New attempt to evacuate people from Mariupol due on Friday

A convoy of buses is on its way to Mariupol in another bid to evacuate people from the besieged port city after the Russian military agreed to a limited cease-fire in the area.

The Red Cross said its teams were headed for the besieged southeastern city with medical supplies and other relief and hoped to take civilians out.

Tens of thousands have managed to get out of Mariupol in the past few weeks by way of humanitarian corridors, reducing its population from a prewar 430,000 to an estimated 100,000 as of last week, but other efforts to relieve the city have been thwarted by continued Russian attacks.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said 45 buses would be sent to collect civilians who have suffered some of the worst privations of the war.

Food, water and medical supplies have all run low during a weekslong blockade and bombardment of the city. Civilians who have managed to leave have typically done so using private cars, but the number of drivable vehicles left in the city has dwindled and fuel is low.

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

Speaking to the Belgian parliament on Thursday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of blocking humanitarian corridors from Mariupol.

A new round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials aimed at stopping the fighting is also scheduled for Friday.

(with AP)

Latvian parliament approves ban on Russian military symbols 'V' and 'Z'

MPs voted on Thursday to prohibit people from displaying symbols of military aggression and war crimes at public events.

Read the story here:

Latvia approves ban on Russian military symbols 'V' and 'Z'

Latvian citizens face fines if they display the symbols at any public events to show support for "Russia's military aggression".

Spain accepts tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says his country has so far received more than 30,000 Ukrainian refugees and expects that figure to reach 70,000 “within days.”

Sánchez announced the latest refugee numbers Thursday during a visit to a refugee reception center in the southeastern city of Alicante, one of four in Spain.

Also Thursday, Defence Minister Margarita Robles said Spain has sent 10 transport aircraft with weapons and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. She didn’t specify how many shipments of each type were sent, but at least two carried arms.

She also said during a visit to the Morón de la Frontera air base in southern Spain that eight Spanish F-18 fighter planes are going to Lithuania to take part in NATO patrols.

(AP)

EU should impose more Russian sanctions, say Germany and France

Germany’s economy minister says Europe should impose additional sanctions on Russia to prevent what he described as a “barbaric” war in Ukraine.

Robert Habeck said he discussed what further measures could be taken with his French counterpart during a bilateral meeting in Berlin on Thursday.

“The last package (of sanctions) doesn’t need to be the final one, it should not be the final one,” he told reporters, adding that he and French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire had “identified additional points that could be included in a (sanctions) package.”

Meanwhile, the Austrian and German leaders have underlined their rejection of a halt to Russian energy deliveries at this point.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer noted that several central and eastern European countries depend to one extent or another on Russian gas deliveries.

He and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz argued that existing sanctions already are having a significant effect and said they need time to switch to new providers and renewable energy sources.

Nehammer said that “sanctions only make sense … when they hit those they are supposed to hit, and don’t weaken those who carry out sanctions.”

(AP)

OSCE regrets Russian veto of Ukraine observer mission

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe expressed regret Thursday at Russia’s decision to veto the extension of its observer mission in Ukraine.

The OSCE’s special monitoring mission has been present in Ukraine since 2014, when fighting between Ukrainians and Russia-backed separatists broke out in the country’s eastern regions after Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, who holds the OSCE rotating chair, said the observers had played a “crucial role by providing objective information on the security and humanitarian situation on the ground and relentlessly working to ease the effects of the conflict on the civilian population” in Ukraine for the past eight year.

The Vienna-based body’s secretary general, Helga Maria Schmid, expressed gratitude to the mission’s members, several of whom were wounded or killed over the years.

(AP)

Italy urges Europe to farm more to offset Ukraine-Russia import cuts

Italy’s leader is urging Europe to “cultivate all available land” as a partial remedy to reductions in agricultural imports, especially of Russian grain, due to the war in Ukraine.

Premier Mario Draghi told reporters on Thursday that under existing agricultural practices in the European Union 10% of land is purposely left fallow, but that must now change as European countries search for ways to reduce dependency on farm imports.

