Russia Ukraine war: Russian military says damaged Moskva missile cruiser has sunk

Canada is sending soldiers to Poland to help with the care, co-ordination and resettlement of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, including some who will come to Canada. Defense Minister Anita Anand announced the deployment of up to 150 troops Thursday. More than 2.6 million Ukrainians have fled into Poland since the first Russian troops crossed into Ukraine on Feb. 24 and over 2 million more have fled into other surrounding countries.

Anand said the majority of the deployed troops will head to reception centers across Poland to help care for and register Ukrainian refugees. Another group is being sent to help co-ordinate international aid efforts. Canada has deployed hundreds of additional troops to eastern Europe since Russia’s invasion as the NATO military alliance seeks to both support Ukraine and prevent the conflict from expanding into a broader war.

Source: AP

resident Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Ukrainians on Thursday they should be proud of having survived 50 days under Russian attack when the Russians “gave us a maximum of five.” In his late-night video address, Zelenskyy called it “an achievement of millions of Ukrainians, of everyone who on Feb. 24 made the most important decision of their life – to fight.”

Zelenskyy gave an extensive and almost poetic listing of the many ways in which Ukrainians have helped to fend off the Russian troops, including “those who showed that Russian warships can sail away, even if it’s to the bottom” of the sea.It was his only reference to the Russian missile cruiser Moskva, which sank while being towed to port.Zelenskyy said he remembered the first day of the invasion when many world leaders, unsure whether Ukraine could survive, advised him to leave the country.

Russia's threats of using the tactical nuclear weapons in the ongoing conflict must not be taken "lightly," CIA Director Bill Burns has warned.  "Given the potential desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership, given the setbacks that they've faced so far militarily, none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low yield nuclear weapons,” he said in public remarks at the Georgia Institute of Technology. 

CIA “watches for that very intently,” Burns said. "While we've seen some rhetorical posturing on the part of the Kremlin about moving to higher nuclear alert levels, so far we haven't seen a lot of practical evidence of the kind of deployments or military dispositions that would reinforce that concern—but we watch for that very intently,” he added. 

Russian military says damaged Moskva missile cruiser has 'sunk'

The Russian military says the damaged Moskva missile cruiser, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, has sunk while being towed to a port during bad weather after an explosion. Russian Defense Ministry said the Moskva sank Thursday in a storm as it was gutted by the fire. The ministry previously said a fire on the warship set off some of its weapons and forced the crew to evacuate denying the Ukraine Army's claims of attack on the warship with a missile. Russia says the Soviet-era ship was badly damaged and the crew had already been evacuated onto another vessel before the ship went down. 

"During the towing of the cruiser Moskva to the port of destination, the ship lost stability due to the damage to the hull received during the fire from the detonation of ammunition," the ministry said.

"In the stormy sea conditions, the ship has sunk."

[Credit: Maxar/AP]

[Credit: AP]

Moscow accuses Ukrainian forces of launching airstrikes on its region of Bryansk

Russian authorities have accused Ukrainian forces of launching airstrikes on the Russian region of Bryansk which borders Ukraine, the latest in a series of allegations of cross-border attacks by Kyiv on Russian territory. Russia’s Investigative Committee alleged that two Ukrainian military helicopters entered Russia’s air space on Thursday and, “moving at low altitude, acting deliberately, they carried out at least six airstrikes on residential buildings in the village of Klimovo,” about 11 kilometers away from the Russian border.

It said at least six houses in the village were damaged and seven people, including a toddler, sustained injuries. The Investigative Committee has launched a probe into the attack. Russia’s state security service, or the FSB, also accused Ukrainian forces of firing mortars at a border post in the Bryansk region.

France plans to move its Ukrainian embassy back to Kyiv

France is considering moving its Ukraine embassy back to Kyiv, French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba during a telephone conversation. In a statement later, the French foreign ministry said that this "redeployment will happen very soon and will allow France to deepen its backing for Ukraine even further in all spheres to face the war unleashed by Russia on February 24." 

"We [France] consider returning remains unthinkable for those French people who lived in Ukraine. The return of French compatriots today remains formally prohibited,” the French government said in a statement adding that “the whole of Ukraine remains a war zone”.

Sweden, Finland joining NATO will 'seriously worsen military situation' warns Kremlin

Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Alexander Grushko, has warned that the prospects of Finland and Sweden joining the NATO defensive Alliance will "seriously worsen military situation" as Kremlin will take “security and defense measures that we will deem necessary." In an interview with state-owned news agency Tass, the Russian minister threatened “the most undesirable consequences” if the two neutral nations joined the Alliance and "brought the military to Russia's doorstep." 

Putin warns 'consequences for world economy' if Russian oil replaced

Russia's President Vladimir Putin warned the EU, US, and other Western nations against any attempts of replacing Russian oil with alternatives threatening "consequences for the world economy."  He said: "This will have consequences for the world economy and the consequences of such steps can be very painful." He blamed  "unfriendly countries" for creating disorder in the globe's economy as he asserted that they will not be able to stop using Russian gas or find alternatives. 

Angry protesters have projected a Ukrainian flag on the Russian Embassy in Washington according to the videos surfacing onTwitter. The incident happened during a geopolitical light show in DC and the protesters and activitists displayed solidarity with Ukraine by projecting the flag on the Russian embassy. Using 15 projector lights and four generators the crowd projected Ukraine flag, Benjamin Wittes, one of the organizers of the protest said on Twitter. But staff at the Russian embassy also tried to flip on a floodlight to blot out the flag which the organizer described as "cat and muse game." 

"The fact that they felt compelled to respond the way that they did over many hours by the way," Wittes said. "They saw the protest as the way that we meant it. To not allow them to the space of their own embassy." 

US ambassador to the United Nations has accused Russia  of making the "precarious food situation in Yemen" and elsewhere even worse by invading Ukraine, calling it “just another grim example of the ripple effect Russia’s unprovoked, unjust, unconscionable war is having on the world’s most vulnerable.”

Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a UN Security Council meeting on war-torn Yemen that the World Food Program identified the Arab world’s poorest nation as one of the countries most affected by wheat price increases and lack of imports from Ukraine.

Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky shot back saying: “The main factor for instability and the source of the problem today is not the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, but sanctions measures imposed on our country seeking to cut off any supplies from Russia and the supply chain, apart from those supplies that those countries in the West need, in other words energy.”

Source: AP

UN humanitarian chief has ordered a safe passage of civilians out of the besieged port city of Mariupol after two aid workers and their family members were killed in the Russian shelling. “I am deeply saddened by the deaths of at least two aid workers who were killed, together with five of their relatives, during an attack that hit the office of the non-governmental organization Caritas in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, on March 15. The events took place nearly one month ago but the information has become available only now,” said Martin Griffiths, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator said in a statement. 

Russia's President Vladimir Putin warned the EU, US, and other Western nations against any attempts of replacing Russian oil with alternatives threatening "consequences for the world economy."  He said: "This will have consequences for the world economy and the consequences of such steps can be very painful." He blamed  "unfriendly countries" for creating disorder in the globe's economy as he asserted that they will not be able to stop using Russian gas or find alternatives. 

WFP executive director David Beasley warned in an interview with The Associated Press in Kyiv that Russia’s invasion of grain-exporting Ukraine risks destabilizing nations far from its shores and could trigger waves of migrants seeking better lives elsewhere.The war that began on Feb. 24 was “devastating the people in Ukraine,” Beasley said, lamenting the lack of access faced by the WFP and other aid organizations in trying to reach those in need amid the conflict, according to Associated Press report. 

Shelling in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv has intensified with active hostilities around the area of Izium that is witnessing heavy damages to the civilian property, Oleh Syniehubov, the head of Ukraine's Kharkiv region military administration said on state television. "These are exclusively peaceful areas where there is no military infrastructure," he said in remarks on national television. "And so the enemy is trying to destabilize our population, in fact inflicting such blows from which civilians alone are actually suffering."

