Ukrainian boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk was handcuffed at a Polish airport after he became "upset" when his travelling companion was denied boarding for disruptive behaviour, the airline and border guards said Wednesday.

World heavyweight champion Usyk described the incident late Tuesday as a "misunderstanding" while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was "disappointed by this attitude towards our citizen".

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1/news-singapore-grand-prix-max-verstappen-vows-red-bull-fightback-as-mclaren-close-in-on-points-gap-759714">Singapore Grand Prix: Max Verstappen vows Red Bull 'fightback' as McLaren close in on points gap</a>

The 37-year-old boxer had been planning to fly from Krakow airport to Thessaloniki in Greece along with another man on a flight Tuesday operated by Polish airline Buzz, a subsidiary of Ryanair.

"The passenger travelling with Mr Usyk was correctly refused boarding... by the airport gate agent at Krakow Airport due to his disruptive behaviour," Ryanair said in a statement to AFP on Wednesday.

"Mr Usyk was not refused boarding, however (he) chose not to board," the airline said, adding that the gate agent later called for assistance from airport police.

The two men "were somewhat upset. They didn't want to leave the departure gate. So in accordance with the procedure, our officers intervened," local border guard spokesman Jacek Michalowski told AFP.&nbsp;

"They were issued a warning and released," he said, denying that they had been detained.

Video footage circulating on social media showed officers walking a handcuffed Usyk through the airport.

"As you saw online, one of these people was handcuffed, but that was only for preventative reasons because they were upset and we needed to bring them to the room in peace," Michalowski said.

Usyk on Tuesday tweeted that "a misunderstanding took place. It was quickly resolved".

Zelensky said Tuesday he spoke with Usyk on the phone after the incident.&nbsp;

"I was disappointed by this attitude towards our citizen and champion," Zelensky added on X.

"Now, everything is fine, our champion has been released, and he is no longer being detained."

Usyk became boxing's first four-belt undisputed heavyweight world champion in May, when he won against Britain's Tyson Fury in Riyadh.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Ukrainian boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk was handcuffed at a Polish airport after he became "upset" when his travelling companion was denied boarding for disruptive behaviour, the airline and border guards said Wednesday.

Ukrainian boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk was handcuffed at a Polish airport after he became "upset" when his travelling companion was denied boarding for disruptive behaviour, the airline and border guards said Wednesday. World heavyweight champion Usyk described the incident late Tuesday as a "misunderstanding" while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was "disappointed by this attitude towards our citizen". Also Read: Singapore Grand Prix: Max Verstappen vows Red Bull 'fightback' as McLaren close in on points gap The 37-year-old boxer had been planning to fly from Krakow airport to Thessaloniki in Greece along with another man on a flight Tuesday operated by Polish airline Buzz, a subsidiary of Ryanair. "The passenger travelling with Mr Usyk was correctly refused boarding... by the airport gate agent at Krakow Airport due to his disruptive behaviour," Ryanair said in a statement to AFP on Wednesday. "Mr Usyk was not refused boarding, however (he) chose not to board," the airline said, adding that the gate agent later called for assistance from airport police. The two men "were somewhat upset. They didn't want to leave the departure gate. So in accordance with the procedure, our officers intervened," local border guard spokesman Jacek Michalowski told AFP. "They were issued a warning and released," he said, denying that they had been detained. Video footage circulating on social media showed officers walking a handcuffed Usyk through the airport. "As you saw online, one of these people was handcuffed, but that was only for preventative reasons because they were upset and we needed to bring them to the room in peace," Michalowski said. Usyk on Tuesday tweeted that "a misunderstanding took place. It was quickly resolved". Zelensky said Tuesday he spoke with Usyk on the phone after the incident. "I was disappointed by this attitude towards our citizen and champion," Zelensky added on X. "Now, everything is fine, our champion has been released, and he is no longer being detained." Usyk became boxing's first four-belt undisputed heavyweight world champion in May, when he won against Britain's Tyson Fury in Riyadh. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Ukraine boxer Oleksandr Usyk handcuffed at Poland airport, Zelensky criticises incident

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is set to visit Russia on September 10 and 11, with plans to discuss a peaceful solution to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, according to media reports.

This follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visits to both Russia and Ukraine, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

On September 5, President Putin mentioned that India, Brazil, and China could potentially help mediate in the conflict. "First of all, it is Chinese People's Republic, Brazil and India — I am in contact with my partners and I have no doubt that the leaders of these countries — and we have relations of trust and confidence with one another — will be really interested and provide a helping hand," Putin stated.

Two days later, on September 7, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also noted that India and China could assist in finding a resolution to the war in Ukraine. She made these remarks following her meeting with President Zelensky.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/come-and-join-us-defence-minister-rajnath-singh-tells-pok-residents-to-leave-pakistan-for-india-756887">Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tells PoK residents to 'come and join India'</a>

"China and India have a role to play in resolving the conflict. What must not happen is to think that the conflict can be resolved by abandoning Ukraine to its fate," she said, as reported in Italian media.

In July, during his trip to Moscow, Prime Minister Modi reiterated India's position to President Putin that “this is not an era for war.” The following month, he visited Kyiv and met with President Zelensky, emphasising India's commitment to peace. Modi said, "India was never neutral, we have always been on the side of peace."

Shortly after he visited Ukraine, Modi had a phone conversation with Putin on August 27. A statement from the Russian Embassy revealed that Modi informed the Russian President about his trip to Kyiv and reiterated India’s commitment to finding a peaceful resolution through political and diplomatic channels.

(With inputs from agencies)

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is set to visit Russia on September 10 and 11, with plans to discuss a peaceful solution to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, according to media reports.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is set to visit Russia on September 10 and 11, with plans to discuss a peaceful solution to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, according to media reports. This follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visits to both Russia and Ukraine, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On September 5, President Putin mentioned that India, Brazil, and China could potentially help mediate in the conflict. "First of all, it is Chinese People's Republic, Brazil and India — I am in contact with my partners and I have no doubt that the leaders of these countries — and we have relations of trust and confidence with one another — will be really interested and provide a helping hand," Putin stated. Two days later, on September 7, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also noted that India and China could assist in finding a resolution to the war in Ukraine. She made these remarks following her meeting with President Zelensky. Also read: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tells PoK residents to 'come and join India' "China and India have a role to play in resolving the conflict. What must not happen is to think that the conflict can be resolved by abandoning Ukraine to its fate," she said, as reported in Italian media. In July, during his trip to Moscow, Prime Minister Modi reiterated India's position to President Putin that “this is not an era for war.” The following month, he visited Kyiv and met with President Zelensky, emphasising India's commitment to peace. Modi said, "India was never neutral, we have always been on the side of peace." Shortly after he visited Ukraine, Modi had a phone conversation with Putin on August 27. A statement from the Russian Embassy revealed that Modi informed the Russian President about his trip to Kyiv and reiterated India’s commitment to finding a peaceful resolution through political and diplomatic channels. (With inputs from agencies)

NSA Ajit Doval to visit Russia, push for peaceful resolution of Ukraine conflict after PM Modi’s initiative

India has raised with Kyiv the remarks made by President Volodymyr Zelensky during PM Modi's Russia visit. On July 9, Zelensky criticized PM Modi's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at his dacha, calling it a "devastating blow to peace efforts."

He stated, "It is disheartening to see the leader of the world's largest democracy embrace the world's most notorious criminal in Moscow". His comments came in the backdrop of the recent hospital attack in Ukraine in which children also died.

PM Modi was on a two-day visit to Russia from the 8th to the 9th of July for the 22nd India Annual Summit that took place after a gap of three years. The last summit took place in December 2021, when Russian President Putin visited Delhi.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In Ukraine today, 37 people were killed, three of whom were children, and 170 were injured, including 13 children, as a result of Russia’s brutal missile strike. 
 
A Russian missile struck the largest children's hospital in Ukraine, targeting young cancer patients. Many were… <a href="https://t.co/V1k7PEz2rJ">pic.twitter.com/V1k7PEz2rJ</a>
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1810437647581716707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

During the summit, PM Modi had raised the issue of the Russia-Ukraine war. He said, "Let's take war, any conflict or terrorist acts: any person who believes in humanity feels pain when people die, and especially when innocent children die."

