On the evening of Dec. 9, 2005, 17 days after Gerhard Schröder left office as chancellor of Germany, he got a call on his cellphone. It was his friend President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

Gerhard Schroeder: The former chancellor who became Putin’s man in Germany

A total of 5,133,747 Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia invaded on February 24, the UN refugee agency said Friday.

The figure marks an increase of 48,387 from Thursday's data, UNHCR said.

Some 1,098,000 Ukrainians have left the country during April so far, compared with 3.4 million for the whole of March. &nbsp;

Women and children account for 90 percent of those who fled abroad, with men aged 18 to 60 eligible for military call-up unable to leave.

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The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) said an additional 218,000 citizens of third-countries -- largely students and migrant workers -- have also escaped to neighbouring countries.&nbsp;

Beyond the refugees, the IOM estimates 7.7 million people are displaced within in Ukraine.

Before the invasion, Ukraine had a population of 37 million in the regions under government control, excluding Russia-annexed Crimea and the pro-Russian separatist-controlled regions in the east.

Meanwhile, 1.1 million Ukrainians have returned to their country since the war began.

Here is a breakdown of how many Ukrainian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries, according to UNHCR:

Nearly six out of 10 Ukrainian refugees -- 2,867,241 so far -- have crossed into Poland.

Many of them have travelled on to other states in Europe's Schengen open-borders zone.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: This Russian missile can destroy any target on earth

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-this-russian-missile-can-destroy-any-target-on-earth-472821/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Meanwhile, more than 800,000 people have crossed from Poland into Ukraine, Polish border guards said.

Before the war, Poland was home to around 1.5 million Ukrainians, chiefly migrant workers.

Romania&nbsp;

A total of 769,616 Ukrainians entered the EU member state, including a large number who crossed over from Moldova, wedged between Romania and Ukraine.&nbsp;

The vast majority are thought to have gone on to other countries.&nbsp;

Russia

Another 578,255 refugees have sought shelter in Russia.

In addition, 105,000 people crossed into Russia from the separatist-held pro-Russian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine between February 18 and 23.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-retaliation-mode-russia-imposes-travel-bans-on-us-vice-president-facebook-head-472874">In retaliation mode? Russia imposes travel bans on US Vice President, Facebook head</a>

Hungary&nbsp;

A total of 480,974 Ukrainians have entered Hungary.

Moldova&nbsp;

The Moldovan border is the closest to the major port city of Odessa.&nbsp;A total of 430,170 Ukrainians had by Wednesday crossed into the non-EU state, one of the poorest in Europe. Most have moved on. &nbsp;

Slovakia

A total of 349,286 people crossed Ukraine's shortest border into Slovakia.

Belarus&nbsp;

Another 23,900 refugees have made it north to Russia's close ally Belarus.

A total of 5,133,747 Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia invaded on February 24, the UN refugee agency said Friday. The figure marks an increase of 48,387 from Thursday's data, UNHCR said.

A total of 5,133,747 Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia invaded on February 24, the UN refugee agency said Friday. The figure marks an increase of 48,387 from Thursday's data, UNHCR said. Some 1,098,000 Ukrainians have left the country during April so far, compared with 3.4 million for the whole of March. Women and children account for 90 percent of those who fled abroad, with men aged 18 to 60 eligible for military call-up unable to leave. Also read | Russian gas embargo will cost Germany almost $190 billion, says Bundesbank The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) said an additional 218,000 citizens of third-countries -- largely students and migrant workers -- have also escaped to neighbouring countries. Beyond the refugees, the IOM estimates 7.7 million people are displaced within in Ukraine. Before the invasion, Ukraine had a population of 37 million in the regions under government control, excluding Russia-annexed Crimea and the pro-Russian separatist-controlled regions in the east. Meanwhile, 1.1 million Ukrainians have returned to their country since the war began. Here is a breakdown of how many Ukrainian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries, according to UNHCR: Nearly six out of 10 Ukrainian refugees -- 2,867,241 so far -- have crossed into Poland. Many of them have travelled on to other states in Europe's Schengen open-borders zone. Watch | Gravitas: This Russian missile can destroy any target on earth Meanwhile, more than 800,000 people have crossed from Poland into Ukraine, Polish border guards said. Before the war, Poland was home to around 1.5 million Ukrainians, chiefly migrant workers. Romania A total of 769,616 Ukrainians entered the EU member state, including a large number who crossed over from Moldova, wedged between Romania and Ukraine. The vast majority are thought to have gone on to other countries. Russia Another 578,255 refugees have sought shelter in Russia. In addition, 105,000 people crossed into Russia from the separatist-held pro-Russian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine between February 18 and 23. Also read | In retaliation mode? Russia imposes travel bans on US Vice President, Facebook head Hungary A total of 480,974 Ukrainians have entered Hungary. Moldova The Moldovan border is the closest to the major port city of Odessa. A total of 430,170 Ukrainians had by Wednesday crossed into the non-EU state, one of the poorest in Europe. Most have moved on. Slovakia A total of 349,286 people crossed Ukraine's shortest border into Slovakia. Belarus Another 23,900 refugees have made it north to Russia's close ally Belarus.

Russia-Ukraine crisis: Tens of thousands of Ukrainians still fleeing war, says UN

As Russian bombardments devastated their hometown of Mariupol, Yevgen and Tetiana decided they had only one way to&nbsp;escape&nbsp;with their four&nbsp;children:&nbsp;on&nbsp;foot.

Talking Friday to AFP in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia as they waited for a train westwards, the&nbsp;family&nbsp;recounted through tears and laughter their miraculous 125-kilometre (80-mile) trek to safety.

For weeks as the bombing laid waste to Mariupol, the parents tried to prepare their&nbsp;children&nbsp;Yulia, 6, Oleksandr, 8, Anna, 10, and Ivan, 12, for the perilous journey they faced.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tasks-is-to-establish-full-control-over-donbas-and-southern-ukraine-russia-473086">Task is to establish full control over Donbas and southern Ukraine: Russia</a>

"We explained to them for two months, while we were in the cellar, where we would go... We prepared them for this long journey," said Tetiana Komisarova, 40.&nbsp;

"They&nbsp;saw&nbsp;it as an&nbsp;adventure."

Last Sunday, together with her husband Yevgen Tishchenko, a 37-year-old technician, they finally thought the time had come to make their move.&nbsp;

Nervously, they led the&nbsp;children&nbsp;out of their building. It was the first time they had all left together since the Russian invasion began&nbsp;on&nbsp;February 24.&nbsp;

Around them they found a terrifying scene of utter destruction.&nbsp;

"When the kids&nbsp;saw, they walked in silence," Yevgen said.

"I don't know what was going&nbsp;on&nbsp;in their heads. Maybe they too couldn't believe that our city no longer existed."

Life underground&nbsp;

The adults already had a sense of what awaited them. They had snuck out of the house to take food and water from bombed out shops and been confronted by the corpses littering the streets.&nbsp;

"It seemed less frightening to die in a bombing raid than of hunger," said Tetiana.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Is the West trying to hide Russian oil imports?

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A shell had hit the roof of their apartment block and for the&nbsp;children, life had been lived entirely underground.&nbsp;

"We brought them books in the basement. The light was so dim that I could hardly see, but they managed to read," Tetiana said.&nbsp;

Mischievous 10-year-old Anna described moments of lightness playing with friends from a neighbouring flat.

"Sleeping&nbsp;on&nbsp;the concrete was not great," recalled the ponytailed girl. &nbsp;&nbsp;

She insisted bravely that when the bombs fell "we weren't so scared".

"The building was shaking a lot and there was a lot of dust," she said. "It was not pleasant to breathe."

Leaving Mariupol&nbsp;

Finally leaving the basement and the city was "hard", said Anna.&nbsp;

"We had to carry our bags and they were heavy," she told AFP.&nbsp;

That was&nbsp;on&nbsp;the first day, at least, before her dad discovered what the&nbsp;family&nbsp;christened "the golden cart."&nbsp;

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-says-russian-president-vladimir-putin-will-meet-un-chief-guterres-473057">&nbsp;Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet UN chief Guterres</a>

In reality, it was a rusted and creaking three-wheeled trolley -- but it made the walk much easier.&nbsp;

"My wife pushed our youngest girl&nbsp;on&nbsp;her tricycle. And I pushed the cart, often with one of the&nbsp;children&nbsp;perched&nbsp;on&nbsp;the bags," Yevgen said. "The other two walked beside me."

In five days and four nights of travel, the&nbsp;family&nbsp;passed through numerous Russian checkpoints, telling the soldiers that they were heading to their relatives.

"They didn't treat us as enemies, they tried to help," Yevgen said.&nbsp;

"But every time they asked us: 'Where are you from? From Mariupol? But why are you going in this direction, why aren't you going to Russia?'"

At night, the&nbsp;family&nbsp;slept in the homes of local people who opened their doors along the route and were well fed.

During the day, they moved&nbsp;on, against all odds.&nbsp;

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Eventually they got lucky and came across Dmytro Zhirnikov, who was driving through Polohy, a Russian-occupied town located about 100 kilometres from Zaporizhzhia.

"I&nbsp;saw&nbsp;this&nbsp;family&nbsp;pushing a cart&nbsp;on&nbsp;the side of the road," said Zhirnikov, who regularly travels Zaporizhzhia to sell the vegetables his&nbsp;family&nbsp;produces.&nbsp;

"I stopped and told them to put their things in my trailer."

After 125 kilometres&nbsp;on&nbsp;foot, Tetiana, Yevgen, and their little ones finished their journey in his battered van.&nbsp;

Zhirnikov remembered the elation they felt when they emerged from Russian-controlled territory and&nbsp;saw&nbsp;Ukrainian soldiers.&nbsp;

"When we passed the first checkpoint, everyone started crying," he said.&nbsp;

"We had just one goal: that our&nbsp;children&nbsp;could live in&nbsp;Ukraine. They are Ukrainians, we can't imagine that they could live in another country," Tetiana insisted.

On&nbsp;Friday, the&nbsp;family&nbsp;crammed themselves and their meagre possessions into a crowded train heading for the western city of Lviv.

They then plan to move to Ivano-Frankivsk, another large city in western&nbsp;Ukraine, to try to rebuild a normal life.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-crisis-tens-of-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-fleeing-war-says-un-472997">Russia-Ukraine crisis: Tens of thousands of Ukrainians still fleeing war, says UN</a>

"I want to find a job. My wife will take care of the&nbsp;children&nbsp;and&nbsp;try to find them a school," Yevgen said.&nbsp;

"We can never forget what we have been through. We must not. But we must keep our spirits up and raise our little ones."

Their daughter Anna described her own simple wishes after escaping the hell of Mariupol.&nbsp;

"I want to live in a city that is not like that," she said. "And in&nbsp;Ukraine."&nbsp;

As Russian bombardments devastated their hometown of Mariupol, Yevgen and Tetiana decided they had only one way to escape with their four children: on foot. Talking Friday to AFP in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia as they waited for a train westwards, the family recounted through tears and laughter their miraculous 125-kilometre (80-mile) trek to safety.

As Russian bombardments devastated their hometown of Mariupol, Yevgen and Tetiana decided they had only one way to escape with their four children: on foot. Talking Friday to AFP in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia as they waited for a train westwards, the family recounted through tears and laughter their miraculous 125-kilometre (80-mile) trek to safety. For weeks as the bombing laid waste to Mariupol, the parents tried to prepare their children Yulia, 6, Oleksandr, 8, Anna, 10, and Ivan, 12, for the perilous journey they faced. Also read | Task is to establish full control over Donbas and southern Ukraine: Russia "We explained to them for two months, while we were in the cellar, where we would go... We prepared them for this long journey," said Tetiana Komisarova, 40. "They saw it as an adventure." Last Sunday, together with her husband Yevgen Tishchenko, a 37-year-old technician, they finally thought the time had come to make their move. Nervously, they led the children out of their building. It was the first time they had all left together since the Russian invasion began on February 24. Around them they found a terrifying scene of utter destruction. "When the kids saw, they walked in silence," Yevgen said. "I don't know what was going on in their heads. Maybe they too couldn't believe that our city no longer existed." Life underground The adults already had a sense of what awaited them. They had snuck out of the house to take food and water from bombed out shops and been confronted by the corpses littering the streets. "It seemed less frightening to die in a bombing raid than of hunger," said Tetiana. Watch | Gravitas: Is the West trying to hide Russian oil imports? A shell had hit the roof of their apartment block and for the children, life had been lived entirely underground. "We brought them books in the basement. The light was so dim that I could hardly see, but they managed to read," Tetiana said. Mischievous 10-year-old Anna described moments of lightness playing with friends from a neighbouring flat. "Sleeping on the concrete was not great," recalled the ponytailed girl. She insisted bravely that when the bombs fell "we weren't so scared". "The building was shaking a lot and there was a lot of dust," she said. "It was not pleasant to breathe." Leaving Mariupol Finally leaving the basement and the city was "hard", said Anna. "We had to carry our bags and they were heavy," she told AFP. That was on the first day, at least, before her dad discovered what the family christened "the golden cart." Also read | Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet UN chief Guterres In reality, it was a rusted and creaking three-wheeled trolley -- but it made the walk much easier. "My wife pushed our youngest girl on her tricycle. And I pushed the cart, often with one of the children perched on the bags," Yevgen said. "The other two walked beside me." In five days and four nights of travel, the family passed through numerous Russian checkpoints, telling the soldiers that they were heading to their relatives. "They didn't treat us as enemies, they tried to help," Yevgen said. "But every time they asked us: 'Where are you from? From Mariupol? But why are you going in this direction, why aren't you going to Russia?'" At night, the family slept in the homes of local people who opened their doors along the route and were well fed. During the day, they moved on, against all odds. Also read | Britain to reopen Kyiv embassy in show of support for Ukraine: Boris Johnson Eventually they got lucky and came across Dmytro Zhirnikov, who was driving through Polohy, a Russian-occupied town located about 100 kilometres from Zaporizhzhia. "I saw this family pushing a cart on the side of the road," said Zhirnikov, who regularly travels Zaporizhzhia to sell the vegetables his family produces. "I stopped and told them to put their things in my trailer." After 125 kilometres on foot, Tetiana, Yevgen, and their little ones finished their journey in his battered van. Zhirnikov remembered the elation they felt when they emerged from Russian-controlled territory and saw Ukrainian soldiers. "When we passed the first checkpoint, everyone started crying," he said. "We had just one goal: that our children could live in Ukraine. They are Ukrainians, we can't imagine that they could live in another country," Tetiana insisted. On Friday, the family crammed themselves and their meagre possessions into a crowded train heading for the western city of Lviv. They then plan to move to Ivano-Frankivsk, another large city in western Ukraine, to try to rebuild a normal life. Also read | Russia-Ukraine crisis: Tens of thousands of Ukrainians still fleeing war, says UN "I want to find a job. My wife will take care of the children and try to find them a school," Yevgen said. "We can never forget what we have been through. We must not. But we must keep our spirits up and raise our little ones." Their daughter Anna described her own simple wishes after escaping the hell of Mariupol. "I want to live in a city that is not like that," she said. "And in Ukraine."

