying certain UN guidelines, but let's not forget that we cannot put aside our relations with Russia," he said.

Despite Russia's assurance to lessen the attack on Ukraine during the last peace talks, Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said that Russian forces overnight continued shelling the region using white phosphorus munitions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it has received some signals from Turkey about organising a meeting with Russia's FM Sergey Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba. However, the ministry did not elaborate more details on it. 

According to Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland Andriy Deshchytsia, Ukrainian diplomats are negotiating with Poland on the closure of the border with Belarus, The Kyiv Independent reported on Thursday. “We also appealed to these countries (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia) to close their borders with Belarus and Russia at the same time,” the ambassador said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says its teams are ready to facilitate the evacuation of civilians out of the besieged city of Mariupol. The Red Cross said, “for logistics and security reasons, we’ll be ready to lead the safe passage operation tomorrow, Friday, provided all the parties agree to the exact terms, including the route, the start time, and the duration.” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Ukraine is sending out several dozen buses to collect civilians from Mariupol after Russia’s military said it committed to a localized cease-fire from the city to Ukraine-held Zaporizhzhia from Thursday morning.

“It’s desperately important that this operation takes place. The lives of tens of thousands of people in Mariupol depend on it,” the Red Cross said.

Turkey’s top diplomat says Ankara is working to bring the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers together again for talks. In an interview with Turkey’s A Haber channel, Mevlut Cavusoglu said the meeting could happen within two weeks. His comments came days after Turkey hosted Ukrainian and Russian negotiators for face-to-face talks in Istanbul. Cavusoglu said decisions taken during the talks had not fully been put into effect on the ground.

Amid the ongoing Russian aggression, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, on Thursday, has confirmed the killing of her husband. According to Stefanishyna, her husband was killed in Ukraine's Chernihiv region.

United States President Joe Biden's government is not yet ready to discuss specific choices on security guarantees that Ukraine has requested. At a press briefing, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said that US President Joe Biden does not plan to engage in a direct military conflict with Russia.

"So we are in constant discussion with Ukrainians about ways that we can help ensure that they are sovereign and secure. But there's nothing specific about a security guarantee that I can speak to at this time," White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield remarked at a briefing on March 30.

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In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a top United States defence official said that some Russian forces have departed from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site, CNN reported. Chernobyl, which witnessed the world's worst nuclear accident, is located about 60 miles northwest of Kyiv.

On February 24, the first day of Russia's attack on Ukraine, Russian forces captured the facility, which still houses radioactive waste. Further, this pullout came a day after Russian authorities stated that the nation would scale back operations in two Ukrainian cities, Newsweek reported.  

According to The Kyiv Independent, a US official said on Wednesday that Chernobyl is a place where Russia is starting to "reposition some of their troops— leaving, walking away from the Chernobyl facility and moving into Belarus". 

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development expects Russia's GDP to fall by 10% in 2022 and to show zero growth next year. Additionally, Nexta Tv stated that Ukraine's GDP, according to EBRD forecasts, may fall by 20% in 2022. But for 2023, it expects a significant rebound of the #Ukrainian economy.
 

Russian cellular operators have started to give up unlimited internet. As per the report, major mobile companies say that in the near future there will be no tariffs with unlimited Internet.

UK's Ministry of Defence has stated in the latest intelligence update that Russia had continued bombing near Chernihiv even though Moscow claimed to de-escalate. British Ministry of Defence said, "Despite Russian statements indicating an intended reduction of military activity around Chernihiv, significant Russian shelling and missile strikes have continued."

It said, "Russian forces continue to hold positions to the east and west of Kyiv despite the withdrawal of a limited number of units. Heavy fighting will likely take place in the suburbs of the city in coming days."

"Heavy fighting continues in Mariupol, a key objective of Russian forces, however Ukrainian forces remain in control of the centre of the city," it added.

In the latest operational update by the Ukrainian armed forces, Russia has lost around 17,500 military personnel along with 614 tanks. 

The head of the regional administration Pavel Kirilenko has stated that Russia again used phosphorus shells in the Donetsk region. 

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has confirmed that Russian forces allowed Ukrainian authorities to evacuate citizens from Mariupol. Ukraine has sent at least 45 buses for evacuation after Moscow agreed to open a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia. 

White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said at a briefing that US President Joe Biden doesn’t intend to participate in a direct military confrontation with Russia. 

While welcoming Zelenskyy before his address to the Australian parliament, Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Ukraine 'a great friend of Australia'. Morrison also announced an additional $25m of defensive military assistance for the nation’s armed forces.

Zelenskyy emphasised that people in Ukraine "are longing for peace" and added that "We invite people to join in the rebuilding of Ukraine". He also said that "Geography doesn't matter, humanity and the dream are what matter". After concluding, the Ukrainian President received a standing ovation from Australian lawmakers. 

He noted that "Unpunished evil comes back with inspiration" as he called for more action against Russia for its military operation in Ukraine. Adding that Russia poses a threat to Australia, Zelenskyy thanked us for giving Ukraine 70,000 tonnes of coal. 

Zelenksyy also said, "We need help now. Australia and Ukraine are separated by 1000s of km. Any vessel that comes into Azov Sea is destroyed by the Russian Navy. We are not even allowed to live freely".

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Australians "We have to correct horrible msitakes" and suggested several methods to bar Russia's actions in Ukraine such as halt the purchase of Moscow's oil.

