Russia Ukraine War: Russian leadership 'really afraid of global anger' says Zelenskyy

The European Commission has developed an EU Platform for the Common Purchase of Gas, LNG, and Hydrogen with the Member States in order to secure the EU's energy supply at affordable rates in the current geopolitical context and phase out reliance on Russian gas. This comes as a first virtual meeting with officials from the 27 Member States was conducted yesterday, headed by the Director-General for Energy, Ditte Juul Jorgensen.

In keeping with the Commission's proposal submitted on March 23, the Platform will assist in guaranteeing supply security, particularly for the refilling of gas storage facilities in preparation for next winter. It will also ensure that the current gas infrastructure is used to its full potential. It will also strengthen long-term collaboration with major supply partners, possibly through Memorandums of Understanding, to include hydrogen and renewables.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian government is "really afraid of global anger" and hence is trying to hide the evidence of war crimes to avoid an international investigation. “It seems that the Russian leadership was really afraid that the global anger over what was seen in Bucha would be repeated after what was seen in other cities,” Zelenskyy said in his daily nighttime video address.

“We have information that the Russian troops have changed tactics and are trying to remove the dead people, the dead Ukrainians, from the streets and cellars of territory they occupied. This is only an attempt to hide the evidence and nothing more,” Zelenskyy said.

US House overwhelmingly passed legislation Wednesday calling for a federal government report on evidence of war crimes committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Lawmakers backed the measure amid gruesome reports of atrocities in towns around Kyiv, particularly Bucha, and new accounts of the civilian death toll in the besieged port city of Mariupol.

The legislation calls for the US president to submit to Congress a report on efforts to preserve evidence related to war crimes. Last month, the US Senate passed a resolution seeking an investigation of Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes. In his daily nighttime video address to the nation late Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to hide evidence of war crimes to interfere with the international investigation.

Source: AP

In a major development, the US has imposed blocking sanctions against two top Russian banks – Sberbank and Alfa-Bank, issuing waivers for energy payments only. In addendum, it has also slapped new sanctions on Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Security Council Deputy Chief Dmitry Medvedev. The punitive measures came as Moscow accused Washington of testing unlicensed medicines on Ukrainian servicemen amidst the onging war. 

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Irish parliament stressing the war crimes committed by Russian troops in his country. Additionally, he also thanked the Micheál Martin govt for their support. The Ukrainian leader said that although Ireland was neutral, it abandoned its policy to support Ukraine. “I am grateful to you, to every citizen of Ireland. Thank you for sanctions, humanitarian and financial aid, thank you for caring about Ukrainian refugees," the actor-turned-politician said. 

US officials have claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin's two daughters Katerina and Maria that have recently been sanctioned are "hiding his wealth."  “We have reason to believe that Putin, and many of his cronies, and the oligarchs, hide their wealth, hide their assets, with family members that place their assets and their wealth in the US financial system, and also many other parts of the world,” a senior US administration official reportedly said.  “We believe that many of Putin’s assets are hidden with family members, and that’s why we’re targeting them,” he added. 

Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby said that US is training Ukrainian troops to operate the Switchblade drones that Washington will supply to the war toen nation. Less than a dozen Ukrainian servicemen who were present in the US before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, are being trained to use the drones, he said. 

Ukraine can "absolutely" win the war against Russia, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a news briefing. "Of course they can win this. The proof is literally in the outcomes that you're seeing everyday. Absolutely they can win," Kirby said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the EU and other allied nations to reach a unanimous agreement for an embargo of Russian oil. In his latest video address, the Ukrainian President iterated that Moscow has been cashing profits from the EU and fuelling its war in Ukraine. Russia does not take the peace talks seriously, said Zelenskyy, adding that the "democratic world" must cut off Russian energy reliance. He also asked the world to ban the Russian banks be completely from the international finance system. 

 "Some politicians are still unable to decide how to limit the flow of petrodollars and oil euros to Russia so as not to put their own economies at risk," Zelenskyy said. "The only question is how many more Ukrainian men, how many more Ukrainian women, the Russian military will have time to kill in order for you, certain politicians - and we know who you are - to find some determination."

Credit: AP

A week-long curfew has been imposed in the city of Hostomel, just outside of Kyiv effective tomorrow, Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko said. As Russia's assaults intensify in other parts, the curfew will be placed in Hostomel at 6 am on 7 April and last until 6 am on 14 April. Vasylenko called the measure "necessary" to ensure the safe return of civilians.

Minister of Internal Affairs, Denys Monastyrskyi has said that the Ukrainian officials are recording civilian casualties in literally every city where the Russian forces had been. "Almost everywhere the Russian army has been, we watch the same situation: there is no city where there are no victims; there is no village where there is no destruction," he said. "There are hundreds of missing people. "

Human Rights Watch 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 of Ukraine. These include a case of repeated rape; two cases of summary execution, one of six men, the other of one man; and other cases of unlawful violence and threats against civilians between February 27 and March 14, 2022.

Soldiers were also implicated in looting civilian property, including food, clothing, and firewood. Those who carried out these abuses are responsible for war crimes, said the Human Rights watch. 

“The cases we documented amount to unspeakable, deliberate cruelty and violence against Ukrainian civilians,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Rape, murder, and other violent acts against people in the Russian forces’ custody should be investigated as war crimes.”

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 A police officer stands next to six unidentified charred bodies lying on the ground at a residential area in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. Credit: Associated Press.

Human Rights Watch interviewed witnesses, victims, and local residents of Russia-occupied territories, in person or by telephone. Some people asked to be identified only by their first names or by pseudonyms for their protection.

• A woman told Human Rights Watch that a Russian soldier had repeatedly raped her in a school in the Kharkiv region where she and her family had been sheltering on March 13. She said that he beat her and cut her face, neck, and hair with a knife. Human Rights Watch reviewed two photographs, which the woman shared with Human Rights Watch, showing her facial injuries.
• On March 6, Russian soldiers in the village of Vorzel, about 50 kilometers northwest of Kyiv, threw a smoke grenade into a basement, then shot a woman and a 14-year-old child as they emerged from the basement, where they had been sheltering. 
• A 60-year-old man told Human Rights Watch that on March 4, a Russian soldier threatened to summarily execute him and his son in Zabuchchya, a village northwest of Kyiv, after searching their home and finding a hunting rifle and gasoline in the backyard.
• Russian forces in the village of Staryi Bykiv, in Chernihiv region, rounded up at least six men on February 27, and later executed them, according to the mother of one of the men.
• On March 4, Russian forces in Bucha, about 30 kilometers northwest of Kyiv, rounded up five men and summarily executed one of them. 
• A witness told Human Rights Watch that soldiers forced the five men to kneel on the side of the road, pulled their T-shirts over their heads, and shot one of the men in the back of the head. “He fell [over],” the witness said, “and the women [present at the scene] screamed.”

Source: Human Rights Watch Report

French President Emmanuel Macron hit out at Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during a TV interview after he criticized the French leader for negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin whom he described as "Hitler."  “The position was both baseless and scandalous,” Macron said slamming the Polish leader's comments. 

Hundreds of people in Berlin on April 6 flooded the streets to mark the remembrance of the Bucha massacre victims in Ukraine. 

Credit: Nexta

A car carrying containers of flammable materials crashed into the gate of the Russian Embassy in the Romanian capital early Wednesday, bursting into flames and killing the driver, police said. The sedan rammed into the gate at about 6 a.m. Wednesday but did not enter the Bucharest embassy compound. Video of the aftermath showed the car engulfed in flames as security personnel ran through the area.

According to police, firefighters who arrived at the scene were able to put the fire out but the driver died on the spot. The case prosecutor who arrived at the scene told reporters that several containers with flammable substances were discovered inside the car, which will be examined by forensics experts. The crash was under investigation and an autopsy will be carried out, the prosecutor, Bogdan Staicu, said.

In a statement after the incident, the Russian embassy said that no employees were injured and expressed condolences to the family of the driver, but also added: “There is no doubt that he committed this act under the influence of an explosion of anti-Russian hysteria in connection with a staged provocation in the city of Bucha.”

Source: Associated Press/Report

US commitment to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty "is rock solid," President Joe Biden said. The defensive alliance is "unshakable," furthermore he reminded. "It’s a sacred commitment. NATO stands together. That’s how we’ve met every other threat in the past. It’s our greatest strength as we meet the challenges of the future," he went on to add. 

[Credit: US Department of State/Twitter]

The United States wants that the ongoing war and atrocities in Ukraine must “come to an end as quickly as possible”, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said as he arrived in Brussels for a key NATO foreign ministerial meeting. “That’s exactly why we’re making sure that we’re doing everything we can to support Ukraine and to give them the assistance that they need to put pressure … on Russia,” Blinken said. Ukraine can also win the war, said the US Secretary of State. 

European Council president Charles Michel said on Wednesday that European Union countries should think about ways to offer asylum to Russian soldiers willing to desert Ukraine battlefields. During an address to the the European Parliament, Michel expressed his “outrage at crimes against humanity, against innocent civilians in Bucha and in many other cities,” then called on Russian soldiers to disobey orders.

Michel referred to the town outside of Kyiv where graphic evidence of killings and torture has emerged following the withdrawal of Russian forces. He said he wanted to deliver a message to Russian soldiers waging the war started by Moscow against its neighbor on Feb. 24.