Russia's Ministry of Defense has said that the warship Moskva that has sunk lost its stability due to hull damage received during a fire from the detonation of ammunition while it was being towed to the port of destination, according to Tass. Conflicting accounts have emerged on both Ukraine and Russia side as Russian Defense Ministry says Moskva sank in a storm after being gutted by fire due to ammunition fire, while Ukraine forces claim that it hit the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet with missiles.

Russia acknowledged a fire aboard the Moskva but no attack. US and other Western officials could not confirm what caused the blaze.

The head of the International Monetary Fund warned that Russia’s war against Ukraine was weakening the economic prospects for most of the world’s countries and called high inflation “a clear and present danger” to the global economy.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the consequences of Russia’s invasion were contributing to economic downgrades for 143 countries, although most of them should continue to grow.

The war has disrupted global trade in energy and grain and is threatening to cause food shortages in Africa and Middle East. Georgieva made her comments in a speech on the eve of next week’s spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in Washington.

An unexpectedly strong recovery from 2020’s pandemic recession has caught businesses by surprise, leaving factories, ports and freight yards unable to keep up with robust customer demand and forcing prices higher.

“In a world where war in Europe creates hunger in Africa; where a pandemic can circle the globe in days and reverberate for years; where emissions anywhere mean rising sea levels almost everywhere — the threat to our collective prosperity from a breakdown in global cooperation cannot be overstated,” Georgieva said.

“Now,” Georgieva said, “grain and corn prices are soaring, and leaders across Africa and the Middle East are telling me that supplies are running low. Food insecurity is a grave concern.

“We must act now with a multilateral initiative to bolster food security. The alternative is dire: More hunger, more poverty and more social unrest — especially for countries that have struggled to escape fragility and conflict for many years.”

Associated Press

Ukraine's defence ministry has said that two more children have died from the injuries after the Kramatorsk train station attack by the Russian troops last week. This has taken the death toll to 59, including seven children.

Russian military says the damaged Moskva missile cruiser has sunk while being towed to a port. The Russian Defense Ministry said the Moskva sank Thursday in a storm after being gutted by fire. The ministry previously said a fire on the warship set off some of its weapons and forced the crew to evacuate.

But Ukrainian officials said the Moskva, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, was hit by Ukrainian missiles late Wednesday off the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa. The US was not able to confirm Ukraine’s claims of striking the warship, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Thursday. Still, he called it “a big blow to Russia.”

Source: Associated Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Western countries’ attempts to phase out Russian gas imports will have a "negative impact on their economies" as EU has "no reasonable replacement" for Russian gas. Speaking Thursday, Putin said European attempts to find alternatives to Russian gas shipments will be “quite painful for the initiators of such policies.”

Putin noted that “supplies from other countries that could be sent to Europe, primarily from the United States, would cost consumers many times more.” He added it would “affect people’s standard of living and the competitiveness of the European economy.”

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price has said that Washington plans to restore its diplomatic presence in Ukraine "as soon as it would be safe." When asked about when Washington would reopen embassies citing examples of other nations operating diplomatic operations, Price stressed that the Bden administration is evaluating when it would be safe to have the US diplomats on the ground in Ukraine. There is "no indication" that this would happen in the near future, he iterated. 

Kremlin is claiming that at least six helicopters of the Ukraine Armed Forces have conducted airstrikes on the village of Klimovo in the Russian region of Bryansk. It cited the investigative committee report and said that seven Russian civilians have died from the attack. The Governor of Russia's Bryansk region said in a telegram update that two residential buildings in the village had been hit by Ukraine shelling that targetted the civilians. Further, he claimed that Ukraine's Army has attacked another village in Russia’s Belgorod region. 

Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Alexander Grushko, has warned that the prospects of Finland and Sweden joining the NATO defensive Alliance will "seriously worsen military situation" as Kremlin will take “security and defense measures that we will deem necessary." In an interview with state-owned news agency Tass, the Russian minister threatened “the most undesirable consequences” if the two neutral nations joined the Alliance and "brought the military to Russia's doorstep." 

French President Emmanuel Macron declined to use the term “genocide” to describe Russia’s Ukraine war, arguing against an “escalation of words.” Asked about the use of the term by U.S. President Joe Biden, Macron said “the word genocide must be spelled out by jurists, not by politicians.”

Speaking on French radio France Bleu, Macron said he spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday and will speak again with him later that day. He said he will do “everything to end this war and stay by the Ukrainians’ side.”

Macron previously denounced “war crimes” in Ukraine and France sent magistrates and police officers to help the International Criminal Court, which opened an investigation, according to Associated Press report. 

Russian authorities have accused Ukrainian forces of launching air strikes on the Russian region of Bryansk which borders with Ukraine, the latest in a series of allegations of cross-border attacks by Kyiv on Russian territory. Russia’s Investigative Committee alleged that two Ukrainian military helicopters entered Russia’s air space on Thursday and, “moving at low altitude, acting deliberately, they carried out at least six air strikes on residential buildings in the village of Klimovo,” about 11 kilometers away from the Russian border.

It said at least six houses in the village were damaged and seven people, including a toddler, sustained injuries. The Investigative Committee has launched a probe into the attack. Russia’s state security service, or the FSB, also accused Ukrainian forces of firing mortars at a border post in the Bryansk region.

Source: Associated Press

France is considering to move its Ukraine embassy back to Kyiv, French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba during a telephone conversation. In a statement later, the french foreign ministry said that this "redeployment will happen very soon and will allow France to deepen its backing for Ukraine even further in all spheres to face the war unleashed by Russia on February 24." 

"We [france] consider returning remains unthinkable for those French people who lived in Ukraine. The return of French compatriots today remains formally prohibited,” the French government said in a statement adding that “the whole of Ukraine remains a war zone”.

International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan who has recently visited the Ukrainian towns of Bucha and Borodyanka this week has described the scenes of the civilian killing as "war crime." the ICC prosecutor visited the mass graves where he found the civilian dead bodies buries in plastic bags after facing atrocities in the hands of the Russian forces before they retreated. 

“Ukraine is a crime scene. We’re here because we have reasonable grounds to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC are being committed. We have to pierce the fog of war to get to the truth,” Khan said after visiting Bucha. 

Russia has accused the Ukrainian forces combat helicopters of entering their city and hitting residential buildings. The attacks have injured at least  seven people in the Bryansk region of Russia. The governor of the Belgorod region in a Telegram update alleged that Ukrainian soldiers bombed the Russian villages, and one person was injured.

The Ukrainian government's Centre for Countering Disinformation refuted the claims and accused the Russian intelligence services of "a plan to carry out terrorist acts to whip up anti-Ukrainian hysteria" in Russia.

Russia mentioned two purported attacks in Bryansk but did not metion about airstrike. Two Ukrainian combat helicopters with heavy offensive weapons conducted six airstrikes on the village of Klimovo, Russia's investigative committee said. Six buildings were damaged and seven people were injured, according to Russian news agency RIA.

Moscow has sent a warning to the neutral states of Finland and Sweden saying that it will "double military forces" if the two nations joined NATO defensive Alliance. Deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, warned in a statement that if nations brought military on Russia’s Western flank Moscow will deploy large number of ground- and air-defense forces. 

Medevedev said, “it will no longer be possible to talk about any non-nuclear status of the Baltic, the balance must be restored." 

Turkey is still attempting to arrange a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said. In an interview with Turkish news channel NTV, Cavusoglu said Turkey is approaching the matter to organize the talks between Russian and Ukrainian presidents with “cautious optimism." 

"We know critical topics will be decided at leader level, so we will try to bring leaders together," he said. 

UN committee has warned in a report that it is "deeply disturbed" as nearly 2.7 million people with disabilities in Ukraine are at risk due to the ongoing war.  "People with disabilities have limited or no access to emergency information, shelters and safe havens, and many have been separated from their support networks, leaving them unable to respond to the situation and navigate their surroundings," UN said in a report on Thursday. Further it warned that many Ukrainians with disability "have not been able to flee to safety".

Russian officials have alleged that the Ukrainian forces have carried out cross-border attacks on Russian territory. The governor of Russia's Belgorod region said in a statement on Telegram that the village of Spodaryushino, near the border with Ukraine, had been shelled by Ukrainian forces. No casualties or destruction of residential buildings were reported. The shelling was reported in two villages, Bezymeno and Spodaryushino that had been evacuated.  Gladkov said in a separate statement there had been "shelling from the Ukrainian side" on the village of Zhuravlyovka, as well as in Belgorod region adding that there was widespread destruction caused in the Russian territory. 