Stressing on the crisis Ukraine is facing due to Russia's military offensive, Zelenskyy told the Australian lawmakers that "there shouldn't be a theoretical possibility" of a country barring trade and capturing cities of another nation. He also raised concerns over the nuclear war threat which Russian forces are presently posing not only in Ukraine but also across the globe. 

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "If we don't stop Russia now, other countries in the world with similar intentions will take advantage of it. Then, no country will be able to save humanity from radioactive contamination emitted by nuclear weapons".

In an address to the Australian parliament, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian forces can just burn down fighter jets but they will not be able to take down the 'essence' of Ukraine along with the feeling of independence. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is addressing the Australian parliament as he rallies for global support for Kyiv. The lawmakers in Australia welcomed the president of war-torn nation who addressed them virtually. 

The head of the Luhansk regional state administration, Serhiy Haidai, reported that shelling of the territory continued on the night of March 31. One of the targets was an oil storage facility in Lysychansk, where a large fire broke out. 

The death toll as a result of the shelling of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration increased to 15 people.
 

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will meet visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on April 1. Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, Lavrov will be in India for two days. It is also the first trip by Russian FM to New Delhi since Moscow announced the 'special' operation in Ukraine.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday said that it is providing food assistance to at least one million people in Ukraine amid the war with Russia. WFP has also built systems that facilitate the delivery of food supplies to the most vulnerable people across the Ukrainian cities. The official statement added that more convoys would be sent to the war-ravaged nation in the upcoming days as the Russia-Ukraine war entered the 36th day. 

Ukraine's armed forces said in the latest operational report on the 36th day of the Russia-Ukraine war, that Moscow is recruiting law enforcement, prosecutors to be sent to temporarily-occupied Ukrainian cities. Further, Ukraine's Armed Forces said on March 31 that those recruited will be tasked with conducting “outreach” work with local authorities and the public.

Advisor to the Interior Minister of Ukraine Vadim Denisenko has claimed, "The offensive from Belarus is actually already underway, only not the Belarusian army. Moreover, the Russians have begun to use the Brest airport, from which they start shelling our territories".
 

The United Nations has reported that it has managed to obtain evidence of Russian forces using banned weapons in populated areas on at least 24 occasions. It said, "The UN Human Rights Office has received credible allegations that Russian military forces have used cluster munitions in populated areas on at least 24 occasions. The UN is also investigating allegations that the Ukrainian armed forces used such weapons."

In the view of escalating Russia-Ukraine war, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that at least 35% duties will be imposed on goods imported from Russia and Belarus.

Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations to resume in an online format from April 1, Friday, stated David Arakhamia, parliamentary leader of the party of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Both sides had met in person in Turkey just this week to resolve the ongoing war in Ukraine after Russia announced its 'special' military operation on February 24.

Most recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said in a national address that nothing "concrete" has come out of the talks ongoing with Russia. He even went on to declare that "We do not believe in anyone". 

Speaking after the Russian military claimed to de-escalate from Kyiv and Chernihiv, Zelenskyy stated, "We know that this is not a withdrawal, but the consequences of... the work of our defenders...But we also see that at the same time there is an accumulation of Russian troops for new strikes in Donbas. And we are preparing for this."

Russia has opened at least 14 recruitment centres in several Syrian cities including Damascus and Aleppo, revealed a mercenary to BBC. Most of the people that mercenary knows personally have applied for fighting did so because of a piece of bread as the prices of food in Syria are too high, stated the report.

In the latest development, the Russian defence ministry on Thursday announced a ceasefire in Mariupol to allow civilians to be evacuated from Ukraine’s besieged port city. It is to note here that Mariupol is one of the worst fronts of the Russia-Ukraine war and is considered to be at least 90% destroyed by the shelling by Moscow's forces. As per reports, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement that a humanitarian corridor would be opened from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, via the Russian-controlled port of Berdiansk from 10 AM (local time).

The United Nations chief said Wednesday that one-quarter of humanity -- two billion people -- are living in conflict areas today and the world is facing the highest number of violent conflicts since 1945 when World War II ended.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cited conflicts from Yemen, Syria, Myanmar and Sudan to Haiti, Africa's Sahel, and now the war in Ukraine  a catastrophe shaking the foundations of the international order, spilling across borders and causing skyrocketing food, fuel and fertilizer prices that spell disaster for developing countries.

He told the UN Peacebuilding Commission on Wednesday that last year 84 million people were forced to leave their homes because of conflict, violence and human rights violations. And that doesn't include the Ukraine war which has already seen 4 million people flee the country and displaced another 6.5 million within the country, according to U.N. agencies. 

Guterres said the UN estimates that this year at least 274 million will need humanitarian assistance. This represents a 17% increase from 2021 and will cost USD41 billion for the 183 million people targeted for aid, according to the UN humanitarian office. 

Guterres also cited the two billion figure of people living in conflict countries in a report to the commission in late January, which said there were a record number of 56 state-based conflicts in 2020. It doesn't include the Ukraine war, which started with Russia's Feb 24 invasion and has affected almost all 40 million people in the country.

The secretary-general told the commission that conflicts are increasing at a moment of multiplying risks that are pushing peace further out of reach -- inequalities, COVID-19, climate change and cyber threats, to name just a few.  He also pointed to an increase of military coups and seizures of power by force around the world, growing nuclear arsenals, human rights and international law under assault, and criminals and terrorist networks fueling -- and profiting from -- divisions and conflicts.