It’s not clear whether Ukraine, one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, maize and sunflower oil, might be able to salvage any of this planting season.

Meanwhile, Draghi noted that Western Europe will be looking to food producers like Canada, the United States and Argentina to help make up the shortfall of imports from Ukraine and Russia.

(AP)

Allies to send more military equipment to Ukraine, says UK

Britain’s defence minister says Ukraine’s international allies have agreed to send more military equipment, including artillery ammunition and armored vehicles.

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace held a conference call Thursday with defence ministers from more than 35 countries, including the United States, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan.

Wallace said that as a result “there will be more lethal aid going into Ukraine.” He said that would include “more long-range artillery, ammunition predominantly,” to help counter Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine’s cities.

Wallace said Ukraine was “also looking for armoured vehicles of some types, not tanks necessarily, but certainly protective vehicles.”

He said allies were also “looking to see what more we can do” to help Ukraine defend its coastline.

(AP)

Biden orders huge emergency oil release to try to bring down prices

US President Joe Biden on Thursday ordered the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve for six months, a bid to control energy prices that have spiked after the United States and allies imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

"The bottom line is if we want lower gas prices we need to have more oil supply right now," Biden said.

The president also vowed to invoke laws to prompt oil companies to drill more, as well as mine minerals for batteries in electric vehicles as part of a push towards cleaner energy sources. 

The actions show that oil remains a vulnerability for the US. Higher prices have hurt Biden's approval domestically and added billions of oil-export dollars to the Russian government as it wages war on Ukraine.

"I know gas prices are painful," Biden said. "I get it. My plan is going to help ease that pain today and safeguard against tomorrow."

Tapping the stockpile would create pressures that could reduce oil prices, though Biden has twice ordered releases from the reserves without causing a meaningful shift in oil markets. Biden said Thursday he expects gasoline prices could drop fairly significantly.

(with AP)

Biden sceptical of Russian withdrawal claims

US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he was "sceptical" of Russia's announcements of a partial withdrawal of its troops to focus the offensive in Ukraine on the Donbas region in the east of the country.

He also said that Vladimir Putin "seemed to isolate himself", and said he had "indications that (the Russian president) has dismissed or placed under house arrest some of his advisers", while saying he has no "irrefutable evidence".

(AP)

Russia imposes travel ban on EU leaders and most MEPs

Russia says it is banning European leaders and the majority of MEPs from entry into its territory, in reaction to punitive measures aimed at Moscow for its invasion and war in Ukraine.

“The restrictions apply to the most senior leaders of the European Union, including a number of European commissioners and heads of European military bodies, as well as the vast majority of members of the European Parliament, who promote anti-Russian policies," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

This measure also applies to politicians from EU member countries, as well as public figures and journalists who "have supported illegal sanctions against Russia, incited Russophobia or violated the rights and freedoms Russian-speaking populations," the ministry added. It has not published a list of those targeted.

In mid-March Moscow already announced a travel ban on US President Joe Biden and several senior American officials.

Since the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the West -- led by the United States and the EU -- has imposed heavy economic sanctions on Russia, targeting in particular President Vladimir Putin, his government and oligarchs.

(AFP)

Putin has 'already lost' in Ukraine — head of UK military

The head of Britain’s military says Russian President Vladimir Putin has “already lost” in Ukraine and is weaker than he was before the invasion.

Admiral Tony Radakin at a think-tank seminar Thursday in London said Moscow’s aim to “take the whole of Ukraine” fell apart. He added that the coming weeks “will continue to be very difficult” for Ukraine.

“But in many ways, Putin has already lost,” he said. “Far from being the far-sighted manipulator of events that he would have us believe, Putin has damaged himself through a series of catastrophic misjudgements.”

Radakin also said there was “disquiet” at all levels of Russia’s military about the campaign, from troops who were not told they were invading Ukraine up to senior commanders.