Russia-Ukraine crisis: How a Ukrainian family escaped from Mariupol on foot

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;

Ukraine’s Mariupol Mayor has accused the Russian forces of hiding evidence of its “barbaric” war crimes in the strategic port city after new satellite images showed a mass burial site in the Russian-occupied village of Manhush, located about 12 miles (19km) west of Mariupol.

The mayor, Vadym Boichenko, was basing his allegation on the satellite images released by the Maxar on late Thursday, showing about 200 graves near an existing cemetery that had been expanded in recent weeks.

The US company’s images indicated that the new graves appeared between March 23 and March 26, The Washington Post reported.

“The biggest war crime of the 21st century was committed in Mariupol. This is the new Babyn Yar. Then, Hitler killed Jews, Roma, and Slavs. Now, Putin is destroying Ukrainians,” Boichenko said in the city council’s statement.

“We need to do everything we can to stop the genocide,” the newspaper quoted Boichenko as saying.

The Mariupol City Council in a statement on Telegram said that around 9,000 civilians are expected to be buried in the mass grave, claiming that the Russians forces “dug new trenches and filled them with corpses every day throughout April.”

The council further claimed that it has information indicating the bodies were “buried in several layers.”

The mayor claimed that more than 20,000 Mariupol residents had been killed since Russian forces began attacking the city during the early days of Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

Most bodies had now been removed, he said, with some disposed of in mobile crematoriums.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the besieged Mariupol city has been “successfully liberated”.

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Putin hailed the "liberation" after his defence minister said that Moscow controls the city apart from the Azovstal steel plant, where Ukrainian soldiers remain. "

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mariupol-successfully-liberated-says-putin-as-russia-captures-port-city-472668" hreflang="en">'Mariupol successfully liberated', says Putin, as Russia captures port city</a>

The Russian president has asked his troops not to storm the Azovstal steel plant, the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the city, but to block it so no one can escape.

Putin told Shoigu, in remarks broadcast on state television: “There is no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground.”

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Global Headlines: Ukraine refugee crisis | Mariupol could fall within hours

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-global-headlines-ukraine-refugee-crisis-mariupol-could-fall-within-hours-472533/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.

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. Ukraine’s Mariupol Mayor has accused the Russian forces of hiding evidence of its “barbaric” war crimes in the strategic port city after new satellite images showed a mass burial site in the Russian-occupied village of Manhush, located about 12 miles (19km) west of Mariupol. The mayor, Vadym Boichenko, was basing his allegation on the satellite images released by the Maxar on late Thursday, showing about 200 graves near an existing cemetery that had been expanded in recent weeks. The US company’s images indicated that the new graves appeared between March 23 and March 26, The Washington Post reported. “The biggest war crime of the 21st century was committed in Mariupol. This is the new Babyn Yar. Then, Hitler killed Jews, Roma, and Slavs. Now, Putin is destroying Ukrainians,” Boichenko said in the city council’s statement. “We need to do everything we can to stop the genocide,” the newspaper quoted Boichenko as saying. The Mariupol City Council in a statement on Telegram said that around 9,000 civilians are expected to be buried in the mass grave, claiming that the Russians forces “dug new trenches and filled them with corpses every day throughout April.” The council further claimed that it has information indicating the bodies were “buried in several layers.” The mayor claimed that more than 20,000 Mariupol residents had been killed since Russian forces began attacking the city during the early days of Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Most bodies had now been removed, he said, with some disposed of in mobile crematoriums. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the besieged Mariupol city has been “successfully liberated”. Also read | 'Fakes and far-right content': Russia fines Google for Ukraine videos Putin hailed the "liberation" after his defence minister said that Moscow controls the city apart from the Azovstal steel plant, where Ukrainian soldiers remain. " Also read | 'Mariupol successfully liberated', says Putin, as Russia captures port city The Russian president has asked his troops not to storm the Azovstal steel plant, the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the city, but to block it so no one can escape. Putin told Shoigu, in remarks broadcast on state television: “There is no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground.” Watch | Gravitas Global Headlines: Ukraine refugee crisis | Mariupol could fall within hours (With inputs from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine war: 200 new graves found in Mariupol, claims mayor as satellite pictures emerge

Kremlin on Friday (April 22) said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet UN chief Antonio Guterres next week.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti, "On Tuesday, April 26, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will arrive in Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov."

"He will also be received by Russian President Vladimir Putin."&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-claims-control-of-mariupol-satellite-images-show-mass-graves-outside-city-472912/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Guterres had sent letters to both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet him and discuss steps to bring about peace following Moscow's invasion of its neighbour.

"The Secretary-General said, at this time of great peril and consequence, he would like to discuss urgent steps to bring about peace in Ukraine and the future of multilateralism based on the Charter of the United Nations and international law," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Guterres said, “The onslaught and terrible toll on civilians we have seen so far could pale in comparison to the horror that lies ahead. This cannot be allowed to happen.”&nbsp;

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/can-fly-16000-miles-in-one-hour-how-deadly-is-russias-nuke-capable-satan-2-sarmat-missile-472592" hreflang="en">Strike any target on earth at 16,000 miles/hour? How deadly is Russia's nuke-capable 'Satan 2' Sarmat missile?</a>

He urged Russians and Ukrainians “to silence the guns and forge a path to safety for so many at immediate risk.”

“We are now facing a perfect storm that threatens to devastate the economies of many developing countries,” he said.

“As many as 1.7 billion people, one-third of whom are already living in poverty, are now highly exposed to disruptions in food, energy and finance systems that are triggering increases in poverty and hunger.”&nbsp;

According to Kelly Clements, the UN’s deputy high commissioner for refugees, “no pile of blankets, no sum of cash, no amount of medicine, is going to halt the death and destruction.”

Putin's special ''military operation'' to ''denazify'' Ukraine has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis. It is the biggest attack on a European state since 1945.

(With inputs from agencies)

Kremlin on Friday (April 22) said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet UN chief Antonio Guterres next week. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti, "On Tuesday, April 26, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will arrive in Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Kremlin on Friday (April 22) said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet UN chief Antonio Guterres next week. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti, "On Tuesday, April 26, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will arrive in Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov." "He will also be received by Russian President Vladimir Putin." Guterres had sent letters to both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet him and discuss steps to bring about peace following Moscow's invasion of its neighbour. "The Secretary-General said, at this time of great peril and consequence, he would like to discuss urgent steps to bring about peace in Ukraine and the future of multilateralism based on the Charter of the United Nations and international law," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Guterres said, “The onslaught and terrible toll on civilians we have seen so far could pale in comparison to the horror that lies ahead. This cannot be allowed to happen.” Also see | Strike any target on earth at 16,000 miles/hour? How deadly is Russia's nuke-capable 'Satan 2' Sarmat missile? He urged Russians and Ukrainians “to silence the guns and forge a path to safety for so many at immediate risk.” “We are now facing a perfect storm that threatens to devastate the economies of many developing countries,” he said. “As many as 1.7 billion people, one-third of whom are already living in poverty, are now highly exposed to disruptions in food, energy and finance systems that are triggering increases in poverty and hunger.” According to Kelly Clements, the UN’s deputy high commissioner for refugees, “no pile of blankets, no sum of cash, no amount of medicine, is going to halt the death and destruction.” Putin's special ''military operation'' to ''denazify'' Ukraine has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis. It is the biggest attack on a European state since 1945. (With inputs from agencies)

Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet UN chief Guterres

With Russian forces claiming to have taken control of Ukrainian city of Mariupol, there are reports of people being trapped in the city. Several Ukrainian defenders are also reportedly trapped inside Azovstal power plant. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there are defenders still inside Mariupol. Is this the end of battle in the besieged city?

Mariupol: Is this end of battle? What Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden are saying

Chinese President&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;Jinping reiterated&nbsp;China's&nbsp;opposition to unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" in a speech on Thursday, without directly mentioning the West's punitive actions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

China has repeatedly criticised western sanctions, including those against Russia, but it has also been careful not to provide assistance to Moscow that could lead to sanctions being imposed on Beijing.

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Delivering a video speech to the annual Boao Forum for Asia gathering on the southern Chinese island of Hainan,&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;warned that economic "de-coupling" and pressure tactics such as severing supply chains would not work.

"China would like to put forward a global security initiative" that upholds "the principle of indivisibility of security,"&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;said.

"We should uphold the principle of indivisibility of security, build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture, and oppose the building of national security on the basis of insecurity in other countries."

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Global Headlines: Ukraine refugee crisis | Mariupol could fall within hours

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-global-headlines-ukraine-refugee-crisis-mariupol-could-fall-within-hours-472533/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Russia has insisted that Western governments respect a 1999 agreement based on the principle of "indivisible security" that no country can strengthen its own security at the expense of others.

China and Russia have grown increasingly close, and China has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation". China has blamed the Ukraine crisis on NATO's eastward expansion.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/security-deal-with-china-wont-affect-peace-says-solomon-islands-prime-minister-472403">Security deal with China won't affect peace, says Solomon Islands prime minister</a>

Xi&nbsp;said efforts are needed to stabilise global supply chains, but also said&nbsp;China's&nbsp;economy is resilient and that its long-term trend had not changed.

China's&nbsp;economy is facing headwinds from the impact of its aggressive efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19, especially in its economic hub of Shanghai.&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;did not mention&nbsp;China's&nbsp;COVID crisis during the speech.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated China's opposition to unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" in a speech on Thursday, without directly mentioning the West's punitive actions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated China's opposition to unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" in a speech on Thursday, without directly mentioning the West's punitive actions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. China has repeatedly criticised western sanctions, including those against Russia, but it has also been careful not to provide assistance to Moscow that could lead to sanctions being imposed on Beijing. Also read | Amid Russia's Donbas offensive, US sends warplanes to Ukraine Delivering a video speech to the annual Boao Forum for Asia gathering on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, Xi warned that economic "de-coupling" and pressure tactics such as severing supply chains would not work. "China would like to put forward a global security initiative" that upholds "the principle of indivisibility of security," Xi said. "We should uphold the principle of indivisibility of security, build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture, and oppose the building of national security on the basis of insecurity in other countries." Watch | Gravitas Global Headlines: Ukraine refugee crisis | Mariupol could fall within hours Russia has insisted that Western governments respect a 1999 agreement based on the principle of "indivisible security" that no country can strengthen its own security at the expense of others. China and Russia have grown increasingly close, and China has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation". China has blamed the Ukraine crisis on NATO's eastward expansion. Also read | Security deal with China won't affect peace, says Solomon Islands prime minister Xi said efforts are needed to stabilise global supply chains, but also said China's economy is resilient and that its long-term trend had not changed. China's economy is facing headwinds from the impact of its aggressive efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19, especially in its economic hub of Shanghai. Xi did not mention China's COVID crisis during the speech.

Chinese president reiterates opposition to use of economic sanctions

The Ukrainian army has&nbsp;repelled&nbsp;nine&nbsp;attacks&nbsp;by the Russian&nbsp;army in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukraine's military&nbsp;spokesman&nbsp;said on Thursday (April 21).

A&nbsp;military&nbsp;spokesman&nbsp;for General Staff of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Shtupun, said, one tank, ten armoured units&nbsp;and&nbsp;two vehicles, one artillery system, two special engineering units, an anti-aircraft missile system&nbsp;and&nbsp;an enemy ammunition depot have been destroyed in the past 24 hours.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-russias-donbas-offensive-us-sends-warplanes-to-ukraine-472278">Amid Russia's Donbas offensive, US sends warplanes to Ukraine</a>

In the east,&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;said on Wednesday (April 20), it had held off an assault by&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;forces attempting to advance in what Kyiv calls the Battle of the Donbas, a new campaign to seize two eastern provinces Moscow claims on behalf of separatists.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Global Headlines: Ukraine refugee crisis | Mariupol could fall within hours

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-global-headlines-ukraine-refugee-crisis-mariupol-could-fall-within-hours-472533/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Russia's forces had carried out strikes on dozens of&nbsp;military&nbsp;facilities in the east&nbsp;and&nbsp;had shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter near the village of Koroviy Yar, its defence ministry said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-seeks-india-drug-imports-as-pharmacies-run-short-of-medicines-amid-ukraine-war-sanctions-472245">Russia seeks India drug imports as pharmacies run short of medicines amid Ukraine war, sanctions</a>

Russia calls its incursion a "special&nbsp;military&nbsp;operation" to demilitarise&nbsp;and&nbsp;"denazify"&nbsp;Ukraine. Kyiv&nbsp;and&nbsp;its Western allies reject that as a false pretext for a war of choice.