The flames of conflict are fuelled by inequality, deprivation and underfunded systems, Guterres said, and these issues must be addressed urgently.

According to his report to the commission, the world is seeing the increasing internationalization of conflicts within countries, and this, together with the fragmentation and multiplication of armed groups linked to criminal and terrorist networks, makes finding solutions arduous, he said.

Consequently, Guterres said, there are fewer political settlements to conflicts, with Colombia a notable exception.

Over the last decade, the world has spent USD349 billion on peacekeeping, humanitarian relief and refugee support, he said. And global military expenditures rose to nearly USD2 trillion in 2020.

The Peacebuilding Commission has worked to advance peace and prevent conflict in countries including Ivory Coast, Iraq, Africa's Great Lakes region and Papua New Guinea, the secretary-general said, and the Peacebuilding Fund has grown, investing USD195 million last year. 

But it relies on voluntary contributions and peacebuilding needs are far outpacing resources, which is why Guterres said he is asking the UN General Assembly to assess the UN's 193 member nations a total of USD100 million annually for the fund.

When we consider the costs of war -- to the global economy but most of all to humanity's very soul -- peacebuilding is a bargain, and a prerequisite for development and a better future for all, he said.

(AP)

The United States has information that Russian President Vladimir Putin felt misled by his military, the White House said Wednesday adding that the Ukraine war has been a strategic blunder.

What I can say is, of course, we have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military, which has resulted in persistent tension between Putin and his military leadership, White House Press Secretary Kate Bedingfield told reporters at her daily news conference.

We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions, because his senior advisors are too afraid to tell him the truth, she said.

So, it is increasingly clear that Putin's war has been a strategic blunder that has left Russia weaker over the long term, and increasingly isolated on the world stage," she said.

From the outset that Russia made an aggressive push toward Kiev at the beginning of the invasion. They are now publicly trying to redefine the goals of their invasion to be different than they were at the outset, she noted when asked about some declassified American intelligence information that Putin had bad information from his military.

"What does that mean for the war in Ukraine and the prospects for negotiations right now? she was asked.

I think putting forward this information simply contributes to a sense that this has been a strategic error for them. Again, I'm not going to characterize what they are thinking. I'm certainly not going to characterize how they may or may not use this information to make decisions. That's not my place. But I do think that making this information public contributes to an understanding that this has been a strategic failure for Russia.

"Obviously, we will continue to pursue our strategy of imposing severe costs on Russia, and trying to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table, Bedingfield said.

She reiterated that President Joe Biden has not been advocating for a policy of regime change. 

What he said a couple of days ago was a statement of personal moral outrage, but we do not have a formal policy of regime change. What we are doing is continuing to impose unprecedented costs on Russia, she said.

We are ensuring that that Russia is paying for this choice. Putin himself has said that the cost, the impact of the sanctions, has been significant. So, we are continuing to focus on our strategy of making sure that we are providing security assistance to Ukraine and imposing significant costs on Russia for these choices, she noted.

(AP)

Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Poland Andrii Deshchytsia has said that Kyiv is in touch with Warsaw for complete border closure with Belarus amid the Russia-Ukraine war. 

The Russian currency Ruble has recovered to its pre-war levels despite the flurry of Western sanctions in view of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.  According to The Guardian, the currency was trading at 75.5 to one US dollar on Thursday morning, compared with almost 140 to the dollar at the beginning of March when it crashed with the onest of sanctions. On February 22, two days before the war began, the currency was at 80 per dollar

"The principles of UN Charter are important and that is exactly what our Foreign Secretary will be talking about with Minister Jaishankar tomorrow," Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India said on Wednesday. Ahead of UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss' visit to India on Thursday, March 31, the British High Commissioner hinted that talks may be held on the Russia-Ukraine war between the two nations while stating that he did not want to 'comment on the specific issues.'

Notably, India has maintained a fairly neutral stance compared to countries of the West and has strongly batted for diplomacy and de-escalation of tensions between Moscow and Kyiv.

"I don't want to comment on specific issues regarding Ukraine. What I would say is that principles of UN Charter are important to us all. That is exactly what our Foreign Secretary will be talking with Minister Jaishankar tomorrow," said Alex Ellis, as per Republic's sources.

"But there are many other aspects as well - the climate change challenge, the long-term challenge of trade, of health. So, we will have to look at all of these challenges together. But together UK and India are quite a might force," he added.

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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday spoke with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to review regional priorities, including the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine. According to US Dept of State Spokesperson Ned Price, both the leaders spoke about various issues, including developments in the war. EAM S Jaishankar informed that he also discussed the bilateral cooperation between India and the US during the conversation with the Secretary of State.

Speaking about the conversation between the two leaders, Ned Price said, “Antony Blinken spoke with EAM Jaishankar today to review regional priorities, including the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine and our shared efforts to promote a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, in which the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states is respected.” The talk comes amid rising global tensions over the worsening condition of the war in Ukraine.   

In the latest national address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that "We do not believe in anyone".

