In a video message Wednesday, Zelensky said, “No matter what the Russian state does, there is someone who says: ‘let’s take into account its interests.’ This year in Davos, it was heard again. Despite thousands of Russian missiles hitting Ukraine. Despite tens of thousands of Ukrainians being killed. Despite Bucha and Mariupol, etc. Despite the destroyed cities. And despite the ‘filtration camps’ built by the Russian state, in which they kill, torture, rape and humiliate like on a conveyor belt.

“Russia has done all this in Europe. But still, in Davos, for example, Mr. Kissinger emerges from the deep past and says that a piece of Ukraine should be given to Russia.”

In his remarks, Kissinger said of the conflict that: “Negotiations need to begin in the next two months before it creates upheavals and tensions that will not be easily overcome. Ideally, the dividing line should be a return to the status quo ante,” apparently suggesting that Ukraine agree to give up much of the Donbas and Crimea.

“Pursuing the war beyond that point would not be about the freedom of Ukraine, but a new war against Russia itself,” Kissinger said.

“It seems that Mr. Kissinger’s calendar is not 2022 but 1938, and he thought he was talking to an audience not in Davos but in what was then Munich,” he said. “By the way, in the real year 1938, when Mr. Kissinger’s family was fleeing Nazi Germany, he was 15 years old.”

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According to a statement from the Zaporizhzhia Regional Council, the Russian military launched four cruise missiles on Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday. The city’s air defense fired down one missile, according to the report.

According to the council, at least one person was killed, three others were injured, and 62 buildings in the city’s residential neighborhoods were destroyed.

Valentyn Reznichenko, the chief of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said in a separate statement Wednesday that there had been persistent air raid alerts overnight.

“The enemy fired three missiles at Kryvyi Rih this morning,” Reznichenko said. “An industrial enterprise was hit. There is severe destruction. We are clarifying the information on the victims.”

According to a US official who provided CNN with a declassified map of the region on the condition of anonymity, Russia has built an “effective blockade” in the northern part of the Black Sea. According to the official, Ukraine exports around 10% of the world’s wheat, with the great bulk leaving through Black Sea ports. The UN’s World Food Programme chief has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to reopen Ukrainian ports to export in order to avoid children around the world from going hungry.

According to a Mariupol official, at least 22,000 people were killed during Russia’s three-month assault on the Ukrainian port city. Petro Andriushchenko believes the genuine number is far higher, based on the numerous conversations he and other town hall officials continue to have with authorities locked inside. The figures cannot be verified independently.

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In mid-March, the Russian military seized control of parts of the Kherson region, and Russian-backed officials claim to have taken over a number of government positions.

Officials in Ukraine think that half of Kherson’s population has departed the region, with many claiming to be fleeing Russian domination.

Russian plans to push through a vote on a “Kherson People’s Republic” that would parallel the creation of Russian-backed separatist statelets in eastern Ukraine appeared to have stalled.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, says Kyiv is ready for a prisoner swap with Russia “even tomorrow,” and urges allies to keep the pressure on Moscow up.

“The exchange of people — this is a humanitarian matter today and a very political decision that depends on the support of many states,” Zelensky said Monday via videoconference to an audience in Davos.

“It is really important, that the whole world does not beg Russia, no matter the circumstance, or to make concessions to Russia,” he said.

“[They must] keep the political pressure on any way they can, through powerful business connections, through the closure of businesses, oil embargo, and through threats, real threats of sanctions, thwarting business, we can actively intensify the exchange of our people for Russian servicemen.”

“We do not need the Russian servicemen, we only need ours. We are ready for an exchange even tomorrow,” Zelensky said.

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According to the UN refugee agency, more than 100 million people have been forced to flee conflict, violence, and persecution around the world, a record number exacerbated by the crisis in Ukraine. The “stark” figure, according to UNHCR, is “sobering and disturbing in equal measure” and should serve as a “wake-up call.” According to the report, the war in Ukraine has displaced 8 million people within the country, with more than 6 million refugees fleeing the country.

On Sunday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he will “redouble efforts” to help Ukraine with “critical food and humanitarian relief.” According to a statement, Johnson discussed the “despicable” blockade of Odesa, Ukraine’s main port city, and said the UK would try to “guarantee that (Ukraine) is able to export to the rest of the world.”

According to the Ukrainian military, a Russian missile attack on Malyn, in the Zhytomyr region west of Kyiv, killed at least one person on Sunday. Russian forces fired “naval-based cruise missiles” from the southeast toward infrastructure facilities in Zhytomyr, according to Ukraine’s Air Command Center. According to the center, its air defense troops shot down four Russian cruise missiles, three of which were shot down by aircraft and one by an anti-aircraft missile.

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After Moscow’s invasion began on February 24, the strategically significant port city was one of the first to be attacked. It had been besieged by Russian forces by early March, leaving people with severe food and water shortages — as well as regular bombardment that destroyed a maternity hospital and a theatre where civilians were sheltering.

By mid-April, most of the remaining Ukrainian troops were trying to keep Russian forces out of the Azovstal steel mill, which had also become a sanctuary for up to 1,000 civilians, including several badly injured people who were stuck without medical care attention.

Russia claimed “liberation” of Mariupol in late April, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected, claiming that soldiers were still struggling in the city.

Civilians have been evacuated from Azovstal since May 1. Ukraine’s military announced on May 16 that its forces had completed their “combat mission” at the steel complex, with hundreds of servicemen evacuated.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers were evacuated from the factory and transferred to a pre-trial detention center, while the badly injured were treated.

Ukraine has stated that it expects to conduct a prisoner-of-war swap for the critically injured servicemen.

If confirmed, Russia’s claim on Friday would mean that after over three months of terrible warfare, the entire city of Mariupol has fallen under Russian control.

According to a Russian Defense Ministry official, the plant’s “final group of 531 insurgents surrendered.” The commander of the Azov regiment in Ukraine had already given an order for soldiers to protect their “life and health… and quit defending the city.”

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“Russian strikes on Chernihiv region, in particular the terrible blow on the Desna, there is an analysis of debris, many dead,” Zelensky said in his nightly address on Thursday.

There are “constant strikes on the Odesa region, on the cities of central Ukraine, the Donbas is completely destroyed — all this has no and cannot have any military explanation for Russia,” he continued. 

“This is a deliberate and criminal attempt to kill as many Ukrainians as possible,” he said.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to advance in the liberation of the Kharkiv region, Zelensky said.

“In the Donbas, the occupiers are trying to increase pressure. There’s hell, and that’s no exaggeration. The brutal and absolutely senseless bombing of Severodonetsk … There were 12 dead and dozens wounded in just one day,” he continued.

“The bombing and shelling of other cities, the air and missile strikes of the Russian army — all this is not just fighting during the war.”

“This is a deliberate and criminal attempt to kill as many Ukrainians as possible. Destroy as many houses, social facilities, and enterprises as possible. This is what will qualify the genocide of the Ukrainian people and for which the occupiers will definitely be brought to justice,” he added.

 “The first trial in Ukraine against a Russian war criminal has already begun. And it will end with the full restoration of justice within the international tribunal. I’m sure of it. We will find and bring to justice all those who give and carry out criminal orders,” he concluded.

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“Negotiation process with Russia continues on evacuation of our heroes from Azovstal. Evacuation mission continues. It’s overseen by our military and intelligence officers. The most powerful international mediators are involved,” Zelensky said.

Late Monday, Ukraine’s military announced that its soldiers had completed their “combat objective” at the massive steel complex, which had been the last significant holdout in a city besieged by Russian troops for weeks.

On Tuesday, the Ukrainian President met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss “Ukraine’s defense support and our EU collaboration.”

“I informed him about the current situation on the battlefield and the possible development of this situation. I had a substantive and lengthy conversation with French President Macron. We discussed the sixth package of sanctions being prepared in the EU, the negotiation process with Russia, and our heroes’ evacuation from Azovstal,” he said.

After hundreds of the remaining Ukrainian soldiers holding out at Mariupol’s massive Azovstal steel complex were evacuated, the war for the plant appeared to be nearing an end.

During a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine on Tuesday, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar stated that the operation to remove Ukrainian defenders from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol was the only chance for their rescue.

“Unfortunately, military unblocking is impossible in this situation. There could be no other way to rescue them than the way it is happening now. It was the only way out,” Malyar said, adding that “the defenders of Mariupol” have fully fulfilled their combat mission.

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Hundreds of people were evacuated from the steel mill on Monday, the final bastion of Ukrainian resistance in the face of unrelenting Russian shelling.

In a separate video statement, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar outlined the evacuation operation, stressing that some Ukrainian personnel remains at Azovstal.

“Fifty-three seriously injured people were evacuated from Azovstal to a medical facility in Novoazovsk for medical care,” she said. “Another 211 people were taken to Olenivka through the humanitarian corridor.”

An “exchange procedure” will see the evacuees eventually brought home, Malyar also said.

“Ukraine needs Ukrainian heroes alive,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday in a statement about the evacuation, thanking the Ukrainian military and negotiators, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the United Nations.

“The 82nd day of our defense is coming to an end. A difficult day. But this day, like all others, is aimed precisely at saving our country and our people,” Zelensky said.

Since Russia’s invasion in February, Mariupol, a port city on the Sea of Azov, has seen some of the most violent fightings in Ukraine.

Many civilians have been evacuated already. Despite being besieged, low on ammunition, and outmanned by Russian forces, Ukrainian fighters in the city pledged to “fight till the end” in April.

On Monday, the Russian television network RT broadcast footage of 10 to 12 buses leaving the steel facility. The buses appeared to be a mix of hospital and public transportation, with some bearing a red cross.

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“We Social Democrats consider that the best for Sweden and the Swedish people’s security is that we join NATO. This is a decision that we have made after very careful consideration,” Andersson said during a press conference on Sunday.

“For us Social Democrats, the military non-alliance policy has served us well. But our analysis shows that it will not serve us as well in the future,” Andersson said. “This is not a decision that we have taken lightly.”

“It is very clear that there is a before and after the 24th of February 2022. Europe, Sweden, and the Swedish people are living in a new, dangerous reality. The European security order that Sweden has based its security policies on for centuries is now under attack,” Andersson said.

President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland announced their statement.

“We hope that the parliament will confirm the decision to apply for NATO membership,” Marin said in Helsinki on Sunday. “During the coming days. It will be based on a strong mandate, from the President of the Republic. We have been in close contact with governments of NATO member states and NATO itself.”

“We are close partners to NATO but it is a historic decision that we will join NATO and hopefully we are making the decisions together,” she added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin advised his Finnish counterpart that abandoning military neutrality and joining the bloc would be a “mistake”. Recently, Russia has cut the electric supply to Finland.

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According to Ukrainian sources, this convoy was attempting to leave the town when Russian troops opened fire. The bullet holes are concentrated on the doors of some of the drivers. The area around the trucks is littered with children’s clothes and toys. Russian troops opened fire on this caravan, killing four civilians, including a 13-year-old girl, according to Ukrainian officials.

The remains of a Russian convoy can be found a short distance up the road, out in the woods and hills nearby. Our escorts say there’s the wreckage of an armored personnel carrier in the trees, its tracks ripped away by a rocket-propelled grenade. The leaves where the Russian forces slept, just outside the town, are littered with sleeping bags, prayer books, grenades, and food. Two Russian bodies had been discovered there a few days before and were buried.

Another, more unusual piece of wreckage stands on the crest of the hill: the remains of a Russian T90M tank, allegedly destroyed days earlier by a Swedish-supplied Carl Gustav recoilless weapon. The Ukrainian military ministry posted a video of the tank being destroyed in the alleged strike, demonstrating the susceptibility of Russia’s newest armor to NATO’s hand-carried weapons. The tank’s turret has been dislocated, and ball bearings from the vehicle’s ammunition have been found in the ashes.

