Russia-Ukraine Crisis Highlights: Russia slaps sanctions against 398 members of US Congress

Russian troops intensified their campaign to take the port city of Mariupol on Tuesday as part of an anticipated massive onslaught across eastern Ukraine that the United States warned might include the use of chemical weapons. Moscow is believed to be trying to connect occupied Crimea with Russian-backed separatist territories Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbas, and has laid siege to the strategically located city, once home to more than 400,000 people. stay tuned for more updates.

Russia slaps sanctions against 398 members of US Congress (AFP)

Russia warns of striking Kyiv if Ukraine continues attacks on Russian territory

The Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday that if attacks on Russian territory continue then its forces will strike at the places in Ukraine, including Kyiv, where such decisions are made.

It also said that Mariupol's trade sea port was under full control, while all the "hostages" from the vessels at the port have been freed. - Reuters.

UN chief says humanitarian truce in Ukraine not possible at moment

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine does not seem possible at the moment.

Guterres sent UN aid chief Martin Griffiths to Russia and Ukraine recently to see if a humanitarian truce could be agreed. - Reuters.

France to send additional military aid to Ukraine - defence minister

France will send more military capacities to Ukraine in addition to some 100 million euros of equipment already provided, Defence Minister Florence Parly said on Wednesday.

In a post on Twitter, Parly did not say what Paris would be sending. - Reuters.

Ukraine's armed forces command says Russian forces ready to attack in Donetsk and Kherson regions

EU to help Ukrainian refugees convert cash

EU countries decided Wednesday to offer Ukrainian refugees easier access to their currencies, allowing them to exchange hundreds of euros' worth of their local hryvnia banknotes free of charge.

The European Council said member state ambassadors had endorsed its recommendation on the conversion of hryvnia banknotes, with the initiative expected to be formally adopted and put into force next Tuesday.

Many of the 4.6 million Ukrainians who have poured out of their war-ravaged country since the Russian invasion have struggled to access EU currency, with many European banks refusing to accept the hryvnia. - AFP.

Russia says Ukraine dragging out peace talks

Russia's foreign ministry on Wednesday accused Kyiv of dragging out peace talks with Moscow as it pursues its military campaign.

Speaking at her weekly briefing, spokesperson Maria Zakharova added that talks between the two sides were continuing in an online format. - Reuters.

World unequally treating crises affecting black and white lives: WHO chief

The WHO chief said Wednesday that the world was treating crises affecting black and white lives unequally, with only a "fraction" of the attention on Ukraine given to other humanitarian emergencies.

"I don't know if the world really gives equal attention to black and white lives. The whole attention to Ukraine is very important of course, because it impacts the whole world. But even a fraction of it is not being given to Tigray, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria and the rest. A fraction," World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference. - AFP.

Kremlin rejects idea of exchanging Ukraine's Putin ally

The Kremlin on Wednesday rejected the idea of exchanging a controversial Kyiv ally of Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin for Ukrainians detained by Russia.

Lawmaker and businessman Viktor Medvedchuk, one of Ukraine's richest people, is known for his close ties to Putin and says the Russian leader is godfather to his youngest daughter, Darya.

Ukrainian authorities announced Tuesday they had captured Medvedchuk, 67, who escaped from house arrest after Russia sent troops to the pro-Western country on February 24. - AFP.

Freedom must be armed better than tyranny: Zelenskyy

Nearly 100 Ukraine heritage sites damaged in Russian invasion

Almost 100 cultural and religious sites in Ukraine have sustained damage since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, the United Nation's cultural agency UNESCO said on Wednesday.

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France's Marine Le Pen wants closer NATO-Russia links, no Frexit

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said on Wednesday that once the Russia-Ukraine war is over, she will propose closer links between NATO and Russia.

She also said that she does not want France to leave the European Union and added that she would respect the Paris agreement on climate change if she were elected president.

The second round of the election is on April 24. Le Pen came second behind President Emmanuel Macron in the first round and polling firms put her closely behind Macron for the second round. - Reuters.

Kremlin says Biden's 'genocide' comments are wrong and unacceptable

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it categorically disagreed with US President Joe Biden's description of Russia's actions in Ukraine as 'genocide'.