He said that while talks with Russia are ongoing, nothing “concrete” has come out of them. Speaking after the Russian military claimed to de-escalate from Kyiv and Chernihiv, Zelenskyy stated, "We know that this is not a withdrawal, but the consequences of... the work of our defenders...But we also see that at the same time there is an accumulation of Russian troops for new strikes in Donbas. And we are preparing for this."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has now raised concerns over the situation arising from the ongoing war. He stated that Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and COVID-19 pandemic are impending difficult times like causing food shortages. On Thursday, in Vancouver, the Canadian leader stated that they have witnessed supply chain disruptions around the world, resulting in increased prices for consumers.

"We've seen... disruptions of supply chains around the world, which is resulting in higher prices for consumers and democracies, like ours, and resulting in significant shortages and projected shortages of food in places around the world. This is going to be a difficult time because of the war, because of the recovery from the pandemic," Trudeau told reporters in Vancouver on Thursday as per Sputnik.

Ukrainian military told Republic TV that it's tough to speak about their experiences in the war and that while people should not fight, they must fight if their freedom is at stake. The troops went on to say that if someone who has never fought before begins to fight, they will quickly gain experience and will know how to fight in a year's time.

Jeremy Fleming, who is the chief of the United Kingdom's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) stated that new intelligence from Ukraine suggests that some Russian forces are refusing to carry out orders and they are even going so far as to damage their equipment. During a speech at Australia's National University in Canberra, the spy chief revealed the information stating that they believe Putin's aides are hesitant to tell him the reality. He also stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin overestimated his military's capabilities.

A report released by Google's Threat Analysis Group on Wednesday suggests that Russian hackers have recently attempted to hack NATO and the militaries of some eastern European countries' networks. The report does not specify which militaries were targeted in the phishing efforts carried out by a Russian-based firm known as Coldriver, or Callisto.

Russia declared a local cease-fire in Mariupol on Wednesday to allow residents to flee the port city. A humanitarian corridor between Mariupol and Zaporizhzhia, via the Russian-controlled port of Berdiansk, will open at 10 am local time on Thursday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. 

The Ministry also stated that for this humanitarian action to succeed, they suggest that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross participate directly.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said he signed decrees ordering the recall of Ukrainian ambassadors of Morocco and Georgia because "they are wasting time on the diplomatic front" in the countries where they are stationed. 

He stated that there are those who work together with everyone for the defence of the state and there are those who waste time in order to stay in office. Zelenskyy further said that he issued an order calling for the recall of such a people, a Moroccan ambassador. Georgia's ambassador has been recalled as well.

Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that Moscow places a high priority on providing comprehensive humanitarian assistance to civilians in Ukraine, the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, without politicisation and with the requisite level of security, according to Russian media. It also stated that they consider that the continuation and development of coordination with the UN and other relevant international organizations are crucial.

The Democratic Bulgaria party is holding consultations to see if the government can send military-technical aid to Ukraine. It was declared by Atanas Atanasov, a member of the Bulgarian Parliament, according to Bulgarian media.

He stated that Ukraine's conflict has repercussions throughout Europe and that the aggressive government in the Kremlin must be defended against freedom and democracy. He also said that Bulgaria's national interests are shaped by its participation in the EU and NATO, as well as its relationships with allies, several of which gave direct military assistance to Ukraine. Atanasov also said that assisting victims is not a kind of intervention in the conflict, but rather a form of support.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz over the phone regarding the Kremlin's demand to pay for gas supply in Russian rubles. Putin noted that the adjustment in the liquidation procedure was made because the European Union member states had frozen the Bank of Russia's foreign exchange reserves in violation of international law.

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the action should not worsen contractual terms for European companies that import Russian gas. The European leaders agreed, according to the Kremlin statement, to have specialists from both nations discuss the matter. Putin and Scholz also discussed the most recent round of talks between Moscow and Kyiv, which took place in Istanbul, Turkey.

New sanctions against Russia are being prepared by the European Commission, which depends on the Kremlin's position on the transition to payments for gas in rubles.

A new package of EU penalties might be ready as soon as next week, according to two sources, and the European Commission is already engaging with EU nations on a "compliance package."

During a phone talk on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed new capabilities to assist the Ukrainian military, according to the White House. Biden promised Zelensky that the US would send $500 million in direct aid to the Ukrainian government.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talks to Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Zayed. He stated that they discussed the situation of deteriorating food security issues and thanked him for the humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine.

Slovenia's Prime Minister, Janez Jana said on Wednesday that he supports the deployment of S-300 air defence systems in Ukraine. He stated that he supports it because this is the equipment that Ukraine needs.

Jansa also stated that he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who informed him that his government was prepared to hold a referendum to change the constitution to abandon Ukraine's intention to join NATO.

Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov stated that some of the units that Russia is withdrawing to Kyiv and Chernihiv regions have been redeployed to Kharkiv and Donetsk. He claimed that the enemy is now strengthening its groups to try to increase pressure on the people of Ukraine who defend the country in the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a member of the Ukrainian delegation and Adviser to the Ukrainian President's Office stated that Roman Abramovich, who is a Russian billionaire, has shown to be an efficient mediator in the Ukraine-Russia talks. He further said that Abramovich is an excellent inter-delegation mediator and that he moderates the process in part so that there are no misunderstandings at the outset.

Podolyak further highlighted that the alleged poisoning of Abramovich was more likely related to speculative, conspiratorial versions that were intended to put pressure on delegations and prevent them from focusing on the core issues.

Amid the heavy shelling, the Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released operational information on Wednesday in which it accused the Russian troops of again accumulating at ​​the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. 

