Russia-Ukraine War: Russia denied responsibility for civilian deaths in Bucha.
The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday voted to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council over the killings of civilians in Ukraine's Bucha. As many as 93 countries voted in favour of the US push while 24 voted against it and 58 countries abstained from voting.
Meanwhile, the US and Britain announced new sanctions against Russia after Ukraine said hundreds of civilians were found dead near Kyiv, including the town of Bucha, after the pullout of Russian troops. The measures taken by US target Russia's top banks and two daughters of President Vladimir Putin, while Britain sanctioned two banks -- and vowed to eliminate all Russian oil and gas imports by year-end.
"They burned families. Families. Yesterday we found again a new family: father, mother, two children. Little, little children, two. One was a little hand, you know," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
US President Joe Biden also joined in describing the horrors in Bucha.
"Civilians executed in cold blood, bodies dumped into mass graves, the sense of brutality and inhumanity left for all the world to see, unapologetically," Biden said.
The Kremlin denies responsibility and has claimed Kyiv staged civilian deaths -- with Putin on Wednesday accusing Ukrainian authorities of "crude and cynical provocations" in Bucha.
The Russian withdrawal from areas around Kyiv and the north is part of a shift towards Ukraine's southeast, in a bid to create a land bridge between occupied Crimea and Moscow-backed separatist statelets in the Donbas region.
Here are the Highlights on Russia-Ukraine War:
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Ukeaine War: Biden applauds UN vote to suspend Russia from Human Rights Council
US President Joe Biden has applauded the General Assembly of the United Nations' vote to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council (HRC) in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The UN General Assembly suspended Russia from the Human Rights Council in a 93-24 vote, with 58 countries abstaining.
Biden said the vote marks a meaningful step by the international community further demonstrating how President Vladimir Putin has made Russia an "international pariah."
Ukraine War: Microsoft says recent cyber attacks targeting Ukrainian entities came from Strontium- Microsoft Corp said on Thursday the recently observed cyber attacks targeting Ukrainian entities came from Strontium, a Russian military intelligence connected group.
Ukraine War: Biden calls signs of Ukraine atrocities an 'outrage' to humanity
US President Joe Biden on Thursday called the images emerging as Russian troops withdraw from parts of Ukraine an "outrage" to humanity, as he hailed Moscow's expulsion from the UN Human Rights Council.
"Russia's lies are no match for the undeniable evidence of what is happening in Ukraine," Biden said in a statement.
Ukraine War: Scene in Borodianka near Kyiv 'much more horrific' than Bucha: Zelensky The destruction left by Russian troops in the town of Borodianka outside of Kyiv is "much more horrific" than the situation uncovered in the nearby town of Bucha, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.
"They have started sorting through the ruins in Borodianka," Zelensky said in his daily address to the nation. "It's much more horrific there, there are even more victims of Russian occupiers."
Ukraine War: Canada boosts military spending in response to Ukraine war
Canada on Thursday unveiled Can$8 billion (US$6.4 billion) in additional military spending over five years in its new budget, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but missed the NATO spending target of two percent of GDP.
Russian President Vladimir "Putin's invasion of Ukraine has reminded us that our own peaceful democracy -- like all the democracies of the world -- depends ultimately on the defense of hard power," Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said.
Ukraine says 26 bodies found in two destroyed apartment buildings near KyivUkraine on Thursday said it had recovered 26bodies from underneath twodestroyedapartmentbuildingsin the town of Borodianka, north-west of Kyiv, again accusing Moscow of targeting civilian areas.
"Just
in the rubble of
twoapartment blocs,
26bodies were recovered,"
Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said on Facebook. "Only the civilian population was targeted: there is no military site here," she said, adding it was "impossible to predict" how many more dead there were at the site.
Ukraine War: US ends normal trade ties with Russia over Ukraine invasion
The US Congress voted Thursday to end normal trade relations with Moscow and codify the ban on Russian oil, as the White House ratchets up pressure on President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.
