Washington approves sale of F-16s to Bulgaria

The US government announced Monday that it has approved the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Bulgaria to "strengthen the security" of this member of NATO, against the backdrop of the war led by Russia in Ukraine.

The US State Department said in a statement that it had notified the United States Congress of its intention to sell these fighters and ammunition to Bulgaria for $1.67 billion.

According to US, the sale of the F-16s "will improve Bulgaria's ability to meet current and future threats, allowing the Bulgarian Air Force to regularly deploy modern fighter aircraft in the region of the Black Sea" of which Ukraine also borders.

Strengthening NATO's eastern flank is part of Washington's strategy to respond to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. .

This sale could revive speculation about a transfer to Ukraine of Soviet-made combat aircraft, which Bulgaria has.

But the Pentagon seemed to dismiss this idea.

Spokesperson John Kirby cautioned against drawing any "conclusions."

"That would be a misinterpretation" Kirby said.

Kyiv has been asking Western partners for the Mig-29s that its personnel already know how to fly, and which several Eastern European countries have.

A possible transfer of such Russian planes from Poland had been discussed at the beginning of March, before the United States opposed it, fearing that Russia could see too much direct involvement of NATO in the conflict.

White House warning that eastern offensive "could last for months or more" 

The White House is warning that an expected offensive in eastern Ukraine "could last for months or more". 

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that Russia "is in the process of repositioning its forces to focus its offensive on eastern and parts of southern Ukraine."

"Russia tried to subjugate all of Ukraine and failed. Now it will try to impose itself in certain parts of the country" he added. 

Earlier on Monday the governor of Lugansk region in eastern Ukraine said that Russia was sending equipment and troops "from all different directions [...] preparing for a massive attack." 

Already last Saturday Ukrainian authorities said that Russian forces were withdrawing from regions in north Ukraine, and in particular from around the capital, to redeploy towards the east and south. 

Russia recently announced that it would focus its offensive on Donbass, where the Lugansk region is located, largely already in the hands of the Russian military and its separatist allies.

Russia reacts to German expulsion of diplomats

The Russian embassy in Berlin has reacted to a decision by the Germans to expel dozens of Russian diplomats, saying relations would "deteriorate" even more after the "unfriendly" decision. 

"The unfounded reduction of diplomatic personnel in Russian missions in Germany will narrow the space for maintaining dialogue between our countries, which will lead to a further deterioration of Russian-German relations" the Russian Embassy posted in a statement on Telegram.

Germany announced the massive expulsion of Russian diplomats amid European outrage over Moscow's offensive in Ukraine, and in particular the recent discovery of the bodies of dozens of civilians in the town of Bucha. 

The Kremlin has decided the accusations that civilians were killed, and said the bodies were staged there. 

The Russian embassy in Berlin confirmed that 40 diplomatic staff had been ordered to leave by German authorities. 

Russia preparing "massive attack" in east Ukraine

The governor of Lugansk region of eastern Ukraine says Russian forces are preparing a "massive attack" against Ukrainian forces there. 

In a video message, Sergei Gaïdaï said: "We see that equipment is coming from different directions, that they (the Russians) are bringing men, that they are bringing fuel (...). We understand that they are preparing for a massive attack."

"The shelling is getting heavier and heavier. Last night, there was an attempt to break through to Rubizhne, our defenders repelled it, disabled several tanks, there were dozens of corpses” of Russian soldiers, continued Gaïdaï said.

"Yesterday, unfortunately, in the explosion of a mine or an artillery shell, two volunteers died" and "a church was bombed", "two priests were injured", he added, without providing further details.

The governor also called on local residents to leave the area.

"Don't hesitate, please. Today, a thousand people have been evacuated. Please don't wait for your homes to be bombed," he urged in his message.

Ukrainian authorities had previously said that Russian forces were withdrawing from northern areas of the county, including from around Kyiv, to redeploy towards the east and the south of this country.

Russia for its part recently announced that it would focus its offensive on Donbass, where the Lugansk region is located, largely already in the hands of the Russian military and its separatist allies.

(AFP)

France to expel dozens of Russian diplomats

France has become the latest EU country to take action against Russian diplomats. 

On Monday evening the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would expel "many Russian personnel with diplomatic status" whose activities are "contrary to our security interests."  