 According to the statement released on Facebook on Wednesday, it said that the accumulation of occupation troops in the area of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been continuously increasing over the past few days. However, the statement did not clarify or has no clarification about the number of troops accumulated near the danger area. 

In a massive claim, Russia's Ministry of Defence said that officials who participated in the creation of biological weapons components in Ukraine have been identified. "According to investigations in the West, the US companies involved in the creation of bioweapon components in Ukraine are associated with Hunter Biden," the Ministry said. 

The UK is not ready to give security guarantees to Ukraine. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said his country isn’t ready to become a guarantor of Ukraine’s independence as part of Kyiv’s proposed peace deal with Moscow. “Ukraine is not a NATO member,” he said.

US President Joe Biden will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at 10:45 a.m (14:45 GMT) on Wednesday. According to the White House, the leaders will discuss the ongoing war between Kyiv and Moscow.

The head of Russia’s delegation in talks with Ukraine this week says that Kyiv’s readiness to consider a neutral status would meet a key Russian demand. Vladimir Medinsky said that, during Tuesday’s talks in Istanbul, Ukraine submitted a set of proposals including its readiness to adopt a non-bloc, nuclear-free status and drop its bid to join NATO. He said Ukraine also signalled its readiness not to host foreign military bases and to hold joint drills with foreign militaries only in consultation with countries serving as guarantors of a peace deal, which would include Russia.

According to a report by The Kyiv Independent, an adviser to the president's chief of staff, Mykhailo Podolyak, said that a referendum in Ukraine on a security agreement will only be possible after Russian troops at least return to the position they occupied before February 24.
 

Amid the heavy shelling by the Russian forces on Ukraine, the United States is preparing new sanctions in order to hit the supply chains of Russia’s military-industrial sector, reported The New York Times on Wednesday. Citing Adewale Adeyemo, the deputy Treasury secretary, the media report claimed that the new sanctions will be rolled out in coordination with Western allies.

 An adviser to Ukraine’s president says that a vote sealing a prospective agreement with Russia could only be held after Russian troops pull back. Mykhailo Podolyak said Wednesday that the Russian forces must withdraw to their positions before the Feb. 24 invasion to pave the way for any peace deal to be put on a nationwide referendum. In an online briefing, he voiced hope for a meeting soon between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin but wouldn’t say when exactly it could happen.

A senior Ukrainian official says the country’s delegation to talks with Russia has remained in Turkey to discuss military issues. David Arakhamia, a member of the Ukrainian delegation who also leads the governing party’s group in parliament, posted on social media that meetings with “high-ranking Turkish officials during which cooperation in the military-technical field will be discussed” were planned for Wednesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told the Norwegian Parliament that Russia wants “to destroy the foundation of Europe.” Zelenskyy, speaking through an interpreter during a live video appearance before the 169-member Stortinget, said Wednesday that “the future of Europe is being decided now.” Speaking generally of Russia’s military activities in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said that “for the Russians, there are no prohibited targets.” Zelenskyy’s speech was the latest of a string of addresses to lawmakers in several countries, including the United States, Britain, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Israel, Japan and the European Union.

The Ukrainian General Staff said that the Russian troops were again accumulating in the area of ​​the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Notably, last month, Russian troops had attacked the plant, resulting in a massive backlash from all over the world.

The Ukrainian military says that Russian troops have intensified their activities in the country’s east. The Ukrainian general staff said Wednesday that the Russians have scaled up their activities around Izyum, south of Kharkiv, after redeploying some units from other areas. It also said that the Russian forces have intensified shelling and attacks in the eastern Donetsk region, focusing on trying to win control of Mariupol, Popasna and Rubizhne.

The largest Danish retailer operating internationally, JYSK, on Wednesday announced its complete withdrawal from Russia amid the ongoing war. Earlier on Tuesday, Johnson & Johnson, a Pharmaceutical industry company announced a similar action against Russia.

Russian forces pounded areas around Kyiv and another Ukrainian city overnight, local officials said on Wednesday, just hours after Moscow pledged to scale back military operations in those places. The shelling further tempered optimism about possible progress in talks aimed at ending the punishing war. Russia did not spell out what exactly a reduction in activity would look like, and while the promise initially raised hopes that a path toward ending the bloody war of attrition was at hand, Ukraine’s president and others cautioned that the commitments could merely be bluster.

According to a report by Nexta, the death toll in a Russian strike on the regional administration building in the southern city of Mykolaiv has risen to 15. Ukrainian authorities say Russian forces blasted a gaping hole in a nine-story government building in a strike on Tuesday morning.

According to a report by news agency TASS, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a telephonic conversation in the next few hours. "Prime Minister Draghi will talk to President Putin in the next few hours," Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told Italian reporters on Wednesday.

A day after the 6th round of peace talks, the Kremlin says said there was no breakthrough. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday it was a “positive factor” that Ukraine submitted its written proposals, but added that “we can’t say there has been something promising or any breakthroughs.” He emphasized in a call with reporters that there is still a lot of work ahead following Tuesday’s talks in Istanbul.

The U.N.’s top human rights body has chosen a Norwegian former judge at the European Court of Human Rights to head a three-member panel to investigate possible abuses and violations in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. Erik Møse, formerly president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, will be joined by Jasminka Dzumhur, the human rights ombudsperson in Bosnia, and Pablo de Greiff of Colombia, a political theorist who has specialized in injustice issues, on the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. The U.N.-backed Human Rights Council created the commission earlier this month.

