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Zelenskyy: Russian offensive in the east has begun

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the start of a Russian offensive against eastern Ukraine, part of which is in the hands of pro-Russian separatists and where deadly fighting has intensified.

The statement came amid reports of heavy shelling in the areas of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, and along the Ukrainian positions in Luhansk and Donetsk.

"We can now say that Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas, for which they have been preparing for a long time," Zelenskyy said in a speech published on Telegram. 

"A very large part of the entire Russian army is now dedicated to this offensive."

“No matter how many Russian troops are driven there, we will fight. We will defend ourselves. We will do it every day,” he stated.

Presidential advisor: Ukraine 'ready to exchange' Medvedchuk for Mariupol survivors, soldiers

Ukrainian government would be prepared to exchange Viktor Medvedchuk for all defenders and residents of Mariupol, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said.

However, Podolyak expressed his doubts that the Kremlin would settle for that, he stated on a national news channel, claiming that Russia is more interested in destroying Mariupol instead.

"It is a matter of principle for them to destroy the symbol of the country's invincibility," he said.

Medvedchuk, the leader of the pro-Russian Opposition Platform party, is widely considered to be a close ally of Vladimir Putin.

Earlier on Monday, Medvedchuk addressed both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, proposing to have himself exchanged for the remaining Ukrainian troops and civilians in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol.

The Ukrainian security service arrested Medvedchuk on 12 April as he attempted to flee the country. A photo published by Zelenskyy showed Medvedchuk in handcuffs, wearing a Ukrainian army uniform.

Azovstal factory under 'heavy bombardment', Mariupol authorities claim

The Russian forces have conducted heavy bomb sorties on the Azovstal iron and steelworks factory, Mariupol city council stated.

Footage shared on Telegram on Mondayshows a large cloud of smoke billowing from what is purported to be the northern section of the large complex said to be housing the remaining Ukrainian forces, as well as up to 1,000 civilians who sought shelter there.

There were no reports of casualties or damage at this time.

Ukraine rejects Serbian president's claims of bomb threats against national air company

Ukraine rejected as baseless and false the accusations made by Serbia’s president that Ukraine’s secret service is behind a series of hoax bomb threats against Air Serbia flights to Russia.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has claimed that the foreign intelligence services of Ukraine and an unidentified European Union nation are responsible.

The pro-Russian Serbian leader, who has repeatedly rejected to comment on the war in Ukraine, did not provide evidence for his claim.

Other Serbian officials alleged that the threats were being sent from Ukraine or Poland. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nilolenko on Monday called the allegations false.

The Serbian national carrier is the only European airline -- besides Turkish air companies -- that has not joined EU flight sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Read the full story below.

Kyiv rejects Serbian allegations about bomb threats on Russia flights

euronewsPresident Aleksandar Vučić has accused Ukrainian and other foreign intelligence services of being behind a series of hoax bomb threats on Air Serbia flights.

Russia seen adding forces in eastern and southern Ukraine, US defence official claims

The Pentagon says Russia has added artillery, ground combat forces and other capabilities in recent days ahead of a new ground offensive in the Donbas region in Ukraine.

A senior US defence official said the number of combat units known as battalion tactical groups in eastern and southern Ukraine has grown to 76 from 65 last week. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

It’s difficult to know at this stage of the war, but that could add up to 50,000 to 60,000 Russian troops, depending on how developed the groups are.

The official said that if Russian forces succeed in fully controlling the southern port of Mariupol it could free up nearly a dozen battalion-sized tactical groups for use elsewhere in the Donbas region.

EU condemns bombardment of civilians, demands end of hostilities

The European Union on Monday condemned Russia's indiscriminate and illegal missile strikes and shelling of civilians in Ukraine and denounced them as war crimes.

"The EU condemns the continued indiscriminate and illegal bombing of civilians and civilian infrastructure by the Russian armed forces," EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said in a statement issued in Brussels after the strikes on the western city of Lviv.

There can be no impunity for war crimes," he added, praising the Ukrainian people for their "strength, courage and resilience in the face of Russian aggression".

Five "powerful" Russian strikes hit Lviv on Monday, killing seven people and wounding eight others, according to official authorities.

Close to the Polish border, Lviv has become a "refugee city" for displaced people but also for several Western embassies.

