Russia Ukraine war updates: Ukrainian journalist Maks Levin found dead in Kyiv

Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba stated that the new fifth package of European Union sanctions against Russia will close the way around the imposed restrictions. He further stated that as of now, the European Union has implemented four packages of sanctions and that their implementation is conducted on a daily basis, and loopholes are found.

After the towns of Bucha and Irpin were retaken by Ukraine from retreating Russian forces, horrifying photographs and videos have come out. The photographs appear to show that Russian forces killed residents in Bucha in a deliberate, systematic manner, notably men, who were found shot dead, with their wrists tied behind their backs. Houses were razed, cars burnt, and bodies of civilians were strewn over the streets.

Britain's foreign secretary, Liz Truss, stated that the UK is working with others to collect evidence of Russian war crimes based on new intelligence from the Kyiv region.

She said, "Appalled by atrocities in Bucha and other towns in Ukraine. Reports of Russian forces targeting innocent civilians are abhorrent."

Ukraine's deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar stated on Facebook that Ukrainian soldiers have retaken control of the whole territory of the Kyiv region. She said that the enemy is expelled from Irpin, Bucha, Gostomel, and the entire Kyiv region.

The former head prosecutor of the United Nations war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, Carla Del Ponte has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to be placed under international arrest. She stated that Putin is a war criminal.

She was particularly disturbed by Russia's use of mass graves in its assault on Ukraine, which she compared to the worst of the former Yugoslavia's wars. She said that she never wanted to see mass graves again.

(AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he had a conversation with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson again, claiming that the United Kingdom is a powerful ally of Ukraine. He further said that they talked about the topic of defence support for Ukraine, as well as the tightening of anti-Russian sanctions and post-war security guarantees. He also said that the donors' summit for Ukraine is something they are looking forward to.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of demonstrators protested in the middle of a snowstorm in Bern, Switzerland, to demand an end to Russia's disastrous conflict in Ukraine. According to organisers, roughly 10,000 people marched through the city in a sea of blue and yellow Ukrainian flags with a rainbow-coloured sprinkling of PEACE banners.

A Russian group that tracks political arrests suggests that 208 individuals were detained in nationwide protests against Russia's military incursion in Ukraine on Saturday. The group also said that demonstrations were held in 17 Russian cities ranging from Siberia to the more heavily populated areas in the west. The organisation also stated that more than 70 people were detained in Moscow and a similar number in St. Petersburg.

Lithuania has refused Russian gas in order to achieve full energy independence from Russia, in response to Russia's energy blackmail in Europe and the war in Ukraine. The Lithuanian gas transmission system has been running without Russian gas imports since the beginning of this month.

Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko announced that Belarus will begin paying in rubles for Russian oil and gas this year. He stated that in order to pay for energy resources, they moved to rubles. He also claimed that this is crucial and decoupling settlements from the dollar is something they have been working towards for a long time, and they will soon be paying in Russian rubles, according to Russian media.

He also stated that this is not because Moscow suddenly expects the West to pay in Russian money and that they have always pushed for it because it's economically favourable to them. Golovchenko said that they will pay in Russian rubles for oil and gas this year.

After Ukrainian forces retook the village of Bucha near Kyiv from Russian troops on Saturday, the dead bodies of at least 20 men dressed in civilian clothes were discovered lying in a single street, according to local reports. The remains of the males were thrown across a residential road in a suburb town northwest of the capital, with one of the men's hands tied, and the bodies were strewn over several hundred metres.

After Moscow's attempt to encircle Kyiv failed, Russian forces retreated from many towns near the capital in recent days, prompting Ukraine to declare Bucha "liberated."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office on Saturday released footage of him chairing to cabinet meeting to discuss economic reforms despite the war raging across the country.

The session focused on simplifying the country's taxation system and attracting foreign and domestic funds, the presidential office said, apparently in a defiant show of normality.

It would have seemed little more than regular government business were it not for the khaki t-shirts the president and some officials donned during the meeting.

The session was attended in person by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Economic Development and Trade Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and ruling party fraction leader Davyd Arakhamia among others.

Earlier this week, Zelenskyy said that the war was entering a critical stage as the Russian military appeared to be retreating across several fronts and the Ukrainian military's counter-offensives saw various parts of the Kyiv region liberated of foreign troops.

(Source: AP)

Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the president’s chief of staff, says the sanctions imposed on Russia aren’t enough.

Russian missiles hit railroad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, train traffic halted.

Russian soldiers shelled a hospital in Balakliya. The building is partially damaged. Evacuation is necessary for 70 patients and medical staff, said head of the Kharkiv regional administration Oleg Sinegubov. Balakliya is a city in Kharkiv region, occupied by Russian troops.

(Source: Nexta)

Ukrainian journalist Maks Levin found dead in Kyiv, preliminary findings claim he was killed in a crossfire. 

A series of blasts has torn through the Ukrainian city of Enerhodar nearby the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Ukraine’s state nuclear agency reported about Saturday’s attacks on its official Telegram channel.

Both the city and the plant, which generates over a fifth of Ukraine’s electricity and is one of the largest nuclear facilities in Europe, have been under Russian control since March 4, according to Interfax Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Saturday, shared a short clip in which he can be seen taking meetings with his Cabinet ministers to ensure that the Ukrainian economy develops even in wartime. "We attract our own and partner funds. Consider the transition to a simplified system of taxation. We provide sowing," Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.

A prominent Ukrainian photojournalist who went missing last month in a combat zone near the capital has been found dead.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s office said in a statement Saturday that Maks Levin was killed with two gunshots, fired allegedly by the Russian military. Levin’s body was found in the Huta Mezhyhirska village on Friday.