The AFP news agency reports that 35 diplomats will be expelled, citing a source, 

"This action is part of a European approach" the ministry says in its press release. 

"Our first responsibility is always to ensure the safety of French people and Europeans."

On Monday morning Lithuania announced it would expel the Russian ambassador and close down a consulate. On Monday afternoon Germany said it was also expelling a large number of Russian diplomats. 

(Euronews, AFP) 

UK and US push for Russian suspension from UN Human Rights Council

The United Kingdom and United States are pushing for Russia to be suspended from the UN Human Rights council.

The move comes in response to the situation in Ukraine and specifically the town of Bucha, where the bodies of dozens of civilians were discovered after Russian forces left their positions. 

“We cannot allow a member state that is undermining all the principles that we hold dear to participate in the UN Human Rights Council” the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, tweeted.

Thomas-Greenfield addressed the 140 countries that have "already voted to condemn" the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in a UN General Assembly resolution, saying: "the images of Bucha and the devastation across the Ukraine are forcing us to walk the talk."

"In close coordination with Ukraine and other UN member states and partners, the United States will work to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council," the diplomat added. 

"Russia cannot be allowed to use its seat on the Council as a propaganda tool to suggest that it has a legitimate concern about human rights," she added.

Such a suspension must be decided by the General Assembly of the United Nations, in a two-thirds majority vote of the 193 member states of the world organization.

The United Kingdom immediately supported the American move.

"Russia cannot remain a member of the UN Human Rights Council", it "must be suspended", declared on Twitter the head of British diplomacy Liz Truss, citing a "strong presumption of crimes of war" and reports of "mass graves and atrocious killings in Bucha".

Germany to expel "a large number" of Russian diplomats

Germany has become the latest country to expel Russian diplomats in connection with the war in Ukraine. 

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday "a large number" would be ordered back to Moscow, with the AFP news agency reporting 40 diplomats are involved. 

Baerbock stressed that the expelled Russian diplomats constituted "a threat to those who seek protection with us". Germany is hosting more than 300,000 Ukrainian refugees who have fled the fighting in their country-

"We will not tolerate it any longer" she added in a short written statement. 

The diplomats facing deportation are suspected by German authorities of working for Russian intelligence services and now have five days to leave Germany, AFP has learned.

This decision by Germany comes hours after Lithuania, expelled the Russian ambassador to Vilnius. Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, dozens of Russian diplomats have been expelled from countries in Europe and the US.

(Euronews, AFP)

Two-thirds of Russian troops have left region around Kyiv

Two-thirds of the Russian forces that had occupied the area around Kyiv since the start of the invasion have retreated to Belarus, a senior Pentagon official said on Monday, saying it is likely that there will be a reorganisation of troops ahead of an assault elsewhere in Ukraine.

The senior official said about a third of the forces Russia had deployed remained and that they were now reorganising in Belarus.

The official, who requested anonymity, said they continue to think the Russian forces will re-equip, re-supply and then be sent back to Ukraine to fight elsewhere.

He warned that they could be sent to the eastern Donbas region, though the troops have not yet started to move.

(AFP)

Why isn't Europe banning Russian energy?

As pressure mounts for further sanctions against Russia, European importers are still paying hundreds of millions of euros for Russian oil and natural gas every day.

Europe gets around 40% of its natural gas from Russian and 25% of its oil. Russia supplies some 14% of diesel, S&P Global analysts said, and a cutoff could send already high prices for truck and tractor fuel through the roof.

With production declining in Europe, the bloc is now more dependent on imports.

Currently, there isn't the infrastructure to get natural gas supplies to places in Germany and eastern Europe that are heavily dependent on it.

Lithuania announced on Saturday that they were no longer dependent on Russian gas -- a move that they were able to do after building an LNG terminal in 2014.

Germany, the continent’s biggest economy, still gets 40% of its gas from Russia, even after cutting its reliance. Estimates vary about what a ban on Russian energy would do to the European economy.

“We will likely continue to see resistance from Germany and a select few others as they’re simply far more reliant on Russian imports of oil, gas and coal,” said Craig Erlam, senior markets analyst for the U.K., Europe, Middle East and Africa at currency broker Oanda.