"When we feel such pain, the heart simply explodes, and I had the opportunity to talk about these issues with you". His comments were seen as significant for their public directness in Moscow, highlighting the human toll of the war.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-capitals-when-washingtons-ageing-biden-forced-zelensky-to-say-i-am-better-than-putin-740851">The Capitals: When Washington's ageing Biden forced Zelensky to say 'I am better than Putin'</a>

PM Modi's Moscow visit has seen a sharp response by Washington, with the US State department, White House, Pentagon, US NSA Jake Sullivan, US ambassador Eric Garcetti making remarks throughout last week.

While the State Dept said it has raised with India "concerns" over its ties with Russia, the US Ambassador asked not to take US ties for "granted" even as he dismissed the idea of "strategic autonomy in conflict". On Friday, Indian NSA Ajit Doval and his American counterpart held telephonic talks, which Indian readout said were on the upcoming quad foreign minister meet in Japan.

India has raised with Kyiv the remarks made by President Volodymyr Zelensky during PM Modi's Russia visit. On July 9, Zelensky criticized PM Modi's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at his dacha, calling it a "devastating blow to peace efforts.

India has raised with Kyiv the remarks made by President Volodymyr Zelensky during PM Modi's Russia visit. On July 9, Zelensky criticized PM Modi's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at his dacha, calling it a "devastating blow to peace efforts." He stated, "It is disheartening to see the leader of the world's largest democracy embrace the world's most notorious criminal in Moscow". His comments came in the backdrop of the recent hospital attack in Ukraine in which children also died. PM Modi was on a two-day visit to Russia from the 8th to the 9th of July for the 22nd India Annual Summit that took place after a gap of three years. The last summit took place in December 2021, when Russian President Putin visited Delhi. In Ukraine today, 37 people were killed, three of whom were children, and 170 were injured, including 13 children, as a result of Russia’s brutal missile strike. A Russian missile struck the largest children's hospital in Ukraine, targeting young cancer patients. Many were… pic.twitter.com/V1k7PEz2rJ — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 8, 2024 × During the summit, PM Modi had raised the issue of the Russia-Ukraine war. He said, "Let's take war, any conflict or terrorist acts: any person who believes in humanity feels pain when people die, and especially when innocent children die." "When we feel such pain, the heart simply explodes, and I had the opportunity to talk about these issues with you". His comments were seen as significant for their public directness in Moscow, highlighting the human toll of the war. Also read: The Capitals: When Washington's ageing Biden forced Zelensky to say 'I am better than Putin' PM Modi's Moscow visit has seen a sharp response by Washington, with the US State department, White House, Pentagon, US NSA Jake Sullivan, US ambassador Eric Garcetti making remarks throughout last week. While the State Dept said it has raised with India "concerns" over its ties with Russia, the US Ambassador asked not to take US ties for "granted" even as he dismissed the idea of "strategic autonomy in conflict". On Friday, Indian NSA Ajit Doval and his American counterpart held telephonic talks, which Indian readout said were on the upcoming quad foreign minister meet in Japan.

India raises Zelensky's criticism of PM Modi's Russia visit with Kyiv

In an interview with BBC, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he is not willing to give up even a single territory of his country as part of any peace deal with Russia.

Zelensky said that conceding territory would mean Moscow could "keep coming back", and added that Western weapons are likely to bring peace closer. He further said that the predicted spring offensive had already started, while speaking to the BBC, in the wake of one year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"Russian attacks are already happening from several directions," he added. However, he expressed belief in the Ukrainian forces' capabilities to keep resisting the advances of Russia till a counter-offensive is launched by them.

"Of course, modern weapons speed up peace. Weapons are the only language Russia understands," Zelensky said while speaking to the BBC.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zelensky-tells-russian-people-putin-is-waging-a-war-to-stay-in-power-until-the-end-of-his-life-548485">Zelensky tells Russian people Putin waging war just to stay in power and is destroying them</a>

Although it is not clear when Zelensky spoke with BBC, he also talked about Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko's chances to wage war alongside the troops of Russia if the border is crossed by a single Ukrainian soldier.