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Ukraine’s war will shortly be three months old. Russia’s forces are still well short of President Vladimir Putin’s minimal goals, and the front lines are beginning to look static in many regions. However, the Ukrainian defensive lines in the east have been weakened by weeks of heavy bombing.

There are essentially two battlegrounds forming. The Russians are beefing up their offensive in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The Ukrainians are attempting to both confine and cut them off. It’s like a military chessboard in three dimensions. Natural boundaries shaped by one river in eastern Ukraine are already impacting each side’s progress.

Russian forces have gained some ground, but only in small amounts. Many of their successes, particularly in the south, were made early in the invasion, and they attempted to consolidate them. They have resorted to blanket shelling in the conflict’s core, the Luhansk region’s industrial belt.

“The Russians do not change tactics,” one Ukrainian official said. “They destroy cities and then penetrate the scorched ground.”

For the time being, Russian ground forces are only gaining incremental land, and there are indications of low discipline and morale among some battalions.

According to US officials, Russia still maintains just under 100 battalion tactical groups (BTGs) in Ukraine, with another 20 close across the border. Each BTG has roughly 1,000 men, but US officials believe that many have been degraded by the fighting, which has lasted more than two months.

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Both victims died as a result of the callous shooting, which violated the so-called rules of war by targeting civilians. The victims have been named by CNN. One was the robbed car dealership’s owner, whose family does not want to be identified. Leonid Oleksiyovych Plyats, a 68-year-old grandpa who served as security at the facility, was the other.

Security camera footage shows the initial Russian attempt to conquer Kyiv in March. Fighting raged on the key road to the city, as Ukrainian forces fought Russian troops and tankers to halt the assault.

CNN has confirmed the video’s authenticity. It was created using footage from a variety of cameras located throughout the site, and while it lacks sound, the images are clear. Two defenseless guys were killed in a cowardly and cold-blooded manner.

Five Russian troops arrive and attempt to rob the establishments by firing at locks and smashing windows.

They appear to halt him and examine him for weapons as the owner approaches with his hands raised. Plyats arrives and is frisked as well. Before the troops turn away and the two citizens begin walking back to their guard station, there appears to be some talk.

Then at least two soldiers approach the men from behind and begin firing. Both civilians are knocked down.

A top Ukrainian prosecutor said the incident is being investigated as a war crime.

Aside from the death, the film depicts a slew of other unethical behavior by the group of five troops, who were identified as invading force members by their uniforms, as well as an analysis of who controlled what area at the time and witness accounts.

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On Tuesday, Haines told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the next phase of Putin’s months-long invasion is bleak and unpredictable. “Putin faces a mismatch between his objectives and Russia’s current conventional military capabilities,” she said, adding that his next move will be difficult to foresee.

The circumstances on the ground, according to Haines, could “raise the chance that President Putin will resort to more harsh measures.” “Including establishing martial law, reorienting industrial production, or even escalatory military activities,” according to the report.

She told legislators that the intelligence community does not believe Putin would resort to nuclear weapons unless he believes his country is facing an existential threat. The chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, also stated that the US does not expect Russia to use a tactical or battlefield nuclear bomb anytime soon.

Haines’ remarks come as heavy battle rages in Ukraine’s east, where Russia is attempting to seize territory. Putin’s ambitions, according to the intelligence community, go far beyond the eastern Donbas region. “We are not sure that the struggle in Donbas will successfully end the war,” Haines added, even if they are victorious.

Putin, she claims, intends to take control of the two eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as control the city of Kherson and maybe build a land bridge across Ukraine to Transnistria, a Russian-backed entity in Moldova. However, the intelligence community believes that in order to reach Transnistria, Putin would have to start a full-scale mobilization within Russia, which he has yet to do.

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According to Sergey Bratchuk, a representative for the Odesa regional military administration, three Kinzhal missiles — Russia’s new hypersonic missiles — were fired from a plane and targeted a “tourism infrastructure target.” According to Bratchuk, two persons were hospitalized as a result of the missile hit.

Bratchuk did not name the target, but CNN has tracked down and verified the veracity of two videos circulating on social media that show extensive damage to a hotel in Zatoka. The Odesa City Council was the first to publicize one of the films.

The hotel is the second in the Odesa region to be targeted on Monday. It’s unknown why the two hotels were targeted, or who might have been staying there.

According to Ukraine’s Armed Forces Southern Operational Command, seven missiles also targeted a commercial complex. The strike injured five people and killed one, according to the report.

“And if you’ll notice, (Russia has) just launched the hypersonic missile, because it’s the only thing that they can get through with absolute certainty,” Biden said. “It’s a consequential weapon … it’s almost impossible to stop it. There’s a reason they’re using it.”

“I would not see it as a game-changer,” Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

“On March 18, the Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse of missiles and aviation ammunition of Ukrainian troops in the village of Delyatin, Ivano-Frankivsk region,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said.

The UK Defense Ministry said Moscow probably deployed the Kinzhal to “detract from a lack of progress in Russia’s ground campaign.”

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Jill Biden, the first lady, makes an unannounced trip to Ukraine: On Sunday, the first lady traveled unannounced to Uzhhorod, a small town in Ukraine’s far southwest region. Biden met Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska, who has not been seen in public since the crisis began, at a converted school that now serves as temporary accommodation for displaced inhabitants. In recent weeks, the first lady has become the latest high-profile American to visit the war-torn country.

Hundreds of people are said to have died after Russia dropped a bomb on a Ukrainian refugee school: Russia has been accused by Ukraine of bombing a school in the Luhansk region. Ninety people were thought to be taking refuge in the school, with 60 believed to be dead. The school building was demolished, according to Serhiy Hayday, the chairman of the Luhansk regional military administration.

Evacuations from Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant: “All women, children, and old people” have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, according to the Ukrainian authorities. More than 300 civilians had been evacuated, according to Zelensky.

Acting US Ambassador to Ukraine Kristina Kvien and a delegation of US diplomats arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for the first time since the conflict erupted more than two months ago.

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, in Ukraine: Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the reopening of the Canadian embassy in Kyiv during a joint news conference with Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday. More military support for Ukraine was also announced by Trudeau, including drone cameras, satellite imagery, small guns, ammunition, and funds for demining operations.

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The General Staff said Saturday in its weekly operations briefing that in the area of Tsyrkuny and Rusky Tyshky east of Kharkiv, “the occupiers blew up three road bridges in order to slow down the counter-offensive actions of the Defense Forces.”

The Ukrainian military has retaken a number of towns north and east of Kharkiv in the last two weeks, making it more difficult for Russian artillery to attack the city and threatening to disrupt Russian supply lines to forces fighting in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Kharkiv, which lies near the Russian border, was one of the first cities to be attacked when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Russian offensive lulls: The General Staff reported that Russian forces had taken few offensive actions for the second day in a row, while artillery fire and aerial reconnaissance persisted.

According to some Ukrainian officials, Russian forces are taking a break before commencing the next phase, which aims to secure all of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Beyond these two areas, the Russians have continued to bomb Mykolaiv in the south, according to the General Staff. Ukrainians claimed to have destroyed “a storage with ammunition and up to 20 units of enemy military equipment” to the north of the city.

Tensions are building ahead of May 9, also known as “Victory Day” in Russia, which commemorates Moscow’s victory over Nazi Germany. Russian President Vladimir Putin might legally declare war on that day, allowing him to mobilize reserves and scale up the Russian assault, according to Western sources.

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The statement was released by Bennett’s office. “The Prime Minister accepted President Putin’s apology for Lavrov’s remarks and thanked him for clarifying the President’s attitude towards the Jewish people and the memory of the Holocaust.

As Russia was trying to justify the invasion of Ukraine, Sergei Lavrov mentioned the “de-Nazification” agenda they have. Ukraine happen to be led by a Jewish president. He added that Hitler himself had Jewish blood and that most who are anti-Jews are Jews themselves. At the moment that these statements were made, Russia’s ambassador to Israel was summoned. Bennett immediately responded that these claims were lies.

Putin and Bennet also discussed the situation in Ukraine, particularly the evacuation of residents from the Azovstal plant’s site, according to the Kremlin. According to the Kremlin, Putin stated that the Russian military was prepared to ensure the safe evacuation of inhabitants from the Azovstal. Kyiv should order the “militants to put down their arms,” he said.

This Monday, the Azovstal steel complex in the southern city of Mariupol, where soldiers and residents had been sheltering from Russian aggression for weeks, was bombarded. CNN was able to geo-locate video from the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) administration to the Azovstal steel mill, with CNN analysis putting the damage this week.

According to Downing Street, Johnson also reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to helping Ukraine gather evidence on war crimes.

Finally, the two leaders reviewed Johnson’s recent speech to the Ukrainian parliament. Zelensky praised the prime minister on Twitter. According to the readout from Downing Street, Zelensky informed Johnson that the response was “heartfelt, showing the importance of the UK’s support for Ukraine.”

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What we know about the plant is as follows:

The facility, which is located south of Mariupol, is the site of a dramatic last stand against Russian invading forces.

According to its owner Metinvest Holding, Ukraine’s largest steelmaker, Azovstal was a key player on the global stage until recently, producing 4 million tonnes of steel annually and exporting the bulk.

Steel produced at Azovstal is utilised in some of the world’s most iconic monuments, from London’s Shard skyscraper to Manhattan’s Hudson Yards to Genoa’s San Giorgio Bridge (which replaced the fallen Morandi Bridge).

According to Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of Metinvest Holding, which controls the facility, at least 150 people have been killed, with many more still missing.

He claims that the facility employed 11,000 people before the war, and that the company’s employees include family dynasties who have worked in the steel industry for as long as they can remember.

After Russian forces broke the plant’s perimeter, Lt. Col. Denys Prokopenko, the commander of the Azov Regiment soldiers inside, said there are “hard, brutal fighting” inside the complex.

“Heavy artillery and tanks are firing all over the castle,” Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said Wednesday. “Aviation is functioning, ships have approached and are also firing on the citadel.”

According to Boichenko, there are still 30 imprisoned at the plant who need to be evacuated.

Over 100 civilians were evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant over the weekend and arrived safely in Zaporizhzhia.

According to deputy commander Svyatoslav Palamar, fighters inside the besieged facility are “sharing water and food” with civilians, but time is running short.

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On May 9, a formal declaration of war might energize Russian civilians and boost public support for the attack. It would also allow Putin to deploy reserve forces and draught conscripts under Russian law, which officials believe Russia sorely needs due to a rising manpower shortfall. Since Russia entered just over two months ago, at least 10,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the fight, according to Western and Ukrainian sources.

Annexing the breakaway republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, making a big push towards Odesa in the south, or declaring full control over the southern port city of Mariupol are all possibilities for May 9.

“We’ve seen the Russians really double down on their propaganda efforts, probably, almost certainly, as a means to distract from their tactical and strategic failures on the battlefield in Ukraine,” Ned Price said at a State Department briefing.

According to Maksym Marchenko, the chief of the Odesa region military administration, a missile was fired Monday at “one of Odesa’s infrastructure facilities.”

“Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded,” he said.

Separately, the Ukrainian military’s Command South reported, “Another missile strike in the Odesa region. There were hits to the city infrastructure. In particular, one of the religious buildings was damaged. Information about the victims is being clarified.”

Mykhailo Vershynin, chief of the Mariupol Patrol Police said they have been under constant fire since the early morning.

“There are a large number of wounded here. Everything is going toward the destruction of the site. We are highly interested in getting out the wounded, we are highly interested in getting out civilians. We would like to consider the option of extraction for the military contingent.”

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“The occupiers began firing on Azovstal again as soon as the evacuation of some Ukrainians was completed,” according to the commander of the 12th brigade of the National Guard Denis Schlega.