Economists Simone Tagliapietra and Guntram Wolff at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels propose an EU import tariff on Russian oil and gas. That would reduce Russia's revenue while avoiding a major hit to Europe's growth, with the legal advantage of leaving contracts intact.

While the army that invaded Ukraine is already paid for, the tariff would put the Kremlin in "a more difficult economic position, in which they might possibly start having difficulties buying stuff from the outside world, including armaments, and paying the salaries of the public sector,” Tagliapietra said. “All this will happen in months, but can have strong effects on the sustainability of Russian domestic politics.”

(AP)

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has pushed Sweden closer to joining NATO

Sweden and Finland are the last two Nordic or Baltic countries which are not members of the NATO military alliance but that is changing rapidly as both countries look likely to seek membership in the next few months. 

Read more at our story here: 

A slow burn: Ukraine war sees Sweden warm to NATO membership

euronewsAs political and public support for joining NATO continues to grow, Sweden's Social Democrat government looks set to change its foundational resistance to membership of the military alliance. #UncoveringEurope

President Biden calls for "war crimes trial" after grim Bucha discoveries

US President Joe Biden said on Monday that he wants a "war crimes trial" after the discovery of numerous bodies wearing civilian clothes in Bucha, near Kyiv.

Talking to reporters, Biden said he also wanted to see "additional sanctions" against Russia.

The US president said again that he considered his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" and called him "brutal".

"He has to be accountable," he said.

Meanwhile a Russian law enforcement agency says it has launched its own investigation into allegations that Ukrainian civilians were massacred in Bucha, focusing on what it calls “false information” about the actions of Russian forces.

The Investigative Committee claims Ukrainian authorities made the allegations “with the aim of discrediting Russian troops” and that those involved should be investigated over possible breaches of a new Russian law banning what the government deems to be false information about its forces.

Russian law enforcement has launched several investigations since Russian troops entered Ukraine, typically into incidents such as the shelling of areas held by Russia-backed separatists.

(Euronews, AFP, AP)

Lithuania expels Russian ambassador, closes consulate

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it's ordered the expulsion of the Russian ambassador, following the invasion of Ukraine and because of atrocities committed by Russian soldiers. 

"Lithuania is lowering the level of diplomatic representation with Russia, this way expressing its full solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, who are suffering from Russia's unprecedented aggression" Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabriel Landsbergis said in a statement. 

The Lithuanian Government has also decided to close the Consulate General in Klaipėda, and recall its own ambassador from Moscow. 

"What the world has seen in Bucha, unfortunately, may only be the beginning. With other liberated cities, we may see more horrific examples of war crimes. All war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine will not be forgotten" Landsbergis said. 

(Euronews)

President Zelenskyy visits Bucha 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the town of Bucha near Kyiv on Monday, where he denounced Russian army "war crimes" he said would be "recognised as genocide."

Zelenskyy was heavily guarded by soldiers as he surveyed the devastation of the town, which was recently taken back by the Ukrainian military.

"Every day, when our fighters enter and take over territories, you see what happens" said Zelenskyy.

"These are war crimes and it will be recognized by the world as genocide", he added, referring to "thousands of people killed and tortured, with extremities cut off, women raped, children killed".

Ukraine accuses the Russian army, which invaded the country, of having committed a "massacre" in Bucha .

This small town northwest of Kyiv was occupied by the Russian army on 27 February, and remained inaccessible for more than a month.

Reporters from the AFP French news agency counted the bodies of at least 22 people in civilian clothes in the streets on Saturday. One of them was lying near a bicycle and another had shopping bags next to her. A corpse had its hands tied behind its back.

The cause of their death could not immediately be determined, but two people had large head wounds.

According to the city's mayor, Anatoly Fedorouk, nearly 300 people were buried in "mass graves" in Bucha.

The graphic images and stories emerging from the surviving residents of Bucha have sparked an international outcry, with the promise of new sanctions against Russia. 

Moscow has denied killing civilians in Bucha. Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov called it "falsifications" staged for the benefit of the press.

(Euronews / AFP)

Borrell: EU "urgently" discussing new sanctions against Moscow

The European Union is "urgently" discussing new sanctions against Moscow, after the discovery of a large number of civilian bodies in the Kyiv region, the bloc's foreign affairs chief said on Monday. 

