Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko has once again spoken about the horrific scenes in his country Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing military invasion. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has left millions displaced and thousands dead as Ukrainians around the globe continue to watch in horror.

Zinchenko, who has been quite vocal in Russia's criticism amid Vladimir Putin's military aggression, opened up on the misery of fellow Ukrainians back home.&nbsp;The Manchester City defender lashed out at those denying the reality of the situation in his country and revealed horrifying details of the Russian military's brutality in Ukraine.

In an interview with the Guardian, Zinchenko said Russians have raped Ukrainian women, killed children and the dead bodies of many continue to lie on the streets in the country amid the ongoing invasion. The Man City star also claimed that Russians haven't even spared dogs in Ukraine and ate them during the war.

“It’s a nightmare. A shock to the whole world, the things they have done there. Terrible, scary things. They killed our civilians. They killed our children. They raped our women and girls. They killed our dogs and even ate them. I cannot even begin to describe how I feel about them," Zinchenko told the Guardian.

“I hate them so much, for everything they have done to the Ukrainian people and Ukraine. I hate the people in Russia who are trying to convince others that this is propaganda. It’s embarrassing. How can they say this?

"People send me the real pictures, the real facts. The bodies of our dead civilians were lying on the ground for two weeks. They have to take responsibility for this," he added.

Zinchenko slams ex-teammates at Russian club FC UFA

Zinchenko, who had signed from Manchester City in 2016, was playing for Russian Premier League club FC Ufa before heading to the English Premier League. He had spent two seasons with FC Ufa where he played alongside a number of Russian players. Lashing out at his ex-teammates from Russia, the left-back slammed them for not standing up against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Stating that remaining silent means they are supporting what's happening in Ukraine, Zinchenko expressed his angst at his former teammates for not using their influence in stopping the war. Zinchenko said footballers in Russia could have done a lot had they decided to come together and speak up against the violence being inflicted in Ukraine.

“I have friends over there, a small circle, but now it has reduced almost to nothing. I’m so disappointed. The guys I know called me as soon as the invasion happened, texted me: ‘I’m so sorry Alex, but we can’t do anything.’ Of course you can. If you stay silent it means you support what is happening in Ukraine right now, and I can’t see why they would," said Zinchenko.

"Maybe they are scared because we see pictures on social media of Russians being taken to prison if they protest. But look at footballers in particular or anyone with a massive audience.

"Can you believe that, if all of them posted something on Instagram at the same time saying: ‘Guys, we are against the war, we need to stop it,’ they would all be arrested? Of course they would not. It’s such a shame that they say nothing," he added.

Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko has once again spoken about the horrific scenes in his country Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing military invasion. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has left millions displaced and thousands dead as Ukrainians around the globe continue to watch in horror.

Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko has once again spoken about the horrific scenes in his country Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing military invasion. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has left millions displaced and thousands dead as Ukrainians around the globe continue to watch in horror. Zinchenko, who has been quite vocal in Russia's criticism amid Vladimir Putin's military aggression, opened up on the misery of fellow Ukrainians back home. The Manchester City defender lashed out at those denying the reality of the situation in his country and revealed horrifying details of the Russian military's brutality in Ukraine. In an interview with the Guardian, Zinchenko said Russians have raped Ukrainian women, killed children and the dead bodies of many continue to lie on the streets in the country amid the ongoing invasion. The Man City star also claimed that Russians haven't even spared dogs in Ukraine and ate them during the war. “It’s a nightmare. A shock to the whole world, the things they have done there. Terrible, scary things. They killed our civilians. They killed our children. They raped our women and girls. They killed our dogs and even ate them. I cannot even begin to describe how I feel about them," Zinchenko told the Guardian. “I hate them so much, for everything they have done to the Ukrainian people and Ukraine. I hate the people in Russia who are trying to convince others that this is propaganda. It’s embarrassing. How can they say this? "People send me the real pictures, the real facts. The bodies of our dead civilians were lying on the ground for two weeks. They have to take responsibility for this," he added. Zinchenko slams ex-teammates at Russian club FC UFA Zinchenko, who had signed from Manchester City in 2016, was playing for Russian Premier League club FC Ufa before heading to the English Premier League. He had spent two seasons with FC Ufa where he played alongside a number of Russian players. Lashing out at his ex-teammates from Russia, the left-back slammed them for not standing up against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Stating that remaining silent means they are supporting what's happening in Ukraine, Zinchenko expressed his angst at his former teammates for not using their influence in stopping the war. Zinchenko said footballers in Russia could have done a lot had they decided to come together and speak up against the violence being inflicted in Ukraine. “I have friends over there, a small circle, but now it has reduced almost to nothing. I’m so disappointed. The guys I know called me as soon as the invasion happened, texted me: ‘I’m so sorry Alex, but we can’t do anything.’ Of course you can. If you stay silent it means you support what is happening in Ukraine right now, and I can’t see why they would," said Zinchenko. "Maybe they are scared because we see pictures on social media of Russians being taken to prison if they protest. But look at footballers in particular or anyone with a massive audience. "Can you believe that, if all of them posted something on Instagram at the same time saying: ‘Guys, we are against the war, we need to stop it,’ they would all be arrested? Of course they would not. It’s such a shame that they say nothing," he added.

'They raped our women, killed children': Man City's Zinchenko calls Russia's invasion of Ukraine a 'nightmare'

Love transcends boundaries. This adage holds true for this couple who left their home countries—Russia and Ukraine—to tie the knot in Tijuana, the border city connecting Mexico with California and to seek asylum in the United States.

Semen Bobrovski—a Russian citizen—met Daria “Dasha” Sakhniuk three years ago after crossing the border to Ukraine.

It was a love at first sight for them. They wanted to get married in Kyiv in April, but the prospect of war scuttled their plans.

Before the Russian invasion began, the couple decided to leave Ukraine. Like other refugees, they also thought of resettling in the United States.

The couple travelled thousands of kilometres, lasting six days, to reach the US-Mexico border where a refugee camp at the San Ysidro checkpoint is set up.

However, America’s harsh immigration policies for Russians, in the wake of the war, caused problems for Bobrovski.

According to Reuters, the US authorities only allowed Daria to enter as a refugee, as the Russian community has not been allowed to enter the country since the war began.

"The problem that the couple faced when arriving at the San Ysidro checkpoint is that it only allows access to the United States through refugee status to Ukrainian or Russian citizens who can legally prove their relationship. For the Russian community, right now, there is no legal way to enter the United States, derived from this war conflict," the Tijuana city council said in a press release, according to NBC Sandiego

Due to the restriction, the couple went to the municipal directorate of migrant services in Tijuana on Wednesday to get their marriage registered.

“I'm very happy that I met some very nice people who could help us come together in this matrimony here in Mexico, in Tijuana," Sakhniuk was quoted as saying.

Her husband also appreciated the Mexican authorities for their help.

"We are very happy because all these people helped us make this happen, we are full of joy and gratitude to the Mexican people for what they have done for us. This was very exciting," said Bobrovski. &nbsp;

According to local media reports, the couple will cross into San Diego and subsequently settle in New York to begin their new life as a husband and wife.

(With inputs from agencies)

Love transcends boundaries. This adage holds true for this couple who left their home countries—Russia and Ukraine—to tie the knot in Tijuana, the border city connecting Mexico with California and to seek asylum in the United States.

Love transcends boundaries. This adage holds true for this couple who left their home countries—Russia and Ukraine—to tie the knot in Tijuana, the border city connecting Mexico with California and to seek asylum in the United States. Semen Bobrovski—a Russian citizen—met Daria “Dasha” Sakhniuk three years ago after crossing the border to Ukraine. It was a love at first sight for them. They wanted to get married in Kyiv in April, but the prospect of war scuttled their plans. Before the Russian invasion began, the couple decided to leave Ukraine. Like other refugees, they also thought of resettling in the United States. The couple travelled thousands of kilometres, lasting six days, to reach the US-Mexico border where a refugee camp at the San Ysidro checkpoint is set up. However, America’s harsh immigration policies for Russians, in the wake of the war, caused problems for Bobrovski. According to Reuters, the US authorities only allowed Daria to enter as a refugee, as the Russian community has not been allowed to enter the country since the war began. "The problem that the couple faced when arriving at the San Ysidro checkpoint is that it only allows access to the United States through refugee status to Ukrainian or Russian citizens who can legally prove their relationship. For the Russian community, right now, there is no legal way to enter the United States, derived from this war conflict," the Tijuana city council said in a press release, according to NBC Sandiego Due to the restriction, the couple went to the municipal directorate of migrant services in Tijuana on Wednesday to get their marriage registered. “I'm very happy that I met some very nice people who could help us come together in this matrimony here in Mexico, in Tijuana," Sakhniuk was quoted as saying. Her husband also appreciated the Mexican authorities for their help. "We are very happy because all these people helped us make this happen, we are full of joy and gratitude to the Mexican people for what they have done for us. This was very exciting," said Bobrovski. According to local media reports, the couple will cross into San Diego and subsequently settle in New York to begin their new life as a husband and wife. (With inputs from agencies)

Fleeing war, Russian and Ukrainian travel thousands of kilometres to get married at Mexico border

As Vladimir Putin embarks on his plan B — a massive military operation to try to grab at least a small bite of eastern Ukraine to justify his misbegotten war — I thought: Who could give him the best advice right now? I settled on one of America’s premier teachers of grand strategy, John Arquilla, who recently retired as a distinguished professor of defence analysis at the US&nbsp;Naval Postgraduate School. When I called Arquilla and asked him what he’d tell Putin today, he didn’t hesitate: “I would say, ‘Make peace, you fool.’”

This is also known as the first rule of holes: When you’re in one, stop digging.

Arquilla did not pluck his phrasing from thin air. After the D-Day landings on Normandy on June 6, 1944, it became quickly obvious that the Germans could not contain the Allies’ beachhead. So after a German counterattack near Caen failed on July 1, the top German commander on that front, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, phoned Berlin to report the debacle to the army chief of staff, Wilhelm Keitel, who then asked him, “What shall we do?” — to which von Rundstedt famously replied, “Make peace, you fools! What else can you do?”

The next day, von Rundstedt was removed — not unlike what Putin has just done, bringing in a new senior general, one who helped crush the opposition movement in Syria with unrestrained brutality — to run phase two of his war. This did not work for the Germans, and without making any predictions, Arquilla explained why he believed that Putin’s army, too, could meet very stiff resistance from the undermanned and underarmed Ukrainians in this new phase.

It starts, he argued, with all that is new in this Ukraine-Russia war: “In many respects, this war is our era’s Spanish Civil War. In that war, many weapons — like Stuka dive bombers and Panzer tanks — were tested out by the Germans, and the allies learned things as well, before World War II. The same is being done in Ukraine when it comes to next-generation warfare.”

Arquilla recently published a book on next-gen warfare, “Bitskrieg: The New Challenge of Cyberwarfare.”

“In that book, I outlined the three new rules of war, all of which I am seeing being employed by the Ukrainians,” he explained. “The first is that many and small beats large and heavy. The Ukrainians are operating in squad-level units armed with smart weapons, and these are able to disrupt far larger formations and attack slow-moving, loud helicopters and such. So even though they’re outnumbered by the Russians, the Ukrainians have many, many more units of action — usually between eight and 10 soldiers in size.”

Arquilla said that these small Ukrainian units armed with precision-guided smart weapons like killer drones, anti-aircraft weapons and light anti-tank weapons “can take out the Russians’ much larger and more heavily armed tank units.”

The second rule of modern warfare playing out in Ukraine, he said, “is that finding always beats flanking. If you can locate the enemy first, you can take him out. And especially if the enemy is made up of a few large units, like a 40-mile-long convoy of tanks and armored personnel carriers, you’re going to hammer the hell out of them with your small squads, without having to outflank them with an equal-sized force.”

I asked Arquilla why the Ukrainians are so good at finding. (I assume they are getting some reconnaissance help from NATO.)

“The Ukrainians are making very good use of small drones, particularly those Turkish drones, which are tremendous,” said Arquilla. But it’s their human sensors — the informal Ukrainian observer corps — that are devastating the Russians. Grandmas with iPhones can trump satellites.

“The Ukrainian observer corps is made up of babushkas and kids and anyone else who has got a smartphone,” he said. “And they’ve been calling in the locations of where the Russian units are and where they’re moving. And so the Ukrainian forces have this big edge in finding the Russians in this big country, and that is giving their small units with smart weapons” real-time, actionable intelligence.

The third rule of new-age warfare playing out in Ukraine, said Arquilla, is that “swarming always beats surging.” He explained: “War is not just a numbers game anymore. You don’t need big numbers to swarm the opponent with a lot of small smart weapons. I am sure you’ve seen some of the videos of these Russian tanks and columns, where suddenly one tank gets taken out at the front and then another at the rear, so the Russians can’t maneuver, and then they just get picked off.”

Since this is the next phase of warfare and the Russians are not stupid, they will surely adjust in phase two, no?

The Russians will continue to use some massive bombardments, Arquilla argued, “and they’ll be even less restrained about doing so in eastern Ukraine than they have been in its western territory. But rubble makes conquest harder. Recall Stalingrad.” The Nazis bombed Stalingrad, Russia, into the Stone Age in World War II but then had to try to move through the rubble in small units to secure it and could not do so.

So look for the Russians to adjust some tactics. “The Russians have shown an ability to learn and adapt,” said Arquilla. “In the first winter war against the Finns — 1939 to 1940 — the same sort of thing happened to the Russians when they first invaded Finland. They got clobbered by the Finns using these small-team tactics. The Russians then fell back, they reorganized, and then they came back in a little smarter way and eventually overwhelmed the opponent. My understanding is that the Russians have actually been activating more of their naval infantry units, which are used to operating in smaller teams.” So expect them to be more infantry-heavy and less tank-heavy in the next phase.

That said, he added, the Ukrainians “still should have the edge in terms of the finding issue, and they’re already habituated to operating in these very small units. The Russians are much more centralised. One of the reasons they’ve had so many generals get killed is that at the tactical level, they don’t have people who are empowered to make those quick decisions in a firefight; only general officers can, so they had to come down close to the front and do things that lieutenants and sergeants in the American military routinely do.”

One of the more intriguing aspects of the conflict in Ukraine is the apparent lack of cyberwarfare from Russia. “The Russians did employ cyberspace-based attack tools to disrupt Ukrainian command and control, yet it had little overall effect because of the very decentralized operations of Ukraine’s regular and militia defense forces,” explained Arquilla.

At the same time, the Russians appear loath to launch a big cyberattack against infrastructure in the United States and against the other NATO countries aiding Ukraine, out of a fear that doing so now would enable NATO to learn about Russia’s most advanced cyber tools and build defences against them. Russia needs to save its cyberweapons for a big war with the West. So, observed Arquilla, “it may be that when it comes to strategic cyberwarfare, the prospect on all sides of facing mutual assured disruption may actually produce a kind of cyberdeterrence.”

As for Russia’s vaunted air superiority, said Arquilla, “we have already seen how vulnerable their jets and helicopters are to Stingers. This won’t change in the next phase of the war.”

In sum, said Arquilla, “I am not saying that the Russians are going to be driven out of eastern Ukraine. I am trying to answer the question: Why have the Ukrainians done so very well? And it’s because they have applied all these new rules of modern warfare.”

And since they will surely continue to do so, it augurs a long, terrible, mutually destructive new round of warfare in which neither side is likely to be able to administer a knockout blow. After that, who knows?

I still hope Putin the fool will eventually seek a dirty, face-saving deal, involving a Russian withdrawal, some kind of independent status for the more pro-Russian eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and no Ukrainian membership in NATO but giving Ukraine a green light to join the European Union, along with security guarantees against another Russian invasion.

May it happen soon.

“The longer the fighting goes on, the tougher the Ukrainian resistance — thanks to the ways of war they are pioneering — the more the risk of escalation grows,” said Arquilla. “But Putin has cowed Russian civil society into submission. And the Russian military, so embarrassed by their relatively poor performance, is unlikely to turn on him. Thus, he probably thinks he’s not under time pressure to de-escalate.”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how little wars become big wars.

“I recently reread Barbara Tuchman’s ‘The Guns of August’” — about how the great powers stumbled into World War I — said Arquilla. “It’s a cautionary tale that remains relevant.”

As Vladimir Putin embarks on his plan B — a massive military operation to try to grab at least a small bite of eastern Ukraine to justify his misbegotten war — I thought: Who could give him the best advice right now?