"I hope (Belarus) won't join (the war). If it does, we will fight and we will survive,” Zelensky said. He added that&nbsp;it will be a “huge mistake” to permit Russia to use Belarus as a staging post for launching an attack again.

On Thursday, when Lukashenko was asked about allowing his country to be used as a staging ground for invasion by Russia's invasion, he had said, “Yes, I'm ready. I'm ready to provide (territory) again. I'm also ready to wage war, alongside the Russians, from the territory of Belarus. But only if someone - even a single soldier - enters our territory from there (Ukraine) with weapons to kill my people."

WATCH | WION Speed News | Paris Olympics 2024: Zelensky attends meet to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-speed-news-paris-olympics-2024-zelensky-attends-meet-to-ban-russian-and-belarusian-athletes-561928/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Talking about the tactics of Russia in the war in the BBC interview, Zelensky called them "valueless". "The way they destroyed everything. If their soldiers received [and carried out] those orders, that means they share those same values,” he said.

"Today, our survival is our unity. I believe Ukraine is fighting for its survival. We chose this path. We want security guarantees. Any territorial compromises would make us weaker as a state. It's not about compromise itself. Why would we be afraid of that? We have millions of compromises in life every day. The question is with whom? With Putin? No. Because there's no trust. Dialogue with him? No. Because there's no trust,” Zelensky said, while speaking to the BBC.

You can&nbsp;now write for wionews.com&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

In an interview with BBC, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he is not willing to give up even a single territory of his country as part of any peace deal with Russia.

In an interview with BBC, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he is not willing to give up even a single territory of his country as part of any peace deal with Russia. Zelensky said that conceding territory would mean Moscow could "keep coming back", and added that Western weapons are likely to bring peace closer. He further said that the predicted spring offensive had already started, while speaking to the BBC, in the wake of one year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. "Russian attacks are already happening from several directions," he added. However, he expressed belief in the Ukrainian forces' capabilities to keep resisting the advances of Russia till a counter-offensive is launched by them. "Of course, modern weapons speed up peace. Weapons are the only language Russia understands," Zelensky said while speaking to the BBC. ALSO READ | Zelensky tells Russian people Putin waging war just to stay in power and is destroying them Although it is not clear when Zelensky spoke with BBC, he also talked about Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko's chances to wage war alongside the troops of Russia if the border is crossed by a single Ukrainian soldier. "I hope (Belarus) won't join (the war). If it does, we will fight and we will survive,” Zelensky said. He added that it will be a “huge mistake” to permit Russia to use Belarus as a staging post for launching an attack again. On Thursday, when Lukashenko was asked about allowing his country to be used as a staging ground for invasion by Russia's invasion, he had said, “Yes, I'm ready. I'm ready to provide (territory) again. I'm also ready to wage war, alongside the Russians, from the territory of Belarus. But only if someone - even a single soldier - enters our territory from there (Ukraine) with weapons to kill my people." WATCH | WION Speed News | Paris Olympics 2024: Zelensky attends meet to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes Talking about the tactics of Russia in the war in the BBC interview, Zelensky called them "valueless". "The way they destroyed everything. If their soldiers received [and carried out] those orders, that means they share those same values,” he said. "Today, our survival is our unity. I believe Ukraine is fighting for its survival. We chose this path. We want security guarantees. Any territorial compromises would make us weaker as a state. It's not about compromise itself. Why would we be afraid of that? We have millions of compromises in life every day. The question is with whom? With Putin? No. Because there's no trust. Dialogue with him? No. Because there's no trust,” Zelensky said, while speaking to the BBC. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Russia-Ukraine war: Zelensky rules out giving up any territory in peace deal

Ukraine's President will visit US and this will be his most important and his first foreign trip since the Russian invasion.

Zelensky goes to US: why is it important?

While the world's attention is focused on a reaction to the explosion in Poland, Ukraine continues to defend itself. The Governor of Mykolaiv said that Ukraine shot down 12 missiles overnight, however, he did not report any casualties in the region. This comes after the US announced that CIA director William J. Burns met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

Russia fires over 100 missiles; CIA Chief meets Zelensky in Ukraine

The Ukrainian troops have been making rapid advances in the south and east of the country, making their biggest breakthrough since the war began.