The West has imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia&nbsp;and&nbsp;given&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;extensive support, including arms.

The Ukrainian army has repelled nine attacks by the Russian army in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukraine's military spokesman said on Thursday (April 21). A military spokesman for General Staff of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Shtupun, said, one tank, ten armoured units and two vehicles, one artillery system, two special engineering units, an anti-aircraft missile system and an enemy ammunition depot have been destroyed in the past 24 hours.

The Ukrainian army has repelled nine attacks by the Russian army in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukraine's military spokesman said on Thursday (April 21). A military spokesman for General Staff of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Shtupun, said, one tank, ten armoured units and two vehicles, one artillery system, two special engineering units, an anti-aircraft missile system and an enemy ammunition depot have been destroyed in the past 24 hours. Also read | Amid Russia's Donbas offensive, US sends warplanes to Ukraine In the east, Ukraine said on Wednesday (April 20), it had held off an assault by Russian forces attempting to advance in what Kyiv calls the Battle of the Donbas, a new campaign to seize two eastern provinces Moscow claims on behalf of separatists. Watch | Gravitas Global Headlines: Ukraine refugee crisis | Mariupol could fall within hours Russia's forces had carried out strikes on dozens of military facilities in the east and had shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter near the village of Koroviy Yar, its defence ministry said. Also read | Russia seeks India drug imports as pharmacies run short of medicines amid Ukraine war, sanctions Russia calls its incursion a "special military operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies reject that as a false pretext for a war of choice. The West has imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia and given Ukraine extensive support, including arms.

Ukraine repelled nine Russian attacks in Donetsk and Luhansk: Military spokesman

As a result of the West's punishing sanctions, pharmacies in Russia are running out of crucial medicines.

Prices have risen by up to 20% as consumers hurry to stock up on supplies that are running out.

After sanctions and logistical bottlenecks curtailed imports from Europe and China, Russia is now looking to India for more medical equipment.&nbsp;

The fundamental cause of the current drug shortage is that Russian banks have been cut off from the international banking system as a result of the sanctions, leaving pharmacies in the country unable to pay for deliveries.

There are also logistical issues, since certain shipping companies, including the market leader Maersk, have halted all cargo transports into and out of Russia.

According to a survey of 3,317 doctors conducted by members of the Vrachi.rf professional community, Russian doctors are facing a shortage of more than 80 medicines.

According to Bloomberg, India is expecting to increase exports to Russia as the two countries work out a payment scheme in local currencies similar to one used during the Cold War to keep bilateral trade going while Moscow is subjected to harsh international sanctions.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/west-doing-everything-to-drag-out-ukraine-conflict-russias-defence-minister-472136">West 'doing everything to drag out' Ukraine conflict: Russia's defence minister</a>

The US and its allies have chastised New Delhi for buying more Russian oil after attempting to isolate Russia over its conflict in Ukraine.

India is now a minor player in the Russian market, but it intends to nearly double its exports this year to Rs 2 billion &nbsp;($26.2 million).

Watch | West sanction has not stopped Russia from halting invasion

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/west-sanction-has-not-stopped-russia-from-halting-invasion-456692/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

As a result of the West's punishing sanctions, pharmacies in Russia are running out of crucial medicines. Prices have risen by up to 20% as consumers hurry to stock up on supplies that are running out.

As a result of the West's punishing sanctions, pharmacies in Russia are running out of crucial medicines. Prices have risen by up to 20% as consumers hurry to stock up on supplies that are running out. After sanctions and logistical bottlenecks curtailed imports from Europe and China, Russia is now looking to India for more medical equipment. The fundamental cause of the current drug shortage is that Russian banks have been cut off from the international banking system as a result of the sanctions, leaving pharmacies in the country unable to pay for deliveries. There are also logistical issues, since certain shipping companies, including the market leader Maersk, have halted all cargo transports into and out of Russia. According to a survey of 3,317 doctors conducted by members of the Vrachi.rf professional community, Russian doctors are facing a shortage of more than 80 medicines. According to Bloomberg, India is expecting to increase exports to Russia as the two countries work out a payment scheme in local currencies similar to one used during the Cold War to keep bilateral trade going while Moscow is subjected to harsh international sanctions. Also Read | West 'doing everything to drag out' Ukraine conflict: Russia's defence minister The US and its allies have chastised New Delhi for buying more Russian oil after attempting to isolate Russia over its conflict in Ukraine. India is now a minor player in the Russian market, but it intends to nearly double its exports this year to Rs 2 billion ($26.2 million). Watch | West sanction has not stopped Russia from halting invasion

Russia seeks India drug imports as pharmacies run short of medicines amid Ukraine war, sanctions

Russia has been attacking Ukraine's port city of Mariupol for weeks. After Russian forces entered Ukraine on February 24, Mariupol has received a near-constant battering from Russia with strikes destroying large part of the city. Ukrainian forces have been trying to defend the Azov Sea port but they have been pushed back due to Russian attacks. What importance does the port have for Vladimir Putin? Why is Russia hell-bent on capturing Mariupol? Here are some of the reasons.

1. Land connect with Crimea and Donbass

Russia already has control over Crimean peninsula which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Russia faces allegations of supporting secessionist elements in Ukraine's Donbass region. Mariupol is a major city situated between these two regions.

If Russia captures Mariupol, its forces in Crimea and Donbass will be able to have a greater connect with each other. This may prove useful for Russia to stage attacks deeper in Ukraine.

2. Cornering Ukraine's economy

Mariupol is a major Ukrainian port on the Azov Sea. Russian control on Mariupol will make Ukraine unable to carry out vital international trade from the port. This may create problems for Ukrainian economy potentially affecting country's capacity to resist Russian influence and invasion in future.

Losing Mariupol would mean Ukraine would lose sufficient access to up to 80 per cent of its coastline on the Black Sea.

3. The PR value!

World was taken aback when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. It was expected by some that Russian forces would sweep across Ukraine and will be able to score a swift victory.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/west-doing-everything-to-drag-out-ukraine-conflict-russias-defence-minister-472136">West 'doing everything to drag out' Ukraine conflict: Russia's defence minister</a>

However, after nearly two months. Russian forces have been unable to capture a major city. Though Russian forces launched attacks of Ukrainian capital Kyiv, soldiers on ground were soon diverted to other regions.

In such a scenario, victory in Mariupol would be a big PR boost for Russia as they will have captured a major urban area.

4. Morale booster

Fall of Mariupol can be a morale booster for Russian troops and citizens. Media reports have hinted at low morale of Russian forces in a conflict that has not yielded a major win till now.

If Mariupol falls into Russian hands, Kremlin may publicise the victory as indication that Russian forces were achieving their objectives in the Ukraine conflict.

Russia has been attacking Ukraine's port city of Mariupol for weeks. After Russian forces entered Ukraine on February 24, Mariupol has received a near-constant battering from Russia with strikes destroying large part of the city.

Russia has been attacking Ukraine's port city of Mariupol for weeks. After Russian forces entered Ukraine on February 24, Mariupol has received a near-constant battering from Russia with strikes destroying large part of the city. Ukrainian forces have been trying to defend the Azov Sea port but they have been pushed back due to Russian attacks. What importance does the port have for Vladimir Putin? Why is Russia hell-bent on capturing Mariupol? Here are some of the reasons. 1. Land connect with Crimea and Donbass Russia already has control over Crimean peninsula which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Russia faces allegations of supporting secessionist elements in Ukraine's Donbass region. Mariupol is a major city situated between these two regions. If Russia captures Mariupol, its forces in Crimea and Donbass will be able to have a greater connect with each other. This may prove useful for Russia to stage attacks deeper in Ukraine. 2. Cornering Ukraine's economy Mariupol is a major Ukrainian port on the Azov Sea. Russian control on Mariupol will make Ukraine unable to carry out vital international trade from the port. This may create problems for Ukrainian economy potentially affecting country's capacity to resist Russian influence and invasion in future. Losing Mariupol would mean Ukraine would lose sufficient access to up to 80 per cent of its coastline on the Black Sea. 3. The PR value! World was taken aback when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. It was expected by some that Russian forces would sweep across Ukraine and will be able to score a swift victory. Also Read | West 'doing everything to drag out' Ukraine conflict: Russia's defence minister However, after nearly two months. Russian forces have been unable to capture a major city. Though Russian forces launched attacks of Ukrainian capital Kyiv, soldiers on ground were soon diverted to other regions. In such a scenario, victory in Mariupol would be a big PR boost for Russia as they will have captured a major urban area. 4. Morale booster Fall of Mariupol can be a morale booster for Russian troops and citizens. Media reports have hinted at low morale of Russian forces in a conflict that has not yielded a major win till now. If Mariupol falls into Russian hands, Kremlin may publicise the victory as indication that Russian forces were achieving their objectives in the Ukraine conflict.

Ukraine Conflict: Why a victory in Mariupol is important to Russia

The last decade looked like a good one for authoritarian regimes and a challenging one for democratic ones. Cybertools, drones, facial recognition technology and social networks seemed to make efficient authoritarians even more efficient and democracies increasingly ungovernable.

The West lost self-confidence — and both Russian and Chinese leaders rubbed it in, putting out the word that these chaotic democratic systems were a spent force.

And then a totally unexpected thing happened: Russia and China each overreached.

Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and, to his surprise, invited an indirect war with NATO and the West. China insisted that it was smart enough to have its own local solution to a pandemic, leaving millions of Chinese under-protected or unprotected and, in effect, inviting war with one of Mother Nature’s most contagious viruses — the omicron mutation of SARS-CoV-2. It has now led China to lock down all of Shanghai and parts of 44 other cities — some 370 million people.

In short, both Moscow and Beijing find themselves suddenly contending with much more powerful and relentless forces and systems than they ever anticipated. And the battles are exposing — to the whole world and to their own people — the weaknesses of their own systems. So much so that the world now has to worry about instability in both countries.

Be afraid.

Russia is a key supplier of wheat, fertilizer, oil and natural gas for the world. And China is the origin of, or a crucial link in, thousands of global manufacturing supply chains. If Russia is locked out and China is locked down for a prolonged period, every corner of the planet will be affected. And that is no longer a remote possibility.

Let’s start with Putin. He lulled himself into thinking that because his army had smashed a bunch of ragtag military opponents in Syria, Georgia, Crimea and Chechnya, it could quickly devour a country of 44 million people — Ukraine — that over the last decade had been moving to join the West and was tacitly being armed and trained by NATO.

It’s been a military and economic debacle for Russia so far. But just as important, it has exposed precisely how much Putin’s “system” is built on both lying upward — everyone telling superiors what they want to hear, all the way up to Putin — and drilling downward, tapping Russia’s natural resources, enriching a few Russians, rather than unleashing the country’s human resources and empowering the many.

Putin’s Russia is basically built on oil, lies and corruption, and that is not a resilient system.

You could see it right from the eve of the war when Putin conducted a nationally televised meeting of his top national security advisers, and none other than Sergei Naryshkin, chief of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, appeared confused over which lie Putin wanted to be told.

Putin said the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk should be allowed to become independent states, and then he polled these advisers for confirmation. But Naryshkin seemed to think Putin wanted to be told that the two provinces should be annexed to Russia. As Naryshkin stammered over the wrong answer, Putin, without a hint of irony, twice snapped at him to “speak directly” — as if that were possible anymore in Putin’s Russia. Only after Naryshkin gave Putin the lie he obviously wanted to be told did Putin snarl, “You can sit down now.”

How many Russian military officers watching that humiliation were ready to tell Putin the truth about Ukraine once the war started going badly? When the Russian military was up against foes in Georgia, Syria, Crimea and Chechnya, Russia could just indiscriminately bomb its way out of any problem. But now that Putin’s military has found itself in a war with Ukraine’s highly motivated army and its homegrown weapons industry, backed with some of NATO’s best precision weapons and training, the rot has really started to show. Russia’s tank and logistic forces were mauled into multiple junkyards of burning hulks in western Ukraine.

And it is impossible to exaggerate how incompetent the Russian navy had to be to allow the command warship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva missile cruiser, to be so badly damaged, reportedly by two Ukrainian-made anti-ship cruise missiles, called Neptunes, that the Moskva sank into the sea off Ukraine last week — the biggest loss of a naval ship in battle in 40 years.

For the Russian flagship in charge of coordinating all of the air defences for the flotilla, and itself carrying 64 S-300F Rif air defence missiles, to be taken out by enemy anti-ship missiles had to have been the result of a cascade of systems failures in detection and response to an attack.

Moreover, Neptune missiles are not necessarily “ship killers.” They were more likely designed to be “mission killers” — to disable the radar and electronics of sophisticated ships like the Moskva — not specifically sink them.

So I pity the commander who had to tell Putin that Russia’s meanest, monstrous warship in the Black Sea, rumored to have been his favourite, had been sunk by a Ukrainian missile fired in war for the first time.

China is a much more serious country than Russia: It is not built on oil, lies and corruption (though it has plenty of the latter), but on the hard work and manufacturing talents of its people, directed by a top-down, iron-fisted but eager-to-learn-from-abroad Chinese Communist Party. At least, eager in the past to learn, but less so lately.

China’s economic success, and the sense of pride it has generated, seems to have lulled its leadership into thinking it could basically go it alone against a pandemic. By producing its own vaccines, rather than importing better ones from the West, and by repurposing its highly efficient system of authoritarian surveillance and control to curb travel, do mass testing and quarantine any individuals or neighborhoods where COVID-19 appeared, China bet on a “zero COVID” policy. If it could get through the pandemic with fewer deaths and a more open economy, it would be another signal to the world — a big signal — that Chinese communism was superior to American democracy.