Western officials say Putin’s small inner circle is not giving him the true picture of the war, and his isolation may have contributed to miscalculating the strength of resistance Russian troops would meet.

(AP)

Russians 'hand over' Chernobyl nuclear plant to Ukraine

Russian troops were leaving the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and heading towards Ukraine’s border with Belarus, the Ukrainian nuclear operator company said Thursday.

The operator, Energoatom, said that the Russian military was also preparing to leave Slavutych, a nearby city where power plant workers live.

Energoatom also said reports were confirmed that the Russians dug trenches in the Red Forest, the 10-square-kilometre area surrounding the Chernobyl plant within the Exclusion Zone, and received “significant doses of radiation.”

The Russian troops “panicked at the first sign of illness,” which “showed up very quickly,” and began to prepare to leave, the operator said. The claim couldn’t be independently verified.

Energoatom said the Russians have signed a document confirming the handover of the Chernobyl plant and stating that the plant’s administration doesn’t have any complaints about the Russian troops who were “guarding” the facility.

(AP)

ICRC team planning Mariupol evacuation arrives in southeast

A team with the International Committee of the Red Cross has arrived in a Ukraine-held city where staff are preparing to take civilians out of the beleaguered port city of Mariupol.

Julien Lerisson, deputy director of operations for the ICRC, said Thursday that the team assembling in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, has medicines, food, water, hygiene items and other essentials.

He said the organization has high-level agreement for the mission but is focused on making sure “the order trickles down the chain of command,” allowing the team to enter and leave Mariupol safely.

The Russian military has said it committed to a cease-fire along the route from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian authorities have said 45 buses would be sent to collect citizens and provide resources to those who remain.

Lucile Marbeau, a staff member with the ICRC team hoping to enter Mariupol, said on Thursday: “We’re here because really, we hope to be able to facilitate safe passage for civilians desperately wanting to flee Mariupol.”

(AP)

Will Putin cut Europe off if gas payments aren't made in roubles?

The Russian president said "unfriendly" buyers must pay for gas in roubles from Friday or "contracts will be stopped". European countries have refused.

Read our explainer here:

Will Putin cut Europe off if gas payments aren't made in roubles?

New US sanctions target Russian technology sector

Washington announced new sanctions against Russia on Thursday, this time targeting the technology sector, including Russia's largest semiconductor manufacturer, in part to prevent the circumvention of Western sanctions.

"OFAC (the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control) is designating 21 entities and 13 individuals as part of its crackdown on the Kremlin’s sanctions evasion networks and technology companies, which are instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine," says a statement on the US Treasury website.

The Treasury adds via Twitter that it has "also expanded sanctions authorities to include aerospace, marine, & electronics sectors of the Russian economy. Today’s actions are a part of the comprehensive response to restrict sectors that are essential to supplying Putin's continued invasion of Ukraine."

Russian forces 'begin to withdraw from Chernobyl' — Ukraine nuclear agency

Russian forces have begun to withdraw from the Chernobyl nuclear site, which they took control of on the first day of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the Ukrainian nuclear agency announced on Thursday.

The troops occupying the site left "in two columns towards the border" between Ukraine and Belarus, Energoatom said on Telegram, adding that there are only a "small number" of Russian soldiers left on the spot.

(AFP)

From Euronews' international correspondent

France and Germany reject Putin's demands on gas payments

European countries will continue to pay for Russian gas in euros and dollars as it is "written in the contracts", was the response to Putin from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. (see earlier post)

The Russian president says "unfriendly" foreign buyers must pay for gas in roubles from Friday, raising the prospect of Moscow turning off the tap.

"It is written in the contracts that the payments are made in euros and sometimes in dollars", the German chancellor said during a press conference with his Austrian counterpart, Karl Nehammer.

"I made it clear to the Russian president that it would stay that way" and "companies want to be able to pay in euros and will do so," he added.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, speaking in Berlin, said Germany and France are "preparing" for a potential stoppage of Russian gas imports, as the Europeans are refusing Moscow's demands for payment in roubles for gas supplies.