Levin, 40, worked as a photojournalist and videographer for many Ukrainian and international publications.

Levin has been missing since March 13, when he contacted his friend from Vyshhorod near Kyiv to report on the fighting in the region.

The former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has called for an international arrest warrant to be issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Putin is a war criminal,” Carla Del Ponte told Swiss newspaper Le Temps in an interview published Saturday. In interviews given to Swiss media to mark the release of her latest book, the Swiss lawyer who oversaw ICC war crimes investigations in Rwanda, Syria and the former Yugoslavia, said there were clear war crimes being committed in Ukraine.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says a team of nine staffers is trying to get to the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol again after it had to abandon an earlier attempt when conditions on the ground made it impossible to proceed.

The humanitarian group said the team with three vehicles was on the way to help facilitate the safe passage of civilians on Saturday after a failed attempt Friday.

At least 33 people have been killed and 34 injured in a Russian rocket strike on the regional government building in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv. Ukrainian officials gave the latest death toll in a statement Saturday, updating the numbers of the deadly strike that hit Mykolaiv on Tuesday.

According to a report by Nexta, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's economic advisor Oleg Ustenko said that Ukrainian authorities lost around one trillion dollars due to the ongoing war. According to him Ukrainian authorities expect to receive $400 billion from the frozen Russian assets into the reconstruction fund.

As Russian forces pull back from Ukraine’s capital region, retreating troops are creating a “catastrophic” situation for civilians by leaving mines around homes, abandoned equipment and “even the bodies of those killed,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Saturday.

Ukraine and its Western allies reported mounting evidence of Russia withdrawing its forces from around Kyiv and building up troop strength in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian fighters reclaimed several areas near the capital after forcing the Russians out or moving in after them, officials said.

Catch the latest updates here:

A day after Russian forces left the heavily contaminated Chernobyl nuclear site, the Ukrainian flag is again visible over the plant. As per the officials of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the operating personnel of the station raised it on April 2.

Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, on Saturday, said that the sanctions that were imposed on Moscow were not working properly as the Russian currency was getting stronger. Notably, he was referring to the recent decision taken by Russian President Vladimir Putin wherein he compelled the unfriendly countries to pay in rubles. 

Citing the reports of Energoatom, Kyiv Independent reported that the Russian forces arrested an unknown number of people opposing the Russian occupation in a peaceful rally in Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Also, it said that the locals heard loud explosions and “massive shelling” sounds in the city soon after.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned his people early Saturday that retreating Russian forces were creating “a complete disaster” outside the capital as they leave mines across “the whole territory,” even around homes and corpses.

He issued the warning as the humanitarian crisis in the encircled city of Mariupol deepened, with Russian forces blocking evacuation operations for the second day in a row, and the Kremlin accused the Ukrainians of launching a helicopter attack on a fuel depot on Russian soil.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declined to comment on whether he ordered an attack on a Russian fuel depot. In an interview with FOX News, Zelenskyy said he does not discuss any orders he issues as commander in chief. Earlier, the secretary of Ukraine’s national security council denied allegations from Moscow that two Ukrainian helicopter gunships had struck the facility in the city of Belgorod north of the border at around dawn Friday.

Russian troops are not only taking Ukrainian children hostage but also using them as human shields during the tactical repositioning from the Kyiv area, alleged Ukraine's defence ministry spokesperson Col. Oleksandr Motuzyanyk. In a news briefing on Friday, the top Ukrainian commander also said that the Russian ‘occupiers’ are using the children in order to prevent locals from revealing the coordinates of troops’ movements. 

"The enemies have been using Ukrainian children as a living shield when moving their convoys, their vehicles, according to reports by local civilians," Ukraine's defence ministry spokesperson.

He added, “Occupiers use those children as hostages as a guarantee that local civilians will not provide the enemy's coordinates to Ukrainian defenders."

Russian forces have abducted another mayor of Tavriya, the second such incident since the war started between both countries on February 24. Earlier, Melitopol's mayor was kidnapped.

British transport minister Grant Shapps said on Saturday that he has prevented the use of yet another private jet linked to Russian oligarchs. He said, "This morning I've prevented the use of another jet that has links to Russian oligarchs. We won’t stand by and watch those who’ve made millions through Putin’s patronage live their lives in peace as innocent blood is shed."

Starlink has resumed mobile communications in Irpin and Romanivka, recaptured by Ukraine from Russia. This is the first such case in Ukraine and the second in the world, the Ukrainian media reported.

Amid unwavering support from the European Union (EU), Russia's former President Dmitry Medvedev claims that Ukraine cannot join the EU because Brussels is "controlled by Washington" and it needs to be a member of NATO to get in there.  Obviously, he has nothing heard of Austria, Finland, Ireland or Sweden.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday declared “I do not discuss any of my orders” as Russia continued to blame Kyiv for the "helicopter attack" on the oil depot in Belgorod. When asked if he had ordered such an attack, Zelenskyy said, “I'm sorry I do not discuss any of my orders as commander in chief, the leader of this state. There are things which I only share with the military armed forces of Ukraine and when they talk with me”. 

"You need to understand that on that territory that you mentioned they were placing their shooting systems and were firing missiles themselves," he added.

Zelenskyy’s remarks came after Russia accused Ukraine of attacking a fuel depot in Belgorod on Friday. If Ukraine had ordered it, it would have been Kyiv’s first attack inside the Russian territory. 

Against the backdrop of the Russia Ukraine war, the United States is planning to send Soviet-made tanks to war-stricken Ukraine. In a key development, an unnamed US official told The New York Times on Friday said that the US is working with allies and partners to send Soviet-made tanks to Ukraine.

