Russia-Ukraine Crisis Highlights: UK PM Johnson meets Zelesnkyy in Kyiv

Ukraine called for more weapons and harsher sanctions after it blamed Russia for a missile attack that killed at least 52 people at a train station packed with women, children and the elderly fleeing the threat of a Russian offensive in the east. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike in Kramatorsk in the eastern region of Donetsk a deliberate attack on civilians. The city's mayor estimated about 4,000 people were gathered there at the time. Stay tuned for live updates.

Boris Johnson meets with Zelensky in Kyiv

British Prime Minister BorisJohnsonmet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, an aide to the Ukrainian leader said.

"BorisJohnson's visit in Kyiv began just now with a tete-a-tete meeting with President Zelensky," presidential aide Andriy Sybiha said on Facebook, posting a photo of the pair.

Air ammunition depot in Poltava region destroyed, says Russian Defence Ministry

Russian Defence Ministry says Russian forces have destroyed air ammunition depot in Ukraine's Poltava region. (Reuters)

Russia responsible for April 8 missile attack in Kramarorsk: Pentagon

Pentagon says Russia responsible for April 8 missile attack in Kramarorsk. A representative of the USDefense Department has said that the Pentagon did not buy Russia's claims that Ukraine carried out the attack, RFE/RL reported. The attack killed at least 52 people. (The Kyiv Independent)

YouTube blocks channel of State Duma of Russia

YouTube on Saturday blockedchannel of the State Duma of Russia, which hadabout 145,000 subscribers, NEXTA reported.

Protests against sexual abuse by Russian soldiers

Women hold signs as they form a flash mob to protest sexual abuse by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, in Washington Square Park in New York City.

(AFP Photos)

More evacuations needed from Ukraine's Luhansk as shelling increases: Governor

More evacuations are needed from the Luhansk region in Ukraine as shelling has increased in recent days and more Russian forces have been arriving, Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Saturday.

He said that some 30% of people still remain in settlements across the region and have been asked to evacuate.

"They (Russia) are amassing forces for an offensive and we see the number of shelling has increased," Gaidai told the public television broadcaster. (Reuters)

Would prefer India to move away from NAM, Russia: US diplomat

The United States would prefer India to move away from its “long-term history of non-alignment G77 partnership with Russia”, the Biden Administration has told lawmakers, observing that there is a great opportunity for defence trade with India. America’s relationship with India is a very critical one, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee during a Congressional hearing early this week.

“They are the largest democracy in the world. We have a strong defence relationship with them. They are part of the Quad, with Australia and Japan, and we are moving forward on many achievements that are critical to Indo-Pacific prosperity and security,” she said.

“We, obviously, would prefer that India move away from their long-term history of non-alignment G77 partnership with Russia,” Sherman said in response to a question from Congressman Tim Burchett. (PTI)

UK says Russia continues to hit Ukrainian non-combatants

Russia continues to hit Ukrainian non-combatants, such as the civilians killed in Friday's rocket strike on Kramatorsk railway station in eastern Ukraine, British military intelligence said on Saturday.

"Russian operations continue to focus on the Donbas region, Mariupol and Mykolaiv, supported by continued cruise missile launches into Ukraine by Russian naval forces," the Ministry of Defence said, adding that Russia's ambitions to establish a land corridor between Crimea and the Donbas continue to be thwarted by Ukrainian resistance.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. (Reuters)

Russia expels 45 Polish diplomats in retaliation

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced its decision to expel 45 Polish diplomats in response to the expulsion of the same number of Russian diplomats from Poland last month.

In a statement on Friday night, the Ministry said it had summoned the Polish Ambassador and declared 45 employees of Poland's Embassy in Moscow and of Polish consulates in Irkutsk, Kaliningrad and St Petersburg "personae non-gratae" who must leaveRussiaby April 13, according to Xinhua news agency.

Ramaphosa, Biden talk after South Africa abstains from UN Russia vote

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held telephone talks Friday with US President Joe Biden, a day after the continental powerhouse abstained from voting on a resolution suspendingRussiafrom a UN rights body over its aggression in Ukraine.

Ramaphosa, whose government has been criticised for refusing to condemn Moscow's bloody invasion, had a day earlier blasted the UN Security Council as "outdated" and in dire need of an overhaul.

Ukraine hopes to receive EU candidate country status in June

In an address on April 8, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna said she hoped Ukraine would get candidate status when EU leaders meet at a summit in June.

(The Kyiv Independent)

Don’t expect Russia to be ousted from UN Security Council: White House

A day afterRussia’ssuspension from the UN Human Rights Council amid its invasion of Ukraine, the White House on Friday said it does not anticipate the same for Moscow in the Security Council where it is a veto-wielding Permanent Member.

“I know a question has been asked about whetherRussiashould be kicked out of being a permanent member. We don't anticipate that happening,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news briefing.

Ukraine says 67 buried in mass grave

The Ukrainian prosecutor general's office says approximately 67 bodies were buried in a mass grave near a church in Bucha, a northern Kyiv suburb where journalists and returning Ukrainians discovered scores of bodies on streets and elsewhere after Russian troops withdrew.

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Moscow shutting down Amnesty, Human Rights Watch in Russia

Russia said on Friday that it was shutting down the local offices of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International which have been working in the country for the past 30 years.

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Don’t expect Russia to be ousted from UN Security Council: WH

A day afterRussia’ssuspension from the UN Human Rights Council amid its invasion of Ukraine, the White House on Friday said it does not anticipate the same for Moscow in the Security Council where it is a veto-wielding Permanent Member.

“I know a question has been asked about whetherRussiashould be kicked out of being a permanent member. We don't anticipate that happening,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news briefing.