Russia cracks down further on critics of invasion

Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against prominent opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza for allegedly spreading “false information” about the country’s military.

Kara-Murza -- a former associate of assassinated Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov -- has repeatedly denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

His lawyer reported on Friday that Kara-Murza had been taken in for questioning at the Russian Investigative Committee headquarters. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Russian media reported that similar charges were also being drawn up against exiled tech executive Ilya Krasilshchik, the former publisher of the independent news site, Meduza.

The moves against the two Kremlin critics are part of a wideneing crackdown against opponents of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

(Reuters)

'Concerned' Moldova summons Russian ambassador

Moldova has said it is deeply concerned by comments made by a Russian general surrounding its sovereignty, while summoning the country's ambassador.

On Friday, Moldova summoned Russia's ambassador to protest against statements a Russian general made that Moscow wanted to capture southern Ukraine to gain access to a breakaway Moldovan region. 

This statement by General Rustam Minnekayev made Moldova "deeply concerned," the country's foreign ministry said. 

It called for respect of its "territorial sovereignty" and "neutrality."

Minnekayev said at a defence industry event earlier Friday that broader control of Ukraine would open the way to the Russian-backed breakaway region of Transnistria, in Moldova.

Transnistria broke away after a short civil war in the early 1990s and is unrecognised by most countries. An estimated 1,500 Russian soldiers have been stationed there since the civil war.

Since Russia launched its attacks on Ukraine on Feb. 24, fears have grown that Moldova could be next in Russia's crosshairs. Moldova is not a member of the European Union or NATO.

The war has prompted Moldovan officials to try to speed up the country's bid to join the 27-nation EU, which it applied to do last month. The process, however, will likely take many years.

'This is not a fairy tale,' EU official says Russia will step up military attacks in Ukraine 

A senior EU official has said Russia will increase its military offensive in eastern Ukraine and along the coast, saying "this is not a fairy tale with an imminent happy ending."  

"I think we are likely to see a very significant increase in the intensity of Russian military attacks in the east, I think we are likely to see an intensification of Russian military attacks along the coast," they said. 

The official added that the "next couple of weeks" will be decisive for the war in Ukraine, which began in February. 

UN chief to meet Putin

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel next week to Russia where he will be received by Vladimir Putin, in what is their first meeting since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. 

"On Tuesday, April 26, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will arrive in Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov," the Kremlin announced Friday. 

"He will also be received by President Vladimir Putin," it added. 

Russian tanker seized in Greece released after change of ownership

Greece's Coast Guard announced Friday it will release a Russian tanker seized on Tuesday under EU sanctions over the Ukraine war.

"The ship has been released and is free to go," said a spokeswoman for the Greek Coast Guard. 

Pegas, a 115,000-tonne tanker, which was carrying Iranian oil, has been freed by the Greek authorities as it is no longer subject to EU sanctions, having changed owners. 

The tanker was due to sail to the Turkish port of Marmara, and has since been anchored in Karystos, in the south of the Greek island of Euboea, according to the international maritime traffic website Marine Traffic. 

Nineteen Russians are on board.

It has been renamed Lana, said the coast guard spokeswoman, although the identity of the new owner is unclear. 

(AFP)

Ukrainian man tracks 'looted' AirPods to follow Russian troops

"Thanks to technology, I know where my AirPods are now. It was looted by Russian Orcs from my home," said Vitaliy Semenets.

Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are 'slipping', says Russian FM 

Negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv aimed at resolving the war in Ukraine are "skating," says the Russian Foreign Minister. 

Sergey Lavrov made the remarks on Friday, with the talks not leading to any apparent progress.

"They are slipping, because a proposal that we handed over to the Ukrainian negotiators five days ago, and which was formulated taking into account their comments, remains unanswered," he said. 

It is not clear what this proposal was. 

(AFP)

'Fighting, shelling, bombing did not stop' in Azovstal plant, says Mariupol official

Attacks on the steel mill in Mariupol where Ukrainian fighters are holding out against Russia have not stopped, said a city official. 

"Every day they drop several bombs on Azovstal, despite false promises not to touch the defenders,” said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol’s mayor, on Friday. 