The legislation -- which also applies to Russia's ally Belarus -- enables President Joe Biden to inflict steep tariff hikes on imports from both countries.
Biden announced the steps in a speech last month arguing that Russia must "pay the price" for the bloodshed in its ex-Soviet neighbor, where it has denied accusations of committing atrocities.
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Says 26 Bodies Found Under 2 Ruined Buildings In Borodianka
Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova today said 26 bodies had been found under two ruined buildings in the Kyiv region town of Borodianka, which is been being searched by the authorities after Russian troops occupying it withdrew. In a televised briefing, Venediktova did not say if the authorities had established the cause of death, but she accused Russian troops of carrying out air strikes on the town before they seized control of it. "Borodianka is the worst in terms of destruction and in terms of the uncertainty about (the number of) victims," she said. Russia denies targeting civilians. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Says Evacuation Trains Blocked By Russian StrikesTrains evacuating residents from eastern Ukraine were halted by Russian strikes today on the only line still under Kyiv's control, the head of the Ukrainian rail operator Oleksandr Kamychin said.
"The enemy carried out strikes on the rail line next to the station in Barbenkovo on the Donetsk line," he said in a post on the messaging service Telegram. The line was the "only exit route by rail for cities such as Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and Lyman" in the eastern region still under Ukrainian control, he said. The connection was "a lifeline for tens of thousands of our citizens today", the rail chief said. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: Russia Rejects UN Rights Body Suspension As "Illegal"Russia considers its suspension from the UN Human Rights Council to be "illegal", the foreign ministry in Moscow said Thursday. Russia considers the vote to suspend it, taken by the UN General Assembly earlier Thursday, to be "illegal and politically motivated, aimed at ostentatiously punishing a sovereign UN member state that pursues an independent domestic and foreign policy", the foreign ministry said. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Russia Says It Would Have To "Rebalance" If Finland, Sweden Join NATO
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said today if Finland and Sweden joined NATO then Russia would have to "rebalance the situation" with its own measures. Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which it says aims among other things to degrade Ukraine's military potential and prevent it becoming a bridgehead for a NATO attack, has prompted the two Nordic countries to consider joining the US-led alliance. If the two countries join, "We'll have to make our western flank more sophisticated in terms of ensuring our security," Peskov told Britain's Sky News. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: G7 Countries Agree New Economic Sanctions Against Russia
The Group of Seven industrialised nations slapped fresh sanctions on Russia Thursday following the "appalling atrocities by Russian armed forces" against civilians in Ukraine. G7 leaders agreed to ban "new investments in key sectors of the Russian economy, including the energy sector", they said in a statement, alongside widening export bans on certain goods and tightening the screws on Russian banks and state-owned companies. They also pledged to "elevate our campaign against the elites and their family members who support President Putin in his war effort". (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Europol Gears To Fight Crime Surge From Ukraine War
Europe's policing agency said Thursday it was tightening measures to fight a possible surge in crime stemming from the war in Ukraine, including measures to combat human and arms trafficking. The Hague-based Europol hosted a meeting between EU member states focused on intelligence gathering and operations "linked to threats of serious and organised crime which have emerged as a result of the war in Ukraine." (AFP)
Russian Reporters Open Outlet In Europe After Newspaper Suspends Publication
Russian journalists from investigative paper Novaya Gazeta said today they were launching a new media outlet in Europe after their paper suspended its activities over warnings it received from the authorities. Novaya Gazeta, whose editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov was co-winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize, was among the liberal Russian media facing increased pressure in the wake of Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine. Last month, the paper said it could no longer operate in Russia after receiving warnings from communications watchdog Roskomnadzor for failing to properly identify an organisation deemed a "foreign agent" by the authorities in its publications. (Reuters)
Ukraine Russia War Live Updates: WHO Calls For Access To Ukraine's Mariupol