“There may be a situation in which tomorrow, in very specific circumstances, there will be no more Russian gas (…) it is up to us to prepare these scenarios, and we are preparing them”, he said during a press conference with the German Economy Minister Robert Habeck.

(AFP)

Putin: Russia to enforce gas payments in roubles from Friday

Vladimir Putin says he has signed a decree saying "unfriendly" foreign buyers must pay in roubles for Russian gas from April 1, and contracts will be halted if such payments are not made.

"In order to purchase Russian natural gas, they must open rouble accounts in Russian banks. It is from these accounts that payments will be made for gas delivered starting from tomorrow," Putin said in televised remarks.

"If such payments are not made, we will consider this a default on the part of buyers, with all the ensuing consequences. Nobody sells us anything for free, and we are not going to do charity either - that is, existing contracts will be stopped."

Russia supplies about a third of Europe's gas, so energy gives Putin some clout as he tries to hit back against sweeping Western sanctions over his invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian currency fell to historic lows after the February 24 invasion but has since recovered.

Western companies and governments have rejected the move as a breach of existing contracts, which are set in euros or dollars.

France's economy minister said France and Germany were preparing for a possible scenario that Russian gas flows could be halted - something that would plunge Europe into a full-blown energy crisis.

European countries will continue to pay for Russian gas in euros and dollars as it is "written in the contracts", was the response to Putin from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

(with Reuters, AFP)

Russian shelling continues in areas where it pledged to reduce combat operations

Heavy fighting raged on the outskirts of Kyiv and other zones Thursday amid indications the Kremlin is using talk of de-escalation as cover while regrouping and resupplying its forces and redeploying them for a stepped-up offensive in eastern Ukraine.

Russian forces shelled suburbs of the capital that Ukraine recently retook control of, a regional official said, two days after the Kremlin announced it would significantly scale back operations near Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv to “increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations.”

In the Kyiv suburbs, regional governor Oleksandr Palviuk said on social media that Russian forces shelled Irpin and Makariv, and that there were battles around Hostomel. Pavliuk said there were Ukrainian counterattacks and some Russian withdrawals around the suburb of Brovary to the east.

Britain's Defence Ministry said: “Russian forces continue to hold positions to the east and west of Kyiv despite the withdrawal of a limited number of units. Heavy fighting will likely take place in the suburbs of the city in coming days.”

The UK confirmed “significant Russian shelling and missile strikes” around Chernihiv as well. The area’s governor, Viacheslav Chaus, said Russian troops were on the move but may not be withdrawing.

Russia’s Defense Ministry also reported new strikes on Ukrainian fuel stores late Wednesday, and Ukrainian officials said there were artillery barrages in and around the northeastern city of Kharkiv over the past day.

(with AP)

French intelligence chief sacked over Ukraine failings

The head of French military intelligence, General Eric Vidaud, is being removed for what's perceived to be his poor performance concerning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, AFP reports.

It quotes a military source confirming his departure as head of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DRM). The website l'Opinion quotes a defence ministry source in citing "insufficient briefings" and a "failure to master topics".

General Vidaud was only appointed to his post last summer, from a previous role at Special Operations Command (COS).

In early March, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Thierry Burkhard, admitted in Le Monde newspaper that the French analysis on the question of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine had differed from that of the Americans. The US got it right, the French got it wrong.

"The Americans said that the Russians were going to attack, they were right. Our services rather thought that the conquest of Ukraine would have a monstrous cost and that the Russians had other options" to bring down President Zelenskyy, Burkhard said.

(with AFP)

Zelenskyy to Belgian parliament: 'Peace more valuable than diamonds'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Belgium to deliver arms to help his country fight Russian troops, particularly in Mariupol, judging peace more important than trade with Russia.

He made an allusion to the diamond trade of which the Belgian city of Antwerp is a stronghold in Europe. "I think peace is much more valuable than diamonds, than agreements with Russia, than Russian ships in ports, more so than Russian oil and gas, so help us!" he told the Belgian Parliament.