The United States will work with allies to transfer Soviet-made tanks to Ukraine to strengthen its defences in the Donbas region, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing an unnamed US official. 

This key development comes following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's appeal to his EU partners and NATO Alliance to deploy their aircraft, tanks, and weaponry in Ukraine to safeguard the territories being pounded fiercely by the assaulting Russian forces.

China said on Saturday that it is not a party to the Ukrainian crisis, and its trade relations with other countries should not be affected. The statement from Wang Lutong, head of the European Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, came after Moscow ramped up gas supply to Beijing through the Power of Siberia pipeline amid the increasing Western boycott. 

"China is not a party to the Ukrainian conflict. And we do not think that it should affect our normal trade with any other country," he said, as per the Tass agency. "Even Europe is engaged in normal business relations with Russia, you did not cease your trade with Russia. Therefore, our normal trade cooperation with Russia should not be affected."

A massive explosion shook a Russian fuel station in the city of Belgorod near the border in the early hours of Friday amid the ongoing Russia Ukraine war. Russia said that Ukraine had attacked the facility, but Kyiv denied any involvement.

Ukraine's national security council secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, denied responsibility. He said that the Russian charges against them do not correspond to reality.

“For some reason, they say that we did it, but in fact, this does not correspond with reality,” he said on Ukrainian television according to the Associated Press.

The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, stated on Friday that he would be leading assistance and support mission to Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant "as soon as possible" in the coming days, to guarantee the facility's safety. According to The Wall Street Journal, Grossi has returned to Vienna on Friday following a three-day journey to Ukraine and Russia. The IAEA chief further met with officials from both countries to discuss safeguarding Ukraine's nuclear facilities security.  Taking to Twitter, Grossi said that the mission "will be the first in a series of such nuclear safety and security missions to Ukraine." 

The first EU leader to visit Ukraine amid the ongoing Moscow-Kyiv war told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that “If you win, the world wins”. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Friday met with the Ukrainian President in Kyiv during the one-day visit and showcased strong support for the 27-nation-bloc. She also told Zelenskyy that the assembly supports Ukraine’s hope to start the process of joining the European Union (EU). 

Metsola said, “You are us and we are you. But at the same time, you are also fighting our war, you are fighting for fundamental principles that this continent has for so many centuries defended.”

“I also come here with the message of this is ‘the whatever it takes’ moment. So I would like to make sure that you have everything that you need in your hands in order for you to win this war…Because if you win, the world wins,” she also said. 

Russia has pumped more than planned gas in China through the Power of Siberia pipeline, said Russian gas company Gazprom on Friday. With repeated calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the West to stop buying Russian gas, the US and European nations have moved to decrease the supplies from Moscow. In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war which has now entered the 38th day, the European Union has even planned to boycott Russian gas in the coming years.

The Russian gas major’s report on the first-quarter results stated that the exports between both the nations through a pipeline in Siberia were part of a contract between Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). In a message shared on Telegram on Friday, Gazprom said, “Gazprom continues to supply gas in accordance with consumer requests in full compliance with contractual obligations”.

“Gas supplies to China are growing via the Power of Siberia gas pipeline under a bilateral long-term contract between Gazprom and CNPC,” it added.

UNESCO claims 53 Ukrainian historic & religious sites since the Russia-led war began on February 24. In addition, the UN's cultural agency stated that it used satellite imagery and witness reports to confirm damage inflicted upon 29 religious sites, 16 historic buildings, four museums and four monuments. 

It was further stated that Kharkiv sustained the maximum damage with 18 affected sites, including Drobytsky Yar Holocaust Memorial and Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. Also, none of Ukraine's seven UNESCO World Heritage sites has been damaged.

The German Public Prosecutor General on Friday filed charges against a former reserve officer of Bundeswehr (Armed forces of Germany) for leaking information related to the military, German business community and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to the Russian intelligence agency between 2014 and 2020. The indictment was filed against the reserve officer, named as Ralph G, following the German privacy rules on March 16 at the state court in Duesseldorf.

UK Defence Ministry said in the latest intelligence update that oil tanks at a depot in the Russian city of Belgorod mean probable loss of fuel and ammunition supplies to invading forces. The update further suggested that the Friday strike at the tanks will likely add more strain to Russia’s already stretched logistic chains.

The US Department of Defence has now announced that it will provide an additional USD 300 million in security assistance to Ukraine. According to US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby, the package handed to Ukraine will include laser-guided rocket systems, drones, medical supplies and other defensive needs. Earlier on Friday, the US issued a warning to its citizens in Ukraine and Russia and asked them to leave the countries.

On the decision to provide an assistance package to Ukraine, the US State Department stated that this aid will provide new capabilities for the country’s armed forces defending against the Russian invasion. “This decision underscores the United States' unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in support of its heroic efforts to repel Russia's war of choice. This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide new capabilities to Ukraine’s Armed Forces," Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.  

The ongoing war in Ukraine that has displaced millions of people is a result of the aggression of the Russian leadership and its president Vladimir Putin, the White House has said.

“This is a war of aggression by the Russian leadership, by President Putin that has left millions of people displaced, homeless; has targeted civilians, hospitals and other innocent people across Ukraine,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference on Friday.

“We know who the aggressor is; that is President Putin and Russia. And beyond that, I do not have any comment on military tactics,” she said.

The official, however, refrained from commenting on the Russian statement that an apparent attack by Ukraine on one of its fuel depots is making it harder for Russia to stay engaged in the talks to end the war.

“We have seen those reports. We are not in a position to comment on the Kremlin’s statements. I would note Ukraine has not made any statements or confirmation of these reports,” she said.

