Russia-Ukraine War Updates: Boris Johnson meets Zelenskyy, new package of aid promised

Spokesperson of the Russian Defense Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, in a massive claim on Saturday, revealed that the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) is planning to bring the dead bodies of people killed by massive Ukrainian shelling to Irpin to carry out a "cynical and staged" action for the distribution of video footage via Wester Media, ANI reported. 

The European Commission is pledging 1bn euros to support Ukraine and countries receiving refugees fleeing the war following Russia’s invasion, Ursula von der Leyen was quoted as saying by The Guardian. Speaking at a fundraising event, the EU leader emphasized, "six hundred million of those will go to Ukraine, to the Ukrainian authorities, and partially to the United Nations. And 400m euros will go to the frontline states that are doing such an outstanding job and helping the refugees that are coming".

The UK prime minister traveled to Ukraine to meet Zelenskiy in person “in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people”, Downing Street said. During the ongoing meeting, both the leaders are expected to discuss the UK’s long term support to Ukraine with Johnson poised to roll out a new package of financial and military aid.

Andriy Sybiha, deputy head of Ukraine’s president office said , "The UK is the leader in defence support for Ukraine. The leader in the antiwar coalition. The leader in sanctions against the Russian aggressor".

 

More than two-thirds of houses in the besieged city of Chernihiv have been damaged or destroyed. In addition, more than 700 people have been killed in the shellings, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said. 

British PM Boris Johnson arrived in Kyiv on Saturday marking a previously unannounced meeting as the Russia-Ukraine war entered Day 45. According to sources, Johnson's surprise visit commenced by meeting Ukraine's embattled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who earlier today asked for a 'firm response' to the Kramatorsk rail station attack. Notably, the UK is leading in defense support to Ukrainian troops, the anti-war coalition as well as sanctions against the Russian Federation. 

The EU will discuss its support for war crimes investigations in Ukraine in meetings over the next two days with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan. According to a report by The Guardian, Khan is expected to meet the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell tomorrow, on Sunday. Later, he is scheduled to meet the EU foreign ministers on Monday.

Iceland Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir and her Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez participated in #StandUpForUkraine pledge event. They were joined by various leaders from across the world including Canada, Luxembourg and Germany-all of whom gathered to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees. 

Austrian Chancellor says he expects more European Union sanctions against Russia but is defending his country’s opposition so far to cut off deliveries of Russian gas. Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Saturday became the latest of several European leaders to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. 

Meanwhile, Nehammer said that he expects more European Union sanctions against Moscow but is defending his country’s opposition so far to cut off deliveries of Russian gas. Addressing a news conference, he said, "we will continue to ratchet up sanctions inside the European Union until the war stops” and that a package of sanctions imposed this week "won’t be the last one."

Italy has announced that it will re-open its embassy in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv immediately after the festival of Easter.  Addressing reporters in the aftermath of a foreign ministry meeting, PM Mario Draghi said, "We were the last to leave Kyiv and we will be among the first to go back. At the same time, we must intensify diplomatic pressure to bring (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to the talks table and reach a ceasefire
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In the wake of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, all the EU countries have now stopped allowing the passage of cars registered in Russia and Belarus. The news was confirmed by Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation.

Ukraine has charged the head of Russia's proxies in Donetsk Oblast with high treason. Kostyantyn Ivashchenko, a member of the Mariupol city council from a pro-Kremlin party has been positioned as the so-called mayor of the Russian-occupied parts of Mariupol. Russia has now escalated its offensives in the eastern part of Ukraine, focussing majorly on souther eastern port cities of Odesa and Mariupol. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is "destroying the future of his country” Vladimir Putin has an imperial mindset “known to us from the 19th, 18th, 17th and other centuries,” he said. He also reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in the country. It is pertinent to note that the German leader recently held his first in-person meeting with UK PM Boris Johnson wherein he discussed the ongoing conflict. 

Google blocked the Russian State Duma's YouTube channel "Duma TV" on Saturday. Justifying the act later, a spokesperson for the company said the move "complies with all applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws. If we find that an account is in violation of the terms of service, we will take appropriate action."  

Previously, Chairman of Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said that the blockage of Duma's YouTube channel is an act of violation of freedom of expression by Washington.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for the perpetrators of civilian killings in Bucha to be held accountable for war crimes. Addressing a Press Conference, he said that it was something that "we cannot forget." “We cannot overlook that this is a crime. These are war crimes we will not accept... those who did this must be held accountable.” He said that Germany would continue supplying Ukraine with defensive weapons. Notably, he had previously denied Kyiv’s request to supply Marder infantry fighting vehicles. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Austrian Federal Chancellor Karl Negammer in Kyiv. Sharing a picture from the meet later, Negammer expressed his solidarity with the nation. "Austria knows what the Ukrainian people are currently suffering. We will help where we can to alleviate humanitarian suffering and end this war", he said.