But Beijing, while scoffing at the West, became shockingly negligent about vaccinating its own elderly. That did not matter as much when China was able to stem the spread of earlier variants of the coronavirus with tight population controls. But now it matters, because China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines appear not nearly as effective against omicron as the mRNA vaccines made in the West, although they still are effective at reducing hospitalization and death. In China today, more than 130 million people “aged 60 and above are either unvaccinated or have received fewer than three doses,” putting them “in greater danger of developing severe COVID symptoms or dying if they contract the virus,” The Financial Times recently reported, citing a University of Hong Kong study.

This has led Beijing to opt for that total lockdown of Shanghai, which has been so poorly managed that residents have reportedly had to scramble for food.

Dr. David L. Katz, a U.S. public health and preventive medicine expert who wrote one of the most prescient early guest essays in this newspaper about managing COVID at the onset, explained to me that the problem with having the kind of draconian lockdown policy that China maintained is that you are guaranteeing that your population develops little native immunity from having acquired and survived the virus. So, Katz said, if the virus mutates globally, as it did with omicron, and you have “a less than effective vaccine, virtually no natural immunity in the population, and millions of elderly unvaccinated, you’re in a bad place and there is no easy way out.”

You can’t fool around with or propagandize away Mother Nature; she’s merciless.

The moral of this story? High-coercion authoritarian systems are low-information systems — so they often drive blind more than they realize. And even when the truth filters up, or reality in the form of a more powerful foe or Mother Nature slams them in the face so hard it can’t be ignored, their leaders find it hard to change course because their claims to the right to be presidents-for-life rest on their claims to infallibility. And that is why Russia and China are both now struggling.

I am worried sick about our own democratic system. But as long as we can still vote out incompetent leaders and maintain information ecosystems that will expose systemic lying and defy censorship, we can adapt in an age of rapid change — and that is the single most important competitive advantage a country can have today.

The last decade looked like a good one for authoritarian regimes and a challenging one for democratic ones. Cybertools, drones, facial recognition technology and social networks seemed to make efficient authoritarians even more efficient and democracies increasingly ungovernable.

The last decade looked like a good one for authoritarian regimes and a challenging one for democratic ones. Cybertools, drones, facial recognition technology and social networks seemed to make efficient authoritarians even more efficient and democracies increasingly ungovernable. The West lost self-confidence — and both Russian and Chinese leaders rubbed it in, putting out the word that these chaotic democratic systems were a spent force. And then a totally unexpected thing happened: Russia and China each overreached. Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and, to his surprise, invited an indirect war with NATO and the West. China insisted that it was smart enough to have its own local solution to a pandemic, leaving millions of Chinese under-protected or unprotected and, in effect, inviting war with one of Mother Nature’s most contagious viruses — the omicron mutation of SARS-CoV-2. It has now led China to lock down all of Shanghai and parts of 44 other cities — some 370 million people. In short, both Moscow and Beijing find themselves suddenly contending with much more powerful and relentless forces and systems than they ever anticipated. And the battles are exposing — to the whole world and to their own people — the weaknesses of their own systems. So much so that the world now has to worry about instability in both countries. Be afraid. Russia is a key supplier of wheat, fertilizer, oil and natural gas for the world. And China is the origin of, or a crucial link in, thousands of global manufacturing supply chains. If Russia is locked out and China is locked down for a prolonged period, every corner of the planet will be affected. And that is no longer a remote possibility. Let’s start with Putin. He lulled himself into thinking that because his army had smashed a bunch of ragtag military opponents in Syria, Georgia, Crimea and Chechnya, it could quickly devour a country of 44 million people — Ukraine — that over the last decade had been moving to join the West and was tacitly being armed and trained by NATO. It’s been a military and economic debacle for Russia so far. But just as important, it has exposed precisely how much Putin’s “system” is built on both lying upward — everyone telling superiors what they want to hear, all the way up to Putin — and drilling downward, tapping Russia’s natural resources, enriching a few Russians, rather than unleashing the country’s human resources and empowering the many. Putin’s Russia is basically built on oil, lies and corruption, and that is not a resilient system. You could see it right from the eve of the war when Putin conducted a nationally televised meeting of his top national security advisers, and none other than Sergei Naryshkin, chief of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, appeared confused over which lie Putin wanted to be told. Putin said the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk should be allowed to become independent states, and then he polled these advisers for confirmation. But Naryshkin seemed to think Putin wanted to be told that the two provinces should be annexed to Russia. As Naryshkin stammered over the wrong answer, Putin, without a hint of irony, twice snapped at him to “speak directly” — as if that were possible anymore in Putin’s Russia. Only after Naryshkin gave Putin the lie he obviously wanted to be told did Putin snarl, “You can sit down now.” How many Russian military officers watching that humiliation were ready to tell Putin the truth about Ukraine once the war started going badly? When the Russian military was up against foes in Georgia, Syria, Crimea and Chechnya, Russia could just indiscriminately bomb its way out of any problem. But now that Putin’s military has found itself in a war with Ukraine’s highly motivated army and its homegrown weapons industry, backed with some of NATO’s best precision weapons and training, the rot has really started to show. Russia’s tank and logistic forces were mauled into multiple junkyards of burning hulks in western Ukraine. And it is impossible to exaggerate how incompetent the Russian navy had to be to allow the command warship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva missile cruiser, to be so badly damaged, reportedly by two Ukrainian-made anti-ship cruise missiles, called Neptunes, that the Moskva sank into the sea off Ukraine last week — the biggest loss of a naval ship in battle in 40 years. For the Russian flagship in charge of coordinating all of the air defences for the flotilla, and itself carrying 64 S-300F Rif air defence missiles, to be taken out by enemy anti-ship missiles had to have been the result of a cascade of systems failures in detection and response to an attack. Moreover, Neptune missiles are not necessarily “ship killers.” They were more likely designed to be “mission killers” — to disable the radar and electronics of sophisticated ships like the Moskva — not specifically sink them. So I pity the commander who had to tell Putin that Russia’s meanest, monstrous warship in the Black Sea, rumored to have been his favourite, had been sunk by a Ukrainian missile fired in war for the first time. China is a much more serious country than Russia: It is not built on oil, lies and corruption (though it has plenty of the latter), but on the hard work and manufacturing talents of its people, directed by a top-down, iron-fisted but eager-to-learn-from-abroad Chinese Communist Party. At least, eager in the past to learn, but less so lately. China’s economic success, and the sense of pride it has generated, seems to have lulled its leadership into thinking it could basically go it alone against a pandemic. By producing its own vaccines, rather than importing better ones from the West, and by repurposing its highly efficient system of authoritarian surveillance and control to curb travel, do mass testing and quarantine any individuals or neighborhoods where COVID-19 appeared, China bet on a “zero COVID” policy. If it could get through the pandemic with fewer deaths and a more open economy, it would be another signal to the world — a big signal — that Chinese communism was superior to American democracy. But Beijing, while scoffing at the West, became shockingly negligent about vaccinating its own elderly. That did not matter as much when China was able to stem the spread of earlier variants of the coronavirus with tight population controls. But now it matters, because China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines appear not nearly as effective against omicron as the mRNA vaccines made in the West, although they still are effective at reducing hospitalization and death. In China today, more than 130 million people “aged 60 and above are either unvaccinated or have received fewer than three doses,” putting them “in greater danger of developing severe COVID symptoms or dying if they contract the virus,” The Financial Times recently reported, citing a University of Hong Kong study. This has led Beijing to opt for that total lockdown of Shanghai, which has been so poorly managed that residents have reportedly had to scramble for food. Dr. David L. Katz, a U.S. public health and preventive medicine expert who wrote one of the most prescient early guest essays in this newspaper about managing COVID at the onset, explained to me that the problem with having the kind of draconian lockdown policy that China maintained is that you are guaranteeing that your population develops little native immunity from having acquired and survived the virus. So, Katz said, if the virus mutates globally, as it did with omicron, and you have “a less than effective vaccine, virtually no natural immunity in the population, and millions of elderly unvaccinated, you’re in a bad place and there is no easy way out.” You can’t fool around with or propagandize away Mother Nature; she’s merciless. The moral of this story? High-coercion authoritarian systems are low-information systems — so they often drive blind more than they realize. And even when the truth filters up, or reality in the form of a more powerful foe or Mother Nature slams them in the face so hard it can’t be ignored, their leaders find it hard to change course because their claims to the right to be presidents-for-life rest on their claims to infallibility. And that is why Russia and China are both now struggling. I am worried sick about our own democratic system. But as long as we can still vote out incompetent leaders and maintain information ecosystems that will expose systemic lying and defy censorship, we can adapt in an age of rapid change — and that is the single most important competitive advantage a country can have today.

China and Russia are giving authoritarianism a bad name

Mila Panchenko found herself on a station platform in southwest&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;after lack of food and water forced her to hand herself over to pro-Russian forces to escape the&nbsp;besieged&nbsp;Ukrainian city of&nbsp;Mariupol.

At the station in Taganrog, a port on the Sea of Azov, she was put on a train along with around 200 other&nbsp;Ukrainians&nbsp;and told they were being transported to another part of&nbsp;Russia's Rostov region, which borders Ukraine.

But when the train arrived at its destination, the 53-year-old found herself in Tula province in central&nbsp;Russia, in the town of Suvorov, some 1,000 km (621 miles) away.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-troops-have-begun-battle-for-the-donbas-says-zelensky-472014">Russian troops have begun battle for Donbas, says Ukraine President Zelensky</a>

&nbsp;"There were a lot of police. The station was sealed off so no&nbsp;Russian civilians could approach us," Panchenko said, adding that there were crowds to greet them but the son of a friend&nbsp;from&nbsp;Tula - who she did not identify - was not allowed in. "We were met cheerfully, with cookies."

In addition to Panchenko, Reuters spoke to another Ukrainian woman - Natalia Bil-Maer - who escaped&nbsp;Mariupol&nbsp;last month, as well as the relatives of two other refugees.

They painted a picture of some civilians in&nbsp;Mariupol&nbsp;having no choice but to flee&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;besieged&nbsp;city to&nbsp;Russia, a journey that involved repeated searches and questioning by pro-Russian forces before being transported often far&nbsp;from&nbsp;Ukraine's border.&nbsp;

Reuters was unable to verify their stories independently.&nbsp;

The Kremlin did not respond to a request for comment about the independent accounts provided to Reuters by Panchenko and Bil-Maer of&nbsp;Ukrainians&nbsp;being sent to distant parts of&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;without any choice.

Moscow has denied intentionally targeting civilians since invading Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Panchenko said she and the other&nbsp;Ukrainians&nbsp;on the train were taken by&nbsp;Russian authorities to a sanatorium in the Tula region called Krainka. She was given a room with a small fridge, a television and two single beds. Laid on a table was traditional gingerbread, sweet biscuits, water and iced tea.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Global Headlines: 7 killed in Russian strikes in Kyiv

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-global-headlines-7-killed-in-russian-strikes-in-kyiv-471996/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The Krainka resort did not respond to a request for comment on its role in sheltering the&nbsp;Ukrainians.

&nbsp;After arriving at the sanatorium, Panchenko - the duty manager of a cistern factory before the war and a member of the local council - said she was fingerprinted, photographed and questioned in front of a prosecutor, whom Reuters was unable to identify.

Panchenko - who speaks&nbsp;Russian and Ukrainian - was asked whether the suppression of the&nbsp;Russian language in Ukraine had worsened since 2014, she said.

In that year,&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;annexed the Crimea peninsula while two breakaway regions of Ukraine -- Donetsk and Luhansk -- declared themselves people's republics with Moscow's backing.&nbsp;

One of&nbsp;Russia's justifications for what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine is to protect&nbsp;Russian speakers&nbsp;from&nbsp;what Moscow brands aggression&nbsp;from&nbsp;Ukrainian nationalists. Ukraine has denied this.&nbsp;

"I only said that I could speak Ukrainian and that I loved it ... I said I hadn't witnessed any suppression of&nbsp;Russian."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Forced Deportations

Liudmyla Denisova, Ukraine's ombudswoman for human rights, said last week that&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;had taken 134,000 people&nbsp;from&nbsp;Mariupol&nbsp;and that 33,000 of those were forcibly&nbsp;deported. Reuters was unable to determine the accuracy of those statistics.&nbsp;

Rachel Denber, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch, said her organisation had documented at least one instance where there was "no question that it would be considered a forced transfer" - which she defined as "being forced to go to the side that has invaded your country."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bleak-assessments-of-the-russian-economy-clash-with-putins-rosy-claims-471989">Bleak assessments of the Russian economy clash with Putin’s rosy claims</a>

The 1949 Geneva Conventions, which defined legal standards for humanitarian treatment in conflict, prohibit the mass forcible transfer of civilians during an international conflict to the territory of the occupying power, classifying it as a war crime.

Russia&nbsp;says it is offering humanitarian aid to those wanting to leave&nbsp;Mariupol. A&nbsp;Russian government resolution, published on March 12 on its website, listed the whereabouts of 95,909 people across&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;who had left Ukraine and the two breakaway republics.

A month later, on April 14,&nbsp;Russian Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev said that 138,014 civilians had been rescued by&nbsp;Russian forces just&nbsp;from&nbsp;Mariupol, as the fighting intensified.&nbsp;

Panchenko said she fled&nbsp;Mariupol&nbsp;on March 17 when Chechen troops seized the building on the left bank of the Kalmius river where she and dozens of other civilians had been sheltering in a basement.

"They said that we had to evacuate because they wanted to set up their headquarters there," Panchenko said by telephone&nbsp;from&nbsp;Brescia, in northern Italy, where she is now living, having left&nbsp;Russia.