According to him, they were using all sorts of weapons to defend themselves.

It’s unclear whether the increased bombardment will put the next stage of the Azovstal evacuation, scheduled for Monday, in jeopardy. Hundreds of Ukrainian civilians are said to be still trapped in the plant’s debris.

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said “hundreds of civilians remain blocked in Azovstal together with the defenders of Mariupol. The situation has become a sign of a real humanitarian catastrophe because people are running out of water, food, and medicine,” she said.

The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, said in an interview on Italian television Sunday the “Kyiv authorities are trying by all means to achieve the withdrawal of the Ukrainian radicals remaining in Azovstal, since among them there may be Western officers and mercenaries.”

There’s been no firm evidence western nationals are among the fighters at Azovstal.

“The situation with the confrontation at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol and the stubborn, even hysterical desire of [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky, his team, and his Western patrons to achieve the withdrawal of all these people and send them to the territory of Ukraine is explained by the fact that there are many characters who will confirm the presence of mercenaries and, perhaps, active officers of the Western armies on the side of the Ukrainian radicals,” Lavrov said.

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On Friday, Russia’s ruble surpassed a two-year high versus the US dollar. The currency strengthened after Russia announced that it had been able to repay creditors in dollars, avoiding a default.

In a statement, the country’s finance ministry said it had issued a $565 million Eurobond due this year, as well as an $84 million Eurobond due in 2024. According to the finance ministry, both payments were made in US dollars, as required by the bond’s contract terms.

“The payments were made in the currency of issue of the corresponding Eurobonds — in US dollars,” Russia’s finance ministry said in a statement. “In this way, the obligations of servicing sovereign Eurobonds are being carried out in observance of the conditions laid out in the issue documentation.”

Russia announced on April 6 that it had made the payments on those bonds in rubles, prompting S&P to declare Russia in default on its foreign debt obligations three days later. Despite the fact that the dollar payments are already past due, Russia’s late dollar payment is a last-ditch effort to avert default.

Russia has sufficient funds to repay its debts. It can only access nearly half of those cash after the West imposed unprecedented restrictions on its $315 billion in foreign reserves.

Russia, on the other hand, appears to have figured out a method to pay off hundreds of millions of dollars in debt without having to tap into its frozen reserves. According to Reuters, a US Treasury official said the payment must have come from a new pile of money because the sanctions on Russia’s sanctioned currency were not lifted.

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“Of course, the occupiers still have equipment in stock. Yes, they still have missiles to strike at our territory,” he added. “But this war has already weakened Russia so much that they have to plan (to have) even fewer military equipment for the parade in Moscow.”

Russia has issued low casualty estimates on a periodic basis, which analysts believe to be a significant underestimation. Two top NATO military officials assessed the number of Russian servicemen killed in action in Ukraine to be between 7,000 and 15,000 two days previous to Russia’s update. Other US officials estimated Russian losses in the range of 7,000 to 14,000 men killed around the same time, but they expressed “poor confidence” in those estimates.

In an interview with Sky News earlier this month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia has suffered “substantial” army losses in Ukraine, calling the losses “a terrible tragedy” for the country.

The truce, which was due to start at 6 a.m. local time, started around 11 a.m. local time, according to Capt. Svyatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov Regiment.

“As of now, it’s the truth, both sides follow the ceasefire regime,” he said.

The evacuation convoy was very delayed, he said. “Since 6 a.m., we’ve been waiting for the evacuation convoy to arrive, which only arrived at 6:25 p.m.”

“As of now, the rescue operation is ongoing, conducted by the servicemen of Azov – we rescue the civilians from under the rubble,” he added.

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Four of the murdered men worked for Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy conglomerate, or one of its subsidiaries.

According to Russian state media RIA Novosti, a top executive at Gazprom was discovered dead at his cabin in the village of Leninsky near Leningrad on January 30, 2022.

According to RIA, a suicide note was discovered at the scene, and the death was being investigated as a suicide. The individual has been identified as Leonid Shulman, the chief of transport at Gazprom Invest, according to Russian state television RenTv.

A month later, another top Gazprom executive was discovered deceased in the same village. According to Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper, Alexander Tyulakov was discovered dead in his garage on February 25. He committed suicide, according to Novaya Gazeta.

Mikhail Watford, a Russian billionaire born in Ukraine, was discovered dead in his Surrey mansion on February 28.

The death is being probed by the coroner, according to Surrey Police, who stated a hearing will be conducted on July 29.

According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, another Russian businessman, Vasily Melnikov, was discovered dead with his family in Nizhny Novgorod in late March.

Melnikov was the owner of MedStom, a medical supply firm. On March 23, a 43-year-old man, his 41-year-old wife, and two children ages four and ten were found stabbed to death, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.

Two additional Russian businessmen died in suspected murder-suicide events earlier this month.

According to Russian state news outlet Tass, Vladislav Avayev, a former vice-president of Gazprombank, was found dead in his Moscow apartment on April 18 with his wife and kid.

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“It’s difficult to look at some of the images and imagine that any well-thinking, serious, mature leader would do that. So I can’t talk to his psychology. But I think we can all speak to his depravity,” said Kirby at a Pentagon news briefing before pausing for nearly 10 seconds.

“It’s hard to square his … BS that this is about Nazism in Ukraine, and it’s about protecting Russians in Ukraine, and it’s about defending Russian national interests, when none of them, none of them were threatened by Ukraine,” said Kirby.

Kirby listed some of what he called “unconscionable” actions by Russian forces, including civilians being “shot in the back of the head, hands tied behind their backs. Women, pregnant women being killed, hospitals being bombed.”

Kirby subsequently apologized for what he said was injecting his “personal perspective,” and would not elaborate further on the US assessment of Putin’s mental state.

Though Indonesia’s president said Friday that President Vladimir Putin had accepted an offer to attend the G20 conference, the White House secretly told Indonesia that Russia should not be permitted to attend.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, highlighted that the conference was still six months away and declined to comment on whether President Biden will attend. However, she stated that he was adamant that Russia should not be present.

“The President has expressed publicly his opposition to President Putin attending the G20,” she said.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said, “Indonesia wants to unite the G20. Don’t let there be a split. Peace and stability are the keys to the recovery and development of the world economy.”

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The war in Ukraine is a historic event that will be in the history books that could reshape the 21^st century. Nearly two months of fighting has pushed politicians to sanction Russia.

“Throughout our history, we’ve learned that when dictators do not pay the price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and engage in more aggression,” Biden said. “They keep moving. And the costs, the threats to America and the world, keep rising. We can’t let this happen.”

Among the developments the world is focusing on is if NATO will join the war. Many called for the expansion of US and Western military aid to guard against Russian expansionism. Some are calling for the arming of nations in the Western Balkans and non-NATO states Georgia and Moldova.

Nuclear

Meanwhile, nuclear talks continue to raise concerns as Russia is known to be the country with the largest nuclear arsenal. They have also been open to the fact that they are ready to use it if they are threatened. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov acknowledged “the danger is real and we must not underestimate it.”

Genocide

Another news that shocked the world is the alleged genocide in the cities of Bucha and Mariupol. Hundreds of bodies were found buried in mass graves on top of the bodies strewn all over the streets. The steel plant where civilians and armies were sheltering in Mariupol has been surrounded for days. It has been bombarded with heavy fire with Ukrainian soldiers vowing to fight till the last.

Political

Politically, the war has shown the broken relations between the east and the west. The two largest economies of Asia, India, and China choose to continue relations with Russia and refuse to sanction. This shows the independence of the east with the west having little to no influence.

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“This is just one of the steps of the Russian federation. This is happening to destabilize the region and threaten Moldova,” Zelensky said when asked by a journalist during a joint press conference in Kyiv with IAEA director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi on Tuesday.

“This is showing that if Moldova supports Ukraine this is what’s going to happen,” he said. 

“With regard to certain Russian troops that are constantly present in the temporarily occupied territory — this has been so for many, many years. We know they’re on alert, just waiting for the order,” Zelensky said.

Alleged drone shots of the cities of Kharkiv and Bucha show Russian soldiers walking the streets strewn with bodies.

In this footage dated March 13, a Russian military vehicle is seen sitting at a crossroads. Three objects in the video — just down the street from the military truck — have been recognized by CNN as the identical bodies seen in the video from April 1 and satellite photographs obtained on March 18 by Maxar Technologies.

Aerial footage taken by a drone on March 13 shows a second Russian military vehicle speeding up the street in the direction of the dead.

A group of Russian soldiers can be seen in the March 12 footage around a military vehicle parked outside of a house, close down the street from the dead. What they’re doing at the residence is a mystery.

Russian officials — President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — have repeatedly claimed that the videos and satellite images that show bodies in Bucha are fake.

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The head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Pavliuk announced the curfews on Monday. No one is allowed to go out from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM local time.

“We remind you that during the curfew, it is forbidden to be on the street and in other public places, to move by transport, or on foot,” he said. The only ones exempted are those who work on critical infrastructures that hold a special permit.

“During martial law, it is important to adhere to requirements and decisions that are implemented on the ground. Such measures help protect the population from provocative actions of the enemy, “ he added.

In Russia, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov acknowledged the danger of nuclear war and says they are working on lowering the possibility of it.

“It is real and it cannot be underestimated,” he said during an interview. He referenced a declaration on nuclear war saying “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,” Lavrov said the “inadmissibility of nuclear war” remained Russia’s “principled position”.

He added that the fears of nuclear war are due to the west’s inability to trust Russia. He added that the failure to find a successor to the 1980s treaty between Russia and the US was a cause. The treaty was formed back then to ban the use of medium-range nuclear weapons. This pact collapsed in 2019 when the west did not respond to President Vladimir Putin’s offer to suspend the deployment of such weapons.

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During his Easter message, Ukrainian Capt. Svyatoslav Palamar said, “The enemy continues to drop aerial bombs, ships fire artillery, cannons fire, enemy tanks continue to hit, infantry tries to assault.”

Troops of Azov, along with other Ukrainian forces, continue to hold out in the besieged Azovstal factory, which was originally formed as a nationalist volunteer battalion but was later folded into the Ukrainian military. The situation at the plant is “close to a catastrophe,” according to officials. The plant’s owner, Yuriy Ryzhenkov.

Officials in Ukraine predict that 100,000 inhabitants may need to be evacuated from the damaged city. Civilians have been sheltering in the factory for weeks, and supplies are running low. Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, reported on Thursday that “approximately 1,000 civilians and 500 wounded militaries” were present.

“Immediate and unhindered humanitarian access” to Mariupol is “urgently needed,” according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Sunday that it is “very disturbed” by the situation in Mariupol, where the population is in desperate need of assistance. ICRC has undertaken multiple attempts to evacuate inhabitants from the city, claiming that “every hour that passes has a horrible human cost.” According to the Ukrainian Parliament’s Human Rights Commissioner, Russia has deported residents from Mariupol to Primorsky Krai in Russia’s the Far East. Volunteers told Lyudmyla Denisova that on April 21, a train carrying 308 Ukrainians from Mariupol arrived in the city of Nakhodka, including women with young children, individuals with disabilities, and students.

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As fighting continues in the eastern region of Ukraine, Russia has its eyes on the southern cities of Ukraine. According to Russian state news outlets, Russia’s goal in the second phase of its invasion is to impose “complete control” over southern Ukraine and the eastern Donbas region. It also wants to build a land connection between Russia and Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

Heavy fighting is reported in the eastern areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, with “intensified” shelling in the southern Mykolaiv region, according to Ukrainian officials. Russian forces are preparing for a new onslaught by sending troops to reinforce captured sites, according to Ukrainian military sources. Meanwhile, new drone footage taken on Friday shows a number of homes demolished in Moschun, a small village north of Kyiv that played a key role in deterring Russia’s march on the capital.