While it is breaking through the defences of Russian forces in the south and intensifying its offensive in the east, the Ukrainian troops have also been successful in taking back more Russia-annexed territories.

The biggest advantage gained recently has been in the south of the country, where the Ukrainian forces recaptured several villages along the strategic Dnipro River on Monday, Ukrainian officials and a Russian-installed leader in the area said, reports Reuters news agency.

On Dnipro's west bank, Ukraine has been targeting supply lines for as many as 25,000 Russian troops&nbsp;and has already destroyed the river's main bridges, forcing Russian forces to use makeshift crossings.

Ukrainian forces have reportedly made significant advances in two of the four Russian-occupied regions that were annexed last week following referendums.

On the eastern front, Ukraine has been building momentum, with Ukrainian military vehicles heading to reinforce rail hub Lyman that was recaptured at the weekend, and a staging post to press into the Donbas region, reports Reuters.

Russia's military had turned Lyman into a logistical base.

President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the army’s rapid advances saying that they have retaken towns in a number of areas, without providing details.

"New population centres have been liberated in several regions. Heavy fighting is going on in several sectors of the front," Zelensky said in a video address.

Moreover, reports suggest that Ukrainian forces have been pushing against Russia's proxy forces a few kilometres into the Luhansk region and moving towards the Russian-held towns of Kremenna and Svatove in Luhansk.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russias-state-duma-ratifies-documents-on-annexation-of-ukrainian-territories-522190">Russia’s State Duma ratifies documents on annexation of Ukrainian territories</a>

Though a detailed account of all the developments is expected from the Ukrainian government, the military revealed some information.

According to them, the soldiers from Ukraine's 128th Mountain Assault Brigade raised the country's blue and yellow flag in Myrolyubivka, a village between the former front and the Dnipro. A video on the same was released by the Defence Ministry.

A Kherson regional council member, Serhiy Khlan, also listed four other villages recaptured or where Ukrainian troops had been photographed.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelenskys-home-town-hit-by-russian-suicide-drones-report-says-521934" hreflang="en">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's home town hit by Russian suicide drones, report says</a>

"It means that our armed forces are moving powerfully along the banks of the Dnipro nearer to Beryslav," he said.

On Monday, a senior Pentagon official, Celeste Wallander, said that Ukraine has been on course to gaining several battlefield objectives, giving Kyiv "a much better defensive position to ride out what probably will be a tamping down of the hot fighting over the winter."

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: 

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The Ukrainian troops have been making rapid advances in the south and east of the country, making their biggest breakthrough since the war began. While it is breaking through the defences of Russian forces in the south and intensifying its offensive in the east, the Ukrainian troops have also been successful in taking back more Russia-annexed territories.

The Ukrainian troops have been making rapid advances in the south and east of the country, making their biggest breakthrough since the war began. While it is breaking through the defences of Russian forces in the south and intensifying its offensive in the east, the Ukrainian troops have also been successful in taking back more Russia-annexed territories. The biggest advantage gained recently has been in the south of the country, where the Ukrainian forces recaptured several villages along the strategic Dnipro River on Monday, Ukrainian officials and a Russian-installed leader in the area said, reports Reuters news agency. On Dnipro's west bank, Ukraine has been targeting supply lines for as many as 25,000 Russian troops and has already destroyed the river's main bridges, forcing Russian forces to use makeshift crossings. Ukrainian forces have reportedly made significant advances in two of the four Russian-occupied regions that were annexed last week following referendums. On the eastern front, Ukraine has been building momentum, with Ukrainian military vehicles heading to reinforce rail hub Lyman that was recaptured at the weekend, and a staging post to press into the Donbas region, reports Reuters. Russia's military had turned Lyman into a logistical base. President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the army’s rapid advances saying that they have retaken towns in a number of areas, without providing details. "New population centres have been liberated in several regions. Heavy fighting is going on in several sectors of the front," Zelensky said in a video address. Moreover, reports suggest that Ukrainian forces have been pushing against Russia's proxy forces a few kilometres into the Luhansk region and moving towards the Russian-held towns of Kremenna and Svatove in Luhansk. Also read | Russia’s State Duma ratifies documents on annexation of Ukrainian territories Though a detailed account of all the developments is expected from the Ukrainian government, the military revealed some information. According to them, the soldiers from Ukraine's 128th Mountain Assault Brigade raised the country's blue and yellow flag in Myrolyubivka, a village between the former front and the Dnipro. A video on the same was released by the Defence Ministry. A Kherson regional council member, Serhiy Khlan, also listed four other villages recaptured or where Ukrainian troops had been photographed. Also read | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's home town hit by Russian suicide drones, report says "It means that our armed forces are moving powerfully along the banks of the Dnipro nearer to Beryslav," he said. On Monday, a senior Pentagon official, Celeste Wallander, said that Ukraine has been on course to gaining several battlefield objectives, giving Kyiv "a much better defensive position to ride out what probably will be a tamping down of the hot fighting over the winter." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Ukrainian forces make significant gains in south & east, seize Russia-annexed territories