(AFP)

NATO: Russian troops repositioning, not withdrawing

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Ukraine: new attempt to evacuate civilians stranded in Mariupol

A new attempt to evacuate the many civilians stranded in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol was on track on Thursday, with the International Committee of the Red Cross saying it was ready to lead the "vital" operation, provided guarantees were met. 

The ICRC has already tried on several occasions, unsuccessfully, to organize evacuations from Mariupol, a strategic port in south-eastern Ukraine, on the Sea of ​​Azov.

"It is vital that these operations can take place. The lives of tens of thousands of people in Mariupol depend on it," insisted the organization from Geneva, saying it hoped for a launch on Friday.

Moscow announced late Wednesday a "regime of silence" -- a local ceasefire -- Thursday 0700 GMT in order to open a humanitarian corridor "with the direct participation of representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the ICRC".

The Ukrainian government has for its part announced that it will dispatch 45 buses to evacuate civilians towards the city of Zaporozhye, 220 km to the northwest, according to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. Seventeen buses have already left for Mariupol, she said.

People who managed to leave the city and NGOs described catastrophic conditions there, with civilians holed up in cellars, deprived of water, food and communication, and corpses littering the streets. Some 160,000 civilians are still stranded there and the municipality accuses Moscow of having evacuated "against their will" more than 20,000 inhabitants of Mariupol in Russia.

According to the British Ministry of Defence, "intense fighting continues in Mariupol" but the Ukrainians "retain control of the city center". The leader of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, a faithful of Vladimir Putin, whose thousands of men are fighting in this area, assures the reverse that 90 to 95% of the city would now be under Russian control.

Ukraine withdraws two ambassadors for being 'uneffective'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recalled his ambassadors from Morocco and Georgia, accusing them of not being efficient enough about obtaining weapons or sanctions support against Russia.

"There are those who work so that Ukraine can defend itself and fight for its future and there are those who waste their time clinging to their posts. I signed a first decree to recall such a person , Ambassador to Morocco" Oksana Vassilieva, he said in a video message on Wednesday. 

"We also recalled the ambassador to Georgia" Igor Dolgov, added the Ukrainian president.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Georgia was recalled in early March for consultations following the Georgian government's refusal to approve sanctions against Russia. Tbilisi also prevented the arrival of volunteer fighters from Georgia in Ukraine.

“With all due respect, if there are no weapons, no sanctions, no restrictions against Russian business, please look for another job,” he said.

"I expect results in the coming days from our representatives in Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa. I also expect results from our military attachés. The diplomatic front is a front key and everyone must work efficiently", Zelenskyy said.

Vladimir Putin's popularity soars, according to new poll

Russian President Vladimir Putin has seen his popularity soar since he launched an invasion of Ukraine at the end of February. 

A new poll published Thursday by the independent Levada Institute in Russia is the first since the start of the war. 

It shows some 83% of Russians approve of Putin's actions -- that's up 12 percentage points compared to the last survey carried out in February. 

Only 15% of Russians say they do not approve of the president's action (a drop of 12 percentage points in one month) while just 2% say they have no opinion.

Previous polls had been released in recent weeks and already showed an approval rating for Mr Putin of 80% or more, but these were carried out by pro-government institutes.

Vladimir Putin justified the Russian military offensive against his Ukrainian neighbor by accusing him of having orchestrated a genocide of Russian speakers, and of serving as a springboard for NATO, an existential threat to Russia.

This message is relayed on a daily basis by the state media, while critical voices have been forced into silence or exile, on pain of heavy criminal penalties in the event of remarks denigrating the action of the Russian army. 

Russia has also banned some of the biggest social networks -- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok -- accused of being anti-Russia.  

ICRC ready to lead Mariupol evacuation 

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was ready "to lead" the evacuation operations for civilians besieged in the city of Mariupol.

The Red Cross says it would be read to start on Friday, on condition that it gets security guarantees about safety.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced Wednesday evening a ceasefire this Thursday and the opening of evacuation corridors for civilians, who have been trapped for weeks in the city pounded by Russian forces.