According to Russian state media TASS, Russia’s Defense Ministry recognized deaths from the sinking of its battleship the Moskva for the first time on Friday, stating at least one person was killed and another 27 are missing. The guided-missile cruiser Moskva sank on April 14, albeit the cause is still unknown.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, stated on Friday that normal life is returning to places that have been liberated from Russian rule. Many towns have been de-mined, and humanitarian supplies, as well as medical and educational services, are now available, he said.

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The revelation of satellite photographs gathered and analyzed by Maxar Technologies reinforced Ukrainian officials’ claims concerning the location of apparent mass graves outside Mariupol. Journalists in the area have reported the hurried burial of residents, and photographs have appeared on social media showing bodies seemingly left in the city awaiting pickup.

According to the CEO of the firm that owns the factory, the situation at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, a large complex that formerly employed more than 10,000 people, is “near to a catastrophe.” According to Yuriy Ryzhenkov, supplies were initially sufficient for two to three weeks, but the embargo had been in place for about eight weeks. Those who remained “weren’t giving up,” he continued. Russian attacks are said to have pinned down hundreds of soldiers as well as civilians seeking sanctuary.

President Zelensky stated that “thousands” of residents are still stuck in the city due to air and ground bombardment, with little chance of safely evacuating. According to the Donetsk regional military administration, 79 residents were successfully evacuated to Zaporizhzhia on Thursday. However, bombardment near the extraction point prevented others from being evacuated, and there was no way to remove residents from the Azovstal plant, according to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. Due to “risk on the roadways,” Vereshchuk stated Friday that no evacuation corridors had been agreed upon with the Russian side.

Both Ukraine and Russia claim that they have control over the besieged city of Mariupol. None are independently verified at the moment/

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“We don’t know when we can unblock Mariupol. And I say this openly, that all the boys in Mariupol want our victory, they want a free city, none of them are going to surrender to the enemy. This is their internal feeling, this is what they are,” he added, speaking alongside European Council President Charles Michel in Kyiv.

Many civilians were evacuated through agreed humanitarian corridors, “unfortunately a few thousand civilians went to Russian occupied territories, and we don’t know the fate of these thousands of people,” he added. 

Ukraine is “ready for any format of swaps of our people for the Russian troops that they left behind, the bodies and the wounded that they abandoned here,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the test launch of the Sarmat, an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin congratulated the military on their successful missile test, saying it would “give thought to those who are trying to threaten Russia,” according to the ministry statement as quoted by the state-run TASS news agency.

An intercontinental ballistic missile is among the deadliest weapons that could carry a nuclear warhead across borders. The RS-28 Sarmat is designed to replace the Soviet-era Voevoda ICBM, known by the NATO designation SS-18 Satan.

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Ukrainian commander requests evacuation of Mariupol for troops and civilians as the situation becomes “critical”. Maj. Serhii Volyna, commander of Ukraine’s 36th Separate Marine Brigade made the request to evacuate the Azovstal steel plant.

“I have a statement to the world,” Volyna said. “It may be my last statement because we have only a few days or even hours, left. We appeal to world leaders to apply the extraction procedure to the military of the Mariupol garrison, to the civilians who are with us here at the plant. We ask you to take us to the territory of a third country and provide us with security.”

Both civilians and troops took shelter at the Azovstal steel plant and are now trapped by heavy Russian bombardment.

“This should be at the level of agreements. If we talk about practical application, it could be a ship with helicopters, for example, that could pick us up. Or an international humanitarian mission that can come to us and guarantee our security and accompany us on the way to the state that will make such commitments.”

“We are completely surrounded,” he said. “There are about 500 wounded military, it is very difficult to provide them with medical care. They literally rot. There are civilians on the territory. They are also suffering from explosions, blasts on them, next to them. They [the Russians] use heavy aircraft bombs against us and strike with artillery.”

“This happens all the time. The city is destroyed. Enemy groups outnumber us dozens of times, they have a complete advantage in air, artillery, equipment, manpower. We fight to the last, but we have very little time left,” he continued.

A message to the world

“We appeal to absolutely all world leaders: Whoever will be able to make such commitments, whoever will be able to succeed in the short term in agreeing on such a procedure,” he said. “We know that there are some developments and talks with the Turkish side that it is acting as a guarantor. Probably the United States, because we believe that this is a very powerful state with a strong leader, Biden, and that he can personally resolve this issue in the shortest possible time. Or this issue can be resolved with his help in a short time.”

“If the world hears us, if the world leaders hear us, we very much hope so, and the extraction procedure will be carried out, then everyone will understand the quantitative composition of the people who were in captivity,” he said.

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#armukrainenow trends the internet as the Russian-Ukraine war continues while US and NATO decide on arming the Ukrainian forces. The US raises concerns about the readiness of the Ukrainian forces to use advanced weapons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky answered these concerns.

“I’ve heard these tall tales that we would need months to train our troops to use new tanks. OK, give us a Soviet-era tank,” Zelensky said in an exclusive interview with CNN.

“We are prepared to use any type of equipment, but it needs to be delivered very quickly. And we have the ability to learn how to use new equipment. But it needs to come fast.”

“I have heard many times from certain states that did not want to give us weapons quickly because our soldiers are not ready, from a technical standpoint, to use them,” he added. “But instructors of such equipment, our instructors, will get our troops ready to fight in them. If it’s a plane, for example, pilots can be ready in two weeks. Whether it’s Kamikaze drones, artillery, Howitzers, or (multiple launch rocket system) MLRS complexes, we have very smart people for these. We’ve had training with NATO countries.”

Mariupol

Meanwhile, in Mariupol where Russian forces are forcing Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms and surrender, the Ukrainian President assures the world they will not.

“They say they are ready to let all the military go if they surrender. But they are not going to surrender. They don’t want to do so and this is why it is a complicated and tragic situation because the military don’t want to surrender. And without it, Russians are not ready to let them go,” Zelensky said. “When you can make an agreement with Russians to let them go, unarmed, but after, what they will do is shoot them dead. That is why no one trusts Russia now.”

“We wanted to take away the wounded. We talked about it being a humanitarian mission. Give us the wounded back,” he said. “We even made plans for Turkey to be a mediator and get the wounded, civilians, and the military. They don’t let them out because we understand Russia just wants to shoot them dead.”

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Mariupol has endured heavy shelling for the past few weeks as the Russian forces encircle the city. The Russians gave an order yesterday to lay down arms and surrender the city. The Ukrainian forces defiantly rejected the order and will “fight until the end”.

The city is estimated to have about 100,000 civilians and 22,000 fatalities since the bombings began. Due to its isolation, the numbers could not be further verified.

Today, the Russian forces distributed passes in Mariupol to control the entry and exit of the city. The mayor’s adviser, Petro Andriushchenko reported the development. “Hundreds of citizens have to stand in a line to get a pass, without which it will be impossible not only to move between the districts of the city but also to go out on the streets starting next week,” he said.

The Head of the Kharkiv regional administration, Oleg Synegubov provided updates on the situation in Kharkiv. “Today, in broad daylight, there were shellings of the central part of the city, the residential area of ​​Saltivka from MLRS [multiple rocket systems] and artillery. Unfortunately, 20 people were injured, and 5 people were killed. Apartment buildings and other civilian infrastructure were damaged.”

The city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov said that the Russian soldiers have not given up on “attempts to destroy the civilian population of Kharkiv, sow panic in the city and break our spirit. Still, the will of Kharkiv, the will of us Ukrainians, cannot be harmed by the enemy. Today, I was convinced of this when I saw how a medic covered a wounded woman during the shelling.”

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zekensky late Saturday said “the situation in Mariupol remains as severe as possible. Just inhuman.”

“Russia is deliberately trying to destroy everyone who is there in Mariupol,” he said in his latest video address.

“There are only two ways to influence this,” Zelensky said. “Either our partners will give Ukraine all the necessary heavy weapons, planes, and, without exaggeration, immediately… Or a negotiating path, in which the role of partners should also be decisive.”

Zelensky said solutions are being sought. “Military or diplomatic – anything to save people. But finding this solution is extremely difficult.”

“Although we have heard many intentions from those who wanted to help and who are really in positions of international influence, none of them have been realized yet.” he added.

“Today I held a meeting dedicated to the reconstruction of our cities,” he said. “Of course, this is a huge amount of work. But still less than defending the state in war.”

The president added, “Now it is a historic moment; the moment when we can solve many old problems of the whole environment of our life once and for all.”

Zelensky addressed the housing situation and what he called the “real modernization of our cities.”

“Millions of people know how difficult it is to get a home, earn money for their own apartment, build a house… Today, I set a task to provide temporary housing to all our IDPs [internally displaced.]…Those whose house was destroyed by war. Temporary housing until we rebuild their homes.”

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Russia-Ukraine War Update – More than 900 bodies were found just outside of Kyiv as President Zelensky warns of nuclear war.

Bodies Found Near Kyiv

The head of Kyiv regional police reported they have found more than 900 bodies of civilians after the Russians left. Andrii Niebytov said the bodies have been transported for an autopsy to find their cause of death. Niebytov also said that “they were ordinary locals, unfortunately also tortured, and we see that they were shot.”

“During the occupation of our cities, the occupiers forced citizens to wear white armbands as if this person had already been checked and was therefore not treated so meticulously. Therefore, in order to save their lives, our citizens wore these bandages themselves to protect themselves from gunshots,” he said. 

He said that wearing white armbands did not always work, “even if they hung white rags on the fences of their apartments,” adding that there were also children who were living in those apartments.

Going Nuclear

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sends a warning to the world that President Vladimir Putin may use nuclear weapons.

“Not only me — all of the world, all of the countries have to be worried because it can be not real information, but it can be truth,” Zelensky said, speaking in English.

“Chemical weapons, they should do it, they could do it, for them the life of the people, nothing. That’s why,” Zelensky said. “We should think not be afraid, not be afraid but be ready. But that is not a question for Ukraine, not only for Ukraine but for all the world, I think.”

CIA Director Bill Burns gave the same warning yesterday, that Russia may use nuclear weapons. “Given the potential desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership, given the setbacks that they’ve faced so far militarily, none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low yield nuclear weapons,” he said.

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Ground- and air-defense forces would be beefed up, he wrote on Telegram, and Russia would deploy “significant naval forces” in the Gulf of Finland.

If Sweden and Finland join NATO, Medevedev added, “it will no longer be possible to talk about any non-nuclear status of the Baltic — the balance must be restored.”

CIA Director Bill Burns urges the western governments to take these seriously. Russia has the largest collection of nuclear arsenals including intercontinental ballistic missiles.

“Given the potential desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership, given the setbacks that they’ve faced so far militarily, none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low yield nuclear weapons,” he said in public remarks at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The CIA “watch for that very intently,” Burns said. But he emphasized that the US has yet to see any signs that Russia is preparing to take such a step.

“While we’ve seen some rhetorical posturing on the part of the Kremlin about moving to higher nuclear alert levels, so far we haven’t seen a lot of practical evidence of the kind of deployments or military dispositions that would reinforce that concern—but we watch for that very intently,” Burns said.

“His circle of advisors has narrowed and in that small circle it has never been career-enhancing to question his judgment or his stubborn, almost mystical belief that his destiny is to restore Russia’s sphere of influence,” Burns said.

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“There are more than 100 dead among the civilians in the Sumy region. Unfortunately, this number is growing every day,” Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, head of Sumy regional military administration.

“A lot of people found dead with their hands tied with the signs of tortures, shot in the head,” he added.

Zhyvytskyi alleged “there are people who are held captive and there are daily negotiations for them to be exchanged or set free. A lot of people whose fate remains unknown as of today.”