“If you want no part in killing your Ukrainian brothers and sisters, if you don’t want to be a criminal, drop your arms, stop fighting, leave the battlefield,” said Michel, who represents the bloc’s governments.

Endorsing an idea previously circulated by some EU lawmakers, Michel added that granting asylum to Russian deserters is “a valuable idea that should be pursued.”

Cars drive past a destroyed Russian tank as a convoy of vehicles evacuating civilians leaves Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine.

Source: AP

NATO would quickly welcome Finland and Sweden into its ranks with open arms if they decided to apply, the military alliance’s top civilian official said Wednesday, as Russia’s war on Ukraine spurs public support in the two Nordic countries for membership. The military organization might also be ready to provide security guarantees to the countries if any potential membership bid angers Russia, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

A poll last month by Finnish broadcaster YLE showed that, for the first time, more than 50% of Finns support joining the Western military alliance. In neighboring Sweden, a similar poll showed that those in favor of NATO membership outnumber those against.

“If they decide to apply, I expect that all allies will welcome them,” Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels, as NATO foreign ministers met to discuss the war in Ukraine. “We know that they can easily join this alliance if they decide to apply.”

“I am certain that we will find ways to address concerns they may have regarding the period between the potential application and the final ratification,” Stoltenberg said. 

Source: AP

Russia’s Defense Ministry has accused Ukraine of sabotaging a pre-agreed prisoner swap, an Associated Press report confirmed. Speaking at a briefing, Defense Ministry official Mikhail Mizintsev claimed that Kyiv had “for a long time” blocked prisoner exchanges, including a swap set to take place Wednesday involving 251 military personnel on each side. He alleged that the delays gave Moscow “all the reasons to suspect that Russian servicemen held in captivity are not at all well. On April 1, representatives of the Ukrainian presidential office said Ukraine had secured the release of 86 soldiers, including 15 women, through a swap. This was confirmed by Russian officials on Wednesday.

In a differing stance, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Wednesday that halting gas imports from Russia is "not on table" as the EU stood divided over the fifth round of sanction package against Russia.  "A gas embargo is not yet on the table and I don't know if it will ever be," Draghi said at a news conference. Italy had previously said that it will "follow the decisions of the European Union" on new sanctions against Russia, including a possible gas embargo. Italy imports 95 percent of the total gas and nearly 40 percent is imported from Russia.

European Union diplomats on Wednesday failed to approve a new sanctions package against Russia proposed by the European Commission, seemingly divided over the coal ban. The bloc had revoked Russia's "most-favored-nation" trade status that enables EU nations to impose punitive tariffs on Russian trade and commerce.

The mayor of the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol says more than 5,000 civilians have been killed during the monthlong Russian blockade, among them 210 children. Mayor Vadym Boichenko said Wednesday that Russian forces have among other targets bombed hospitals, including one where 50 people burned to death.

Boichenko said that more than 90% of the city’s infrastructure has been destroyed by Russian shelling. The Russian military is besieging the strategic Sea of Azov port and has cut food, water, and energy supplies and pummeled it with artillery and air raids. Capturing the city would allow Russia to secure a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Source: AP

As gruesome videos and photos of bodies emerge from the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, Kremlin-backed media are denouncing them as an elaborate hoax — a narrative that journalists in Ukraine have shown to be false. Denouncing news as fake or spreading false reports to sow confusion and undermine its adversaries are tactics that Moscow has used for years and refined with the advent of social media in places like Syria.

In detailed broadcasts to millions of viewers, correspondents and hosts of Russian state TV channels said Tuesday that some photo and video evidence of the killings were fake while others showed that Ukrainians were responsible for the bloodshed.

“Among the first to appear were these Ukrainian shots, which show how a soulless body suddenly moves its hand,” a report Monday on Russia-1’s evening news broadcast declared. “And in the rearview mirror it is noticeable that the dead seem to be starting to rise even.”

But high-resolution satellite images show some of the dead bodies have been lying on the residential streets of Bucha since early March, days after the Russian occupation began. On April 2, a video taken from a moving car was posted online by a Ukrainian lawyer showing those same bodies still scattered along Yablonska Street in Bucha. The location of the bodies were matched with the satellite images of Bucha by commercial provider Maxar Technology.

Source: Associated Press

Mayor of Mariupol, Vadym Boychenko, said that the bombing of a children's hospital by Russian aircraft has burnt alive almost 50 people. Mariupol, which was until recently a symbol of development, has now been almost completely destroyed by the Russian invaders, he lamented. 

"According to preliminary estimates, 5,000 people have been killed in Mariupol alone during the month-long blockade, some 210 of whom are children. Russian terrorist troops dropped several heavy-duty bombs on a children's hospital and destroyed one of the buildings of city hospital No. 1. Nearly 50 people were burned alive. The Drama Theatre, where more than 900 people were hiding from shelling at the time, was bombed. These are just a few examples of the targeting of civilians in Mariupol," Mayor of Mariupol, Vadym Boychenko wrote in a telegram update. 

A family walks amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. Credit: AP

Cemetery workers load the corpses of civilians killed in Bucha, to be transported to the morgue. Credit: AP

Russia's war in Ukraine has shattered peace in Europe and has global repercussions, NATO Cheif Jens Stoltenberg says. 

Ukraine Air Force's General Staff has said that Russian troops have lost control of the Osokorovka city in Kherson region. the region has been taken back by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

Source: Nexta

In this photo released by Ukrainian State Emergency Service press service, firefighters evacuate a man from an apartment building hit by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine. Credit: AP

A fuel storage base in Kharkiv has been destroyed by Russian missiles, Russia's RIA news agency reported. The attack also damaged the Ukrainian military equipment and weapons supplied by the West, Kremlin's defense ministry said in an update.  Ukraine's deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said regional governors have asked the civilians to evacuate the Luhansk, Donestk and Kharkiv regions immediately. 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that he plans to discuss the procurement of more defensive weaponry at the G7 meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO. “The main topic of my discussion in Brussels will be the supply of all necessary weapons to Ukraine,” Kuleba said in a video address. 

Ukrainian authorities have said that they could not evacuate trapped residents in the Russian-controlled eastern town of Izyum, a key route to the Donbas region. The teams have also been unable to send humanitarian aid there, Kharkiv's regional governor Oleh Sinegubov said in a social media post. As many as 93 civilians from Izyum had been killed by Russian forces, Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko claimed. 

“We have seen no indication that President Putin has changed his ambition," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said as he opened a two-day meeting of Foreign Ministers on Wednesday, 6 April 2022. Addressing the brutal war in Ukraine, Stoltenberg said that Russia leader Putin intends to "control the whole of Ukraine and also to rewrite the international order." 

"We [NATO] need to be prepared for the long haul,” said Jens Stoltenberg, adding that the allies need to support Ukraine, sustain the sanctions, and strengthen the defenses and the deterrence on the eastern flank. 

NATO Foreign Ministers at the crucial meeting are expected to discuss the development of NATO’s next Strategic Concept, a roadmap for the Alliance’s continued adaptation in a more dangerous world. Foreign Ministers from Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, and Georgia will take part in the meeting, as well as the EU High Representative. NATO’s Asia-Pacific partners – Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea – will also participate.

The UK has charged a security guard with the Official Secrets Act offense after he allegedly passed on information to the Russian state. David Ballantyne Smith, aged 57 is being tried for espionage. He had been living in Germany and was employed with the British embassy in Berlin. 

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen condemned the "targeted killing of civilians" in Ukraine, as she added, that Taiwan stands with the democratic world in demanding "an end to violence against non-combatants in Ukraine”. She also called for a fair and open investigation against the civilian killings demanding justice to the families of the victims. 

US is seeking “alignment to the maximum extent possible” with India with respect to the ongoing war in Ukraine, a senior Biden administration official has told reporters ahead of the Brussels summit of the NATO foreign ministers. “India is our friend. India’s our partner. And we share interests, and we share core principles that are at stake in this conflict,” the official said, reports confirmed on Wednesday. 

The United Kingdom on Wednesday announced the fifth package of sanctions on Russia for its atrocities in the town of Bucha. In a coordinated effort with the United States and the EU allies, the UK banned Russia’s Sberbank and any investment to Russia by British nationals. The UK will halt all imports of Russian coal and oil by the end of 2022 and also announced stopping the gas supplies “as soon as possible”.

Russian troops have completed their withdrawal from Ukraine's capital of Kyiv, and are perhaps resupplying troops for an expected redeployment into the parts of Donbass, a senior US official has said. "We are assessing that all the Russians have left," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity with PBS. 

US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Wednesday stated at a press conference in Brussels alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that the Alliance has been going through "an important moment" during the ongoing war in Ukraine.  Blinken iterated that the US would "continue to support Ukraine" by providing the defense weaponry and tightening sanctions against the Kremlin for the war atrocities witnessed in the town of Bucha. 

Blinken said that NATO and the allies and partners are set out to do three things if Russia decided to "pursue this horrific aggression against Ukraine". "One was to support our Ukrainian partners - we're doing that," he said. "Two was to put extraordinary pressure on Russia - we're doing that.  "Three was to make sure that we were shoring up the defences of our own alliance NATO and we're doing that."

Credit: NATO

US President Joe Biden condmened the war atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha during a speech in Washington. Biden said that there is a "sense of brutality and inhumanity" left for all the world to see as he asked the global allies to "come together to hold these perpetrators accountable".