The World Health Organization (WHO) today called for humanitarian access to Ukraine's besieged city of Mariupol, and said over 90 attacks on health services had been confirmed in the war. Speaking at a press conference in Lviv, WHO regional director for Europe Hans Kluge lamented that while health assistance had reached many "affected areas", some were out of reach. "It's true some remain very difficult. I think a priority definitely, I think we all agree, would be Mariupol," Kluge told reporters. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Russia Says Will "Defend Our Interests" After UN Rights Body Suspension
Russia today voiced regret at its suspension from the UN Human Rights Council over its invasion of Ukraine, but vowed to defend its interests. "We're sorry about that," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Britain's Sky News. "And we'll continue to defend our interests using every possible legal means." (AFP)
Ukraine Live News: Russia Admits "Significant" Troop Losses In UkraineRussian troops have suffered "significant losses" in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday, while rejecting allegations of a massacre in the town of Bucha as "a well-staged insinuation". In an interview with Britain's Sky News, he said the military casualties were "a huge tragedy for us" but did not specify a toll. Russia in late March said it had lost 1,351 soldiers with another 3,825 wounded. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Accuses Hungary Of "Helping Putin" In War
Ukraine on Thursday accused its neighbour, Kremlin-ally Hungary, of appeasing Russian aggression and disrupting EU unity following a telephone call between the Hungarian and Russian leaders. "Apparently, after the elections, Budapest moved on to the next step -- helping (Russian President Vladimir) Putin continue his aggression against Ukraine," the Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: US Says "Must Assume" Russia Committing More Atrocities In UkraineUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday it is likely that Russian forces are carrying out more "atrocities" in parts of Ukraine after bodies were found in the town of Bucha. "For every Bucha there are many more towns Russia has occupied and more towns that it is still occupying, places where we must assume Russian soldiers are committing more atrocities right now," Blinken told journalists after meeting foreign ministers from NATO and Ukraine in Brussels. (AFP)
"War Criminals Have No Place In UN Bodies": Ukraine On Russia Suspension
Ukraine on Thursday said it was "grateful" for a decision to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, saying "war criminals" should not be represented in the body. "War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter. "Grateful to all member states which supported the relevant UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) resolution and chose the right side of history." (AFP)
LIVE: Russia Imposes Entry Ban On Australian Leaders, Lawmakers
Russia's Foreign Ministry said today it had imposed entry bans on 228 Australian government members and lawmakers, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in response to sanctions from Canberra. It published a list of 228 Australian lawmakers and government members who were barred from entering Russia. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: EU Chief Says Will Travel To Ukraine Capital On Friday
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Kyiv on Friday to show Europe's "unwavering support" for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, she said. "The Ukrainian people deserve our solidarity. That's why I will travel to Kyiv tomorrow," she told reporters during a visit to Stockholm, adding: "I want to send a very strong message of unwavering support to the Ukrainian people and their brave fight for our common values". (AFP)
Ukraine Live: US Says Building Pressure On Russia
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken today said the US is sustaining and building its pressure on Russia, as he warned that there are more credible reports of torture, rape and killings by Russian forces in Ukraine. Blinken, speaking to reporters at NATO following a meeting of foreign ministers, said there is a growing coalition of countries with Ukraine and against Russia. "We're sustaining and building up pressure on the Kremlin and its neighbors," Blinken said. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: US Senate Votes To End Normal Trade Ties With Russia
The US Senate voted unanimously today to end normal trade relations with Moscow and codify the ban on Russian oil, as the White House ratcheted up pressure on President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine. The legislation, which would enable Western nations to inflict steep tariff hikes on Russian goods, now heads back to the House, which is expected to take it up later in the day. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: India Abstains From UN Vote To Suspend Russia From Rights BodyIndia today abstained in the UN General Assembly on a vote moved by the US to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers killed civilians while retreating from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. The 193-member General Assembly voted Thursday on the draft resolution titled 'Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council'. (PTI)
Ukraine War Live: UN General Assembly Suspends Russia From Rights BodyThe UN General Assembly has suspended Russia from UN Human Rights Council after killings in Ukraine's Bucha, reported news agency AFP.