Russian Defence Ministry, on Saturday, said that it destroyed an air ammunition depot in the Poltava region. The city is located in the center of the country. 

Marking the latest incident of Russia's crackdown on protesters, a St. Petersburg resident was fined for holding an anti-poster poster during a rally. "The war has brought so much grief that it is impossible to forget it, there is no forgiveness for those who again build aggressive plans", read the poster. Interestingly, the poster was from one of the speeches of Russian President Putin. 

Ukrainians dismantled a monument dedicated to Russian writer Alexander Pushkin in Ternopil. According to Mayor Serhiy Nadal, Pushkin had nothing to do with Ternopil. Earlier another Pushkin monument was dismantled in Mukacheve. As the Russian offensive continues to escalate, multiple monuments and statues of Russian authors and artists have been destroyed. 

Image: Wikipedia

On Saturday, Ukrainian authorities said that nearly 19,100 Russian personnel have been killed since the war began. In its daily military update, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that more than 700 tanks and 55 anti-aircraft warfare systems have been destroyed. 

ritain’s Ministry of Defense says Russian naval forces are launching cruise missiles into Ukraine to support military operations in the eastern Donbas region and around the cities of Mariupol and Mykolaiv.

In its Saturday morning briefing, the ministry said Russia’s air forces are expected to increase activity in the south and east of Ukraine to further support these operations.

Amid the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, Google has now blocked the State Duma’s YouTube channel DumaTV on Saturday. Meanwhile, the website has released a statement about Google's decision and added it was knowing about the possible block and therefore developed other sites. However, the chairman of Duma TV, Vyacheslav Volodin called the action an act of violation of freedom of expression by Washington. Earlier last month, YouTube blocked Russian state-funded media channels such as Sputnik, RT News and others. 

As the Russian forces were unable to achieve the "goal" set by their President Vladimir Putin despite the war entering its 45th day, media reports claimed that the commander of Russia’s southern military district is now leading the "frustrated army". According to the sources of BBC, Russia’s southern military district, General Alexander Dvornikov, is now leading the Russian invasion. The name of the new commander was confirmed by a Western official who said that Dvornikov has extensive experience in Russian operations in Syria. 

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The Chernobyl officials said the staff were interrogated regularly by the Russian forces when they took control of the nuclear site last month. According to an official, the Russian forces were asking for all the details pertaining to the operation of the site. The official said they even stole fuel from the Russian troops to keep the site running and to prevent any catastrophic incident. 
 

As the massive attack at a Ukrainian train station killed at least 52 civilians who were trying to flee the country via trains on Friday, Russians took to the streets to protest against the brutal killings of women and children. However, the protestors were detained by Putin's police.  

Amid the ongoing war, the Ukrainian forces claimed that the Russian troops were now leaving some of the posts that they were holding since the start of the invasion. On the other hand, the Russian Defence Ministry, on Saturday, released footage of destroying the Ukrainian tanks which were used by the Kyiv forces to deter Putin's aggression. 
 

Ten humanitarian corridors for civilian evacuations are to open in Ukraine’s east on Saturday, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. The corridors will allow residents to leave a number of cities in the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.

The UK intelligence report claimed that the Russian air activity in the south and east of Ukraine is expected to increase further in the coming days. The report, however, claimed that the Russian forces would not be able to establish a land corridor between Crimea and the Donbass region due to the strong resistance posed by the Ukrainian army. 

The head of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) confirmed the establishment of its embassy in Russia within a month, news agency Sputnik reported. According to the Russian media, the candidacy of the ambassador has already been determined. It should be mentioned here that Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised DPR as an independent state on February 22 this year.

Around 300 Russian soldiers who were injured in the ongoing "military operation" against Ukraine were evacuated from Volnovakha. It should be mentioned here that Volnovakha is a small city in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), which Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised as an independent state on February 22 this year.

As the Russian-Ukraine war continues on Day 45, the Ukrainian armed forces continue to carry out "localised counter attacks" as the Russian troops were continuously shelling the Mariupol region. 

As the Russian military offensive against Ukraine entered its 45th day on Saturday, April 9, Moscow has lost an estimated 19,100 troops and 705 war tanks ever since the onset of the invasion, according to the data shared by Ukrainian Army's General Staff on its social media account.