The EU “condemns in the strongest terms the reported atrocities committed by Russian armed forces in several occupied Ukrainian towns, which have now been liberated” Josep Borrell said in a statement.

A new set of sanctions is under discussion between the 27 member states, but it needs to be agreed unanimously before any new measures are adopted. 

Earlier on Monday French President Emmanuel Macron said fresh sanctions could include be placed on "coal and oil" but didn't mention gas purchases -- a subject that has divided some EU countries.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had also called for new sanctions on Sunday after the discovery of the bodies of civilians in Bucha, near Kyiv, murders attributed to the Russian army which he described as "war crimes".

Berlin still rules out hitting the Russian gas sector. "We must consider tough sanctions, but in the short term Russian gas supplies are not substitutable" and interrupting them "would harm us more than Russia," German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said before a meeting with his EU counterparts on Monday in Luxembourg.

Asked about the possibility of sanctions on coal and oil, Mr Lindner kicked into touch. "No speculation on my part," he replied.

"Austria is not in favor of gas sanctions. We are very dependent on Russian gas in Austria. Sanctions should not affect us more than Russia," said Austrian Finance Minister Magnus Brunner.

(Euronews / AFP)

Arab foreign ministers in Moscow for talks

Foreign ministers from five Arab countries have arrived in Moscow for talks.

The Arab League says ministers from Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan and Sudan will meet with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahemd Abdoul Gheit, will also be joining the meeting.

After Monday's talks in Moscow, the ministers will travel to Poland on Tuesday for a meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. 

(AP)

Odesa locals receive military training 

Residents of Odesa have signed up for daily training in basic military skills and tactics to prepare for a Russian advance on the Black Sea port.

More than 3,000 people — almost half of them women — have passed through since the beginning of March.

Euronews correspondent Sergio De Almeida has visited the site. Watch the report here:

Odesa locals undergo military training to prepare for Russian attack

Lavrov should be prosecuted over 'lies' about atrocities — Ukraine MP

Russia’s top diplomat has dismissed Ukraine’s accusations that Russian troops committed atrocities against its civilians as a “stage-managed anti-Russian provocation”.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the comments at the start of his talks Monday with a senior UN official, arguing that the Ukrainian claim of a massacre of civilians in Bucha outside Kyiv is “a provocation that posed a direct threat to global peace and security”.

"Just for that he has to be brought to responsibility in front of a criminal court because these are lies, and these are absolutely unacceptable lies about human lives," Ukrainian lawmaker Lesia Vasylenko told BBC radio.

"Who is taking those pictures and who is making those videos? The Ukrainian military, who is there on site, Ukrainian territorial defence who is also on site, and also international media... British, American, French, they are all there on site with their cameras and they can see what is happening, and it's impossible to stage these kinds of crimes."

She went on to call for the United Nations and its member states to act.

"We are talking about the crime of aggression, we are talking about the crime of genocide, which is being committed in the middle of Europe in the middle of the 21st century, and everybody is standing on the sidelines, not performing their responsibilities... and just watching all these crimes in Ukraine as if it was a Netflix documentary or TV series."

"Russian aggression is on the rise... because Putin is not being stopped," she said.

Chinese 'solidarity with civilian victims' — Ukraine's foreign minister

Putin congratulates Moscow-friendly leaders of Hungary and Serbia on election wins

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated the Moscow-friendly leaders of Hungary and Serbia on winning elections.

In a letter sent Monday to Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban whose right-wing Fidesz party won a landslide victory in Sunday’s vote, Putin said that “despite the difficult international situation, the further development of bilateral partnership fully conforms to the interests of peoples of Russia and Hungary,” according to the Kremlin.

Putin also congratulated Serbian President Alexandar Vucic on his re-election Sunday, saying that the outcome of the vote confirms a “broad public support” for his independent foreign policies.

The Russian leader voiced hope that Vucic’s activities will help further strengthen the “strategic partnership” between Russia and Serbia.

(AP)

UN high commissioner 'horrified' by images of dead civilians in Bucha

The UN high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet said she was "horrified by the images of civilians lying dead on the streets" in Bucha, Ukraine.