Sumy saw widespread damage in the early days of the Russian invasion, with several confrontations between civilians and Russian soldiers in the region.

Meanwhile, in the US, Biden made it clear he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is committing genocide but said he would “let the lawyers decide” to use that designation internationally.

“It sure seems that way to me,” Biden said. He cited mounting evidence over the past week for his determination, saying it had become “clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being able to be Ukrainian.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the legal process for determining whether genocide was underway would proceed. She added that Biden was voicing his views as the US president, not just a personal stance.

“He’s the President of the United States and the leader of the free world and he is allowed to make his views known at any point he would like,” she went on, adding later: “I think we shouldn’t misunderstand who he is and where he stands on the totem pole, which is at the top.”

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“We take with great attention yesterday’s reports on the use of munitions with a poisonous substance in Mariupol against the defenders of the city. It is not yet possible to draw 100% conclusions about what kind of substance it was,” Zelensky said in a video address on Tuesday. “It is clear that it is impossible to conduct a full investigation and full analysis in the blocked city.”

Zelensky warned other leaders to pay attention to the possibility of chemical weapons put in use.

“However, given the repeated threats of Russian propagandists to use chemical weapons against the defenders of Mariupol and its repeated use by the Russian army, such as phosphorus munitions in Ukraine, the world must respond now,” he cautioned. “React preventively. Because after the use of weapons of mass destruction, any response will not change anything. And it will only look like a humiliation for the democratic world.”

There were reports of Russia finding chemical weapons manufacturing in Ukraine. In earlier news reported in China weeks ago, Russia claimed that the United States was manufacturing chemical weapons in Ukraine. This is one of the reasons they said they did the “special operation” in the country.

Now reports are flooding in regarding Russians using controlled substances in the alleged genocide of people in Mariupol. Both Ukraine and the US said that there were intelligence reports suggesting it is possible. These reports are not independently verified at the moment as both parties claimed the other used chemical weapons. This is an escalation of the war as chemical weapons is a higher level of technology and warfare.

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US says India has to decide how they will deal with the Russian War. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered the message to the Indian Ministers for Foreign Affairs.

He also said that they would continue to call on all nations to back up Ukraine “just as we call on all nations to condemn Moscow’s increasingly brutal actions.”

“Russia’s war against Ukraine is an attack on Ukraine’s people. It’s also an attack on that rules-based order that we both adhere to and defend.”

“[United States] will continue to increase our support to the government and people of Ukraine and call on other nations to do the same, just as we call on all nations to condemn Moscow’s increasingly brutal actions.”

“[Russian War] stands in stark contrast to the vision that the United States and India share for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” and noted that Moscow’s actions were having worldwide consequences.

“India has to make its own decisions about how it approaches” the Russian war in Ukraine and that the US believes “it is important that all countries, especially those with leverage, press Putin to end the war.”

Consequences of War

“We, as a general proposition, are consulting with all of our allies and partners on the consequences of Putin’s war, the atrocities being committed against the people of Ukraine,” Blinken said.

Blinken said it was important that “democracies stand together and speak with one voice to defend the values that we share — and we do share, profoundly, the values of freedom, openness, independence, sovereignty, and those values need to apply everywhere.”

The top US diplomat noted that “India’s relationship with Russia has developed over decades, at a time when the United States was not able to be a partner to India,” but “times have changed” and the US is “able and willing to be a partner of choice with India.”

“And I would also note that India is providing significant humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine, notably medicines which are very necessary and in real demand,” he added.

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“[Mariupol] has been blocked by Russian troops since March 1. It was a city of half a million. Half a million people. The occupiers blocked it and did not even allow food and water to be brought there,” he said, adding:

They tried to capture it in the most brutal way — just to destroy everything in the city. Mariupol is destroyed. There are tens of thousands of dead. But even so, the Russians are not stopping the offensive. They want to make Mariupol a showcase of a ruined city.

“It is a humanitarian catastrophe. The military that was involved in active hostilities here is completely surrounded. There are supply problems with water, food, medication, and general supply. It’s a very difficult situation,” said Serhiy Volyna, deputy commander of the Marine Battalion in Mariupol.

The head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov reports continuous shelling.

“Last night there were about 66 reports of shelling from Grad and Smerch multiple rocket launchers, artillery, and tanks,” Syniehubov said. “The battles were fought in Zolochiv district, that is in the direction of Derhachiv. Residential areas [of Kharkiv], residential districts of Pyatihatky, Saltivka, Oleksiyivka, the Kharkiv Tractor Plant, and Kholodna Hora were affected again.”

Among the casualties was a seven-year-old child. There were also about 14 people injured and around two thousand houses destroyed.

“We plan to sow 60-80% of the arable land in the Kharkiv region,” he said. “It depends on the military situation. In some places, the fields are mined … The arable land was damaged by explosions.”

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“It speaks to a Russian acknowledgment that it is going extremely badly and they need to do something differently,” the European official said.

Dvornikov, 60, was the first commander of Russia’s military operations in Syria when President Vladimir Putin dispatched soldiers to the country in September 2015 to support Syrian President Bashar al-regime. Assad’s During Dvornikov’s leadership in Syria, from September 2015 to June 2016, Russian planes assisted the Assad regime and its allies as they laid siege to rebel-held eastern Aleppo, bombing heavily populated areas and killing a large number of civilians. In December 2016, Syrian government troops took control of the city.

“We will see how effective that proves to be,” the European official said. “The Russian doctrine, the Russian tactics remain pretty much as they’ve been since Afghanistan.”

“They do things in the same old way,” the official added.

Russian forces have carried out missile strikes in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv regions, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Sunday.

“During the night in the village of Zvonetske — Dnipropetrovsk region — high-precision sea-based missiles destroyed the headquarters and base of the Dnipro nationalist battalion, where reinforcements from foreign mercenaries arrived the other day,” Russian defense ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

“High-precision air-launched missiles in the area of ​​​​the settlement of Stara Bohdanivka, Mykolaiv region and at the Chuhuiv military airfield [in Kharkiv region] destroyed launchers of Ukrainian S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems identified by reconnaissance.”

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“This is another war crime of Russia, for which everyone involved will be held accountable,” he said in his nightly address on Friday, adding that Russian state propaganda tried to blame Ukrainian armed forces for the attack.

“We expect a firm, global response to this war crime,” he said.

Zelensky confirmed previous reports from the head of the Donetsk region military administration, that at least 50 people were killed in the attack, including five children.

“Like the massacres in Bucha, as well as many other Russian war crimes, the missile strike on Kramatorsk must be one of the charges at the tribunal, which is bound to happen,” he said.

The Ukrainian President said “all the efforts of the world” will be directed to establish minute-by-minute “who did what, who gave orders, where did the rocket come from, who was carrying it, who gave the order, and how the strike was coordinated.”

“Responsibility is inevitable,” he said.

In Makariv, the mayor says 132 civilians were killed in the latest attacks by Russian forces.

“More than a month now we are without electricity, water, gas, without telephone lines. We don’t even have essential goods at home,” Tokar said.

Makariv, he said, has been hit by a “medical catastrophe,” with all doctors having been evacuated.

He also warned that people in the town need to be careful as mines are scattered in the fields.

“Our deforested areas are heavily littered with mines, and so we will work first on demining these areas before we can begin the full-fledged restoration of our infrastructure,” he said.

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“So far, the Russian state and the Russian military are the greatest threat on the planet to freedom, to human security, to the concept of human rights as such. After Bucha, this is already obvious,” he said, adding that work to clear rubble in Borodianka has begun.

“It’s much scarier there. More victims of Russian invaders,” Zelensky said.

President Zelensky also said that it could be the same situation in Mariupol.

“What will happen when the world learns the whole truth about what the Russian military did in Mariupol? There, on almost every street, is what the world saw in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv region after the withdrawal of Russian troops. The same cruelty. The same terrible crimes,” he said.

Zelensky suggested that the atrocities committed by Russian forces would be used as propaganda.

“More and more information is coming in that Russian propagandists are preparing, so to speak, a ‘mirror response’ to the shock of all normal people from what they saw in Bucha. They are going to show the victims in Mariupol as if they were not killed by the Russian military, but by Ukrainian defenders of the city,” Zelensky said, “to do this, the occupiers collect corpses on the streets, take them out. And can be used elsewhere in accordance with the developed propaganda scenarios.”

Zelensky said every murder in Ukraine will be investigated and every looter, rapist, and murderer will be found, and that after what the world saw happening in Bucha, it is clear Russia “does not obey” human rights.”

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“It is regrettable that after the exposure of the ‘Bucha incident,’ the US, the initiator of the Ukraine crisis, has not shown any signs of urging peace and promoting talks, but is ready to exacerbate the Russia-Ukraine tensions,” the editorial said.

“No matter how the ‘Bucha incident’ took place, no one can deny at least one thing: War itself is the main culprit of the humanitarian disaster,” it added.

Since the beginning of the war, China has remained neutral and urged both sides to settle the war peacefully. There were allegations that the state media has chosen to support Russian propaganda.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun acknowledged that the images of civilian deaths in Bucha were “deeply disturbing,” but when it came to attributing blame for the situation he urged “all sides” to “exercise restraint and avoid unfounded accusations.”

“The relevant circumstances and specific causes of the incident should be verified and established. Any accusations should be based on facts,” Zhang said.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, “humanitarian issues should not be politicized.”

“All parties should exercise restraint and avoid groundless accusations” before fact-finding was concluded, Wang said, adding that China “is willing to continue to work together with the international community to avoid any harm coming to civilians.”

However, the tone is different within their walls. China News Service ran a post on the popular Twitter-like social media platform Weibo with the hashtag, “Russia shows the video to prove that the Bucha incident is staged” referencing a report from a Russian state news agency.

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“I think Bucha is just the beginning as we liberate more of our country,” Sviatoslav Yurash, Ukraine’s youngest member of parliament.

“You will see much more horror on your TV screens. We are seeing the horror in real life. We cannot but state our utter shock at the fact this is possible in our time,” he said.

Yurash, 26, who spoke from Kyiv, said he was in nearby Borodianka on Wednesday, which was “badly mauled by the Russians.”

Borodianka is among the places Russians have to go through before reaching the capital city. Like in Bucha and Irpin, it is now being liberated by the Ukrainian forces.

“This is a town which has no military base, had no brigade, had no airport, and Russians hit it with everything they’ve got,” Yurash said.

“They basically destroyed the buildings with air power. There are still people in the rubble. There are residential buildings they destroyed. There are shells lying around the city, and they basically have shown that this war is about destroying common people of Ukraine in the Borodianka area like nowhere else.”

“The point is to get the soldiers the supplies to help there, to defeat the Russians and to keep them out of the major cities, keep them from making more Bucha’s around Ukraine,” he said.

The Russian-Ukraine war is not yet over, President Vladimir Putin has moved his forces to the eastern region. There will be more casualties as this continues to send shockwaves around the world.

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“There is already information that the number of victims of the occupiers may be even higher in Borodyanka and some other liberated cities. In many villages of the liberated districts of the Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions, the occupiers did things that the locals had not seen even during the Nazi occupation 80 years ago. The occupiers will definitely bear responsibility for this,” Zelensky said.

In Bucha, Zelensky said there were more than 300 people killed, but that the total number of casualties will likely increase as the whole city is checked. 

Zelensky underscored the importance of journalists documenting the aftermath in liberated Ukrainian cities.

“We provide maximum access for journalists to Bucha and other liberated cities of Ukraine. For hundreds of journalists from around the world. And we are interested in having thousands of journalists there. As many as possible! For the world to see what Russia has done,” he said.

Zelensky cautioned that Russia will try to cover up the traces of violence committed in Bucha and other cities.