"Civilians executed in cold blood and bodies dumped into mass graves. A sense of brutality and inhumanity left for all the world to see unapologetically," he said. "There is nothing less happening than major war crimes. "Responsible nations have to come together to hold these perpetrators accountable and together with our allies and our partners we're going to keep raising economic costs, ratchet up the pain for Putin and further increase Russia's economic isolation."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the Bundestag that Germany is in confidential discussions with Ukraine about possible security guarantees it could offer to ensure safety after Russia’s invasion. After the peace talks in Istanbul on March 29, the Ukrainian delegation said that Ukraine seeks NATO-style security guarantees from the West.

Germany can only supply arms to Ukraine that the country’s army will know how to use, German chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday. Addressing parliamentarians in Berlin, he said, "These are very old inventories that were used by the NVA [the army of former communist East Germany], which have the advantage that they can be used particularly well in Ukraine because they have experience with this equipment. We have to supply equipment that can be used." Last month, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had advised that Ukrainian troops should use weapons from their inventory as it would require less training. 

Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked the west to bolster sanctions against the Russian Federation as well as supply more weaponry to Ukraine. "If you don't equip Ukraine with the necessary weapons (heavy artillery & air defense) & if you don't impose real sanctions tomorrow (direct/indirect energy embargo), how exactly do our Western partners see the end of the war? Why must Russians stop killing & destroying Ukraine?," he asked on Twitter.

167 children have been killed while 279 have been injured by the actions of Russian armed forces since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In its latest release, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that more and more children are falling victim to Putin’s illegal war. Earlier today, the country's president Zelenskyy reiterated the same in the Irish Parliament saying that Russian troops were killing everybody trying to escape, including children and women.

NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg said that the military organization had supported Ukraine over many months, with both training and equipment, which has been making a real difference on the ground. Addressing reporters he said, "Since the invasion, Allies have stepped up their support. They are providing both anti-tank, anti-air, or air defense systems, but also different kinds of advanced weapon systems. And also both light and heavier weapon systems to Ukraine." Stopping short of revealing details of the equipment provided, the military chief emphasized that all the support provided have been significant in Kyiv's battle against Russians. 

"For every Russian tank in Ukraine, there are or will soon be more than ten anti-tank systems," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said promising more aid to the war-hit country. Last week, US State Department announced additional funding to help Ukrainians get a steady flow of personal protection equipment, field gear, tactical equipment, medical supplies, armoured vehicles, and communication equipment.

Hungary's PM Viktor Orbán, on Wednesday, warned that the West would pay a heavy price for the sanctions it is imposing on Russian imports. "I am convinced we will pay price for sanctions on Russia," he told reporters. He also said that his country has no problem with paying for Russian gas in rubles. 

The UN General Assembly will vote tomorrow on suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council. 

"The only way to avert Russian war expanding beyond Ukraine is to provide us with the fullest support," Ukraine's foreign minister Dymytry Kuleba said asking for bolstered help from the international community. "Maximum sanctions. All the weapons. The policy of ‘not provoking Putin’ has failed badly in past years. Help us contain this evil now or risk Putin testing article 5 later," he said in a Twitter statement. 

NATO won't be a party to the conflict in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday. Germany had previously opposed a blanket ban on Russian fuel imports stressing that it would harm the EU more than Moscow. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, on Wednesday, said that there are no grounds for a real default in Russia, it can only be artificially created by the West. He reiterated that allegations of killings of civilians in Bucha were provocations by Ukrainian which should be investigated. "It is important to establish what constitutes an impartial independent inquiry," he said. 

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said that he supports Ukraine's application to join the European Union. In addendum, he also said that Ukrainian refugees are welcomed. Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Irish Parliament wherein he expressed his gratitude to the Irish people for supporting Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion.

Greek foreign ministry stated that authorities have asked 12 members of the Russian Federation diplomatic and consular missions to leave. The decision was communicated to the Russian ambassador by the general secretary of the Greek foreign ministry. A foreign ministry official stated that the Russian officials were not following international laws.

On Monday, Germany and France each announced approximately 75 expulsions. On Tuesday, countries like Italy, Spain, and Slovenia followed suit, with the European Union declaring a group of Russian officials working for its institutions "persona non grata."

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen stated that the European Commission's fresh package of sanctions against Russia proposed the day before would not be the last.

She said that pressure on Putin and the Russian administration must be increased once more and as a result, they propose that the sanctions be tightened even further. She further said that they restrict the Kremlin's political and economic power. She said that the latest sanctions won't be the last sanctions they impose against Russia.

Hungary's Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador after days of the two countries' officials trading barbs over Hungary's position in the war. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote in a social media post on Wednesday that we condemn military aggression, we stand by Ukraine's sovereignty, but that this is not our war, so we want to and will stay out of it.

China says the reports and images of civilian deaths in the Ukrainian town of Bucha are “deeply disturbing” and is calling for an investigation. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday that China supports all initiatives and measures “conducive to alleviating the humanitarian crisis” in the country and is “ready to continue to work together with the international community to prevent any harm to civilians.”
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while addressing the Irish Parliament on Wednesday, appealed to the lawmakers to invoke tougher sanctions on Russia in order to force President Vladimir Putin to stop the war immediately. Notably, since the war began, he has addressed parliaments around the world, including the EU, United States, France, Germany, Australia, Italy, and the UK.

Russia is interested in Zelensky agreeing to conditions put forward at negotiations, through them we want to end military operation, reports Russian media RT quoting Kremlin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while addressing the Ireland Parliament on Wednesday, said that the Russian forces have blocked all major seaports of the country. He said that Russia could not be called a civilised country as it has targeted hospitals, ambulances and common civilians. He urged the lawmakers of Ireland not to take a neutral stand on the ongoing war.

The Russian aggression against Ukraine's strategic location continues on Wednesday. According to the latest update, the Russian forces targetted an oil depot in the Novomoskovsky district, resulting in a massive fire. However, no loss of life or injuries has been reported yet.

As the war entered its 42nd day, shelling continued in the Mariupol region on Wednesday, Republic Media journalist Patrick Lancaster reported. According to the residents, the last shelling was happened at around 2:30 am. The lucky residents who escaped the attack claimed that the shelling was continued round the clock. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while speaking to Lok Sabha on Wednesday, expressed concerns over the Bucha killings and added New Delhi sought an investigation into the matter. Notably, more than 400 bodies of Ukrainians were either killed in the Russian shelling or by the brutal torture of Putin's forces.   

The Russian Armed Forces carried out a missile strike with precision weapons on Ukrainian military infrastructure, the Russian Ministry of Defence tweeted along with a video of the attack on Wednesday. "Crew of DBK "Bastion" from the Black Sea coast launched two high-precision missiles "Onyx" at ground targets on the territory of Ukraine," tweeted the ministry. 

EAM Dr S Jaishankar said that India continues to press forcefully for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to violence in Ukraine. He said that the Indian Prime Minister also spoke to the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine about initiating direct talks in order to end the war immediately. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while speaking to Lok Sabha about 'Operation Ganga', said that the ministers who were sent to Ukraine had helped in the evacuation of the students from the war-torn country. "Their main job was to establish contacts with the Ukrainian government in evacuation," he said while referring to the questions from the Opposition about their role in the evacuation process. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while speaking to Lok Sabha about 'Operation Ganga', said that the intervention of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin led to the evacuation of students from Sumy and Kharkiv.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while speaking to Lok Sabha about 'Operation Ganga', said more than 4,000 Indian citizens evacuated initially and, around 18,000 students were reluctant to leave Ukraine as their colleges had denied providing online classes. "Apart from colleges, the Ukrainian government had also advised the people not to leave the country, resulting in confusion among students," he added. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while speaking to Lok Sabha about 'Operation Ganga', said India has evacuated more than 20,000 Indian civilians from Ukraine, including students.

As the war between Russia and Ukraine entered its 42nd day on Wednesday, Estonia transferred a batch of D-30 howitzers, ammunition for small arms and body armour to Ukraine, reported NEXTA TV.

A car crashed into the gate of the Russian Embassy in the Romanian capital early Wednesday, bursting into flames and killing the driver, police said. The sedan rammed into the gate at about 6 am Wednesday but did not enter the Bucharest embassy compound. Video of the aftermath showed the car engulfed in flames as security personnel ran through the area. According to police, firefighters who arrived at the scene were able to put the fire out but the driver died at the scene.

In fresh action against Ukraine, Russian airstrikes have destroyed an oil depot and set a factory on fire in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast area, Kyiv Independent reported. According to a Telegram post by Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko, rescuers are still attempting to douse the massive fire at the factory. The number of victims has yet to be confirmed.

The British Ministry of Defence, in its report, said that the heavy fighting and Russian airstrikes in the encircled city of Mariupol have continued on Wednesday. According to the ministry, more than 1,60,000 people in the city, were forced to live without basic facilities like food, water, electricity and medicine. 

President Joe Biden approved a $100 million transfer of Javelin anti-armour missiles to Ukraine on Tuesday, said an administration official. The transfer brings the total of US military assistance for Ukraine to $2.4 billion since Biden took office last January. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of using the United Nations (UN) to 'justify the evil it does'. In the latest national address, he said, "The UN Security Council exists, and security in the world doesn’t. For anyone. This definitely means that the United Nations is currently unable to carry out the functions for which it was created. And only one state is to blame for this - Russia, which discredits the UN and all other international institutions where it still participates."