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Effectively Using Landmines In War With Russia: US General
Ukraine is effectively using landmines in the conflict with Russia, forcing Russian armored vehicles into engagement areas where they are vulnerable to US-supplied anti-tank weaponry, the top US general told a Senate hearing on Thursday. "That's one of the reasons why you see column after column of Russian vehicles that are destroyed. So anti-tank or anti-personnel mines are very effective," Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Thanks UN For Humanitarian Aid, Says More Assistance NeededUkrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said after meeting UN aid chief Martin Griffiths in Kyiv today that his country was grateful for all the humanitarian aid it has received since Russia's invasion but needs more assistance. "Grateful for the comprehensive humanitarian aid. Stressed the need to increase support & unite efforts to provide targeted financial assistance to Ukrainians suffering from russian aggression," he wrote on Twitter. (Reuters)
LIVE: Separatists Say Armed Ukraine Civilians Fighting Pro-Russian Forces In Mariupol
A pro-Russian separatist official in eastern Ukraine acknowledged today that armed civilians were fighting alongside the Ukrainian army in the besieged city of Mariupol. Eduard Basurin, a senior official in the self-proclaimed breakaway stronghold of Donetsk, estimated that up to 3,500 Ukrainian troops were taking part in fighting, which he said centered around the city's Azovstal iron and steel works and port. "But you have to take into account the fact that some residents of Mariupol have taken up arms. Therefore that number could be higher," he said in remarks broadcast on Russian television. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Pro-Russian Separatists Says Conquering Mariupol Will "Take Time"A pro-Russian separatist official in eastern Ukraine said today it was impossible to say how long it could take Moscow's forces to fully seize the besieged city of Mariupol. Most recently, fighting has centred around the city's Azovstal iron and steel works and port, said Eduard Basurin, a senior official in the self-proclaimed breakaway stronghold of Donetsk.
In televised remarks, he described Mariupol's industrial zone as a "city within a city." "Several floors were built underground during the Soviet Union. It is impossible to bomb from above, you need to do a cleanup operation underground," Basurin told Russian state television.
"This will take time too. They have been preparing for this; they know this territory better than us," he added. Basurin said that separatist forces should aim to blockade the Ukrainian army in the industrial area and "then wait for them to give themselves up." (AFP)
Ukraine Russia War Live: UN Says Over 4.3 Million Have Fled Ukraine Amid War
More than 4.3 million Ukrainians have now fled their country since the Russian invasion, the United Nations said today. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 4,319,494 Ukrainians had fled across the border since the war began on February 24 -- a figure up 40,705 since Wednesday. The agency says it is Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. The UN's International Organization for Migration estimates that 7.1 million internally displaced people had fled their homes but were still in Ukraine. (AFP)
LIVE: Japan Says Will Unveil Further Sanctions On Russia After Coordinating With G7
Japan will unveil further sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine as early as Friday after coordinating with Group of Seven (G7) allies on further punitive steps, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday. He also said Japan would release a record amount of oil reserves to help curb prices in the wake of the war in Ukraine. Following Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine, Japan has stepped up sanctions ranging from removing Moscow from international payment network called SWIFT, to freezing central bank assets. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Over 100,000 Still Need Urgent Evacuation From Mariupol, Says Mayor
More than 100,000 people still need to be evacuated urgently from Mariupol, Mayor Vadym Boichenko said on Thursday, describing the situation in the Russian-besieged Ukrainian port city as a humanitarian catastrophe. "The remaining more than 100,000 people are praying for rescue - a full-scale evacuation is needed," he said on national television. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live News: Ukraine's Zelensky Calls On West To "Bring Russia To Justice"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today called on the West to "bring Russia to justice", saying Moscow's actions were directed not only against Ukraine but also Europe. "Once and for all, we can teach Russia and any other potential aggressors that those who choose war always lose... those who blackmail Europe with economic and energy crisis always lose," Zelensky said in an address to Greek lawmakers, speaking through an interpreter. (Reuters)
LIVE: Ukraine Foreign Minister Says Russian Counterpart "Accomplice To Crimes"
Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said today that his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was party to "crimes" executed by Moscow's forces in Ukraine, saying the senior Russian diplomat seeks to justify them. "The fact that he justifies the bombing of a hospital in Mariupol and war crimes committed in Bucha and other Ukrainian cities and villages of Ukraine and calls them fake, makes him an accomplice to these crimes," Kuleba said, after meeting NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: Russia Says Will Decide On Putin's G20 Participation
The Kremlin said today it would make a decision on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a G20 summit later this year in Indonesia based on how events evolve. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was responding to a question about calls by some leaders of G20 countries to exclude Putin from the summit over his decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. "We will clarify this, after all Indonesia is the organiser," said Peskov. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Greece Seeks War Crimes Probe In Ukraine's Mariupol
Greece will ask the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged war crimes in the Russian-besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, home to a large Greek community, its foreign minister said on Thursday. "Greece has a specific, special interest in Mariupol because of the existence of 100,000 and more Greek community," Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias told reporters upon arriving at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: G7 Says "Time To Suspend" Russia From UN Human Rights Council
The Group of Seven industrialised nations on Thursday called for Russia to be suspended from the UN's human rights body over "heinous acts and atrocities" in Ukraine. "We are convinced that now is the time to suspend Russian membership of the Human Rights Council," G7 foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States said in a statement. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Swiss Froze $8 Billion In Assets Under Russia SanctionsSwitzerland has so far frozen some 7.5 billion Swiss francs ($8.03 billion) in funds and assets under sanctions against Russians to punish Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, government official Erwin Bollinger said on Thursday. The assets included money in frozen bank accounts and properties in four Swiss cantons, Bollinger told a news conference in Bern. He did not name the cantons. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Turkey Says Bucha Killings "Overshadow" Russia-Ukraine Talks
Images of bodies found in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and other areas near Kyiv in the wake of a Russian pullback, have scuppered the positive atmosphere of recent talks between Russia and Ukraine, Turkey said Thursday. "The images from Bucha, Irpin and other regions are unacceptable. These scenes have overshadowed the negotiations," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told journalists after a NATO meeting in Brussels. "The emerging positive atmosphere, unfortunately, was overshadowed." (AFP)
Ukraine Russia War Live News Updates: UN Says Bucha Probe Is "Next Step": ReportUN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said Thursday during a visit to the town of Bucha outside the Ukraine capital Kyiv that investigators would probe civilian deaths uncovered after Russian troops withdrew. "The world is already deeply shocked," Griffiths said in the town that was strewn with bodies after Moscow's forces pulled out, adding that, "the next step is conducting investigations". (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Says Battle For Donbas Will Remind Of World War 2The battle for Donbas will remind of World War 2 with large operations maneuvers and thousands of tanks, planes and armored vehicles, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned on Thursday at NATO, as he called for help from allies within days. "Either you help us now - and I'm speaking about days, not weeks - or your help will come too late, and many people will die," he told reporters. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine's Dnipro Urges Women, Children To Leave As Fighting Intensifies
The mayor of Dnipro in central-eastern Ukraine urged women, children and the elderly on Thursday to leave the city because the conflict with Russia is expected to intensify in eastern regions. The recommendation follows similar warnings by the authorities in the Luhansk region, which is east of Dnipro. The regional governor of Luhansk urged all residents on Wednesday to evacuate while they still could in relative safety. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: Ukraine Says Russia Must Lower Hostility To Allow TalksUkraine on Thursday urged Russia to show it was ready for dialogue by lowering "hostility" after Moscow accused Ukrainian negotiators of changing their demands since face-to-face talks in March. "If Moscow wants to demonstrate its readiness for dialogue, it should lower the degree of hostility," Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said on Twitter. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: Belarus President Demands Role In Talks On Ukraine War