"The attacks on Lviv and other cities in western Ukraine show that no part of the country is spared from the Kremlin's senseless onslaught," Josep Borrell said.

"Russia must immediately and unconditionally cease hostilities and withdraw all its military forces and equipment from Ukraine," he concluded.

Putin honours unit blamed for Bucha atrocities

The Russian president on Monday awarded an honorary title for "heroism" to the 64th Motorised Rifle Brigade, which Ukraine has accused of being involved in human rights abuses and war crimes in Bucha near Kyiv.

The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin had signed a decree granting the brigade the "honorary title of 'Guard'" because of its men's "heroism and tenacity, determination and courage".

"The skilful and decisive actions of all [brigade] personnel during the special military operation in Ukraine are a model of military duty, courage, determination and high professionalism," Putin wrote to the servicemen.

The Kremlin did not say where these men are or have been deployed or specify their missions.

Ukraine has accused the Russian army, and the 64th Brigade in particular, of committing a massacre of civilians in Bucha, discovered after the withdrawal of Russian soldiers on 30 March.

Russia denies this and has accused the Ukrainian authorities and Western media of staging the massacre or the Ukrainian forces committing it to blame Moscow.

Ukrainian officials say Russia preventing humanitarian corridors

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister said Russia can be prosecuted for war crimes over its refusal to allow humanitarian corridors for civilians trapped in the city of Mariupol.

Earlier on Monday, Iryna Vereshchuk had said no evacuations were possible for the second day in a row because of Russian attacks on civilian convoys.

“Your refusal to open these humanitarian corridors will in the future be a reason to prosecute all involved for war crimes,” she wrote on her Telegram and Facebook channels.

Vereshchuk called again on Russia to allow safe evacuation of civilians from Mariupol. She said the government had been negotiating passage from Mariupol and Berdyansk, among other towns, as well as from the Luhansk region. The Luhansk government said four civilians trying to flee the region were shot to death by Russian forces.

The Russians, in their turn, have accused the “neo-Nazi nationalists” in Mariupol of hampering the evacuation of civilians from the city.

(AP)

Greek school welcomes Ukrainian children who fled war

When it was announced that Ukrainian children would join their school in Greece, teachers decided to talk with students about the war and what it means to be a refugee.

"The Greek children offered gifts to their new classmates, paintings and all their love," said Athina Pirgaki, a teacher at the school in Athens.

Oleksiy and Kostantyn, who are in primary school, fled the Ukrainian city of Kolomyia with their mother six weeks ago, leaving their father behind to fight.

Read the full story here or watch the video below.
 

Western sanctions 'failed', Putin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the "blitz" of Western sanctions on Russia has failed. 

Speaking on Monday, Putin said the West “expected to quickly upset [Russia's] financial-economic situation, provoke panic in the markets, the collapse of the banking system and shortages in stores.

"The strategy of economic blitz has failed," he added. 

Putin's remarks follow a warning this morning by Moscow's mayor that more than 200,000 jobs could be lost in the Russian capital due to international sanctions. 

Putin said on Russian television that the country had so far withstood "unprecedented pressure” from the West. 

He claimed the ruble had strengthened since sanctions were imposed and Russia had recorded a historic trade surplus of €53 billion ($58bn) in the first quarter of 2022, although Putin acknowledged that inflation was rising rapidly in the country. 

The biggest losers from the sanctions, he argued, were the US and its European allies, who face higher energy prices as a result of their actions, which are causing the cost of living to spiral. 

Economists believe that the worst economic impact of Western sanctions is still to come and expect Russia to plunge into a deep recession later in the year. 

Ukraine's LGBTQ+ community fights homophobia on the frontlines

"We did not run away. We are not hiding. We are defending,” says Anastasia who has volunteered in the Ukrainian army since Russia invaded in 2014.

She is one member of Ukraine’s LGBTQ+ community who are hoping their participation on the frontlines will erode prejudice.

More deaths in Kharkiv, as city bombed again

Further Russian bombardment of Kharkiv has killed at least three people on Monday, local authorities have announced, with humanitarian and residential areas being struck. 

This comes a day after Russian rocket strikes hit the northeastern Ukrainian city, killing six and injuring 24 others.

Civilian and humanitarian areas were hit in this morning's bombing said the regional prosecutor's office. 