Ever since the Russian president announced the country's first mobilisation, Russians have been trying to escape the country with every means of transport you can think of, especially through air flight.

This is what recent data from Spain-based ForwardKeys on Tuesday revealed. According to it, the issue of one-way tickets from Russia has increased by nearly 27 per cent.&nbsp;

The data compared flight bookings for the last week of September (Sept 21 to 27) to the weeks prior to it, which revealed that the issue of one-way tickets from Russia increased to 73 per cent in the week of the announcement as compared to 47 per cent in the previous weeks.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-forces-make-significant-gains-in-south-east-seize-russia-annexed-territories-522220">Also read |&nbsp;Ukrainian forces make significant gains in south&nbsp;&amp; east, seize Russia-annexed territories</a>

The departure date of 60 per cent of the tickets purchased within the week of the announcement was within 15 days, approximately 45 per cent up from the ones done in previous weeks.&nbsp;

According to ForwardKey's air booking data, there was a three-times increase in booking tickets in the last days of September (Sept 28-30).

Reuters reported that Olivier Ponti, ForwardKeys' vice president of insights, said, "These numbers are quite remarkable and correlate with reports at the time of a sudden increase in ticket sales."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nato-warns-russia-may-have-deployed-its-weapon-of-the-apocalypse-poseidon-heres-all-you-need-to-know-522213">Also read |&nbsp;NATO warns Russia may have deployed its 'weapon of the Apocalypse' Poseidon. Here's all you need to know</a>

As per the authority,&nbsp;the average departure time was between 22 and 34 days.&nbsp;

Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 21 declared the country's first mobilisation after World War II.

The mobilisation announcement stated that now Russian men are required to fight in the war with Ukraine, which prompted thousands of Russians of fighting age to flee to Russia to avoid the situation. The majority of Russians have fled to Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, Istanbul, and Georgia.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Ever since the Russian president announced the country's first mobilisation, Russians have been trying to escape the country with every means of transport you can think of, especially through air flight.

Ever since the Russian president announced the country's first mobilisation, Russians have been trying to escape the country with every means of transport you can think of, especially through air flight. This is what recent data from Spain-based ForwardKeys on Tuesday revealed. According to it, the issue of one-way tickets from Russia has increased by nearly 27 per cent. The data compared flight bookings for the last week of September (Sept 21 to 27) to the weeks prior to it, which revealed that the issue of one-way tickets from Russia increased to 73 per cent in the week of the announcement as compared to 47 per cent in the previous weeks. Also read | Ukrainian forces make significant gains in south & east, seize Russia-annexed territories The departure date of 60 per cent of the tickets purchased within the week of the announcement was within 15 days, approximately 45 per cent up from the ones done in previous weeks. According to ForwardKey's air booking data, there was a three-times increase in booking tickets in the last days of September (Sept 28-30). Reuters reported that Olivier Ponti, ForwardKeys' vice president of insights, said, "These numbers are quite remarkable and correlate with reports at the time of a sudden increase in ticket sales." Also read | NATO warns Russia may have deployed its 'weapon of the Apocalypse' Poseidon. Here's all you need to know As per the authority, the average departure time was between 22 and 34 days. Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 21 declared the country's first mobilisation after World War II. The mobilisation announcement stated that now Russian men are required to fight in the war with Ukraine, which prompted thousands of Russians of fighting age to flee to Russia to avoid the situation. The majority of Russians have fled to Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, Istanbul, and Georgia. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

One-way flight tickets from Russia increase by 27% amid Putin's mobilisation call 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed Amnesty International after the group accused the Ukrainian army of endangering civilians and violating humanitarian law in their fight against Russian forces.