With scant supplies of food and water, Panchenko said she had no choice but to get into the cars offered by the Chechen soldiers to take them to&nbsp;Russian-controlled parts of Donetsk.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/five-powerful-missiles-hit-lviv-as-russia-bombards-multiple-ukrainian-cities-471892">&nbsp;Five 'powerful' missiles hit Lviv as Russia bombards multiple Ukrainian cities</a>

They were transported by car and then bus to the village of Bezimenne, where police&nbsp;from&nbsp;the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) have set up processing facilities, Panchenko said. They were fingerprinted and questioned by separatist police.

Spokespeople for the DPR and the Chechen authorities did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;

"We were asked if we had any connection with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, if we knew anyone&nbsp;from&nbsp;the Azov Battalion," she said, referring to a Ukrainian National Guard unit that Moscow has accused of targeting&nbsp;Russian speakers. "We weren't on any lists, so they put us on a bus again and took us to Taganrog train station."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trains sent across Russia

On March 22, Bil-Maer fled the basement of a relative's apartment block with her husband and two children - aged 6 and 7 - as the&nbsp;Russian assault drew closer. They had planned to go to the nearby coastal town of Berdiansk, to the west, but their route was blocked by shelling.

"We had only one way left to go because that part of town was controlled by&nbsp;Russian soldiers ... So they transported us and we were&nbsp;deported&nbsp;to&nbsp;Russia."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrian-fighters-who-fought-against-islamic-state-sign-up-to-fight-alongside-russian-troops-in-ukraine-report-471848">Syrian fighters who fought against Islamic State sign up to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine: Report</a>

As they were taken through&nbsp;Russian-controlled territory, Bil-Maer said&nbsp;Ukrainians&nbsp;were repeatedly questioned and men were asked to strip, as&nbsp;Russian forces searched for combatants.

But by March 23 she found herself on&nbsp;Russian soil and was taken to Taganrog station.

"In Taganrog, there were a lot of nice words said to us: “We've saved you. We'll feed you”," said Bil-Maer, who saw trains headed to Tambov and Vladimir in central&nbsp;Russia. "It was clear that every train was going to a different place."

As soon as Bil-Maer could use her phone, she called an aunt in&nbsp;Russia's Krasnodar region, across the Sea of Azov&nbsp;from&nbsp;east Ukraine, and she came to pick up the family.

But, once in her aunt’s&nbsp;home, Bil-Maer said she was reluctant to go outside because she was tired of being told by strangers that the&nbsp;Russian bombing was Ukraine's fault for attacking&nbsp;Russian-speakers. She said many&nbsp;Russians echoed the Kremlin’s position - reproduced in the media - that civilian casualties in the conflict were caused by Ukraine’s own armed forces to discredit Moscow.&nbsp;

Bil-Maer quickly fled to Georgia with her husband and children.

She does not know how she will return&nbsp;home: she is struggling to get help&nbsp;from&nbsp;the Ukrainian embassy and only has her internal passport with her. Her husband also left the country with her illegally when it was banned because he was of fighting age.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/city-still-has-not-fallen-mariupol-may-be-a-red-line-in-talks-says-ukraine-471755">&nbsp;'City still has not fallen': Mariupol may be a red line in talks, says Ukraine</a>

Ukraine foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said Ukraine had to close its diplomatic missions in&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;for security reasons but embassies in the neighboring countries would provide consular assistance to&nbsp;Ukrainians&nbsp;deported&nbsp;to&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;to enable them to return&nbsp;home, including temporary travel documents.&nbsp;

After 10 days at the Krainka resort, Panchenko said she persuaded the&nbsp;Russians to allow her to leave for Nizhny Novgorod, a city on the Volga river east of Moscow, to stay with the family of an elderly neighbor&nbsp;from&nbsp;Mariupol&nbsp;who had fled with her.

Once outside the resort, Panchenko and her neighbor, who she identified as Zhan, went instead to Moscow and then to the Baltic States. Panchenko found her way eventually to Italy.&nbsp;

"But my plan is to make some money and return to my&nbsp;home&nbsp;Mariupol, if it stays Ukrainian," she said. "I want to come back to Ukraine very much."

Mila Panchenko found herself on a station platform in southwest Russia after lack of food and water forced her to hand herself over to pro-Russian forces to escape the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Mila Panchenko found herself on a station platform in southwest Russia after lack of food and water forced her to hand herself over to pro-Russian forces to escape the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol. At the station in Taganrog, a port on the Sea of Azov, she was put on a train along with around 200 other Ukrainians and told they were being transported to another part of Russia's Rostov region, which borders Ukraine. But when the train arrived at its destination, the 53-year-old found herself in Tula province in central Russia, in the town of Suvorov, some 1,000 km (621 miles) away. Also read | Russian troops have begun battle for Donbas, says Ukraine President Zelensky "There were a lot of police. The station was sealed off so no Russian civilians could approach us," Panchenko said, adding that there were crowds to greet them but the son of a friend from Tula - who she did not identify - was not allowed in. "We were met cheerfully, with cookies." In addition to Panchenko, Reuters spoke to another Ukrainian woman - Natalia Bil-Maer - who escaped Mariupol last month, as well as the relatives of two other refugees. They painted a picture of some civilians in Mariupol having no choice but to flee from the besieged city to Russia, a journey that involved repeated searches and questioning by pro-Russian forces before being transported often far from Ukraine's border. Reuters was unable to verify their stories independently. The Kremlin did not respond to a request for comment about the independent accounts provided to Reuters by Panchenko and Bil-Maer of Ukrainians being sent to distant parts of Russia without any choice. Moscow has denied intentionally targeting civilians since invading Ukraine on Feb. 24. Panchenko said she and the other Ukrainians on the train were taken by Russian authorities to a sanatorium in the Tula region called Krainka. She was given a room with a small fridge, a television and two single beds. Laid on a table was traditional gingerbread, sweet biscuits, water and iced tea. Watch | Gravitas Global Headlines: 7 killed in Russian strikes in Kyiv The Krainka resort did not respond to a request for comment on its role in sheltering the Ukrainians. After arriving at the sanatorium, Panchenko - the duty manager of a cistern factory before the war and a member of the local council - said she was fingerprinted, photographed and questioned in front of a prosecutor, whom Reuters was unable to identify. Panchenko - who speaks Russian and Ukrainian - was asked whether the suppression of the Russian language in Ukraine had worsened since 2014, she said. In that year, Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula while two breakaway regions of Ukraine -- Donetsk and Luhansk -- declared themselves people's republics with Moscow's backing. One of Russia's justifications for what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine is to protect Russian speakers from what Moscow brands aggression from Ukrainian nationalists. Ukraine has denied this. "I only said that I could speak Ukrainian and that I loved it ... I said I hadn't witnessed any suppression of Russian." Forced Deportations Liudmyla Denisova, Ukraine's ombudswoman for human rights, said last week that Russia had taken 134,000 people from Mariupol and that 33,000 of those were forcibly deported. Reuters was unable to determine the accuracy of those statistics. Rachel Denber, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch, said her organisation had documented at least one instance where there was "no question that it would be considered a forced transfer" - which she defined as "being forced to go to the side that has invaded your country." Also read | Bleak assessments of the Russian economy clash with Putin’s rosy claims The 1949 Geneva Conventions, which defined legal standards for humanitarian treatment in conflict, prohibit the mass forcible transfer of civilians during an international conflict to the territory of the occupying power, classifying it as a war crime. Russia says it is offering humanitarian aid to those wanting to leave Mariupol. A Russian government resolution, published on March 12 on its website, listed the whereabouts of 95,909 people across Russia who had left Ukraine and the two breakaway republics. A month later, on April 14, Russian Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev said that 138,014 civilians had been rescued by Russian forces just from Mariupol, as the fighting intensified. Panchenko said she fled Mariupol on March 17 when Chechen troops seized the building on the left bank of the Kalmius river where she and dozens of other civilians had been sheltering in a basement. "They said that we had to evacuate because they wanted to set up their headquarters there," Panchenko said by telephone from Brescia, in northern Italy, where she is now living, having left Russia. With scant supplies of food and water, Panchenko said she had no choice but to get into the cars offered by the Chechen soldiers to take them to Russian-controlled parts of Donetsk. Also read | Five 'powerful' missiles hit Lviv as Russia bombards multiple Ukrainian cities They were transported by car and then bus to the village of Bezimenne, where police from the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) have set up processing facilities, Panchenko said. They were fingerprinted and questioned by separatist police. Spokespeople for the DPR and the Chechen authorities did not respond to a request for comment. "We were asked if we had any connection with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, if we knew anyone from the Azov Battalion," she said, referring to a Ukrainian National Guard unit that Moscow has accused of targeting Russian speakers. "We weren't on any lists, so they put us on a bus again and took us to Taganrog train station." Trains sent across Russia On March 22, Bil-Maer fled the basement of a relative's apartment block with her husband and two children - aged 6 and 7 - as the Russian assault drew closer. They had planned to go to the nearby coastal town of Berdiansk, to the west, but their route was blocked by shelling. "We had only one way left to go because that part of town was controlled by Russian soldiers ... So they transported us and we were deported to Russia." Also read | Syrian fighters who fought against Islamic State sign up to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine: Report As they were taken through Russian-controlled territory, Bil-Maer said Ukrainians were repeatedly questioned and men were asked to strip, as Russian forces searched for combatants. But by March 23 she found herself on Russian soil and was taken to Taganrog station. "In Taganrog, there were a lot of nice words said to us: “We've saved you. We'll feed you”," said Bil-Maer, who saw trains headed to Tambov and Vladimir in central Russia. "It was clear that every train was going to a different place." As soon as Bil-Maer could use her phone, she called an aunt in Russia's Krasnodar region, across the Sea of Azov from east Ukraine, and she came to pick up the family. But, once in her aunt’s home, Bil-Maer said she was reluctant to go outside because she was tired of being told by strangers that the Russian bombing was Ukraine's fault for attacking Russian-speakers. She said many Russians echoed the Kremlin’s position - reproduced in the media - that civilian casualties in the conflict were caused by Ukraine’s own armed forces to discredit Moscow. Bil-Maer quickly fled to Georgia with her husband and children. She does not know how she will return home: she is struggling to get help from the Ukrainian embassy and only has her internal passport with her. Her husband also left the country with her illegally when it was banned because he was of fighting age. Also read | 'City still has not fallen': Mariupol may be a red line in talks, says Ukraine Ukraine foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said Ukraine had to close its diplomatic missions in Russia for security reasons but embassies in the neighboring countries would provide consular assistance to Ukrainians deported to Russia to enable them to return home, including temporary travel documents. After 10 days at the Krainka resort, Panchenko said she persuaded the Russians to allow her to leave for Nizhny Novgorod, a city on the Volga river east of Moscow, to stay with the family of an elderly neighbor from Mariupol who had fled with her. Once outside the resort, Panchenko and her neighbor, who she identified as Zhan, went instead to Moscow and then to the Baltic States. Panchenko found her way eventually to Italy. "But my plan is to make some money and return to my home Mariupol, if it stays Ukrainian," she said. "I want to come back to Ukraine very much."

Ukrainians deported to Russia from besieged Mariupol dream of home

Russia’s central bank chief warned Monday that the consequences of Western sanctions were only beginning to be felt, and Moscow’s mayor warned that 200,000 jobs were at risk in the Russian capital alone, stark acknowledgments that undermined President Vladimir Putin’s contention that sanctions had failed to destabilize the Russian economy.

The diverging assessments showed how the effect of the West’s sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and their ability to weaken Putin’s grip on power — remains uncertain nearly two months into the war.

Although experts say Russia faces an economic time bomb as its inventory of imported goods and parts runs low, Putin is using the fact that the Russian economy has not yet collapsed to bolster his contention that sanctions will not deter him.

Western sanctions, Putin said Monday in a televised videoconference with senior officials, were meant to “rapidly undermine the financial and economic situation in our country, provoke panic in the markets, the collapse of the banking system and a large-scale shortage of goods in stores.

“But we can already confidently say that this policy toward Russia has failed. The strategy of an economic blitzkrieg has failed.”

Putin was, in part, addressing a domestic audience, seeking to reassure Russians who have had to endure worries about cash shortages, a battered stock market and the shuttering of popular Western retailers such as Ikea.

Putin said he was prepared to increase government spending to stimulate the economy, an indication that continued revenues from energy exports are giving the Kremlin the flexibility to soften the blow of sanctions.

Aggressive capital controls imposed by the central bank have helped the ruble recover from its crash in the days after the invasion. And there are few reports of major layoffs or of extensive food shortages in grocery stores.

But contrary to Putin’s optimism, two senior officials cautioned Monday that the real economic pain was yet to come. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced a $40 million program to help people laid off by foreign companies find temporary employment and new jobs; according to his office’s estimates, he said, “around 200,000 people are at risk of losing their jobs” in the city of 13 million.

And in an appearance at the lower house of parliament, Elvia Nabiullina, chair of the Russian Central Bank, gave a more far-reaching, negative assessment. She told lawmakers that although the sanctions’ effect had largely been on the financial markets at first, they “will now begin to increasingly affect the real sectors of the economy.”

For example, she said, “practically every product” manufactured in Russia relies on imported components. Factories, for now, may still have them in stock. But because of new Western export restrictions, Russian companies will be forced to shift their supply chains or start making their own components.

“At the moment, perhaps this problem is not yet so strongly felt, because there are still reserves in the economy, but we see that sanctions are being tightened almost every day,” she said. “But the period during which the economy can live on reserves is finite.”

Nabiullina, an internationally respected central banker who reportedly tried to resign in the days after the war, said about half of the central bank’s $600 billion foreign currency and gold reserves remained frozen because of sanctions. Those reserves that the bank still controlled, she said, were mainly gold and yuan — of little use in trying to stabilize the ruble — forcing the bank to resort to capital controls such as limiting how much foreign currency can be taken out of the country.