A senior Ukrainian official says that the Russian military has continued shelling areas around the Ukrainian capital. Oleksandr Pavliuk, the head of the Kyiv region military administration, said Wednesday that there were 30 Russian shellings of the residential areas and civilian infrastructure in the Bucha, Brovary and Vyshhorod regions around the capital.

The barrage came despite a Russian pledge to reduce military activities around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv after Tuesday’s talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul.

WATCH: The latest drone footage of Mariupol after the Russian forces attacked the city 

According to multiple media reports, Serhii Chudynovych, a priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, was kidnapped from the church on Wednesday. As per the media reports, at least three men who introduced themselves as “police officers” searched the church, checked his documents and messenger apps before driving him in an unknown direction. It is worth mentioning earlier Russian forces had kidnapped several officials in Kherson Oblast.

According to a report by the Ukraine National News agency, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the killing of at least 17,200 soldiers during the ongoing war. Apart from human loss, it said that the enemy has also lost 605 tanks, 1,723 armoured combat vehicles, 305 artillery systems, 96 MLR systems, 54 air defence systems, 131 planes, 131 helicopters, 1,184 vehicles, seven vessels, 75 fuel tank trucks, 81 UAVs of the operational and tactical level, 21 pieces of special equipment, and four mobile SRBM systems.

An adviser to Ukraine’s president says that the Russian military has redeployed some of its forces to the east of the country. Oleksiy Arestovych said in televised remarks Wednesday that Russia has moved some of its troops from areas near Kyiv to the east in an effort to encircle the Ukrainian forces there. He said Russia has left some of its forces near Kyiv to tie up Ukrainian troops there and prevent them from moving to other areas. Arestovych said Russia hasn’t yet pulled back any of its troops from the northern city of Chernihiv.

Ukraine’s state agency for emergencies says that the death toll in a Russian strike on the regional administration building in the southern city of Mykolaiv has risen to 14. Ukrainian authorities say Russian forces blasted a gaping hole in a nine-story government building in a strike on Tuesday morning.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has called for a special UN mission to eliminate the risk of the nuclear accident at Chornobyl. She also claimed that Russian forces had set up an ammunition warehouse near Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. “We demand that the UN Security Council adopt immediate measures to demilitarize the Chornobyl exclusion zone and dispatch a special mission to eliminate the risks,” Vereshchuk said.

The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has registered a total of 3,236 war crimes committed by Russian troops.
 

Posting images of the destruction, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said, "In the morning, Lysychansk was startled by intense shelling. We have significant destruction of residential high-rise buildings. There are probably people under the rubble."

UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR has estimated that  4.02 million people have now left Ukraine since Russia launched a full-scale military operation in Ukraine. It is to note that the pre-war population of Ukraine was 44 million, which means that one in every 11 Ukrainian people has crossed the border, stated the Guardian.

The head of the IAEA arrived at the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant and met with the staff. According to the post on Twitter about the visit, Rafael Mariano Grossi said, "I personally thanked South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant staff for their endurance and resilience during these extremely difficult times. Staff of all #Ukraine nuclear facilities deserve full respect and admiration for keeping sites running in a safe and secure way amid conflict."

The governor of Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region says Russian attacks continued overnight despite Moscow saying it would reduce military activity in the area.

Viacheslav Chaus said in a video message on social media that houses and infrastructure including libraries and shopping centers had been damaged in the cities of Chernihiv and Nizhyn.

Chaus didn't say if anyone had been killed or injured.

Of Russia's statement that it would cut back its military activity, he said: Do we believe that? Of course not.

During talks in Istanbul on Tuesday, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said Moscow would cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv to increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations.

(AP)

Poland will take steps to cut Russian oil imports by the end of 2022, the prime minister said Wednesday.

Poland has already largely reduced its dependence on Russian oil, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said. 

Morawiecki told a news conference that Poland was launching the most radical plan among European nations to wean off Russian energy sources.

Poland said Tuesday it was banning imports of Russian coal. Morawiecki said he expects gas imports will be cut in May and called on other European countries to follow suit.

Poland is arguing that money from oil and gas exports are fueling Russia's war machine and that that should stop.

(AP)

'Azov' has reported that the invaders fired on the building with the mark of the "Red Cross" in Mariupol. It further said, "This is one of the most egregious war crimes. Such crosses mark places where there may be wounded, civilian or humanitarian cargo."

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said Britain's sanctions on Russia will stay in place until the invasion of Ukraine is “withdrawn”. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, "The sanctions are there to tighten the grip on Putin’s war machine...Until the invasion is withdrawn - and I think that would need to be either entirely or verifiably - I don’t think the sanctions can or should be lifted".

Dismissing reports of nuclear security threat to Ukraine, Russia on Wednesday said all operating units of nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the country are working in normal mode. "Statements about threats to nuclear security allegedly created by Russia's actions in Ukraine are untrue. The operating units of nuclear power plants (NPPs) in that country are working in normal mode," Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said.

Read more here

The United Kingdom will send additional ‘more lethal’ defensive weaponry to Ukraine as Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet warned that Vladimir Putin would try to “twist the knife”. In the days to come, Johnson said in the British parliament that he would send the dangerous weaponry that will counter Russia’s threatening behaviour and traditional warfare act of capturing territories and will give Ukrainians have the means to continue to protect their citizens and land.

