War in Ukraine: Latest developments

By: 3 years ago

Ukraine鈥檚 Zelensky condemns shelling as bodies line streets of Mariupol

A man walks near a residential building destroyed during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine April 17, 2022. REUTERS

碍驰滨痴鈥�Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:

Russia seeking to 鈥榙estroy鈥� Donbas鈥揨elensky

Ukraine鈥檚 president Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia is seeking to destroy the eastern region of Donbas and promises to defend it, starting with the besieged port city of Mariupol.

鈥淩ussian troops are preparing for an offensive operation in the east of our country in the near future. They want to literally finish off and destroy Donbas,鈥� Zelensky says in an evening statement.

Mariupol will 鈥榝ight to the end鈥�

Ukraine鈥檚 prime minister Denys Shmyhal tells ABC鈥檚鈥淭his Week鈥� that Mariupol 鈥渉as not fallen鈥� 鈥� adding the encircled forces defending the city from Russian attack will 鈥渇ight to the end鈥�.

Civilian evacuation paused

Ukraine says it is pausing the evacuation of civilians from the east of the country for a day because of a failure to agree terms with Russian forces.

鈥淎s of this morning, April 17, we have not been able to agree with the occupiers on a ceasefire on the evacuation routes. That is why, unfortunately, we are not opening humanitarian corridors today,鈥� Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk states.

Military plant hit: Russia

Russia鈥檚 defense ministry says it has struck a military plant outside Kyiv, as Moscow intensifies its attacks on the Ukrainian capital.

鈥淒uring the night, high-precision, air-launched missiles destroyed an ammunitions factory near the settlement of Brovary, Kyiv region,鈥� the ministry says in a statement on Telegram.

Macron invited to see evidence of 鈥榞enocide鈥� in Ukraine

Zelensky says he has invited his French counterpart to visit Ukraine to see for himself evidence that Russian forces have committed 鈥済enocide鈥� 鈥� a term President Emmanuel Macron has avoided.

鈥淚 talked to him yesterday,鈥� Zelensky tells CNN.

鈥淚 just told him I want him to understand that this is not war, but nothing other than genocide. I invited him to come when he will have the opportunity. He鈥檒l come and see, and I鈥檓 sure he will understand.鈥�

Five killed in Kharkiv

A series of strikes in Ukraine鈥檚 second-largest city of Kharkiv in the northeast of the country has left at least five dead and 13 injured, a regional health official tells AFP.

Pope urges peace during 鈥楨aster of war鈥�

Pope Francis calls for peace in Ukraine during this 鈥淓aster of war鈥� as he delivers the traditional Easter Sunday Urbi et Orbi address on St Peter鈥檚 Square at the Vatican.

鈥淢ay there be peace for war-torn Ukraine, so sorely tried by the violence and destruction of the cruel and senseless war into which it was dragged,鈥� the pontiff says.

鈥楿seless鈥� talking to Putin鈥揇raghi

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi complains in a newspaper interview that Western diplomatic efforts to persuade Vladimir Putin to halt the war in Ukraine have so far led nowhere.

鈥淚 am beginning to think that those people are right when they say 鈥業t is useless to talk to him, it鈥檚 just a waste of time鈥�,鈥� Draghi tells the daily Il Corriere della Sera, adding Putin鈥檚 goal appears to be 鈥渢o annihilate the Ukrainian resistance, occupy the country and entrust it to a friendly government鈥�.

Sanctions and reprisals

As tit-for-tat sanctions escalate, Russia bans entry to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several of his senior ministers.

The Kremlin also steps up a crackdown on dissent at home, adding nine prominent Kremlin critics and journalists to its growing list of 鈥渇oreign agents鈥�.

No homes to return to鈥揢N

Many of the nearly five million people who have fled Ukraine will not have homes to return to, the United Nations warns.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, says 4,836,445 Ukrainians have left the country since the Russian invasion on February 24.

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