On Thursday, Kyiv said it would send a fleet of buses to Mariupol to take out as many civilians as they could fit on board. It's thought there could be tens of thousands of residents still trapped in the city which has come under constant Russian bombardment for weeks. 

Authorities estimate at least 5,000 civilians have been killed in Mariupol so far. 

Pro-Russia separatists claim Donbas military gains

Separatists in Ukraine's Donbass region claimed on Thursday to control almost all of the Lugansk region and more than half of Donetsk, with Moscow making the conquest of these eastern Ukrainian territories its priority.

These claims could not be independently verified. 

"As of March 31, 2022, in the morning, more than 90% of the territory of the Lugansk People's Republic has been liberated" the pro-Russia group said on its Telegram channel on Thursday. 

Denis Pushilin, leader of the Donetsk separatists, said on Wednesday that "about 55 to 60 percent" of the territory of the Ukrainian region was under Russian control.

Before the start of the Russian offensive on 24 February, the separatists, who have been at war with Ukrainian forces since 2014, controlled about a third of each of these regions. 

In the Donetsk region, the main city that escaped the Russian and pro-Russian forces is Mariupol, which has been under a brutal siege for weeks.

The leader of the Russian Caucasian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, whose thousands of men are fighting in Mariupol, said that 90 to 95% of the strategic port city was now under Russian control.

According to him, the last Ukrainian defenders are entrenched in the Azovstal metallurgical factory, located in the east of Mariupol.

A ceasefire is due to take effect in the city on Thursday on the Russian side to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of people still living there in catastrophic humanitarian conditions.

Video: Europe's largest food warehouse on fire after 'deliberate' Russian attack

One of Europe’s largest food storage facilities has been destroyed in Ukraine.

“It wasn’t an accident. It was intentional" says Mayor of the city, Iho Saposhko.

"The entire food warehouse and 50,000 tonnes of food were destroyed." 

Read more, and watch video at our story here:

Ukraine food supplies 'deliberately destroyed' in warehouse attack

Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers could meet 'within one or two weeks'

The foreign ministers from Russia and Ukraine could meet for face-to-face talks "within one or two weeks" according to the Turkish foreign minister.

Mevlüt Cavusoglu said in a Thursday TV interview that "there could be a higher-level meeting, at least between ministers within a week or two,” adding that it was “impossible to put a date forward” and no location specified.

Negotiators from the two countries -- but not their foreign ministers -- met for a day of talks in Istanbul on Tuesday, and there could be another round of talks from senior officials on Friday as well. 

After Tuesday's talks the Russian side indicated that conditions were becoming right for a possible meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy but again, no date has been set for that. 

Mariupol evacuation plans if Russia ceasefire holds

Kiev is preparing to send 45 buses on Thursday to evacuate civilians from Mariupol, the besieged port city in southern Ukraine where Moscow has announced a truce.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Verechtchuk said the government "were informed by the International Committee of the Red Cross that Russia was ready to open access to humanitarian convoys from Mariupol," to the city of Zaporozhie, via Berdiansk.

"On the Mariupol corridor, we are sending 45 buses," she added.

Tens of thousands of civilians are still thought to be trapped in Mariupol, which has faced weeks of constant bombardment by Russian forces. Ukrainian authorities estimate at least 5,000 people were killed in the city. 

ICYMI: UN human rights chief highlights Russian attacks on civilian areas in Ukraine

President Zelenskyy: Ukraine bracing for new Russian offensive in the east

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country is at a "turning point" in the war with Russia, and that they're preparing for a major new Russian offensive in the east of the country.

"We will not give up anything. We will fight for every meter of our territory," he said in the new video, recorded outside his office on the streets of Kyiv.

Read more at our story here:

Zelenskyy: Ukraine bracing for new Russian offensive in the east

Ukraine and Russia economies forecast to shrink drastically this year

Ukraine 's economy is expected to shrink by 20% this year due to Russia's invasion of the country, while Russia will see its GDP plummet by 10%, according to new forecasts on Thursday from the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development EBRD. 