Bachelet said that the reports emerging from Ukrainian suburbs outside of Kyiv "raise serious and disturbing questions about possible war crimes" in addition to "grave breaches of international humanitarian law and serious violations of international human rights law."

She said that it would be necessary to identify the victims and their exact causes of death as well as preserve evidence.

"It is vital that all efforts are made to ensure there are independent and effective investigations into what happened in Bucha to ensure truth, justice and accountability, as well as reparations and remedy for victims and their families," Bachelet said in a statement.

HRW war crimes evidence casts doubt on Kremlin denials

The discovery of a large number of civilian bodies in Bucha brought a flat denial from the Kremlin on Monday that Russia was responsible.

"We categorically reject all charges," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, saying Russian Defence Ministry experts found signs of "video tampering" and "fakes" in footage presented by Ukrainian authorities.

“Judging by what we have seen, we cannot trust these video images,” he said, calling on foreign leaders not to make "hasty accusations" against Moscow and to "at least listen to Russian arguments".

Independent journalists have seen, filmed and photographed the bodies found in Bucha and elsewhere, some in areas occupied by Russian forces only hours before. Locals have described civilians being shot in cold blood by Russian troops.

Human Rights Watch says it has "documented several cases of Russian military forces committing laws-of-war violations against civilians in occupied areas of the Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions".

Russian oligarch's yacht searched in Mallorca

U.S. federal agents and Spain’s Civil Guard searched a yacht owned by a Russian oligarch on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca on Monday.

The law enforcement officers boarded the yacht at the Marina Real in the port of Palma de Mallorca, the capital of Spain’s Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Associated Press reporters at the scene saw police going in and out of the boat on Monday morning.

A Civil Guard source told The Associated Press that the yacht named Tango is a 78-metre vessel that carries Cook Islands flag and that Superyachtfan.com, a specialized website that tracks the world’s largest and most exclusive recreational boats, values it at $120 million (€109 million). The source was not authorized to be named in media reports and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

The yacht is among the assets linked to Viktor Vekselberg, a billionaire and close ally with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who heads the Moscow-based Renova Group, a conglomerate encompassing metals, mining, tech and other assets, according to U.S. Treasury Department documents. All of Vekselberg’s assets in the U.S. are frozen and U.S. companies are forbidden from doing business with him and his entities.

The Ukrainian-born businessman built his fortune by investing in the aluminum and oil industries in the post-Soviet era.

(AP)

Borrell cites 'haunting images' and vows more 'urgent' sanctions

The European Union’s top diplomat has joined a growing chorus of international criticism blaming the Russian armed forces for alleged atrocities committed against civilians in Ukraine.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says “the Russian authorities are responsible for these atrocities, committed while they had effective control of the area. They are subject to the international law of occupation.”

Borrell said Monday that the “haunting images of large numbers of civilian deaths and casualties, as well as destruction of civilian infrastructures show the true face of the brutal war of aggression Russia is waging against Ukraine and its people.”

Working with the US, UK and other international partners, the EU has been ramping up sanctions against Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February. Borrell says the 27-country bloc “will advance, as a matter of urgency, work on further sanctions against Russia.”

(AP)

Canada, Japan, Israel, New Zealand condemn Bucha atrocities

Among the worldwide condemnation of the alleged murder of civilians by Russian troops in Bucha, near Kyiv, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: "Those responsible for these egregious and appalling attacks will be brought to justice."

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday that “we strongly condemn attacks on civilians” following reports of bodies found with signs of torture in areas abandoned by Russian forces. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno called for firm investigations by the International Criminal Court over Moscow’s “war crimes”.

Israel’s foreign minister has condemned the reported atrocities in Ukraine, saying deliberate harm to civilians is a war crime. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid wrote on Twitter that one “cannot remain indifferent” after seeing images from the town of Bucha near Ukraine capital.

Israel has walked a tightrope since Russia invaded Ukraine, simultaneously denouncing the invasion while avoiding taking too strident a stance out of concern of angering Moscow, with whom it has security coordination in neighbouring Syria.

Israel has good relations with both countries and has mediated between them since the invasion on February 24.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called reports of rape and other atrocities by Russian soldiers “beyond reprehensible.” 

“Russia must answer to the world for what they’ve done,” she said, adding that her Cabinet considered on Monday further measures New Zealand could take to support Ukraine and send a strong message to Moscow.