A former police officer who discussed Russia’s invasion on the phone. A priest who preached to his congregation about the suffering of Ukrainians. A student who held up a banner with no words — just asterisks.

Hundreds of Russians are facing charges for speaking out against the war in Ukraine since a repressive law was passed last month that outlaws the spread of “false information” about the invasion and disparaging the military.

Human rights groups say the crackdown has led to criminal prosecutions and possible prison sentences for at least 23 people on the “false information” charge, with over 500 others facing misdemeanor charges of disparaging the military that have either led to hefty fines or are expected to result in them.

The Kremlin has sought to control the narrative of the war from the moment its troops rolled into Ukraine. It dubbed the attack a “special military operation” and increased the pressure on independent Russian media that called it a “war” or an “invasion,” blocking access to many news sites whose coverage deviated from the official line.

Source: Associated Press

US President Joe Biden has said that he is still working with his team and making a deicsion whether or not he should dispatch a senior member of his administration to Ukraine. "We're making that decision now," Biden told reporters as he was asked if he would send a senior official to Ukraine. Also, when enquired who does does he plan to send to Ukraine, Biden asked American reporter: "You ready to go?"

White House separately said: "we’re still in discussions, deciding this. As you know, obviously we’re in contact with the Ukrainian government every day – pretty regularly and so I just don’t have anything to preview any further,” principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told American reporters aboard Air Force One. 

US had intelligence on a "major new invasion" of Ukraine last year around the time of Autumn, CIA's director has said, according to sky news. washington already had a "disturbing and detailed" intelligence that outlined Russia's President Vladimir Putin "stewed" in grievance, ambition and insecurity, William Burns said. That intelligence has been "vital" to Ukraine's fight against Russia, he added.

Western officials have said that while it is unclear what is currently the state of the Russian ship Moskva they added that the events and Russia's version of the attack may not be credible. “I am not aware previously of a fire on board a capital warship which had led to the ammunition magazine exploding as a consequence,” an official told Guardian, calling it “remarkably inept” if it proved true.

“The fact that it’s been damaged to a point where it is either inoperable or under tow is a significant blow,” the official said. He further added that “enormous determination, ingenuity and initiative of Ukrainian forces in order to be able to strike at Russian forces where perhaps they previously thought they were invulnerable, and a significant impact on Russian maritime operations”.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing intense pressure from his ruling coalition to step up supplies of arms to Ukrainian troops. Despite initiating a historic reversal of Germany's previously frugal defense policy, Scholz has since been hesitant to go beyond initial supplies of protective equipment, ammunitions and rockets. 

The Ukrainian Parliament has adopted a bill to ban the war symbols 'Z' and 'V'. Earlier in March, Zelenskyy administration called on all countries to criminalize the use of the war symbol ‘Z’ as a new way to oppose the ongoing Russian aggression.

Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) has adopted a law that terms the Russian invasion as 'genocide'. While President Volodymyr Zelensyy has repeatedly termed the ongoing invasion as genocide, recently US President Joe Biden said Russia's war in Ukraine amounts to "genocide." He also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to "wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian."

Germany has seized the world’s largest superyacht after “extensive investigations” determined that it is owned by the sister of the sanctioned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov. As per the German Police, it is owned by Usmanov’s sister Gulbakhor Ismailova. Known as 'Dilbar', the vessel is worth US$600m (£458m).

As day 50 of the Russo-Ukrainian war nears its end, here are pictures that summarise the impact of continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian soil.

(Image: AP)

Amidst the war, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has said a large-scale anti-war campaign aimed at Russian users should be launched on social networks. The jailed leader asked US and Eu to open an 'information front' against the Kremlin and buy social media advertising for independent media. His comments came as Moscow intensified its crackdown on protesters calling for an end to Russia's 'special military operation' in Ukraine. 

Inflation in Ukraine may exceed 20% this year, the highest since 2015, as the war disrupts production and supply chains, European Central Bank said. On Thursday, the bank chief Christine Lagarde also warned that Europe’s record inflation could accelerate further.

The Pentagon has confirmed at least one powerful explosion on the cruiser "Moskva" but does not yet know what caused it John Kirby told CNN. This comes as the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the missile cruiser was seriously damaged but did not confirm that it was hit by Ukrainian missiles. However, Kyiv has said that it started sinking the moment it was stuck by Ukrainian missiles. 

As the Russian-Ukraine war continued for the 50th days, WHO Director-General urged the Russian Federation "to work for peace." In a statement, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "4.6 million refugees have left the country. Thousands of civilians have died, including children. There have been 119 verified attacks on health care." 

Speaking in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Irish foreign and defense minister Simon Coveney said, "Ireland is militarily neutral' but 'we are not neutral on this war." In the aftermath of meeting his Ukrainian counterparts, he said that Russian acts of killing hundreds of civilians in Ukraine are likely to be war crimes. 

He said, "We don’t know yet how many citizens have lost their lives due to this Russian aggression but we know it is many, and the brutality and violence, not only against soldiers, but against Ukrainian civilians is something that is likely to be determined as war crimes in the future.

I am also conscious at this time that Ukraine does not want sympathy, it needs action and strong practical support in defending yourselves, and even though Ireland is militarily neutral, let me be clear we are not neutral on this war and conflict and the future of your country."

Russia’s investigative committee has said that Ukrainian forces had carried out at least six helicopter airstrikes against the village of Klimovo in the Russian region of Bryansk, injuring seven people.

Russia, on Thursday, tested cruise missiles in the Japanese Sea. According to a report by Tass, two submarines from Russia’s Pacific Fleet conducted successful launches of Kalibr cruise missiles from the Sea of Japan at sea targets. Moscow previously tested the missiles in December. 

Image: Russian Defence Ministry 

Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting with representatives of the oil and gas industry on Thursday wherein he accused the West of destabilizing the market. "European countries are constantly talking about refusing Russian supplies, thereby further destabilizing the market and inflating prices themselves. First of all, for their citizens," Putin said during the meet. This comes a day after the Russian President warned that he could redirect the supply of fuel from European countries to 'those in need.' 

Russia’s Defense Ministry has said the fire onboard the warship Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet is “under control”. The statement comes after Ukraine claimed that the ship started sinking after it was hit by Ukrainian missiles.

However, Russian Defence Department said, "The fire on the cruiser Moskva is under control. There are no flames visible. Ammunition supplies are no longer exploding. The cruiser Moskva is still afloat. The main missile armoury has not been damaged. The crew of the cruiser were evacuated to Black Sea Fleet vessels nearby. Measures are being taken to tow the cruiser into port. The causes of the fire are currently being established".

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has appealed to the United Nations to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children who have been “illegally deported” to Russia. Amidst the ongoing war, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said that Russians have been 'kidnapping' children including "orphans, children deprived of parental care, as well as children whose parents died as a result of Russia’s military aggression” across Ukraine’s borders to Russia.

Ministry statement reads, "In violation of international humanitarian law and basic standards of humanness, Russia is engaged in state-organised kidnapping of children and destruction of the future of the Ukrainian nation. Such actions of the Russian occupiers can be qualified as kidnapping and require a decisive reaction from the international community, primarily from the relevant international organizations." 

The Scottish government has announced that all displaced Ukrainian students in Scotland will be given tuition and living cost support. However, the provision is currently subjected to parliamentary approval. Jamie Hepburn, Scotland’s minister for higher and further education, said, "By extending home fee status and living cost support to students arriving from Ukraine we hope to provide some stability and assurance at this deeply troubling time and ensure those forced to flee their homes can live safely and comfortably in Scotland for as long as they need to".