The Head of the Chernihiv regional state administration said that there has been no decrease in the military activity of the Russian occupiers so far.

With posters in place, a Russian store appeared to blame US President Joe Biden for higher prices of food.

The White House has said that it will be possible to talk about the meeting between Biden and Putin only after a significant de-escalation in Ukraine.

Since Russia launched the full-scale military operation in Ukraine, at least 145 children have died and 222 others have been wounded. Citing Ukraine's Prosecutor General's office, Kyiv Independent stated, 69 children were either killed or injured in Kyiv Oblast, 54 in Donetsk Oblast, 49 in Kharkiv Oblast.

In the latest operational update by the Ukrainian armed forces, Kyiv claimed that Russia has lost around 17,300 personnel along with 131 helicopters, 605 tanks and seven war shops.

As per the Kyiv Independent report, Russia transfers 2,000 troops from occupied parts of Georgia to Ukraine. At least 5 battalion tactical groups were sent from military bases in Russian-occupied South Ossetia and Abkhazia to strengthen the Russian army attacking Ukraine, stated the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that three humanitarian corridors have been agreed upon for Thursday in the country.

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues for the 35th day, Kyiv is calling on the Nepal government to ban Moscow’s mountaineering teams to climb the Himalayan peaks. According to a BBC report, at least nine Russians have received permits to climb the peaks in Nepal this spring even though Ukrainian diplomats and mountaineers have repeatedly called for a ban. 

In view of Russian President Vladimir Putin launching a ‘special operation’ in Ukraine in late February, several sporting organisations have banned Russian athletes from participating in the events. The Russia-Ukraine war has now lasted for 35 days with millions of Ukrainians fleeing the country to safety. While the majority of the West appears to support Ukraine, the media outlet cited a diplomatic note from the Ukrainian embassy in Delhi to Nepal’s government.

As per the report, the letter by the Ukrainian mission in India stated, “Taking into consideration the above, the esteemed Nepalese side is kindly requested to ban Russian mountaineering teams until the end of [the] Russian invasion into Ukraine”.

UK's Defence Ministry said in the latest intelligence update that Russian forces are forced to return to Russia & Belarus to resupply after it suffered heavy losses by Ukraine. British Ministry of Defence said, "Russian units suffering heavy losses have been forced to return to Belarus and Russia to reorganise and resupply. Such activity is placing further pressure on Russia’s already strained logistics and demonstrates the difficulties Russia is having reorganising its units in forward areas within Ukraine."

"Russia will likely continue to compensate for its reduced ground manoeuvre capability through mass artillery and missile strikes," it read.

"Russia’s stated focus on an offensive in Donetsk and Luhansk is likely a tacit admission that it is struggling to sustain more than one significant axis of advance," it added.

On the 35th day of the Russia-Ukraine war, neighbourhoods in Lysychansk, Luhansk region witnessed heavy bombardment from Russian forces. It is known that there are some casualties but the exact number still remains unknown. 

The United Nations (UN) has estimated 3.9 million Ukrainians are refugees and another 6.5 million are internally displaced because of the Russian invasion.

German chocolate manufacturer 'Ritter Sport De' will not stop supplying products to Russia. The #Russian market accounts for about 7% of the company's turnover and the company's representative noted that he decision to continue supplying was not an easy one.
 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Wednesday arrived in china as the war continues to escalate in Ukraine.  Earlier, at United Nations Security Council, China had opined against increasing sanctions on Moscow. As per reports, he is set to participate in several meetings hosted by China to discuss ways to help Afghanistan. Diplomats from the US are also expected to attend the events. Meanwhile, it is expected that the crisis in Ukraine might dominate Lavrov's scheduled talks in China.

Canadian parliament called on Justin Trudeau-led government to introduce a visa-free regime with Ukraine as millions flee the former Soviet Union nation amid war with Russia.

Before the Russian defence ministry announced the pullback of its troops from Kyiv and Chernihiv, intense shelling had taken place destroying private sectors in Nizhyn.

Russia's media watchdog, Roskomnadzor seeking to block Wikipedia in the country amid the war in Ukraine. The official [post by Russain Wikipedia stated that the reason behind Moscow's measure is the article about Russia's military invasion of Ukraine but according to Roskomnadzor, the war should be called a "special operation".

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According to Kyiv Independent, Luxembourg froze the assets of Russians for 2.5 billion euros. The decision was reportedly made as part of the implementation of European sanctions imposed against Russia for an attack on Ukraine.
 

In the latest intelligence report released by Ukrainian armed forces on Wednesday, the 35th day of the Russia-Ukraine war, Kyiv claimed, "The enemy continues to rob homes and apartments of local residents, detain pro-Ukrainian activists and employees of Ukrainian state authorities."

"According to the available information, the Russian Federation armed forces continue to have problems with assembling the units as a personal composition," it also said.

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also said, "In the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk region, the occupation authorities plan to hold another wave of mobilization from April 1 this year. It is not excluded that such efforts will also be on the recently occupied territories of the region."

Russia’s withdrawal from the north is just a rotation of troops with an aim to “mislead” the Ukrainian military’s leadership, said General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Tuesday. Following Moscow’s announcement of pulling back troops from Kyiv and Chernihiv, Ukrainian armed forces released an intelligence report as of 10 PM (local time) and confirmed that Russia continued to withdraw from the said territories in Ukraine’s north. The statement said that Russia was just ‘rotating’ individual troops. 