The president of Belarus, Russia's main ally, on Thursday urged for Minsk to be included in peace talks aimed at ending the "war" in Ukraine, using a term banned by Moscow. Russia refers to a "special military operation" in Ukraine and insists that the public and media use this term, while the use of words such as "war" or "invasion" can incur heavy penalties. Yet Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko repeatedly chose to use the word "war" Thursday at a meeting with security officials. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: Facebook Says Considering Steps To Curb Russian Misinformation
Facebook-owner Meta has removed hacking campaigns, influence networks and scam operations amid the war in Ukraine, according to a report released on Thursday by the social media company, which also said it was reviewing additional steps to address misinformation from Russian government pages. "We're constantly reviewing our policies based on the evolving situation on the ground and we are actively now reviewing additional steps to address misinformation and hoaxes coming from Russian government pages," said Meta's president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, on a call with reporters. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Ukrainian Sees "Strong Sense Of Unity" In NATO Over Russia Attack
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who had talks with foreign ministers from NATO countries on Thursday, said he saw unity among members of the alliance and a resolve to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. "Took part in the NATO Foreign Ministerial. Strong sense of unity behind Ukraine among allies and partners. More importantly, a strong resolve to take very concrete steps to support us. I laid out priorities and stressed the urgency. Follow-up from a number of allies are coming," he wrote on Twitter. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: France Summons Russian Envoy Over "Indecent" Bucha Twitter Post
Russia's ambassador to France was summoned on Thursday to the Foreign Ministry in Paris after his embassy tweeted a picture claiming to be a film-set in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, where the killing of civilians has triggered a global outcry. The tweet, which has since been deleted, appeared to show people preparing to shoot a film, with the words "Film set, Bucha town" written above the image. The embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Military Says Russia Likely To Renew Attack If It Takes DonbasRussia is likely to renew its attack on Kyiv if its forces succeed in taking full control of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, the deputy chief of staff of Ukraine's ground forces said on Thursday. Speaking at an online briefing about efforts to defend the capital, Oleksandr Gruzevich said: "It is likely the enemy has not given up the goal of a second attack on Kyiv - there is such a threat." (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Russia Accuses Ukraine Of Changing Demands Since Istanbul TalksRussia on Thursday accused Ukrainian negotiators of changing demands since last month's talks in Istanbul, claiming that Kyiv was not interested in ending fighting. "Yesterday, the Ukrainian side presented its draft agreement... It shows a departure from the most important provisions spelled out at the meeting in Istanbul on March 29," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "We see this as a manifestation of the fact that the Kyiv regime is controlled by Washington and its allies, who are pushing President Volodymyr Zelensky to continue hostilities." (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: South Africa, Criticised Over Ukraine Stand, Slams UN Body
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose government has been criticised for refusing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on Thursday blasted the UN Security Council as "outdated" and in dire need of an overhaul. The continental powerhouse has maintained a non-aligned stance, touting negotiation as the best option to end the conflict despite international outrage and condemnation. It has so far abstained from voting in two UN resolutions adopted over the war. "The conflict has exposed the inability of the UN Security Council to fulfil its mandate of maintaining international peace and security," Ramaphosa declared. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Hungary Gets First Delivery Of Russia Nuclear Fuel Since WarHungary said Thursday that it had received the first delivery of Russian nuclear fuel since Moscow invaded Ukraine, disrupting the usual supply route. Hungary runs a sole nuclear power plant -- built with Soviet-era technology in the 1980s -- south of Budapest, providing almost half the country's electricity. A Russian plane landed in Hungary on Wednesday transporting the nuclear fuel through the airspace of Belarus, Poland and Slovakia, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Compiles List Of Russian Troops Behind Alleged War Crimes