"Well, not exactly participates... Tries to block everything constructive and use global architecture in order to spread lies and justify the evil it does. I’m sure the world sees it. I hope the world will draw conclusions. Otherwise, there will be only one institution left in the world to guarantee the security of states. Namely - weapons," he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said that Moscow would be more prudent this year in exporting food, especially to "hostile" countries. According to news agency Xinhua, Putin acknowledged the global food shortage prevailing this year before, adding that Moscow will be more selective in the country’s own supplies abroad. During a meeting to support the country’s agricultural sector, Putin said that Moscow would “carefully monitor” the parameters of exports to countries that have “hostile” policies towards Russia.

"This year, against the backdrop of a global food shortage, we will have to be more prudent in our food supplies abroad, namely, to carefully monitor the parameters of such exports to countries that are clearly hostile towards us," Putin said, according to the report. 

Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova alleged in a statement has alleged that Russian troops have committed sexual violence against Ukrainian women and men, children and elderly people. Additionally, as per The Guardian, she said that the soldiers are burning bodies to 'hide the crimes'. Noting Bucha specifically, she said, “Bucha was released from the occupiers, but the consequences of their atrocities will have to be recovered for a long time: civilians were killed in the streets, cars were shot, torturers in basements."

Ukraine's prosecutor’s office said in a separate statement on Tuesday, "During the occupation of the city of Bucha, soldiers of the Russian Federation armed forces, violating international humanitarian law standards, killed civilians and set fire to their bodies in order to hide the crime."

"During the investigation, it was found that the bodies of the dead have traces of violent death and torture. The prosecutors of the Bucha district and Kyiv region prosecutor’s office work on the site together with police employees. Measures are being taken to determine all circumstances of the crime. The pre-trial investigation is underway," it also said.

In the latest intelligence report released by the UK Ministry of Defence, it said, "The humanitarian situation is worsening."

"Most of the 16,000 remaining residents have no light, communication, medicine, heat or water. Russian forces have prevented humanitarian access, likely to pressure defenders to surrender," it also said.

Intel has completely stopped its business in Russia. It is to note here that previously, the company had only announced that it would stop supplying its products to Russia and Belarus.

Image: Nexta Tv

According to The Guardian, the Ukrainian prosecutor has said that they are probing nearly 5,000 Russian war crimes after the discovery of the Bucha killings leading to global condemnation of Russian troops. Citing figures released by the Ukrainian prosecutor's office, around 4,468 war crimes were listed as under investigation as of Tuesday. It also said that around 165 children have died. 

The United States on Tuesday urged India to "downscale" purchase of military equipment from Moscow. Addressing the House Armed Services Committee, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin flagged that Washington did not believe that engagement in such deals are in New Delhi's best interest. Austin's remarks came after India refused to join the international community to slap sanctions on Russia despite its aggressive actions in Ukraine.

"We continue to work with them (India)..to ensure that they understand that it is not in their...we believe that-- it is not in their best interest to continue to invest in Russian (military) equipment," Pentagon chief Llyod Austin said during hearing in the annual defence budget.

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NATO Foreign ministers are set to meet in person in Brussels as Russia Ukraine war entered day 42

According to Russian state media RT, Russian Ministry of Defence spokesperson Major General Igor Konashenkov said that Ukraine had 'conducted another staged filming of civilians allegedly killed by violent actions of the Russian armed forces in order for it to be distributed through the Western media'.

New Zealand to introduce 35% tariff on Russian imports in response to Bucha killings. As per reports, New Zealand government also said on Tuesday that it would extend existing export prohibitions to industrial products related to strategic Russian industries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, Nanaia Mahutaq has said that the country is planning to introduce further sanctions against Russia in support of Ukraine. Both measures will be effective as of April 25, stated Kyiv Independent.

US President Joe Biden's administration announced on Tuesday that Washington authorized an additional $100 million for anti-armour systems to Ukraine. According to a US media report, the additional shipment to Ukraine will be released to meet an urgent demand from Ukraine for the Javelin anti-tank missiles. These missiles are among the weapons that have proven most effective against Russian forces.

Turkis embassy in Ukraine as retuned to Kyiv as Russia-Ukraine war entered day 42.,

Joining a slew of companies abandoning Moscow, United States-based chipmaker Intel Corp has announced that it has suspended operations in Russia. The company said, "Intel continues to join the global community in condemning Russia’s war against Ukraine and calling for a swift return to peace. Effective immediately, we have suspended all business operations in Russia. This follows our earlier decision to suspend all shipments to customers in Russia and Belarus."

Days after the Bucha killings were first reported, on Tuesday, more bodies of killed citizens were also found in the town. At least six burnt bodies lying outside on a street, whilst more were found in and around homes. The corpses were just the latest gruesome scene to emerge from Bucha, a town outside of Kyiv where graphic evidence of killings and torture has emerged following the withdrawal of Russian forces.

The United States and the European Union are set to impose more sanctions against Russia including Kremlin officials and their families. The Wall Street Journal has even reported that Washington is considering additional sanctions against Putin’s two daughters and Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "After what the world saw in Bucha, sanctions against Russia must be commensurate with the gravity of the occupiers’ war crimes,” he said. “If after that Russian banks will still be able to function as usual... If after that the transit of goods to Russia will continue as usual... If after that the EU countries will pay for Russian energy resources as usual... Then the political fate of some leaders will develop not as usual."

Kyiv is now the capital of global democracy, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday as the Russia-Ukraine war continues to escalate. In the latest address to the nation, ahead of a visit by European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell in Kyiv, Zelenskyy talked about “working together”. According to the Ukrainian President, Kyiv will be praised by “many nations of the world”. 

Zelenskyy said, “We are preparing to welcome President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell in Kyiv in the near future. Working together in Kyiv is something that will be praised by many nations of the world.”

“And not only in Europe. Because now Kyiv is the capital of global democracy, the capital of the struggle for freedom for all on the European continent,” he added. 
 

The European Union (EU) on Tuesday condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the war atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces in the Ukrainian cities including Bucha and Irpin. Mass graves of the civilians were discovered in the two Ukrainian towns that have recently been liberated from the invading troops. EU on April 5 derided the war crimes witnessed in the northwest town, and expressed shock at the "haunting images of large numbers of civilian deaths and casualties." The bloc condemned the massive destruction of civilian infrastructures, and alleged that it shows "the true face of the brutal war of aggression." 

"The massacres in the town of Bucha and other Ukrainian towns will be inscribed in the list of atrocities committed on European soil," the European Union said in a statement. 

Female Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russian forces were "subjected to torture and ill-treatment in captivity," a Ukrainian human rights official has said. Of the total 86 female soldiers captured as Prisoners of War (POW) 15 were released by Russian forces. The women soldiers were taken to Belarus and later to a pre-trial detention center in Bryansk, Russia. They said, that they were subjected to  "torture" by the Russian troops and were threatened, Lyudmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights informed on her Telegram account. 

The Ukrainian female soldiers alleged that they were stripped naked in the presence of men, forced to squat, their hair were cut, and they were tortured and interrogated "to their break morale". Women soldiers were also filmed by the enemy troops, Ukraine has claimed. Denisova demanded that the treatment of women soldiers by Russian troops violates Article 13 of the Geneva Convention which demands the dignified treatment of Prisoners of War.

"I call on the UN Commission for Investigation Human Rights Violations of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine and the expert mission set up by OSCE participating states under the Moscow Mechanism to consider these violations of the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war," said Denisova in Telegram post. 

Microblogging platform Twitter has restricted content of over 300 official Russian government accounts including that of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a statement, Twitter said that the said accounts will no longer be recommended in timelines, notifications or anywhere else on the site. The social media site added that it would take action against any nation which “restricts access to the open internet while they're engaged in armed conflict".
 

Ukraine’s president has announced that EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell will visit Kyiv "in the near future." “Working together in Kyiv is something that will be highly appreciated by many people in the world, not only in Europe,” he said. “Kyiv now is the capital of global democracy, the capital of the fight for the freedom for all of us in Europe.”

A Ukrainian zoo prepares to euthanize several larger animals after their enclosures were destroyed due to Russian shelling.  “Yesterday and today [Feldman Ecopark] was again subjected to massive shelling and bombardment. Infrastructure destroyed, enclosures destroyed,” zoo founder Alexander Feldman said in a statement. “The biggest problem is large predators.” “Maybe we will save baby jaguars, baby panthers, but all adult animals will probably be liquidated,” Feldman added. 

Horrific images and stories tumbling out of Ukrainian towns like Bucha in the wake of the withdrawal of Russian troops bear witness to depravity on a scale recalling the barbarities of Cambodia, the Balkans, World War II.

Warning: Some viewers may find these images distressing 

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Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has said that Russian strike was targeted at the cancer hospital in Mykolaiv while four-person team had been visiting. The hospital was also treating those wounded during the war. "Several explosions took place in close proximity to our staff over the course of about ten minutes," Michel-Olivier Lacharite, MSF head of mission in Ukraine reportedly informed. "As they were leaving the area, the MSF team saw injured people and at least one dead body." 

"Bombing such a large area within a residential neighbourhood in the middle of the afternoon cannot but cause civilian casualties and hit public buildings," Lacharite added. 