Ukraine’s general staff of the armed forces said, “According to some indications, the Russian enemy is regrouping units to focus its main efforts on the east.”

“At the same time, the so-called ‘withdrawal of troops’ is probably a rotation of individual units and aims to mislead the military leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and create a misconception about the occupiers’ refusal to plan to encircle the city of Kyiv,” it added. 

The United States State Department has warned that Americans can be "singled out" by Russian forces in Ukraine and advised the citizens against travelling to the region amid war.  “There are continued reports of US citizens being singled out and detained by the Russian military in Ukraine and when evacuating by land through Russia-occupied territory or to Russia or Belarus,” it said while adding that the US embassy has limited ability to assist US citizens in Russia.

China on Tuesday said that increasing sanctions against Russia will "give rise to new humanitarian problems". At the latest United Nations Security Council, China’s ambassador to the UN Dai Bing said, "We must also be cognisant that the ever-escalating, sweeping, indiscriminate sanctions have hit global energy, food, economic, trade and financial markets, and will continue to do so, affecting the lives and livelihoods of the general public, and giving rise to new humanitarian problems.”

"Sanctions and economic blockades will only artificially exacerbate food shortages and price distortions, further disrupt food production and food supply chain across the world, push up food prices, and put such burdens on developing countries as they do not deserve. We call for enhanced international coordination to stabilise food supply and food prices, refrain from unjustified export restrictions, keep the market working in a stable manner, and ensure global food security," he also said.

Max Strelnyk, a deputy in the Izyum city council's office has reportedly said that the humanitarian situation in the city "gets worse" every day. He previously told CNN that since March 14, Izyum has not received a single package of food, water, or medicine.

"There's been no pause in the bombing — it started weeks ago — by the Russians. Although Russia claims that they will decrease military operations in the Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts, Izyum and the greater Kharkiv region will have no such luck," Strelynk said, as per the report.
 

The United States is preparing new sanctions targeting the supply chains of the Russian military-industrial sector to hamper Moscow's military offensive, said US Deputy Finance Minister Adeyemo.

According to Kyiv Independent, power for 150,000 residents in Ukraine has been restored as war with Russia entered the 35th day, After repairs by engineers, numerous settlements regained access to electricity on March 28, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy. However, an estimated 831,000 Ukrainians in 1,491 settlements remain without access to power, stated the newspaper.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, "We can call positive the signals we hear from the negotiating platform. But these signals do not silence the explosion of Russian shells. Of course, we see all the risks. Of course, we see no reason to trust the words of certain representatives of a state that continues to fight for our destruction. Ukrainians are not naive people. Ukrainians have already learned during these 34 days of invasion and over the past eight years of the war in Donbas that only a concrete result can be trusted."

White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield told reporters "no one should be fooled" by Russia's announcement of de-escalation.

Additionally, US President Joe Biden while meeting Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, said he was waiting to see what Russia offers in the ongoing talks with Ukraine. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top adviser and the head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andriy Yermak said in a video message posted on Facebook that Kyiv needs to build a new international security system that should make any aggression against the country "impossible". He also revealed that work towards achieving the same is presently underway with the United States, Britain, China, Canada, France, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Israel on a “future document on security guarantees", stated CNN.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday night stressed that “challenges haven’t diminished” for Kyiv after Russia claimed to scale back its military activity near Kyiv, Chernihiv. On day 34 of the Russia-Ukraine war, as both sides met in person for peace talks in Turkey on Tuesday, the Russian Defence Ministry had also announced that it would “drastically reduce military activity” in two key Ukrainian cities. Following Moscow’s announcement, Ukraine’s President stated that scaling back military activity in parts of his country “don’t drown out the explosions of Russian bombs”.

In the latest national address, Zelenskyy said, “I’m sure you saw the news that Russian military allegedly decided to scale down their attacks in the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas” while adding that Ukraine is not willing to give up its vigilance. He averred that the situation in the country “hasn’t become easier”.

“The scale of challenges hasn’t diminished. The Russian army still has a sizable potential to carry on their attacks against our country. They have plenty of equipment and people who are disenfranchised who they could send into the fire of war,” Zelenskyy added.
 

Moreover, on Russia’s claims of de-escalation on two fronts, Kyiv and Cherihniv, the Ukrainian President said that “On this very basis I regard the reports on the negotiation process which continues on different levels with the representatives of the Russian Federation. The enemy is still on our territory. They carry on shelling our cities. Mariupol is besieged. Rocket and air attacks are not stopping.”

He noted that Ukrainians are not in the position to trust the words coming from the representatives of a country that is “still pursuing our annihilation”. As the sixth round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks concluded in Turkey without a ceasefire agreement, Zelenskyy also said on Tuesday that Kyiv is set to continue the negotiations. He said, “We have to achieve real security for our country” while also calling on the international community to keep sanctions against Russia in place.

After the Russian Defence Ministry on Tuesday said that it would decrease its military activities around Kyiv and Chernihiv, Russian lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky told TASS news agency that the measure did not amount to a ceasefire. He said, “This is not a cease-fire but this is our aspiration, gradually to reach a de-escalation of the conflict at least on these fronts”. Medinsky even said that talks with Ukraine “still have a long way to go”.