(with AP, AFP)

Polish PM calls for international inquiry into possible 'genocide'

The Polish Prime Minister called on Monday to create an international commission of inquiry into what he called "genocide" committed by the Russian army in Ukrainian cities, including Bucha.

"These bloody massacres committed by Russians, Russian soldiers, deserve to be called by their name. It is genocide, and it must be judged," Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters. "This is why we are proposing to set up an international commission to investigate this crime of genocide."

His words were echoed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who also spoke on Monday of a possible "genocide" in Ukraine after the massacre of civilians uncovered in Bucha, following the withdrawal of Russian troops from near Kyiv.

"We will do everything possible to ensure that those who perpetrated these war crimes do not go unpunished and can appear before the courts, in this specific case before the International Criminal Court, to answer for these alleged cases of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and, why not say it also, genocide,” Sanchez told an economic forum.

(AFP)

Macron in favour of new EU sanctions against Russia

Emmanuel Macron declared himself on Monday "in favour" of the European Union deciding on new sanctions against Russia, citing oil and coal. It follows the discovery of hundreds of civilian bodies in the Kyiv region, particularly in Bucha.

His appeal echoes that of Germany, whose defence minister said on Sunday that European officials should talk about halting gas supplies from Russia.

"What happened in Bucha requires a new set of sanctions and very clear measures," the French president told France Inter radio. "So we will coordinate with our European partners, especially Germany" in "the coming days", he added, referring to individual sanctions and measures on "coal and oil".

"We must send the signal that it is our collective dignity and our values ​​that we are defending," he said, citing events in Mariupol in particular.

Macron described the images from Bucha as "unbearable", adding that "there are very clear indications today of war crimes" for which Russian forces were responsible.

"International justice must pass. Those who were at the origin of these crimes will have to answer for it," he said, because "there will be no peace without justice".

'He put his hands up, they shot him': Bucha locals allege Russian atrocities

Associated Press journalists saw over 20 bodies dressed in civilian clothes in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, close to a site residents said Russian troops had used as a base. Some of the dead had their hands or feet tied up.

Locals said the Russians had shot people in cold blood.

Read the full story here:

'He put his hands up, they shot him': Bucha residents accuse Russians

Ukrainian authorities accused Putin's forces of committing war crimes and leaving behind a “scene from a horror movie” as they withdrew from the town near Kyiv.

Orban includes Zelenskyy on his list of foes

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban celebrated his landslide re-election win on Sunday with a familiar tirade vilifying those he sees as his adversaries.

In his victory speech, he included Ukraine's President Zelenskyy on the list in describing the "overwhelming force" he said his party had struggled against in the election: “The left at home, the international left all around, the Brussels bureaucrats, the Soros empire with all its money, the international mainstream media, and in the end, even the Ukrainian president.”

On Saturday Zelenskyy depicted the Hungarian leader as out of touch with the rest of Europe, which has united to condemn Putin, support sanctions against Russia and send aid including weapons to Ukraine.

“He is virtually the only one in Europe to openly support Mr Putin,” Zelenskyy said.

Orban, a longtime ally of Vladimir Putin, has insisted that Hungary remain neutral and maintain its close economic ties with Moscow, including continuing to import Russian gas and oil on favourable terms.

Alone among Ukraine’s EU neighbours, Orban has refused to supply Ukraine with weapons, saying this would make Hungary a military target.

“This isn’t our war, we have to stay out of it,” Orban said at a rally on Friday.

(with AP)

Ukraine to set up 'special mechanism' to investigate Russian crimes — Zelenskyy

More from the Ukrainian president's video address on Sunday evening. 

"I approved a decision to create a special mechanism of justice in Ukraine for the investigation and judicial examination of every crime of the occupiers on the territory of our state," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The essence of this mechanism is the joint work of national and international experts: investigators, prosecutors and judges. This mechanism will help Ukraine and the world bring to concrete justice those who unleashed or in any way participated in this terrible war against the Ukrainian people and in crimes against our people.

"It is time to do everything possible to make the war crimes of the Russian military the last manifestation of such evil on earth."

The full text of Zelenskyy's address translated into English is available on the presidential website.