“They are trying to distort the facts. But, as then, they will not succeed. They will not be able to deceive the whole world,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky repeated his plea to be sent more weapons to fight Russian forces.

“I emphasize once again: Ukraine must get all the necessary weapons to drive the occupiers out of our land as soon as possible, to liberate our cities. And 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,” he said.

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Residents say the grave, on the grounds behind the Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints, started being dug early in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As Russian forces retreat from the area around Kyiv, the horrors of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine are increasingly coming to light. The death and destruction brought by Russia’s war machine are on full display in Bucha. Bodies could be seen on the streets of the suburb as early as Sunday. Some had their hands tied behind their backs.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has blamed Russia for the killings inside the district, accusing Moscow of trying to put an end to his “whole nation.”

“This is about the destruction and extermination of all these nationalities,” he said in an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

For its part, Russia has denied any involvement, maintaining it doesn’t target civilians and saying the images of bodies on the streets of Bucha are fake.

Inside the district, the roads are littered with destroyed Russian armored vehicles — including tanks — ambushed by Ukrainian drones or units with NATO-supplied hand-held rocket launchers such as Javelins and Next-Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapons Systems, or NLAWs.

In some cases, entire columns of Russian armored vehicles were trapped on narrow residential roads before being destroyed.

The vehicles are now rusting away where they stopped, evidence of the heavy losses Moscow suffered before being driven out of the area around Kyiv.

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US intelligence intercepts suggest Putin is focused on May 9, Russia’s “Victory Day,” according to a US official. Russian President Vladimir Putin is under pressure to demonstrate he can show a victory. The most likely place he could achieve it would be in eastern Ukraine according to the intelligence reports.

“Putin will have a victory parade on 9 May regardless of the status of the war or peace talks,” a European defense official said. “On the other hand: a victory parade with what troops and vehicles?”

Still, US and European officials say any deadlines Moscow may set rhetorically don’t change the reality on the ground that Russia appears to be preparing for the prospect of an extended conflict.

A European diplomat said while the Kremlin is talking optimistically, Putin is preparing for a “Chechnya-style long, drawn-out war, because he, to a certain extent, has nowhere else to go on this.”

Ukrainian officials have publicly pointed to the date as well. “Ahead of May 9, Putin set the goal of a victory parade for this war,” Ukrainian Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said on Thursday.

“His ultimate goal is, was, and will be to take over Ukraine, but he failed. He failed due to a very strong resolve of the Ukrainian military and very strong unity of Ukraine and the Western world, and the sanctions that have been imposed by the United States and G7 and the European Union,” Yatsenyuk said. “So now, as far as I see, Putin switched to Plan B. My take is that this Plan B has a kind of, deadline.”

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Deputy mayor of Mariupol, Sergei Orlov, detailed the city’s current struggles including food shortage and evacuation problems.

“The city is totally destroyed. The city is like ruins … we’re upset, not because of infrastructure, but because of people. So we do not know how to help our citizens who are suffering inside the city,” he said during an interview with CNN. “Russia does not allow to solve any humanitarian issue, to transfer any humanitarian help and to make evacuation of our citizens for many days.”

“Once again, I want to clarify, there is no solution to reach Mariupol, either humanitarian help, either evacuate citizens,” Orlov noted. “We are talking about evacuating Mariupol citizens who are in Berdyansk, who are near Mariupol, nearest villages…who reached Berdyansk themselves either by walking, either on private cars. A lot of Mariupol citizens made evacuation themselves and it’s about 30-50,000 Mariupol citizens that are in Berdyansk and nearest villages at the moment.”

“So this mission helps us and made it possible to evacuate Mariupol citizens from Berdyansk to Zaporizhzhia. It’s very good. It’s absolutely necessary,” he said, noting that 45 buses were evacuated with more than 2,000 citizens, including 710 children.

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

An International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) team traveling to Mariupol said Friday that they were unable to reach the besieged city to help facilitate the safe passage of civilians. The team is planning on trying to make the trip to the besieged city again on Saturday.

“I cannot even describe in words how life looks like in Mariupol,” he said. Citizens “cannot eat … [it’s] common for us to have three dishes, but three dishes per week. So we eat on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. So we cannot even eat a lot.”

Mariupol estimates that more than 100,000 citizens are still in the city, all hiding in hopes of staying safe. The official said citizens are living “as mouses.”

“All of them are living underground in shelters, bomb shelter in some spaces below, so just to have the possibility to survive, not to be killed by airstrikes, by missiles, by shelling,” said Orlov. “They are sharing some food with each other, so it’s typical food for a day is a glass of water with … one or two cakes, one glass of soup in the afternoon and also one glass of water and one cake in the evening.”

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“Today another decision was made regarding antiheroes. Now I do not have time to deal with all the traitors. But gradually they will all be punished,” he said.

The generals — former chief of the Main Department of Internal Security of the Security Service of Ukraine, Naumov Andriy Olehovych, and the former head of the Office of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Kherson region, Kryvoruchko Serhiy Oleksandrovych — have been stripped of their rank.

“Those servicemen among senior officers who have not decided where their homeland is, who violate the military oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people as regards (to) the protection of our state, its freedom, and independence, will inevitably be deprived of senior military ranks. Random generals don’t belong here!” Zelensky said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the situation in southern Ukraine and Donbas “remains extremely difficult” as Russia continues to prioritize military operations in the separatist-controlled region.

In the Donbas region, the besieged southern city of Mariupol, and in the direction of the northeastern city of Kharkiv, “Russian troops are accumulating the potential for strikes,” Zelensky warned.

Russian forces were regrouping in order to “intensify operations in priority areas and, above all, to complete the operation for the complete liberation of Donbas,” Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday.

Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s commitment to “do everything we can to stop the invaders.”

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“It’s the information we’re confident in,” the official said. “I think it’s information that we’re confident in now and it’s also information that probably had a degree of truth to it before the invasion.”

The US revealed declassified intelligence showing that Putin has been misinformed by his own advisers.

“There’s only so much we can say about where this information is derived from,” the official said, declining to provide additional details on the intelligence. He explained it was necessary to protect sources and methods.

“Putin clearly seems to have thought that he could go into Ukraine, that his forces wouldn’t meet resistance, that they would be greeted warmly including in Russian speaking parts of Ukraine, that he would be able to take Kyiv in a matter of 48, 72 hours,” the official said.

“Every single element that he seems to have believed turns out to be wrong. So, whether his advisers weren’t giving him the full unvarnished truth, whether he wasn’t listening, you know … I think we’ve seen this every step of the way.”

Speaking on a visit to Morocco, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “One of the Achilles’ heels of autocracies is that you don’t have people in those systems who speak truth to power or who have the ability to speak truth to power. And I think that is something that we’re seeing in Russia.”

US Sen. Angus King said that Russian President Vladimir Putin might become desperate. “The Russians do seem to be refocusing towards the east and the danger is they encircle the Ukrainian troops and squeeze them pretty substantially.”

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“Any outcome of the operation (in Ukraine), of course, is not a reason for usage of a nuclear weapon,” Peskov said. “We have a security concept that very clearly states that only when there is a threat for existence of the state, in our country, we can use and we will actually use nuclear weapons to eliminate the threat for the existence of our country.”

When asked about US President Joe Biden’s comments calling Vladimir Putin a “butcher” and declaring the Russian President should no longer remain in power, Peskov said “it is quite alarming.”

“It is personal insult,” Peskov said. “Of course, it is completely unacceptable. It is not for the United States’ President to decide who is going to be and who is the president of the Russian Federation.”

According to Russian and Turkish officials, the latest round of Russia-Ukraine talks will take place in person in Istanbul on Tuesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed Moscow’s optimism that the summit will “accomplish our essential aims.” Following prior face-to-face conversations in Belarus, the most recent round of talks took place about two weeks ago.

Despite the Ukrainian military, journalists, and refugees fleeing the nation reporting devastating bombardments targeting civilian facilities such as houses, schools, and hospitals, Peskov denied that Russian forces purposefully targeted people in Ukraine in the PBS interview.

“They are not selling houses., they are not shelling apartments. They are not shelling civil objects,” Peskov said. He added, “They are only shelling and they’re aiming of military infrastructure.”

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Biden’s remarks on Putin put the White House in clean-up mode. President Joe Biden remarked during his speech in Warsaw that President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power”.

“I just was expressing my outrage. He shouldn’t remain in power, just like, you know, bad people shouldn’t continue to do bad things,” Biden said in an interview with CNN. “But it doesn’t mean we have a fundamental policy to do anything to take Putin down in any way.”

“I was talking to the Russian people,” Biden said on Monday at the White House. “The last part of the speech was talking to Russian people,” he said. “I was communicating this to, not only the Russian people but the whole world. This is … just stating a simple fact that this kind of behavior is totally unacceptable. Totally unacceptable. And the way to deal with it is to strengthen and keep NATO completely united and help Ukraine where we can.”

Clean Up Mode

This has happened frequently as White House officials clean up after speeches of so-called “Ad-libs”.

As he was hailing the heroism of the Ukrainians, Biden told US troops, “You’re going to see when you’re there” — even though he’s vowed American forces won’t be entering the conflict directly. Afterward, a spokesman said nothing had changed: “The President has been clear we are not sending US troops to Ukraine.”

On Monday, Biden pushed back on any suggestion he’d told US troops stationed in Poland they were going to Ukraine, telling a reporter, “We were talking about helping train the troops that are the Ukrainian troops that are in Poland. That’s the context.”

Kremlin’s Response

Officially, the Kremlin’s response came from spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said the fate of the Russian ruler is “not to be decided by Mr. Biden.”

Peskov then said on Monday that the comments “are certainly causing concern,” adding, “We will continue to closely monitor the statements of the US President. We carefully note them and will continue to do so.”

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Russian missiles targeted the cities of Lutsk, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, and Rivne on Sunday, according to Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhail Podoliak. “Every day, more and more missiles are launched. “Mariupol was bombed on the ‘carpet,'” he claimed. “Russia no longer has a language, a civilization, or a humanism.” Only missiles, bombs, and attempts to obliterate Ukraine off the face of the planet.” 

In a video shared on social media, Zelensky claimed that peace and the restoration of normal living are the “clear” aims of Ukraine, ahead of a fresh round of peace talks scheduled for Tuesday in Istanbul. “Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty are unquestionable. Effective security assurances for our country are required “he stated A neutral, non-nuclear status for Ukraine in the form of a “real treaty” was acceptable as part of a compromise with Russia, Zelensky told journalists on Sunday, but any agreement would have to be submitted to a referendum.

Responding to a reporter’s query about whether he was pushing for regime change in response to statements made Saturday, US President Joe Biden answered, “No.” President Vladimir Putin of Russia, according to Biden, “cannot remain in power.” Other members of the Biden administration have tried to clarify Biden’s remark.

During an operation in the Kharkiv region, what appear to be Ukrainian forces shoot individuals who are allegedly Russian detainees in the knees in a nearly six-minute video. When asked about the video, Oleksiy Arestovych, a senior presidential advisor, said: “The government is taking this extremely seriously, and an investigation will be launched right now. We’re a European army, and we don’t make fun of our detainees. This is completely terrible behavior if it turns out to be true.”

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Later, the White House released a statement saying that this was not a call for a regime change.

“The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change,” a White House official said.

Biden’s line that Putin “cannot remain in power” was not in his prepared remarks, a White House official said.

“For us, it’s not about regime change. The Russian people have to decide who they want to lead them,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this month.

“This is not to be decided by Mr. Biden,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “It should only be a choice of the people of the Russian Federation.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his plea for international partners to step up their military assistance, saying his country only asks for 1% of NATO’s tanks and planes. In a Saturday video message, Zelensky said the need to strengthen common security in Europe was raised during his two conversations with Polish President Andrezj Duda Saturday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Saturday that the United States intends to provide “an additional $100 million in civilian security assistance” to Ukraine.