In his televised videoconference later in the day with Nabiullina and several other officials, Putin acknowledged that the Russian economy did face some problems, including inflation. He said he had already directed the pensions and salaries of state employees — part of Putin’s political base — to be adjusted for inflation and indicated he supported greater government spending to stimulate the economy.

“The budget should actively support the economy, saturate the economy with financial resources and maintain its liquidity,” Putin said. “There are opportunities for this. Of course, we need to act carefully.”

Russia’s central bank chief warned Monday that the consequences of Western sanctions were only beginning to be felt, and Moscow’s mayor warned that 200,000 jobs were at risk in the Russian capital alone, stark acknowledgments that undermined President Vladimir Putin’s contention that sanctions had failed to destabilize the Russian economy.

Russia’s central bank chief warned Monday that the consequences of Western sanctions were only beginning to be felt, and Moscow’s mayor warned that 200,000 jobs were at risk in the Russian capital alone, stark acknowledgments that undermined President Vladimir Putin’s contention that sanctions had failed to destabilize the Russian economy. The diverging assessments showed how the effect of the West’s sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and their ability to weaken Putin’s grip on power — remains uncertain nearly two months into the war. Although experts say Russia faces an economic time bomb as its inventory of imported goods and parts runs low, Putin is using the fact that the Russian economy has not yet collapsed to bolster his contention that sanctions will not deter him. Western sanctions, Putin said Monday in a televised videoconference with senior officials, were meant to “rapidly undermine the financial and economic situation in our country, provoke panic in the markets, the collapse of the banking system and a large-scale shortage of goods in stores. “But we can already confidently say that this policy toward Russia has failed. The strategy of an economic blitzkrieg has failed.” Putin was, in part, addressing a domestic audience, seeking to reassure Russians who have had to endure worries about cash shortages, a battered stock market and the shuttering of popular Western retailers such as Ikea. Putin said he was prepared to increase government spending to stimulate the economy, an indication that continued revenues from energy exports are giving the Kremlin the flexibility to soften the blow of sanctions. Aggressive capital controls imposed by the central bank have helped the ruble recover from its crash in the days after the invasion. And there are few reports of major layoffs or of extensive food shortages in grocery stores. But contrary to Putin’s optimism, two senior officials cautioned Monday that the real economic pain was yet to come. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced a $40 million program to help people laid off by foreign companies find temporary employment and new jobs; according to his office’s estimates, he said, “around 200,000 people are at risk of losing their jobs” in the city of 13 million. And in an appearance at the lower house of parliament, Elvia Nabiullina, chair of the Russian Central Bank, gave a more far-reaching, negative assessment. She told lawmakers that although the sanctions’ effect had largely been on the financial markets at first, they “will now begin to increasingly affect the real sectors of the economy.” For example, she said, “practically every product” manufactured in Russia relies on imported components. Factories, for now, may still have them in stock. But because of new Western export restrictions, Russian companies will be forced to shift their supply chains or start making their own components. “At the moment, perhaps this problem is not yet so strongly felt, because there are still reserves in the economy, but we see that sanctions are being tightened almost every day,” she said. “But the period during which the economy can live on reserves is finite.” Nabiullina, an internationally respected central banker who reportedly tried to resign in the days after the war, said about half of the central bank’s $600 billion foreign currency and gold reserves remained frozen because of sanctions. Those reserves that the bank still controlled, she said, were mainly gold and yuan — of little use in trying to stabilize the ruble — forcing the bank to resort to capital controls such as limiting how much foreign currency can be taken out of the country. In his televised videoconference later in the day with Nabiullina and several other officials, Putin acknowledged that the Russian economy did face some problems, including inflation. He said he had already directed the pensions and salaries of state employees — part of Putin’s political base — to be adjusted for inflation and indicated he supported greater government spending to stimulate the economy. “The budget should actively support the economy, saturate the economy with financial resources and maintain its liquidity,” Putin said. “There are opportunities for this. Of course, we need to act carefully.”

Bleak assessments of the Russian economy clash with Putin’s rosy claims

Russia has been accused of genocide in Ukraine, the ultimate war crime. However, genocide has a specific legal definition and to date has only been proven in court a few times.

Let's find out more.

What exactly is genocide?

According to the 1948 Genocide Convention, it is defined as crimes done with the goal to eliminate, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.

Killing members of a group, causing substantial bodily or mental injury to them, establishing conditions meant to destroy them, preventing births, or forcibly transferring children to other groups are all examples of genocide.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-armenia-to-myanmar-accusations-of-genocide-in-the-past-464634">From Armenia to Myanmar: Accusations of genocide in the past</a>

What criteria are used to determine genocide?

Prosecutors must first show that the victims were members of a distinct national, ethnic, racial, or religious group in order to prove genocide. This rule does not apply to organisations targeted based on their political ideas.

"Genocide is a difficult crime to prove. Parties have to bring a lot to the table," explained Melanie O'Brien, head of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, citing the combined need of demonstrating intent, targeting a protected group, and crimes such as murder or forcible removal of minors.

Who made the allegation against Russia?

Multiple people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Joe Biden and even UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have accused Russian forces of genocide, citing evidence of rape, torture, and executions in districts near Kyiv regained by Ukrainian troops earlier this month.

Watch |&nbsp;Ukraine war: Russian acts in Ukraine amounts to 'genocide', says Joe Biden

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ukraine-war-russian-acts-in-ukraine-amounts-to-genocide-says-joe-biden-470995/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Yes, I called it genocide because it has become clearer and clearer that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian and the evidence is mounting," said Biden.

The scope of the horrors "doesn't look far short of genocide," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned last week.

What is Russia's response to these accusations?

Moscow claims the West fabricated evidence to defame its troops, calling the war on its smaller neighbour "a special operation" to stop genocide against Russian speakers in Ukraine.

Will the&nbsp;allegations against Russia&nbsp;be investigated?

In February, the International Criminal Court launched a probe into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. It has authority over genocide as well.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-icj-ukraine-and-russia-to-fight-again-but-over-genocide-claim-459711">At ICJ, Ukraine and Russia to fight again but over ‘genocide claim’</a>

Are there any old cases of genocide?

Yes, the international courts have had three cases meet their threshold:

-The Cambodian Khmer Rouge slaughter of&nbsp;minority Cham and Vietnamese people in the 1970s. An estimated&nbsp;1.7 million people were murdered in this genocide.

-&nbsp;Rwanda's mass massacre of Tutsis in 1994, which resulted in the deaths of 800,000 people.

-The 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which claimed the lives of 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

Since the 1990s, the US administration has declared genocide in seven situations: Bosnia, Rwanda, Iraq, Sudan's Darfur area, Islamic State's massacres, particularly against the Yezidi, Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, and China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims. Only time will tell if the Russian violence against Ukraine will be categorized as a 'genocide'.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia has been accused of genocide in Ukraine, the ultimate war crime. However, genocide has a specific legal definition and to date has only been proven in court a few times.

Russia has been accused of genocide in Ukraine, the ultimate war crime. However, genocide has a specific legal definition and to date has only been proven in court a few times. Let's find out more. What exactly is genocide? According to the 1948 Genocide Convention, it is defined as crimes done with the goal to eliminate, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group. Killing members of a group, causing substantial bodily or mental injury to them, establishing conditions meant to destroy them, preventing births, or forcibly transferring children to other groups are all examples of genocide. Also read | From Armenia to Myanmar: Accusations of genocide in the past What criteria are used to determine genocide? Prosecutors must first show that the victims were members of a distinct national, ethnic, racial, or religious group in order to prove genocide. This rule does not apply to organisations targeted based on their political ideas. "Genocide is a difficult crime to prove. Parties have to bring a lot to the table," explained Melanie O'Brien, head of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, citing the combined need of demonstrating intent, targeting a protected group, and crimes such as murder or forcible removal of minors. Who made the allegation against Russia? Multiple people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Joe Biden and even UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have accused Russian forces of genocide, citing evidence of rape, torture, and executions in districts near Kyiv regained by Ukrainian troops earlier this month. Watch | Ukraine war: Russian acts in Ukraine amounts to 'genocide', says Joe Biden "Yes, I called it genocide because it has become clearer and clearer that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian and the evidence is mounting," said Biden. The scope of the horrors "doesn't look far short of genocide," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned last week. What is Russia's response to these accusations? Moscow claims the West fabricated evidence to defame its troops, calling the war on its smaller neighbour "a special operation" to stop genocide against Russian speakers in Ukraine. Will the allegations against Russia be investigated? In February, the International Criminal Court launched a probe into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. It has authority over genocide as well. Also read | At ICJ, Ukraine and Russia to fight again but over ‘genocide claim’ Are there any old cases of genocide? Yes, the international courts have had three cases meet their threshold: -The Cambodian Khmer Rouge slaughter of minority Cham and Vietnamese people in the 1970s. An estimated 1.7 million people were murdered in this genocide. - Rwanda's mass massacre of Tutsis in 1994, which resulted in the deaths of 800,000 people. -The 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which claimed the lives of 8,000 Muslim men and boys. Since the 1990s, the US administration has declared genocide in seven situations: Bosnia, Rwanda, Iraq, Sudan's Darfur area, Islamic State's massacres, particularly against the Yezidi, Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, and China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims. Only time will tell if the Russian violence against Ukraine will be categorized as a 'genocide'. (With inputs from agencies)

WION explains: The ultimate, yet hard to prove war crime called 'genocide'

In a small, peaceful village in southern Spain, there exists a white wall with a board that holds the sign "Square of Mariupol".

As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on even after fifty days, countries around the world have stood up in solidarity with Kyiv amid aggression by Putin's forces.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-russia-steps-up-offensive-in-cities-ukraines-richest-man-vows-to-rebuild-mariupol-471456" hreflang="en">As Russia steps up offensive in cities, Ukraine’s richest man vows to rebuild Mariupol</a>

From offering weapons to aid, countries have come forward to help Ukraine, however, as per a Reuters report a small Spanish village located&nbsp;thousands of kilometres away from the conflict has shown its solidarity in a unique way&nbsp;by changing its name.

Formerly known as "Fuentes de Andalucia", it is now known as&nbsp;"Ukraine", the village has not only changed its name but has also renamed its streets.

Watch |&nbsp;Czech designer comes up with Zelensky's portrait pillows to raise funds for Ukrainians

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/czech-designer-comes-up-with-zelenskys-portrait-pillows-to-raise-funds-for-ukrainians-463993/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In the village of around 7,100 people, just east of Seville, streets are now called City of Kyiv, Mariupol, and Odesa.

The village has also raised 3,500 euros&nbsp;i.e., about $3,780 for a refugee centre within just two days, they have plans to offer homes and refuge to up to 25 refugees at the&nbsp;centre and more with the village’s families.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fleeing-war-russian-and-ukrainian-travel-thousands-of-kilometres-to-get-married-at-mexico-border-471171" hreflang="en">Fleeing war, Russian and Ukrainian travel thousands of kilometres to get married at Mexico border</a>

Earlier, a&nbsp;Czech designer had come up with a novel way to generate donations for Ukrainians afflicted by the country's crisis he designed pillows depicting the president's portrait, Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Many people, mostly of the fair sex, see him as some kind of a sex symbol, so I got the idea to make a pillow which would look like he is actually in their bed," the designer Tomas Brinek had told Reuters news agency on Friday.

Yet another amazing fundraising technique was employed by a small&nbsp;firm&nbsp;in&nbsp;Chicago. Using&nbsp;Lego&nbsp;mini-figures&nbsp;of&nbsp;Ukrainian&nbsp;President&nbsp;Volodymyr&nbsp;Zelensky&nbsp;and&nbsp;Motolov&nbsp;drinks,&nbsp;they&nbsp;raised&nbsp;over&nbsp;$160,000.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a small, peaceful village in southern Spain, there exists a white wall with a board that holds the sign "Square of Mariupol". As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on even after fifty days, countries around the world have stood up in solidarity with Kyiv amid aggression by Putin's forces.

In a small, peaceful village in southern Spain, there exists a white wall with a board that holds the sign "Square of Mariupol". As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on even after fifty days, countries around the world have stood up in solidarity with Kyiv amid aggression by Putin's forces. Also read | As Russia steps up offensive in cities, Ukraine’s richest man vows to rebuild Mariupol From offering weapons to aid, countries have come forward to help Ukraine, however, as per a Reuters report a small Spanish village located thousands of kilometres away from the conflict has shown its solidarity in a unique way by changing its name. Formerly known as "Fuentes de Andalucia", it is now known as "Ukraine", the village has not only changed its name but has also renamed its streets. Watch | Czech designer comes up with Zelensky's portrait pillows to raise funds for Ukrainians In the village of around 7,100 people, just east of Seville, streets are now called City of Kyiv, Mariupol, and Odesa. The village has also raised 3,500 euros i.e., about $3,780 for a refugee centre within just two days, they have plans to offer homes and refuge to up to 25 refugees at the centre and more with the village’s families. Also read | Fleeing war, Russian and Ukrainian travel thousands of kilometres to get married at Mexico border Earlier, a Czech designer had come up with a novel way to generate donations for Ukrainians afflicted by the country's crisis he designed pillows depicting the president's portrait, Volodymyr Zelensky. "Many people, mostly of the fair sex, see him as some kind of a sex symbol, so I got the idea to make a pillow which would look like he is actually in their bed," the designer Tomas Brinek had told Reuters news agency on Friday. Yet another amazing fundraising technique was employed by a small firm in Chicago. Using Lego mini-figures of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Motolov drinks, they raised over $160,000. (With inputs from agencies)

From a village renaming itself to Zelensky pillows, amazing methods people used to show support for Ukraine

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;

Russian state television on Friday (April 15) said that Moscow has entered World War Three against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The bold statement was made in regards to Russia's invasion of Ukraine which President Vladimir Putin calls a ''special operation.''

Addressing the viewers of Rossiya 1, presenter Olga Skabeyeva said ''Many people are asking could it not be done more quickly?''

