Russia-Ukraine Crisis Highlights: Russia says Ukrainian fighters 'securely blockaded' at Mariupol steel plant

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will visit Moscow on April 26, and will meet with Russia's President Vladimir Putin following its February invasion of Ukraine, a spokesperson for the UN chief said. Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry said that Ukrainian fighters and foreign mercenaries had been "securely blockaded" at the Azovstal steel plant where they have been holding out in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Stay tuned for more updates.

Russia says Ukrainian fighters 'securely blockaded' at Mariupol steel plant

Russia's defence ministry said on Friday that Ukrainian fighters and foreign mercenaries had been "securely blockaded" at the Azovstal steel plant where they have been holding out in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

President Vladimir Putin had ordered his defence minister on Thursday to block off the vast Azovstal complex rather than try to storm it.

UN chief to visit Moscow on Tuesday, will meet Putin

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will visit Moscow on Tuesday, and will meet withRussia's President Vladimir Putin following its February invasion of Ukraine, a spokesperson for the UNchief said.

Putin says Kyiv refusing to allow Mariupol troops to surrender

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused Kyiv of refusing to allow Ukrainian troops to surrender in the besieged port city of Mariupol, as he spoke to EU chief Charles Michel.

UN documents 'unlawful' killings in Ukraine as Russia vows bigger campaign

Russiasaid Friday it intended a full-bore assault to carve out a sizeable slice of Ukraine but risked intensified world outrage as the UN documented the killing of dozens of civilians in one town.

Ukraine's government, emboldened by a fresh influx of high-grade Western weaponry, said its beleaguered forces were still holding out inside a sprawling, seaside steelworks in the razed city of Mariupol.

Russian success in Ukraine 'hinges on Mariupol': Governor

The success ofRussia's military operation in Ukraine depends on Moscow's ability to capture the strategic port city of Mariupol, which has been surrounded for weeks by Russian forces, the regional governor told AFP Friday.

"The enemy's offensive operation in the south hinges on Mariupol. The enemy is trying to focus all its efforts on it," Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

Erdogan says plans calls with Putin, Zelenskiy for leaders' meeting

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he was planning to hold phone calls with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in the coming days, adding that he hoped the calls could lead to a leaders' meeting in Turkey to end the Russia-Ukraine war.NATO member Turkey shares a martime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has good ties with both, and has taken a mediating role. It has hosted talks between the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers in Antalya, and negotiators from both countries in Istanbul, while pushing for a leaders' meeting.

Russia ready for truce at Mariupol plant 'at any moment'

Russia's defence ministry said Friday it was ready for a humanitarian ceasefire at Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant -- the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in the strategic port city -- if Kyiv's soldiers surrender.

"We once again declare thatRussiais ready at any moment to introduce a regime of silence and announce a humanitarian pause for the evacuation of civilians," the defence ministry said, adding that the ceasefire would start with the "raising of white flags" by Ukraine's forces.

Russian actions in Ukraine may amount to war crimes: UN

Russian actions in Ukraine, which have included summary executions of civilians and levelling of civilian infrastructure, may amount to war crimes, the UN said on Friday.

"Our work to date has detailed a horror story of violations perpetrated against civilians," United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Friday.

"Over these eight weeks, international humanitarian law has not merely been ignored but seemingly tossed aside," she said.

Both the leaders discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. PM Modi expressed deep concern over the situation &mounting humanitarian crisis. PM reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of violence & conveyed strong advocacy for a peaceful resolution of the situation: FS

Baltic nations not buying Russian gas at the moment, Latvia says

Baltic European Union members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are not buying Russian gas at the moment and aim to also avoid doing so in the future, Latvia's Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said on Friday.

"We will cooperate for that, to ensure enough gas supplies, and we will use the underground gas storage in Latvia," Karins told a joint news conference following a meeting of the three Baltic prime ministers.[ Reuters Reported]

A United Nations mission to the Kyiv suburb of Bucha has documented that 50 civilians had been killed there, including by summary execution, the UN said on Friday

"During a mission to Bucha on the ninth of April, UN human rights officers documented the unlawful killing including by summary execution of some 50 civilians there," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. [AFP Reported]

As part of the second phase of military operation, Russia plans to take full control of Donbas and southern Ukraine soon, Reuters reports

Russia's military focus now seems to be on seizing the easternDonbasregion, where Russian-backed separatists control the Donetsk and Lugansk areas. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP)

UK police say examining about 50 allegations of Ukraine war crimes

British police said on Friday they were gathering evidence after receiving about 50 reports of alleged war crimes following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

London's Metropolitan Police War Crimes Team said its specialist detectives were assessing some 50 referrals made since the start of the conflict as part of action in support of an International Criminal Court investigation.