The money is intended “to enhance the capacity of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs to provide essential border security, sustain civil law enforcement functions, and safeguard critical governmental infrastructure in the face of President Putin’s premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack,” according to the statement.

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“In general, the main tasks of the first stage of the operation have been completed,” Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy, first deputy chief of Russia’s General Staff, said in a Friday briefing. “The combat potential of the armed forces of Ukraine has been significantly reduced, allowing us, I emphasize again, to focus the main efforts on achieving the main goal — the liberation of Donbas.”

For days, the Russian advance has been halted in Kyiv and Kherson. The Ukrainian forces were able to defend the city and push back the Russian army.

“The public and individual experts are wondering what we are doing in the area of ​​the blockaded Ukrainian cities,” Rudskoy said. “These actions are carried out with the aim of causing such damage to military infrastructure, equipment, personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the results of which allow us not only to tie down their forces and prevent them from strengthening their grouping in the Donbas but also will not allow them to do this until the Russian army completely liberates the territories of the DPR and LNR.”

The Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics are located in the eastern part of Ukraine. They have declared their independence which President Vladimir Putin backed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that the goal of what Russian officials refer to euphemistically as the “special military operation” in Ukraine is the complete demilitarization of the country. Putin has said the war is going according to plan. Rudskoy said in the same briefing that 1,351 military personnel had been killed in Ukraine and 3,825 had been wounded.

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“Soon you will feel the wrath of the world’s hackers,” Anonymous declared in a video on Twitter in late February.

The group has made good on its promise. They have hacked a Russian State TV channel and interrupted programming to show the bombing of Ukraine.

The Russian government has very tight control over its media. President Putin signed a law that criminalizes reporting against the official government statement on the war in Ukraine.

Western sanctions are working to cut-off Russia from international trade and the international banking system. Among the steps they took is Russia being removed from the SWIFT systems that allow international transfers.

Anonymous’s main advantage is its digital capability. Although unconventional, they have means that could change the tide. Among their targets are international companies that have not yet left Russia. They tweeted “Your time is running out. We do not forgive. We do not forget.” Also, earlier this month, members of the group offered $52,000 worth of Bitcoin to Russian soldiers to abandon their tanks.

There are also a number of hackers from Poland who have built a group named Squad 303. The name comes from a World War II Polish fighter squadron. They have built a website that allows people to send messages to random Russian numbers to inform them about the war. So far about 20 million tests have already been sent.

In the digital age, cyber talents are vital because they provide support and protection in places that no armies could go.

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EU sanctions are “a little too late”, says President Zelensky in his message. He thanked all the European allies’ support through economic sanctions against Russia but it’s already too late. Zelensky said if the sanctions had been preventative, there was a chance Russia would not have gone to war.

“You blocked Nord Stream 2. We are grateful to you. And rightly so. But it was also a little late. Because if it had been in time, Russia would not have created a gas crisis. At least there was a chance,” he told the council.

Zelensky told member states: “The Russian military does not see what dignity is. They do not know what conscience is. They do not understand why we value our freedom so much. This is what determines how the country will live.”

He said Russia has already destroyed 230 schools, 155 kindergartens and killed 128 children in Ukraine.

“Whole cities, villages. Just to ashes. Nothing remains,” he said, “The Russian military killed journalists. Although they saw the inscription “Press” on them. They may not have been taught to read. Only to kill.”

In his address, Zelensky thanked member states for their support but stopped short of thanking Hungary, calling on Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban to “decide already” on its treatment of Russia.

“You hesitate whether to impose sanctions or not? And you hesitate whether to let weapons through or not? And you hesitate whether to trade with Russia or not? There is no time to hesitate. It’s time to decide already.”

European countries have cut ties with Moscow as they refuse to buy any export from the country. Investors also exited the country cutting all financial ties and future projects. Some even seized Russian oligarch properties and banned them.

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“If Russia is provoked by NATO, if Russia is attacked by NATO I don’t know … we are a nuclear power, why not?” Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy said.

He was asked if it was a legitimate threat, he answered that it must be considered. “I don’t think it’s the right thing to be saying but it’s not a right thing to threaten Russia and to try to interfere. So when you’re dealing with a nuclear power of course you have to calculate all the possible outcomes of your behavior.”

A previous statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s chief spokesman refused to rule out the use of nuclear weapons. Especially if Moscow deems it as an “existential threat”.

The US government formally declared that members of the Russian armed forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine. These are based on “credible reports” of the deliberate targeting of civilians. The indiscriminate attacks have led to the destruction of civilian infrastructures like schools and hospitals.

Russian diplomat Polyanskiy denied that Russia was committing war crimes in Ukraine.

“Of course, it’s not up to me to assess — I’m not there, you’re not there, you’re looking at the videos, you’re looking at many videos considered to be fake news,” he told Sky News.

Civilians still in the city of Mariupol have been without water, power, and food, and describe bodies left in the street because it is too dangerous to collect them. Zelensky has said the sustained Russian attack on Mariupol is an “act of terror” that will be “remembered for centuries.”

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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s chief spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not admit or deny the possibility. He did admit that Russia has not yet achieved its military objective in Ukraine. When asked about the use of Nuclear weapons on “existential threats”, his answer is unclear. “If it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be,” he said.

In February, President Putin already gave a hint that he might resort to using it. “No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.”

He also said, “officials in leading NATO countries have allowed themselves to make aggressive comments about our country, therefore I hereby order the Minister of Defense and the chief of the General Staff to place the Russian Army Deterrence Force on combat alert.”

Dmitry Peskov said that the “special military operation is going on strictly in accordance with the plans and the purposes that were established beforehand.”

He also echoed Russia’s demands saying that the “main goals of the operation” are to “get rid of the military potential of Ukraine,” to ensure Ukraine is a “neutral country,” to get rid of “nationalist battalions,” for Ukraine to accept that Crimea — annexed by Russia in 2014 — is part of Russia and to accept that the breakaway statelets of Luhansk and Donetsk “are already independent states.”

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This suggests that Russia’s response to the US’s support of Ukraine and harsh economic sanction against the country is a cyber-attack. The US government is concerned that this is part of Putin’s escalation of the war. Recent changes in Russian tactics suggest that they are upping their game. Russia began shelling civilians as well as using new generation weaponry like hypersonic missiles.

 “The magnitude of Russia’s cyber capacity is fairly consequential, and it’s coming,” the President warned. “He hasn’t used it yet, but it’s part of his playbook,” Biden said of Putin.

For a year, the US has blamed the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service for the SolarWinds attack. Also, a group of Russian hackers was believed to be behind the ransomware cyberattack on the trans-America Colonial Pipeline.

In Ukraine, there were small cyber attacks against banks and government agencies. There has been no major cyber attack with heavy repercussions like a blackout or shutting down powerlines.

The US president also warns big businesses to increase their defenses and ensure additional security.

As he put it: “You have the power, the capacity, and the responsibility to strengthen the cybersecurity and resilience of the critical services and technologies on which Americans rely.”

Cybersecurity comes at a cost and it could hurt small businesses significantly.

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The Russia-Ukraine war is still ongoing as both sides attempt to negotiate for peace. President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready for talks however he added that any constitutional changes need a referendum. It would require members of the government to come together and vote on the changes.

“It is a long process which will be decided by the parliament and by the Ukrainian people,” he said.

“I explained to our negotiators at the talks that when one is talking about changes — and these changes may be of historic importance — there is no other way around it, we will have to hold a referendum,” he said.

“The people will have to speak up and respond to this or that form of compromise you have mentioned. And what they (the compromises) will be is the subject of our talks and understanding between Ukraine and Russia.”

When asked if he is willing to compromise with his Russian counter-part Zelensky said: “I think that without this meeting you cannot truly understand what they are really prepared to do in order to stop the war and what they are prepared to do if we are not ready for this or that compromise.”

Inhuman

In a video recently uploaded in Telegram, Zelensky called Russian soldiers inhuman. “They definitely have emptiness instead of heart. Instead of soul. Instead of everything that makes human, human.”

“Our military has already shot down so many Russian planes and helicopters that one can only wonder what do their pilots have instead of mind? Is it also emptiness?” he said.

Zelensky also said, in Kherson, “the occupiers shot at people who peacefully took to the streets without weapons at a rally for their freedom. For our freedom.

“The Russian soldiers do not even know what it is like to be free. They were driven here, to be honest, as if sentenced. Sentenced to death, sentenced to disgrace.”

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“China will continue to make independent judgments based on the merits of the matter and in an objective and fair attitude. We will never accept any external coercion and pressure, and we also oppose any groundless accusations and suspicions against China,” Wang Yi told reporters, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Wang said “the long-term solution is to abandon the Cold War mentality, refrain from engaging in group confrontation, and truly form a balanced, effective and sustainable regional security architecture. Only in this way can long-term stability on the European continent be achieved.”

This statement comes after the 110-minute call between US President Joe Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The US believes that China is considering supporting Russia’s request for military and economic support.

China’s Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng claimed Western countries were “weaponizing” globalization.

“Sanctions will only harm ordinary people, impact the post-war economic and financial system, and make the world economy worse,” Le said at the International Forum on Strategy and Security held by Tsinghua University.

He added that “historical experience has proven time and again that sanctions cannot solve problems.”

Le said the “root” of Ukraine’s conflict is “Cold War mentality and power politics” and blamed NATO for “going back” on a purported “promise” to not expand eastward.

NATO should have disbanded and been “consigned to history” with the Warsaw Pact, he said.

“NATO continues to strengthen and expand. One can imagine the result of this, the Ukraine crisis is a warning,” Le added.

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Russia increases the attack with the first known use of a hypersonic “Kinzhal” missile, a powerful and destructive weapon. It was launched and hit a military ammunitions warehouse in western Ukraine.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced its launch on Friday. “On March 18, the Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse of missiles and aviation ammunition of Ukrainian troops in the village of Delyatin, Ivano-Frankivsk region.”

The missile was first introduced in 2018 when President Vladimir Putin announced its development. He claimed that it was a missile that carries a nuclear warhead and delivers it at hypersonic speed.

The ministry also claimed that this missile is highly maneuverable and travels at the speed of light. It could be compared to the capabilities of MiG-31 fighter jets.

This is a major escalation and the possible beginning of the use of nuclear warheads.

The Effects of War

Since the invasion has begun, at least 847 civilians including 64 children. This number is based on the United Nations database, they do believe that the actual toll is higher.

According to UNICEF, about 1.5 million children have been evacuated from Ukraine. They added that “countless others” are displaced inside the country.

Mariupol

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack on the city is an “act of terror” that will be “remembered for centuries.”

According to reports, the residents of Mariupol are taken to Russian territory against their will. Captured residents were taken to camps where Russian forces checked their phones and documents, the city council said.

The city is continuously bombarded by the Russian troops. The residents begin to ration food and water to survive.

Missile Strike

In the southern city of Mykolaiv, military barracks have been hit with missiles. Regional official Vitalli Kim estimates that dozens of soldiers have been killed.

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The Chinese President has expressed that he is uninterested in escalating the war. He added that US and China have a responsibility in ensuring peace.

“We have that concern,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. “The President detailed what the implications and consequences would be if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians. And that is something we’ll be watching and the world will be watching.”

No additional details were released about the talks except that it was “direct,” “substantive” and “detailed”. There were also no details on the sanctions the US will make in case China supports Russia.

“China has to make a decision for themselves on where they want to stand and how they want the history books to look at them and view their actions,” Psaki said. “That is a decision for President Xi to make.”