He called out the double standards of the international rights group saying that Amnesty had tried to "amnesty the terrorist state (Russia) and shift the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim", Zelensky said in his daily address, reports AFP.

The Ukrainian leader said that Amnesty was drawing a "false equivalence" between the actions of Russia's invading forces and Ukrainians defending their homeland.

“There is no condition, even hypothetically, under which any Russian strike on Ukraine becomes justified. Aggression against our state is unprovoked, invasive and terrorist," he said.

"If someone makes a report in which the victim and the aggressor are supposedly equal in some way, if some data about the victim is analysed, and the aggressor's actions at the same time is ignored, then this cannot be tolerated," he added.

In its report, Amnesty listed incidents when Ukrainian forces appeared to have exposed civilians to danger in 19 towns and villages in the Kharkiv, Donbas and Mykolaiv regions.

"We have documented a pattern of Ukrainian forces putting civilians at risk and violating the laws of war when they operate in populated areas," Amnesty secretary general Agnes Callamard said.

"Being in a defensive position does not exempt the Ukrainian military from respecting international humanitarian law."

The report noted that residential areas where Ukrainian soldiers based themselves were miles away from frontlines, and "viable alternatives" were available that would not endanger civilians,

Researchers from Amnesty further claimed to have witnessed Ukrainian forces using hospitals as "de facto military bases" in five areas, and 22 schools.

Though the schools were located in civilian neighbourhoods, they have been shut during the conflict.

"We have no say in what the military does, but we pay the price," the report quoted one resident as saying.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed Amnesty International after the group accused the Ukrainian army of endangering civilians and violating humanitarian law in their fight against Russian forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed Amnesty International after the group accused the Ukrainian army of endangering civilians and violating humanitarian law in their fight against Russian forces. He called out the double standards of the international rights group saying that Amnesty had tried to "amnesty the terrorist state (Russia) and shift the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim", Zelensky said in his daily address, reports AFP. The Ukrainian leader said that Amnesty was drawing a "false equivalence" between the actions of Russia's invading forces and Ukrainians defending their homeland. “There is no condition, even hypothetically, under which any Russian strike on Ukraine becomes justified. Aggression against our state is unprovoked, invasive and terrorist," he said. "If someone makes a report in which the victim and the aggressor are supposedly equal in some way, if some data about the victim is analysed, and the aggressor's actions at the same time is ignored, then this cannot be tolerated," he added. In its report, Amnesty listed incidents when Ukrainian forces appeared to have exposed civilians to danger in 19 towns and villages in the Kharkiv, Donbas and Mykolaiv regions. "We have documented a pattern of Ukrainian forces putting civilians at risk and violating the laws of war when they operate in populated areas," Amnesty secretary general Agnes Callamard said. "Being in a defensive position does not exempt the Ukrainian military from respecting international humanitarian law." The report noted that residential areas where Ukrainian soldiers based themselves were miles away from frontlines, and "viable alternatives" were available that would not endanger civilians, Researchers from Amnesty further claimed to have witnessed Ukrainian forces using hospitals as "de facto military bases" in five areas, and 22 schools. Though the schools were located in civilian neighbourhoods, they have been shut during the conflict. "We have no say in what the military does, but we pay the price," the report quoted one resident as saying. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Zelensky slams Amnesty for drawing ‘false equivalence between Russian invaders and Ukrainian defenders’

In pics: Damaged Russian military equipment on display in Prague

Lysychansk, Ukraine's last big bastion in the strategic eastern province of Luhansk, is in the midst of an intense battle as both the Ukraine and Russian forces are locked in a stand-off to lay claim to the strategic eastern city.

Russian forces have already captured Lysychansk's sister city Severodonetsk on the opposite side of the Siverskiy Donets river last week, after some of the heaviest fighting of the war.

Andrei Marochko, an officer of the pro-Russian Luhansk People’s Militia, was quoted by Russia’s TASS news agency on Saturday as saying that the militia’s red hammer-and-sickle flag was now flying over the administrative building in Lysychansk.