Check the full list of Russian losses here: 

As the West continues to pressurise countries to isolate Russia for its action, the Russian Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov termed the act "dangerous" and "provocative". According to him, the action of the Western leaders could lead to a direct military confrontation between Russia and America.  
 

As the Russian forces further indulge in using lethal weapons against Ukrainian, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Kuleba called for the exclusion of Russia from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Notably, OSCE is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control and the promotion of human rights. ".If OSCE lacks appropriate suspension mechanisms, then set up a procedure and get them out," he said.

The Russian federation continues to conduct full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, the country's Armed Forces said in a Facebook post on Saturday. According to the Kyiv forces, the occupiers continue to prepare for the offensive in the east of Ukraine in order to establish full control over the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

As the massive attack at a Ukrainian train station killed at least 52 civilians who were trying to flee the country via trains on Friday, Russians took to the streets to protest against the brutal killings of women and children. However, the protestors were detained by Putin's police.  

Japan’s Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of at least eight Russian diplomats and trade officials on Friday. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that Moscow must be held accountable for “war crimes” in Ukraine.
 

Ukrainian military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov stated during an interview that Russian troops are 'regrouping before moving towards Izium city via Belgorod'. 

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed on Friday that the US is aiding Ukraine with ammunition, weapons and intelligence to help carry out combat operations against Kremlin forces. 

"We are providing them an intelligence to conduct such operations in Donbas," Austin said.

PM Fumio Kishida has announced Japan is set to ban imports of Russian coal and aims to lower its energy and power dependency on Moscow. 

Reports suggest that NATO officials have stated that the discussion on Sweden and Finland joining the alliance has got 'extremely serious' since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out on February 24. 

Amid the Russian-led invasion of Ukraine and the war having entered its day 45, Priyanka Chopra, who has been associated with UNICEF for almost a decade now, recently urged World leaders to stand up for the displaced people amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis. She said, "World leaders, this is a direct appeal to you. We need you to answer the call from activists and advocates working to support the humanitarian and refugee crisis that we are watching unfold every day in Eastern Europe. We need you to take immediate action to help displaced people from Ukraine and around the world." 

At a time when the Russia-Ukraine war is nowhere near to subside any sooner, the Russian Defence Ministry has claimed of destroying multiple Ukrainian military targets. As per that, the Ministry states that the Russian air defence systems near the settlement of Novomikhailovka have shot down a Ukrainian Su-27, while the Russian Aerospace Forces have also hit 54 Ukrainian military targets. 

Additionally, the Russian Ministry has also claimed of destroying a large warehouse of rocket and artillery weapons near the settlement of Nimirovskoye in the Odessa region with the use of high-precision missiles. "Since the beginning of the special operation, 126 Ukrainian aircraft, 421 UAVs, 2,024 tanks, 225 rocket launchers, 876 field artillery, and mortars have been destroyed so far", it added. 

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On April 8, in a press briefing, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna said she hoped Ukraine would get candidate status when the EU leaders meet at a summit in June.

Russia's war on Ukraine has pushed global food prices to a 'new all-time high'. The UN Food and Agriculture agency said on April 8. for commodity prices averaged 159.3 points on the FAO Food Price Index in March, a 12.6% increase since February when prices hiked to the highest mark since the year 1990. 

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the missile attack at a Ukrainian train station on Friday is a "piece of Russian brutality" in this war.

"We find unconvincing Russian claims that they weren't involved," said Kirby.

"Particularly when the ministry actually announced it. And then when they saw reports of civilian casualties decided to unannounce it. So our assessment is that that this was a Russian strike and that they used a short-range ballistic missile to conduct it."

Kirby's comments come after the missile hit a train station where thousands of Ukrainians had gathered, killing at least 50 and wounding dozens more in an attack on a crowd of mostly women and children trying to flee.

Photos from the station in Kramatorsk showed the dead covered with tarps on the ground and the remnants of a rocket with the words “For the children” painted on it in Russian.

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As the Russian military offensive against Ukraine continues, Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors, on Friday, announced to temporarily halts its production at a Russian van plant in Kaluga. Earlier several car makers such as Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Harley-Davidson, and Daimler Truck had suspended their operations in Russia. "Due to the logistical difficulties, vehicle exports and parts supply to Russia have been suspended since March," it said. 

A missile hit a train station in eastern Ukraine where thousands had gathered Friday, killing at least 52 and wounding dozens more. 