Biden said on Tuesday that Russia's behaviour in Ukraine amounted to genocide in his view, using that word for the first time.

"We consider this kind of effort to distort the situation unacceptable," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on a conference call with reporters."

This is hardly acceptable from a president of the United States, a country that has committed well-known crimes in recent times," Peskov said. - Reuters.

Russia views US, NATO weapon transports in Ukraine as legitimate targets

Russia will view US and NATO vehicles transporting weapons on Ukrainian territory as legitimate military targets, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the TASS news agency in an interview on Wednesday.

"We are warning that US-NATO weapons transports across Ukrainian territory will be considered by us as legal military targets," TASS quoted him as saying. - Reuters.

Ukraine says 2 million tonnes of wheat could be exported by end of season

Ukraine's Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskiy said on Wednesday at a conference in Prague that Ukraine could export 2 million tonnes of wheat by the end of the current season. - Reuters.

Zelenskyy says Europe must act before Russia attacks other countries

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday urged Europe to take more action against Russia, warning that "we can either stop Russia or lose the whole of Eastern Europe".

"If Europe wastes time, Russia will use it to expand the war zone to other countries," he said in an address to the Estonian parliament. - AFP.

Moscow says West is trying to trigger a Russian default

Western countries are trying to provoke a default in Russia, the TASS news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Wednesday.

Ryabkov also said that Russia remained open to finding solutions to problems on strategic issues, TASS reported. - Reuters.

Russia not planning to nationalise foreign firms leaving country

The speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament Valentina Matviyenko said on Wednesday that Moscow has no plans to nationalise foreign companies leaving Russia, RIA news agency cited the lawmaker as saying. - Reuters.

Infosys to move business out of Russia

Indian software behemoth Infosys Ltd said on Wednesday it is moving its business out of Russia and is pursuing alternate options against the backdrop of the Ukraine conflict.

Several other global IT and software players including Oracle Corp and SAP SE have either suspended or paused all operations in Russia. - Reuters.

Ukraine is a crime scene, says ICC chief prosecutor

OSCE experts document 'catalog of inhumanity' by Russia in Ukraine

An initial report by a mission of experts set up by Organization for Security and Cooperation and Europe (OSCE) nations documents a "catalog of inhumanity" by Russian troops in Ukraine including war crimes, the US ambassador to the OSCE said on Wednesday.

"The report documents the catalog of inhumanity perpetrated by Russia's forces in Ukraine," Michael Carpenter said in a statement. "This includes evidence of direct targeting of civilians, attacks on medical facilities, rape, executions, looting, and forced deportation of civilians to Russia." - Reuters.

Finnish government's whitepaper on security says Russia's invasion of Ukraine has profoundly changed Finland's security environment

Japan's defence minister looking into further aid for Ukraine

Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said on Wednesday he would continue to look into further possible assistance for Ukraine after he held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart.

Ukraine's Oleksii Reznikov thanked Japan for its recent military aid, Kishi added.

Last month Japan shipped helmets and other non-lethal military kit to Ukraine via a US Air Force cargo jet. - Reuters.

UK says sanctioning 178 "Russian separatists" in breakaway regions

Britain said on Wednesday it was imposing new sanctions on 206 individuals in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including 178 who it said were involved in propping up Russian-backed breakaway regions of Ukraine.

The government said the new sanctions also include those targeting oligarch family members, close associates, and employees. - Reuters.

Dnipro official says 1,500 killed Russian soldiers in city morgues

Russian troops shoot dead seven people in Ukrainian village: prosecutor

Russian troops shot dead six men and one woman in a home in a village near the frontline in southern Ukraine and then blew up the building to hide the evidence, Ukrainian prosecutors said on Wednesday.

"On April 12 in the village of Pravdyne, Russian soldiers shot dead six men and one woman in a residential home. After this, intending to hide their crime, the occupiers blew up the building with the bodies," prosecutors said in a statement. - AFP.

Britain adds 206 new listings under Russia sanctions regime

Britain said on Wednesday it had added a further 206 listings under its Russia sanctions regime, in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. - Reuters.

Putin says Russia can redirect energy exports away from the West

Russia can easily redirect exports of its vast energy resources away from the West to countries that really need them while increasing domestic consumption of oil, gas and coal, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

Putin also said that "unfriendly countries" had destroyed supply chains in Russia's Arctic regions and some nations were not fulfilling their contractual obligations.