As Vladimir Putin embarks on his plan B — a massive military operation to try to grab at least a small bite of eastern Ukraine to justify his misbegotten war — I thought: Who could give him the best advice right now? I settled on one of America’s premier teachers of grand strategy, John Arquilla, who recently retired as a distinguished professor of defence analysis at the US Naval Postgraduate School. When I called Arquilla and asked him what he’d tell Putin today, he didn’t hesitate: “I would say, ‘Make peace, you fool.’” This is also known as the first rule of holes: When you’re in one, stop digging. Arquilla did not pluck his phrasing from thin air. After the D-Day landings on Normandy on June 6, 1944, it became quickly obvious that the Germans could not contain the Allies’ beachhead. So after a German counterattack near Caen failed on July 1, the top German commander on that front, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, phoned Berlin to report the debacle to the army chief of staff, Wilhelm Keitel, who then asked him, “What shall we do?” — to which von Rundstedt famously replied, “Make peace, you fools! What else can you do?” The next day, von Rundstedt was removed — not unlike what Putin has just done, bringing in a new senior general, one who helped crush the opposition movement in Syria with unrestrained brutality — to run phase two of his war. This did not work for the Germans, and without making any predictions, Arquilla explained why he believed that Putin’s army, too, could meet very stiff resistance from the undermanned and underarmed Ukrainians in this new phase. It starts, he argued, with all that is new in this Ukraine-Russia war: “In many respects, this war is our era’s Spanish Civil War. In that war, many weapons — like Stuka dive bombers and Panzer tanks — were tested out by the Germans, and the allies learned things as well, before World War II. The same is being done in Ukraine when it comes to next-generation warfare.” Arquilla recently published a book on next-gen warfare, “Bitskrieg: The New Challenge of Cyberwarfare.” “In that book, I outlined the three new rules of war, all of which I am seeing being employed by the Ukrainians,” he explained. “The first is that many and small beats large and heavy. The Ukrainians are operating in squad-level units armed with smart weapons, and these are able to disrupt far larger formations and attack slow-moving, loud helicopters and such. So even though they’re outnumbered by the Russians, the Ukrainians have many, many more units of action — usually between eight and 10 soldiers in size.” Arquilla said that these small Ukrainian units armed with precision-guided smart weapons like killer drones, anti-aircraft weapons and light anti-tank weapons “can take out the Russians’ much larger and more heavily armed tank units.” The second rule of modern warfare playing out in Ukraine, he said, “is that finding always beats flanking. If you can locate the enemy first, you can take him out. And especially if the enemy is made up of a few large units, like a 40-mile-long convoy of tanks and armored personnel carriers, you’re going to hammer the hell out of them with your small squads, without having to outflank them with an equal-sized force.” I asked Arquilla why the Ukrainians are so good at finding. (I assume they are getting some reconnaissance help from NATO.) “The Ukrainians are making very good use of small drones, particularly those Turkish drones, which are tremendous,” said Arquilla. But it’s their human sensors — the informal Ukrainian observer corps — that are devastating the Russians. Grandmas with iPhones can trump satellites. “The Ukrainian observer corps is made up of babushkas and kids and anyone else who has got a smartphone,” he said. “And they’ve been calling in the locations of where the Russian units are and where they’re moving. And so the Ukrainian forces have this big edge in finding the Russians in this big country, and that is giving their small units with smart weapons” real-time, actionable intelligence. The third rule of new-age warfare playing out in Ukraine, said Arquilla, is that “swarming always beats surging.” He explained: “War is not just a numbers game anymore. You don’t need big numbers to swarm the opponent with a lot of small smart weapons. I am sure you’ve seen some of the videos of these Russian tanks and columns, where suddenly one tank gets taken out at the front and then another at the rear, so the Russians can’t maneuver, and then they just get picked off.” Since this is the next phase of warfare and the Russians are not stupid, they will surely adjust in phase two, no? The Russians will continue to use some massive bombardments, Arquilla argued, “and they’ll be even less restrained about doing so in eastern Ukraine than they have been in its western territory. But rubble makes conquest harder. Recall Stalingrad.” The Nazis bombed Stalingrad, Russia, into the Stone Age in World War II but then had to try to move through the rubble in small units to secure it and could not do so. So look for the Russians to adjust some tactics. “The Russians have shown an ability to learn and adapt,” said Arquilla. “In the first winter war against the Finns — 1939 to 1940 — the same sort of thing happened to the Russians when they first invaded Finland. They got clobbered by the Finns using these small-team tactics. The Russians then fell back, they reorganized, and then they came back in a little smarter way and eventually overwhelmed the opponent. My understanding is that the Russians have actually been activating more of their naval infantry units, which are used to operating in smaller teams.” So expect them to be more infantry-heavy and less tank-heavy in the next phase. That said, he added, the Ukrainians “still should have the edge in terms of the finding issue, and they’re already habituated to operating in these very small units. The Russians are much more centralised. One of the reasons they’ve had so many generals get killed is that at the tactical level, they don’t have people who are empowered to make those quick decisions in a firefight; only general officers can, so they had to come down close to the front and do things that lieutenants and sergeants in the American military routinely do.” One of the more intriguing aspects of the conflict in Ukraine is the apparent lack of cyberwarfare from Russia. “The Russians did employ cyberspace-based attack tools to disrupt Ukrainian command and control, yet it had little overall effect because of the very decentralized operations of Ukraine’s regular and militia defense forces,” explained Arquilla. At the same time, the Russians appear loath to launch a big cyberattack against infrastructure in the United States and against the other NATO countries aiding Ukraine, out of a fear that doing so now would enable NATO to learn about Russia’s most advanced cyber tools and build defences against them. Russia needs to save its cyberweapons for a big war with the West. So, observed Arquilla, “it may be that when it comes to strategic cyberwarfare, the prospect on all sides of facing mutual assured disruption may actually produce a kind of cyberdeterrence.” As for Russia’s vaunted air superiority, said Arquilla, “we have already seen how vulnerable their jets and helicopters are to Stingers. This won’t change in the next phase of the war.” In sum, said Arquilla, “I am not saying that the Russians are going to be driven out of eastern Ukraine. I am trying to answer the question: Why have the Ukrainians done so very well? And it’s because they have applied all these new rules of modern warfare.” And since they will surely continue to do so, it augurs a long, terrible, mutually destructive new round of warfare in which neither side is likely to be able to administer a knockout blow. After that, who knows? I still hope Putin the fool will eventually seek a dirty, face-saving deal, involving a Russian withdrawal, some kind of independent status for the more pro-Russian eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and no Ukrainian membership in NATO but giving Ukraine a green light to join the European Union, along with security guarantees against another Russian invasion. May it happen soon. “The longer the fighting goes on, the tougher the Ukrainian resistance — thanks to the ways of war they are pioneering — the more the risk of escalation grows,” said Arquilla. “But Putin has cowed Russian civil society into submission. And the Russian military, so embarrassed by their relatively poor performance, is unlikely to turn on him. Thus, he probably thinks he’s not under time pressure to de-escalate.” And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how little wars become big wars. “I recently reread Barbara Tuchman’s ‘The Guns of August’” — about how the great powers stumbled into World War I — said Arquilla. “It’s a cautionary tale that remains relevant.”

Free advice for Putin: ‘Make peace, you fool’

Russia has faced a multitude of sanctions, not only from the United States but also from western and European nations, and now it is retaliating with tit-for-tat.&nbsp;

As per reports by the Russian Interfax news agency, Moscow is sanctioning 398 members of the US Congress and 87 Canadian senators in a retaliatory move.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sadists-rapists-russian-forces-using-rape-as-punishing-tactic-in-ukraine-un-womens-body-voices-concern-470378" hreflang="en">'Sadists, rapists': Russian forces using rape as punishing tactic in Ukraine, UN women's body voices concern</a>

“New announcements of Russian counter measures are planned in the near future, involving an increase in the number of people on the 'stop list' and other retaliatory steps," Russia's foreign ministry said, according to Interfax.

Russia has reportedly introduced these sanctions in reprisal for the US's punitive measure for Moscow’s attack on Ukraine. The attack which began on 24th February today completes seven weeks of fear, violence, and deaths.

"Taking into account the sanctions the US is constantly introducing, further announcements of Russian countermeasures are planned in the near future," the Russian foreign ministry announced, adding that these sanctions include an entry ban.

Watch |&nbsp;'Moscow will continue its invasion of Ukraine until 'noble aims' are fulfilled,' says Putin

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/moscow-will-continue-its-invasion-of-ukraine-until-noble-aims-are-fulfilled-says-putin-470706/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In another statement, the ministry also vowed to announce additional sanctions for Ottawa’s "short-sighted" politics.

Following the invasion, Moscow faced a number of crippling sanctions that targeted its economy.

The country has seen the exclusion of its multiple banks from the SWIFT messaging system. It was also met with individual sanctions on its oligarchs, seizing of their personal property like yachts, a coal embargo and restrictions on new investments.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russia-ukraine-conflict-these-eu-allies-have-expelled-around-150-russian-diplomats-468612">Russia-Ukraine conflict: These EU allies have expelled around 150 Russian diplomats</a>

Additionally, its diplomats have also faced expulsion on charges of alleged spying and espionage.

The prolonged isolation that Russia faces has landed it in a deep economic depression, with its currency Ruble losing its value rapidly. Due to the sanctions, the currency fell to the low of 121.5 rubles per dollar. The ruble is recovering today, with the exchange rate at 82.35 rubles to the dollar on Thursday.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia has faced a multitude of sanctions, not only from the United States but also from western and European nations, and now it is retaliating with tit-for-tat.

Russia has faced a multitude of sanctions, not only from the United States but also from western and European nations, and now it is retaliating with tit-for-tat. As per reports by the Russian Interfax news agency, Moscow is sanctioning 398 members of the US Congress and 87 Canadian senators in a retaliatory move. Also read | 'Sadists, rapists': Russian forces using rape as punishing tactic in Ukraine, UN women's body voices concern “New announcements of Russian counter measures are planned in the near future, involving an increase in the number of people on the 'stop list' and other retaliatory steps," Russia's foreign ministry said, according to Interfax. Russia has reportedly introduced these sanctions in reprisal for the US's punitive measure for Moscow’s attack on Ukraine. The attack which began on 24th February today completes seven weeks of fear, violence, and deaths. "Taking into account the sanctions the US is constantly introducing, further announcements of Russian countermeasures are planned in the near future," the Russian foreign ministry announced, adding that these sanctions include an entry ban. Watch | 'Moscow will continue its invasion of Ukraine until 'noble aims' are fulfilled,' says Putin In another statement, the ministry also vowed to announce additional sanctions for Ottawa’s "short-sighted" politics. Following the invasion, Moscow faced a number of crippling sanctions that targeted its economy. The country has seen the exclusion of its multiple banks from the SWIFT messaging system. It was also met with individual sanctions on its oligarchs, seizing of their personal property like yachts, a coal embargo and restrictions on new investments. Also read | Russia-Ukraine conflict: These EU allies have expelled around 150 Russian diplomats Additionally, its diplomats have also faced expulsion on charges of alleged spying and espionage. The prolonged isolation that Russia faces has landed it in a deep economic depression, with its currency Ruble losing its value rapidly. Due to the sanctions, the currency fell to the low of 121.5 rubles per dollar. The ruble is recovering today, with the exchange rate at 82.35 rubles to the dollar on Thursday. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Moscow’s tit-for-tat move; slaps sanctions on US, Canada

The world merchandise trade volume is expected to grow by 3 per cent in 2022 against the earlier forecast of 4.7 per cent, mainly due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the WTO said on Tuesday.

Prospects for the global economy have darkened since the outbreak of war in Ukraine on February 24, prompting WTO economists to reassess their projections for world trade over the next two years, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said in a statement.

"The organisation now expects merchandise trade volume growth of 3 per cent in 2022 -- down from its previous forecast of 4.7 per cent -- and 3.4 per cent in 2023, but these estimates are less certain than usual due to the fluid nature of the conflict," it added.

The most immediate economic impact of the crisis has been a sharp rise in commodity prices.

Despite their small shares in world trade and output, Russia and Ukraine are key suppliers of essential goods, including food, energy, and fertilisers, supplies of which are now threatened by the war, the statement said.

Grain shipments through Black Sea ports have already been halted, with potentially dire consequences for food security in poor countries, it noted.

Besides the war, lockdowns in China to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are again disrupting seaborne trade at a time when supply chain pressures appeared to be easing, it said, adding this could lead to renewed shortages of manufacturing inputs and higher inflation.

"The war in Ukraine has also damaged the global economy at a critical juncture. Its impact will be felt around the world, particularly in low-income countries, where food accounts for a large fraction of household spending," Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said.

"In a crisis, more trade is needed to ensure stable, equitable access to necessities. Restricting trade will threaten the wellbeing of families and businesses...," she said.

She added that governments and multilateral organisations must work together to facilitate trade at a time of sharp inflationary pressures on essential supplies and growing pressures on supply chains.

These growth projections will be updated in October, but an earlier revision could be issued if incoming data warrant it, the statement said. PTI RR

The world merchandise trade volume is expected to grow by 3 per cent in 2022 against the earlier forecast of 4.7 per cent, mainly due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the WTO said on Tuesday.

The world merchandise trade volume is expected to grow by 3 per cent in 2022 against the earlier forecast of 4.7 per cent, mainly due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the WTO said on Tuesday. Prospects for the global economy have darkened since the outbreak of war in Ukraine on February 24, prompting WTO economists to reassess their projections for world trade over the next two years, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said in a statement. "The organisation now expects merchandise trade volume growth of 3 per cent in 2022 -- down from its previous forecast of 4.7 per cent -- and 3.4 per cent in 2023, but these estimates are less certain than usual due to the fluid nature of the conflict," it added. The most immediate economic impact of the crisis has been a sharp rise in commodity prices. Despite their small shares in world trade and output, Russia and Ukraine are key suppliers of essential goods, including food, energy, and fertilisers, supplies of which are now threatened by the war, the statement said. Grain shipments through Black Sea ports have already been halted, with potentially dire consequences for food security in poor countries, it noted. Besides the war, lockdowns in China to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are again disrupting seaborne trade at a time when supply chain pressures appeared to be easing, it said, adding this could lead to renewed shortages of manufacturing inputs and higher inflation. "The war in Ukraine has also damaged the global economy at a critical juncture. Its impact will be felt around the world, particularly in low-income countries, where food accounts for a large fraction of household spending," Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said. "In a crisis, more trade is needed to ensure stable, equitable access to necessities. Restricting trade will threaten the wellbeing of families and businesses...," she said. She added that governments and multilateral organisations must work together to facilitate trade at a time of sharp inflationary pressures on essential supplies and growing pressures on supply chains. These growth projections will be updated in October, but an earlier revision could be issued if incoming data warrant it, the statement said. PTI RR

WTO lowers global trade volume growth forecast in wake of Russia-Ukraine war

Top UN officials called for a probe of Russia's aggression against women during its invasion of Ukraine, as well as the protection of children caught up in the conflict, on Monday.

"We are increasingly hearing of rape and sexual violence. These allegations must be independently investigated to ensure justice and accountability,"&nbsp;Sima Bahous, the UN's women's agency's director, said at a Security Council meeting in New York.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-forces-are-setting-the-stage-for-a-new-offensive-in-ukraines-east-470344" hreflang="en">Russian forces are setting the stage for a new offensive in Ukraine’s east</a>

It was unclear whether any probe would be approved by the Security Council, where Russia has&nbsp;veto-wielding powers.

"This war must stop. Now," said Bahous.

The combination of huge displacement with the large presence of conscripts and mercenaries, and the cruelty demonstrated towards the Ukrainian people, has triggered all red lights,&nbsp;according to Bahous.

On Monday, Russia, however, once again disputed claims made by Security Council members.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia threatens legal action if forced into sovereign debt default

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-threatens-legal-action-if-forced-into-sovereign-debt-default-470118/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Dmitry Polyansky, Russia's deputy UN ambassador, urged the group to respect the "presumption of innocence" and stressed that his country's "special military operation" was meant to "save Ukraine's future."

"We know and see - and we want you to hear our voices - that violence and rape is used now as a weapon of war by Russian invaders in Ukraine."&nbsp;Kateryna Cherepakha, president of the rights group La Strada-Ukraine, told the Council via video.

The charges were refuted by Russia's deputy UN ambassador, who accused Ukraine and its allies of having a clear intention to portray Russian servicemen as "sadists and rapists."

According to a report by BBC, they have independently sought out and discovered mounting evidence of rape being used as a punishing tactic by the invading soldiers. Their report includes graphic descriptions of sexual violence against women and girls of all ages.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-un-to-vote-on-expelling-russia-from-human-rights-council-469160" hreflang="en">Explained: UN to vote on expelling Russia from Human Rights Council</a>

One incident reported involves a 50-year-old woman who was raped and her husband killed, another had a 16-year-old raped in the street right in front of her 25-year-old sister with the invading soldiers yelling 'this will happen to every Nazi prostitute'.

The same BBC report also mentions, that Lyudmyla Denisova, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, said that other such examples are being documented.

"About 25 girls and women aged 14 to 24 were systematically raped during the occupation in the basement of one house in Bucha. Nine of them are pregnant," she said. "Russian soldiers told them they would rape them to the point where they wouldn't want sexual contact with any man, to prevent them from having Ukrainian children."