Ukraine's state security service (SBU) said on Thursday it was building up a list of Russian troops suspected of carrying out alleged war crimes in the Kyiv region, including in the town of Bucha. "The SBU will identify anyone involved in atrocities in Bucha and other cities in Kyiv region," the SBU said in a statement, adding that it had interviewed almost 2,000 witnesses and identified 33 people suspected of collaborating with Russia. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: EU Parliament Passes Symbolic Vote To Ban Russia Energy ImportsThe European Parliament on Thursday passed a symbolic vote demanding a total ban on all Russian energy imports into the EU, as member states closed in on narrower sanctions against Russian coal. MEPs voted 513 in favour, with 22 against and 19 abstentions, of an "immediate" ban on Russian coal, gas and oil, as well as nuclear fuel. Although the motion was nonbinding, the parliament's speaker, Roberta Metsola, called it a "very important moment" that sent the "strongest messages" to Ukraine on the degree of EU support. (AFP)
WHO Says Making Contingency Plans For Possible "Chemical Assaults" In Ukraine
The World Health Organization's European head said on Thursday that the body was preparing for possible "chemical assaults" in Ukraine. "Given the uncertainties of the current situation, there are no assurances that the war will not get worse," Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said in a statement sent to journalists from Lviv, Ukraine. "WHO is considering all scenarios and making contingencies for different situations that could afflict the people of Ukraine, from the continued treatment of mass casualties, to chemical assaults," he said, without providing further details. (Reuters)
Ukraine Russia War: Russia Says Facing Most Difficult Situation In 3 Decades
Russia is facing its most difficult situation in three decades due to unprecedented Western sanctions, but foreign attempts to isolate it from the global economy will fail, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Thursday. He also said the situation provided room for new business opportunities as foreign companies leaving Russia would make space for others. Western countries are progressively tightening a barrage of economic sanctions imposed to try to force Russia to end its military operation in Ukraine and withdraw its forces. (Reuters)
Ukraine Russia War Live: Russia Accuses Google Of "Fake News", To Ban Ads
Russia's state communications watchdog said today it would ban Google from advertising its services in the country, accusing YouTube of spreading "fake news" about its military campaign in Ukraine. Russia has moved to block access to non-state media and information resources and fears are mounting that Google could be next in line for a ban. The watchdog said Google-owned YouTube had committed "numerous violations" of Russian legislation and was "one of the key platforms, distributing fake news about the course of the special military operation in Ukraine, discrediting the armed forces of Russia". It said it had decided to "introduce measures of coercion". (AFP)
Ukraine Russia Live: Ukraine Warns Of "Last Chance" To Flee Russian Attacks In East
An Ukrainian official in the east of the county warned residents remaining there that time was running out to flee mounting Russian attacks, saying that all villages in the region were under attack. "These few days may be the last chance to leave," Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday wrote to residents on Facebook, cautioning that Russian forces were "trying to cut off all possible ways of taking people out". (AFP)
Ukraine Russia War Live Updates: Austria Expels 4 Russian DiplomatsAustria said today it would expel four Russian diplomats following expulsions by other EU members this week amid increasing outrage over the war in Ukraine. The foreign ministry said it "had to revoke the diplomatic status" of three Russians at the embassy in Vienna and one at the consulate general in the western city of Salzburg.
"The individuals have committed acts inconsistent with their diplomatic status and are therefore declared personae non gratae," the ministry said in a statement. The four diplomats have until April 12 to leave the country, it added. Some 200 Russian diplomats have been expelled across the EU since Monday. (AFP)
Russia-Ukraine War: UK Says Russian Artillery, Air Strikes Continue Along Donbas Line Of ControlRussian artillery and air strikes are continuing along the Donbas line of control, British military intelligence said on Thursday in an update on Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defence said on Twitter the main focus of Russian forces was to progress offensive operations in eastern Ukraine.
Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine's Zelensky To Meet EU's Von Der Leyen Tomorrow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will have talks in Kyiv on Friday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian presidential spokesman Sergii Nykyforov said on national television.