China have always expressed that they are open to mediating talks between Russia and Ukraine to promote peace. They have not denounced the invasion but they also acknowledge Ukraine’s need of humanitarian assistance. There were reports however that inside China, they are supporting the Russian propaganda.

“We must not only lead the development of China-US relations down the correct path but also shoulder our international responsibilities and make efforts for world peace and tranquility,” Xi said on the video call, according to CCTV.

“The world is neither peaceful nor tranquil,” Xi acknowledged. “The Ukraine crisis is something we don’t want to see.” could be open to supporting the Russian aggression.

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“I want everyone to hear me now, especially I want them to hear me in Moscow. It’s time to meet, time to talk, time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine, or else Russia will face such losses that several generations will not be enough for it to rise back up,” he said.

He said that the Russian military actions were also making it worse for their country. He added that negotiations “without stalling” are the best way forward for both nations.

“We always insisted on negotiations,” Zelensky said. “We always proposed dialogue and solutions for peace. Not just during the 23 days of the invasion.”

“War must be stopped,” Zelensky said. “The Ukrainian proposal is on the table.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky also announced that the country’s ministers are working on a program for those affected by war. The plan includes the following:

Help displaced people find jobs in places they are currently located. This is “so that every one of our people, every one of our families had the foundation for life.”

Provide housing for displaced people, and organize efforts to rebuild destroyed houses once the war is over.

Provide support to families housing people who fled occupied territories or areas where combat is ongoing. “At a minimum, they will receive reimbursement of their utility expenses related to housing the resettled people,” Zelensky said.

He also announced a coordination center is open that hand humanitarian aid to Ukraine. He has also said that his office is in coordination with ambassadors to increase the deliveries.

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that China respects “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.”

“China always stands for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, attaching importance to the legitimate security concerns of all countries, supporting all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis and promoting peace talks and easing the humanitarian situation,” Zhao said.

“China’s position is above board, fair, objective, and unquestionable.”

China has talked about a “no-limits partnership” with Russia. President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin have expressed support for each other numerous times.

US officials allege that Russia asked for economic and military support from China and Beijing is open to the idea. Both countries have always denied this allegation.

Mr. Zhao addressed it by saying “some people in the US have been spreading disinformation to smear and put pressure on China, which is extremely irresponsible and will not help solve the issue. China is firmly opposed to this and will never accept it.”

“The US should seriously reflect on its role in the Ukrainian crisis, take its due responsibilities, and take concrete actions to ease the situation and resolve the issue, rather than adding fuel to the fire and shifting the conflict to others,” he said.

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Pop stars condemn the Russian war. Huge western music stars have shown their support to Ukraine. Madonna condemned the attack on Ukraine while Iggy Pop and Pink Floyd canceled their Russian tours.

Sting’s Instagram account has racked up more than 2.2 million views for his song “Russia” released in 1985. The song is asking for peace and de-escalation.

“I never thought it would be relevant again but in the light of one man’s bloody and woefully misguided decision to invade a peaceful, unthreatening neighbor the song is once again a plea for our common humanity,” he wrote in the introduction.

He dedicated the song to “the brave Ukrainians fighting this brutal tyranny and also the many Russians protesting this outrage despite threats of arrest and imprisonment”.

The Cure, another legendary 1980s band, has been selling T-shirts with their name in the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag to raise money for the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency. Robert Smith has been retweeting messages about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, currently on trial and facing 13 years in a prison colony.

“Our thoughts are with the Ukrainians and all the brave people who oppose this violence and seek peace,” tweeted Iggy Pop.

Nick Cave and Gorillaz are among other bands canceling Russian shows.

“Our thoughts and love go out to the brave people of Ukraine, their heroic leader, and all those suffering from this senseless war,” said Cave in a statement.

Russian People

Scottish band Franz Ferdinand also canceled their tour but emphasized the distinction between the Russian government and the people.

“We love Russia. This great country has inspired our band through its art and literature and since we first played there 17 years ago, we have built a rich and deep relationship with our Russian fans,” they said in a statement.

“We know you see the madness of your country’s leadership. We know you do not want war,” they added.

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On the ground, Kyiv continues to face challenges as the Russians press closer towards the capital. In the southern city of Mariupol, a theater with hundreds of people seeking shelter has been bombed. Hundreds of thousands of people are also surrounded by Russian forces in the Ukrainian coastal cities.

Head of the Russian negotiating delegation, Vladimir Medinsky said that the talks were “difficult” and “slow”. He also said that his objectives in negotiations with Ukraine have not changed. Moscow wants a  “peaceful, free, independent and neutral” Ukraine. He also added that joining a military bloc like NATO was not an option. Putin sees Ukraine joining as NATO expansion and an existential threat to Russia.  

This week, however, President Zelensky has expressed his opinion that joining NATO is not on the cards. They would rather welcome joining the EU rather than seek membership with NATO.

In a video call with the US congress, Zelensky repeated his calls for a no-fly zone in Ukraine.

“In the darkest time for our country, for the whole Europe, I call on you to do more,” Zelensky said. “New packages of sanctions are needed, constantly, every week until the Russian military machine stops. Restrictions are needed for everyone on whom this unjust regime is based.”

The White House does not support instituting a no-fly zone over Ukraine. They also are not keen on supplying the Ukrainian Air Force with new fighter aircraft. “I think he is a war criminal,” Biden said to reporters on Wednesday.

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Russia has crossed many red lines according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “I believe that Russians have already crossed all the red lines when they started shelling civilians.” In an interview with NBC, Zelensky has expressed his frustration on the growing civilian suffering brought about by the war.

Russia has already killed more than 100 children Zelensky said. He added “I don’t understand the meaning of red lines. What else should we wait for? For letting Russians kill 200, 300, or 400 children?”

Ukrainians are “unconquerable” and if Russians were to conquer Kyiv, they won’t be able to conquer the people of Ukraine.

“The heart will always remain with Ukrainians,” he said.

Zelensky also said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “still in progress” but are “difficult.” “Any war could be finished at the table of negotiations,” he said.

Satellite Images

Significant damage across Ukraine has also been shown by recent satellite images released by Maxar Technologies.

The small city of Volnovakha in southeastern Ukraine lies in ruins. Russian-back separatists from the Donbas region claimed that they have captured the Ukrainian forces. Most of the buildings have no roofs and even a church has been devastated by the bombings.

In northern Ukraine, in the city of Chernihiv, more Russian self-propelled howitzers and multiple rocket launch systems are seen. A number of homes are still on fire and the Chernihiv stadium is seen with impact craters.

Northeastern Ukraine city of Kharkiv also shows apartment complex still on fire. Kharkiv Aircraft Manufacturing Company airfield is also seen with many impact craters.

Humanitarian corridors

President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that the agreed evacuation corridors are not working. While civilians are being evacuated, the Russian military has continued the shelling.

“We are ready to take people out and send humanitarian aid. But we can’t expose people to shelling on the road,” he said early Thursday.

“We are taking away Mariupol residents who managed to escape to Berdyansk. We are taking them to Zaporizhzhia. In total, more than 6,000 Mariupol residents were transported in one day, more than 2,000 of them are children,” he said.

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Russian Foreign Ministry released the statement and said that the sanctions were “an inevitable consequence of the extremely Russophobic course taken by the current US Administration, which, in a desperate attempt to maintain American hegemony, has relied, discarding all decency, on the frontal constricting of Russia.”

The Russian government also plans to expand the list to “top US officials, military officials, lawmakers, businessmen, experts and media people who are Russophobic or contribute to inciting hatred towards Russia and the introduction of restrictive measures.”

They added that the Russian government does “not refuse to maintain official relations if they meet our national interests, and, if necessary, we will solve problems arising from the status of persons who appear on the ‘black list’ in order to organize high-level contacts.”

“It won’t surprise any of you that none of us are planning tourist trips to Russia, none of us have bank accounts that we won’t be able to access, so we will forge ahead,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. He assured that they would still have the ability to have direct contact with Russia.

The decision of Russia to sanction the US was “to protect the Russian economy and ensure its sustainable development.”

Russia on Tuesday also announced it is banning Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, and Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand from entering the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry tweeted on Tuesday.

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“For years we have been hearing about how the door is supposedly open but now we hear that we cannot enter. And it is true, and it must be acknowledged,” he said.

“I am glad that our people are beginning to understand this and rely on themselves and on our partners who assist us,” he added.

Initially, Ukraine expressed its intention to join NATO as a partner. This is one step away from full membership to NATO. This was also the initial reason Russian President Vladimir launched the “special military operation”.

US Secretary of State Tony Blinken called it a “reflection of reality” for Zelensky. The signal was sent through the message that he will not join NATO anytime soon.

“I don’t think that’s a concession. I think first of all it’s a reflection of reality that even before this aggression by Russia, Ukraine was not going to get into NATO tomorrow. All the more reason why as we’ve seen when Putin was saying that their concerns about Ukraine centered on its admission to NATO, that was wrong. That was a lie,” Blinken said.

Blinken said that Putin has demonstrated that this war in Ukraine is about “denying Ukraine its independent existence.”

Blinken called the US support for Ukraine “extraordinary”. He also said that support will continue “to make sure that Ukraine has the means to defend itself.”

Blinken would not detail what consequences China would face if they provide military or economic support to Russia. However, he said the US has “made very clear that is not something we are going to face sitting down.”

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Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called for Ukraine to be “very quickly” considered as a candidate to join the EU. Poland also committed to helping Ukraine organize its defenses.

“We are here to admire your fight against such a cruel aggressor. This invasion has to stop,” Morawiecki said. “Those who are killed by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, they can never be forgotten. They are not forgotten.”

“We will never leave you alone. We will be with you. Because we know you are fighting not only for your homes, for your freedom, for your security, but also for ours,” he said.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala coming face to face with the Ukrainian President is “something really special.”

“The main goal of our visit and the main message of our mission is to say to our Ukrainian friends that they are not alone. That Europe stands with you,” Fiala said.

The Czech Republic has now taken in 250,000 refugees, according to the prime minister. They also committed to “continue to provide more aid and support.”

Zelensky thanked the EU leaders for their “wonderful support”. “So many other ambassadors have left Ukraine because of the full-scale Russian invasion.”

“Most important, is that we truly trust these leaders,” Zelensky said. “When we are talking about the security guarantees, about our future in the European Union. When we talk about the sanctions policy, we are 100% assured that whatever we are discussing, whatever we talk about, this will reach a positive outcome for our country.”

He continued that with “friends like this,” Ukraine “can win.”

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Korean Air has also suspended all passenger and cargo services to and from Moscow and Vladivostok.

Korean Air said it is also rerouting its flights to avoid Russian airspace, citing “operational challenges and safety concerns.”

Flights from Seoul to Europe will be rerouted over China, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. This would extend flight times up to two hours 45 minutes. Flights from eastern areas of North America to Seoul will also be rerouted over Alaska and the Pacific Ocean. This will be adding close to two hours for some flights.

Ukrainian official in South Korea requests Seoul’s assistance in boosting its cybersecurity capability to defend against Russian attacks.

Ukraine’s ambassador-designate to South Korea, Dmytro Ponomarenko said that many government institutions suffer from cyber-attack. These Russian cyber-attack cripples many systems that aid important government functions.

Top global cyber security firms also suggest that destructive software is found to circulate in Ukraine. It has already hit hundreds of computers and is part of a suspected hack.

“We would also be grateful if the Republic of Korea, being a highly developed hi-tech country, gave us a hand in strengthening our cybersecurity capabilities,” Ponomarenko said.

A foreign ministry official who later briefed reporters mentioned export controls as part of possible international sanctions. “Of course, some countries are considering unilateral sanctions including financial measures but we are not considering that.” Discussions are underway to finalize details, the official added.

South Korea supports international efforts to stop the armed aggression against Ukrainians. They also would like both countries to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

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