For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine.
Recap of April 13
FIGHTING
* U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration announced an additional $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine, bringing the total aid tally since Russian forces invaded to more than $2.4 billion.
* The U.K. defense ministry said Russia’s appointment of army general Alexander Dvornikov as commander of the war in Ukraine represents attempt to centralize command and control.
* Russia said more than 1,000 Ukrainian troops have surrendered in Mariupol. Ukrainian presidential adviser did not comment on the alleged mass surrender, but said that elements of the 36th Marine Brigade had managed to link up with other Ukrainian forces in the city due to a “risky maneuver.”
HUMANITARIAN
* U.N. Humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths recently went to Moscow and Kyiv to seek a humanitarian cease-fire in Ukraine. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that it does not look like that is possible right now.
*Human rights activist Nadia Murad launched global guidelines at the United Nations on how to safely and effectively collect evidence from survivors and witnesses of sexual violence in conflict.
* Ukraine’s deputy defense minister said it is still too early for civilians to return to places including capital Kyiv.
* Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said more than 720 people have been killed in Bucha and other Kyiv suburbs that were occupied by Russian troops and more than 200 are considered missing.
DIPLOMACY
* The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court visited Bucha, Ukraine, saying, “We’re here because we have reasonable grounds to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC are being committed.”
* Finland will take a decision about whether to apply to join the U.S.-led NATO alliance in the next few weeks, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said
* The Pentagon is holding a classified meeting Wednesday with the heads of the largest U.S. defense contractors to discuss meeting Ukraine’s needs for weapons.
SANCTIONS
* U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen appealed to China and other countries to help end Russia's "heinous war" in Ukraine, warning in a landmark speech that those who seek to undermine Western sanctions face consequences.
* The U.S. and its allies are pushing ahead with sanctions aimed at forcing Vladimir Putin to spend Russia’s money propping up its economy rather than sustaining its “war machine” for the fight in Ukraine.
* Britain said it had added a further 206 listings under its Russia sanctions regime.
ECONOMY
* The U.N. secretary-general warned that as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the developing world is facing a “perfect storm” threatening to devastate many economies.
* For President Joe Biden, the pain Americans are feeling in their pocketbooks comes down to an increasingly repeated slogan: “Putin’s price hike."
MEDIA
* Four journalists who worked for a Moscow student magazine were sentenced to two years of corrective labor by a Russian court for encouraging minors to take part in anti-Kremlin protests.
* The Alliance for Securing Democracy said that Russia’s disinformation campaign about atrocities committed in Bucha, Ukraine, “marked the Kremlin’s most aggressive disinformation campaign of the war.”
For the latest developments of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, all times EDT:
8:52 p.m.: U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland defended President Joe Biden's charge that Russia is carrying out a genocide in Ukraine, saying its forces are trying to destroy the country and its civilian population, Agence France-Presse reported. Biden made the accusation against Russian forces on Tuesday, while adding, however, that it would be up to lawyers to decide if Russia's behavior actually qualifies as genocide.
"I am going to predict that what President Biden called it is what we will ultimately likely find when we are able to gather all of this evidence," Nuland, the State Department's number three official, said on CNN. "Because what is happening on the ground is not an accident. … It is an intentional decision by Russia, by its forces to destroy Ukraine and its civilian population.”
The U.N. convention on preventing genocide, dating from 1948, defines it as a crime "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group."
8:41 p.m.: In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he’s “sincerely thankful” to the U.S. an additional $800 million in military assistance. Zelenskyy also said he was thankful for Wednesday’s visit by the presidents of Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. He said those leaders “have helped us from the first day, those who did not hesitate to give us weapons, those who did not doubt whether to impose sanctions.”
7:06 p.m.: Russia said the flagship of its Black Sea fleet was seriously damaged and its crew evacuated following a fire that caused an explosion, as a Ukrainian official said the vessel had been hit by missiles, Reuters reported. The incident on the Moskva missile cruiser occurred after ammunition on board blew up, Interfax news agency quoted the Russian defense ministry as saying.
Maksym Marchenko, governor of the region around the Black Sea port of Odesa, said in an online post that the 12,500 tonne ship was hit by two missiles, without providing evidence, Reuters reported.
Reuters was not able to independently verify either account.