Ukraine reports more territorial gains — and civilian casualties

Ukrainian authorities are reporting more civilian casualties from the Russian barrage.

At least seven people were killed and 34, including three children, were wounded in a Russian rocket attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv late Sunday, according to the regional prosecutor’s office. It said that 10 buildings were destroyed.

In the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv, regional Gov. Vitaliy Kim said at least one resident was killed and 14 others were wounded by Russian shelling late Sunday. Local authorities also reported more Russian strikes on Mykolaiv early Monday, but there was no immediate word of casualties.

The Ukrainian military says that its forces have retaken some towns in the Chernihiv region and that humanitarian aid is being delivered.

The news agency RBK Ukraina says the road between Chernihiv and the capital of Kyiv is to reopen to some traffic later Monday.

Chernihiv is a city 130 kilometres north of Kyiv and it had been cut off from shipments of food and other supplies for weeks. The mayor said Sunday that relentless Russian shelling had destroyed 70% of the city.

Russian forces also withdrew from the Sumy region, in Ukraine’s northeast, local administrator Dmitry Zhivitsky said in a video message carried by Ukrainian news agencies Sunday. The troops had occupied the area for nearly a month.

(with AP)

Russia denies evidence of Russian atrocities

The Russian Ministry of Defence denied on Sunday that its forces had killed civilians in Bucha.

"All the photos and videos published by the Kiev regime in Bucha are just another provocation. This confirms conclusively this is another #hoax by the Kiev regime for the Western media," it said on Twitter.

Russia has asked for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday over what its UN ambassador Dmmitry Polyanskiy described on Twitter as "heinous provocation of Ukrainian radicals in #Bucha".

(with AFP)

Zelenskyy slams Russian 'genocide' over Bucha massacre

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday accused Russia of committing "genocide" in Ukraine to eliminate "the whole nation", after the discovery of numerous bodies in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, following the departure of Russian forces.

"I want all the leaders of the Russian Federation to see how their orders are carried out. These kind of orders (...). And they have a common responsibility. For these murders, for these tortures, for the arms torn off by explosives (…) For the bullets fired in the back of the neck,” Zelenskyy said on Sunday evening, adding that a “special mechanism” would be created to investigate all Russian “crimes”.

(AFP)

EU should talk about stopping Russian gas supplies — German minister

Germany's defence minister says European officials should talk about halting gas supplies from Russia in light of the alleged attacks on civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.

Christine Lambrecht said Sunday night on German public broadcaster ARD that “there must be a reaction. Such crimes must not go unanswered.”

So far, Germany and several other European governments have shied away from an immediate boycott of Russian natural gas over fears of the impact it would have on their economies.

Europe gets 40% of its gas and 25% of its oil from Russia, and since the war, has scrambled to set out proposals to reduce its dependency. Russia is just as reliant on Europe, with oil and gas its dominant sector and paying for government operations.

Estimates of the impact of a gas boycott or embargo on Europe vary but most involve a substantial loss of economic output.

Lithuania says it has cut itself off entirely of gas imports from Russia and that it’s the first of the European Union’s 27 nations using Russian gas to break its energy dependence upon Moscow.

(with AP)

Ukraine says 400 civilian bodies removed, local mayor 'executed'

Ukraine’s prosecutor-general says the bodies of 410 civilians have been removed from Kyiv-area towns that were recently retaken from Russian troops.

Iryna Venediktova says on Facebook that the bodies were recovered Friday, Saturday and Sunday. She says 140 of them have undergone examination by prosecutors and other specialists.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says the mayor of the village of Motyzhyn in the Kyiv region was murdered while being held by Russian forces. Vereshchuk adds that there are 11 mayors and community heads in Russian captivity across Ukraine.

This claim was backed up by residents in the town, who said the mayor was killed in an execution-style slaying along with her husband and son.

Another resident of the town 50 kilometres west of Kyiv told the The Associated Press on Sunday that Russian troops targeted local officials in a bid to win them over and killed them if they did not collaborate. That man, Oleg, declined to give his full name for security reasons.

The mayor, Olga Sukhenko, and her family were shot and thrown into a pit in a forest behind a plot of land with three houses where Russian forces had slept. A fourth body was not yet identified.