He said other details of the talks would not be announced for security reasons. A European Union spokesman said on Tuesday that the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, would also travel to Kyiv this week.
Russia-Ukraine War: New EU Sanctions On Russia Could Be Agreed Soon, Says EU Top DiplomatA fifth round of European Union sanctions on Russia, including a ban on coal imports, could be agreed by the bloc on Thursday or on Friday, the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said.
"Maybe this afternoon, or tomorrow at the latest," he told reporters as he arrived at a NATO meeting.
Russia-Ukraine War: Austria Says It Is Expelling Four Russian DiplomatsAustria is expelling four Russian diplomats for acting in a way incompatible with their diplomatic status, a spokeswoman for its foreign minister said on Thursday, joining a group of European Union countries that have taken similar action this week.
Unlike those other EU countries, which include France, Italy and Germany, the spokesperson for Alexander Schallenberg did not say the move was because of Russian forces' actions in Ukraine. The three diplomats working at Russia's embassy and one based in Salzburg must leave the country by April 12, she said.
Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine Hopes To Evacuate Civilians Through 10 Safe Corridors Tod
Ukraine hopes to evacuate trapped civilians through 10 humanitarian corridors on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, but residents trying to leave the besieged city of Mariupol will have to use their own vehicles
Russia-Ukraine War: Australia To Impose Sanctions On 67 Russians Over UkraineForeign Minister Marise Payne said on Thursday that Australia was imposing sanctions on 67 Russians over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
"Today, I'm announcing 67 further sanctions of Russian elites and oligarchs, those close to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin who facilitate and support his outrageous actions," she told reporters as she arrived at NATO.
Russia says it launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine.
Russia-Ukraine War: Mocked As "Rubble" By Biden, Russia's Ruble Comes Roaring Back In the days after the Ukraine war began, the ruble's collapse was a potent symbol of Russia's newfound financial isolation.
International sanctions on Vladimir Putin's regime sank it to a record low of 121.5 rubles per dollar, triggering memories of the battering it took during the 1998 Russian financial crisis.
Things looked dire enough that US President Joe Biden said the ruble had been reduced to "rubble." Read more
Russia-Ukraine War: Germany's $165 Million Weaponised Drone Plan Amid Russia-Ukraine War Germany will get weaponised drones for the first time after years of debate, parliamentary sources told AFP Wednesday, as the EU giant, shaken by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, moves to ramp up its defence capabilities.
Germany's armed forces have until now only been allowed to deploy unarmed drones for reconnaissance purposes, leaving other allies to use weaponised unmanned combat aerial vehicles in the field.
Russia-Ukraine War: Russia Sanctions "Ruinous Enough To End War" Needed, Says Ukraine Ukraine wants sanctions that are economically destructive enough for Russia to end its war after accusing some countries of still prioritizing money over punishment for civilian killings that the West condemns as war crimes.
The democratic world must reject Russian oil and completely block Russian banks from the international finance system, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his daily video address early on Thursday.
Russia's six-week-long invasion has forced over 4 million to flee abroad, killed or injured thousands, left a quarter of the population homeless, turned cities into rubble and prompted a slew of Western restrictions on Russian elites and the economy.
Washington on Wednesday announced measures such as sanctions on President Vladimir Putin's two adult daughters, days after the grim discovery of civilians shot dead at close range in Bucha, north of Kyiv, when it was retaken from Russian forces.
Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine's Zelensky Says Russia Hiding "Thousands" Killed in Mariupol Russia is blocking humanitarian access to the besieged port city of Mariupol because it wants to hide evidence of "thousands" of people killed there, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
"The reason why we cannot get into Mariupol with the humanitarian cargo is precisely because they are afraid... that the world will see what is going on there," Zelensky told Turkey's Haberturk TV.
"I think it's a tragedy there, it's hell, I know that it's not tens, but thousands of people, different people, who have been killed there and thousands wounded," Zelensky said.