6:13 p.m.: Moldova’s population is strongly divided over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The tiny former Soviet republic, which has a majority Russian-speaking population in some regions, is highly receptive to Russian influence, from Kremlin television propaganda to church altars. VOA’s Ricardo Marquina has this story.
5:18 p.m.: At least 98 Ukrainian cultural and religious sites have been damaged or destroyed during Russia’s invasion of its neighboring country, the United Nation's cultural agency UNESCO said Wednesday. The shelling in Ukraine has so far hit heritage sites in eight regions of the country, including some from the early mediaeval era to others seen as landmarks of early Soviet architecture, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, UNESCO’s director of world heritage, said. VOA News has the story.
4:34 p.m.: Tearful residents looked on as firemen and other emergency workers went through the rubble of apartment blocks in Borodyanka, near Kyiv, looking for bodies. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has this report.
4:00 p.m.: Civilians wounded by Russian shelling in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region are being transported to the western city of Lviv for medical treatment. Doctors there are able to perform more complex surgeries. Current Time, a co-production of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and VOA, has this story.
3:31 p.m.: Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said military aid contained in the newest $800 million package which U.S. President Joe Biden announced Wednesday could begin arriving in Ukraine in as little as 4 days. He said the package provided was based on conversations with Ukrainian officials about what is needed in eastern Ukraine. This includes a variety of weapons, some which require additional training. It also includes chemical/biological/nuclear protective gear, Kirby said. VOA’s National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin monitored the press conference and shared details on Twitter.
3:16 p.m.: Four journalists who worked for a Moscow student magazine were sentenced to two years of corrective labor by a Russian court for encouraging minors to take part in anti-Kremlin protests, Interfax news agency reported. Police detained the four journalists in April 2021 after raiding the magazine's editorial office, Reuters reported.
2:57 p.m.: U.N. Humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths recently went to Moscow and Kyiv to seek a humanitarian cease-fire in Ukraine. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters Wednesday that it does not look like that is possible right now. He said the U.N. also proposed the creation of a mechanism involving Russia, Ukraine, the U.N., and potentially other humanitarian entities, to help guarantee the evacuation of civilians from areas of fighting and to guarantee humanitarian access, VOA’s U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer reported.
2:30 p.m.: The mayor of Kharkiv on Wednesday said Russian bombing of the Ukrainian city had increased significantly in the past day and reported there were casualties, including dead children. “The enemy is bombing residential homes, residential areas. Unfortunately, there are civilian casualties — the worst thing is that children are dying,” Ihor Terekhov told Ukrainian national television. Kharkiv has already come under significant Russian strikes since the late February invasion, Reuters reported.
2:14 p.m.: U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Wednesday announced an additional $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine, bringing the total aid tally since Russian forces invaded to more than $2.4 billion. The package will include artillery systems, artillery rounds and armored personnel carriers, Biden said in a statement after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
2:03 p.m.: The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court visited Bucha, Ukraine, on Wednesday, saying “We’re here because we have reasonable grounds to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC are being committed.” He called the area “a crime scene,” reports VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine.
1:54 p.m.: Western weaponry pouring into Ukraine helped blunt Russia’s initial offensive and seems certain to play a central role in the approaching, potentially decisive, battle for Ukraine’s contested Donbas region. The U.S. numbers alone are mounting: more than 12,000 weapons designed to defeat armored vehicles, some 1,400 shoulder-fired Stinger missiles to shoot down aircraft and more than 50 million rounds of ammunition, among many other things. Dozens of other nations are adding to the totals. Yet the Russian military is making little headway halting what has become a historic arms express, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.
1:41 p.m.: The mayor of Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, said Wednesday that approximately two-thirds of the city’s residents have returned home, despite his statements cautioning against coming back too soon. He said some utilities are returning to normal operations in Kyiv, but that the military still advises that residents should wait longer before heading home since there is still the threat from rocket fire. Klitschko said that in communities surrounding Kyiv, demining activities are not completed and several people have died as a result of explosions, the Kyiv Independent reported.
1:34 p.m.: The Kremlin has rejected Kyiv's offer to swap arrested pro-Russian Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk for Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russian troops during Moscow's ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that "Medvedchuk is not a Russian citizen and has nothing to do with the special military operation [in Ukraine]." Medvedchuk, who led the Opposition Platform — For Life party, which advocated close ties with Russia, was arrested last year on charges of treason and terrorism financing. The 67-year-old Medvedchuk denies the charges and calls them politically motivated, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
1:26 p.m.: Volunteers are working alongside humanitarian organizations to help refugees inside and outside of Ukraine. VOA’s Celia Mendoza has more from Przemysl, Poland.
1:15 p.m.: The U.N. Secretary-General warned Wednesday that as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the developing world is facing a “perfect storm” threatening to devastate many economies. “As many as 1.7 billion people — one third of whom are already living in poverty — are now highly exposed to disruptions in food, energy and finance systems that are triggering increases in poverty and hunger,” Antonio Guterres told reporters. He said 36 countries, including some of the world’s poorest, depend on Russia and Ukraine for more than half of their wheat imports. VOA’s U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer has this story.
12:58 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed additional defensive and financial aid for Kyiv as well as sanctions and alleged Russian war crimes, the Ukrainian president said Wednesday. "Continued constant dialogue with @POTUS. Assessed Russian war crimes. Discussed additional package of defensive and possible macro-financial aid. Agreed to enhance sanctions," Zelenskyy tweeted.
12:55 p.m.: Ukraine’s besieged southern city Mariupol is teetering on the brink, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported Wednesday. "The city is smashed to pieces," said Mariupol journalist Yulia Harkusha, a contributor to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service who just completed the hazardous journey from the Azov Sea port city to territory held by the Ukrainian military. "There is nothing left [for the Russians] to control. I have only seen sights like this in photographs from World War II, when Dresden was bombed," she said.
12:46 p.m.: Polish officials shared a photo of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy standing between the presidents of Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Estonia, who visited Ukraine on Wednesday in a show of solidarity and to hold talks on ways to assist civilians and the military in Ukraine, as well as how to help with investigations into allegations of Russian war crimes.
12:41 p.m.: Tech platforms such as Etsy are quickly emerging as ways to send help directly to Ukrainians. The crafts-focused marketplace has become part of the “hidden infrastructure” for global humanitarian aid. Since the start of Russia’s invasion, thousands of crafters worldwide have been selling Ukrainian-themed products on the website and sending the proceeds to charity. VOA’s Maxim Moskalkov has the story.
12:26 p.m.: The Security Service of Ukraine captured the country’s most high-profile pro-Kremlin politician Viktor Medvedchuk this week. He had fled from house arrest in February after Russia launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Medvedchuk is a member of the Ukrainian parliament and a co-leader of the pro-Kremlin Opposition Platform – For Life party, whose activities were banned in March as a result of the Russian invasion. Medvedchuk is reported to be Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s right-hand man in Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent published an article Wednesday explaining the significance of his capture.
12:13 p.m.: Human rights activist Nadia Murad launched global guidelines at the United Nations on Wednesday on how to safely and effectively collect evidence from survivors and witnesses of sexual violence in conflict. Murad, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for her efforts to end rape as a weapon of war, first addressed the U.N. Security Council in 2015 at the age of 22 - describing the torture and rape she suffered while enslaved by Islamic State a year earlier. Dubbed the Murad Code, the new guidance was developed with British funding by campaign group Nadia's Initiative and the Institute for International Criminal Investigations, aiming to reduce the risk of further trauma for survivors when providing evidence, Reuters reported.
11:58 a.m.: A senior U.S. defense official said in his regular briefing Wednesday that Russia is staging troops and equipment, including helicopters and artillery systems, in Belgorod, Valuyki, and Rovenki ahead of a “renewed push” expected to target eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. He said U.S. Javelin anti-tank missiles “continue to flow in” to Ukraine, with more expected to arrive in the next 24 hours, while the remaining switchblade anti-tank drones (of 100 authorized) are being delivered in the next 24 hours. More training is under discussion as well, he added. The senior defense official said Russian troop morale problems persist. He said there is no update on alleged Russian use of chemical weapons in Mariupol, and that “we still do not believe the Russians have taken Mariupol but clearly they remain focused on that.” VOA’s National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin shared more details on Twitter.
11:50 a.m.: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and the head of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan will speak at 12:00 p.m. at U.N. Headquarters in New York about the global impact of the war in Ukraine on food, energy and financial systems.
11:28 a.m.: Experts commissioned by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe say they found “clear patterns” of violations of international humanitarian law by Russian forces in Ukraine in a report issued Wednesday. The report also found “some violations and problems” in Ukrainian practices, voicing concern about the treatment of prisoners of war, according to The Associated Press.
11:10 a.m.: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday appealed to China and other countries to help end Russia's "heinous war" in Ukraine, warning in a landmark speech that those who seek to undermine Western sanctions face consequences, Reuters reported. Speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington, Yellen said she "fervently" hoped that China would make something positive out of its "special relationship" with Russia and said Beijing's standing in the world would suffer if it fails to do so. China cannot expect the global community to respect any future appeals on sovereignty and territorial integrity if it fails to respect these principles in Ukraine "now when it counts," she said. "The world’s attitude towards China and its willingness to embrace further economic integration may well be affected by China’s reaction to our call for resolute action on Russia," Yellen said.
11:06 a.m.: With the European Union pledging to end its dependence on Russian gas, Turkey is positioning itself as a key bridge to alternative energy supplies from other nations. VOA’s Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.
10:47 a.m.: Finland will take a decision about whether to apply to join the U.S.-led NATO alliance in the next few weeks, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday. Finland and fellow Nordic state and neighbor Sweden are close partners with NATO but have shied away from joining the 30-member alliance. "We have to be prepared for all kinds of actions from Russia," Marin told reporters at a joint news conference with her Swedish counterpart. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said the main advantage was the security of Article 5, under which the alliance regards an attack on one member as an attack on all. Russia has repeatedly warned both countries against joining NATO. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said that if they did, Russia would have to "rebalance the situation" with its own measures, Reuters reported.
10:24 a.m.: A video released Wednesday by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presents a wish list for military arms and equipment. He said, “Freedom must be armed better than tyranny. Western countries have everything to make it happen.”
10:22 a.m.: Germany's president would have liked to visit Ukraine and the fact that he was not received there was "irritating", Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, long a proponent of reconciliation with Russia, said on Tuesday Kyiv did not want him to visit. A Ukrainian official subsequently denied that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had rejected a visit offer from Steinmeier. Asked if he himself planned a visit to Kyiv, Scholz said he was in more regular contact with Zelenskyy than almost any other Western politician, Reuters reported.
10:20 a.m.: The Alliance for Securing Democracy provided analysis on Russian disinformation efforts. It said that Russia’s disinformation campaign about atrocities committed in Bucha, Ukraine, “marked the Kremlin’s most aggressive disinformation campaign of the war.” VOA’s National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin shared some highlights on Twitter Wednesday.
10:16 a.m.: The World Health Organization says attacks on health care personnel and facilities by Russian forces in Ukraine are impeding efforts to provide life-saving medical care to the beleaguered population. WHO emergency medical teams are setting up field hospitals where facilities have been damaged or destroyed, and they are working with national and international partners to set up mobile primary health care clinics. VOA’s Lisa Schlein has the story.
10:02 a.m.: Five pregnant Ukrainian surrogates bearing American children were among 60 people who were successfully rescued from the Ukrainian war zone in the past few days, according to Project DYNAMO, a Florida-based non-profit rescue organization. “The 60 evacuees included surrogate mothers, their children and family members, and others desperate to escape attacks by Russian forces and occupied areas of Ukraine,” the organization said in a press release. The surrogates were evacuated from areas near Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kherson, Nickolaev, and Kakhovka before being transported to a Project DYNAMO safe location within Ukraine, it said. It is also being used as a safe site where surrogates can remain until they are either able to deliver their babies or be transported to other safe locations far from the Russian offensive. Surrogate mothers are legally unable to leave Ukraine prior to giving birth, the organization noted.
9:51 a.m.: The Royal Court of Jersey has imposed a formal freezing order on $7 billion worth of assets linked to Roman Abramovich while police have searched properties linked to the billionaire, the British Channel Island's Law Officers' Department said. Abramovich was among several wealthy Russians added last month to British and European Union sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and governments have since been taking action to seize yachts and other luxury assets from them. Earlier this month, the Caribbean nation Antigua and Barbuda said it was willing to help Britain seize yachts owned by Abramovich. Superyachts linked to the businessman, together worth an estimated $1.2 billion, have also been docked in southwest Turkey. Abramovich had sought to sell Premier League soccer club Chelsea before he was sanctioned, but that process was taken out of his hands by the British government after his finances were blacklisted, Reuters reported.
9:45 a.m.: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen addresses an Atlantic Council forum at 10 a.m. to discuss "the future of the global economy and U.S. economic leadership"; "the way forward for the global economy in the wake of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine" and "unmet global challenges that would benefit from greater cooperation in the years ahead." Following her speech, Yellen will participate in a discussion with Financial Times columnist and associate editor Rana Foroohar.
8:56 a.m.: Russia will view U.S. and NATO vehicles transporting weapons on Ukrainian territory as legitimate military targets, Reuters reported. Any attempts by the West to inflict significant damage on Russia's military or its separatist allies in Ukraine will be "harshly suppressed," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the TASS news agency in an interview on Wednesday. "We are warning that U.S.-NATO weapons transports across Ukrainian territory will be considered by us as legal military targets," TASS quoted Ryabkov as saying. "We are making the Americans and other Westerners understand that attempts to slow down our special operation, to inflict maximum damage on Russian contingents and formations of the DPR and LPR (Donetsk and Luhansk People's republics) will be harshly suppressed," he said.
8:39 a.m.: More than a dozen yachts owned by sanctioned Russian oligarchs have been seized — or identified for seizure — since the invasion of Ukraine began, according to Axios. The fleet of yachts impounded around the world so far is worth more than $2.5 billion. That's, ultimately, a drop in the bucket of sanctioned Russian assets, yet one that's garnered outsized publicity as a symbol of the plundered wealth enjoyed for so long by Vladimir Putin's cronies, Axios reported. A Twitter account tracking Russian-owned yachts and their seizures has attracted 30,000 followers so far. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said on April 6, “It does not matter how far you sail your yacht, it does not matter how well you conceal your assets, it does not matter how cleverly you write your malware, or hide your online activity. The Justice Department will use every available tool to find you, disrupt your plots, and hold you accountable.”
8:23 a.m.: Nearly 40 countries plan to bring a draft resolution to the U.N. General Assembly that seeks to hold the five veto-wielding countries in the Security Council accountable when they exercise that right. If adopted, the resolution would require the General Assembly to meet when one of the five permanent Security Council members — Britain, China, France, Russia or the United States — uses its veto to block adoption of a council resolution. VOA’s U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer has the story.
8:14 a.m. : Pope Francis wrote in an essay published Wednesday in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera that he would never have thought a year ago that war would be raging in Europe, The Associated Press reported. The pope lamented that people’s memories are short. “Yes, because if we had a memory, we would recall what our grandparents and our parents recounted to us, and we would feel the need for peace like our lungs need oxygen.” Francis said that the way to rip out “hate from the heart” is through “dialogue, negotiations, listening, diplomatic ability and creativity, long-ranged policies capable of constructing a new system of co-existence that isn’t any longer based on weapons, on deterrence.”
8:06 a.m.: The presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia arrived in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Wednesday for official talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Kyiv Independent reported. The four join a growing number of European politicians to visit the Ukrainian capital since Russian forces were driven away from the country’s north earlier this month. The meeting will focus on ways to assist civilians and the military in Ukraine, as well as with investigations of war crimes, said a spokesperson for Estonian President Alar Karis.
7:32 a.m.: The scale of Russia’s looting of Ukraine has become clearer with new photos indicating Russian theft of hazardous materials from a site near Chernobyl’s nuclear power plant, and another image from Belarus adding to evidence that Russian soldiers mailed looted goods home. VOA has obtained exclusive photos of a nuclear laboratory from which a Ukrainian official says Russian troops stole radioactive material that could be harmful if mishandled. Michael Lipin and Igor Tsikhanenka have this story.
7:21 a.m.: The National Guard of Ukraine on Wednesday said it found weapons left behind by Russians after their withdrawal from the Kyiv region. Boxes of shells were found in the village of Korolivtski, the Kyiv Independent reported.
7:16 a.m.: Russian users of Netflix have launched a class action lawsuit against the streaming giant for leaving the Russian market, demanding 60 million roubles ($726,000) in compensation, the RIA news agency reported on Wednesday. Netflix Inc said in March that it suspended its service in Russia and had temporarily stopped all future projects and acquisitions in the country as it assessed the impact of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters.
7:05 a.m.: Countries that are seeking advantage by failing to condemn Russia's "heinous war" against Ukraine are being short-sighted and will face consequences if they undermine Western sanctions, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday in wide-ranging remarks prepared for an event hosted by the Atlantic Council think tank. Washington and its allies have sought to pressure India, China and other "fence-sitters" to take a clear stance opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yellen said the war between Russia and Ukraine had redrawn the world economic outlook. "Rest assured, until Putin ends his heinous war of choice, the Biden Administration will work with our partners to push Russia further towards economic, financial, and strategic isolation," she said.
6:51 a.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has decried an “alarming recession of democracy” and respect for human rights in many parts of the world over the past year, with governments growing “more brazen” in reaching across borders to threaten and attack critics. “In few places have the human consequences of this decline been as stark as they are in the Russian government’s brutal war on Ukraine,” Blinken said in remarks on the release of the U.S. State Department’s 2021 global human rights report. VOA's State Department Correspondent Nike Ching has this report.
6:42 a.m.: The Vatican’s decision to have both Ukrainians and Russians take part in Pope Francis’ “Way of the Cross” procession on Friday has caused friction with Ukrainian Catholic leaders, who want it to be reconsidered, Reuters reported.
6:34 a.m.: The bodies of more than 1,500 dead Russian soldiers are lying in morgues in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, deputy mayor Mykhailo Lysenko said Wednesday. The bodies remain in mortuary refrigerators since “no one wants to take them away,” he said, according to the Kyiv Independent. Ukrayinska Pravda quoted Lysenko as saying, "We hope that some of the Russian mothers will be able to come and pick up their sons, whom they raised all their lives. We already have four refrigerators full of bodies of Russian soldiers. No matter what, these are someone's children,” adding “We will organize all this, if only they take away the bodies of their sons."
6:29 a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday mocked Moscow's insistence that the war against his nation was going well, Reuters reported. Putin, speaking on Tuesday, said Russia would achieve all of its "noble" aims and "rhythmically and calmly" continue what it calls a special operation. "How could a plan that provides for the death of tens of thousands of their own soldiers in a little more than a month of war come about? Who could approve such a plan?" Zelenskyy said in a video address, and asked how many dead Russian soldiers would be acceptable to Putin. Moscow had lost more men in 48 days since the war started than in the 10-year Afghan war from 1979 to 1989, he said.
6:25 a.m.: In response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Britain said Wednesday it had added a further 206 listings under its Russia sanctions regime, Reuters reported.
6:15: a.m.: The Associated Press reported that more than 720 people have been killed in Bucha and other Kyiv suburbs that were occupied by Russian troops and more than 200 are considered missing, the Interior Ministry said early Wednesday. In Bucha alone, Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said 403 bodies had been found and the toll could rise as minesweepers comb the area.
5:15 a.m.: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Estonian parliament Wednesday urging leaders to stop Russian aggression by acting together and called for continued sanctions on Russia. Zelenskyy said imposing sanctions is the only instrument that could force Russia to consider peace, Reuters reported.
5:00 a.m.: Russia says more than 1,000 Ukrainian troops have surrendered in the besieged southeastern port of Mariupol, The Associated Press reported.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.-Gen. Igor Konashenkov said 1,026 troops from the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade surrendered at a metals plant in the city. Russian forces moved on Mariupol in late February and units in the city have been running low on supplies. Konashenkov said that the 1,026 Ukrainian marines included 162 officers and 47 female personnel, and that 151 wounded received medical treatment.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych did not comment on the alleged mass surrender, but said in a post on Twitter that elements of the 36th Marine Brigade had managed to link up with other Ukrainian forces in the city as a result of a “risky maneuver.”
4:45 a.m.: Reuters reported that at least seven people were killed and 22 wounded by shelling in Ukraine’s northeastern region of Kharkiv over the past 24 hours, Governor Oleh Synegubov said on Wednesday.
In an online post, he said a 2-year-old boy was among those killed in the 53 artillery or rocket strikes he said Russian forces had carried out in the past day in the region. Reuters added that it could not independently verify the information. Russia denies targeting civilians.
4:00 a.m.: China’s overall trade with Russia rose over 12% in March from a year earlier, slowing from February but still outpacing the growth in China’s total imports and exports, as Beijing slammed Western sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Reuters has the story.
3:30 a.m.: In Kyiv, Zelenskyy was due to host Polish President Andrzej Duda, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Latvian President Egils Levits and Estonian President Alar Karis.
“Our countries are showing support to Ukraine and President Zelenskiy in this way,” Jakub Kumoch, a Duda adviser, tweeted Wednesday.
3:00 a.m.: Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said Wednesday there was a high risk of Russia using chemical weapons against her country, echoing warnings by President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy earlier in the week, according to Reuters.
On Tuesday Malyar said authorities were checking unverified reports that Russia may have already used chemical weapons while besieging the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol and that there was a theory that phosphorous munitions had been used.
Russia has previously called U.S. talk of Russia using chemical weapons a tactic to divert attention away from awkward questions for Washington and accused Ukraine of preparing to use them, Reuters reported.
2:30 a.m.: Ukraine’s deputy defense minister said it is still too early for civilians to return to places including capital Kyiv, Reuters reported.
2:00 a.m.: The United States is expected to soon announce up to $750 million in additional security assistance to Ukraine as Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeals for more help to beat back Russian forces.
A senior congressional aide told Reuters that while the final package is still under discussion, it is likely to include heavy ground artillery systems, including howitzers. A senior U.S. defense official said Ukrainian forces have received “a significant amount” of the 100 so-called switchblade drones, equipped with tank-busting warheads, promised as part of an earlier $300 million security assistance package.
The remaining drones are expected to arrive in Ukraine in the next week or so, as are additional Javelin anti-tank missiles.
U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday “affirmed their commitment to continue providing security and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the face of ongoing atrocities by Russia,” the White House said in a statement.
1:40 a.m.: The Pentagon is holding a classified meeting Wednesday with the heads of the largest U.S. defense contractors to discuss meeting Ukraine’s needs for weapons. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks told reporters she will attend the talks.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that that the U.S. will “continue to deliver security assistance and coordinate with Allies and partners to support Ukraine’s capacity to defend itself.”
1:30 a.m.: In its battleground intelligence update Wednesday, the U.K. defense ministry said Russia’s appointment of army general Alexander Dvornikov as commander of the war in Ukraine represents attempt to centralize command and control.
Russia’s inability to cohere and coordinate military activity has hampered its invasion of Ukraine to date, the ministry tweeted. General Dvornikov’s appointment shows how Ukrainian resistance and Russia’s ineffective pre-war planning is forcing it to reassess its operations, according to the statement. The U.K. also said Russian messaging has recently emphasized progressing offensives in the Donbas as Russia’s forces refocus eastwards. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
U.S. officials allege that Dvornikov was responsible for brutal attacks on civilians in the Syrian war zone. VOA’s Ken Bredemeier has the story.
12:30 a.m.: The United States and its allies are pushing ahead with sanctions aimed at forcing Vladimir Putin to spend Russia’s money propping up its economy rather than sustaining its “war machine” for the fight in Ukraine, a top Treasury Department official said Tuesday, The Associated Press reported.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, one of the main U.S. coordinators on the Russian sanctions strategy, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the goal is to make Russia “less able to project power in the future.”
On the same day that inflation notched its steepest increase in decades, Adeyemo said reducing supply chain backlogs and managing the pandemic are key to bringing down soaring prices that he related to the ongoing land war in Ukraine, which has contributed to rising energy costs.
Adeyemo discussed the next steps the U.S. and its allies will take to inflict financial pain on Russia — and the complications the war has on rising costs to Americans back home.
Adeyemo said the U.S. and its allies will next target the supply chains that contribute to the construction of Russia’s war machine, which includes “everything from looking at ways to go after the military devices that have been built to use not only in Ukraine, but to project power elsewhere.”
12:00 a.m.: For President Joe Biden, the pain Americans are feeling in their pocketbooks comes down to an increasingly repeated slogan: “Putin’s price hike.”
For more than a month now, his administration has tried to blame rising prices on the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine. But the truth is a little more complicated, analysts say. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell reports from Washington.
Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