"We’ve had around 50 referrals into us and we expect that number to grow over the coming weeks as more and more people who fled from Ukraine arrive here in the UK," said Detective Chief Superintendent Dominic Murphy from London police's Counter Terrorism Command.

The United States and European countries, including Britain, have accused Russian forces of war crimes since the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Russia, which says it has launched a "special military operation" to "denazify" Ukraine, has rejected the allegations, accusing the West of faking evidence to smear its army.[Reuters Reported]

No evacuations of civilians will take place in war-torn Ukraine on Friday as the situation on the roads is too dangerous, a senior official said.

"Because of the insecurity along the routes, there will be no humanitarian corridors today, April 22," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

"To all those who are waiting for an evacuation, please be patient and hold on," she said.

On Thursday, some 79 people, mostly women, were evacuated on three buses from the shattered port city of Mariupol.

The 225-kilometre (140 miles) journey to Zaporizhzhia -- which used to take three hours in peacetime -- took more than 24 hours.

Moscow and Kyiv regularly accuse each other of torpedoing evacuation plans. [AFP Reported]

The devastated city of Mariupol "continues to resist" despite Russian claims to have captured it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday

Russia says it has "liberated" the city, with just a few thousand Ukrainian soldiers left in the Azovstal plant complex, where thousands more civilians are also believed to have taken refuge.

But Zelensky said the battle was continuing, with Russia "doing everything to have a reason to talk about at least some victories."

"They can only delay the inevitable -- the time when the invaders will have to leave our territory, in particular Mariupol, a city that continues to resist Russia, despite everything the occupiers say," he said in a video address.

The southern port city has been the target of relentless Russian attacks as Moscow tries to create a land bridge connecting annexed Crimea and the Russian-based separatist statelets in the Donbas region.

Ukrainian officials have appealed for an immediate humanitarian corridor to allow civilians and wounded fighters to leave the sprawling Azovstal steel plant.

"They have almost no food, water, essential medicine,"Ukraine's foreign ministry said.

Satellite images released Thursday showed what appeared to be mass graves near Mariupol, and local officials accused Russia of burying up to 9,000 Ukrainian civilians there in an effort to conceal the slaughter taking place in the siege of the port city

Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the region’s population, previously at around 1.6 million, has been reduced to 430,000 since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24

Germany will allocate about $40 million to Ukraine for the reconstruction of the country, announces the Federal government

Satellite images released Thursday showed what appeared to be mass graves near Mariupol, and local officials accusedRussiaof burying up to 9,000 Ukrainian civilians there in an effort to conceal the slaughter taking place in the siege of the port city.

The images emerged hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the battle for the Mariupol, despite the presence of an estimated 2,000 Ukrainian fighters who were still holed up at a giant steel mill.

Germany will allocate about $40 million to Ukraine for the reconstruction of the country, announces the Federal government

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces control most of Mariupol but Ukrainian troops remain in a part of it

About 120,000 civilians were blocked from leaving, he said

Mariupol 'continues to resist', Ukrainian president says

The devastated city of Mariupol "continues to resist" despite Russian claims to have captured it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday as he welcomed fresh US aid to help confront Moscow's eastern offensive.

Russiasays it has "liberated" the city, with just a few thousand Ukrainian soldiers left in the Azovstal plant complex, where thousands more civilians are also believed to have taken refuge.

But Zelensky said the battle continued.

Russia fires missiles at Khortytsia Island in Zaporizhzhia: Report

According to the regional military administration, eight civilians were injured as a result of attacks

Russia issues travel bans over Ukraine war sanctions

Russia on Thursday slapped travel bans on US Vice President Kamala Harris, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and dozens of prominent Americans and Canadians in retaliation for sanctions imposed over Ukraine.

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Ukraine needs $7 bn a month to recoup losses: Zelenskyy

Ukraine needs $7 billion in month to keep its economy afloat amid the "economic losses" inflicted by Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday, as the United States announced another infusion of financial aid for the country.

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