WATCH the scary video here:

The European Union (EU) imposed fresh rounds of sanctions on Russia, as well as Belarus over its ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the reported atrocities committed by the armed forces of the country. The latest curbs are the fifth round of sanctions on Russia by the EU since the beginning of hostilities in Ukraine and particularly target the logistics sector of the Russian economy as well as the trade between Russia and the EU.

Amid the ongoing war, Russia expelled at least 45 Polish embassy and consulate staff on Friday. Notably, the action from the Russian side came a month after the Poland government expelled 45 Russian diplomats by calling them spies of Russian intelligence. 

In a major development, Germany on Friday announced that it will be offering aid to businesses impacted by the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Olaf Scholz administration on Friday unveiled a package of loans and other financial assistance to help companies hit hard by the conflict in Europe and the barrage of economic sanctions upon Russia. 

The package includes loans of as much as USD 109 billion to cover the credit risks taken by German energy industry as the country scrambles to replace imports of Russian oil, gas, and coal. Affected companies will also be able to apply for limited grants to cover increased energy costs. Additional loans will also be made available to companies grappling with a liquidity squeeze.

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A missile hit a train station in eastern Ukraine where thousands had gathered Friday, killing at least 52 and wounding dozens more in an attack on a crowd of mostly women and children trying to flee a new, looming Russian offensive, Ukrainian authorities said.

The attack, denounced by some as yet another war crime in the 6-week-old conflict, came as workers unearthed bodies from a mass grave in Bucha, a town near Ukraine’s capital where dozens of killings have been documented after a Russian pullout.

Photos from the station in Kramatorsk showed the dead covered with tarps, and the remnants of a rocket with the words “For the children” painted on it in Russian. About 4,000 civilians had been in and around the station, heeding calls to leave before fighting intensifies in the Donbas region, the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor-general said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who says he expects a tough global response, and other leaders accused Russia’s military of deliberately attacking the station. Russia, in turn, blamed Ukraine, saying it doesn’t use the kind of missile that hit the station — contention experts dismissed.

(AP)

A woman on the verge of giving birth with her leg flayed open by shrapnel. A shockwave that shattered the glass and ceramic lining of a room with medical waste. A nurse who suffered a concussion.

This is what the Ukrainian doctors remember of the Russian airstrike that destroyed the Mariupol maternity hospital where they once worked. And these memories are now all they have from a day they wish they could forget: Russian soldiers purged the evidence from their phones when they fled Mariupol.

“With just one blow, there was simply nothing, no children’s clinic, it was simply blown away, ” said Dr. Lyudmila Mykhailenko, the acting director at Hospital No. 3 in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol. The sprawling courtyard of the hospital complex was — and remains — “one continuous shell crater.”

Three doctors and a paramedic spoke with The Associated Press to offer new details from a March 9 airstrike that happened when communications were all but severed, and to counter fresh Russian misinformation. They left the city separately in private cars, as have thousands from Mariupol in recent weeks, and are now scattered in other towns around Ukraine and in Poland.

(AP)

A day after Russia’s suspension from the UN Human Rights Council amid its invasion of Ukraine, the White House on Friday said it does not anticipate the same for Moscow in the Security Council where it is a veto-wielding Permanent Member.

“I know a question has been asked about whether Russia should be kicked out of being a permanent member. We don't anticipate that happening,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news briefing.

“But obviously, the step taken yesterday to suspend Russia from the UNHRC is an indication of the global response and horror at the atrocities we have seen happen on the ground in Ukraine. But beyond that, I don't have any other predictions of reforms,” she said.

(PTI)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday thanked Slovakia for the support it had given to Ukraine as his country continues to fight against the Russian invasion.

Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger travelled to Kyiv on Friday where he held a meeting with Zelenskyy.

"I'd like to thank (Slovakia) not for the future, but for what they are doing for us at the appropriate times," Zelenskyy said during the meeting.

"For fully supporting us and our position in the war, condemning Russian aggression not only in statements, but really supporting us with weapons," he added.

(AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country’s security service has intercepted communications of Russian troops that provide evidence of war crimes.

“There are soldiers talking with their parents about what they stole and who they abducted. There are recordings of prisoners of war who admitted killing people,” Zelenskyy said in an excerpt of an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” that aired Friday.

“There are pilots in prison who had maps with civilian targets to bomb. There are also investigations being conducted based on the remains of the dead,” he said in a translation provided by CBS.

Zelenskyy said, “everyone who made a decision, who issued an order, who fulfilled an order” is guilty of a war crime. Asked whether he held Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible, he said: “I do believe that he’s one of them.”

Watch the full interview here: