Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Explosions heard near Ukraine's Lviv

American President Joe Biden paid a visit to Poland, which borders Ukraine, to take stock of the refugee crisis. Meanwhile, Russia slightly altered its stance on its 'military operation' by claiming that it does not intend to bomb major Ukrainian cities but only take control of the eastern part of the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he is ready for peace talks, amid the barrage of deaths and suffering his fellow nationals are facing.

Five hurt in strikes on fuel depot in Lviv

At least five people were wounded Saturday in strikes that targeted a fuel storage facility near Lviv, officials said, in a rare attack on the west Ukraine city one month into Russia's invasion.

(AFP)

Biden says 'not sure' Russia has changed strategy in Ukraine

US President Joe Biden on Saturday cast doubt on signals from Russia that it is planning to focus its war aims in Ukraine only on controlling the eastern Donbas region.

Asked what he thought about Russia's change in strategy after meeting refugees in Warsaw, Biden responded: "I am not sure they have".

(AFP)

Russian defence minister reappears after 2-week absence

The defence ministry published a video showing Sergei Shoigu, a staunch ally of President Vladimir Putin, chairing a meeting onRussia's defence procurement.

No dates accompany the images on state television but Shoigu refers to a finance ministry meeting that took place on Friday.

The minister said arms orders and supplies are taking place as planned "despite difficulties we are having today" from the Western sanctions imposed after Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24.

Some Russian media reports have speculated that Shoigu could have health problems.

(AFP)

Georgia's breakaway region sends troops to Ukraine

Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia has sent troops to Ukraine to "help protectRussia", its leader said on Saturday, as Moscow's military campaign in the neighbouring country entered its 31st day.

"Our guys are going to fulfil their military duty with a proudly raised banner," the leader of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, said on Telegram.

(AFP)

Turkey defuses mine that it says floated off Black Sea

Turkey’s Defense Minister Halusi Akar said they neutralized the “old type of mine” after fishermen spotted it in the upper Bosphorus Strait. Turkey said it’s in touch with Ukraine and Russia regarding the incident.

(The Kyiv Independent)

'Your freedom is ours': Biden affirms allegiance to Poland

On his final day in Europe, President Joe Biden on Saturday sought to reassure Poland that the United States would defend against any attacks by Russia and he acknowledged that the NATO ally bore the burden of the refugee crisis from the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

“Your freedom is ours," Biden told Poland's president, Andrzej Duda, echoing one of Poland's unofficial mottos.

Russian forces damage Holocaust memorial outside Kharkiv

The Ministry of Defense said that the Russian troops hit the memorial in Drobytsky Yar, a ravine where, according to different estimates, from 16,000-20,000 people, mostly Jews, were massacred by Nazi troops in 1941.

(The Kyiv Independent)

Ukraine defence minister says he feels "cautious optimism" after meeting Joe Biden and US counterpart

Biden says NATO article 5 is 'sacred commitment' for US

The US has a "sacred commitment" to the NATO military alliance's collective defence, US President Joe Biden told his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on Saturday during a visit to Warsaw.

"You can count on that... For your freedom and ours," he told Duda, who said that Poles were feeling a "great sense of threat" as a result of the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine. - AFP.

Kyiv mayor cancels Sunday curfew

The mayor of Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Saturday cancelled a curfew he had announced just hours earlier for the next day without providing further explanation.

"New information from the military command: the Kyiv curfew will not enter into force tomorrow," mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram.

The usual overnight curfew from 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) to 07:00 am (0500 GMT) would hold but people would "be able to freely move around Kyiv on Sunday during the day", he added.

On Saturday morning, Klitschko had said a fresh curfew would be imposed on the capital from Saturday evening until Monday morning. - AFP.

UK to send vital food supplies for besieged Ukrainian cities

The UK will provide GBP 2 million in vital food supplies for areas of Ukraine encircled by Russian forces, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Saturday.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the decision follows a direct request from the government of Ukraine, with the supplies covering a rapid donation of dried food, tinned goods and water.

Warehouses in Poland and Slovakia are being readied to supply these goods to the government of Ukraine from early next week. - PTI.

Poland taking big responsibility in Ukraine crisis, says Joe Biden

Poland is taking a "significant" responsibility in the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, US President Joe Biden said during a visit to Warsaw on Saturday, adding that the world should help lessen the burden.

Biden also told his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda he views NATO's Article 5 guarantee of mutual defence between member-states as a "sacred" commitment. - Reuters.

Russia says not planning to call up reserves

Russia said Saturday it did not plan to call up reservists as Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine entered its 31st day, denouncing what it claimed were "false" summons to Russian men by Kyiv's security services.

"The Russian defence ministry is not summoning and does not plan to summon any reservists to the military commissariats," spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

In the statement posted on messaging app Telegram, Konashenkov said that "many" Russian men had in recent days received "false" phone calls notifying them of their summons to the military commissariats. - AFP.

Putin can't win his 'unprovoked, illogical' war, says deputy NATO chief

NATO Deputy-General Secretary Mircea Geoana says that Russian President Vladimir Putin's month-old “barbaric war” against Ukraine is a war he cannot win.

In an interview with The Associated Press, the former Romanian foreign minister and ambassador to the United States added that NATO would be “forced to take appropriate measures” in the event of a chemical or nuclear attack, which follows a string of ominous comments from Moscow officials who refuse to rule out their use. He declined to say what those measures would be.

Ukraine agriculture minister says spring sowing is underway in unoccupied territory, but grain crisis can only be resolved if war ends

Ukraine agirculture minister says country's grains export situation getting worse by the day

Survivors describe 'horror' of Mariupol siege

Blinken set to see Israelis, Arabs wary about Iran, Ukraine

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will try to use his three-nation tour of the Middle East and North Africa to reassure wary Israelis and Arabs that the Biden administration is committed to the region's security at a time when Washington is confronting multiple foreign policy challenges.

US preoccupation with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and bolstering NATO's presence in Eastern Europe has fueled concerns that America's attention may be stretched thin. - AP.

Ukraine conflict unleashed 'WWIII' of misinformation, says deputy FM Emine Dzhaparova

The Ukraine conflict has unleashed a "Third World War" over misinformation, an official from the beleaguered country said Saturday, while experts warned of the difficulty in convincing Russians what their army is doing.

Russia's war on Ukraine has also forced a profound change in the way big tech companies are handling information, experts told the Doha Forum at which Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova put Ukraine's case.

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EU recovery fund could be repurposed over Ukraine - German finmin

The European Union recovery fund set up to help the bloc recover from the Covid-19 pandemic could be repurposed in light of the war in Ukraine, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner was quoted as saying on Saturday.

"In view of the changed situation, I'm open to prioritising the available funds," Lindner told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper. - Reuters.

Shelled city in north Ukraine fears becoming 'next Mariupol'

Like many residents of Ukraine's besieged city of Chernihiv, linguistics scholar Ihar Kazmerchak spends his nights in a bomb shelter and starts his day lining up for the little potable water authorities have left to hand out.

Surrounded by Russian forces and under constant bombardment, the northern city known for its eclectic monasteries has no electricity, heating or running water. The lists at pharmacies of the medicines no longer available grow longer by the day.

“In basements at night, everyone is talking about one thing: Chernihiv becoming next Mariupol,” Kazmerchak, 38, said, referring to the southern port city 845 kilometres (525 miles) away that has suffered some of the worst horrors since Russia invaded Ukraine. - AP.

Biden meets Ukrainian ministers in Warsaw: White House pool

US President Joe Biden on Saturday met with Ukraine's foreign and defence ministers at the Marriott Hotel in central Warsaw in his first talks with top Kyiv officials since Russia's invasion began.

During the meeting, Biden was seated at a long white table alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin facing Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, a White House pool report said. - AFP.

Russia holds military drills with S-400 missiles in Kaliningrad region

Russia has staged military drills engaging S-400 surface-to-air missiles in its western Kaliningrad exclave, Interfax reported on Saturday, citing the Baltic Fleet.

It said that Su-27 fighter jets were also deployed in the exercises.

Russia was also on Saturday conducting drills on islands claimed by Japan. - Reuters.

Zelenskyy calls on energy producers to hike output

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on energy-producing countries on Saturday to increase output so that Russia cannot use its oil and gas wealth to "blackmail" other nations.

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Biden to call on 'free world' to stand against Putin

US President Joe Biden will argue in a speech in Poland on Saturday that the "free world" opposes Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that there is unity among major economies on the need to stop Vladimir Putin, the White House said.

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Japan's Kishida sees growing chance of Russia using nuclear weapons

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday the prospect of Russia using nuclear weapons was "increasingly real", welcoming a visit by the US ambassador to Hiroshima, the first city to suffer a nuclear attack.

"When the possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia is increasingly real, I believe Ambassador Emanuel's visit to Hiroshima and his experience of seeing the nuclear reality will become a strong message to the international society," Kishida told public broadcaster NHK. - Reuters.

More than 100,000 people still need to be evacuated from Mariupol: Ukraine's deputy PM

More than 100,000 people still need to be evacuated from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on national television on Saturday. - Reuters.

Ukraine defence minister says he and foreign minister Kuleba held joint meeting with US counterparts for first time

Ukraine military imposes longer curfew in Kyiv

A longer curfew in the Ukrainian capital will be imposed from 2000 local time (1800 GMT) on Saturday until 0800 local time on Monday, the mayor of Kyiv said.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in an online post that the decision was made by the Ukrainian military, without giving further details. - Reuters.

Don't blame non-alignment for India's Ukraine inaction

Despite its vishwaguru aspirations, India has ceded the role of proactive peacemaker to other countries.

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Biden to meet two Ukrainian ministers in Warsaw: White House

US President Joe Biden will join a meeting on Saturday in Warsaw between the Ukrainian foreign and defence ministers and their US counterparts, the White House said.

"This morning, President Biden will drop by a meeting between Secretaries (Antony) Blinken and (Lloyd) Austin and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov," the White House said. - AFP.

Russian defence minister seen speaking at army meeting after long public silence

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was seen chairing an army meeting and discussing weapons supplies in a video posted by his ministry on Saturday, the first time he had publicly been shown speaking for more than two weeks.

Ukraine says Russia's war kills 136 children so far

The war in Ukraine has killed 136 children in the 31 days since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine's office of the prosecutor general said on Saturday in a message on the Telegram app.

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Mariupol mayor says street fighting is ongoing in city centre

Mariupol mayor says he discussed evacuation options for civilians with French ambassador

Kyiv region head says Russian forces have seized Chernobyl workers' town

Russian forces have taken control of the town of Slavutych, where workers at the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant live, the governor of Kyiv region Oleksandr Pavlyuk said on Saturday.

In an online statement, Pavlyuk said Russian troops had occupied the hospital in Slavutych and kidnapped the mayor.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

On Friday, Ukraine said its troops had repulsed a first attack by Russian troops closing in on the town.

Ukraine says 10 humanitarian corridors agreed for front line areas

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said agreement has been reached on the establishment of 10 humanitarian corridors on Saturday to evacuate civilians from front line hotspots in Ukrainian towns and cities

Speaking on national television, she said civilians trying to leave the besieged southern port of Mariupol would have to leave in private cars as Russian forces were not letting buses through their checkpoints around the southern port city.

Reuters could not independently verify this information.

Ukraine and Russia have traded blame when humanitarian corridors have failed to work in recent weeks.

Russia fuelling nuclear arms race, says Zelenskyy

Russia's "bragging" about its nuclear weapons is fuelling a dangerous arms race, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Doha Forum on Saturday.

"They are bragging that they can destroy with nuclear weapons not only a certain country but the entire planet," Zelenskyy said in a video message to the forum of political and business leaders. - AFP.

Destroyed Russian military vehicles are seen, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, near the town of Trostianets, in the Sumy region, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters photo/Iryna Rybakova/Press service of the Ukrainian Ground Forces

Zelenskyy asks Doha forum to increase output of energy so everyone in Russia understands that no one can use energy as blackmail

All Russian roots, common history of the Russian & Ukrainian peoples were ripped out in Ukraine: Sergei Lavrov

Away from war, Ukrainians make new home in German town

Many of the over three million people who have fled Ukraine have sought refuge in Poland, but some chose to head westwards.

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Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses Doha forum in presence of Qatar Emir

Flames and smoke rise from a fire following a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Credit: AP/PTI Photo

English town sends message to Putin, Ukrainian refugees

A peaceful market town in the east of England is uniting for Ukraine, sending aid trucks, prepping beds for refugees and even raising funds with an expletive-laden pub cocktail.