Speaking at a meeting with officials to discuss development in the Russian Arctic, Putin said this had created problems for Russia. - Reuters.

Seven killed by Russian shelling in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, says governor

Graphic showing position of military forces and main strikes and areas of fighting in Ukraine as of April 13

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday in an address to Estonia's parliament that Russia was using phosphorous bombs inUkraine, accusing Moscow of using terror tactics against civilians.

He did not provide evidence and Reuters has not been able to independently verify his claim.

Zelenskiy added that instruments needed to be found to pressure Russia to stop forcibly deporting Ukrainians and called for sanctions on Russia to continue, saying they were the only way to force Russia to agree to peace.[Reuters reported]

'Too dangerous' for humanitarian corridors Wednesday: Ukraine

Ukraine said Wednesday it was halting all humanitarian corridors allowing for the evacuation of civilians from war-scarred regions of the country, accusing Russian forces of violating agreements to allow people to flee.

"Unfortunately, we are not opening them today. The situation along the routes is too dangerous and we are forced to refrain from opening humanitarian corridors today," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on social media. [AFP Reported]

President Joe Biden speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One at Des Moines International Airport, in Des Moines Iowa, Tuesday, April 12, 2022, en route to Washington. Biden said that Russia's war inUkraineamounted to a "genocide," accusing President Vladimir Putin of trying to "wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian.

1,026 Ukrainian marines surrendered in Mariupol

Russia's defence ministry said that 1,026 soldiers ofUkraine's 36th Marine Brigade surrendered in the city of Mariupol[Reuters reported citing TASS media agency)

Ukrainians cross the US border from Tijuana, in San Diego

Ukrainian volunteer Dmitry Zakharchuk, prays with the Yuzefovych family coming from Dnipro inUkraine, upon arrival at the San Antonio Airport, after seeking asylum in the U.S. in San Diego, California April 12, 2022. REUTERS/Toya Sarno Jordan

Russia's appointment of Army General Alexander Dvornikov as commander of theUkrainewar represents the country's attempt to centralise command and control, British military intelligence said on Wednesday.

Russia's inability to cohere and coordinate military activity has hampered its invasion ofUkraineto date, UK's Ministry of Defence tweeted in a regular bulletin.

Army 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 intelligence update.

The UK also said Russian messaging has recently emphasised progressing offensives in the Donbas as Russia's forces refocus eastwards. [Reuters could not immediately verify the report.]

Putin calls Bucha killings fake

Vladimir Putin of Russia said Tuesday that peace talks with Ukraine had reached a “dead end,” and he falsely called the evidence of Russian atrocities in a Kyiv suburb “fake,” using his first extended remarks about the war in nearly a month to insist that Russia would persist in its invasion.

US President Joe Biden for the first time has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces of committing "genocide" in Ukraine by trying to “wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian."

Biden made the remarks about Russia's actions during a speech in Iowa about his administration's efforts to combat high prices for goods.

His comments came as Putin vowed on Tuesday that Russia's bloody offensive in Ukraine would continue until its goals are fulfilled.

As Russian forces close in on the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, a small number of resistance fighters hope to slow them down using a tunnel system below a vast industrial site as their base.

Experts say the fall of the city, seen as strategically vital for Russian plans to attack eastern Ukraine, is inevitable.

But holdouts in their underground bases hope to make conquering the Sea of Azov port as hard as possible for the attackers.

Pope, citing civilian massacres, condemns 'abominable actions' in Ukraine

Pope Francis said on Tuesday that the war in Ukraine was marked by "the forces of evil" because it was leaving in its wake abominations such as the massacre of civilians.

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Ukraine secret service says it has arrested top Putin ally

Ukraine's security services on Tuesday said they had arrested pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who is President Vladimir Putin's closest and most influential ally inUkraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had earlier published a photo of a tired-looking and handcuffed Medvedchuk, who says Putin is godfather to his daughter.

US to announce $750 million more in weapons for Ukraine

US President Joe Biden's administration is expected to announce as soon as Wednesday another $750 million in military assistance for Ukraine for its fight against Russian forces, two US officials familiar with the matter told Reuters.

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