A shell fell late Monday morning on a children's play area in a residential area, killing a man and woman, alongside damaging the surrounding buildings. 

Another strike on a humanitarian aid distribution centre on Monday left one dead and six injured, Viktor Zabachta, the director of an emergency medical aid centre claimed. 

Heavy explosions and plumes of thick smoke have been reported around the city. 

Russian strikes on Sunday in Kharkiv claimed the lives of six people and injured 24 others, said the latest figures from the governor's office. 

With nearly 1.5 million pre-war inhabitants, Kharkiv is Ukraine's second-largest city. It saw fierce fighting for several days at the outbreak of war but has remained under the control of Ukrainian forces so far.

4.9 million have fled Ukraine, UN says

Nearly five million Ukrainians have fled their country since the country's war with Russia began, according to figures published by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on Monday. 

4,934,415 Ukrainian refugees were recorded by the UNHCR, a number not seen in Europe since the Second World War.

The majority of Ukraine's refugees have fled to neighbouring Poland, which now hosts nearly 2.8 million. 

But Romania, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia and Russia are hosting sizeable numbers of Ukrainian refugees. 

The International Organisation for Migration estimates that the number of internally displaced people in Ukraine is far higher, at 7.1 million. 

This means in total that more than 12 million people have been forced to leave their homes following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. 

90% of those who have fled Ukraine are women and children, with the Ukrainian government forbidding men aged between 18 and 60 from leaving the country. 

They are legally required to serve in the Ukrainian military, which has restorted to conscription. 

“For most women and children, refugees from Ukraine face an increased risk of being victims of sexual exploitation, rape and human trafficking,” UNHCR warned.

“We are on the ground, at border crossings and beyond, taking preventive measures,” it added. 

Almost two-thirds of Ukrainian children have been forced to leave their homes, including those still in the country.

Thousands turn out for Ukraine rally in Helsinki

Thousands of people took to the streets of the Finnish capital on Monday for a pro-Ukraine rally in the city's Senate Square.

The event began at noon (11:00 CET) with church bells ringing and continued with prayers on the steps of the city's Lutheran cathedral and choir performances.

A giant Ukrainian flag was unfurled and many of the people who joined also waved Ukrainian flags in a show of solidarity.

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto addressed the crowd, saying that more sanctions could be imposed by the EU against Russia. He also said that Finland could also provide more humanitarian aid, and possibly more military assistance too.

"Finland can offer assistance to Ukraine in rebuilding schools, because that is the future of Ukraine," Haavisto told the crowd.

200,000 jobs at risk in Moscow over sanctions, says mayor

Around 200,000 employees of foreign companies in Moscow could lose their jobs due to international sanctions on Russia, the city's major has said. 

"According to our estimates, about 200,000 people are at risk of losing their jobs," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a blog post.

Russian authorities approved a programme to stave off unemployment in the country's capital last week, worth $41 million (€38m). 

Hundred of western companies have announced a suspension of their activities or pulled out from Russia, after Putin invaded the country in February. 

Sobyanin said the newly approved program was expected to support more than 58,000 people who have lost their jobs. Around 12,500 of them will undergo retraining, he added.

People in between jobs will be offered to get involved in public works in a number of city organizations, parks and elsewhere, Sobyanin said. 

Economists believe that the worst economic impact of debilitating Western sanctions is still to come and expect Russia to plunge into a deep recession.

In April, the World Bank predicted that Ukraine's economy would shrink by 45.1% this year because of the invasion, which has shut down half of the country's businesses, choked off imports and exports and damaged a vast amount of critical infrastructure.

(AP)

What exactly is Marine Le Pen's stance on Russia and Vladimir Putin?

"I do not believe at all that Russia wishes to invade Ukraine, said far-right French Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen. 

Video of detained politician released by Ukrainian forces

Ukraine's security services have posted a video showing an imprisoned pro-Russian Ukrainian politician offering himself in exchange for an evacuation of Mariupol. 

The clip of Viktor Medvedchuk, the former leader of a pro-Russian opposition party with close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was released on Monday by Ukraine's security service, the SBU. 

In the video, Medvedchuk appeals to both Putin and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directly to consider trading his release for a clear, safe passage for civilians from Mariupol. 

The Russian army is currently surrounding the Ukrainian army in the strategic port city Mariupol, with Kviv promising to defend Mariupol "until the end."