(With inputs from agencies)

Top UN officials called for a probe of Russia's aggression against women during its invasion of Ukraine, as well as the protection of children caught up in the conflict, on Monday.

Top UN officials called for a probe of Russia's aggression against women during its invasion of Ukraine, as well as the protection of children caught up in the conflict, on Monday. "We are increasingly hearing of rape and sexual violence. These allegations must be independently investigated to ensure justice and accountability," Sima Bahous, the UN's women's agency's director, said at a Security Council meeting in New York. Also read | Russian forces are setting the stage for a new offensive in Ukraine’s east It was unclear whether any probe would be approved by the Security Council, where Russia has veto-wielding powers. "This war must stop. Now," said Bahous. The combination of huge displacement with the large presence of conscripts and mercenaries, and the cruelty demonstrated towards the Ukrainian people, has triggered all red lights, according to Bahous. On Monday, Russia, however, once again disputed claims made by Security Council members. Watch | Russia threatens legal action if forced into sovereign debt default Dmitry Polyansky, Russia's deputy UN ambassador, urged the group to respect the "presumption of innocence" and stressed that his country's "special military operation" was meant to "save Ukraine's future." "We know and see - and we want you to hear our voices - that violence and rape is used now as a weapon of war by Russian invaders in Ukraine." Kateryna Cherepakha, president of the rights group La Strada-Ukraine, told the Council via video. The charges were refuted by Russia's deputy UN ambassador, who accused Ukraine and its allies of having a clear intention to portray Russian servicemen as "sadists and rapists." According to a report by BBC, they have independently sought out and discovered mounting evidence of rape being used as a punishing tactic by the invading soldiers. Their report includes graphic descriptions of sexual violence against women and girls of all ages. Also read | Explained: UN to vote on expelling Russia from Human Rights Council One incident reported involves a 50-year-old woman who was raped and her husband killed, another had a 16-year-old raped in the street right in front of her 25-year-old sister with the invading soldiers yelling 'this will happen to every Nazi prostitute'. The same BBC report also mentions, that Lyudmyla Denisova, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, said that other such examples are being documented. "About 25 girls and women aged 14 to 24 were systematically raped during the occupation in the basement of one house in Bucha. Nine of them are pregnant," she said. "Russian soldiers told them they would rape them to the point where they wouldn't want sexual contact with any man, to prevent them from having Ukrainian children." (With inputs from agencies)

'Sadists, rapists': Russian forces using rape as punishing tactic in Ukraine, UN women's body voices concern

The United States on Monday (April 11) said that energy imports are not banned from Russia and India is not violating any sanctions by purchasing energy from Moscow.&nbsp;

The remarks were made during a White House press briefing after US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting and discussed several issues.&nbsp;

"This was a constructive call, it was a productive call. It's a relationship that is vitally important to the United States and to the president. I would not see it as an adversarial call," said the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki during Monday's news conference.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-us-22-dialogue-a-momentous-moment-in-global-affairs-470362">India-US 2+2 dialogue a 'momentous moment' in global affairs</a>

On being asked whether Biden has urged&nbsp;India to limit importing Russian energy, Psaki said, "Energy imports are not banned and they don't violate our sanctions. We certainly recognise that every country is going to take a step in their interest."&nbsp;

However, she added that Biden has told PM Modi that it was not in India's interest to increase its imports of energy from Russia. She added, "I will let Prime Minister Modi and Indians speak on that. It's only 1-2 per cent at this point in time, they export 10 per cent from the United States. It is no violation of any sanctions or anything along those lines."&nbsp;

Following Western sanctions on Russian entities in the wake of the Ukraine war, India purchased at least 13 million barrels of Russian crude oil at a discounted rate.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-desires-peace-and-stability-pm-modi-congratulates-newly-elected-pakistan-pm-shehbaz-sharif-470328">'India desires peace and stability': PM Modi congratulates newly elected Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif</a>

Psaki also mentioned other aspects related to India's response&nbsp;and the humanitarian support&nbsp;it has provided to Ukraine amid the ongoing war.

She said the US has seen India speak out more forcefully against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, particularly "as it relates to the horrific photos that we saw around Bucha".&nbsp;

"We have seen them to take steps to provide humanitarian assistance and a range of assistance, but it is something we always encourage leaders to do - to speak out, to be vocal, to ensure they are on the right side of history," she said.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Ukraine invasion: What Modi told Biden

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ukraine-invasion-what-modi-told-biden-470355/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

(With inputs from agencies)

The United States on Monday (April 11) said that energy imports are not banned from Russia and India is not violating any sanctions by purchasing energy from Moscow.

The United States on Monday (April 11) said that energy imports are not banned from Russia and India is not violating any sanctions by purchasing energy from Moscow. The remarks were made during a White House press briefing after US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting and discussed several issues. "This was a constructive call, it was a productive call. It's a relationship that is vitally important to the United States and to the president. I would not see it as an adversarial call," said the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki during Monday's news conference. ALSO READ | India-US 2+2 dialogue a 'momentous moment' in global affairs On being asked whether Biden has urged India to limit importing Russian energy, Psaki said, "Energy imports are not banned and they don't violate our sanctions. We certainly recognise that every country is going to take a step in their interest." However, she added that Biden has told PM Modi that it was not in India's interest to increase its imports of energy from Russia. She added, "I will let Prime Minister Modi and Indians speak on that. It's only 1-2 per cent at this point in time, they export 10 per cent from the United States. It is no violation of any sanctions or anything along those lines." Following Western sanctions on Russian entities in the wake of the Ukraine war, India purchased at least 13 million barrels of Russian crude oil at a discounted rate. ALSO READ | 'India desires peace and stability': PM Modi congratulates newly elected Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Psaki also mentioned other aspects related to India's response and the humanitarian support it has provided to Ukraine amid the ongoing war. She said the US has seen India speak out more forcefully against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, particularly "as it relates to the horrific photos that we saw around Bucha". "We have seen them to take steps to provide humanitarian assistance and a range of assistance, but it is something we always encourage leaders to do - to speak out, to be vocal, to ensure they are on the right side of history," she said. WATCH | Gravitas: Ukraine invasion: What Modi told Biden × (With inputs from agencies)

US says India not violating any sanctions by importing Russian oil

It is hard to believe, but now impossible to deny, that the broad framework that kept much of the world stable and prospering since the end of the Cold War has been seriously fractured by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In ways we hadn’t fully appreciated, a lot of that framework rested on the West’s ability to coexist with Putin as he played “bad boy,” testing the limits of the world order but never breaching them at scale.

But with Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, his indiscriminate crushing of its cities and mass killings of Ukrainian civilians, he went from “bad boy” to “war criminal.” And when the leader of Russia — a country that spans 11 time zones, with vast oil, gas and mineral resources and more nuclear warheads than anyone else — is a war criminal and must be henceforth treated as a pariah, the world as we’ve known it is profoundly changed. Nothing can work the same.

How does the world have an effective United Nations with a country led by a war criminal on the Security Council, who can veto every resolution? How does the world have any effective global initiative to combat climate change and not be able to collaborate with the biggest landmass country on the planet? How does the US&nbsp;work closely with Russia on the Iran nuclear deal when we have no trust with, and barely communicate with, Moscow? How do we isolate and try to weaken a country so big and so powerful, knowing that it could be more dangerous if it disintegrates than if it’s strong? How do we feed and fuel the world at reasonable prices when a sanctioned Russia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of oil, wheat and fertilizer?

The answer is that we don’t know. Which is another way of saying that we are entering a period of geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainty the likes of which we have not known since 1989 — and possibly 1939.

And it promises only to get worse before it gets better, because Putin is now like a cornered animal. He not only got so much wrong in his Ukraine invasion; he produced the opposite of so much he was aiming to achieve, making him desperate for any war achievement, at any price, that can obscure this fact.

Putin said he had to go into Ukraine to push NATO away from Russia, and his war has not only reinvigorated what was a stagnating Western military alliance, it has also guaranteed NATO’s solidarity and weapons modernisation for as long as Putin is in power — and probably another generation after that.

Putin said he had to go into Ukraine to remove the Nazi clique ruling in Kyiv and bring both the Ukrainian people and their territory back into the arms of Mother Russia, where they naturally belonged and, in his imagination, longed to be. Instead, his invasion has made Ukrainians — even some formerly pro-Russia Ukrainians — bitter enemies of Russia for at least a generation and supercharged Ukraine’s desire to be independent of Russia and embedded in the European Union.

Putin thought that with a blitzkrieg takeover of Ukraine he would earn the proper respect from the West for Russia’s military prowess — ending the insults that Russia, with an economy smaller than the state of Texas’, was just “a gas station with nukes.” Instead, his army has been exposed as incompetent and barbaric and needing to enlist mercenaries from Syria and Chechnya just to hold its ground.

Having gotten so much wrong and having launched this war on his own initiative, Putin has to be desperate to show that he produced something — at least uncontested control of eastern Ukraine, from the Donbas region, south to Odesa on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast and connecting with Crimea. And he surely wants it by May 9, for Moscow’s giant annual Victory Day parade, marking Russia’s victory over the Nazis in World War II — the day when the Russian military recalls its greatest glory.

So, it appears that Putin is gearing up for a two-pronged strategy. First, he’s regrouping his ravaged forces and concentrating them on fully seizing and holding this smaller military prize. Second, he’s doubling down on systematic cruelty — the continued pummeling of Ukrainian towns with rockets and artillery to keep creating as many casualties and refugees and as much economic ruin as he can. He clearly hopes that the former will fracture the Ukrainian army, at least in the east, and the latter will fracture NATO, as its member states get overwhelmed by so many refugees and pressure Kyiv to give Putin whatever he wants to get him to stop.

Ukraine and NATO, therefore, need an effective counterstrategy.

It should have three pillars. The first is to support the Ukrainians with diplomacy if they want to negotiate with Putin — it’s their call — but also to support them with the best weaponry and training if they want to drive the Russian army off every inch of their territory. The second is to broadcast daily and loudly — in every way we can — that the world is at war “with Putin” and “not with the Russian people” — just the opposite of what Putin is telling them. And the third is for us to double down on ending our addiction to oil, Putin’s main source of income.

The hope is that the three together would set in motion forces inside Russia that topple Putin from power.

Yes, that is a high-risk-high-reward proposition. Putin’s downfall could lead to someone worse at the helm in the Kremlin. It could also lead to prolonged chaos and disintegration.

But if it leads to someone better, someone with just minimal decency and an ambition to rebuild Russia’s dignity and spheres of influence based on a new generation of Tchaikovskys, Rachmaninoffs, Sakharovs, Dostoyevskys and Sergey Brins — not yacht-owning oligarchs, cyberhackers and polonium-armed assassins — the whole world gets better. So many possibilities for healthy collaborations would be resurrected or forged.

Only the Russian people have the right and ability to change their leader. But it will not be easy because Putin, an ex-KGB officer — surrounded by many other former intelligence officers who are beholden to him — is nearly impossible to dislodge.

But here is one possible scenario: The Russian army is a prideful institution, and if it continues to suffer catastrophic defeats in Ukraine, I can imagine a situation in which either Putin wants to decapitate his army’s leadership — to make them the scapegoats for his failure in Ukraine — or the army, knowing this is coming, tries to oust Putin first. There never has been any love lost between the Russian military and the KGB/SVR/FSB security types surrounding Putin.

In sum, having the Russian people produce a better leader is a necessary condition for the world to produce a new, more resilient global order to replace the post-Cold War order, which Putin has now shattered. What is also necessary, though, is that America be a model of democracy and sustainability that others want to emulate.

When Ukrainians are making the ultimate sacrifice to hold onto every inch and ounce of their newly won freedom, is it too much to ask that Americans make the smallest sacrifices and compromises to hold on to our precious democratic inheritance?

It is hard to believe, but now impossible to deny, that the broad framework that kept much of the world stable and prospering since the end of the Cold War has been seriously fractured by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

It is hard to believe, but now impossible to deny, that the broad framework that kept much of the world stable and prospering since the end of the Cold War has been seriously fractured by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In ways we hadn’t fully appreciated, a lot of that framework rested on the West’s ability to coexist with Putin as he played “bad boy,” testing the limits of the world order but never breaching them at scale. But with Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, his indiscriminate crushing of its cities and mass killings of Ukrainian civilians, he went from “bad boy” to “war criminal.” And when the leader of Russia — a country that spans 11 time zones, with vast oil, gas and mineral resources and more nuclear warheads than anyone else — is a war criminal and must be henceforth treated as a pariah, the world as we’ve known it is profoundly changed. Nothing can work the same. How does the world have an effective United Nations with a country led by a war criminal on the Security Council, who can veto every resolution? How does the world have any effective global initiative to combat climate change and not be able to collaborate with the biggest landmass country on the planet? How does the US work closely with Russia on the Iran nuclear deal when we have no trust with, and barely communicate with, Moscow? How do we isolate and try to weaken a country so big and so powerful, knowing that it could be more dangerous if it disintegrates than if it’s strong? How do we feed and fuel the world at reasonable prices when a sanctioned Russia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of oil, wheat and fertilizer? The answer is that we don’t know. Which is another way of saying that we are entering a period of geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainty the likes of which we have not known since 1989 — and possibly 1939. And it promises only to get worse before it gets better, because Putin is now like a cornered animal. He not only got so much wrong in his Ukraine invasion; he produced the opposite of so much he was aiming to achieve, making him desperate for any war achievement, at any price, that can obscure this fact. Putin said he had to go into Ukraine to push NATO away from Russia, and his war has not only reinvigorated what was a stagnating Western military alliance, it has also guaranteed NATO’s solidarity and weapons modernisation for as long as Putin is in power — and probably another generation after that. Putin said he had to go into Ukraine to remove the Nazi clique ruling in Kyiv and bring both the Ukrainian people and their territory back into the arms of Mother Russia, where they naturally belonged and, in his imagination, longed to be. Instead, his invasion has made Ukrainians — even some formerly pro-Russia Ukrainians — bitter enemies of Russia for at least a generation and supercharged Ukraine’s desire to be independent of Russia and embedded in the European Union. Putin thought that with a blitzkrieg takeover of Ukraine he would earn the proper respect from the West for Russia’s military prowess — ending the insults that Russia, with an economy smaller than the state of Texas’, was just “a gas station with nukes.” Instead, his army has been exposed as incompetent and barbaric and needing to enlist mercenaries from Syria and Chechnya just to hold its ground. Having gotten so much wrong and having launched this war on his own initiative, Putin has to be desperate to show that he produced something — at least uncontested control of eastern Ukraine, from the Donbas region, south to Odesa on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast and connecting with Crimea. And he surely wants it by May 9, for Moscow’s giant annual Victory Day parade, marking Russia’s victory over the Nazis in World War II — the day when the Russian military recalls its greatest glory. So, it appears that Putin is gearing up for a two-pronged strategy. First, he’s regrouping his ravaged forces and concentrating them on fully seizing and holding this smaller military prize. Second, he’s doubling down on systematic cruelty — the continued pummeling of Ukrainian towns with rockets and artillery to keep creating as many casualties and refugees and as much economic ruin as he can. He clearly hopes that the former will fracture the Ukrainian army, at least in the east, and the latter will fracture NATO, as its member states get overwhelmed by so many refugees and pressure Kyiv to give Putin whatever he wants to get him to stop. Ukraine and NATO, therefore, need an effective counterstrategy. It should have three pillars. The first is to support the Ukrainians with diplomacy if they want to negotiate with Putin — it’s their call — but also to support them with the best weaponry and training if they want to drive the Russian army off every inch of their territory. The second is to broadcast daily and loudly — in every way we can — that the world is at war “with Putin” and “not with the Russian people” — just the opposite of what Putin is telling them. And the third is for us to double down on ending our addiction to oil, Putin’s main source of income. The hope is that the three together would set in motion forces inside Russia that topple Putin from power. Yes, that is a high-risk-high-reward proposition. Putin’s downfall could lead to someone worse at the helm in the Kremlin. It could also lead to prolonged chaos and disintegration. But if it leads to someone better, someone with just minimal decency and an ambition to rebuild Russia’s dignity and spheres of influence based on a new generation of Tchaikovskys, Rachmaninoffs, Sakharovs, Dostoyevskys and Sergey Brins — not yacht-owning oligarchs, cyberhackers and polonium-armed assassins — the whole world gets better. So many possibilities for healthy collaborations would be resurrected or forged. Only the Russian people have the right and ability to change their leader. But it will not be easy because Putin, an ex-KGB officer — surrounded by many other former intelligence officers who are beholden to him — is nearly impossible to dislodge. But here is one possible scenario: The Russian army is a prideful institution, and if it continues to suffer catastrophic defeats in Ukraine, I can imagine a situation in which either Putin wants to decapitate his army’s leadership — to make them the scapegoats for his failure in Ukraine — or the army, knowing this is coming, tries to oust Putin first. There never has been any love lost between the Russian military and the KGB/SVR/FSB security types surrounding Putin. In sum, having the Russian people produce a better leader is a necessary condition for the world to produce a new, more resilient global order to replace the post-Cold War order, which Putin has now shattered. What is also necessary, though, is that America be a model of democracy and sustainability that others want to emulate. When Ukrainians are making the ultimate sacrifice to hold onto every inch and ounce of their newly won freedom, is it too much to ask that Americans make the smallest sacrifices and compromises to hold on to our precious democratic inheritance?