Russian troops purposefully fired the Tochka-U rocket complex at the Kramatorsk railway station, Ukraine has said. At least 59 civilians were killed, 7 of them children after the missiles struck the busy train station. Meanwhile, in a statement, the Ukrainian Centre for communication called for an unbiased probe into the incident and said, "To cover up its crime, Russia defiantly accuses Ukraine of tragedy. This lie should not affect the investigation of the crime." 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that up to 1.7 billion people – a third of whom are already living in poverty – now face food, energy, and financial disruptions as a result of Russia's war in Ukraine. As the conflict entered 50 days, UN predicted that the ongoing conflict could throw more than 1/5 of humanity into poverty, destitution & hunger on a scale not seen in decades.

President Putin is not refusing to meet with Zelenskyy, but the ground needs to be prepared, Kremlin said. As the war continued for 50 days on Thursday, Moscow said that at present, there is no text for an agreement. Speaking to Republic Media Network previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said that he was ready to discuss eastern region of Dnbas, but only with his Russian counteraprt. 

238 civilians killed in the Donetsk region since Feb 24, the region's governor has said. According to Pavlo Kyrylenko, an additional 772 people were injured. The actual number of casualties is expected to be much higher as there are no data from heavily attacked Mariupol and Volnovakha.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, said that Moscow would have to strengthen its defenses in the region, and "there can be no more talk" of nuclear-free Baltics. Sweden and Finland both have indicated that they might join the US-led military alliance soon. 

Ex-Yukos owner Leonid Nevzlin, who emigrated from Russia, shared unconfirmed insights from his sources in Moscow and claimed Vladimir Putin arrested 20 generals. 

The Command of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine claimed in a statement Thursday that a Ukraine special-operations unit destroyed a bridge as a Russian convoy crossed it while it headed toward Izium in the southeastern Kharkiv region. 

Former President Trump joined President Biden in calling Russia’s war in Ukraine a “genocide” during an interview with Fox News on Wednesday night. Former US President said, "And now add to that what’s going on in Ukraine. That’s a genocide.”

Lithuania’s prime minister Ingrida Simonyte dismissed Russia's warning over joining NATO as "nothing new". BNS agency quoted her being strongly supportive of Sweden and Finland for potentially joining the defence alliance, as saying, "I believe that the presence of these countries as members of the Alliance would, in fact, greatly strengthen both the Alliance and these countries and our security. As soon as such a decision is announced, I hope it will be, I think that the Baltic countries will have a very serious reason to welcome it."

While speaking at the Digital International Relations 2022 conference, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov criticized the West’s determination to silence Russian media amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine. 

A top Ukrainian official has rejected Russian claims that it has taken control of the port in Mariupol and over 1,000 Ukrainian troops surrendered in the besieged south-eastern port city. As the battle for Kyiv’s sovereignty continued for the 50th day, advisor to Ukraine’s Interior Minister Vadym Denysenko denied any information on the mass surrender highlighting that Mariupol still hasn’t fallen. Mariupol has emerged as one of the key battlegrounds in the ongoing war with experts suggesting its fall into Putin’s hand could lead him to establish a direct land corridor between Crimea and mainland Russia. 

“According to official data of (Ukraine’s) Defense Ministry and the General Staff, we haven’t heard anything like that,” Denysenko told Current Time TV Channel. “Moreover, I will say ... that the battle over the seaport is still ongoing today.”

In the latest operational update, Ukraine claimed that Russia lost around 19,900 military personnel among several other losses. 

As per reports, Russia has opened criminal cases into the alleged torture of its soldiers by Ukraine. Russia’s Investigative Committee said also said that it was opening criminal cases into Ukrainian servicemen’s alleged torture of their Russian counterparts.

Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Synehubov reported that Russian forces continued to attack Kharkiv’s residential neighbourhoods over the last 24 hours, killing 4 and wounding 10 others.

In the latest intelligence update, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has said that "Urban centres have faced repeated indiscriminate attacks from Russia throughout the conflict. The towns of Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka are likely to be Russian targets for similar levels of violence."

According to Nexta, at the request of the State Bureau of Investigation in Ukraine, 154 items of property of oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk and his wife have been seized. Among it are thirty land plots, 32 apartments, 23 houses, 17 parking lots, a yacht and a fleet of 26 luxury cars.

Center for Civil Society Studies Maria Kucherenko announced that Russia forcibly issued 12,000 passports to deported Ukrainians on its territory. As per reports, by intimidating the most vulnerable categories of people, namely women, people with disabilities and pensioners, almost 14,000 applications for Russian citizenship were received from them.
 

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said that after the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO, Russia will have more officially registered opponents.

Ministry of Defence has said that Ukrainian forces defending Mariupol are also drawing significant numbers of Russian troops into the area. It means they cannot be deployed elsewhere for the time being. The MoD also says some urban centres have faced heavy attacks from Russia, and that President Putin still has his eyes on the Donbas region for a renewed offensive.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby has said that Mi-17 helicopters, which were previously intended to be sent to Afghanistan, will be provided to Ukraine as part of a new US military aid package.

Ukraine’s prosecutor’s office has said that almost 6,500 alleged war crimes committed by Russian troops in Ukraine are under investigation. A total of 6,492 cases of such crimes have been reported and 197 children have died since the Russia-Ukraine war started. 

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk has announced that today there will be nine humanitarian corridors available for the evacuation of citizens from areas in Ukraine under attack by Russia.

While Colombian President Ivan Duque called the Russian attack on Ukraine 'genocide', Colombian authorities promise to help Western countries partially or completely abandon imports of Russian oil, coal and gas, to replace them with Colombian ones. 
 

The Embassy of the Czech Republic resumes its work in Kyiv after halting operations in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to Nexta Tv, Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, and Helvetic fonts have become unavailable to Russians by the copyright holder's decision. When trying to open a page with the catalogue from Russian IP addresses, an access ban message appears.

While German newspaper Bild previously reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was against German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s visit because of his close ties to Russia in the past President of war-torn country has denied receiving any such request from Berlin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that "Either Russian leadership will seek peace, Russia will leave the international stage forever". He also noted that despite an ongoing offensive and Russia’s negligence towards human life, Moscow has doubts over its ability to break Ukraine.

The United States to provide Ukraine with additional intelligence to target Russian military units in Russian-occupied Donbas and Crimea, stated a report by Wall Street Journal. The report stated that intelligence assistance comes as the White House announced it would send $800 million in additional weapons to Ukraine to help it fight Russia.

Ukraine’s Representative to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya said Russia lost its seat on the Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues to which Ukraine was elected by an overwhelming majority. 

Russian Ministry of Defence has warned that if Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory continue, their armed forces will strike at decision-making centres, including in Kyiv. Attacks on Government Headquarters were something the Russian army has refrained from doing so far.

Russian MoD also stated that Mariupol trade port completely liberated from “Azov” nationalist militants; all hostages rescued; Remaining Ukrainian army & militant units in the city are blocked down and have been left no opportunity to break out; & 36 enemy targets destroyed, including 5 strongholds of 24th separate mechanized brigade in areas of Popasnaya and Barvenkovo, and command post of 15th separate Ukrainian National Guard regiment in Cherkasy.

In the latest operational update on Thursday, Ukraine's general Armed forces stated, "In the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the defenders of Ukraine, eight enemy attacks were beaten last day, destroyed a tank, four units of armoured and six vehicle equipment, as well as one enemy artillery system."

At least two weeks after the mass graves were discovered in Bucha after it was 'liberated' from the Russian army, Ukrainian media outlet Kyiv Independent has stated that the search for dead bodies continues in the town.

In total, the authorities have so far discovered more than 400 people killed in Bucha, according to Kyiv Oblast Governor Oleksandr Pavlik.

In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, the European Space Agency said it has ended cooperation with Russia on three missions to the Moon. ESA said it would “discontinue cooperative activities” on Luna-25, 26 and 27 which are a series of Russian lunar missions on which the European agency planned on testing new equipment and technology.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said that China must help end the war in Ukraine, or it will lose credibility in the world. She further added that the Chinese government must address its "warm relations" with Russia and stop the conflict.

In response to sanctions by the West, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said that Moscow has added 398 members of the US Congress to its travel ban list, and introduced personal sanctions against 87 members of the Senate of Canada.

As per reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to gather forces in the Donbass, which will outnumber the Ukrainians in the ratio of 5 to 1. Troops are reportedly being gathered from all regions for the decisive battle in Donbass.

The Ukrainian Ministry of External Affairs has said that negotiations are ongoing for the exchange of 169 servicemen of Ukraine's National Guard captured at Chornobyl. Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrsky has claimed that Russian forces have taken the soldiers to Russia and Belarus.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to hold a meeting over situation pertaining to country's oil & gas sector amid sanctions imposed by the Western nations. 

Ukraine signed an agreement on a loan from Canada for 500 million Canadian dollars. Minister of Finance of Ukraine, Serhiy Marchenko, signed a loan agreement with the Canadian government to provide Ukraine with 500 million Canadian dollars

On Thursday, Australia introduced fresh sanctions on 14 Russian state-owned enterprises. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement, "Our targeting of Russia’s state-owned enterprises in coordination with key partners undermines their capacity to boost the Russian economy. By preventing dealings with these important sources of revenue for the Russian Government, we are increasing the pressure on Russia and undercutting its ability to continue funding Putin’s war".

White House official said that the Biden administration is mulling sending a top US official to the war-torn country, Ukraine. According to CNN sources, the name of the official is yet to be finalised. However, it added that the administration is considering sending Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin or Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Ukraine. Moreover, the White House official told the American News broadcaster that it is unlikely President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to visit Kyiv anytime soon.

Notably, POTUS Biden visited the neighbouring country of Ukraine, Poland, last month with Austin and other members where he held several rounds of meetings with the Ukrainian delegation. However, his visit was confined to the boundaries of Poland. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the leaders of four NATO nations-- Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia-- visited the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv to lend their support to the embattled country. The leaders travelled by train to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, to meet with their counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and visited Borodyanka, one of the nearby towns where evidence of atrocities was found after Russian troops withdrew to focus on the country’s east. However, Biden chose to stay at home. 

The head of the Odessa regional administration, Maxim Marchenko, confirms the information that the Russian missile cruiser "Moskva" was attacked by "Neptune" anti-ship missiles and inflicted serious damage on the vessel.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced French President Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to call killings in Ukraine “genocide” and for calling Russians "brotherly". During a press conference on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said, "Such things are very painful for us, so I will definitely do my best to discuss this issue with him".

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World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that the world treats humanitarian crises impacting Black and white races unequally as only a "fraction" of attention is given to the places when compared to Ukraine. He questioned whether “the world really gives equal attention to Black and white lives” – given that the ongoing emergencies in Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria have garnered only a “fraction” of the global concern for Ukraine. 

Even though the WHO chief did acknowledge that the Ukraine war is significant, he asked if other crises are being accorded enough attention. Tedros said, "I need to be blunt and honest that the world is not treating the human race the same way...Some are more equal than others. And when I say this, it pains me. Because I see it. Very difficult to accept – but it’s happening.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has welcomed the use of word "genocide" to describe Russia's actions in Ukraine. 

"As President Biden highlighted, there are official processes around determinations of genocide," Trudeau said. "But I think it's absolutely right that more and more people be talking and using the word 'genocide' in terms of what Russia is doing."

The Russian Navy has reportedly confirmed that its flagship Moksva was "seriously damaged" after the explosion. The crew abandoned the ship, as per reports.

United States State Department defended President Joe Biden's remarks that Russia is carrying out a 'genocide' in Ukraine and said that Moscow's forces are killing civilians and destroying Kyiv. Undersecretary of state for political affairs, Victoria Nuland told CNN, "I am going to predict that what President Biden called it is what we will ultimately likely find when we are able to gather all of this evidence".

“Because what is happening on the ground is not an accident,” she said. “It is an intentional decision by Russia, by its forces to destroy Ukraine and its civilian population,” she added.

 A Ukrainian official has rejected Russia’s claims that more than 1,000 Ukrainian troops have surrendered in the besieged southeastern port of Mariupol. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.-Gen. Igor Konashenkov said that 1,026 troops from the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade surrendered at a metals plant in the city.

But Vadym Denysenko, advisor to Ukraine’s Interior Minister, denied the claim in comments to the Current Time TV channel, saying that they haven’t heard anything like that and the battle over the sea port is ongoing, Associated Press reported. 

“According to official data of (Ukraine’s) Defense Ministry and the General Staff, we haven’t heard anything like that,” Denysenko said. “Moreover, I will say ... that the battle over the sea port is still ongoing today.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has weighed in on growing calls to declare Russia’s actions in Ukraine as genocide, saying it is “absolutely right” that the term is being used given rampant allegations of war crimes and other human rights violations. Trudeau made the comments during a news conference Wednesday, a day after U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters that Russia’s conduct in Ukraine appeared to his eyes to be a genocide.

While both North American leaders noted that it will be up to lawyers to determine whether Russia’s actions meet the international standard for genocide, they were nonetheless united in welcoming use of the term.

“It’s absolutely right that more and more people be talking and using the word ‘genocide’ in terms of what Russia is doing,” Trudeau said.

The prime minister went on to list a series of war crimes and human rights violations allegedly perpetrated by Russian forces under the direction of President Vladimir Putin, including deliberate attacks on civilians and the use of sexual violence. Trudeau said they’re attacking “Ukrainian identity and culture.”

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council and the country’s former president has posted threats to Ukrainian authorities on the messaging app Telegram, referring to them as “freaks” and warning them to “carefully look around and firmly lock the doors at night.”

Zelenskyy’s advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, in response, called Medvedev a “nobody,” and said his words were “nasty and, as usual, stupid.”

Ukraine’s detention of fugitive Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, the former leader of a pro-Russian opposition party and a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been met with enthusiasm in Kyiv and irritation in Moscow.

Analysts saying Medvedchuk will become a valuable pawn in the Russia-Ukraine talks to end the devastating war that the Kremlin has unleashed on its ex-Soviet neighbor.

Medvedchuk was detained on Tuesday in a special operation carried out by Ukraine’s state security service, or the SBU. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed that Russia could win Medvedchuk’s freedom by trading Ukrainians now held captive by the Russians. He is facing between 15 years and a life in prison on charges of treason.

Source: Associated Press

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the United States for pledging new $800 million military aid for the Ukrainian forces. The embattled leader said in a video address that he is “sincerely grateful” to Biden for providing weapons, and ammunition as Russian troops tighten their grip on the eastern Donbass region. Zelesnkyy also thanked Baltic leaders of Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia for their visit.

He said those leaders “have helped us from the first day, those who did not hesitate to give us weapons, those who did not doubt whether to impose sanctions.”

Russia’s deputy foreign minister has warned that the Western weapons supplied to Ukraine will be considered as "legitimate military targets" by its troops. 

"In the context of Washington’s reckless support for the militant aspirations of the (Kyiv) regime with its large-scale pumping of modern weapons, any full-scale contacts with the US administration on the situation around Ukraine seem meaningless," Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with TASS.

"We warn you that the US-NATO transports with weapons following the Ukrainian territory are considered by us as legitimate military targets," he asserted. 

"We bring the Americans and other Westerners to the understanding that attempts to slow down our special operation, inflict maximum damage to Russian contingents and formations of the DPR/LPR (Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People's Republic) will be severely suppressed," Ryabkov added. 

Pentagon has announced that it is sending eleven Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine as part of $750M package. The Soviet-era helicopter designed in the mid-1970s was previously intended for Afghanistan. US has provided close to $1.7 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russian invasion on Feb. 24. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asserted that he believs there is "no chance at the moment for a humanitarian cease-fire in Ukraine." Guterres told reporters that the UN has made a number of proposals to Russia on the possibility of local cease-fires, humanitarian corridors, and the evacuation of civilians, “and we are waiting for an answer.”

Guterres sent UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths to Moscow and Kyiv as his special envoy to seek a humanitarian cease-fire, but he said, “at the present moment, a global cease-fire in Ukraine doesn’t seem possible.”

He said the UN proposals to Russia are aimed at minimizing “the dramatic impact” of Russia’s war against Ukraine on civilians and include creating “a mechanism” involving Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations and eventually other humanitarian bodies to permanently manage local cease-fires, humanitarian access, and evacuations to avoid incidents and failures.

As for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reported comment Tuesday that negotiations with Ukraine are at a “dead end,” Guterres said, “I will remind you that we are in an Easter period and the Easter period is about resurrection.”

Source: Associated Press

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on European Union member nations to stop importing oil from Russia. "We need an oil embargo and a concrete readiness from Europe to reject all of the energy sources from Russia," Zelenskyy said in his daily video message. "The European Union has to stop sponsoring the Russian war machine."

More than 500 people have been killed in the city of Kharkiv since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the regional emergency service cliams. 

The tail of a missile sticks out in a residential area in Yahidne, near of Dnipro, Ukraine. (Credit: AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A destroyed self propelled artillery unit is seen on a road near Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Credit: AP/Felipe Dana)

Anatoliy Morykin, 45, is embraced by a relative, while mourning the death of her mother Valentyna Morykina, 82, who died in a retirement home due to poor living conditions during the Russian invasion in Bucha. (Credit: AP/Felipe Dana)

Julia Surypak shows a position of Russian troops in a yard of her house in Yahidne, near of Dnipro, Ukraine. (Credit: AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A firefighter works to extinguish a fire after shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Credit: AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Men wearing protective gear exhume the bodies of civilians killed during the Russian occupation in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine.  (Credit: AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ireland is expected to welcome an estimated 30,000 Ukrainian refugees by the end of April, the Cabinet announced. The Irish government will reportedly have to add Ukrainian refugee support in Budget 2023, a government spokesperson told Independent.ie. 600 Ukrainian refugees have been arriving in the neighbouring nation each day and the country has admitted total of 14,600 refugees so far. Nearly 28,000 will have arrived by Easter and 30,000 by the end of April.

Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces has said that Airborne Assault Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has destroyed the Russian military column. It went on to add that the mobile control point was under the leadership of the 4th Battalion Tactical Group (Operative Subordination) of the 201st Military Base of the Central Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. 

A $13.6 billion emergency package of military and humanitarian aid for besieged Ukraine and its European allies easily won final congressional approval. With Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion killing thousands and forcing over 2 million others to flee, the Senate approved the $1.5 trillion overall legislation by a 68-31 bipartisan margin. 

“We promised the Ukrainian people they would not go at it alone in their fight against Putin,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said just before the vote. “And once we pass this funding in a short while, we will keep that promise.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said approval “proves once more that members of both parties can come together to deliver results for the American people” — a phenomenon in short supply in recent years.

She also prodded lawmakers to revive money “urgently needed to prevent severe disruptions to our COVID response.”

Source: Associated Press

A Soviet-era 6-ton military drone that allegedly came from the Ukrainian skies has crashed in the Croatian capital. The military drone surpassed over three European NATO member states--including Romania, Hungary, and then finally entered the Croatian capital Zagreb, where it crashed. 

Russian bombing of the northeastern city of Kharkiv has increased significantly, Kharkiv's mayor Ihor Terekhov said, adding that among the casualties are also the children. 

"The enemy is bombing residential homes, residential areas. Unfortunately, there are civilian casualties - the worst thing is that children are dying," the mayor said in a national television address. 

United States' Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has urged China to use its “special relationship with Russia” to persuade Russia to end the war in Ukraine.  Speaking at the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan think tank, on Wednesday, Yellen said Beijing “cannot expect the global community to respect its appeals to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity in the future if it does not respect these principles now.”

Yellen’s speech comes a week before the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington. Her direct appeal to China underscores an increasing frustration that the United States and its allies have with a country that has only deepened its ties with Russia since the invasion of Ukraine.

“The world’s attitude towards China and its willingness to embrace further economic integration may well be affected by China’s reaction to our call for resolute action on Russia,” she said.

Yellen said that countries that undermine the sanctions the U.S. and its allies have imposed on Russia will face consequences for their actions. Leaving open the question of what the consequences for flouting the sanctions could be, Yellen said Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine has “redrawn the contours” of the global economy, which includes “our conception of international cooperation going forward.”

Source: Associated Press

Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have hit 1,325 objects of the military infrastructure of Ukraine including 43 command posts and communication centers of the Armed Forces Ukraine since it began the invasion on Feb. 24, Russia's Ministry of Defense has said. Russian troops have carried out a strike with long-range air and sea-based high-precision weapons. Two airfields and three air defense radar posts were hit. The strikes, claims Russia, excluded the defeat of civilian infrastructure and residential buildings.

Russian troops have destroyed 395 tanks and other armored combat vehicles of Ukraine's military, 59 multiple rocket launch systems, 179 field artillery and mortars, and 286 units of special military vehicles.

Ukraine has detained pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk who the authorities say had plotted to escape Ukraine by crossing into the breakaway region of Transnistria. Medvedchuk, the close ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin who President Zelenskyy has offered to exchange for prisoners of war (POW) was arrested by Ukraine's SBU intelligence service. 

The Russian defense ministry has said that its invading forces have taken full control of the sea port of Mariupol. The announcement comes as Ukraine's Army asserts that the southern Ukrainian port city is still contested. 

Ukraine's defence ministry has claimed that bodies of more than 1,500 Russian soldiers has been lying in the morgues in Dnipro. The city's deputy mayor announced on Telegram that he would be "allowing Russian mothers to take the bodies of their sons." Ukraine Army claims that as many as 20,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the conflict since the brutal invasion on Feb. 24. 

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen warned Wednesday against sending any more weapons to Ukraine, and called for a rapprochement between NATO and Russia once Moscow’s war in Ukraine winds down. Asked about military aid to Ukraine, Le Pen said she would continue defense and intelligence support.

“(But) I’m more reserved about direct arms deliveries. Why? Because ... the line is thin between aid and becoming a co-belligerent,” the far-right leader said, citing concerns about an “escalation of this conflict that could bring a whole number of countries into a military commitment.”

Le Pen, an outspoken nationalist who has long ties to Russia and has supported Vladimir Putin in the past, also confirmed that if she unseats President Emmanuel Macron in France’s April 24 presidential runoff, she will pull France out of NATO’s military command and dial back French support for the whole European Union.

Macron, a pro-EU centrist, is facing a harder-than-expected fight to stay in power, in part because the economic impact of the war is hitting poor households the hardest. France’s European partners are worried that a possible Le Pen presidency could undermine Western unity as the U.S. and Europe seek to support Ukraine and end Russia’s ruinous war on its neighbour.

Source: AP

The Russian Ministry of Defence on Wednesday warned that Moscow's forces will hit 'decision-making centres' in Ukraine if attacks against Russia continue.

The head of the World Health Organization slammed the global community Wednesday for its almost singular focus on the war in Ukraine, arguing that crises elsewhere, including his home country of Ethiopia, don’t receive equal consideration, possibly because those suffering aren’t white.

In a press briefing, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he didn’t know “if the world really gives equal attention to black and white lives,” given that the ongoing emergencies in Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria have garnered only a “fraction” of the global concern for Ukraine.

Experts commissioned by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe say they found “clear patterns” of violations of international humanitarian law by Russian forces in Ukraine.

OSCE member countries authorized a study in early March, and the three professors chosen to conduct it -- Wolfgang Benedek, Veronika Bílková and Marco Sassòli -- were selected by Ukraine.

Their report, issued Wednesday, said that if the Russian forces had respected their obligations “in terms of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack and concerning specially protected objects such as hospitals, the number of civilians killed or injured would have remained much lower.”

The experts found “some violations and problems” in Ukrainian practices, voicing concern about the treatment of prisoners of war.

The report said Russia responded by saying it considered the mechanism under which the experts were appointed “largely outdated and redundant” and declined to appoint a liaison person, referring them to official government statements and briefings.

The Channel Island of Jersey says it is freezing assets connected to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich estimated to be worth over $7 billion.

The Law Offices Department of Jersey, a tax haven long known for drawing large amounts of foreign direct investment, said Wednesday that the assets being targeted were either located in Jersey, or owned by Jersey-incorporated entities.

It said that police also executed a search warrant Tuesday at addresses suspected to be connected to Abramovich’s business activities. It didn’t provide details.