Attempts to form a humanitarian corridor to allow for the evacuation of civilians failed, with Ukrain postponing an evacuation for the second day in a row. 

The footage of Medvedchuk was released Monday morning, kicking off a video war. 

Hours later Russia published a clip of two captured British foreign fighters, asking UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to negotiate their release in exchange for Medvedchuk. 

Medvedchuk, 67, was arrested in a special operation Tuesday last week and is currently being held on charges of treason and aiding a terrorist organisation. He had been on the run since hostilities between Russia and Ukraine broke out in February. 

He is facing between 15 years and life in prison. 

(AP/AFP)

Captured British foreign fighters shown on Russian TV

Two captured British nationals fighting for Ukrainian forces appeared on Monday on Russian state TV. 

The men -- identified as Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin -- asked to be exchanged for a pro-Russian politician who is currently being held by the Ukrainian authorities. 

They addressed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, asking if he could help negotiate their release in exchange for Viktor Medvedchuk, the pro-Russian Ukrainian politician who was detained by Kyiv forces last week. 

It is unclear to what extent the men were forced to relay this message.

Both spoke after being prompted by an unidentified man, and did not specify who was currently holding them.

In the video, Pinner had deep circles beneath his eyes and looked exhausted, but maintained the pair were being treated appropriately.

The two men were captured fighting for Ukrainian forces in the east of the country. 

Aiden Aslin, 28, is a former care worker who has dual UK-Ukrainian citizenship and is engaged to a Ukrainian national. 

Ex-British Army soldier Shaun Pinner, 48, was serving in the Ukrainian Marines.

(AFP)

Moscow mayor announces support for businesses amid sanctions

The mayor of Moscow announced a plan to support employees who risk losing their jobs due to foreign companies suspending activities in Russia.

Sergey Sobyanin said on his website that 200,000 people were at risk of losing their jobs in the capital as companies close or suspend work in Russia due to sanctions.

Sobyanin announced aid worth 3.36 billion roubles (around €38.5 million) to support employees at risk of being dismissed.

Western countries' sanctions on Russia have plunged the country into a deep recession, the World Bank said in its latest economic update on Europe and Central Asia.

The international financial body said that GDP is expected to contract by 11.2% in Russia, with little recovery in the next two years. They project that an additional 2.6 million people will fall below the national poverty line.

Spain to reopen its embassy in Kyiv

Spain will reopen its embassy in Kyiv "in a few days" after closing it following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Monday.

"In a few days we will reopen the Spanish embassy in Kyiv, as further proof of the commitment of the Spanish government, of Spanish society, alongside the Ukrainian people," Sanchez said in an interview with the Antenna 3 channel.

The Spanish ambassador and the diplomatic staff of the embassy had been evacuated from the Ukrainian capital to Poland the day after the start of the Russian offensive on February 24.

Many Western countries had taken similar decisions.

(AFP)

Russia claims 'irreplaceable losses' of 23,000 to Ukrainian side 

Russia's Defence Ministry has claimed Ukraine's army has suffered losses of 23,367 people, since fighting broke out in February. 

This figure is contested by Ukraine, with Zelenskyy claiming on Saturday up to 3,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed since Russia invaded. 

Euronews cannot independently verify either of these claims. 

On Telegram, Russia said it had "reliable data on the true losses of the Ukrainian army, national guard and joined foreign mercenaries.

"As of today, the real documented irreplaceable losses of the Ukrainian side amount to 23,367 people," they added.

The Russian Defence Ministry also claimed to have data that indicated a "large number of deserted, servicemen, wounded and missing." 

An exact figure did not accompany this claim. 

"The criminal Kyiv regime does not recognize its losses, with this publication we prove once again that we are showing the truth," said the Russian Defense Ministry. 

Speaking on CNN on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that about 10,000 of his soldiers had been injured in the war so far, and that up to 20,000 Russian soldiers had died.

Moscow said last month that 1,351 Russian soldiers had been killed and 3,825 wounded.

Again there is no way to independently verify these claims. 

While saying the military situation in the east and south of the country was "still very difficult," Ukraine's leader said: "The successes of our military on the battlefield are really significant, historically significant.

"But they are still not enough to clean our land of the occupiers,” he added. 

Ukraine's Zelenskyy accuses Russia of trying to 'destroy the Donbas'

"Russian soldiers are preparing for an offensive in the east of our country in the near future. They literally want to finish off and destroy the Donbas," Zelenskyy said in a video message.

Civilians trapped in combat zones, as evacuations delayed again

Civilians in combat zones across Ukraine will have to stay put, after Ukrainian authorities postpone evacuations for the second day in a row. 

No humanitarian corridors will be in place Monday for civilians to flee intense fighting said the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Telegram, labelling this decision "unfortunate."

She accused Russia of "blocking" and bombing humanitarian convoys, which meant the evacuations could not take place safely. 

Negotiations with the Russian army are "long and complex", claimed Vereshchuk, especially in the devastated city of Mariupol, which is now largely under Moscow's control, and other areas where fighting is taking place.

"The Russian occupiers keep blocking and bombing the humanitarian routes. Therefore, for security reasons, it was decided not to open any corridors," she added.

Russia has repeatedly said it would not threaten the Ukrainian population. 

In March, Russia proposed to create safe routes for Ukranian civilians fleeing the bombing which led directly to Russian or Belarussian territory.

This proposal was rejected by Ukraine as "cynical" and "immoral".

(AFP)

Six known to have died in Lviv strikes 

At least six people were killed Monday in a suspected Russian missile attack on the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. 

"Five powerful missile strikes in one fell swoop on the civilian infrastructure of the old European city of Lviv," said Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Twitter.

According to Lviv regional governor Maksym Kozitsky, at least six people were killed and eleven more injured, including a child, in the missile blasts, which "seriously damaged" military infrastructure.

Kozitsky said there were four Russian missile strikes, three of which hit military infrastructure facilities, while one struck a tire shop.

Emergency teams were putting out fires caused by the strikes, he said. 

Oleksandr Kamyshin, the chairman of the Ukrainian rail service, said the strikes hit near railway facilities. He said train traffic has resumed with some delays, and he vowed to restore the damaged network.

Lviv has been relatively unscathed by Russian bombs since the beginning of the invasion on 24 February. This is in stark contrast to the east of the country, where most of the bombardment has been concentrated.

(AFP/AP)

Mariupol resistance frustrating Russian plans 

The UK defence ministry says the efforts of Ukrainian troops to defend Maripol are tying down Russian forces in the east, as they try to push through with their offensive.

In a daily intelligence update, Britain’s military says “concerted Ukrainian resistance has severely tested Russian forces and diverted men and material, slowing Russia’s advance elsewhere.”

On Sunday, Ukraine's foreign minister said the strategic port city of Mariupol had been effectively wiped off the map, while surrounded Ukrainian soldiers were stubbornly refusing Russian calls to lay down their arms. 

The intelligence update also highlighted the devastation wrought by almost two months of intense fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces in Mariupol. 

“Large areas of infrastructure have been destroyed” and there are “significant” civilian casualties, it said. 

The UK accuses Russia of using similar tactics it deployed in Chechnya in the early 2000s, which included the mass bombardment of civilian areas. 

Russia has maintained since the start of its invasion that it "would neither strike cities nor threaten the Ukrainian population.”

Syrian fighters offered money by Russia to fight in Ukraine 

Analysts believe that battle-hardened fighters from Syria are soon to be deployed in Ukraine, as Russia ramps up its offensive in the east. 

Although only a small number of fighters have arrived so far, US officials and activists monitoring Syria say the Russians have been actively recruiting.

Rami Abdurrahman from the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that about 40,000 people have registered so far with the Russian military and with Wagner, a Russian private contractor and far-right group.

Rayan Maarouf of Suwayda24, an activist collective that covers IS activities in the Syrian desert, said fighters were promised no less than $600 a month. That’s a huge sum of money amid widespread unemployment in Syria.

“Russia is preparing for a greater battle” in Ukraine, and Syrian fighters are likely to take part, said Ahmad Hamada, a Syrian army defector who is now a military analyst based in Turkey.

What has fuelled this belief among analysts is Putin's recent appointment of General Alexander Dvornikov as the new war commander in Ukraine.

General Dvornikov worked with the multiple paramilitary forces in Syria, while he oversaw the deadly siege and brutal bombardment of rebel-held areas, such as Idlib.  

Where does each EU country stand on cutting off Russian oil and gas?

Following intensified Russian attacks in the country's east on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has once again asked European countries to turn off the taps to Russian gas.

But where does each EU country stand on sanctioning Russian energy?

Find out more below. 

Where does each EU country stand on cutting off Russian oil and gas?

Renowned Russian artworks held up in South Korea 

Dozens of works by Russian artists, including Wassily Kandinsky, have been blocked in South Korea due to a suspension of flights imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, organisers have said. 

These paintings by some fifty Russian artists, including Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, and Alexander Rodchenko, had been exhibited since December at the Sejong Art Museum in Seoul.

The exhibition ended Sunday but the paintings are blocked in the South Korean capital due to the lack of flight options due to western sanctions, an organizer told AFP. 

Many Western countries, including the United States and the European Union, have adopted unprecedented sanctions against Moscow following the country's invasion of Ukraine, which have included travel and airspace bans. 

"The works are ready to be sent back but the flights are currently blocked due to the war in Ukraine," said the event's organisers. 

"Although nothing has been confirmed yet, the Russian side is looking for a way to receive them without going through an air link," they added.

The works had been loaned by four Russian institutions including the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum and the Yekaterinburg Fine Arts Museum. 

These paintings include Kandinsky's "Improvisation 4" (1909) and Malevich's "Suprematism" (1915-16), as well as Mikhail Larionov's "Jewish Venus" (1912).  

Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky is well known as one of the pioneers of abstract art in the west.

(AFP)

Multiple blasts reported in Lviv 

Several explosions have shaken the western Ukrainian city of Lviv Monday, with eye-witnesses claiming they were Russian missile strikes. 

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said on Facebook that five missiles struck the city early Monday morning and that emergency services had been scrambled to the scenes.

More details would follow he said. 

Lviv and the wider western region of Ukraine have typically been spared from fighting compared to other parts of the country, and have attracted hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees as a result. 

This morning's attacks will worsen the security situation in Lviv and undermine its status as a relative safe heaven inside Ukraine close to the Polish border.  

One resident of the southwestern city told AFP he saw thick plumes of grey smoke rising into the sky behind apartment buildings.

“Five powerful one-shot missile strikes on the civilian infrastructure of the old European city of Lviv,” announced Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Twitter.

He added: “The Russians continue to barbarically attack Ukrainian cities from the air, cynically declaring to the whole world their right to … kill Ukrainians.”

Russia vowed to step up strikes against Ukrainian cities following the sinking of their warship in the Black Sea by a suspected Ukrainian missile, although the country maintains it is not directly targetting civilian areas. 

(AP/AFP)

Mariupol effectively wiped off the map, says Ukrainian foreign minister

The strategic Ukrainian port of Mariupol effectively does not exist anymore because of the massive destruction dealt upon the city, Ukraine's foreign minister has said. 

Although Ukrainians were "continuing their struggle," Dmytro Kuleba told the American broadcaster CBS that the situation in Mariupol was dire and heartbreaking, after almost two months of fierce fighting with Russian troops. 

Reports by Ukrainian authorities have indicated that bodies are piling up in the streets of Mariupol, as the all-but pulverised city continues to sustain Russian bombardment and a ground offensive. 

Russia denies targeting civilians and has rejected what Ukraine says is evidence of atrocities as staged to undermine peace talks. It calls its action a special military operation to demilitarise Ukraine and eradicate what it calls dangerous nationalists.

Capturing Mariupol is highly prised by Russian forces, as it would help them secure a continuous land bridge from the self-proclaimed republics in the east with the Crimea, which Moscow took in 2014. 

Kuleba added that the remaining Ukrainian military personnel and civilians in Mariupol were all but surrounded, and said that continued Russian bombardment of the city could be a "red line" that brought peace talks to an end. 

Kuleba says Ukraine has been holding “expert level” talks with Russia in recent weeks in an effort to reach a non-violent solution to the conflict.

But citing the significance of Mariupol, he echoed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in saying the elimination of Ukrainian forces there could be a “red line” that stops peace efforts.

On Saturday, Russia said it had taken control of several areas across Mariupol, with pockets of Ukrainian resistance remaining in the Azovstal steelworks overlooking the Sea of Azov.