How do we deal with a superpower led by a war criminal?

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to Kyiv on Saturday and meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came as a surprise to the world. After his visit, many speculated that other leaders might also visit the war-torn nation.&nbsp;

After Johnson's visit, all eyes were on US President Joe Biden, but dismissing the speculations, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday (April 10) that Biden has "no plans" to visit Ukraine.&nbsp;

"President Biden doesn't currently have any plans to travel to Kyiv. But I will tell you he sits in the Oval Office and in the Situation Room on a daily basis, organising and coordinating the world when it comes to the delivery of weapons," Sullivan told NBC.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-claims-it-destroyed-s-300-anti-aircraft-missile-systems-given-to-ukraine-by-eu-nation-470257">Russia claims it destroyed S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems given to Ukraine by EU nation</a>

Sullivan further added that the Ukrainian foreign minister said that the United States "is at the centre of the effort to deliver from other countries and organising and coordinating the world to take actions like the one last week to kick Russia out of the Human Rights Council."&nbsp;

Sullivan added, "So President Biden will stay focused on that and make sure that he is showing his support and solidarity to the Ukrainian people through those kinds of decisive actions."&nbsp;

Johnson's visit was not announced as it was revealed to the world when the photos of the British PM walking on the streets of the Ukrainian capital were published.&nbsp;

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister has travelled to Ukraine to meet President Zelensky in person, in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dolphins-bring-joy-to-ukrainian-children-fleeing-war-in-kherson-470266">Dolphins bring joy to Ukrainian children fleeing war in Kherson</a>

WATCH&nbsp;|&nbsp;Putin appoints new General to lead Ukraine war. Is Kremlin changing its strategy?

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/putin-appoints-new-general-to-lead-ukraine-war-is-kremlin-changing-its-strategy-470188/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to Kyiv on Saturday and meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came as a surprise to the world. After his visit, many speculated that other leaders might also visit the war-torn nation.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to Kyiv on Saturday and meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came as a surprise to the world. After his visit, many speculated that other leaders might also visit the war-torn nation. After Johnson's visit, all eyes were on US President Joe Biden, but dismissing the speculations, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday (April 10) that Biden has "no plans" to visit Ukraine. "President Biden doesn't currently have any plans to travel to Kyiv. But I will tell you he sits in the Oval Office and in the Situation Room on a daily basis, organising and coordinating the world when it comes to the delivery of weapons," Sullivan told NBC. ALSO READ | Russia claims it destroyed S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems given to Ukraine by EU nation Sullivan further added that the Ukrainian foreign minister said that the United States "is at the centre of the effort to deliver from other countries and organising and coordinating the world to take actions like the one last week to kick Russia out of the Human Rights Council." Sullivan added, "So President Biden will stay focused on that and make sure that he is showing his support and solidarity to the Ukrainian people through those kinds of decisive actions." Johnson's visit was not announced as it was revealed to the world when the photos of the British PM walking on the streets of the Ukrainian capital were published. A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister has travelled to Ukraine to meet President Zelensky in person, in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people." ALSO READ | Dolphins bring joy to Ukrainian children fleeing war in Kherson WATCH | Putin appoints new General to lead Ukraine war. Is Kremlin changing its strategy? ×

After Boris Johnson's visit, US says Joe Biden 'doesn't currently have any plans' to travel to Ukraine

British rock band Pink Floyd reunited after what seems like ages to release a song in support of Ukraine. The song was released under the group's banner 'Hey Hey Rise Up'.&nbsp; 
 
What more! The newly released song features vocals by Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvniuk from his video singing a folk song in the capital city of Kyiv, which became the unofficial anthem amid the Ukraine-Russia war. 
 
The proceeds of the song reportedly will go for humanitarian relief. The lead vocals have been provided by a Ukrainian Singer and not the band's lead vocalist David Gilmour. The song infuses Cappella vocals from an Instagram post shot in Kyiv. &nbsp; 
 
"We, like so many, have been feeling the fury and the frustration of this vile act of an independent, peaceful democratic country being invaded and having its people murdered by one of the world`s major powers," Pink Floyd's David Gilmour tweeted. 
 
The music for the new song was recorded on March 30 by longtime members Gilmour and Nick Mason, along with longtime bass player Guy Pratt and keyboardist Nitin Sawhney.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here is the official video for 'Hey Hey Rise Up', Pink Floyd’s new Ukraine fundraiser feat Andriy Khlyvnyuk of Boombox. Stream / download from midnight. <a href="https://t.co/4U3P3WAQOZ">https://t.co/4U3P3WAQOZ</a>
— Pink Floyd (@pinkfloyd) <a href="https://twitter.com/pinkfloyd/status/1512169371573051399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
1/3 Tonight at midnight, Pink Floyd will release a new song, 'Hey Hey Rise Up', which sees David Gilmour and Nick Mason joined by Guy Pratt &amp; Nitin Sawhney, with an extraordinary vocal by Andriy Khlyvnyuk of Ukrainian band Boombox. 
Listen/download at <a href="https://t.co/i1l92D3AYU">https://t.co/i1l92D3AYU</a>
— Pink Floyd (@pinkfloyd) <a href="https://twitter.com/pinkfloyd/status/1512088273157455873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
2/3 Gilmour, who has a Ukrainian daughter-in-law &amp; grandchildren: "We, like so many, have been feeling the fury and the frustration of this vile act of an independent, peaceful democratic country being invaded and having its people murdered by one of the world's major powers".
— Pink Floyd (@pinkfloyd) <a href="https://twitter.com/pinkfloyd/status/1512088467378900994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The vocalist grafted into the new Pink Floyd track is Andriy Khlyvnyuk of the Ukrainian band Boombox. 
 
They have been taken from an Instagram video he posted five weeks ago in which he sings a World War I-era Ukrainian protest song, 'The Red Viburnum In The Meadow', which has seen a revival as a cry against the Russian war upon Ukraine. 
 
The final line of the song translates as "Hey hey, rise up and rejoice". The band is likely to release a music video too shortly.&nbsp; 
 
(With agency inputs)

British rock band Pink Floyd reunited after what seems like ages to release a song in support of Ukraine. The song was released under the group's banner 'Hey Hey Rise Up'.

British rock band Pink Floyd reunited after what seems like ages to release a song in support of Ukraine. The song was released under the group's banner 'Hey Hey Rise Up'. What more! The newly released song features vocals by Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvniuk from his video singing a folk song in the capital city of Kyiv, which became the unofficial anthem amid the Ukraine-Russia war. The proceeds of the song reportedly will go for humanitarian relief. The lead vocals have been provided by a Ukrainian Singer and not the band's lead vocalist David Gilmour. The song infuses Cappella vocals from an Instagram post shot in Kyiv. "We, like so many, have been feeling the fury and the frustration of this vile act of an independent, peaceful democratic country being invaded and having its people murdered by one of the world`s major powers," Pink Floyd's David Gilmour tweeted. The music for the new song was recorded on March 30 by longtime members Gilmour and Nick Mason, along with longtime bass player Guy Pratt and keyboardist Nitin Sawhney. Here is the official video for 'Hey Hey Rise Up', Pink Floyd’s new Ukraine fundraiser feat Andriy Khlyvnyuk of Boombox. Stream / download from midnight. https://t.co/4U3P3WAQOZ — Pink Floyd (@pinkfloyd) April 7, 2022 × 1/3 Tonight at midnight, Pink Floyd will release a new song, 'Hey Hey Rise Up', which sees David Gilmour and Nick Mason joined by Guy Pratt & Nitin Sawhney, with an extraordinary vocal by Andriy Khlyvnyuk of Ukrainian band Boombox. Listen/download at https://t.co/i1l92D3AYU — Pink Floyd (@pinkfloyd) April 7, 2022 × 2/3 Gilmour, who has a Ukrainian daughter-in-law & grandchildren: "We, like so many, have been feeling the fury and the frustration of this vile act of an independent, peaceful democratic country being invaded and having its people murdered by one of the world's major powers". — Pink Floyd (@pinkfloyd) April 7, 2022 × The vocalist grafted into the new Pink Floyd track is Andriy Khlyvnyuk of the Ukrainian band Boombox. They have been taken from an Instagram video he posted five weeks ago in which he sings a World War I-era Ukrainian protest song, 'The Red Viburnum In The Meadow', which has seen a revival as a cry against the Russian war upon Ukraine. The final line of the song translates as "Hey hey, rise up and rejoice". The band is likely to release a music video too shortly. (With agency inputs)

Pink Floyd reunites after decades to create a song in support of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that conditions in Borodyanka were worse than in Bucha, where Russia has been accused of killing civilians.

Referring to the situation as&nbsp;"significantly more dreadful", he added that the city has a considerably higher number of victims targetted by&nbsp;"Russian occupiers"&nbsp;than Bucha.

"The work to clear the rubble in Borodyanka has begun ... It's significantly more dreadful there. Even more victims from the Russian occupiers," said&nbsp;Zelensky in a video that was&nbsp;posted&nbsp;on Telegram.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bucha-killings-are-fake-propaganda-says-putins-ally-dmitry-medvedev-468582" hreflang="en">Bucha killings are fake propaganda says Putin's ally Dmitry Medvedev</a>

Borodyanka is located about 25 km from Bucha.

He offered no further details or evidence that Russia was responsible for the deaths of civilians in the city.

The alleged killing of civilians in the city of Bucha has been largely condemned by the West as war crimes with countries lobbying for tougher sanctions against Russia.

Multiple countries have also come together and expelled Moscow's diplomats, accusing them of spying.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russia-ukraine-conflict-these-eu-allies-have-expelled-around-150-russian-diplomats-468612">Russia-Ukraine conflict: These EU allies have expelled around 150 Russian diplomats</a>

According to local authorities, more than 300 people were killed by Russian forces in Bucha, 35 kilometres northwest of the capital Kyiv, and at least&nbsp;50 of them&nbsp;were executed.
<gwofw>
However,&nbsp;Moscow has denied that its forces have committed any atrocities against civilians. The country says that the gruesome&nbsp;images of bodies in Bucha were staged by the Ukraine government so as to derail peace negotiations and justify additional sanctions against Moscow.

Zelensky has also alleged similar "war crimes" in the city of Mariupol.

Reuters quotes him as asking&nbsp;"and what will happen when the world learns the whole truth about what the Russian military did in Mariupol?"&nbsp;

&nbsp;

"There, on almost every street, is what the world saw in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv region after the withdrawal of Russian troops."

Watch |&nbsp;The US commits more weapons to Ukraine &amp; ends normal trade with Russia

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-us-commits-more-weapons-to-ukraine-ends-normal-trade-with-russia-469250/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Since the beginning of this attack,&nbsp;Moscow has claimed that one of its aims is to "liberate" the largely Russian-speaking places like Mariupol from a threat of genocide by Ukrainian nationalists, who it accuses of using civilians as human shields.

The Ukrainian President&nbsp;Zelensky has rejected these&nbsp;claims, labelling them as a baseless pretext for Russia's invasion.

(With inputs from agencies)
</gwofw>

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that conditions in Borodyanka were worse than in Bucha, where Russia has been accused of killing civilians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that conditions in Borodyanka were worse than in Bucha, where Russia has been accused of killing civilians. Referring to the situation as "significantly more dreadful", he added that the city has a considerably higher number of victims targetted by "Russian occupiers" than Bucha. "The work to clear the rubble in Borodyanka has begun ... It's significantly more dreadful there. Even more victims from the Russian occupiers," said Zelensky in a video that was posted on Telegram. Also read | Bucha killings are fake propaganda says Putin's ally Dmitry Medvedev Borodyanka is located about 25 km from Bucha. He offered no further details or evidence that Russia was responsible for the deaths of civilians in the city. The alleged killing of civilians in the city of Bucha has been largely condemned by the West as war crimes with countries lobbying for tougher sanctions against Russia. Multiple countries have also come together and expelled Moscow's diplomats, accusing them of spying. Also read | Russia-Ukraine conflict: These EU allies have expelled around 150 Russian diplomats According to local authorities, more than 300 people were killed by Russian forces in Bucha, 35 kilometres northwest of the capital Kyiv, and at least 50 of them were executed. However, Moscow has denied that its forces have committed any atrocities against civilians. The country says that the gruesome images of bodies in Bucha were staged by the Ukraine government so as to derail peace negotiations and justify additional sanctions against Moscow. Zelensky has also alleged similar "war crimes" in the city of Mariupol. Reuters quotes him as asking "and what will happen when the world learns the whole truth about what the Russian military did in Mariupol?" "There, on almost every street, is what the world saw in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv region after the withdrawal of Russian troops." Watch | The US commits more weapons to Ukraine & ends normal trade with Russia Since the beginning of this attack, Moscow has claimed that one of its aims is to "liberate" the largely Russian-speaking places like Mariupol from a threat of genocide by Ukrainian nationalists, who it accuses of using civilians as human shields. The Ukrainian President Zelensky has rejected these claims, labelling them as a baseless pretext for Russia's invasion. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine-Russia conflict: Borodyanka destruction 'more horrific' than Bucha, says Zelensky

United States has threatened China with sanctions if it decided to provide “material support” to Russia.

In a veiled warning to Xi Jinping, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday said that a range of sanctions announced by the West and its allies should serve as an example of what is expected to come should China sides with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"It gives President Xi, I think, a pretty good understanding of what might come his way should he, in fact, support Putin in any material fashion," Sherman told a House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, according to news agency Reuters.

She further said that Beijing should take note of the coordinated Western response over Ukraine if it holds aspirations of invading democratically governed island of Taiwan by force.

"We hope that the PRC (People's Republic of China) understands that any such action would see a response from the international community, not just from the United States," she added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelensky-says-russia-hiding-thousands-killed-in-mariupol-468954">Ukrainian President Zelensky says Russia hiding 'thousands' killed in Mariupol</a>

US has been repeatedly warning China of consequences if it sides with Russia in Ukraine war.

In March, US President Joe Biden warned Xi during a video call against providing any material support to help Russia counter Western sanctions or to provide military assistance.

Biden later said that China knows its economic future is tied to the West, not Russia

China has so far refused to condemn the war and criticised the West for imposing sanctions.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/volodymyr-zelensky-impact-of-war-on-ukraines-comedian-president-and-an-unlikely-wartime-leader-468665">How Ukraine war took toll on comedian-turned unlikely war president Volodymyr Zelensky</a>

China’s relations with Russia have come under even closer scrutiny since the two countries declared a “no limits” partnership in early February.

Western intelligence reports claimed that China knew in advance of Putin’s plans to invade Ukraine, and had reportedly urged the Russian president to delay the war until the Beijing Winter Olympics ends.

However, China has denied making any such request, and trashed the report as “baseless allegations.”

Watch |&nbsp;US sanctions Putin's adult children amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-us-sanctions-putins-adult-children-amid-the-ongoing-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-468932/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

(With inputs from agencies)

United States has threatened China with sanctions if it decided to provide “material support” to Russia. In a veiled warning to Xi Jinping, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday said that a range of sanctions announced by the West and its allies should serve as an example of what is expected to come should China sides with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

United States has threatened China with sanctions if it decided to provide “material support” to Russia. In a veiled warning to Xi Jinping, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday said that a range of sanctions announced by the West and its allies should serve as an example of what is expected to come should China sides with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "It gives President Xi, I think, a pretty good understanding of what might come his way should he, in fact, support Putin in any material fashion," Sherman told a House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, according to news agency Reuters. She further said that Beijing should take note of the coordinated Western response over Ukraine if it holds aspirations of invading democratically governed island of Taiwan by force. "We hope that the PRC (People's Republic of China) understands that any such action would see a response from the international community, not just from the United States," she added. Also read | Ukrainian President Zelensky says Russia hiding 'thousands' killed in Mariupol US has been repeatedly warning China of consequences if it sides with Russia in Ukraine war. In March, US President Joe Biden warned Xi during a video call against providing any material support to help Russia counter Western sanctions or to provide military assistance. Biden later said that China knows its economic future is tied to the West, not Russia China has so far refused to condemn the war and criticised the West for imposing sanctions. Also read | How Ukraine war took toll on comedian-turned unlikely war president Volodymyr Zelensky China’s relations with Russia have come under even closer scrutiny since the two countries declared a “no limits” partnership in early February. Western intelligence reports claimed that China knew in advance of Putin’s plans to invade Ukraine, and had reportedly urged the Russian president to delay the war until the Beijing Winter Olympics ends. However, China has denied making any such request, and trashed the report as “baseless allegations.” Watch | US sanctions Putin's adult children amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine (With inputs from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine war: US threatens Beijing with sanctions if it provides ‘material support’ to Moscow

Russia-Ukraine war: Young Ukrainians in Greece confront the trauma they've suffered

Russia-Ukraine conflict: These EU allies have expelled around 150 Russian diplomats

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wins fourth consecutive term

Ukraine has recovered&nbsp;410&nbsp;civilian&nbsp;bodies&nbsp;from areas it recently retook from the Russian army in the wider Kyiv region, its prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said Sunday.