"Fighting, shelling, bombing do not stop,” he added. 

Earlier in the week, Vladimir Putin told Russian forces to lay siege to the last Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol rather than storming the steel mill where they are holding out.

He ordered his troops to do so "in such a way that not a single fly would pass."

The Azovstal plant, on the Sea of Azov,  is the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in Mariupol, which the Russians have sieged for nearly two weeks now.

Ukrainian authorities have estimated that 1,000 civilians are inside the plant along with the fighters.

(AP)

West accused of 'pumping' weapons into Ukraine by Russian embassy

Russia's embassy in Iceland has accused Western states of trying to "actively stuff Ukraine with heavy armament," in a statement. 

"It seems that neither Europe nor the US wants peace in Ukraine, prompting Kyiv to fight till the last Ukrainian,” Friday's statement read, with the Embassy criticising the actions of the Icelandic government. 

Hospitals for Ukraine should be set up by US, say lawmakers

A bipartisian group of lawmakers in the US are calling on the Biden adminstration to create field hospitals near Ukranie's border. 

“We're going to have to really step up in a really big way to relieve the combat wounded and civilian casualties that will be coming in the weeks and months ahead,” said Republican Jason Crow, who recently visited Poland. 

Other measures proposed by the Democrat-Republican alliance include providing Ukraine with armoured ambulances and taking the sick and wounded to American military hospitals in Germany. 

Although far from the front lines, field hospitals in Poland staffed and funded by the US and west could make a difference to the Ukarnian war effort and bring "sustainiblity to the conflict," said Crow, a former Army Ranger. 

“The Ukrainians just do not have the capacity to support tens of thousands of combat wounded over the course of months," he said.

Ukranian forces have suffered thousands of casulaties since Russia invaded on Febuary 24. 

Associated Press has documented three dozen Russian attacks on medical facilities across Ukraine, with healthcare staff, patients and even newborns being hit. 

Ukrainian official says there will be no civilian evacuations in Mariupol on Friday

Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said on Telegram that there would be no humanitarian corridors on Friday because it wasn't safe. She urged civilians to be patient.

In a separate Telegram message, Vereshchuk said Russian forces offered to open a corridor for military surrender but not for civilians at Ukraine's last holdout in Mariupol.

She said they were "pretending that they do not understand the difference between a corridor for the military to surrender and a humanitarian corridor to evacuate the civilians."

Officials have said that there are hundreds of civilians in a metal plant where Ukrainian soldiers are holding out in the besieged port city.

The Russian Defence Ministry on Friday said Moscow was ready at any moment to introduce a “regime of silence” for both the troops and civilians at Azovstal. But Ukrainian troops must raise white flags in determined areas around the plant before evacuations can begin, the ministry said.

Future of war depends on fate of Mariupol, regional governor says

The future of the war in Ukraine "depends on the fate of Mariupol", regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told AFP on Friday.

The besieged port city in the southeastern part of the country is almost entirely under Russian control.

"The success of the Russian offensive in the south depends on the fate of Mariupol," Kyrylenko said, saying this city was "strategic" for the Ukrainians in their defence of the region and for the Russians in their desire to secure a land bridge to Crimea.

"The enemy is concentrating all its efforts on Mariupol," added Kyrylenko, while the last Ukrainian fighters remain entrenched in the Azovstal plant with "up to 300 civilians".

(AFP)

EU Council President Michel calls for humanitarian passage over Easter in 'blunt' phone call with Putin

European Council President Charles Michel called for Russia to allow "for immediate humanitarian access and safe passage" from Ukrainian cities such as Mariupol in a phone call with the Russian president this morning.

The phone conversation was described by a EU official as a “substantive” call in which Michel “reiterated the EU position in a blunt and direct manner” and underlined the “unacceptability” and high costs of the invasion.

Michel offered Putin his personal reading of Russia’s “miscalculations and losses” during the war in an attempt to “penetrate the information vacuum that may exist” around President Putin, the official said.

The Russian leader is seen as isolated and is thought to interact with only a very small and selected group of advisors.

Invoking the upcoming Orthodox Easter, the European Council president called for a humanitarian ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to facilitate the safe and secure exit of civilians from Mariupol and other besieged cities.