 

America's top military officer told the House Armed Services Committee that the world is getting more unstable, "and the potential for significant international conflict between great powers is increasing, not decreasing." Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the committee that Russia's invasion of Ukraine "is the greatest threat to peace and security of Europe and perhaps the world in my 42 years of service in uniform." President Vladimir Putin's unnecessary war threatens not only European peace and stability but global peace and stability, he said.

"The islands of the Pacific and the beaches of Normandy bore witness to the incredible tragedy that befalls humanity when nations seek power through military aggression across sovereign borders," Milley said.

"Despite the horrific assault on the institutions of freedom, it is heartening to see the world rally and say never again to the specter of war in Europe."

Britain’s foreign secretary Liz Truss said that the West's coordinated sanctions are "pushing the Russian economy back to the Soviet era." The international community, said Truss has frozen $350 billion of “Putin’s war chest,” which makes more than 60% of Russia’s $604 billion in currency reserves unavailable. Further at the news conference with her Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau Truss said UK will ask G-7 countries to ban Russian ships from its ports, crack down on Russian banks, set a timetable to eliminate imports of Russian oil and gas and try to prevent Russia from using gold to fund its war effort.

European Union’s executive branch proposed a ban on coal imports from Russia in what would be the first EU sanctions targeting the country’s lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU needed to increase the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin after what she described as “heinous crimes” carried out around Kyiv, with evidence that Russian troops may have deliberately killed Ukrainian civilians.

Von der Leyen said the ban on coal imports is worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year and that the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports. She didn’t mention natural gas, with consensus among the 27 EU countries on targeting the fuel used to generate electricity and heat homes difficult to secure amid opposition from gas-dependent members like Germany, the bloc’s largest economy.

A loaded dump truck passes an empty truck as it carries away coal at the Kedrovsky open-pit coal mine in Kemerovo, Russia. Credit: AP

Until now, Europe had not been willing to target Russian energy over fears that it would plunge the European economy into recession. Europe’s dependence on Russian oil, natural gas and coal means finding unanimity on energy measures is a tall order, but the recent reports of civilian killings have increased pressure for tougher EU sanctions.

Source: AP

The Turkish Embassy in Ukraine has relocated back to Kyiv. The embassy was temporarily relocated to southwestern Chernivtsi due to fierce fighting around Kyiv. In a Twitter update, the embassy informed that it had to temporarily move its activities to Chernivtsi, which acted as a logistics center for evacuations by Turkey.  "As of today, we have returned home, to Kyiv," it said. Embassy will carry out its activities, including consular services, from its building located at "Panasa Mirnoho 22," the update further informed. 

France has offered to send a forensics team to Ukraine in order to gather evidence for the investigation into the alleged war crimes committed by Russian troops. In a phone call, French President Emmanuel Macron made the offer to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dispatch a forensics team to refute Russia's claims that the civilian killings in Bucha were "staged" propaganda by Ukraine. 

According to a readout by the Elysee Palace, France also pledged to contribute $534,000 to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate the war crime in Ukraine. 

US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield has called for Russia to be suspended from the UN’s Human Rights Council. Moscow's inclusion “hurts the council’s credibility” and is “just plain wrong," she said. 

Italian Premier Mario Draghi is demanding that Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as the Russian authorities and the Russian army “answer for their actions” in Ukraine, including the “documented massacre of civilians” in Bucha, Irpin and other Ukrainian towns.  In a speech in Turin, Italy, Draghi said the atrocities committed in those and other Ukrainian towns “shake deep down the souls” of people who are democratic.

The war crimes “must be punished,” added Draghi. “To President Putin, I say again, ‘Put an end to the hostilities, interrupt the massacres and make a cease-fire.’”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday questioned the UN Security Council's role as he grieved the atrocities wreaked by the Russian troops on Ukrainian soil. Sentimental Zelenskyy in a taped address demanded justice for the civilians in the northwest town of Bucha and Irpin, and many other Russian-occupied cities. 

“The UN Security Council exists and yet there is no security in the world for anyone,” Zelensky on Tuesday said.  “The only guilty party is one country, Russia, which discredits all of the institutions and blocks the global architecture for the sake of spreading lies and justifying the evil it commits.”  “I’m sure the world will see this and make conclusions,” he added. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Brussels to attend the high-stakes NATO foreign ministerial on ongoing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While he was en route to the Belgian capital, Blinken told reporters that it was "an important moment" for the allies to coordinate efforts in stopping Russia's war atrocities. "We obviously have some changing battlefield dynamics with the Russian pullback from parts of Ukraine, especially Kyiv and areas more to the west," Blinken was reported as saying. 

"We of course have the horrific atrocities that have been revealed for all the world to see in Bucha. I suspect, alas, we will see more of that where Russian forces pull out," he said. "As I said, it's like a receding tide and we're seeing in very stark terms the death and destruction that's being left in its wake. So, there's obviously a lot of focus on that." 

Ahead of the ‘2+2’ dialogue, Blinken tweeted that he held a telephonic conversation with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The two counterparts discussed the latest developments in Ukraine, Indo-Pacific, and deliberated on bilateral ties in the telephonic conversation.

“Spoke to @SecBlinken ahead of our 2+2 consultations. Discussed bilateral issues and latest developments pertaining to Ukraine,” Jaishankar also tweeted. The next edition of India-US ‘2+2’ foreign and defense ministerial talks is scheduled in Washington on April 11. However, there is no official announcement on the talks yet. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are set to travel to Washington to hold talks with their American counterparts.

Ukrainian parliament member Yevheniya Kravhuck on Tuesday derided Russia's invasion in Ukraine and said that the only way to win the war against Putin is on the battlefield as there is no other way to reach him. She then demanded that the Russian forces must be thrown out of the Ukrainian soil, and the invasion shall be stopped using force. 

"The only thing I can think of is, how to stop this, and the only way how to stop it is to kick out Russians from our land," Kravchuk told American broadcaster CNN. "Because you've seen these videos in Bucha what they did when they occupied the territories..we probably will see something like that in those territories they do hold and they got it, since February," she said. 

Disruptions to supplies of commodities, financial strains, and higher prices are among the impacts of the war in Ukraine that will slow economies in Asia in the coming months, the World Bank says in a report released Tuesday. The report forecasts slower growth and rising poverty in the Asia-Pacific region this year as “multiple shocks” compound troubles for people and for businesses.

Growth for the region is estimated at 5%, down from the original forecast of 5.4%. The “low case” scenario foresees growth dipping to 4%, it said. The region saw a rebound to 7.2% growth in 2021 after many economies experienced downturns with the onset of the pandemic.  The World Bank anticipates that China, the region’s largest economy, will expand at a 5% annual pace, much slower than the 8.1% growth of 2021.

A man watches a screen showing a news item featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin on the facade of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building in Mumbai, India. Credit: AP

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has helped drive up prices for oil, gas and other commodities, eating into household purchasing power and burdening businesses and governments that already are contending with unusually high levels of debt due to the pandemic, the report said.

“The succession of shocks means that the growing economic pain of the people will have to face the shrinking financial capacity of their governments,” said the World Bank’s East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Aaditya Mattoo. “A combination of fiscal, financial and trade reforms could mitigate risks, revive growth and reduce poverty.”

Source: AP

Ukrainian officials are renewing pressure on Chinese consumer drone-maker DJI to block a tool that they say is enabling Russian troops to find and attack Ukrainian drone operators. Ukraine’s top cybersecurity official Victor Zhora told reporters Tuesday during a press call that DJI’s drone detection tool AeroScope has been “sharing information on Ukrainian drones to Russians.”

Both sides of the war have flown small consumer drones to monitor troop movements and help target attacks. But Ukrainian officials said Tuesday they have evidence that DJI’s tool for detecting the location and flight information of nearby drones is working for Russians and not Ukrainians. A government report called for blocking “all DJI products operating in Ukraine that were purchased and activated in other countries” such as Russia.

DJI has previously denied such claims, saying in March that it doesn’t apply preferential treatment but also can’t switch off the AeroScope tool. It has expressed openness to using technology that could ground its drones in the war zone if Ukraine made a formal request but the no-fly zone would apply to both Ukrainian and Russian drones and some would still be able to fly.

Source: AP

Security Service of Ukraine has claimed that Russian military commanders have ordered the invading troops to "open fire" on Ukrainian civilians. It backed the claims by sharing the intercepted communications of Russian forces where they testified to criminal orders being issued.

“… Their [civilian] grouping is 150,000-strong …! And if we have 3,000 soldiers that’s considered to be damn good. They are on the left, on the right, encircling us. What struck me most is that they outnumber us so massively…" one of the Russian soldiers said in the phone call. 

"Kill them all! If they’re civilians," Russian commanders ordered the soldier, as per the tapped phone call shared by the Security Service of Ukraine. "That’s no staging. These are crimes for which you will be held accountable!” said the Security Service in an online post. 

No major progress has been made in the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia after images of the harrowing war crimes emerged from the Ukrainian town of Bucha. Such war atrocities and accounts of violence "is not helping the talks", France has said. 

“Bucha’s shock is not conducive to progress on negotiations,” a French official reportedly said at a briefing. The comments were made after nearly a one-hour phone call held between French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Czech Republic has become the first NATO country to send ten T-72 tanks and armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine by train to help the forces to counter the Russian attacks, Czech Republic's Defence Minister Jana Černochová said on Tuesday. The latter refused to disclose further information.