Venediktova told national television: "410&nbsp;bodies&nbsp;of dead civilians were evacuated out of the liberated territories of the Kyiv region. Forensic experts have already examined 140".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-new-law-1-million-reward-for-russian-soldier-who-surrenders-jet-warship-468132">Ukraine's new law: $1 million 'reward' for Russian soldier who surrenders jet, warship</a>

Ukraine, which retook control of the whole Kyiv region from the Russian army this weekend, has accused Moscow of a "deliberate massacre" in the town of Bucha, 30 kilometres (19 miles) north-west of the capital.&nbsp;

Bucha mayor Anatoly Fedoruk told AFP on Saturday that 280&nbsp;bodies&nbsp;were buried in mass graves.&nbsp;

Civilian&nbsp;bodies&nbsp;were also found in the street as Ukrainian forces regained access to the town.

On Saturday, AFP journalists saw at least 20&nbsp;bodies&nbsp;in a single street in Bucha.&nbsp;One had his arms tied behind his back. All were wearing&nbsp;civilian&nbsp;clothing.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Ukraine FM Dmytro Kuleba: Russia is worse than ISIS

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ukraine-fm-dmytro-kuleba-russia-is-worse-than-isis-468052/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">Local officials showed AFP a mass grave in the town on Sunday, where some of the&nbsp;bodies&nbsp;were still not under the earth, saying 57 people were buried there.</div>

Russia has denied killing civilians, saying the accusations were "another production of the Kyiv regime and the Western media."

"During the time this settlement was under the control of Russian armed forces, not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions," Moscow's defence ministry said Sunday.&nbsp;

The Russian army occupied Bucha three days into its invasion, launched by President Vladimir Putin on February 24.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-outrage-follows-allegations-that-russia-executed-civilians-468064">Global outrage follows allegations that Russia executed civilians</a>

Ukraine has also accused Russia of killing civilians in the nearby town of Irpin, that has -- like Bucha -- suffered vast destruction.

Authorities said at least 200 people were killed in Irpin -- which also fell to the Russian army in the first days of the war -- since Moscow's launched its offensive.

Ukraine has recovered 410 civilian bodies from areas it recently retook from the Russian army in the wider Kyiv region, its prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said Sunday.

Ukraine has recovered 410 civilian bodies from areas it recently retook from the Russian army in the wider Kyiv region, its prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said Sunday. Venediktova told national television: "410 bodies of dead civilians were evacuated out of the liberated territories of the Kyiv region. Forensic experts have already examined 140". Also read | Ukraine's new law: $1 million 'reward' for Russian soldier who surrenders jet, warship Ukraine, which retook control of the whole Kyiv region from the Russian army this weekend, has accused Moscow of a "deliberate massacre" in the town of Bucha, 30 kilometres (19 miles) north-west of the capital. Bucha mayor Anatoly Fedoruk told AFP on Saturday that 280 bodies were buried in mass graves. Civilian bodies were also found in the street as Ukrainian forces regained access to the town. On Saturday, AFP journalists saw at least 20 bodies in a single street in Bucha. One had his arms tied behind his back. All were wearing civilian clothing. Watch | Ukraine FM Dmytro Kuleba: Russia is worse than ISIS Local officials showed AFP a mass grave in the town on Sunday, where some of the bodies were still not under the earth, saying 57 people were buried there. Russia has denied killing civilians, saying the accusations were "another production of the Kyiv regime and the Western media." "During the time this settlement was under the control of Russian armed forces, not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions," Moscow's defence ministry said Sunday. The Russian army occupied Bucha three days into its invasion, launched by President Vladimir Putin on February 24. Also read | Global outrage follows allegations that Russia executed civilians Ukraine has also accused Russia of killing civilians in the nearby town of Irpin, that has -- like Bucha -- suffered vast destruction. Authorities said at least 200 people were killed in Irpin -- which also fell to the Russian army in the first days of the war -- since Moscow's launched its offensive.

Ukraine war: 410 civilian bodies recovered in Kyiv region, says prosecutor

The odds are slightly in favour of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of Europe's longest-serving leaders, extending his&nbsp;12-year&nbsp;rule&nbsp;in an election on Sunday, helped by his government's firm control over state media.

Hungarians&nbsp;started voting at 0400 GMT with the&nbsp;war&nbsp;in neighbouring&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;dominating the campaign. The six-party opposition alliance is within striking distance of&nbsp;Orban's&nbsp;Fidesz party in the polls, making the outcome of the&nbsp;ballot&nbsp;uncertain for the first time since Orban swept to power in 2010.

Casting his&nbsp;vote&nbsp;in snowy Budapest, Orban told reporters he expected a "great victory" and portrayed the&nbsp;ballot&nbsp;as a choice between "peace or&nbsp;war", accusing his opponents again of trying to drag Hungary into the&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;conflict, a charge they deny.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-crisishungary-pm-orban-calls-sanctions-double-edged-weapon-458898">Russia-Ukraine Crisis:Hungary PM Orban calls sanctions 'double-edged weapon'</a>

When asked repeatedly about his close ties with Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Orban said:

"I am standing on the basis of the Hungarian national interests, I am pro-Hungarian."

The&nbsp;war&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;has upset&nbsp;Orban's&nbsp;plans and forced him into uncomfortable manoeuvring at home after more than a decade of close political and business relations with Moscow.

According to the latest poll by Zavecz Research, Fidesz leads with 39% support against 36% for the opposition, while one-fifth of&nbsp;voters have yet to decide who to back.

The leader of the opposition, 49-year-old conservative Peter Marki-Zay, has framed the election as a choice between East and West. Orban has turned Hungary towards Russia, he says, eroding democratic rights and directing the Central European country away from the European Union where it belongs.

"A Hungarian Putin or Europe?", opposition billboards say, showing a photo of Putin together with Orban.

Orban, 58, has portrayed himself as a defender of Hungarian interests by rejecting EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas.

Watch |&nbsp;Hungary’s Orban tries to shed his Putin links ahead of Elections

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hungarys-orban-tries-to-shed-his-putin-links-ahead-of-elections-463252/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

He has not vetoed any EU sanctions against Russia, even though he said he did not agree with them. His government has also allowed NATO troops to be deployed in Hungary, where public support for NATO membership stood at 80% in a 2021 GLOBSEC survey.

He supported an EU decision to send arms to&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;but has banned weapons shipments from Hungarian territory, saying such a move could pose a security risk.

His tactical gambit has helped cement his support among core Fidesz&nbsp;voters. But it has led to criticism from some allies including Poland, whose ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said he was not pleased with&nbsp;Orban's&nbsp;cautious stance on Russia.

Polls close at 1700 GMT.

Surging prices

Despite the&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;war&nbsp;taking centre-stage, many&nbsp;Hungarians&nbsp;are troubled by surging consumer prices, with inflation at an almost 15-year&nbsp;high of 8.3% in February even as Orban imposed caps on retail fuel prices, basic foodstuffs and mortgage rates.

Think tank GKI said its consumer confidence survey showed an 11-point plunge in March even after&nbsp;Orban's&nbsp;pre-election spending spree to support households.

The opposition alliance, which includes the leftist Democratic Coalition, the liberal Momentum and far-right-turned-moderate Jobbik parties, has tapped popular discontent, criticising what they said was systemic corruption that has enriched oligarchs close to Fidesz.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hungarian-far-right-pm-invites-donald-trump-hoping-for-a-positive-boost-in-upcoming-elections-452462">Hungarian far-right PM invites Donald Trump hoping for a positive boost in upcoming elections</a>

"I cannot stand that they have dismantled democracy and ... they have stolen our country from us, they have stolen the wealth of our country and channelled it into private ownership," said Annamaria Varnai, an opposition supporter in Budapest where the alliance looks likely to score a sweeping victory based on a poll by Median this week.

After&nbsp;years of clashes with Brussels over media freedoms, the&nbsp;rule&nbsp;of law and immigration, a part of&nbsp;Orban's&nbsp;current campaign is based on defending conservative Christian family values against what he calls "gender madness" in Western Europe.

On Sunday,&nbsp;Hungarians&nbsp;will also&nbsp;vote&nbsp;in a referendum on sexual orientation workshops in schools - a&nbsp;vote&nbsp;rights groups have condemned, saying it fuels prejudice against LGBTQ people.

The odds are slightly in favour of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of Europe's longest-serving leaders, extending his 12-year rule in an election on Sunday, helped by his government's firm control over state media.

The odds are slightly in favour of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of Europe's longest-serving leaders, extending his 12-year rule in an election on Sunday, helped by his government's firm control over state media. Hungarians started voting at 0400 GMT with the war in neighbouring Ukraine dominating the campaign. The six-party opposition alliance is within striking distance of Orban's Fidesz party in the polls, making the outcome of the ballot uncertain for the first time since Orban swept to power in 2010. Casting his vote in snowy Budapest, Orban told reporters he expected a "great victory" and portrayed the ballot as a choice between "peace or war", accusing his opponents again of trying to drag Hungary into the Ukraine conflict, a charge they deny. Also read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis:Hungary PM Orban calls sanctions 'double-edged weapon' When asked repeatedly about his close ties with Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Orban said: "I am standing on the basis of the Hungarian national interests, I am pro-Hungarian." The war in Ukraine has upset Orban's plans and forced him into uncomfortable manoeuvring at home after more than a decade of close political and business relations with Moscow. According to the latest poll by Zavecz Research, Fidesz leads with 39% support against 36% for the opposition, while one-fifth of voters have yet to decide who to back. The leader of the opposition, 49-year-old conservative Peter Marki-Zay, has framed the election as a choice between East and West. Orban has turned Hungary towards Russia, he says, eroding democratic rights and directing the Central European country away from the European Union where it belongs. "A Hungarian Putin or Europe?", opposition billboards say, showing a photo of Putin together with Orban. Orban, 58, has portrayed himself as a defender of Hungarian interests by rejecting EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas. Watch | Hungary’s Orban tries to shed his Putin links ahead of Elections He has not vetoed any EU sanctions against Russia, even though he said he did not agree with them. His government has also allowed NATO troops to be deployed in Hungary, where public support for NATO membership stood at 80% in a 2021 GLOBSEC survey. He supported an EU decision to send arms to Ukraine but has banned weapons shipments from Hungarian territory, saying such a move could pose a security risk. His tactical gambit has helped cement his support among core Fidesz voters. But it has led to criticism from some allies including Poland, whose ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said he was not pleased with Orban's cautious stance on Russia. Polls close at 1700 GMT. Surging prices Despite the Ukraine war taking centre-stage, many Hungarians are troubled by surging consumer prices, with inflation at an almost 15-year high of 8.3% in February even as Orban imposed caps on retail fuel prices, basic foodstuffs and mortgage rates. Think tank GKI said its consumer confidence survey showed an 11-point plunge in March even after Orban's pre-election spending spree to support households. The opposition alliance, which includes the leftist Democratic Coalition, the liberal Momentum and far-right-turned-moderate Jobbik parties, has tapped popular discontent, criticising what they said was systemic corruption that has enriched oligarchs close to Fidesz. Also read | Hungarian far-right PM invites Donald Trump hoping for a positive boost in upcoming elections "I cannot stand that they have dismantled democracy and ... they have stolen our country from us, they have stolen the wealth of our country and channelled it into private ownership," said Annamaria Varnai, an opposition supporter in Budapest where the alliance looks likely to score a sweeping victory based on a poll by Median this week. After years of clashes with Brussels over media freedoms, the rule of law and immigration, a part of Orban's current campaign is based on defending conservative Christian family values against what he calls "gender madness" in Western Europe. On Sunday, Hungarians will also vote in a referendum on sexual orientation workshops in schools - a vote rights groups have condemned, saying it fuels prejudice against LGBTQ people.

Hungarians vote on Orban's 12-year rule in tight ballot overshadowed by Ukraine war

According to reports, India is expected to face shortage of sunflower oil by at least 25% or 4-6 lakh tonnes. Battling the edible oil demand, India had to procure Russian sunflower oil but is it enough?

Impact of the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the Indian kitchen

Russia and Ukraine on Friday resumed peace&nbsp;talks&nbsp;by&nbsp;video&nbsp;conference, a&nbsp;negotiator&nbsp;said, after Moscow reported a Ukrainian air strike on a fuel depot in western Russia.

"We are continuing&nbsp;talks&nbsp;by&nbsp;video&nbsp;conference," Moscow's chief&nbsp;negotiator&nbsp;Vladimir Medinsky said on Telegram. "Our positions on Crimea and Donbass have not changed."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-negotiations-set-to-resume-as-attacks-still-continue-467302">Russia-Ukraine War: Negotiations for peace set to resume as attacks still continue</a>

Russian&nbsp;and Ukrainian negotiators held face-to-face&nbsp;talks&nbsp;in Istanbul on Tuesday. The&nbsp;talks&nbsp;provided a spark of hope for an end to the more than a month of fighting in Ukraine but there are few signs of attacks abating on the ground.&nbsp;

Earlier Friday a&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;governor accused Ukrainian helicopters of bombing a fuel storage depot in the western&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;city of Belgorod sparking a huge fire.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-trying-to-reinforce-offensive-in-donbas-maintains-pressure-on-kyiv-nato-467184">Russia trying to reinforce offensive in Donbas; maintains pressure on Kyiv: NATO</a>

The incident marked the first time Russia has reported a Ukrainian air strike on its territory since President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24.

The Kremlin said the reported Ukrainian air strike will hinder new rounds of peace&nbsp;talks.

Watch |&nbsp;Ukraine: Russian troops regrouping in South

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ukraine-russian-troops-regrouping-in-south-467365/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Russia and Ukraine on Friday resumed peace talks by video conference, a negotiator said, after Moscow reported a Ukrainian air strike on a fuel depot in western Russia.

Russia and Ukraine on Friday resumed peace talks by video conference, a negotiator said, after Moscow reported a Ukrainian air strike on a fuel depot in western Russia. "We are continuing talks by video conference," Moscow's chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on Telegram. "Our positions on Crimea and Donbass have not changed." Also read | Russia-Ukraine War: Negotiations for peace set to resume as attacks still continue Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held face-to-face talks in Istanbul on Tuesday. The talks provided a spark of hope for an end to the more than a month of fighting in Ukraine but there are few signs of attacks abating on the ground. Earlier Friday a Russian governor accused Ukrainian helicopters of bombing a fuel storage depot in the western Russian city of Belgorod sparking a huge fire. Also read | Russia trying to reinforce offensive in Donbas; maintains pressure on Kyiv: NATO The incident marked the first time Russia has reported a Ukrainian air strike on its territory since President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24. The Kremlin said the reported Ukrainian air strike will hinder new rounds of peace talks. Watch | Ukraine: Russian troops regrouping in South

Russia-Ukraine talks resume via video: Russian negotiator

EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific Gabriele Visentin who is in Delhi has said that the war in Ukraine "does not reduce the resolve of the EU to act in the Indo pacific". During the India visit, the envoy met Secretary West Sanjay Verma, Joint Secretary Indo Pacific Geetika Srivastava, Joint Secretary Sumit Seth and envoys of all EU countries on the grouping's role in the region and the implication of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Visentin said, "price tag has been shown" for breaking of international order with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what is seen is "big neighbour attacking a smaller neighbour in an unprovoked way, not respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state."

In February, France and the EU co-hosted a foreign ministers' meeting on the Indo Pacific.&nbsp;

WION: What is your key focus during the Delhi visit?

Gabriele Visentin: What brings me here is actually a step up in the relations with India in terms of involvement of&nbsp;the implementation of the EU strategy on the Indo Pacific. So, my visit here is not only aimed at a political level and a comparison of notes on the current situation. but also to implement the EU strategy for cooperation on the Indo Pacific, both bilaterally and regionally.

 
WION: What is EU strategy in Indo Pacific, what is it all about?

Gabriele Visentin: The term Indo Pacific, was born in India in 2007. It was first raised in the speech by PM Abe in front of the Indian Parliament. The notion of the Indo Pacific was born in India. Already this is a great alignment, some people refer to the region as the Asia Pacific. We both refer to it as the Indo Pacific. There is the first definition of geographically scope which is aligned.

EU strategy for cooperation on Indo Pacific aims at strengthening and reinforcing the current and ongoing cooperation in the Indo Pacific,&nbsp;is structured along 7 themes, all of which have very high importance to India. We have a theme that talks about economic development and trade;&nbsp;2nd theme on climate change and the fight against its impact;&nbsp;3rd, cooperation on security and defence, human security which is all about fighting against pandemic, then ocean governance involving pollution and illegal fishing and illegal smuggling and law enforcement. Its overall strategy encompasses all possible fields of interest to the area and to India itself.

The biggest is the chapter on connectivity.&nbsp;The real backbone of the strategy is connectivity and implementation of the connectivity chapter is really at the heart of our policy for India and the region.

WION: Any practical cooperation by the EU in the region?

Gabriele Visentin: It is a bit too early to identify concrete projects. We are still in the phase of agreeing on the terms of cooperation. The EU has specified its concept of connectivity, through a policy initiative called global gateways, published towards the end of the year. India is one of two&nbsp;countries with which the EU has a connectivity partnership.

The implementation of the global gateway and connectivity partnership will pass through the identification of projects but we are aligned on the philosophy. The philosophy of the EU's way of connectivity and India's way of understanding connectivity is that projects should be based on their bankability or financial sustainability in the long term. It means that the financing will be a blend of public-private funds, involvement of financial institutions and a mix of loans and grants. Connectivity must be in the interest of the recipient country and based on the long term sustainability of debt. India, the EU's idea of connectivity, is that connectivity should create links and not dependency. &nbsp;

WION: Ukraine crisis has been the biggest worry; will it impact EU's focus on Indo pacific?

Gabriele Visentin: This is not a crisis, this is a drama going on, for the first time in 75 years' the war has touched European soil and it is at the neighbour of Europe. This is something we all stood against and this paradoxically does not reduce the resolve of the EU to act in the Indo pacific. It enhances the EU's resolve to act worldwide. What is happening there resonates all over the world. &nbsp;What is there is a big neighbour attacking a smaller neighbour in an unprovoked way, not respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state. This is all in a total breach of the UN charter, the international rules-based order. Breach of the rules, we all gave to each other to live peacefully. We can't pretend nothing has happened. This is something that will reinforce our resolve to act even more in the Indo Pacific and this has found attention from the Indian authorities during my talks.

WION: Do you see a Ukraine-like situation erupting in Asia, and if yes, what can the EU do?

Gabriele Visentin: For the time being nothing like that has happened and for the time being we have no signs that something like this can happen. Should this happen, anyhow the western world and western democracies, liberal democracies have shown that they can unite together to counteract this. The answer that EU and its member states, like-minded countries have given worldwide amid the Ukraine war is exemplary, what it means to breach the UN charter.

WION: You haven't taken the name of one country in Asia, but you have indicated bigger countries chipping away territory of smaller countries. How big is that worry for Europe?

Gabriele Visentin: It's not a worry, you need to be ready for whatever the future might bring. Actually, something on which we all agree is to show the price tag of breaking the international rules-based order. I think the price tag has been shown. There are no worries or targets for anything but an indication of the fact that democracies can work, deliver and unite themselves when need be.

WION: What are your expectations from the Indian side of the Indo Pacific. India has been the torchbearer of the vision.

Gabriele Visentin: &nbsp;I would not talk about expectation, but joining force. India is the biggest democracy in the world, the biggest regional power, both military and economic so it is not a matter of expectation but a matter of cooperation and joining forces. My presence here shows we want to engage more and more with India in order to really cooperate more in every possible aspect. There are tangible cooperation ideas, on connectivity, on defence undertaking EU military missions in the Indian ocean or fighting climate change or capacity building on law enforcement that will promote multilateralism, for example, UNCLOS. I would really like to stress, we found ourselves aligned on the will to cooperate more.&nbsp;

WION: Are you planning a big-ticket event, for example, the France event.

Gabriele Visentin: The Indo pacific meet was co-organized by the EU and France, so it was an EU event as well. We consider it a major step toward integrating the EU with the Indo Pacific. In Paris, we had all the ministers of the EU, plus more than 30 foreign ministers from the Indo Pacific. They all got together and found ways to further down the cooperation. This is important, and we do plan to continue this path and major events will be organized by the incoming presidency, we are in contact with the Czech, Swedish and Spanish presidencies so that Indo Pacific remains the centre of EU attention which has been an integral part of the bloc.&nbsp;

EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific Gabriele Visentin who is in Delhi has said that the war in Ukraine "does not reduce the resolve of the EU to act in the Indo pacific".

EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific Gabriele Visentin who is in Delhi has said that the war in Ukraine "does not reduce the resolve of the EU to act in the Indo pacific". During the India visit, the envoy met Secretary West Sanjay Verma, Joint Secretary Indo Pacific Geetika Srivastava, Joint Secretary Sumit Seth and envoys of all EU countries on the grouping's role in the region and the implication of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Visentin said, "price tag has been shown" for breaking of international order with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what is seen is "big neighbour attacking a smaller neighbour in an unprovoked way, not respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state." In February, France and the EU co-hosted a foreign ministers' meeting on the Indo Pacific. WION: What is your key focus during the Delhi visit? Gabriele Visentin: What brings me here is actually a step up in the relations with India in terms of involvement of the implementation of the EU strategy on the Indo Pacific. So, my visit here is not only aimed at a political level and a comparison of notes on the current situation. but also to implement the EU strategy for cooperation on the Indo Pacific, both bilaterally and regionally. WION: What is EU strategy in Indo Pacific, what is it all about? Gabriele Visentin: The term Indo Pacific, was born in India in 2007. It was first raised in the speech by PM Abe in front of the Indian Parliament. The notion of the Indo Pacific was born in India. Already this is a great alignment, some people refer to the region as the Asia Pacific. We both refer to it as the Indo Pacific. There is the first definition of geographically scope which is aligned. EU strategy for cooperation on Indo Pacific aims at strengthening and reinforcing the current and ongoing cooperation in the Indo Pacific, is structured along 7 themes, all of which have very high importance to India. We have a theme that talks about economic development and trade; 2nd theme on climate change and the fight against its impact; 3rd, cooperation on security and defence, human security which is all about fighting against pandemic, then ocean governance involving pollution and illegal fishing and illegal smuggling and law enforcement. Its overall strategy encompasses all possible fields of interest to the area and to India itself. The biggest is the chapter on connectivity. The real backbone of the strategy is connectivity and implementation of the connectivity chapter is really at the heart of our policy for India and the region. WION: Any practical cooperation by the EU in the region? Gabriele Visentin: It is a bit too early to identify concrete projects. We are still in the phase of agreeing on the terms of cooperation. The EU has specified its concept of connectivity, through a policy initiative called global gateways, published towards the end of the year. India is one of two countries with which the EU has a connectivity partnership. The implementation of the global gateway and connectivity partnership will pass through the identification of projects but we are aligned on the philosophy. The philosophy of the EU's way of connectivity and India's way of understanding connectivity is that projects should be based on their bankability or financial sustainability in the long term. It means that the financing will be a blend of public-private funds, involvement of financial institutions and a mix of loans and grants. Connectivity must be in the interest of the recipient country and based on the long term sustainability of debt. India, the EU's idea of connectivity, is that connectivity should create links and not dependency. WION: Ukraine crisis has been the biggest worry; will it impact EU's focus on Indo pacific? Gabriele Visentin: This is not a crisis, this is a drama going on, for the first time in 75 years' the war has touched European soil and it is at the neighbour of Europe. This is something we all stood against and this paradoxically does not reduce the resolve of the EU to act in the Indo pacific. It enhances the EU's resolve to act worldwide. What is happening there resonates all over the world. What is there is a big neighbour attacking a smaller neighbour in an unprovoked way, not respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state. This is all in a total breach of the UN charter, the international rules-based order. Breach of the rules, we all gave to each other to live peacefully. We can't pretend nothing has happened. This is something that will reinforce our resolve to act even more in the Indo Pacific and this has found attention from the Indian authorities during my talks. WION: Do you see a Ukraine-like situation erupting in Asia, and if yes, what can the EU do? Gabriele Visentin: For the time being nothing like that has happened and for the time being we have no signs that something like this can happen. Should this happen, anyhow the western world and western democracies, liberal democracies have shown that they can unite together to counteract this. The answer that EU and its member states, like-minded countries have given worldwide amid the Ukraine war is exemplary, what it means to breach the UN charter. WION: You haven't taken the name of one country in Asia, but you have indicated bigger countries chipping away territory of smaller countries. How big is that worry for Europe? Gabriele Visentin: It's not a worry, you need to be ready for whatever the future might bring. Actually, something on which we all agree is to show the price tag of breaking the international rules-based order. I think the price tag has been shown. There are no worries or targets for anything but an indication of the fact that democracies can work, deliver and unite themselves when need be. WION: What are your expectations from the Indian side of the Indo Pacific. India has been the torchbearer of the vision. Gabriele Visentin: I would not talk about expectation, but joining force. India is the biggest democracy in the world, the biggest regional power, both military and economic so it is not a matter of expectation but a matter of cooperation and joining forces. My presence here shows we want to engage more and more with India in order to really cooperate more in every possible aspect. There are tangible cooperation ideas, on connectivity, on defence undertaking EU military missions in the Indian ocean or fighting climate change or capacity building on law enforcement that will promote multilateralism, for example, UNCLOS. I would really like to stress, we found ourselves aligned on the will to cooperate more. WION: Are you planning a big-ticket event, for example, the France event. Gabriele Visentin: The Indo pacific meet was co-organized by the EU and France, so it was an EU event as well. We consider it a major step toward integrating the EU with the Indo Pacific. In Paris, we had all the ministers of the EU, plus more than 30 foreign ministers from the Indo Pacific. They all got together and found ways to further down the cooperation. This is important, and we do plan to continue this path and major events will be organized by the incoming presidency, we are in contact with the Czech, Swedish and Spanish presidencies so that Indo Pacific remains the centre of EU attention which has been an integral part of the bloc.

Exclusive | War in Ukraine enhances EU's resolve to act in Indo Pacific, says top diplomat Gabriele

Despite heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine, a US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts left the International Space Station (ISS) together on Wednesday in a Soyuz capsule.

To begin the journey back to Earth, the trio will close the hatch of the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft. The Soyuz will detach from the Rassvet module and land assisted by&nbsp;parachutes&nbsp;on Kazakhstan's steppes, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, on March 30.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/western-sanctions-could-cause-international-space-station-to-crash-russia-461606">Western sanctions could cause International space station to crash: Russia</a>

According to Russian space agency Roscosmos, the Russian Soyuz capsule carrying NASA's Mark Vande Hei and his cosmonaut colleagues Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov safely undocked from the International Space Station and is slated to make a parachute landing in central Kazakhstan at 1128 GMT.

The joint US-Russian return flight from the International Space Station is being closely scrutinised for signs that the escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russia's invasion of Ukraine have spilled over into long-standing space cooperation between the two.

Watch |&nbsp;Russian cosmonauts arrive at the International space station for 6-month long mission

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-cosmonauts-arrive-at-the-international-space-station-for-6-month-long-mission-463660/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to NASA, Vande Hei, who is 55 years old and is on his second ISS mission, would have achieved a US space endurance record of 355 days in orbit, breaking the previous 340-day record set by astronaut Scott Kelly in 2016.

On February 24, US President Joe Biden announced economic sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin's government, including high-tech export restrictions aimed at "degrading" Russia's aerospace industry, particularly its space programme.

The director-general of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, then responded with a series of Twitter tweets, claiming that the US penalties may "destroy" ISS teamwork and cause the space station to tumble out of orbit.

Also read |&nbsp;Did Russian cosmonauts wear Ukrainian flag’s colours at ISS? Idea gets refuted

Around the same time, Rogozin announced that Russia would no longer manufacture or service Russian-made rocket engines used by two US&nbsp;aerospace NASA suppliers, suggesting that American astronauts may reach orbit using "broomsticks."

According to NASA, US and Russian ISS crew members are aware of happenings on Earth, but are working together professionally and without friction.

Three cosmonauts travelled to orbit on March 18 to replace the three returning ISS crew members, joining Vande Hei's three remaining American colleagues and a German astronaut from the European Space Agency.

(With inputs from agencies)

Despite heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine, a US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts left the International Space Station (ISS) together on Wednesday in a Soyuz capsule.

Despite heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine, a US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts left the International Space Station (ISS) together on Wednesday in a Soyuz capsule. To begin the journey back to Earth, the trio will close the hatch of the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft. The Soyuz will detach from the Rassvet module and land assisted by parachutes on Kazakhstan's steppes, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, on March 30. Also read | Western sanctions could cause International space station to crash: Russia According to Russian space agency Roscosmos, the Russian Soyuz capsule carrying NASA's Mark Vande Hei and his cosmonaut colleagues Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov safely undocked from the International Space Station and is slated to make a parachute landing in central Kazakhstan at 1128 GMT. The joint US-Russian return flight from the International Space Station is being closely scrutinised for signs that the escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russia's invasion of Ukraine have spilled over into long-standing space cooperation between the two. Watch | Russian cosmonauts arrive at the International space station for 6-month long mission According to NASA, Vande Hei, who is 55 years old and is on his second ISS mission, would have achieved a US space endurance record of 355 days in orbit, breaking the previous 340-day record set by astronaut Scott Kelly in 2016. On February 24, US President Joe Biden announced economic sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin's government, including high-tech export restrictions aimed at "degrading" Russia's aerospace industry, particularly its space programme. The director-general of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, then responded with a series of Twitter tweets, claiming that the US penalties may "destroy" ISS teamwork and cause the space station to tumble out of orbit. Also read | Did Russian cosmonauts wear Ukrainian flag’s colours at ISS? Idea gets refuted Around the same time, Rogozin announced that Russia would no longer manufacture or service Russian-made rocket engines used by two US aerospace NASA suppliers, suggesting that American astronauts may reach orbit using "broomsticks." According to NASA, US and Russian ISS crew members are aware of happenings on Earth, but are working together professionally and without friction. Three cosmonauts travelled to orbit on March 18 to replace the three returning ISS crew members, joining Vande Hei's three remaining American colleagues and a German astronaut from the European Space Agency. (With inputs from agencies)

Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, US and Russian astronauts return to Earth together

Ukraine and its Western allies awaited indications on Wednesday that Moscow was "radically" decreasing military action near Kyiv, as agreed in peace negotiations, but scepticism remained high after Washington cautioned that Russian forces were being relocated rather than withdrawn.

In marked contrast to past rounds, both parties described the negotiations in Istanbul as "serious" and "good," increasing hopes after more than a month of fighting which has killed thousands and displaced millions.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-russia-ukraine-exclusive-putin-should-be-behind-bars-ex-ukraine-president-tells-wion-466807" hreflang="en">Watch | Russia-Ukraine | Exclusive: Putin should be behind bars, ex-Ukraine president tells WION</a>

Russia's deputy defence minister, Alexander Fomin, said progress had been made on Ukraine's "neutrality and non-nuclear status," two key Russian concerns.

He also stated that Russia would "significantly restrict military activities" around Kyiv and Chernigiv in the north.

However, the pledge was met with scepticism in Ukraine and Western capitals, with the Pentagon claiming that Russia had only relocated a "small number" of troops near Kyiv, but was planning a "major offensive" elsewhere.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sufficient-conditions-for-talks-between-zelensky-putin-ukraine-466749" hreflang="en">Sufficient conditions for talks between Zelensky, Putin: Ukraine</a>

According to Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby, the "vast majority" of the Russian military stationed near Kyiv remained in position.

"We've only seen a small number begin to move away from Kyiv, mostly to the north.

"Russia has failed in its objective of capturing Kyiv," the Pentagon spokesman added, but "it does not mean that the threat to Kyiv is over".

Watch |&nbsp;Ukraine, allies remain cautious as Russia pledges to reduce attacks amid the Russian invasion

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ukraine-allies-remain-cautious-as-russia-pledges-to-reduce-attacks-amid-the-russian-invasion-466831/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The retreat of Russian forces from the area around Kyiv and Chernigiv, according to Ukraine's military, "is probably a rotation of individual units and aims to mislead".

Air raid sirens rang multiple times in the capital overnight and persisted into the morning.

(WIth inputs from agencies)

Ukraine and its Western allies awaited indications on Wednesday that Moscow was "radically" decreasing military action near Kyiv, as agreed in peace negotiations, but scepticism remained high after Washington cautioned that Russian forces were being relocated rather than withdrawn.