Abramovich, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been sanctioned by the U.K. government and the European Union. The 55-year-old tycoon has assumed an unofficial role in the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia aimed at ending the war.

In a recently released report, OSCE said that nearly half a million Ukrainians have been forcibly deported to Russia. In addendum, the security organization also stated the Kremlin troops brutally tortured Ukrainians in the occupied cities. 

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has released a new video in which he warns that the war will become an “endless bloodbath, spreading misery, suffering, and destruction” without additional weaponry. Ukraine has been demanding heavy, lethal weaponry as the Russian invasion continues for the sixth week. 

"We need heavy artillery, armored vehicles, air defense systems, and combat aircraft. Freedom must be armed better than tyranny. Western countries have everything to make it happen. The final victory over the tyranny and the number of people saved depends on them," he said. 

European Space Agency (ESA) has announced the suspension of cooperation with Russia on lunar missions. This comes days after the country's president Vladimir Putin announced a partnership with Belarus in future space missions. 

The Czech Republic has reopened its embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. In a statement, country's Foreign Ministry said, "It is one of many steps expressing our support for Ukraine. Czechia has and always will stand behind Ukraine." 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba recently had telephonic conversations with his British counterpart Lizz Truss. During the talks, both the leaders underscored the importance of speeding up arms deliveries to Ukraine. He also thanked Johnson administration for its arms supplies. 

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Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who is set to contest incumbent Emmanuel Macron in upcoming Presidential elections, has said that if she is elected she'll pull her country out of NATO's integrated military command. 

The UK government has announced new sanctions for 206 individuals, including 178 separatists, six oligarchs, their close associates and employees, and an additional 22 individuals. 

In a statement, Foreign Secretary Lizz Truss said, "In the wake of horrific rocket attacks on civilians in eastern Ukraine, we are today sanctioning those who prop up the illegal breakaway regions and are complicit in atrocities against the Ukrainian people." She further added, "We will continue to target all those who aid and abet Putin’s war."

More than 2,600 civilians have died since the Russian invasion began on February 24, as per Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi. He also revealed that the invaders have been trying to hide their crimes. A similar statement was earlier made by the Mariupol mayor who accused Russians of blocking humanitarian aid to conceal their carnage. 

Ukrainian Interior Minister has said that Groups of National Guard are defending Mariupol, as the battle in the besieged city intensifies. "We won't give up the city & we're making humanitarian corridors to evacuate the civilians," he said. Speaking to Republic Media Network, he also accused Russian troops of using prohibited weapons.

Russia can easily direct its fuel imports away from the West to countries that need them, President Vladimir Putin has said. He further said that domestic consumption of oil, gas and coal can also be increased. Putin also accused “unfriendly countries” of destroying supply chains in Russia’s Arctic regions and said some nations were not fulfilling their contractual obligations, which he said had created problems for Russia.

Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, speaking to Republic Media Network said that Chernobyl nuclear plant is currently under Ukrainian control. He also revealed that Russian troops stole from the nuclear power plant during its occupation. Watch it LIVE here:

Speaking at a joint news conference with her Swedish counterpart, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters, "There are different perspectives to apply (for) Nato membership or not to apply and we have to analyze these very carefully. But I think our process will be quite fast, it will happen in weeks". Her response came days after Moscow asked for security guarantees from the Scandinavian nation. 

Ukrainians continue to demand heavy weapons from the west as Russia escalates offensives in the eastern Donbas region. On Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to South Korea to send lethal weapons such as war tanks and anti-aircraft weapons. However, Seoul refused his demand and said that it will continue to send only non lethal supplies to Kyiv. 

A "graveyard" of destroyed cars has been set up in Bucha, pictures of whom have been released online by the Ukrainian ministry of communication. Many of the vehicles that were hit had 'children' written on it. 

Ukrainian intelligence reports claimed that Kremlin has ordered Russian troops to destroy any evidence of their war crimes. This is the reason they are using mobile crematoriums. At least 13 mobile crematoriums in Mariupol, were recorded to carry out street cleansing of the bodies of dead civilians.

Ukrainian intelligence reports claimed that Kremlin has ordered Russian troops to destroy any evidence of their war crimes. This is the reason they are using mobile crematoriums. At least 13 mobile crematoriums in Mariupol, were recorded to carry out street cleansing of the bodies of dead civilians.

Speaking to Republic, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that Putin has the idea to rebuild the Soviet Empire. He said that it isn't a secret that Kyiv could be targeted again by the Russian troops. 

8 Russian cargo ships and 2 tankers that were in Odesa ports for maintenance will now “serve in the interests of Ukraine to restore its economy,” the State Border Guard Service said on April 13, according to Kyiv Independent.

The regional military administration spokesperson Ivan Ariefiev has said that Russia used white phosphorus bombs in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. No casualties have been reported yet but the usage of such weapons is in violation of the Geneva Conventions.

According to local media Ukraine 24, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol has said Russians are planning to hold a parade in Mariupol on May 9. Petro Andryushchenko cited the information he received to state that Ivashchenko received an order to clean part of the Central district of the city from debris and the bodies of the dead in order to ensure the parade on May 9

Netflix's lawyers told Sputnik that Russian users are suing Netflix to make it pay 60 million rubles (over $700,000) in compensation for the exit from the Russian market.

As per reports, the US Department of Defence or Pentagon will hold a private session today with eight leading US weapon manufacturers to discuss arms supplies to Ukraine if the war with Russia continues for years.

Russian Embassy in the US says comments on the possibility of Moscow using chemical weapons are "provocative". Russian Embassy in Washington said statements posted on Facebook, "We took note of the provocative statements made by Press Secretary of the U.S. Department of State Ned #Price at a briefing on April 12".

"Ned Price once again distinguished himself by his idle talk, not substantiated by a single piece of evidence," teh embassy said.

Ukrainian intelligence reports that Russia's leadership ordered to destroy any evidence of its army's crimes and therefore uses mobile crematoriums. Notably, in Mariupol 13 mobile crematoriums were recorded to carry out street cleansing of the bodies of dead civilians.

The Russian defence ministry has said that 1,026 soldiers of Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade, including 162 officers, have surrendered in Mariupol. The ministry said in a statement, "In the town of Mariupol, near the Ilyich Iron and Steel Works, as a result of successful offensives by Russian armed forces and Donetsk People’s Republic militia units, 1,026 Ukrainian soldiers of the 36th Marine Brigade voluntarily laid down arms and surrendered".

According to Kyiv Independent, Ukraine's Prosecutor General has said that at least 191 children in Ukraine have died since the war began in February. The office added that 349 have been left wounded due to the conflict.

French President Emmanuel Macron refused to describe Russian measures in Ukraine as "genocide". In an interview with public broadcaster France 2, Macron was asked if he would use the term "genocide" like his American counterpart Joe Biden. French President said, "I want to continue to try, as much as I can, to stop this war and rebuild peace. I am not sure that an escalation of rhetoric serves that cause."

“What we can say for sure is that the situation is unacceptable and that these are war crimes. We are living through war crimes that are unprecedented on our soil — our European soil," he said.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia lost almost 19,800 of its soldiers.

European Union's (EU) Ambassador to Ukraine, Matti Maasikas told Sky News, "The Ukrainian’s EU path has started. And it has started with an unprecedented speed. What is normally being done over a two year period is now being attempted in three months, namely the first assessment by the European Commission of Ukraine’s compliance with the basic criteria of membership, namely a working democracy and a working market economy. Or that’s the working assumption – to hear more in June."

Posting images from Borodianka in Kyiv region, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry stated, "The scale of destruction is enormous. The Russian military did not allow local residents to dismantle the rubble of residential buildings in order to find those who could survive."
 

Vadym Boichenko, mayor of besieged city of Mariupol said in televised remarks this morning that more than 100,000 people remained in the city awaiting evacuation.

Serhiy Kotenko, Colonel, Commander of the Vinnytsia Scythians Battalion died in battles near Ukraine's  Mykolaiv. Member of the Anti-Terrorist Operation fought in the Aidar Battalion. In 2014, he headed the Haisyn District State Administration and resigned to return to military service, as per reports.