Before the war EBRD anticipated growth of 3.5% in 2022 for Ukraine and 3% for Russia.

These latest forecasts assume that a cessation of hostilities will be decided within a few months, followed by a major effort to rebuild Ukraine .

Under this scenario, Ukraine 's economy is expected to rebound by 23% next year, while Russia's GDP, which is still expected to face sanctions, is expected to just stabilize with zero growth.

The EBRD was founded in 1991 to help former Soviet bloc countries transition to a market economy, but it has since expanded its scope to include countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

The bank warns that these forecasts are to be considered in the light of exceptionally high uncertainty, "and with a high margin of deterioration if hostilities increase or if exports of gas and other raw materials from Russia are restricted".

According to the EBRD, the global economy is facing the "biggest supply shock since at least the early 1970s".

"The bank expects that the rising cost of food commodities, or oil, gas and metals will have a profound impact on economies, particularly in developing countries," it notes in its statement, because Russia and Ukraine are producers of a "particularly high portion of raw materials, including wheat, corn, fertilizers, titanium and nickel".

More than 400,000 Ukrainians forcibly displaced to Russia: Ombudswoman

More than 400,000 Ukrainians have been forcibly displaced to Russia since the start of the war, Ukraine's ombudswoman has told Euronews.

Lyudmila Denisova, who has responsibility in Ukraine's parliament for monitoring human rights abuses, said her country is collecting evidence of alleged Russian war crimes.

Read more at our story here:

More than 400,000 Ukrainians 'forcibly displaced to Russia'

Russian soldiers 'demoralised and disobeying orders' says UK spy chief

Demoralised Russian soldiers in Ukraine were refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment, and had accidentally shot down their own aircraft, a UK intelligence chief said on Thursday.

Jeremy Fleming, who heads the GCHQ electronic spy agency, made the remarks at a speech in the Australian capital Canberra.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had apparently “massively misjudged” the invasion, he said.

"It’s clear he misjudged the resistance of the Ukrainian people. He underestimated the strength of the coalition his actions would galvanize. He underplayed the economic consequences of the sanctions regime, and he overestimated the abilities of his military to secure a rapid victory,” Fleming said.

“We’ve seen Russian soldiers, short of weapons and morale, refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft,” Fleming added.

Although Putin’s advisers were believed to be too afraid to tell the truth, the “extent of these misjudgments must be crystal clear to the regime,” he said.

Fleming warned that the Kremlin was hunting for cyber targets and bringing in mercenaries to shore up its stalled military campaign in Ukraine.

He praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “information operation” for being highly effective at countering Russia’s massive disinformation drive spreading propaganda about the war.

While there were expectations that Russia would launch a major cyberattack as part of its military campaign, Fleming said such a move was never a central part of Moscow’s standard playbook for war.

Russian rouble rebounds on currency markets

The Russian ruble had bounced back on international currency markets by close of business Wednesday, leading to questions about how effective Western sanctions are.

After the initial impact of sanctions, Russia resorted to extreme financial measures to blunt the West’s penalties and inflate its currency. Russia’s Central Bank has jacked up interest rates to 20% and the Kremlin has imposed strict capital controls on those wishing to exchange their rubles for dollars or euros.

It’s a monetary defense Putin may not be able to sustain as long-term sanctions weigh down the Russian economy. But the ruble’s recovery could be a sign that the sanctions in their current form are not working as powerfully as Ukraine's allies counted on when it comes to pressuring Putin to pull his troops from Ukraine.

It also could be a sign that Russia's efforts to artificially prop up its currency are working by leveraging its oil and gas sector.

The ruble was trading at roughly 85 to the U.S. dollar, roughly where it was before Russia started its invasion a month ago. The ruble had fallen as low as roughly 150 to the dollar on March 7, when news emerged that the Biden administration would ban US imports of Russian oil and gas.