Ukraine and its Western allies awaited indications on Wednesday that Moscow was "radically" decreasing military action near Kyiv, as agreed in peace negotiations, but scepticism remained high after Washington cautioned that Russian forces were being relocated rather than withdrawn. In marked contrast to past rounds, both parties described the negotiations in Istanbul as "serious" and "good," increasing hopes after more than a month of fighting which has killed thousands and displaced millions. Also read | Watch | Russia-Ukraine | Exclusive: Putin should be behind bars, ex-Ukraine president tells WION Russia's deputy defence minister, Alexander Fomin, said progress had been made on Ukraine's "neutrality and non-nuclear status," two key Russian concerns. He also stated that Russia would "significantly restrict military activities" around Kyiv and Chernigiv in the north. However, the pledge was met with scepticism in Ukraine and Western capitals, with the Pentagon claiming that Russia had only relocated a "small number" of troops near Kyiv, but was planning a "major offensive" elsewhere. Also read | Sufficient conditions for talks between Zelensky, Putin: Ukraine According to Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby, the "vast majority" of the Russian military stationed near Kyiv remained in position. "We've only seen a small number begin to move away from Kyiv, mostly to the north. "Russia has failed in its objective of capturing Kyiv," the Pentagon spokesman added, but "it does not mean that the threat to Kyiv is over". Watch | Ukraine, allies remain cautious as Russia pledges to reduce attacks amid the Russian invasion The retreat of Russian forces from the area around Kyiv and Chernigiv, according to Ukraine's military, "is probably a rotation of individual units and aims to mislead". Air raid sirens rang multiple times in the capital overnight and persisted into the morning. (WIth inputs from agencies)

Scepticism greets Russian pledge to deescalate around Kyiv

Dutch brewer&nbsp;Heineken&nbsp;on Monday joined the foreign business exodus from&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;over the&nbsp;war&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ukraine, saying it was "deeply saddened" to see the conflict intensify.

The beer company, which employs 1,800 people in&nbsp;Russia, had already halted the sale and production of its&nbsp;Heineken&nbsp;brand in&nbsp;Russia, and suspended new investments and exports to the country earlier this month.

Hundreds of Western firms have closed shops and offices in&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;since the&nbsp;war&nbsp;started, a list that includes famous names such as Ikea, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs and MacDonald's.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-seizes-premium-swiss-watches-amid-sanctions-report-466418">Russia seizes premium Swiss watches amid sanctions: Report</a>

"We are shocked and deeply saddened to watch the&nbsp;war&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;continue to unfold and intensify,"&nbsp;Heineken&nbsp;said in a statement.

"Following the previously announced strategic review of our operations, we have concluded that&nbsp;Heineken's ownership of the business in&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;is no longer sustainable nor viable in the current environment," the statement said.

"As a result, we have decided to leave&nbsp;Russia."

Heineken&nbsp;said it would aim for an "orderly transfer" of its business to a new owner in compliance with international and local laws and would not take any profit from the transaction, which will cost the company 400 million euros ($438 million) in exceptional charges.

Heineken&nbsp;is the third-biggest brewer in&nbsp;Russia, where it makes the Zhigulevskoe and Oxota brands for the local market

Guaranteeing salaries&nbsp;

The company said it would continue on reduced operations during a transition period to reduce the risk of nationalisation and "ensure the ongoing safety and wellbeing of our employees".

"In all circumstances we guarantee the salaries of our 1,800 employees will be paid to the end of 2022 and will do our utmost to safeguard their future employment."

Upon completion of the transfer&nbsp;Heineken&nbsp;will no longer have a presence in&nbsp;Russia.

The country has been hit by an onslaught of economic sanctions but foreign companies have also faced public pressure, and calls from the Ukrainian government, to leave&nbsp;Russia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-sinopec-suspends-talks-with-russian-companies-amid-sanctions-row-466372">China's Sinopec suspends talks with Russian companies amid sanctions row</a>

Some companies have remained in&nbsp;Russia, citing concerns about the fate of their employees or depriving ordinary Russians of vital goods.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used an address to France's parliament last week to call on French companies still working in&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;to "stop sponsoring" aggression against his country.

Car giant Renault subsequently announced an immediate suspension of operations at its Moscow factory.

But the chief executive of French retail giant Auchan, Yves Claude, defended the company's decision to remain in&nbsp;Russia, citing the need to keep staff employed.

Ukraine&nbsp;called for a global boycott of Auchan.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: The story of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-the-story-of-ukraines-president-volodymyr-zelensky-466054/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Dutch brewer Heineken on Monday joined the foreign business exodus from Russia over the war in Ukraine, saying it was "deeply saddened" to see the conflict intensify.

Dutch brewer Heineken on Monday joined the foreign business exodus from Russia over the war in Ukraine, saying it was "deeply saddened" to see the conflict intensify. The beer company, which employs 1,800 people in Russia, had already halted the sale and production of its Heineken brand in Russia, and suspended new investments and exports to the country earlier this month. Hundreds of Western firms have closed shops and offices in Russia since the war started, a list that includes famous names such as Ikea, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs and MacDonald's. Also read | Russia seizes premium Swiss watches amid sanctions: Report "We are shocked and deeply saddened to watch the war in Ukraine continue to unfold and intensify," Heineken said in a statement. "Following the previously announced strategic review of our operations, we have concluded that Heineken's ownership of the business in Russia is no longer sustainable nor viable in the current environment," the statement said. "As a result, we have decided to leave Russia." Heineken said it would aim for an "orderly transfer" of its business to a new owner in compliance with international and local laws and would not take any profit from the transaction, which will cost the company 400 million euros ($438 million) in exceptional charges. Heineken is the third-biggest brewer in Russia, where it makes the Zhigulevskoe and Oxota brands for the local market Guaranteeing salaries The company said it would continue on reduced operations during a transition period to reduce the risk of nationalisation and "ensure the ongoing safety and wellbeing of our employees". "In all circumstances we guarantee the salaries of our 1,800 employees will be paid to the end of 2022 and will do our utmost to safeguard their future employment." Upon completion of the transfer Heineken will no longer have a presence in Russia. The country has been hit by an onslaught of economic sanctions but foreign companies have also faced public pressure, and calls from the Ukrainian government, to leave Russia. Also read | China's Sinopec suspends talks with Russian companies amid sanctions row Some companies have remained in Russia, citing concerns about the fate of their employees or depriving ordinary Russians of vital goods. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used an address to France's parliament last week to call on French companies still working in Russia to "stop sponsoring" aggression against his country. Car giant Renault subsequently announced an immediate suspension of operations at its Moscow factory. But the chief executive of French retail giant Auchan, Yves Claude, defended the company's decision to remain in Russia, citing the need to keep staff employed. Ukraine called for a global boycott of Auchan. Watch | Gravitas Plus: The story of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky

Heineken exits Russia in wake of Ukraine war

To aid Ukrain amid war with Russia, a fundraising concert will be held in Birmingham- England on March 29. Singers like Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Emeli Sande and others are scheduled to perform live in the two-hour-long show.&nbsp; 
The proceeds from the concert will aid the people of Ukraine - affected due to the Russian invasion. 
 
Interestingly, members of the popular Ukrainian band Antytila have also reportedly expressed their desire to perform at the concert. 
 
The band sent out a video message which has now been circulated online asking singer Ed Sheeran if they could too participate remotely. 
 
The video has them dressed in a military uniform, and saying, "Hello Ed, greetings from Kyiv! We are musicians of the Ukrainian band 'Antytila' - one of the most popular Ukrainian bands with a lot of fans in Ukraine and all over the world. The war has changed our lives and now we are fighting with weapons against the Russian occupiers. We thank you, and all the British people for their support. Believe me, we are grateful, and we will always, always remember this."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🗓 Save the date, 29th March. The popular <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukrainian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukrainian</a> band, Antytila, has offered to perform remotely from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kyiv?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kyiv</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/edsheeran?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Edsheeran</a>'s 'Concert for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a>'. 
 
"We are not afraid to play under the bombs, and through music, we want to show the 🌍 that Ukraine is strong and unconquered." <a href="https://t.co/4tzPweHate">pic.twitter.com/4tzPweHate</a>
— Benjamin Lim (@ohitsbenji) <a href="https://twitter.com/ohitsbenji/status/1506876350593859584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"Today we learned about your charity concert for Ukraine, which will take place in Birmingham. And we offer to make a live broadcast between Kyiv and Birmingham with Antytila temporary joining the gig remotely. Our band will play our music in Kyiv, a city that has not surrendered and will never surrender to the Russian occupiers. You will play in Birmingham," continued the band. 
 
Speaking about the power of music, the band said that they would like to show the world that Ukraine is strong. "We are not afraid to play under the bombs. Through music, we want to show the world that Ukraine is strong and unconquered. We will fight and sing for victory in front of the whole world that supports us. So on March 29, we are ready." 
 
The video was lauded on social media with many cheering for the band and their spirit to play amid crisis.&nbsp; 
 
Later Ed Sheeran too responded to the video, saying he "loves them, stands with them, and is looking forward to their music".

 
"Firstly I just wanted to say to all Ukrainians, I love you, I stand with you and I'm so proud to be playing this fundraising event next week. I can't wait to check your music out, guys - and I'm sending you lots of love," Sheeran said in the video message.&nbsp;

To aid Ukrain amid war with Russia, a fundraising concert will be held in Birmingham- England on March 29. Singers like Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Emeli Sande and others are scheduled to perform live in the two-hour-long show.

To aid Ukrain amid war with Russia, a fundraising concert will be held in Birmingham- England on March 29. Singers like Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Emeli Sande and others are scheduled to perform live in the two-hour-long show. The proceeds from the concert will aid the people of Ukraine - affected due to the Russian invasion. Interestingly, members of the popular Ukrainian band Antytila have also reportedly expressed their desire to perform at the concert. The band sent out a video message which has now been circulated online asking singer Ed Sheeran if they could too participate remotely. The video has them dressed in a military uniform, and saying, "Hello Ed, greetings from Kyiv! We are musicians of the Ukrainian band 'Antytila' - one of the most popular Ukrainian bands with a lot of fans in Ukraine and all over the world. The war has changed our lives and now we are fighting with weapons against the Russian occupiers. We thank you, and all the British people for their support. Believe me, we are grateful, and we will always, always remember this." 🗓 Save the date, 29th March. The popular #Ukrainian band, Antytila, has offered to perform remotely from #Kyiv at @Edsheeran's 'Concert for #Ukraine'. "We are not afraid to play under the bombs, and through music, we want to show the 🌍 that Ukraine is strong and unconquered." pic.twitter.com/4tzPweHate — Benjamin Lim (@ohitsbenji) March 24, 2022 × "Today we learned about your charity concert for Ukraine, which will take place in Birmingham. And we offer to make a live broadcast between Kyiv and Birmingham with Antytila temporary joining the gig remotely. Our band will play our music in Kyiv, a city that has not surrendered and will never surrender to the Russian occupiers. You will play in Birmingham," continued the band. Speaking about the power of music, the band said that they would like to show the world that Ukraine is strong. "We are not afraid to play under the bombs. Through music, we want to show the world that Ukraine is strong and unconquered. We will fight and sing for victory in front of the whole world that supports us. So on March 29, we are ready." The video was lauded on social media with many cheering for the band and their spirit to play amid crisis. Later Ed Sheeran too responded to the video, saying he "loves them, stands with them, and is looking forward to their music". "Firstly I just wanted to say to all Ukrainians, I love you, I stand with you and I'm so proud to be playing this fundraising event next week. I can't wait to check your music out, guys - and I'm sending you lots of love," Sheeran said in the video message.

Ukrainian band asks Ed Sheeran if they can perform live from Kyiv for a fundraiser concert

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.&nbsp;

Officials in Mariupol, a strategic port city, said Friday they fear 300 people died in last week's Russian strike on a theatre where hundreds of people were sheltering.

"From eyewitnesses, information is emerging that about 300 people died in the Drama Theatre of Mariupol following strikes by a Russian aircraft," Mariupol City Hall wrote on Telegram.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-month-of-russia-ukraine-conflict-here-are-the-top-10-developments-465411">One month of Russia-Ukraine conflict: Here are the top 10 developments</a>

In the aftermath of last week's strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the press that hundreds of people had taken cover in the building. It is believed most were women and children.

City officials in Mariupol said Friday that the theatre was destroyed in what they called a "cynical" attack, adding that Russia was aware civilians were inside the building.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-officials-say-mariupol-art-school-used-as-shelter-bombed-by-russians-463947">Ukraine: Officials say Mariupol art school used as shelter bombed by Russians</a>

The leader of Chechnya, a Russian republic in the south, said Thursday that forces from his region had taken control of Mariupol City Hall and raised the Russian flag.

The port city of Mariupol has been shelled relentlessly by Russian forces. According to the city council, 30,000 people have been able to flee so far, but 350,000 people are still trapped in the city.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: 1 month of Ukraine invasion: More bluster from NATO 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-1-month-of-ukraine-invasion-more-bluster-from-nato-465277/embed" width="560"></iframe>

A satellite photo taken earlier this week shows a large building with a red roof and "DETI" the Russian word for "children" painted in large white letters on the tarmac to the front and the back of it.

Physical damage to Mariupol has been described as "enormous" by the city council. A report estimated that about 80 per cent of the city's homes had been destroyed and that almost 30 per cent could not be repaired.

As per President Zelensky, almost 100,000 people remain trapped without food, water, or power in the besieged city and are subjected to fierce shelling by Russian forces.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. Officials in Mariupol, a strategic port city, said Friday they fear 300 people died in last week's Russian strike on a theatre where hundreds of people were sheltering. "From eyewitnesses, information is emerging that about 300 people died in the Drama Theatre of Mariupol following strikes by a Russian aircraft," Mariupol City Hall wrote on Telegram. Also read | One month of Russia-Ukraine conflict: Here are the top 10 developments In the aftermath of last week's strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the press that hundreds of people had taken cover in the building. It is believed most were women and children. City officials in Mariupol said Friday that the theatre was destroyed in what they called a "cynical" attack, adding that Russia was aware civilians were inside the building. Also read | Ukraine: Officials say Mariupol art school used as shelter bombed by Russians The leader of Chechnya, a Russian republic in the south, said Thursday that forces from his region had taken control of Mariupol City Hall and raised the Russian flag. The port city of Mariupol has been shelled relentlessly by Russian forces. According to the city council, 30,000 people have been able to flee so far, but 350,000 people are still trapped in the city. Watch | Gravitas: 1 month of Ukraine invasion: More bluster from NATO A satellite photo taken earlier this week shows a large building with a red roof and "DETI" the Russian word for "children" painted in large white letters on the tarmac to the front and the back of it. Physical damage to Mariupol has been described as "enormous" by the city council. A report estimated that about 80 per cent of the city's homes had been destroyed and that almost 30 per cent could not be repaired. As per President Zelensky, almost 100,000 people remain trapped without food, water, or power in the besieged city and are subjected to fierce shelling by Russian forces. (With inputs from agencies)

Mariupol theater attack may have claimed 300 lives, mostly women and children: City Hall

It has been one month since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale attack on Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

Since that many key events have taken place. Here's a wrap up of the most significant developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

1. The confirmed civilian death toll in Ukraine now exceeds 1,000, according to the UN

At least 1,035 people have been killed and 1,650 have been wounded in one month of fighting in Ukraine, according to the United Nations human rights office.

The statement states that ninety children were among the dead, adding that the true numbers were believed to be much higher because of delays in reporting from the heavily fought areas like Mariupol, a besieged city in southern Ukraine.

<img alt="Civilian casualities" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9b4c3dd5-82d0-4321-8f3a-6021bdf89283" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/stories%20%284%29_1.jpg" />

2. Troop casualties

Regarding troop casualties, Ukraine reports that 15,800 Russian soldiers have perished.

Western estimates put the number of dead, wounded, missing, or otherwise out of action Russian soldiers at up to 40,000.

President Zelensky announced last week that 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed. Kyiv has not provided an update since.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-warns-nato-retaliation-if-russia-uses-chemical-weapons-in-ukraine-465405" hreflang="en">Biden warns NATO retaliation if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine</a>

3. Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War 2

Nearly 3.7 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion a month ago, according to the UN.

There are now estimates that over 10 million people -- over a quarter of the population in the areas under government control before the invasion on February 24 -- have fled their homes. Nearly 6.5 million of them are internally displaced.

Children make up almost half of all those who have been displaced. UNICEF stated that 4.3 million children -- more than half the country's estimated 7.5 million children -- have been forced to abandon their homes.

Over 1.8 million of these children are refugees, while another 2.5 million are displaced within their war-torn country, it said.

<img alt="Refugee" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dcc57861-2171-428d-beb5-1a6a9b679dc1" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/stories%20%285%29_1.jpg" />

4. Brussels triple summit

An unprecedented triple summit in Brussels brought together the leaders of NATO, the G7, and European nations to address the continent's worst conflict since the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

The summit saw Western leaders pile on military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine and denounce Moscow's invasion of its neighbour as "barbaric".