Like many communities around Europe, the people of Diss, population 8,000, want to do their bit to help Ukraine, identifying with the immediacy and proximity of the conflict in a different way to wars in Syria, Afghanistan or further afield. - AFP.

Russian invasion of Ukraine has killed 136 children so far, says Ukraine prosecutor general's office

'Godfather' director pleads for end to Ukraine invasion

Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola made an impassioned plea for the Russian invasion of Ukraine to end during his acceptance speech at ICG Publicists Guild awards luncheon.

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A man walks on the debris of a burning house, destroyed after a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Credit: AP/PTI Photo

Russian budget doesn't have funds for military in war against Ukraine: Report

The Chief Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence said that that the Russian budget does not have funds for further payments to the military for participation in the ongoing war against Kiev.

"After the promised payments to the military of the aggressors' army, the Russian military has had problems with funding. It has turned out that the budget does not provide for payment of these costs. And given the unsatisfactory state of Russia's financial system due to sanctions, additional funds cannot be found in the budget," Ukrayinska Pravda quoted the Directorate as saying. - IANS.

Russia conducts military drills on isles disputed with Japan

Russia was conducting drills on islands claimed by Tokyo, Japanese media said on Saturday, days after Moscow halted peace talks with Japan because of its sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's Eastern Military District said it was conducting military drills on the Kuril islands with more than 3,000 troops and hundreds of pieces of army equipment, Russia's Interfax news agency said Friday. - Reuters.

Biden to call on 'free world' to stand against Putin in Poland speech

US President Joe Biden will argue in a speech in Poland on Saturday that the "free world" opposes Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that there is unity among major economies on the need to stop Vladimir Putin, the White House said.

After three days of emergency meetings with allies of the G7, European Council and NATO, and a visit with US troops in Poland, Biden will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Biden, who took office last year after a violently contested election, vowed to restore democracy at home and unite democracies abroad to confront autocrats including the Russian president and China's leader Xi Jinping. - Reuters.

Russia signalled Friday it may dial back its war aims to focus on eastern Ukraine after failing to break the nation's resistance in a month of fighting and attacks on civilians, including bombing a crowded theatre where up to 300 died

The possible shift came as President Joe Biden, fresh from a series of Western summits in Brussels, visited elite US troops serving with NATO just across the border in Poland.

President Vladimir Putin initially ordered the invasion to destroy Ukraine's military and topple pro-Western President Volodymyr Zelensky, bringing the country under Russia's sway.

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Just 60 miles from Ukraine, US President Joe Biden saluted Poland on Friday for welcoming more than 2 million refugees who have fled Russia's invasion. Then he met with humanitarian experts on the ground about mitigating the growing suffering

Biden said he had hoped to get even closer to the border but was prevented because of security concerns. Still, he said he wanted to visit Poland to underscore that the assistance it is providing is of “enormous consequence" as Europe experiences the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. “It's not stopping," Biden said of the devastation in Ukraine. "It's like something out of a science fiction movie.”

The government of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol says 300 people died in a Russian airstrike on March 16 on a theatre being used as a bomb shelter.

The post Friday on the city government Telegram channel cited eyewitnesses for the toll of “about 300.” It was not immediately clear whether emergency workers had finished excavating the site or how the eyewitnesses arrived at the horrific death toll. When the theater was struck, an enormous inscription reading “CHILDREN” was posted outside in Russian, intended to be visible from the skies above.

Lithuania allows 100 trains a month to carry Russian passengers to and from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad

Ukraine notches up defence, destroys Russian arsenal

Ukraine destroyed Russian three airplanes, five cruise missiles, three UAVs, and a helicopter on March 25, according to the Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

(The Kyiv Independent)

European Union countries agree to jointly purchase gas

European Union countries have agreed to jointly buy and store gas, hydrogen and liquefied natural gas to address the challenge of reducing energy dependence onRussiawhile protecting Europeans from spiralling energy costs. They stopped short of imposing a ceiling on energy prices, however.

Macron: France, Turkey and Greece want to evacuate people from Mariupol

President of France announced "exceptional humanitarian operation" in Mariupol to evacuate civilians who want to leave the city. Macron added that he would discuss this issue with Putin in the next 2-3 days.

(NEXTA)