UK man Aiden Aslin, fighting for Ukraine was reportedly forced to surrender in Mariupol to Russian forces. His mother, Ang Wood, told the BBC, "He called me and said they have no weapons left to fight".

“I love my son. He is my hero. They put up one hell of a fight,” she said, calling on British leader Boris Johnson “to take [Russian President Vladimir] Putin down.”

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk  said it was impossible to open any humanitarian corridors in Ukraine for Wednesday.

The Dutch government has arrested 20 yachts linked to Russian businessmen which will now remain under arrest until sanctions against Russia are lifted.

Jakub Kumoch, who heads the Polish International Policy Bureau and is accompanying the Polish president said “our goal is to support President Zelensky and the defenders of Ukraine at a crucial moment."

According to the UN’s human rights agency, as of April 11, Russia’s full-on war in Ukraine has killed 1,892 and injured 2,558 civilians, including 71 children killed and 144 injured since Feb. 24.

NATO has now warned of a new ‘complex and bloody’ escalation. NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoană has claimed that the ongoing war will move on to a new phase that will "be more complex, different in nature from the first stage" of the war. Geoană warned of a phase that will have ‘classic’ warfare with more civilian casualties.

According to Ukraine Now, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoană shed light on the civilian killings in Ukraine and stated that the war will escalate to a new phase. "We will have a quick entry into the second stage of this war, which is already very bloody. It will be more complex, different in nature from the first stage, in a much wider area, both in the east, in the Donbass and in the south, towards the Crimea and Mariupol,” Geoană said as cited by Ukraine Now.

Russia is pulling troops into the Belgorod region for an offensive in eastern Ukraine, stated local media reports after satellite images emerge of the area.

In the latest update posted by Ukraine's General Armed forces, Kyiv authorities claimed that Russia is reorganising the movement of its military equipment, weapons and personnel to regions in eastern Ukraine. 

In the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukrainian soldiers repelled six Russian attacks over the past 24 hours, and destroyed two units of automobile equipment and three enemy artillery systems, officials added. Russia has also “significantly reduced the use of aviation due to weather conditions,” the report said.

Lithuanian president, Gitanas Nausėda is on his way to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to "strong message of political support”.

“Heading to Kyiv with a strong message of political support and military assistance,” Nausėda posted to Twitter this morning. “Lithuania will continue backing Ukraine’s fight for its sovereignty and freedom.”

Even earlier this month, Biden accused Russia of committing war crimes in the Ukrainian city of Bucha after photo evidence emerged of bodies lying in the streets and mass graves. Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly levelled the “genocide” claim against Putin, and Russian forces. However, since Biden’s remarks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed his American counterpart for “calling things by their names”.

After reports emerged that a Russian drone had dropped a “poisonous substance” on troops and civilians in Mariupol, world’s chemical weapons watchdog Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in a statement, "The Technical Secretariat of the OPCW is monitoring closely the situation in Ukraine. The Secretariat is concerned by the recent unconfirmed report of chemical weapons use in Mariupol, which has been carried in the media over the past 24 hours."

"This follows reports in the media over the past few weeks of shelling targeted at chemical plants located in Ukraine, together with accusations levelled by both sides around possible misuse of toxic chemicals. All 193 OPCW Member States, including the Russian Federation and Ukraine, are parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international treaty of major importance in the field of disarmament that has been in force since 1997. In doing so, they have solemnly and voluntarily committed never to develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, transfer or use chemical weapons," OPCW added.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Washington cannot confirm that Russia used chemical weapons in Mariupol. Washington is trying to find out what really happened. Blinken added, "But we had credible information that the Russian military could use a variety of substances to quell riots, including tear gas mixed with chemicals, which could disrupt Ukrainian fighters and civilians in Mariupol."

Russian heavy military equipment reportedly moving towards Finnish border after Finland announced its intention to join NATO.

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The intelligence officials are still monitoring if its disclosures of previously-classified information about the Russia-Ukraine war have compromised any “sources and methods” which are heavily guarded, said the US director of national intelligence, Avril Haines on Tuesday. According to CNN, during the public remarks at the Meridian International Center, Haines said that the intelligence community is “cautious” and is still determining if it made the right decision. According to her, they will only know if their methods and sources of disclosures ‘burned’ in the long term.

“We are cautious, but continue to look to see whether or not we made the right calculation in doing that, because it's a long term thing to see whether or not you actually burn your sources and methods through disclosures,” Haines said. 

The US director of National Intelligence said that the community “took a little bit of additional risk than I think we might otherwise take” in releasing information related to Russia’s planning of Ukraine’s invasion. But, Haines added that “we all agreed to it and achieved consensus” within the intelligence community. Her remarks on secret information around the Russia-Ukraine war in the second month of conflict, provide a rare window into the closely-guarded deliberations within the US President Joe Biden’s administration. 

Members of the US Congress said the Biden administration and its allies will not stand by if chemical weapons were used in the Russian war with Ukraine.  Lawmakers monitoring developments during a trip to Poland said Tuesday that the U.S. is investigating reports that a poisonous substance had been dropped in Mariupol. But they cautioned that determining the nature of the attack in the beleaguered port city could take time.

“We’re taking those reports seriously and I know the United States government and others are trying to determine if that did indeed occur,” said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. Crow said the administration “has been very clear that the use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the world Tuesday to respond to Russia’s use of a poisonous substance in Mariupol.

“Given the repeated threats by Russian propagandists to use chemical weapons against the Mariupol defenders and given the repeated use by the Russian army, for example, of phosphorus munitions in Ukraine, the world must react now,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation.

The governor of the Lugansk region said on Tuesday that since the start of the Russian invasion in late February, about  400 civilians have been buried in the town of Severodonetsk near the frontline in eastern Ukraine. Referring to civilians, Serhiy Gaidai said, "In Severodonetsk, pits are dug with a tractor and graves are systematised in the register... During the 48 days of the war about 400 burials".

US President Joe Biden described Russia’s actions in Ukraine as “genocide” for the first time in a speech in Iowa on Tuesday. While delivering remarks in Menlo, Biden directly levelled an accusation against Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing ‘genocide’ in Ukraine. Shortly after US President condemned Russian atrocities in Ukraine over the last 48 days of the Moscow-Kyiv war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy hailed Biden’s remarks as “True words of a true leader”.

“I’m doing everything within my power by executive orders to bring down the price and address the Putin price hike,” Biden said. 

He added, “Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide half a world away.”

Later, while talking to reporters before boarding the Air Force One, Biden appeared to double down on his ‘genocide’ claim but also added that his lawyers would be the ones to ultimately determine if Putin is committing genocide in Ukraine. US President told the reporters, “It’s become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of being Ukrainian.”

“The evidence is mounting…And we’re gonna only learn more and more about the devastation, and we’ll let the lawyers decide internationally whether or not it qualifies but it sure seems that way to me,” he added as Russia Ukraine war entered the sixth week after it started on February 24.
 

German DIY retailer OBI will transfer its Russian chain into trust management to be sold later, business daily Vedomosti reported on Tuesday. According to Russian state media RT, the decision to sell off business in Russia came after several weeks of an open confrontation between the Russian management of the chain and the parent company.

In an update on social media, Ukraine's Interior Ministry has announced that it received $4 million worth of equipment to digitise Russia’s war crimes. It said in a statement, "Two private companies, AXON and Benish GPS, have donated $4 million worth of special equipment (chest video recorders) to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine".

"It will allow Ukrainian law enforcement to effectively collect and digitise evidence of Russia’s war crimes against Ukraine,” the ministry noted while adding that the equipment is considered to be “one of the best examples in its field”.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a swap of Vladimir Putin's closest ally in Ukraine in exchange for Ukrainians captured by Russian forces. Ukrainian President said, "I propose to the Russian Federation to exchange this guy of yours" for Ukrainian citizens n Russian captivity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy, in the latest national address, announced that oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in Ukraine was now captured by Kyiv's forces. On his official Telegram account, Ukraine's President posted a picture of Medvedchuk in handcuffs. Medvedchuk is the leader of the biggest opposition party in Ukraine, the Opposition Platform for Life. It is one of the many parties suspended by the Ukrainian government in March over Russian links.