In addition to the new NATO combat units, the United States and the United Kingdom increased aid and expanded sanctions against new targets, including the stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainians-need-to-achieve-peace-halt-russian-bombardment-says-president-volodymyr-zelensky-465301" hreflang="en">Ukrainians 'need to achieve peace', halt Russian bombardment, says President Volodymyr Zelensky</a>

"The single most important thing is for us to stay unified and the world continue to focus on what a brute this guy is and all the innocent people's lives that are being lost and ruined," Biden told reporters in Brussels, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Putin has already crossed the red line into barbarism," added British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

<img alt="Brussels summit" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ae37d30c-f3ed-4695-ab5c-54d5e7fe0230" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/stories%20%283%29_0.jpg" />

5. NATO strengthens its defenses&nbsp;

In response to Russia's war on Ukraine, NATO is beefing up chemical and nuclear defenses for its forces in eastern Europe, said alliance head Jens Stoltenberg.

"Our top military commander General Wolters has activated NATO's chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence elements, and allies are deploying additional chemical and biological and nuclear defences to reinforce our existing and new battle groups."

<img alt="Jens " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7b312e12-5c32-4082-8411-0a6b18a432c5" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/stories%20%287%29_2.jpg" />

6. Ukraine pleads for unlimited aid&nbsp;

As its war entered its second month, Ukraine pressed for unlimited military aid from NATO in order for its troops to turn from defending territory to pushing Russian forces out, warning that Moscow could use chemical weapons.

According to Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia has been launching phosphorus bombs on Ukraine and shelling civilian areas at will, thus "the threat of full-scale use by Russia of chemical weapons on the territory of Ukraine is real."

"A month of heroic resistance. A month of the darkest suffering," he told the leaders.

"To save people and our cities, Ukraine needs military assistance without restrictions," Zelensky said. "In the same way that Russia is using its full arsenal without restrictions against us." &nbsp;

<img alt="Zelensky" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fd491894-40c3-4f32-8374-076dfe140f89" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/stories%20%286%29_0.jpg" />

7. UN General Assembly approves Ukraine aid resolution, criticises Russia

As many as three-quarters of the UN General Assembly has&nbsp;called for aid access and civilian protection in Ukraine, criticising Russia for creating a "dire" humanitarian crisis.

This is the second time the 193-member General Assembly has isolated Russia over what Moscow calls a "special military operation" intended to destroy Ukraine's military infrastructure.

Ukraine and its allies drafted the resolution, which received 140 votes in support and five votes against - Russia, Syria, North Korea, Eritrea and Belarus - while 38 countries, including China, abstained.

8. China rejects Russian claims of "prior knowledge" of attacks against Ukraine

China's ministry of defence has stated that it is false to state that China knew in advance about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that such claims are false.

It was made in response to allegations in foreign media that China ignored warnings from the US that Russia would attack Ukraine.

China strongly disagrees with and rejects these accusations, which it says were made to "shirk responsibility and smear China", the Chinese defence ministry said in a statement.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: 1 month of Ukraine invasion: More bluster from NATO 
&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-1-month-of-ukraine-invasion-more-bluster-from-nato-465277/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

9. US sets red lines for China helping Russia dodge sanctions

Attempting to deter China from assisting sanctions-hit Russia, the Biden administration has issued warnings to Beijing not to take advantage of business opportunities created by sanctions, assist Moscow in evading export controls, or process its banned financial transactions.

Although China has expressed deep concern about the war in Ukraine, it is yet to condemn Russian action.

<img alt="US" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0de7a5e2-6776-425f-bc40-4d70f2677316" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/stories%20%288%29_4.jpg" />

10. ICC prosecutor calls for international support in Ukraine war-crimes probe

In an appeal to a coalition of countries to support the investigation of war crimes in Ukraine, the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor said "things can get worse" unless the international community takes action.

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan spoke at a meeting of a British-led coalition in The Hague, where 38 countries have offered the court financial, military and legal assistance.

A formal inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine was opened by Khan on Feb. 28, just days after Russia invaded its smaller neighbour.

Ukraine and Russia aren't members of the ICC, but Kyiv has authorised the court to investigate on its territory and a team of investigators is gathering evidence there.

(With inputs from agencies)

It has been one month since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale attack on Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Since that many key events have taken place.

It has been one month since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale attack on Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Since that many key events have taken place. Here's a wrap up of the most significant developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 1. The confirmed civilian death toll in Ukraine now exceeds 1,000, according to the UN At least 1,035 people have been killed and 1,650 have been wounded in one month of fighting in Ukraine, according to the United Nations human rights office. The statement states that ninety children were among the dead, adding that the true numbers were believed to be much higher because of delays in reporting from the heavily fought areas like Mariupol, a besieged city in southern Ukraine. 2. Troop casualties Regarding troop casualties, Ukraine reports that 15,800 Russian soldiers have perished. Western estimates put the number of dead, wounded, missing, or otherwise out of action Russian soldiers at up to 40,000. President Zelensky announced last week that 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed. Kyiv has not provided an update since. Also read | Biden warns NATO retaliation if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine 3. Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War 2 Nearly 3.7 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion a month ago, according to the UN. There are now estimates that over 10 million people -- over a quarter of the population in the areas under government control before the invasion on February 24 -- have fled their homes. Nearly 6.5 million of them are internally displaced. Children make up almost half of all those who have been displaced. UNICEF stated that 4.3 million children -- more than half the country's estimated 7.5 million children -- have been forced to abandon their homes. Over 1.8 million of these children are refugees, while another 2.5 million are displaced within their war-torn country, it said. 4. Brussels triple summit An unprecedented triple summit in Brussels brought together the leaders of NATO, the G7, and European nations to address the continent's worst conflict since the Balkan wars of the 1990s. The summit saw Western leaders pile on military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine and denounce Moscow's invasion of its neighbour as "barbaric". In addition to the new NATO combat units, the United States and the United Kingdom increased aid and expanded sanctions against new targets, including the stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Also read | Ukrainians 'need to achieve peace', halt Russian bombardment, says President Volodymyr Zelensky "The single most important thing is for us to stay unified and the world continue to focus on what a brute this guy is and all the innocent people's lives that are being lost and ruined," Biden told reporters in Brussels, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Putin has already crossed the red line into barbarism," added British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 5. NATO strengthens its defenses In response to Russia's war on Ukraine, NATO is beefing up chemical and nuclear defenses for its forces in eastern Europe, said alliance head Jens Stoltenberg. "Our top military commander General Wolters has activated NATO's chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence elements, and allies are deploying additional chemical and biological and nuclear defences to reinforce our existing and new battle groups." 6. Ukraine pleads for unlimited aid As its war entered its second month, Ukraine pressed for unlimited military aid from NATO in order for its troops to turn from defending territory to pushing Russian forces out, warning that Moscow could use chemical weapons. According to Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia has been launching phosphorus bombs on Ukraine and shelling civilian areas at will, thus "the threat of full-scale use by Russia of chemical weapons on the territory of Ukraine is real." "A month of heroic resistance. A month of the darkest suffering," he told the leaders. "To save people and our cities, Ukraine needs military assistance without restrictions," Zelensky said. "In the same way that Russia is using its full arsenal without restrictions against us." 7. UN General Assembly approves Ukraine aid resolution, criticises Russia As many as three-quarters of the UN General Assembly has called for aid access and civilian protection in Ukraine, criticising Russia for creating a "dire" humanitarian crisis. This is the second time the 193-member General Assembly has isolated Russia over what Moscow calls a "special military operation" intended to destroy Ukraine's military infrastructure. Ukraine and its allies drafted the resolution, which received 140 votes in support and five votes against - Russia, Syria, North Korea, Eritrea and Belarus - while 38 countries, including China, abstained. 8. China rejects Russian claims of "prior knowledge" of attacks against Ukraine China's ministry of defence has stated that it is false to state that China knew in advance about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that such claims are false. It was made in response to allegations in foreign media that China ignored warnings from the US that Russia would attack Ukraine. China strongly disagrees with and rejects these accusations, which it says were made to "shirk responsibility and smear China", the Chinese defence ministry said in a statement. Watch | Gravitas: 1 month of Ukraine invasion: More bluster from NATO 9. US sets red lines for China helping Russia dodge sanctions Attempting to deter China from assisting sanctions-hit Russia, the Biden administration has issued warnings to Beijing not to take advantage of business opportunities created by sanctions, assist Moscow in evading export controls, or process its banned financial transactions. Although China has expressed deep concern about the war in Ukraine, it is yet to condemn Russian action. 10. ICC prosecutor calls for international support in Ukraine war-crimes probe In an appeal to a coalition of countries to support the investigation of war crimes in Ukraine, the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor said "things can get worse" unless the international community takes action. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan spoke at a meeting of a British-led coalition in The Hague, where 38 countries have offered the court financial, military and legal assistance. A formal inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine was opened by Khan on Feb. 28, just days after Russia invaded its smaller neighbour. Ukraine and Russia aren't members of the ICC, but Kyiv has authorised the court to investigate on its territory and a team of investigators is gathering evidence there. (With inputs from agencies)

One month of Russia-Ukraine conflict: Here are the top 10 developments

A semi-professional female soccer team which fled war in Ukraine has found a new training ground and shelter at the German Bundesliga club- 1. FC Cologne.

Ukrainian Female Footballers have found a new training ground

NATO is looking to expand its forces towards central and eastern Europe, the chief of alliance said on Wednesday.

Speaking ahead of a gathering of NATO leaders in Brussels, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Russia against using nuclear weapons, but also added that it does not seek a direct confrontation.

"I expect leaders will agree to strengthen NATO's posture in all domains, with major increases in the eastern part of the alliance. On land, in the air and at sea," Stoltenberg told a news conference.

He added that the decision to send forces eastward would be taken on Thursday during the NATO summit in Brussels.

NATO has sharply increased its presence at the eastern border of the alliance, with some 40,000 troops spread from the Baltic to the Black Sea, and is seeking to deploy four new combat units in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, he said.

The secretary-general also said that he expects leaders to task military commanders with looking into the alliance’s long-term options.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-us-president-biden-to-visit-poland-on-europe-trip-this-week-464181">Ukraine-Russia conflict: US President Biden to visit Poland on Europe trip this week</a>

“There is a need to reset our deterrence and defence, and I expect that to be a substantial increase in our presence for the long term,” Stoltenberg said.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden headed to Brussels on Wednesday to attend an emergency&nbsp;NATO&nbsp;Summit, address&nbsp;European Union&nbsp;leaders and hold meetings with G-7 leaders.

He will have the opportunity to coordinate on the next phase of military assistance to Ukraine, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House news conference on Tuesday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-spies-in-poland-country-expels-45-russian-diplomats-for-espionage-464868">Russian spies in Poland?: Country expels 45 Russian diplomats for espionage</a>

According to the White House, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom are all slated to attend.

Biden has no plans to visit Ukraine, according to White House officials.

(With inputs from agencies)

NATO is looking to expand its forces towards central and eastern Europe, the chief of alliance said on Wednesday. Speaking ahead of a gathering of NATO leaders in Brussels, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Russia against using nuclear weapons, but also added that it does not seek a direct confrontation.

NATO is looking to expand its forces towards central and eastern Europe, the chief of alliance said on Wednesday. Speaking ahead of a gathering of NATO leaders in Brussels, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Russia against using nuclear weapons, but also added that it does not seek a direct confrontation. "I expect leaders will agree to strengthen NATO's posture in all domains, with major increases in the eastern part of the alliance. On land, in the air and at sea," Stoltenberg told a news conference. He added that the decision to send forces eastward would be taken on Thursday during the NATO summit in Brussels. NATO has sharply increased its presence at the eastern border of the alliance, with some 40,000 troops spread from the Baltic to the Black Sea, and is seeking to deploy four new combat units in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, he said. The secretary-general also said that he expects leaders to task military commanders with looking into the alliance’s long-term options. Also read | Ukraine-Russia conflict: US President Biden to visit Poland on Europe trip this week “There is a need to reset our deterrence and defence, and I expect that to be a substantial increase in our presence for the long term,” Stoltenberg said. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden headed to Brussels on Wednesday to attend an emergency NATO Summit, address European Union leaders and hold meetings with G-7 leaders. He will have the opportunity to coordinate on the next phase of military assistance to Ukraine, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House news conference on Tuesday. Also read | Russian spies in Poland?: Country expels 45 Russian diplomats for espionage According to the White House, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom are all slated to attend. Biden has no plans to visit Ukraine, according to White House officials. (With inputs from agencies)

NATO looking to boost forces in eastern Europe, says alliance chief Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will remain in his role for an extra year to help steer the 30-nation military organization through the security crisis sparked by Russia's war on Ukraine.

NATO Chief Stoltenberg's term extended by a year due to Russia-Ukraine war

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday warned that Russia may find a pretext to attack Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons.

The remarks of the alliance chief come hours after Ukraine accused Russia of using phosphorus bombs on civilians.

"We are concerned partly because we see the rhetoric and we see that Russia is trying to create some kind of pretext accusing Ukraine, the United States and NATO allies of preparing to use chemical and biological weapons," he told reporters after a NATO summit in Brussels, adding any use of chemical weapons would have widespread consequences.

He said that the repercussions on the use of chemical weapons would be felt across Europe.

"There is also a risk that it (a chemical weapons attack) will have a direct effect on people living in NATO countries because we can see contamination, we can see the spread of chemical agents or biological weapons into our countries," said Stoltenberg, whose&nbsp;term has been extended by a year due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Notably, in a CNN interview, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would use nuclear weapons in the context of the Ukraine conflict if it were facing an "existential threat".

Thursday marked the one month anniversary since Russia invaded Ukraine.

At least 1,035 people have been killed and 1,650 wounded, the United Nations human rights office said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-accuses-russia-of-using-phosphorus-bombs-to-kill-civilians-465207" hreflang="en">Ukraine accuses Russia of using phosphorus bombs to kill civilians</a>

Ninety children were among the dead, it said in a statement, adding that the true figures were believed to be considerably higher due to delays in reporting from areas with intense hostilities, including the southern besieged city of Mariupol.

Meanwhile, the Russian onslaught against Ukraine continues unabated. &nbsp;Russian troops have bombed areas of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and port city Mariupol on Wednesday.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/one-month-since-russia-invaded-ukraine-hundreds-dead-millions-displaced-when-will-it-end-465149" hreflang="en">One month since Russia invaded Ukraine: Hundreds dead, millions displaced - When will it end?</a>

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko&nbsp;says 264 civilians in the city have been killed by Russian attacks.

Satellite photographs showed massive destruction in Mariupol, once a city of 400,000 people, with columns of smoke rising from burning residential apartment buildings, reports Reuters.

Watch |&nbsp;NATO Chief Stoltenberg's term extended by a year due to Russia-Ukraine war

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nato-chief-stoltenbergs-term-extended-by-a-year-due-to-russia-ukraine-war-465270/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday warned that Russia may find a pretext to attack Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons. The remarks of the alliance chief come hours after Ukraine accused Russia of using phosphorus bombs on civilians. "We are concerned partly because we see the rhetoric and we see that Russia is trying to create some kind of pretext accusing Ukraine, the United States and NATO allies of preparing to use chemical and biological weapons," he told reporters after a NATO summit in Brussels, adding any use of chemical weapons would have widespread consequences. He said that the repercussions on the use of chemical weapons would be felt across Europe. "There is also a risk that it (a chemical weapons attack) will have a direct effect on people living in NATO countries because we can see contamination, we can see the spread of chemical agents or biological weapons into our countries," said Stoltenberg, whose term has been extended by a year due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Notably, in a CNN interview, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would use nuclear weapons in the context of the Ukraine conflict if it were facing an "existential threat". Thursday marked the one month anniversary since Russia invaded Ukraine. At least 1,035 people have been killed and 1,650 wounded, the United Nations human rights office said. Also read | Ukraine accuses Russia of using phosphorus bombs to kill civilians Ninety children were among the dead, it said in a statement, adding that the true figures were believed to be considerably higher due to delays in reporting from areas with intense hostilities, including the southern besieged city of Mariupol. Meanwhile, the Russian onslaught against Ukraine continues unabated. Russian troops have bombed areas of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and port city Mariupol on Wednesday. Also see | One month since Russia invaded Ukraine: Hundreds dead, millions displaced - When will it end? Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko says 264 civilians in the city have been killed by Russian attacks. Satellite photographs showed massive destruction in Mariupol, once a city of 400,000 people, with columns of smoke rising from burning residential apartment buildings, reports Reuters. Watch | NATO Chief Stoltenberg's term extended by a year due to Russia-Ukraine war (With inputs from agencies)

Russia may find pretext to attack Ukraine with chemical weapons: NATO chief

One month since Russia invaded Ukraine: Hundreds dead, millions displaced - When will it end?

russia-ukraine-war

Russia Ukraine War, News on Russia Ukraine War, stories on Russia Ukraine War, articles on Russia Ukraine War, Russia Ukraine War stories at Wion, Russia Ukraine War news, Russia Ukraine War latest news

russia ukraine-war