(AP/Reuters)

Watch: Russian military hardware wrecked in Ukraine's east

Russian military equipment destroyed in Ukraine's east

"There are a lot of trophies left": Ukrainian soldiers show destroyed Russian tanks, vehicles and other weapons near the village of Gusarivka, in eastern Ukraine, where fighting is still raging. 

Ukraine completes European Commission's questionnaire

Ukraine has completed a questionnaire that forms the starting point for joining the European Union, the deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office revealed Monday.

The bloc still needs to decide on whether Kyiv can enter the EU. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave Zelenskyy the membership questionnaire during her visit to Kyiv on 8 April, vowing to fast-track Ukraine's EU membership following Russia's invasion of the country.

"Today, I can say that the document has been completed by the Ukrainian side," Ihor Zhovkva announced on Ukrainian television Sunday evening.

The European Commission will need to issue a recommendation on Ukraine's compliance with the necessary membership criteria, he added.

"We expect the recommendation ... to be positive, and then the ball will be on the side of the EU member states."

In tweets published in February, Zelenskyy said that, following Russia's invasion, it was “a crucial moment to close the long-standing discussion once and for all and decide on Ukraine’s membership in the EU,” stating that “Ukraine must become part of the EU.” 

Zhovkva added that Ukraine expects to acquire the status of a candidate country for EU accession in June during a scheduled meeting of the bloc's heads of state.

The European Council is to meet on 23-24 June, according to the Council's schedule on its website.

(Reuters)

The environment is the silent casualty of the Ukraine war 

The environment: the silent casualty of the Ukraine war

For humans, war is an obvious tragedy. But when the fighting stops, another more silent victim is discovered: the natural environment itself.

Russian troops inflicting 'deliberate terror,' claims Zelenskyy 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian troops in southern Ukraine have been carrying out torture and kidnappings, and he called on the world Sunday to respond.

“Torture chambers are built there,” Zelenskyy said in an evening address to the nation. “They abduct representatives of local governments and anyone deemed visible to local communities.”

Zelenskyy claimed humanitarian aid has been stolen, worsening hunger inside Ukraine. 

Intensified Russian shelling of Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, has killed 18 people and wounded 106 in the last four days alone, Zelenskyy said.

“This is nothing but deliberate terror. Mortars, artillery against ordinary residential neighbourhoods, against ordinary civilians,” he said.

Zelensky again called for increased sanctions against Russia, including its entire banking sector and oil industry. “Everyone in Europe and America already sees Russia openly using energy to destabilize Western societies,” Zelenskyy said.

“All of this requires greater speed from Western countries in preparing a new, powerful package of sanctions.”

(AP)

Ukraine vows to defend Donbas 'until the end'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has promised that everything would be done to defend the eastern region of Donbas, starting with the strategic port of Mariupol where he called upon surrounded Ukrainian soldiers to fight "until the end."

"Russian soldiers are preparing for an offensive in the east of our country in the near future. They literally want to finish off and destroy the Donbas," said Zelenskyy in a video message.

"Just as the Russian military is destroying Mariupol, they want to destroy other cities and other communities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions", he continued, adding "we are doing everything to ensure the defence."

"Sabotage the orders of the occupiers. Do not cooperate with them (...) You must stand your ground," he said, adding to Western governments that "the need for an embargo on the delivery of oil from Russia is needed every day."

Throughout the east, the Russian Defence Ministry said Sunday that "high-precision missiles had destroyed fuel and ammunition warehouses" in Barvinkove (Izium region) and Dobropillia (near Donetsk). 

"The constant bombardment of the region (of Lugansk) continues", at the same time deplored its Ukrainian governor, Serguiï Gaïdaï. The locality of "Zolote was hard hit today. They deliberately targeted a five-storey building (...) Two people were killed and five injured".

Ignoring the ultimatum from Russia, which had asked the last Ukrainian soldiers present in Mariupol to lay down their arms on Sunday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Chmygal assured that the resistance would continue.

"No, the city has not fallen. Our soldiers are still there. They will fight until the end. As I speak to you, they are still in Mariupol," he told the TV channel. American television ABC.

Moscow had asked the last Ukrainian fighters, entrenched in the Azovstal metallurgical complex, to ceasefire in the morning and to evacuate the premises at midday. 

“All those who have given up their arms will be guaranteed to have their lives saved,” the Russian Defense Ministry promised on Telegram. "It's their only chance."

(AFP)