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And here we have it - in a rant seemingly aimed at explaining to viewers why the "special operation in Ukraine" is taking so long, Russian state TV presenter Olga Skabeyeva says her country is fighting World War Three against Nato 
 
I've added subtitles <a href="https://t.co/MQW0UfiQso">pic.twitter.com/MQW0UfiQso</a>
— Francis Scarr (@francska1) <a href="https://twitter.com/francska1/status/1514612770594906117?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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''Everyone would like a conclusive victory. Everyone would like all the objectives set to be implemented.''

''Otherwise, on the whole, it is impossible to accept the special operation which we started,'' she said as per an English translation by 'The Independent'.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-pledges-more-attacks-on-kyiv-accuses-ukraine-of-bombing-border-town-471233/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

''One can safely say call what it has escalated into World War Three. That's absolutely for sure.''

''Right now, we're definitely against NATO's infrastructure, if not the alliance itself. We need to recognise that,'' she added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/moskva-russian-navys-black-sea-fleet-flagship-has-sunk-defence-ministry-471089" hreflang="en">Moskva, Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet flagship, has sunk: Defence ministry</a>

Her comments came after Ukraine's missile strike destroyed the Soviet-era flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet.

Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said ''NATO is a defensive Alliance that is there to defend and to fortify and NATO will not be a threat to anyone that is not attacking NATO.''

''We would not be concerned that the expansion of a defensive alliance would do anything other than promoting stability on the European continent," he added.

Russia has warned NATO that if Sweden and Finland join the group it will further bolster its security.

(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. Russian state television on Friday (April 15) said that Moscow has entered World War Three against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The bold statement was made in regards to Russia's invasion of Ukraine which President Vladimir Putin calls a ''special operation.'' Addressing the viewers of Rossiya 1, presenter Olga Skabeyeva said ''Many people are asking could it not be done more quickly?'' And here we have it - in a rant seemingly aimed at explaining to viewers why the "special operation in Ukraine" is taking so long, Russian state TV presenter Olga Skabeyeva says her country is fighting World War Three against Nato I've added subtitles pic.twitter.com/MQW0UfiQso — Francis Scarr (@francska1) April 14, 2022 × ''Everyone would like a conclusive victory. Everyone would like all the objectives set to be implemented.'' ''Otherwise, on the whole, it is impossible to accept the special operation which we started,'' she said as per an English translation by 'The Independent'. ''One can safely say call what it has escalated into World War Three. That's absolutely for sure.'' ''Right now, we're definitely against NATO's infrastructure, if not the alliance itself. We need to recognise that,'' she added. Also read | Moskva, Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet flagship, has sunk: Defence ministry Her comments came after Ukraine's missile strike destroyed the Soviet-era flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet. Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said ''NATO is a defensive Alliance that is there to defend and to fortify and NATO will not be a threat to anyone that is not attacking NATO.'' ''We would not be concerned that the expansion of a defensive alliance would do anything other than promoting stability on the European continent," he added. Russia has warned NATO that if Sweden and Finland join the group it will further bolster its security. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | Russian state TV says Moscow has entered World War 3 against NATO

A team of 18 French forensic experts has arrived in Kyiv to investigate the killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.

It aims to help Ukraine with the investigation that Russia committed war crimes in the city.

Investigators from the Institut de recherche criminelle de la gendarmerie nationale (IRCGN)&nbsp;are using drones to capture and identify those buried at the largest mass grave in Bucha.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-ukraine-war-russian-flagship-moskva-sinks-in-black-sea-while-being-towed-to-port-471102/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

They are trying to gather evidence to open a case against Russia at the International Criminal Court.

The French officers are conducting autopsies to determine the date and cause of the deaths of the alleged victims of the Russian military forces.&nbsp;

The killings in Bucha have sparked a global outcry but Moscow has denied those allegations.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/desperate-putin-may-use-nuclear-weapons-says-cia-chief-471114" hreflang="en">Desperate Putin may use nuclear weapons, says CIA chief</a>

Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a "monstrous forgery" and compared it with the ''staged chemical attack in Syria'' by the West.

"It's the same kind of fake in Bucha," Putin said.

According to Ukrainian prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko, at the site "Seventy bodies were found, mostly civilians, as well as those of a policeman and two soldiers."

"According to preliminary findings, they are the bodies of a family whose vehicle burned after being hit by a Russian armoured vehicle," he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-could-russian-president-vladimir-putin-be-prosecuted-for-war-crimes-in-ukraine-465719">Also see |&nbsp;How could Russian President Vladimir Putin be prosecuted for war crimes in Ukraine?</a>

"We have now a lot of jobs unfortunately with war crimes," said Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova.

"When you see dead bodies here, from the other side, from the Russian Federation, they say it is all fake, all this is our theatre."

"They can see everything, they can see the situation here: real graves, real dead bodies, real bomb attacks. That's why for us this moment is very important."

As per local priest Andriy Halavin, "They didn't just die from explosions, by chance, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but they were deliberately shot."&nbsp;

"Some were in cars, driving, and they were shot. Some were walking on the street and they were shot."

"It's very important that the whole world sees the truth because Russian propaganda always tells stories and lies." 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A team of 18 French forensic experts has arrived in Kyiv to investigate the killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. It aims to help Ukraine with the investigation that Russia committed war crimes in the city.

A team of 18 French forensic experts has arrived in Kyiv to investigate the killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. It aims to help Ukraine with the investigation that Russia committed war crimes in the city. Investigators from the Institut de recherche criminelle de la gendarmerie nationale (IRCGN) are using drones to capture and identify those buried at the largest mass grave in Bucha. They are trying to gather evidence to open a case against Russia at the International Criminal Court. The French officers are conducting autopsies to determine the date and cause of the deaths of the alleged victims of the Russian military forces. The killings in Bucha have sparked a global outcry but Moscow has denied those allegations. Also read | Desperate Putin may use nuclear weapons, says CIA chief Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a "monstrous forgery" and compared it with the ''staged chemical attack in Syria'' by the West. "It's the same kind of fake in Bucha," Putin said. According to Ukrainian prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko, at the site "Seventy bodies were found, mostly civilians, as well as those of a policeman and two soldiers." "According to preliminary findings, they are the bodies of a family whose vehicle burned after being hit by a Russian armoured vehicle," he added. Also see | How could Russian President Vladimir Putin be prosecuted for war crimes in Ukraine? "We have now a lot of jobs unfortunately with war crimes," said Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova. "When you see dead bodies here, from the other side, from the Russian Federation, they say it is all fake, all this is our theatre." "They can see everything, they can see the situation here: real graves, real dead bodies, real bomb attacks. That's why for us this moment is very important." As per local priest Andriy Halavin, "They didn't just die from explosions, by chance, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but they were deliberately shot." "Some were in cars, driving, and they were shot. Some were walking on the street and they were shot." "It's very important that the whole world sees the truth because Russian propaganda always tells stories and lies." (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine crisis: Team of French forensic experts arrive in Kyiv to investigate Bucha killings

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

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. Ukraine on Tuesday (April 12) claimed that the authorities have captured a fugitive pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who is deemed to be the closest ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the country. News agencies have stated that the 67-year-old business tycoon Medvedchuk is one of the richest people in Ukraine and he has remained in controversy for his close ties to Moscow. If reports are to be believed, Medvedchuk counts Putin among his personal friends and says the Kremlin leader is godfather to his youngest daughter Darya. Undated and unlocated images of Medvedchuk were released by Ukraine's security service SBU that purportedly show the business tycoon in handcuffs and wearing a Ukrainian military uniform. ALSO READ | Ukraine war: President Biden accuses Russian forces of committing 'genocide' Ivan Bakanov, who is the security agency chief said that agents had carried out a "lightning-fast and dangerous multi-level special operation to detain" the Russia-friendly lawmaker. "No traitor will escape punishment and all will be held accountable under the law of Ukraine," AFP quoted a statement from Telegram. It has been understood that Medvedchuk reportedly fled shortly after Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on February 24. He was announced to be missing after police said they did not find him at his home address on February 26. Kyiv's crackdown on Medvedchuk had sparked anger in the Kremlin, with Putin vowing at one stage to "respond" to what he called a political persecution. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on Medvedchuk's detention, telling Russian news wires that "there are a lot of fakes coming from Ukraine" and "this needs to be checked first". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also posted a picture online. "A special operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine. Well done!" Zelensky wrote on Telegram. Zelensky has also offered to swap Medvedchuk for Ukrainians captured by Russia. "I propose to the Russian Federation to exchange this guy of yours for our boys and our girls who are now in Russian captivity," Zelensky said in a video address posted on Telegram. WATCH | Russia accused of using phosphorus bombs in Ukraine. What are these? × (With inputs from agencies)

Viktor Medvedchuk: Ukraine captures Vladimir Putin ally; Zelensky offers to swap him for captured Ukrainians

Meta had permitted "dehumanising speech against Russian soldiers" and calls for death to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. It, later on, walked back elements of the exceptions after the Reuters report.

How Meta refused to act on anti-Russia propaganda

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

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow will launch a lunar probe with ally Belarus.

Recalling Soviet successes in space, Putin said “it’s certainly impossible to isolate anyone in the world of today, especially such a huge country as Russia.”&nbsp;

He was referring to NASA which is boycotting Russian space agency Roscosmos after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-ukraine-war-army-rejigs-on-both-sides-as-conflict-continues-for-more-than-a-month-now-470507/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Putin added that “we will work with those of our partners who want to cooperate.”

In the first known trip outside Moscow since Russian launched military action in Ukraine, Putin met Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oxfam-warns-russias-invasion-of-ukraine-can-push-quarter-of-a-billion-people-into-extreme-poverty-470466" hreflang="en">Ukraine invasion can push quarter of a bn people into extreme poverty: Oxfam</a>

He said Russia will deepen cooperation with Belarus on space infrastructure and technology. Roskosmos is going to train a Belarusian for flight on a Russian spacecraft.

According to Putin, Russia plans on launching a probe called Luna-25 to the moon in the third quarter of this year.

Russia continues to redeploy its forces for a push on eastern Ukraine, and fighting is expected to intensify there over the next two to three weeks as per Britain’s defence ministry.

It says Russian forces are withdrawing from Belarus in order to redeploy in support of operations in eastern Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow will launch a lunar probe with ally Belarus. Recalling Soviet successes in space, Putin said “it’s certainly impossible to isolate anyone in the world of today, especially such a huge country as Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow will launch a lunar probe with ally Belarus. Recalling Soviet successes in space, Putin said “it’s certainly impossible to isolate anyone in the world of today, especially such a huge country as Russia.” He was referring to NASA which is boycotting Russian space agency Roscosmos after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Putin added that “we will work with those of our partners who want to cooperate.” In the first known trip outside Moscow since Russian launched military action in Ukraine, Putin met Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East. Also read | Ukraine invasion can push quarter of a bn people into extreme poverty: Oxfam He said Russia will deepen cooperation with Belarus on space infrastructure and technology. Roskosmos is going to train a Belarusian for flight on a Russian spacecraft. According to Putin, Russia plans on launching a probe called Luna-25 to the moon in the third quarter of this year. Russia continues to redeploy its forces for a push on eastern Ukraine, and fighting is expected to intensify there over the next two to three weeks as per Britain’s defence ministry. It says Russian forces are withdrawing from Belarus in order to redeploy in support of operations in eastern Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies)

Vladimir Putin says Russia will launch a lunar probe with ally Belarus

UNICEF has claimed that 4.8 million out of 7.5 million Ukraine children have been displaced and 142 youngsters have lost their lives as a consequence to the Russian-Ukraine war that started on February 24.

The UN children’s agency further believes that the number of children leaving their homes could be higher than their estimate.

Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF’s emergency programs director who recently returned from Ukraine, said that he has never seen such humanitarian tragedy on this scale in such a short time.

“They have been forced to leave everything behind — their homes, their schools and, often, their family members,” he told the UN Security Council.

“I have heard stories of the desperate steps parents are taking to get their children to safety, and children saddened that they are unable to get back to school,” he was quoted as saying.

"As of yesterday, OHCHR has verified 142 children killed and 229 children injured.&nbsp; We know these numbers are likely much higher —and many of them were caused by crossfire or the use of explosive weapons in populated areas,” he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/death-for-some-russian-forces-surround-mariupol-470368">'Sadists, rapists': Russian forces using rape as punishing tactic in Ukraine, UN women's body voices concern</a>

According to AP news agency, Ukraine’s UN ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya has claimed that Russia has taken more than 121,000 children, both orphans&nbsp;and those with parents, out of Ukraine and planning to get them adopted in Russia.

He claimed that most of the children were removed from the besieged southern port city of Mariupol and taken to eastern Donetsk and then to the Russian city of Taganrog.

UNICEF’s Fontaine claimed that he, too, has heard similar reports, but added that “we don’t have yet the access that we need to have to be able to look and verify and see if we can assist.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/aerorozvidka-how-ukraines-elite-it-force-halted-russias-long-mechanised-brigade-eyeing-kyiv-467687">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;How Ukraine's elite IT force halted Russia's brigade eyeing Kyiv</a>

He said that of Ukraine’s displaced children, 2.8 million are in Ukraine and 2 million more are in other countries.

At the same time, he said, nearly half the estimated 3.2 million children still in their homes in Ukraine “may be at risk of not having enough food,” with those in besieged cities like Mariupol facing the most dire situation.

Also read |&nbsp;Russia poised to take Mariupol, where is military aid pledged by US, NATO?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-poised-to-take-mariupol-where-is-military-aid-pledged-by-us-nato-470418/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

(With inputs from agencies)

UNICEF has claimed that 4.8 million out of 7.5 million Ukraine children have been displaced and 142 youngsters have lost their lives as a consequence to the Russian-Ukraine war that started on February 24.