“I would also note that this is a war that President Putin started -- a brutal war with Russia's forces continuing to bombard cities across Ukraine and commit terrible acts of violence. We have seen the people of Ukraine fight valiantly in the face of unprovoked Russian brutality, but there is one aggressor here, and that is President Putin and the Russian military at his direction,” Psaki said.

In Tampa for the Central Command change of command ceremony, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Putin’s invasion of his sovereign neighbour is unprovoked and unjust.

“And the Ukrainians are fighting bravely to defend their lives, democracy, and their freedom,” he said.

Earlier, Secretary of State Tony Blinken spoke with his British counterpart Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss, during which the two diplomats emphasised the continued importance of transatlantic unity to support Ukraine, and coordinate further swift and consequential actions against those who support Putin’s war of choice on Ukraine.

“The two discussed the upcoming NATO Foreign Ministerial meeting and developing additional possible actions to ratchet up our response to Putin’s continued assault on the Ukrainian people,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said.

(PTI)

Martin Griffiths, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, will be travelling to Moscow and then to Kyiv in a bid to secure a "humanitarian ceasefire" in the war-torn nation, announced UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday. 

In a bid to lower the nuclear war tensions amid the Russia-Ukraine war, the United States reportedly cancelled a planned test-launch of its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), said the US Air Force on Friday (local time). The cancellation was confirmed by US Air Force press desk to Xinhua. 

In a video posted in social media, the local governor Maksym Marchenko stated that three missiles hit a residential area near the Ukrainian southern port city of Odesa on Friday and added that there were casualties. He said, “The enemy has just carried out a strike with three missiles on a settlement” without giving out more information on the number of people who died in Russia’s airstrikes. It is to note here that ever since Russia launched its ‘special’ military operation in Ukraine, Moscow’s forces have repeatedly denied targetting civilians. A claim, refuted by Kyiv.

As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that over 3,000 people were finally evacuated from the besieged port city of Mariupol, the deputy mayor of the city has detailed that it is “totally destroyed”. Mariupol deputy mayor Sergei Orlov told CNN in an interview that while authorities were putting in efforts to evacuate the citizens, the citizens are living underground in bomb shelters and sharing food with each other. Estimates have suggested that around 100,000 citizens are still in the city, who according to the official, are living “as mouses”. 

“All of them are living underground in shelters, bomb shelter in some spaces below, so just to have possibility to survive, not to be killed by airstrikes, by missiles, by shelling,” said Orlov. “They are sharing some food with each other, so it's typical food for a day is glass of water with … one or two cakes, one glass of soup in afternoon and also one glass of water and one cake in the evening.”

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, the first leader of an EU body to travel to Ukraine since Russia launched its ‘special’ military operation in late February, met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. 

In a national address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Russian troops' "slow but noticeable" withdrawal from the north of his country. He also said that's sometimes the Russian forces are expelled by the Ukrainian army but other times, they left on their own accord. 

“After them a complete disaster and many dangers are left, it’s true,” he said while noting that bombardment might continue and the Russians were mining the area as they left, including houses, equipment, and bodies of people left behind.

“Anyone who returns to this area must be very careful,” he said. "It is still impossible to return to normal life as it was... Wait for our land to be cleared, wait until you can be assured that new shelling is impossible.”

Several towns near Ukraine's capital have been badly damaged by Russian shelling. A local resident in Byshiv, 22 miles (35 kilometres) west of Kyiv, on Friday said a Russian airstrike damaged the cultural centre and several houses in the area.

There were scenes of devastation in Makariv too. Regional governor Oleksandr Palviuk said on social media on Thursday that Russian forces had shelled the town.

Kyiv's Mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said last week that Ukrainian soldiers had regained control of Makariv. Velery Sovtorontsev, a local resident, said around 30 people remain in the town.

Ukraine's general staff says the country's armed forces have retaken control over 29 settlements in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, where Russia has pulled back some of its troops.

The Russian military in the northeast continues to block and shell Chernihiv and Kharkiv, the general staff said Friday.

(Source: AP)

Russian firefighters managed to localize the fire at the oil depot in Belgorod: Report

As the war between Russia and Ukraine escalates, the Ukrainian Parliament on Friday passed a law which allows the seizure of the properties of Russian war supporters, The Kyiv Independent reported. The law permits the Ukrainian government to confiscate properties belonging to the Russian state or its residents. The law shall also be applied to non-residents connected to the Russian government or those who deny or support Russia’s war. 

Wilfred Tebah doesn't begrudge the U.S. for swiftly granting humanitarian protections to Ukrainians escaping Russia's devastating invasion of their homeland.  But the 27-year-old, who fled Cameroon during its ongoing conflict, can't help but wonder what would happen if the millions fleeing that Eastern Europe nation were a different hue.

President Joe Biden recently announced the U.S. would take in up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and grant Temporary Protected Status to another 30,000 already in the country. TPS has not been extended to Cameroon and other strife-torn countries.

(Source: AP)

Russia is blaming Ukraine for an attack on a fuel depot inside Russia, Friday.Speaking to reporters at the United Natons, deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said the attacks "reflect the real intention of the Ukrainian side and the real intention for any peace talks and gestures that could lead to certain openings."

A dawn raid on a fuel depot in Russia lit up the sky after an apparent attack by helicopter gunships on the oil storage facility in the city of Belgorod.

The depot is located near the border with Ukraine. Russian authorities have reported shells fired over the border from Ukraine before, but this attack appears more spectacular. Ukrainian officials are refusing to confirm or deny whether its military was responsible.