Michel also urged Putin to “engage directly” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to resolve the conflict, the EU official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Michel’s entreaty was made at the request of Zelenskyy himself, whom Michel met in a recent trip to Kyiv.

'Possibility' of war lasting until 2023, says UK PM

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the war in Ukraine might last until 2023.

Speaking during a visit to India, he said there is a "realistic possibility" that the Ukraine conflict will not stop until the end of 2023. 

(AFP)

'Hell is what's happening there', Mariupol escapees recall 

UN accuses Russia of 'indiscriminately' bombing civilians, hinting at possible war crimes 

The UN has accused Russia of actions that "could amount to war crimes," claiming its armed forces have "indiscriminately bombarded and shelled populated areas."

Russia has been "killing civilians and destroying hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure, all actions that could amount to war crimes," claimed Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday. 

"It is up to a court of justice to ultimately determine whether this is the case, but there is more and more evidence that war crimes are being committed," she added.

Russia disputes these claims and denies any allegations that it has committed war crimes in Ukraine. 

While Shamdasani did not rule out that Ukrainian forces have also violated humanitarian law on certain occasions, she said the "vast majority of violations are attributable to Russian forces." 

Shamdasani continued that 92.3% of victims recorded by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights "are attributable to Russian forces, as are the allegations of murder and summary executions."

(AFP)

Indian PM calls for Ukraine ceasefire 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an immediate halt to the hostilities in Ukraine. 

"We emphasised on an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and on the use of dialogue and diplomacy for resolving issues," he said at a briefing, following a visit of the UK Prime Minister to India.

Boris Johnson announced steps to help move New Delhi away from its dependence on Russia by expanding economic and defence ties.

He also echoed Modi's demand for a ceasefire in Ukraine. 

India receives a small share of its energy from Russia, but has recently increased purchases because of discounted prices.

It is a major importer of Russian weaponary, and recently purchased advanced Russian air defence systems.  

Modi told AP reporters that the pair discussed the situation in Ukraine, underscoring the importance of diplomacy and dialogue to settle issues.

India has so far not criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin for his country's invasion of Ukraine, although India has condemned the alleged killings of civilians.

India abstained at a UN vote to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council this month. 

(AP) 

Russia aims to 'establish full control over Donbas', general says

A Russian armed forces general said that one of the tasks of Russia's army was to "establish full control over Donbas and southern Ukraine."

Deputy commander of Russia's central military district, Rustam Minnekayev, was cited by Russian media as saying that control of the Donbas would allow for a land bridge to the Crimea peninsula.

UN documents murder of 50 civilians in Bucha, outside Kyiv

The UN said they had documented the murder of 50 civilians in the town of Bucha outside the capital city of Kyiv, a spokesperson said on Friday.

Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said at a UN briefing that investigators confirmed that some of the 50 civilians had died in a summary execution.

(AFP)

Sweden to help repair Ukraine's power network

Sweden is helping Ukraine to rebuild “a secure electricity supply” by sending equipment to repair electricity networks destroyed during the war.

Swedish Energy Minister Khashayar Farmanbar said “a secure electricity supply is necessary to maintain socially important activities in Ukraine.”

Svenska kraftnät, the authority responsible for Sweden’s electricity transmission system, received a request from Ukraine via the European Network of Transmission System Operators to contribute equipment for repairing electricity networks.

The equipment to Ukraine will be taken from Sweden’s emergency stock that exists for the repair of electricity networks and won’t affect the Swedish emergency preparedness request, the energy ministry said in the statement on Thursday.

(AP)

Russia and Ukraine square off over food crisis at UN

Russia and Ukraine squared off at the United Nations on Thursday over whether Russia’s war is to blame for rising food prices and hunger around the world.

Between them, the two countries account for nearly a third of global wheat and barley exports and millions of people in the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia depend on them for affordable bread and noodles. Ukraine also is a major corn supplier and the biggest exporter of sunflower oil.

“As long as Russia persists in its efforts to invade Ukraine, the threat of hunger will be looming over many countries throughout the globe,” Ukrainian counsellor Natalia Mudrenko said Thursday at an informal UN Security Council meeting to discuss conflict and hunger.

Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Chumakov argued that sanctions, trade wars, the coronavirus pandemic and Western economic policies were shaking up the global food, energy and financial markets.

Chumakov said Russia’s critics were trying to deflect focus from sanctions and the “economic egoism of the developed countries during the pandemic.

(AP)

Russia still  'suffering from losses', says UK

The UK ministry of defence said in its latest defence intelligence update that Russia was still "suffering from losses sustained earlier in the conflict."

They are "resorted to transiting inoperable equipment back to Russia for repair," the UK ministry added.

The update also offered an explanation for why Putin decided yesterday that Russian troops will blockade the last Ukrainian holdout in Mariupol instead of storm it.

They said it was likely to "free up Russian forces to be deployed elsewhere in eastern Ukraine" as storming the Ukrainian stronghold "would likely incur significant Russian casualties".

There was "heavy shelling and fighting" in the eastern Donbas as Russia works to advance further in the region, they added.

At least 594 children killed or injured due to war in Ukraine, country's parliament says

At least 594 children have been killed or injured due to the war in Ukraine, officials said.

Ukraine's parliament said that 208 children have died and 386 have been injured.

World Bank estimates physical damage in Ukraine at roughly $60 billion

The World Bank said that the cost of physical damage to Ukraine's buildings and infrastructure was roughly $60 billion (€55.3 billion), according to its early assessment.

The international financial body said that in the 6-8 months after peace, there will be a need to reconstruct essential infrastructure such as power, heating and digital and then "over the medium term" rebuild cities and households.

 

From Pushkin to Gagarin, Ukraine rids itself of Russia one symbol at a time

A month into Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Dmytro Fedorchak threw a bucket of red paint on a statue of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin in the centre of his hometown, the western city of Ternopil.

“I wrote (on the statue) that we should demolish it. That the war in Ukraine should stop,” 28-year-old Fedorchak told Euronews.

“I never could explain why we had a statue of Pushkin here. He isn’t even from Ukraine.”

Ternopil authorities removed the statue in April as other regions in Ukraine have started to question why monuments from Soviet times remain after Russia invaded the country in February.

“Pushkin doesn’t have anything to do with what we need to build here in Ukraine, like our own culture,” says Fedorchak, who works as an IT manager.

Read the full story here.

Zelenskyy says Russia rejected Easter truce 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia rejected an Easter truce called for by the United Nations.

"This shows very well how the leaders of this state actually treat the Christian faith," Zelenskyy said.

He said that they still had hope for peace.

Zelenskyy thanks US for hundreds of millions in military aid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the United States for the new package of $800 million in military aid, which he said was “just what we were waiting for.”

The latest military aid, announced Thursday by President Joe Biden, includes heavy artillery, ammunition and drones for the escalating battle in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy has urged Western countries to speed up the deliveries of weapons to help Ukraine fend off the Russian offensive.

“The occupiers continue to do everything possible to give themselves a reason to speak about at least some kind of victory,” Zelenskyy said late Thursday in his nightly video address to the nation. “They are building up their forces, bringing in new tactical battalions and trying even to begin a so-called ‘mobilisation’ in the regions they occupy in Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy also warned Ukrainians living in areas of southern Ukraine under the control of Russia troops not to provide them with their IDs, which he said could be used “to falsify a so-called referendum on our land” to create a Moscow-friendly government.

Satellite photos show possible mass graves in Mariupol

Satellite images released Thursday showed what appeared to be mass graves near Mariupol, and local officials accused Russia of burying up to 9,000 Ukrainian civilians there in an effort to conceal the slaughter taking place in the siege of the port city.

Satellite image provider Maxar Technologies released the photos, which it said showed more than 200 mass graves in a town where Ukrainian officials say the Russians have been burying Mariupol residents killed in the fighting.

The imagery showed long rows of graves stretching away from an existing cemetery in the town of Manhush, outside Mariupol.

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko accused the Russians of “hiding their military crimes” by taking the bodies of civilians from the city and burying them in Manhush.

The Mariupol City Council said Thursday in a post on the Telegram messaging app that the graves could hold as many as 9,000 dead.

(AP)