UNICEF has claimed that 4.8 million out of 7.5 million Ukraine children have been displaced and 142 youngsters have lost their lives as a consequence to the Russian-Ukraine war that started on February 24. The UN children’s agency further believes that the number of children leaving their homes could be higher than their estimate. Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF’s emergency programs director who recently returned from Ukraine, said that he has never seen such humanitarian tragedy on this scale in such a short time. “They have been forced to leave everything behind — their homes, their schools and, often, their family members,” he told the UN Security Council. “I have heard stories of the desperate steps parents are taking to get their children to safety, and children saddened that they are unable to get back to school,” he was quoted as saying. "As of yesterday, OHCHR has verified 142 children killed and 229 children injured. We know these numbers are likely much higher —and many of them were caused by crossfire or the use of explosive weapons in populated areas,” he added. Also read | 'Sadists, rapists': Russian forces using rape as punishing tactic in Ukraine, UN women's body voices concern According to AP news agency, Ukraine’s UN ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya has claimed that Russia has taken more than 121,000 children, both orphans and those with parents, out of Ukraine and planning to get them adopted in Russia. He claimed that most of the children were removed from the besieged southern port city of Mariupol and taken to eastern Donetsk and then to the Russian city of Taganrog. UNICEF’s Fontaine claimed that he, too, has heard similar reports, but added that “we don’t have yet the access that we need to have to be able to look and verify and see if we can assist.” Also read | Also Read in Pics: How Ukraine's elite IT force halted Russia's brigade eyeing Kyiv He said that of Ukraine’s displaced children, 2.8 million are in Ukraine and 2 million more are in other countries. At the same time, he said, nearly half the estimated 3.2 million children still in their homes in Ukraine “may be at risk of not having enough food,” with those in besieged cities like Mariupol facing the most dire situation. Also read | Russia poised to take Mariupol, where is military aid pledged by US, NATO? (With inputs from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine war: Nearly 4.8 million Ukrainian children displaced, 142 killed, claims UNICEF

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?

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Monday became the first European leader to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

"I mentioned the serious war crimes in Bucha and other locations and stressed that all those responsible have to be brought to justice," said&nbsp;Nehammer.

He&nbsp;"told President Putin very clearly that the sanctions will remain and be intensified as long as people keep dying in Ukraine".

<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>

Highlighting the "urgent" need for humanitarian corridors,&nbsp;Nehammer said they are essential&nbsp;"to bring water and food into besieged towns and (to) remove women, children and the injured".

"I will now inform our European partners about the conversation and discuss further steps," he added.

Before the meeting, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg had said, "It makes a difference to be face to face and tell him what the reality is: that this president has de facto lost the war morally."

"It should be in his own interest that someone tells him the truth. I think it is important and we owe it to ourselves if we want to save human lives."

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/satellite-images-show-civilian-deaths-in-ukraines-bucha-street-468514">Satellite images show civilian deaths in Ukraine's Bucha street</a>

Kyiv is preparing for a huge Russian offensive in the country's east. Zelensky said Russian troops are now turning their focus to the Donbas region in the east.

"They can use even more missiles against us... But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer," Zelensky said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/putin-appoints-new-general-to-lead-ukraine-war-is-kremlin-changing-its-strategy-470188" hreflang="en">Watch | Putin appoints new General to lead Ukraine war. Is Kremlin changing its strategy?</a>

Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said, "The battle for Donbas will last several days, but during these days our cities may be completely destroyed."

"There is no surviving critical or any other infrastructure in our area," he said in a Telegram message. &nbsp;

"Therefore, every shelling of the housing stock is a deliberate terrorist attack." &nbsp;&nbsp;

According to the latest satellite pictures, a large Russian military column can be seen moving toward Kharkiv.

The pictures show Russian military convoy consisting of armoured vehicles and trucks along with artillery and support equipment moving south through the Ukrainian town of Velykyi Burluk. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Monday became the first European leader to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. "I mentioned the serious war crimes in Bucha and other locations and stressed that all those responsible have to be brought to justice," said Nehammer.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Monday became the first European leader to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. "I mentioned the serious war crimes in Bucha and other locations and stressed that all those responsible have to be brought to justice," said Nehammer. He "told President Putin very clearly that the sanctions will remain and be intensified as long as people keep dying in Ukraine". Highlighting the "urgent" need for humanitarian corridors, Nehammer said they are essential "to bring water and food into besieged towns and (to) remove women, children and the injured". "I will now inform our European partners about the conversation and discuss further steps," he added. Before the meeting, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg had said, "It makes a difference to be face to face and tell him what the reality is: that this president has de facto lost the war morally." "It should be in his own interest that someone tells him the truth. I think it is important and we owe it to ourselves if we want to save human lives." Also see | Satellite images show civilian deaths in Ukraine's Bucha street Kyiv is preparing for a huge Russian offensive in the country's east. Zelensky said Russian troops are now turning their focus to the Donbas region in the east. "They can use even more missiles against us... But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer," Zelensky said. Watch | Putin appoints new General to lead Ukraine war. Is Kremlin changing its strategy? Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said, "The battle for Donbas will last several days, but during these days our cities may be completely destroyed." "There is no surviving critical or any other infrastructure in our area," he said in a Telegram message. "Therefore, every shelling of the housing stock is a deliberate terrorist attack." According to the latest satellite pictures, a large Russian military column can be seen moving toward Kharkiv. The pictures show Russian military convoy consisting of armoured vehicles and trucks along with artillery and support equipment moving south through the Ukrainian town of Velykyi Burluk. (With inputs from agencies)

Austrian Chancellor Nehammer becomes first European leader to meet Russian President Putin in Moscow

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that NATO is planning for a permanent military presence on its border as per a report by 'The Telegraph'.

According to Stoltenberg, the move will reflect "the long-term consequences" of the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He said that NATO is "in the midst of a very fundamental transformation" to battle future Russian aggression.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-missile-strike-kills-over-50-people-at-railway-station-469676/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"What we see now is a new reality, a new normal for European security. Therefore, we have now asked our military commanders to provide options for what we call a reset, a longer-term adaptation of NATO," he added.

Decisions on the reset will be made at a NATO summit to be held in Madrid in June. Stoltenberg recently said he would extend his term as head of the alliance by a year.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine led Western nations to rethink their defense policies. It has also triggered Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War Two.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-prime-minister-boris-johnson-meets-ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelensky-in-kyiv-469759" hreflang="en">UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv</a>

Ukraine has welcomed new pressure on Moscow, but it continues to push for harsher sanctions and more heavy weaponry.

After meeting NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said, "Either you help us now, and I'm speaking about days, not weeks, or your help will come too late and many people will die, many civilians will lose their homes, many villages will be destroyed."&nbsp;

Britain said Friday it was sending Ukraine more "high-grade military equipment" including Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles and 800 anti-tank missiles. Meanwhile, Slovakia said it had given Ukraine an S-300 air defence system.

EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell said the 27-nation bloc will supply 7.5 million euros to train Ukrainian prosecutors to investigate war crimes, which Russia is accused of committing.

(With inputs from agencies)

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that NATO is planning for a permanent military presence on its border as per a report by 'The Telegraph'. According to Stoltenberg, the move will reflect "the long-term consequences" of the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that NATO is planning for a permanent military presence on its border as per a report by 'The Telegraph'. According to Stoltenberg, the move will reflect "the long-term consequences" of the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said that NATO is "in the midst of a very fundamental transformation" to battle future Russian aggression. "What we see now is a new reality, a new normal for European security. Therefore, we have now asked our military commanders to provide options for what we call a reset, a longer-term adaptation of NATO," he added. Decisions on the reset will be made at a NATO summit to be held in Madrid in June. Stoltenberg recently said he would extend his term as head of the alliance by a year. Russia's invasion of Ukraine led Western nations to rethink their defense policies. It has also triggered Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War Two. Also read | UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv Ukraine has welcomed new pressure on Moscow, but it continues to push for harsher sanctions and more heavy weaponry. After meeting NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said, "Either you help us now, and I'm speaking about days, not weeks, or your help will come too late and many people will die, many civilians will lose their homes, many villages will be destroyed." Britain said Friday it was sending Ukraine more "high-grade military equipment" including Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles and 800 anti-tank missiles. Meanwhile, Slovakia said it had given Ukraine an S-300 air defence system. EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell said the 27-nation bloc will supply 7.5 million euros to train Ukrainian prosecutors to investigate war crimes, which Russia is accused of committing. (With inputs from agencies)

Jens Stoltenberg says NATO is planning for permanent military presence on its border

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

La Ciotat Shipyards, located in a tranquil area of the French Riviera, is preparing bills for mooring costs for the towering white superyacht Amore Vero but is unsure who to send them to.

Reuters reports that the towering 86-metre (282-foot) yacht according to the France finance ministry belongs to a business owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies Igor Sechin, the head of Russian state oil major Rosneft. Sechin is one of the many individuals facing sanctions in lieu of the&nbsp;Russian attack on Ukraine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ukraine-russia-conflict-here-are-the-top-russian-oligarchs-hit-with-eu-sanctions-458882">Ukraine-Russia conflict: Here are the top Russian oligarchs hit with EU sanctions</a>

France has legally seized the Amore Vero, according to Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, a move that grants the state custody of the yacht while leaving the costs to the owner.

According to two companies that service the yacht, authorities have not informed third parties of the vessel's status, leaving it unclear who is responsible for its upkeep. An executive at La Ciotat Shipyards said the company was worried about how it would be paid as debts piled up.

Crew&nbsp;wages, repairs, fuel, food, insurance, berth fees, and onshore utilities can all add up to 10 per cent&nbsp;of the value of the largest superyachts, and it might amount to millions of dollars per month for some vessels.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-inflation-hits-fresh-record-at-611-per-cent-468289" hreflang="en">Russia-Ukraine crisis causes Turkish inflation to hit fresh record of 61.1 per cent</a>

The financial riches of oligarchs is mostly unaffected in the European Union, but European states have restricted or seized physical assets, including houses and at least 11 superyachts.

The situation surrounding&nbsp;Amore Vero highlights the challenges authorities encounter as they target the assets of Putin's supporters.

Frozen assets in Italy are handled by a publicly nominated administrator, with the state property agency covering maintenance costs. The owner must reimburse them later, or the state can sell the item to recuperate its costs.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukrainian Crisis: Kharkiv becomes the worst-affected city in the country

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-ukrainian-crisis-kharkiv-becomes-the-worst-affected-city-in-the-country-468343/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In France and Spain, the owner is still responsible for the running costs of a 'frozen' or confiscated boat. However, with the sanctions these owners face, they are often unable to make payments due to bank account blocks.

Another concern for governments, according to Giannis Markogiannis, a Greek lawyer specialising in international yachting law, insurance, and taxation, is that yachts may be held wrongfully.

Giannis&nbsp;noted that if the ownership of a confiscated yacht could not be linked to a person on the sanctions list, it had to be released, leaving the state accountable for any deterioration in condition or damage that occurred during its immobilisation. Owners may potentially file a lawsuit for lost charter earnings or suspension of use.

"We're continuing to invoice," said Alice Boisseau, communications officer for La Ciotat Shipyards to Reuters. However, when asked who would pay the bill, she said they didn't know.

(With inputs from agencies)

La Ciotat Shipyards, located in a tranquil area of the French Riviera, is preparing bills for mooring costs for the towering white superyacht Amore Vero but is unsure who to send them to.

La Ciotat Shipyards, located in a tranquil area of the French Riviera, is preparing bills for mooring costs for the towering white superyacht Amore Vero but is unsure who to send them to. Reuters reports that the towering 86-metre (282-foot) yacht according to the France finance ministry belongs to a business owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies Igor Sechin, the head of Russian state oil major Rosneft. Sechin is one of the many individuals facing sanctions in lieu of the Russian attack on Ukraine. Also read | Ukraine-Russia conflict: Here are the top Russian oligarchs hit with EU sanctions France has legally seized the Amore Vero, according to Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, a move that grants the state custody of the yacht while leaving the costs to the owner. According to two companies that service the yacht, authorities have not informed third parties of the vessel's status, leaving it unclear who is responsible for its upkeep. An executive at La Ciotat Shipyards said the company was worried about how it would be paid as debts piled up. Crew wages, repairs, fuel, food, insurance, berth fees, and onshore utilities can all add up to 10 per cent of the value of the largest superyachts, and it might amount to millions of dollars per month for some vessels. Also read | Russia-Ukraine crisis causes Turkish inflation to hit fresh record of 61.1 per cent The financial riches of oligarchs is mostly unaffected in the European Union, but European states have restricted or seized physical assets, including houses and at least 11 superyachts. The situation surrounding Amore Vero highlights the challenges authorities encounter as they target the assets of Putin's supporters. Frozen assets in Italy are handled by a publicly nominated administrator, with the state property agency covering maintenance costs. The owner must reimburse them later, or the state can sell the item to recuperate its costs. Watch | Russia-Ukrainian Crisis: Kharkiv becomes the worst-affected city in the country In France and Spain, the owner is still responsible for the running costs of a 'frozen' or confiscated boat. However, with the sanctions these owners face, they are often unable to make payments due to bank account blocks. Another concern for governments, according to Giannis Markogiannis, a Greek lawyer specialising in international yachting law, insurance, and taxation, is that yachts may be held wrongfully. Giannis noted that if the ownership of a confiscated yacht could not be linked to a person on the sanctions list, it had to be released, leaving the state accountable for any deterioration in condition or damage that occurred during its immobilisation. Owners may potentially file a lawsuit for lost charter earnings or suspension of use. "We're continuing to invoice," said Alice Boisseau, communications officer for La Ciotat Shipyards to Reuters. However, when asked who would pay the bill, she said they didn't know. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine: Upkeep of yachts seized from Putin's allies rack up millions in bills, who will bear the cost?

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

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