The mayor and her family had been reported by others as kidnapped by Russians on March 23 and taken in an unknown direction.

(AP)

Zelenskyy blasts Merkel and Sarkozy for 'policy of concessions to Russia'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday called the Russian military "killers, executioners, rapists, marauders who call themselves an army", as more reports emerged of violence allegedly committed by Russian forces in Bucha.

Bodies with bound hands, close-range gunshot wounds and signs of torture lay scattered in the city on the outskirts of Kyiv after Russian soldiers withdrew from the area.

As images of the bodies - of people whom residents said were killed indiscriminately - began to emerge from Bucha, a slew of European leaders condemned the atrocities and called for tougher sanctions against Moscow.

In a video statement, the Ukrainian president invited Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, the former Chancellor of Germany and the former President of France, to visit Bucha and "see what the policy of concessions to Russia has led to in 14 years".

Zelenskyy singled out the two former leaders over NATO's "refusal" to accept Ukraine into the military alliance in 2008.

"They thought that by refusing Ukraine, they could appease Russia," he said. "Fourteen years after that miscalculation, Ukraine survived a revolution and eight years of war in the Donbas. And now we are fighting for survival in the most terrible war in Europe in all the times since World War II."

"I invite Merkel and Sarkozy to visit Bucha and see what the policy of concessions to Russia has led to in 14 years. To see with your own eyes the tortured Ukrainians and Ukrainian women."

(with AP)

Russia refocusing offensive in Donbas region — UK intelligence

The latest British military intelligence assessment says Russian forces are "continuing to consolidate and reorganise" as they focus on the eastern Donbas region. It adds that troops including Wagner mercenaries are being moved into the area.

NATO chief: 'Brutality against civilians not seen in Europe for decades'

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the graphic images coming out of Bucha, Ukraine, after Russian troops withdrew show “a brutality against civilians we haven’t seen in Europe for decades.’’

He tells CNN’s “State of the Union” that “it’s absolutely unacceptable that civilians are targeted and killed” and that it’s Russian President Vladimir Putin’s responsibility to stop the war.

Stoltenberg says it’s “extremely important” that the International Criminal Court has opened an investigation into potential war crimes in Ukraine and that those responsible are held to account.

His comments echoed those by other European leaders, who condemned alleged war crimes and civilian killings by Russian forces in Ukrainian towns including Bucha near Kyiv, the capital.

(AP)

Ukraine's leader asks help in Grammys video

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appeared in a video at the Grammy Awards asking for support in telling the story of Ukraine's invasion by Russia.

During the pre-recorded message that aired on the show Sunday night, he spoke in English, likening the attack to a deadly silence threatening to extinguish the dreams and lives of the Ukrainian people, including children.

In his words: “Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals, even to those who can’t hear them. But the music will break through anyway.”

The Recording Academy, with its partner Global Citizen, prior to the ceremony highlighted a social media campaign called “Stand Up For Ukraine” to raise money and humanitarian support.

Zelenskyy told the audience: “Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story. Tell the truth about the war on your social networks, on TV, support us in any way you can any, but not silence. And then peace will come to all our cities."

Following Zelenskyy’s message, John Legend performed his song “Free” with Ukrainian musicians Siuzanna Iglidan and Mika Newton and poet Lyuba Yakimchuk as images from the war were shown on screens behind them.

(AP)

European leaders condemn 'horrifying' images and call for accountability

European leaders have condemned the growing evidence of Russian attacks on civilians on the outskirts of Kyiv, as images emerged of bodies in the streets, some with their hands behind their backs.

Leaders in France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic and Poland expressed outrage at the images. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the images ”horrifying” and says Russia has been committing war crimes.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says international organizations should be given access to the areas to independently document the atrocities.

French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says his country will work with Ukrainian authorities and the International Criminal Court “to ensure these acts don’t go unpunished.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says Russia’s attack on civilians was "yet more evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his army are committing war crimes in Ukraine".

Johnson called the attacks in the towns of Irpin and Bucha “despicable” and says he “will do everything in my power to starve Putin’s war machine.” Johnson added that the U.K. will step up its sanctions and military support for Ukraine, but did not provide details.

(with AP)

Good morning, this is Alasdair Sandford bringing you Monday's latest updates from the war in Ukraine.