US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday sanctioned Russia based prominent darknet market, Hydra Market (Hydra), in a coordinated international effort to disrupt the proliferation of malicious cybercrime services, dangerous drugs, and other illegal offerings available through the Russia-based site.

The operation targeting Hydra was a collaborative initiative joined by the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. This action was enhanced by international cooperation with the German Federal Criminal Police, who today shut down Hydra servers in Germany and seized $25 million worth of bitcoin.

“The global threat of cybercrime and ransomware that originates in Russia, and the ability of criminal leaders to operate there with impunity, is deeply concerning to the United States,” said Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen.

“Our actions send a message today to criminals that you cannot hide on the darknet or their forums, and you cannot hide in Russia or anywhere else in the world. In coordination with allies and partners, like Germany and Estonia, we will continue to disrupt these networks.”

Darknets are Internet-based networks that individuals use special software to access in a manner designed to obscure the individuals’ identity and their associated Internet activity. Marketplaces that reside on the darknet almost exclusively accept virtual currency as payment for a large range of illegal services and goods, including ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS). Virtual currency is often the payment method of choice on darknet marketplaces because illicit actors who transact on the darknet often incorrectly believe virtual currencies to be an anonymous and untraceable means of exchange.

In addition to sanctioning Hydra, OFAC is identifying over 100 virtual currency addresses associated with the entity’s operations that have been used to conduct illicit transactions.

[Source: US Department of the Treasury/OFAC]

Speaking before the US House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that Russian aggression in Eastern Europe could go on for "quite some time." Milley indicated that the war could last for several years. “I do think this a very protracted conflict and I think it’s at least measured in years. I don’t know about a decade, but at least years, for sure," said Gen. Mark Milley, the nation's top military commander. "This is a very extended conflict that Russia has initiated. And I think that NATO, the United States, Ukraine and all of the allies and partners that are supporting Ukraine are going to be involved in this for quite some time."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has addressed the Russian citizens directly in a recorded message, condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops' actions in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and asked the Russians to "share" the truth.

"The reports are so shocking, so sickening, it’s no wonder your government is seeking to hide them from you," Johnson told Russian citizens, as he slammed the war crimes in Bucha, Irpin, and other cities. He added that the Russian mothers would not be proud of the horrific scenes emerging out of the Ukrainian town, all the while questioning the military dignity. 

"Your president knows that if you could see what was happening, you would not support his war," Johnson said. "He knows that these crimes betray the trust of every Russian mother who proudly waves goodbye to her son as he heads off to join the military, and he knows they are a stain on the honor of Russia itself — a stain that will only grow larger and more indelible every day this war continues."

Johnson asked the Russian civilians to "access independent information" — "and when you find the truth share it. Those responsible will be held to account," the prime minister added, "and history will remember who looked the other way. "

In a coordinated effort with the EU, Portugal on Tuesday announced that it is expelling 10 Russian diplomats from Lisbon, according to a statement published by the Portuguese foreign ministry. the embassy staff will be declared “persona non grata,” for carrying out activities “contrary to national security” of Portugal, the statement read. Portugal said that the Russian embassy staff has "two weeks" to leave the country. 

“The Portuguese Government reiterates its firm and vehement condemnation of Russian aggression on Ukrainian territory,” the foreign ministry said. 

Authorities in Romania said Tuesday that the country is expelling 10 diplomats from Russia’s embassy in Bucharest. Romania’s foreign ministry said the actions of 10 embassy workers, who have been declared persona non grata, “contravene the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relationships," according to AP. 

The move by Romania follows a string of expulsions of Russian officials across the 27-nation European Union following a wave of criticism and shock after Russian troops are accused of committing war crimes in Ukraine. As of Tuesday, more than 200 Russian diplomats or employees had been expelled from at least a dozen countries, including Germany, France and Italy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said everyone in the Russian leadership and army who is involved in the war is responsible for war crimes committed in Ukraine. In an interview with Turkey’s Haberturk television in Kyiv on Tuesday, Zelenskyy also accused Russia of trying to hide its actions in the besieged southern city of Mariupol and did not want humanitarian aid to enter the city “until they clean it all up.” Zelenskyy spoke following the discovery of bodies of civilians in towns around Kyiv that were recaptured from Russian forces.

“The Russian military political leadership and everyone involved in the planning of this war and everyone who gave this order, committed war crimes in my opinion,” Zelenskyy said in comments translated into Turkish. “We are not dealing with a situation where only one person can be prosecuted and be found guilty.”

On the situation in Mariupol, Zelenskyy said thousands may have been killed or injured there. “I think Russia is afraid that we will successfully send humanitarian aid to Mariupol and the whole world will see what’s going on there,” he said. “Russia doesn’t want anything to be seen until they take control of the city (and) until they clean it all up.” Zelenskyy said Turkish ships were involved in efforts to evacuate injured civilians from Mariupol, but would not elaborate.

Source: AP

NATO will hold a Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels this week between 6-7 April 2022 to "address President Putin’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine." In a statement on Tuesday, the alliance said that the countries are stepping up their support for Ukraine’s right to defend itself, including with anti-tank weapons, air-defense systems and other equipment, as well as increased humanitarian assistance and financial aid.

“Targeting and murdering civilians is a war crime. All the facts must be established and all those responsible for these atrocities must be brought to justice,“ NATO  chief Stoltenberg said, commenting on the horrific images of murdered civilians in Bucha and other places.

NATO Foreign Ministers will be joined by their counterparts from Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Georgia, and the European Union, and by NATO’s Asia-Pacific partners - Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea.

“At a time when authoritarian powers are pushing back on the rules-based international order, it is even more important for democracies to stand together, and protect our values,” Stoltenberg said.

Allied Foreign Ministers will also discuss the development of NATO’s next Strategic Concept, to guide the Alliance’s adaptation to the new global security reality. They are also expected to endorse a Charter setting out how the new Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) will help to harness transatlantic innovation.

UN International Organization on Migration said Tuesday that an estimated 11 million have already fled Ukraine from the war atrocities since Russia launched its invasion on Feb. 24. More than 7.1 million people have been displaced within Ukraine as of April 1, the organization added. Nearly 2.9 million people still in Ukraine are actively considering "leaving their place of habitual residence due to war."

United Nations on Tuesday said that the harrowing images from the northwest town of Bucha near Kyiv show “all the signs” that civilians were “directly targeted and directly killed.”  

At a virtual press briefing, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) spokesperson Liz Throssell said that the United Nations was “horror” stricken at the images that surfaced from the besieged town where civilian deadbodies were strewn across the streets.

“What we have seen emerging from Bucha and from other areas clearly points to very disturbing developments. That the brutality, the targeting of the civilians really underscores that this is so concerning. You know, really looking at the video and the footage coming out of there is all the signs that the victims were directly targeted and directly killed,” Throssell said.  

United Nations humanitarian convoy has delivered eight trucks of critical supplies for people in the city of Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine’s Luhanska oblast. Eastern Ukraine continues to bear the brunt of the intensifying hostilities, with thousands of people cut off from gas and water supplies and residential buildings repeatedly hit by shelling in Sievierodonetsk, preventing people from safely evacuating and severely restricting their access to basic necessities, said the global agency in a press release on April 5. 

The convoy brought food rations, flour, plastic sheeting, and blankets for some 17,000 people, as well as four hospital electricity generators, from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), INGO People in Need (PiN), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP). The notification system for the movement of humanitarian supplies was facilitated through the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“We’re in Sievierodonetsk today, where fighting is ongoing and civilians in the city are in urgent need of assistance. The UN and humanitarian partners delivered ready-to-eat meals, canned goods, flour and essential relief items such as blankets, mattresses, solar-powered lamps, and other household items,” said Markus Werne, the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator.

These items will be provided to those most in need through the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, while deliveries will also be made to vulnerable people who remain in their homes or bunkers around Sievierodonetsk. The Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator also stressed that, “we will continue to deliver here and to cities across Ukraine but what we require is protection of civilians and continued access.”

Source: OCHA/United Nations

Biden administration will announce new sanctions package against Russia tomorrow that will ban all new investments to state-owned enterprises and will sanction Russian government officials and their family members. 

"These measures will degrade key instruments of Russian state power, impose acute and immediate economic harm on Russia, and hold accountable the Russian kleptocracy that funds and supports Putin’s war," an official reportedly said.  "These measures will be taken in lock step with our allies and partners, demonstrating our resolve and unity in imposing unprecedented costs on Russia for its war against Ukraine."

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said that the Russian invaders are preparing to leave Kherson.

Units of the National Guard of Ukraine arrived at the Chernobyl NPP and took the facility under their protection.

 The United States, in coordination with the EU and Group of 7 nations, will roll out new sanctions against Russia on Wednesday — including an investment freeze — in response to evidence of war crimes in Ukraine, according to a senior administration official.

Among the measures being taken against Russia are a ban on all new investment in that country, greater sanctions on its financial institutions and state-owned enterprises, and sanctions on government officials and their family members. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the forthcoming announcement.

President Joe Biden and U.S. allies have worked together to levy a crippling of economic penalties against Russia for invading Ukraine more than a month ago, including the freezing of central bank assets, export controls and the seizing of property, including yachts, that belong to Russia’s wealthy elite. But calls for increased sanctions intensified this week in response to the attacks, killings and destruction in the Ukrainian city of Bucha.

The official said the sanctions would further Russia’s economic, financial and technological “isolation” from the rest of the world as a penalty for its attacks on civilians in Ukraine.

(Source: AP)

Footage from Borodyanka, a liberated town in Kyiv Oblast, shows one destroyed building after another. Prosecutor General earlier said that Borodyanka has the most victims among the liberated cities in Kyiv Oblast but hasn't revealed the numbers.

The United Nations highest body again took up the issue of the war in Ukraine on Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told the U.N. Security Council that the Russian military must be brought to justice immediately for war crimes.

Zhang Jun, China's UN Ambassador, told the council that it supports an investigation into what happened in Bucha, but warned of a rush to justice.

"Any and all accusations should be based on facts before conclusions are drawn. Parties should exercise restraint and avoid unfounded accusations," said Zhang.

(Source: AP)

Estonia expels 14 Russian diplomats and closes the consulate in Narva and the embassy office in Tartu

Embassy of India in Kyiv informed, "Charge d’ Affaires Ambarish Vemuri welcomed Harsh Kumar Jain who arrived in Warsaw (Poland) today to take up his assignment as the new Ambassador of India to Ukraine."

An enemy reconnaissance drone was shot down in the Donetsk region.

India addressed the UNSC on Bucha massacre on Tuesday. TS Tirumurti, Indian representative at UNSC said, "The situation in Ukraine has not shown any significant improvement... Recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing. We unequivocally condemn these killings & support the call for an independent investigation."

Tirumurti added, "Keeping in view the dire humanitarian situation in Ukraine, India has been sending humanitarian supplies to Ukraine & its neighbours, incl medicines & other essential relief materials. We stand ready to provide more medical supplies to Ukraine in the coming days."

India further said, "India continues to remain deeply concerned at the worsening situation & reiterates its call for an immediate cessation of violence & end to hostilities. We've emphasized right from the beginning of the conflict the need to pursue the path of diplomacy and dialogue."

China addresses UNSC; says 'Must verify the cause of Bucha incident'

EU to expand sanctions on Russian elite, expel several Russian diplomats. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell announced on April 5 that the EU will sanction more politicians and businessmen, and declared some officials of the Russian Mission to the EU “persona non grata.”

(Source: The Kyiv Independent)

In an address to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lashed out at the UN's inability to stop Russia's ongoing war. 

Zelenskyy warned the UNSC that the organisation had two options, punish Russia or disband. He stated that Russia, which is a permanent member of the Security Council, should be removed so that it cannot block decisions on its own aggression. He then said that if there is no other choice, the next best thing is to "dissolve yourself completely."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while addressing the UNSC stated that the UN needs to act immediately and its system must be reformed quickly. He continued by stating that in the Security Council, all regions must have an equal representation. Zelenskyy also said that the Russian military must be brought to justice.

While addressing the UNSC, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talked about the war crimes committed by the Russian forces, stating that they killed entire families and attempted to burn their remains. He further said that some were shot in the streets, while others were thrown into wells, slain in their homes, or crushed by tanks while driving their cars.

He also said that Russia will point the finger at everyone to defend their own conduct and that they will claim that the remains were staged and that everything was fake. He also compared Russian war crimes with terrorist organisations like ISIS; claiming that Russia supports hatred at the state level and seeks to export it.

Latvia's foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that it has ordered the closure of two Russian consulates, Daugavpils and Liepaja in the country and asked workers to leave. The Ministry stated that the decision was made in solidarity with Ukraine in its battle against Russia's unjustifiable military aggression and war. The statement suggests that the employees must depart by the end of April.

On Tuesday, France launched three investigations into alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine against French citizens in recent weeks. The cases will centre on events that occurred in Mariupol, Gostomel and Chernihiv.

On March 16, authorities started a war crime investigation into the killing of French-Irish Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, who was killed while reporting on the battle near Kyiv.

Estonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that it will deport 14 Russian diplomatic workers and close consulates in Narva and Tartu. Vladimir Lipaev, the Russian Federation's Ambassador to Estonia, was summoned to the ministry and given a diplomatic note announcing the closure of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Narva and the Consular Office of the Russian Embassy in Tartu.

The European Union is looking for additional sanctions against Russia for its continuous aggression in Ukraine. First, the EU is looking to impose a four-billion-euro-per-year ban on coal imports from Russia. It is also looking to ban the banks with the exception of four "important government banks," including VTB. It also may impose 10-billion-euro export prohibitions on Russia, focusing on semiconductors and impose a ban on Russian and Belarussian road transportation companies. The EU is also looking to restrict Russian ships' access to ports.

Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, criticised Russia for accusations of Russian forces slaughtering people in Bucha, Ukraine, a suburb of Kyiv. He stated that he is very appalled that horrific atrocities against civilians have been perpetrated on the outskirts of Kyiv, claiming that killing innocent civilians is a violation of international humanitarian law, referring to the horrible photos emerging from the town now that Russian soldiers have left.

Advisor to the Ukrainian President, Mykhailo Podoliak told the European countries that now is the moment to realise that Bucha is only the beginning of the reality of modern Russia and that the cannibalistic "Russian world" will visit hundreds of other Ukrainian cities. He then asked for heavy weapons if they don't want to suffer from "Buchan syndrome" tomorrow.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had a conversation with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, where they discussed the sources of income that support Putin's government. Truss stated that to put an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, they need to scale up their coordinated sanctions.

Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that the residents of Shipovatoe and Khatnei, in Kharkiv Region, have received almost 10 tonnes of humanitarian aid from the Russian troops. It further stated that the basic needs and food kits were given to the residents by Russian Armed Forces personnel. It also said that humanitarian aid was handed to all inhabitants in need with families with small children and the elderly receiving priority.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announced that in response to alleged Russian military war crimes in Ukraine, Spain has decided that it will deport approximately 25 Russian diplomats and diplomatic personnel from Madrid. Albares said that they have decided to expel Russian diplomats and workers from the Russian embassy in Spain who pose a threat to their country's interests and security.

Ukraine MP, Oleksandr Feldman has claimed that the Russian army has nearly entirely destroyed the eco-park in Kharkiv. He further stated that because the tigers and lions' habitats have been destroyed, a decision will be made today by the end of the day to put them down.

Roskomnadzor, the Russian communications regulator has asked Wikipedia to remove content with false information of public interest concerning the situation in Ukraine on Tuesday. The regulator claims that Wikipedia is presenting incorrect information about Russia's "special operation" in Ukraine, as well as military activity in the country. Russian Law suggests that if Wikipedia does not remove illegal information when asked by Roskomnadzor, it can be penalised up to 4 million roubles.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with the Polish Minister of Climate and Environment Anna Moskwa to discuss their stances on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Kuleba also stated that they also agreed that Russia's presence at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant must come to an end. The two leaders also talked about major energy projects between Ukraine and Poland that would benefit both countries. 

Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk has called for visa cancellation of high ranking Russian officials and their spouses. He stated that Russian high-ranking officials, their spouses, children, parents and other family studying, having vacations, receiving medical treatment, or simply residing abroad must all have their visas cancelled and that they must be transported to Russia within 24 hours.

The European Commission is ready to introduce a fresh set of sanctions against Russia that will affect its energy. According to the Wall Street Journal, the President of the European Commission von der Leyen is preparing to unveil a significant new package of EU sanctions on coal imports from Russia. In addition, the proposal will contain fresh limits on equipment shipments to Russia worth 10 billion euros.

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde announced on Tuesday that Sweden will expel three Russian diplomats who are not following international regulations. Linde stated that today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to remove three Russian diplomats whose employment in Sweden violates the Vienna Convention.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Mayo stated that 30 Russian diplomats have been expelled from the country. Di Mayo said that this morning, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergei Razov to tell him about the Italian government's decision to send 30 Russian diplomats serving at the embassy as personae non-grata.

He further stated that the decision was taken in agreement with other European and Euro-Atlantic allies, in the context of the current crisis scenario precipitated by the Russian Federation's unjustifiable aggression against Ukraine.

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša has announced that the President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen and Head of EU Diplomacy Josep Borrell are expected to visit Kyiv this week for a meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid the war with Russia.

Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has stated that the crew of a small missile ship from the Black Sea Fleet launched seven Kalibr cruise missiles at specific land targets in Ukraine.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, on Tuesday, confirmed the killing of at least 1,430 civilians in Ukraine. In a statement released on April 5, it said as many as 2,097 people were injured in the heavy Russian shelling from February 24 to April 3.
 

 Denmark’s Foreign Ministry says the country is expelling 15 Russian intelligence officers who worked at Russia’s Embassy in Copenhagen. The ministry said the Russian ambassador was informed of the decision on Tuesday. It said Denmark strongly condemned “Russia’s brutality against Ukrainian civilians in Bucha” and stressed that “deliberate attacks on civilians are a war crime.” The officers have two weeks to leave Denmark. Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said, “they pose a risk to our national security that we cannot ignore.”

AP

The Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Jansa, took to social media and confirmed his visit to the Ukrainian national capital, Kyiv this week. According to the post, he will be accompanied by the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrel.

Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov has claimed that the Russian troops destroyed the Ukrainian Military Training Centre on Monday, April 4. While addressing a presser on Tuesday, Konashenkov said that high-precision long-range sea-based weapons destroyed a training centre for Ukrainian special operation forces near Ochakov. According to Konashenkov, the Training Centre was used to accommodate foreign mercenaries.

Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, it seems that the Russian forces have again vowed aggression against its neighbouring country on Tuesday. In a major development, several fighters jets were again seen flying in  Stakhanov-- a city in the Luhansk Oblast of eastern Ukraine.

Amid the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk, on Tuesday, has announced at least seven humanitarian corridors for the safe passage of the civilians stuck in Mariupol and Berdyansk. According to the Telegram post of Vereshchuk, civilians will have to arrange their own vehicles for evacuation.

Former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev called the massacre in Bucha an example of a fake, "grown in the cynical imagination of Ukrainian propaganda. According to local media outlets, he also said that Russia's goal is to build an open Eurasia from Lisbon to Vladivostok, including for the peace of mind of Ukrainians themselves.

France’s European affairs minister Clement Beaune told RFI radio that European Union (EU) is likely to adopt fresh sanctions against Russia as early as Wednesday. 

Ukraine's prosecutor's general office stated that 165 children have been killed in the country since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24. According to Kyiv Independent, the office added that 266 children have been injured. It is to note that this figure does not take into account children’s casualties in front-line cities such as Mariupol.

Ukrainian armed forces have claimed on Tuesday that the Russian army has lost around 18,500 military personnel along with 676 tanks among other losses. 

The United Nations has estimated that at least 4.2 million people left Ukraine since the beginning of the war with Russia on February 24. Results of a survey by the Ukrainian Razumkov Center have evidenced that 79% of refugees want to return to Ukraine after the war.

According to Kyiv Independent, Sumy Oblast Governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky has reported that in the Konotop district of Sumy Oblast, the Ukrainian military found the bodies of at least three tortured civilians.  He also said that the bodies were found in places where Russian forces had been stationed.

United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that Washington will announce fresh sanctions against Russia this week. According to him, the United States will also announce additional military assistance to Ukraine in the coming days.

Issuing a new travel advisory in the wake of global sanctions, Russia's Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Tourism and Tourism Infrastructure Development Natalia Kostenko said travelling to European countries at the moment could be dangerous for Russians because of the large numbers of Ukrainians abroad. Among destinations advised for Russians to visit include India, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and others. 

The latest sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) are set to target the leasing of aircraft, steel products, luxury goods and fuel for aircraft. However, the sanctions package is still under development and they might change as the negotiations continue in the coming days. As per reports, one of the officials added that "it is obvious that a large component is missing", given the lack of measures against the Russian energy sector.

Adviser to US President Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan has said that the next stage of Russia's war against Ukraine might be delayed for several months. The US official further said that Russian troops will be redeployed from northern Ukraine to Donbas. According to Sullivan, Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces are likely to be deployed additional battalion tactical groups of tens of thousands of soldiers. Russia will focus on trying to seize the wider borders of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions to "disguise" previous military setbacks, according to Ukraine 24.

Following the study of satellite images from nothern Ukrainian town of Bucha, the New York Times reported that some bodies had been lying in the streets for weeks. It is to note here that Russian defence forces haveofficially claimed that Russian soldiers left Bucha on March 30.

In a high-profile showcase of support to Ukraine, Japan on Tuesday flew at least 20 Ukrainian refugees, including 15 women, into Tokyo. According to The Guardian, Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Poland shortly before he and the refugees set off for Japan, "The government of Japan is committed to provide the maximum support to these 20 Ukrainians to help them live with a sense of peace in Japan, even though they are far away from their home county". 

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced a package of sanctions aimed at restricting exports of luxury goods from Japan to Russia has entered into force. 

According to the operational update released by the Ukrainian military as of 6 AM (local time), Russian troops are regrouping for an aggressive attack on eastern Ukraine. The report published by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "The enemy is regrouping troops and focusing efforts on preparing for an aggressive operation in the eastern of our State. The goal is to establish full control over the territory of Donetsk and Lugansk regions.”

267 Ukrainian marines surrender in the key city of Mariupol after Russia reportedly threatened to target civilians. As per Ukrainian media reports, the prominent nationalist forces of country, 'Azov' vow to continue defending the civilians.

US President Joe Biden called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "war criminal" and said he would call for a war crimes trial as global outrage against Russian forces intensified over mass killings in Bucha. 

“We have to gather the information. We have to continue to provide Ukraine with the weapons they need to continue to fight, and we have to get all the detail [to] have a war crimes trial. This guy is brutal and what’s happening in Bucha is outrageous,” he said on Monday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitro Kuleba on Monday. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang said, "Wars end eventually. The key is how to reflect on the pain, to maintain lasting security in Europe and establish a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism. China stands ready to play a constructive role in this regard in an objective position"

Following the call, Kuleba tweeted, “Grateful to my Chinese counterpart for solidarity with civilian victims...We both share the conviction that ending the war against Ukraine serves common interests of peace, global food security and international trade". 

According to Kyiv Independent, the United States State Department is supporting efforts to document Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine. Notably, an international team of prosecutors is currently on the way to Ukraine to collect preserve and analyze evidence that will hold Russia accountable.

Air raids sounded in almost all Ukrainian cities including Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Khmelnytsky, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Volyn, Zakarpattya, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr oblasts and Kyiv

The United States tested a hypersonic missile in mid-March but kept quiet in a bid to avoid escalating tensions with Russia as US President Joe Biden was set to travel to Russia, reported CNN citing a defence official familiar with the matter. The report further said that the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) was launched from a B-52 bomber off the west coast, the official said, The test reportedly came days after Russia said it used its own hypersonic missile during the invasion of Ukraine and claimed that it targetted an ammunition warehouse in western Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the number of civilian killings in liberated cities of the war-torn nation is expected to be "much higher" than Bucha. In a video message on Monday, Zelenskyy called on international journalists to visit Bucha, about 20 miles northwest of Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv, and other recently freed towns of Borodyanka in order to "document" civilian killings that will help expedite war crime investigation against Russian Federation, Sky News reported.

The former Russian president and deputy head of security council Dmitry Medvedev on Monday "Everyone knows the answer: it will be symmetrical and destructive for bilateral relations. Who have they punished? First of all, themselves.

"If this continues, it will be fitting, as I wrote back on 26th February - to slam shut the door on Western embassies. It will be cheaper for everyone. And then we will end up just looking at each other in no other way than through gunsights," he added.

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict entered day 41, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to address the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday, 5 April. The UK,  which holds the UNSC presidency this month, has said that it will 'ensure the truth is heard about Russia’s war crimes' after evidence of mass killings emerged from Bucha.

Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy dismissed the possibility of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
 

Australia prohibits the export of jewellery, wine, vehicles, leather and fur products, as well as any luxury items to Russia as the Moscow-Kyiv conflict continued to escalate. 
 

While speaking at a joint conference with the UK foreign minister Liz Truss, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Dmitro Kuleba said, "evidence of civilian killings from the town of Bucha are just the “tip of the iceberg”. He also said that "horrors of Bucha, Mariupol and other places" demand "serious G7 and EU sanctions".

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called for the mass expulsion of all Russian diplomats by Western countries as a "schizoid campaign". He added that if the suspension of Russian envoys continues,  it's time to hang barn locks on Western embassies in Russia. He said, "It will be cheaper for everyone. And then, for sure, to consider each other no other than in weapons optics."
 

Cuber hacking group Anonymous has said on Monday that "Personal data of 120,000 Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine was leaked" while adding "All soldiers participating in the invasion of Ukraine should be subjected to a war crime tribunal". The cyber hacking group further declared "cyber war against the Russian government".

Facebook owner Meta platforms reportedly briefly restricted these hashtags related to deaths that occurred in northern Ukraine, confirmed a company spokesperson. Meta spokesman Andy Stone wrote on Twitter, "This happened automatically because of the graphic content people posted using these hashtags. When we were made aware of the issue yesterday, we acted quickly to unblock the hashtags".

Speaking about the recent deaths in liberated towns of Stoyanka, Irpin, Bucha after visiting them on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "The bodies of killed people, killed Ukrainians have already been taken from most streets. But in the yards, in the houses, the dead still remain.

He also said, "The cities are simply ruined. Burnt military equipment on the roads, destroyed cars. It is especially hard to look at the traces of bullets on cars with the inscription ‘children’.” Zelenskyy also said that  Ukraine is “doing everything possible to identify all the Russian military involved in these crimes as soon as possible.”

Ukrainian President pledged, "All crimes of the occupiers are documented. The necessary procedural basis is provided for bringing the guilty Russian military to justice for every crime they commit..."

"The time will come when every Russian will learn the whole truth about who of their fellow citizens killed. Who gave orders. Who turned a blind eye to the murders. We will establish all this. And make it globally known," he added.

Noting the incident in Bucha, Zelenskyy also said, "I would also like to note the reaction of the leaders of the democratic world to what they saw in Bucha. The sanctions response to Russia’s massacre of civilians must finally be powerful. But was it really necessary to wait for this to reject doubts and indecision?Did hundreds of our people really have to die in agony for some  European leaders to finally understand that the Russian state deserves the most severe pressure?”

He then also called for more military aid while underscoring, "If we had already got what we needed - all these planes, tanks, artillery, anti-missile and anti-ship weapons, we could have saved thousands of people. I do not blame you - I blame only the Russian military. But you could have helped. I will continue to say this to the face of all those on whom the decision on weapons for Ukraine depends.”