(Source: AP)

 Francisco Pérez Rodríguez has a car problem — one that's starting to be all too common for many Cubans.He's been rebuilding the engine of his father-in-law's Moskvich — one of tens of thousands of cars and other vehicles that poured into Cuba from its Cold War allies in the Soviet bloc and later Russia over the past half century.

To run, it needs a new timing belt. But Pérez Rodríguez said that's something only available these days in Russia. And flights there have been disrupted by Western sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Global restrictions on transport and trade with Russia pose an especially serious problem for Cubans, whose socialist government has lived since the early 1960s under an embargo imposed by the nearby United States. Much of the island's fleets of trucks, buses, cars and tractors came from distant Russia and are now aging, in need of parts.

And much like Russian tourists, those parts are no longer arriving. Transportation in Cuba can be difficult in the best of times. Buses have often been in short supply, cargo trucks are sometimes pressed into service for rural passengers and the streets are filled with Russian-made Ladas, Niva SUVs and Jeep-like Uazs.

(Source: AP)

Russia will present to UNSC new letter on US military biological activities in Ukraine on Friday, says Deputy Envoy

According to the German Ministry of the Interior, about 300,000 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine have arrived in the country. The actual number may be higher due to the lack of border controls between Poland and Germany. Most of them are women, children and the elderly.

Ukrainian officials say they can't confirm or deny reports of explosions at a fuel depot in Russia.

The spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said Ukraine does not bear the responsibility for "every blunder or for every disaster or every event that happens on the Russian Federation's territory."

Motuzyanyk's comment came after the governor of the Russian border region of Belgorod accused Ukraine of flying helicopter gunships into Russian territory early Friday morning and targeting the oil depot, causing multiple fires and injuring two people.

Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed Motuzyanyk's statement saying that there might be various causes for the event.

"Maybe someone smoked in a wrong place. Maybe there was something else. Maybe Russian troops are sabotaging orders and don't want to enter Ukrainian territory by available means," he said in the video statement posted on his Facebook page.

"In any case, it's Russian authorities who bear responsibility for events that happen at Russian territory," he said.

Talks to stop the fighting in Ukraine resumed Friday, as another attempt to rescue civilians from the besieged port city of Mariupol broke down and Russia accused the Ukrainians of launching the cross-border helicopter attack on the oil depot.

A Kremlin spokesman said the incident on Russia's territory could undermine the negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian representatives.

It was not immediately possible to verify Russia's claim that Ukrainian helicopters targeted the oil depot or several nearby businesses in Belgorod also reported hit.

Russia has reported shelling from Ukraine before, including an incident last week that killed a military chaplain, but not an incursion of its airspace.

(Source: AP)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov here in the national capital and reiterated his call for an early cessation of violence, and conveyed India's readiness to contribute in any way to the peace efforts.
The Foreign Minister briefed the Prime Minister on the situation in Ukraine, including the ongoing peace negotiation, according to a release by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

(Source: ANI)

The European Union called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to end Russia's war with Ukraine in an appeal that included China's reputational interests.

(AP)

Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Moscow has again accused the United States of running biological laboratories in Ukraine. According to the statement released by the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Office and International Organizations in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, the ongoing "special military operation" in Ukraine exposed facts about the implementation of dangerous military-biological projects conducted in Ukraine with the participation and direct supervision of the US Department of Defense. He claimed that the US is using Ukraine for dangerous biological experiments instead of conducting them on its own soil as a caution to protect Americans from its effects.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that he continued his discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss Russia's aggression and how to counter it. He also said that the two also discussed the negotiation process and security guarantees.

Russian Foreign Minister has said that Russia's advance toward Ukraine is not a war but is a military operation since only Kyiv's military infrastructure is being targeted. "Aim is to deprive Kyiv regime of building capacity to present any threat to Russia...", he told ANI.

According to the Ukrainian Healthcare Centre, 117 cases of attacks on healthcare infrastructure by Russia have been documented as of April 1. These attacks have so far damaged 117 healthcare centres in Ukraine out of which eight have been completely destroyed. 11 doctors have also been killed ever since Russia launched attacks on Ukraine on February 24.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that developing a specially privileged strategic partnership with India is among the key priorities of Moscow's policy. 

"We have been developing a specially privileged strategic partnership with #NewDelhi and this is one of the key priorities of the Russian foreign policy", Lavrov said as per the Russian Foreign Ministry's tweet.

Russian officials said their demand for “unfriendly" countries to pay for natural gas in rubles does not mean supplies will be immediately interrupted.

Gas used for heating and electricity was still flowing from Russia to Europe on Friday.

“Payments on shipments in progress right now must be made not this very day, but somewhere in late April, or even early May,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

A day earlier, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would start accepting ruble payments Friday and gas supplies would be cut off if buyers don’t agree to the new conditions, including opening ruble accounts.

But a decree he signed says countries could pay foreign currency to Gazprombank, which would convert the money into rubles in a second account to pay for the gas. It gave Russian authorities and the bank 10 days to make arrangements.

(Source: AP)

Ukraine’s FM denies rumors that Western countries pressure Ukraine into making concessions with Russia 

Borodyanka has also been liberated, says reports

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday said that Russian gas exports are needed for the functioning of the Hungarian economy. Orban has opposed placing sanctions on Russian energy in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, arguing that doing so would destroy Hungary's economy. Speaking to public radio on Friday, the nationalist leader said that simply using less energy or paying a bit more for utility bills was not an option.

Russian military chopper shot down in Ukraine's Holubivka city   

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov leaves from 7LKM after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi 

Iran willing to trade with Russia in Rubles amid new nuclear deal  

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday there was "movement forward" in negotiations with Ukraine over the recognition of the "impossibility" of Kyiv joining NATO.

Speaking in New Delhi, Lavrov said the issue was "wider" than Russia's military operation in Ukraine, become a question of "world order".

Talks between Ukraine and Russia will resume on Friday by video, according to the head of the Ukrainian delegation.

The delegations met in-person on Tuesday in Istanbul, after two weeks of meeting by video, and the faint outlines of a possible peace agreement seemed to emerge.

The Ukrainian delegation offered a framework under with the country would declare itself neutral – dropping its bid to join NATO, as Moscow has long demanded – in return for security guarantees from a group of other nations.

Russian diplomats responded positively to Ukraine's proposal, with Lavrov saying a "reaction" was being prepared.

(Source: AP)

Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces said on Friday that some Russian troops were seen retreating from the Kyiv region towards Belarus.

Oleksandr Shputun said Russian soldiers were seen leaving in convoys of civilian cars, trucks and buses, captured from occupied territories.

"On the temporarily occupied territories, the enemy continues its illegal actions, restricting the movement of civilians, using the houses and apartments of local residents to accommodate personnel, holding local residents and activists as hostages. Marauding and violence against Ukrainian citizens continue," Shputun added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russian withdrawals from the north and center of the country were just a military tactic to build up strength for new attacks in the southeast. .

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators planned to resume talks via video on Friday, five weeks into a conflict that has left thousands dead and driven more than 4 million refugees from Ukraine.

(Source: AP)

Russia-Ukraine talks underway in video format, claims Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky  

Ukraine strikes oil depot in Russian city of Belgorod 

Ukraine claims a massive second explosion in Belgorod

"Russian troops move from Kyiv to Belarus to restore combat capabilities" claims Ukraine as war enters day 37

Republic accesses devastating visuals of aftermath of shelling in Kharkiv 

"We will be ready to supply to India any goods which it wants to buy from us", Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in New Delhi. The top diplomat is in India for a two day visit and met EAM S. Jaishankar earlier today. Speaking iat a ress conference in the aftermath, he said Moscow was ready to discuss any possible trade deals with India. 

Russian Foreign Minister, who met EAM S. Jaishankar on Friday, said that the talks between both the countries are characterised by relations which have been developed with for many decades. Answering questions on how Moscow can support India in terms of security challenges, he reckoned that mutual relations are "strategic partnerships". Lavrov's statement came as Russia-Ukraine war entered 37th day on Friday.

First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar has claimed Russian troops looted  Chornobyl nuclear power plant & hotel in Chornobyl. They stole computers, other electronic devices, kettles, forks, knives, spoons, carpets." She added, "Russian troops are murderers, looters and criminals."

In the latest operational update by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv exclaimed that Russia has lost around 17,700 military personnel along with 625 tanks. 

The Ukrainian government has decided to pay 15 million hryvnias for one-time assistance to families of fallen soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as announced today by Prime Minister Denys #Shmyhal.

The Pentagon stated on Thursday that it did not know the whereabouts of the Russian military convoy that was heading towards the war-torn nation's capital. During a press briefing, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby has stated that he is unclear whether the Russian convoy to Kyiv "even exists" after failing to complete its objective. In response to whether the Pentagon had any information on the convoy, Kirby answered the media in a statement, “I don't have anything for you on that. I don't even know if it still exists at this point. I mean, it has been now so long, they never really accomplished their mission.” 

According to DW, the halted convoy, which had formerly spanned 40 miles, became a representation of Russia's combat troubles and was reportedly targeted by Ukrainian forces many times during the war's initial weeks. It is worth noting that the convoy comprised armoured vehicles, including tanks, towed artillery, and other logistics equipment. According to satellite pictures supplied by Maxar on March 11, the military convoy had scattered towards adjacent towns outside of Kyiv to relocate into shooting positions. 

Amid war with Russia, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn has said "up to 300 civilians and 50 defenders were killed in #Irpin during its occupation by #Russian troops. 50% of the buildings & critical infrastructure is destroyed."

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Aiars on Friday said "We call on the intʼl community to condemn these actions of Russia, to demand the withdrawal of its manpower and resources from Ukraine, to demonstrate a constructive position in the negotiations aimed at the soonest possible restoration of peace". 

In a statement denouncing Russia's actions in Crimea, the ministry also said, "MFA expresses its protest against conscription conducted by Russia in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and in the city of Sevastopol, as well as against mobilization to Russian military service of Ukrainian citizens living on the temporarily occupied territories. "

The Polish Border Guard on Friday said that over 2.4 million people have fled Ukraine to Poland since the war began. On Thursday 23,000 crossed, down 9.5% from Wednesday, the agency wrote on Twitter. 

Ukraine has claimed that at least 200 Syrian mercenaries are stationed at an airfield in Gomel which is the second-largest Belarusian city. 

Follow live Russia Ukraine war coverage here -

As External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday, EAM said, "Our bilateral relations have continued to grow in many areas. Our meeting takes place in a difficult international environment quite apart from the pandemic. India has always been in favour of resolving disputes through diplomacy".

Hailing India's response to Russia Ukraine crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, "These days our western colleagues would like to reduce any meaningful international issue to the crisis in Ukraine. We do not fight anything and we appreciated that India is taking this situation in the entirety of effect and not just one-sided way". 

"India and Russia have been developing strategic partnerships and this has been our priority. We certainly are interested in having the world order balance. We have intensified our bilateral context. Our President has sent his best regards to PM Modi," he also said. 

In the latest intelligence update by UK Ministry of Defence, it said, "Both Chernihiv and Kyiv have been subjected to continued air and missile strikes despite Russian claims of reducing activity in these areas."

Since the beginning of Russia's military operation, at least 153children have died in Ukraine and 245 others were left injured, said the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine. The regions where children were worst affected by the ongoing conflict include Kyiv, Donestk, Kharkiv and Chernihiv. 

Meanwhile, the Latvian government has imposed a ban on the issuance of residence permits to citizens of Russia and Belarus until June 30, 2023.
 

Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar has said in a televised address that Russia is "trying to concentrate" missile systems in southeastern Belarus for potential use against Ukraine. Maliar said, "The enemy is not abandoning its plans to completely capture the Donetsk and Luhansk regions...He is also encroaching on the Kharkiv region and trying to strengthen his position, to regroup troops". 

Russia FM Sergey Lavrov, on Friday, arrived at Hyderabad House to meet EAM Jaishankar amidst ongoing Russian invasion on Ukraine. Lavrov was previously in China to participate in the 3rd round of Foreign Ministers of Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced Belgian’s diamond trade with Russia as he addressed the Belgian lawmakers via video link on Thursday. Zelenskyy also said that Russian merchants are still selling diamonds in Antwerp which is known as the diamond city of Belgium. The president of the war-torn nation, who has addressed lawmakers in different countries to gather support for Kyiv, emphasised, “peace is more valuable than diamonds”.

Zelenskyy has said that 90% of Mariupol has been destroyed after being under siege for four weeks and there is no water, food, medicine left. Ukrainian President said “We do everything we can to protect the humanitarian corridor so that women, children and the elderly can flee. Sometimes it works. But often the Russians do not make it possible to leave the city.”

He also reiterated his demand for imposing a no-fly zone above his country. Belgian lawmakers even gave a standing ovation to the Ukrainian President. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo took the floor at the end of the session. He argued that he understood Zelenskyy’s demand but said it would mean a war with Russia. Zelenskyy also noted that over 30,000 Ukrainians were welcomed by Belgium. 

He added, “And it is Belgium, as the heart of Europe, that can inspire all other Europeans to do more. Help us expel the invades from Ukraine and restore the precious peace.”

“Peace is worth more than any diamonds. More than any agreement with Russia. More than any Russian ship in European ports. More than any barrel of Russian oil. I believe that every Belgian knows well what has to be done to restore peace. To be truly worthy of Europe. So do it!” Zelenskyy said. 
 

The United States and European Union delegations on Wednesday met for their first high-level dialogue on Russia amid the ongoing Russia Ukraine war. The meeting was held in Washington, and the US-EU delegation discussed additional steps that they may take to further isolate Russia, the US State Department and European External Action Service said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland represented the United States in the US-EU High-Level meeting, while European External Action Service Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs Enrique Mora represented the European Union. Both the representatives welcomed the coordination between the United States and the European Union in executing exceptional sanctions and export control actions in response to Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, according to the statement released. The delegation also discussed continued tight cooperation in coordination with the G7 to provide the stringent implementation of these actions.

In the coming days, the United States Department of Commerce will include 120 entities from Russia and Belarus in the sanctions list for aggression against #Ukraine, said White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov stated on Thursday that all foreign leased airplanes, which are still in Russia following the termination of Western leasing contracts, would remain in the nation. On Russian television, Borisov asserted, “The entire fleet, meaning foreign aircraft, will remain in Russia,” Airguide reported.   

Borisov further stated that even though some Boeing and Airbus aircraft were impounded abroad when sanctions were imposed, the great majority of Boeing and Airbus aircraft have remained in Russia. 

According to Airguide, Western governments have implemented sanctions in reaction to Russia's military operation in Ukraine, forcing lease contracts with Russian airlines for almost 500 planes to be terminated by Western firms. Russia further stressed that 78 of these foreign leased aircraft were confiscated while abroad, meaning that well over 400 remain.

The Ukrainian authorities have now claimed that its military forces have liberated five settlements from Russian control. The Ukrainian Ground Forces Command reported on Telegram that Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, along with other defensive forces units in the southern Zaporizhia area, have taken control of  Zatyshshia, Malynivka, Vesele, Zelenyi Hai, as well as Chervone from Russian occupation. 

"Together with other units of the Zaporizhzhia region Defence Forces, airborne troops have already liberated such settlements as Zatyshshia, Malynivka, Vesele, Zelenyi Hai and Chervone," said press centre of the Airborne Assault Troops Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook.

US Department of Defence or Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday told Fox News’ ‘America Reports’ that Pentagon officials have repeatedly tried to reach out to their Russian counterparts since Russia started its invasion in late February, however, the attempts have been “unsuccessful”. The Pentagon spokesperson said, “I can tell you from the Pentagon perspective, we have tried on numerous occasions in recent days and weeks to reach out to our counterparts, the minister of defense… the chairman of the joint chief equivalent in the Russian military, and we have been unsuccessful.”

“They have not been willing to pick up the phone and have a conversation,” said Kirby on US officials reaching out to Russian counterparts. 

Georgia will join international financial sanctions against Russia, said Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili in an interview with CNN. So far, Georgia had refused to impose any sanctions against Russia for launching an "invasion" into Ukraine.

Saying "We've been waiting for you", the Chernihiv residents welcomed Ukrainian forces. This is after Russia said it would de-escalate its forces from Kyiv and Chernihiv.

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace changed his  Twitter profile's appearance in support of Ukraine. As of now, the cover picture of his official Twitter profile of Wallace shows the Ukrainian army's image. 

In the latest operational update by the General Staff of Armed Forces on Friday, it accused Russian forces of "illegal activities" including restricting the movement of civilians. The Ukrainian defence said, "In temporarily occupied territories, the enemy continues its illegal actions, restricting the movement of civilians, using local residents' homes and apartments to place personal warehouse, holding local residents and activists hostage. Continuing looting and violence against citizens of Ukraine."

An oil depot was on fire in Russia's Belgorod and Gladkov, the governor of the region in his Telegram channel, "The emergency services went to the place of fire, measures are being taken to eliminate it".  He also said that at least two people have been injured without naming the reason behind the fire. 

Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov lashed out at US sanctions targeting the Russian technology sector as "illegal" on Thursday. In response to a question on Facebook, Anatiov wrote that US President Joe Biden's administration was showing its “uncompromising attitude" as it expanded its "illegal sanction lists."

"We are talking about purposeful attempts to limit the technological development of our country," Russian envoy said.

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he has stripped two generals of their military rank.

Zelenskyy said something prevented them from determining where their homeland was and they violated their military oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people.  According to Zelenskyy, one of the generals had headed internal security at the SBU, the main intelligence agency.

He said the other general had been the SBU head in the Kherson region, the first major city to fall to the Russians. 

Zelenskyy didn't say anything about the fates of the two generals other than them being stripped of their rank.

(AP)

On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined the allies and said that he did not wish to see Russian President Vladimir Putin at this year's G20 meeting, in the backdrop of Russian military aggression in Ukraine.

While speaking to reporters on Thursday in Ottawa, PM Justin Trudeau reiterated his support for Ukraine and joined his allies from the west by calling for the exclusion of Russia from the Group of Twenty (G20). He said that the war in Ukraine has put an end to economic growth for everyone in the world. According to Agence France-Presse, the Canadian PM said that Russia can't be a constructive partner in resolving the current crisis created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Trudeau stated that he had discussed his concerns with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who would host the November conference of major economies. To the Indonesian President, he said that Putin's presence would be extremely difficult for Canada and unproductive for the G20.

Read more here 

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has categorically rejected rumours of his nation providing transit of Syrian mercenaries to Ukraine. Taking to Twitter, he said, "It is obvious that #Armenia, which suffered from involvement of mercenary-terrorists in #NagornoKarabakh war two years ago, can never contribute to transfer & deployment of foreign terrorist fighters to #Ukraine through the territory of Armenia."

After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's specific request, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said it will send armoured Bushmaster vehicles to Ukraine to help in the war against Russia. 

“We’re not just sending our prayers, we are sending our guns, we’re sending our munitions, we’re sending our humanitarian aid, we’re sending all of this, our body armour, all of these things and we’re going to be sending our armoured vehicles, our Bushmasters, as well,” Morrison said.

Ukrainian armed forces have liberated at least 11 settlements in the Kherson region and seized trophy equipment.

In the latest national address published late Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "We endured much more than the enemy expected. They said - three or five days. They thought that this would be enough for them to seize our entire state. And it’s already 36. And we are standing. And we will continue to fight."

Ukraine’s state power company has alleged that Russian forces, who had captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, began leaving the facility after soldiers contracted “significant doses” of radiation from digging trenches at the highly contaminated site. In an update published on Telegram late Thursday, Ukraine’s state agency in charge of the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Energoatom said, "According to the staff of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, there are currently no outsiders at the NPP site."

"It will be recalled that today the Russian occupation forces left the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the satellite city of Slavutych," it added.

Additionally, Energoatom claimed Russian troops had dug in the forest inside the exclusion zone, around the NPP which witnessed the 1986 nuclear disaster. The state agency said, "It should be noted that the information about fortifications and trenches that the [Russians] built right in the Red Forest, the most polluted in the entire Exclusion Zone, was also confirmed".

Energoatom added, "So it is not surprising that the occupiers received significant doses of radiation and panicked at the first sign of illness. And it manifested itself very quickly.”

Irked by EU’s actions, Russia on Thursday even said that it would expand the list of European Union figures from entering the nation. In view of Western sanctions, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement, “The restrictions apply to the top leadership of the European Union including a number of European commissioners and heads of EU military structures as well as the vast majority of members of the European Parliament promoting anti-Russian policies”. 

Additionally, others include “high-ranking officials… as well as public figures and media workers who are personally responsible for promoting illegal anti-Russian sanctions, inciting Russophobic sentiment and infringing the rights and freedoms of the Russian-speaking population,” the ministry added.
 

After US President Joe Biden stated that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin appears to be "self-isolated", UK defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said that the Kremlin leader is “not the force he used to be”.

In a conversation with Sky News, Wallace said, "President Putin is not the force he used to be. He is now a man in a cage he built himself. He’s isolated."

"His army is exhausted, he has suffered significant losses. The reputation of this great army of Russia has been trashed. He has not only got to live with the consequences of what he is doing to Ukraine, but he has also got to live with the consequences of what he has done to his own army," he also said.

Amid escalating the Russia-Ukraine war with no concrete ceasefire agreement in sight, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will be the first leader of an EU body to travel to Ukraine since Russia launched its ‘special’ military operation in late February. No other details of Metsola’s visit to the war-torn nation have been revealed yet “due to security concerns”, a European Parliament official told CNN. 

In a speech earlier this week, the European parliament’s president had called it “important for the European Parliament to support Ukraine’s aspiration to be a candidate country for accession”.On Thursday, Metsola even posted a photo of herself with the caption “On my way to Kyiv”. 

While EU authorities have jointly shown support to Kyiv in the war with Moscow, it is also pertinent to note that the European parliament’s president’s visit to Ukraine comes just ahead of a ‘global pledging event’; for Ukraine. On April 9, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will jointly organise the global pledging event aimed to raise funds for internally displaced Ukrainians and refugees. In a Twitter post on March 28, EU Commission President said, “The people of Ukraine need all our support - and they need it now.”