However, Ukraine’s military rejected claims that the city was encircled. But an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that the city could fall.

Lysychansk’s capture can be a major shot in the arm for the Russian forces as it tries to push deeper into the Donbas region, which has become the focus of their offensive since failing to capture Kyiv.

Rodion Miroshnik, ambassador to Russia of the pro-Moscow self-styled Luhansk People's Republic, told a Russian television, “Lysychansk has been brought under control," but added, "Unfortunately, it is not yet liberated."

Russian media showed video of Luhansk militia parading in Lysychansk streets waving flags and cheering, but Ukraine National Guard spokesman Ruslan Muzychuk told Ukrainian television the city remained in Ukrainian hands, reports AFP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/conscious-deliberately-targeted-russian-terror-zelensky-denounces-missile-strikes-on-ukraine-493881" hreflang="en">'Deliberately targeted Russian terror': Zelensky denounces missile strikes</a>

In another development, railway tracks and electricity lines in the northern city of Kharkiv were damaged in a series of attacks. No casualties were reported, reports BBC.

The southern city of Mykolaiv - on a key route to the port city of Odesa - was shaken by several explosions.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-are-being-provoked-belarus-intercepted-attempted-missile-strikes-by-ukraine-lukashenko-says-493973" hreflang="en">'We are being provoked': Belarus intercepted attempted missile strikes by Ukraine, Lukashenko says</a>

The Russian defence ministry said its air force had destroyed five Ukrainian command posts and several ammunition dumps, but that claim has not been independently verified.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Lysychansk, Ukraine's last big bastion in the strategic eastern province of Luhansk, is in the midst of an intense battle as both the Ukraine and Russian forces are locked in a stand-off to lay claim to the strategic eastern city.

Lysychansk, Ukraine's last big bastion in the strategic eastern province of Luhansk, is in the midst of an intense battle as both the Ukraine and Russian forces are locked in a stand-off to lay claim to the strategic eastern city. Russian forces have already captured Lysychansk's sister city Severodonetsk on the opposite side of the Siverskiy Donets river last week, after some of the heaviest fighting of the war. Andrei Marochko, an officer of the pro-Russian Luhansk People’s Militia, was quoted by Russia’s TASS news agency on Saturday as saying that the militia’s red hammer-and-sickle flag was now flying over the administrative building in Lysychansk. However, Ukraine’s military rejected claims that the city was encircled. But an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that the city could fall. Lysychansk’s capture can be a major shot in the arm for the Russian forces as it tries to push deeper into the Donbas region, which has become the focus of their offensive since failing to capture Kyiv. Rodion Miroshnik, ambassador to Russia of the pro-Moscow self-styled Luhansk People's Republic, told a Russian television, “Lysychansk has been brought under control," but added, "Unfortunately, it is not yet liberated." Russian media showed video of Luhansk militia parading in Lysychansk streets waving flags and cheering, but Ukraine National Guard spokesman Ruslan Muzychuk told Ukrainian television the city remained in Ukrainian hands, reports AFP. Also read | 'Deliberately targeted Russian terror': Zelensky denounces missile strikes In another development, railway tracks and electricity lines in the northern city of Kharkiv were damaged in a series of attacks. No casualties were reported, reports BBC. The southern city of Mykolaiv - on a key route to the port city of Odesa - was shaken by several explosions. Also read | 'We are being provoked': Belarus intercepted attempted missile strikes by Ukraine, Lukashenko says The Russian defence ministry said its air force had destroyed five Ukrainian command posts and several ammunition dumps, but that claim has not been independently verified. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

As fighting intensifies for Lysychansk, Zelensky’s aid admits key eastern Ukraine city could fall

More than two months after the residents of Yahidne kicked down the bolted basement door where the Russian army had held them hostage, the village is being rebuilt but the memories remain fresh — and deeply painful.

On March 3, eight days after the full-scale invasion began, Russian forces swept into Yahidne, a village on the main road north of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. For nearly a month, until March 31, when Ukrainian troops liberated the town, more than 300 people, 77 of them children, were imprisoned in several rooms in the dank basement of the village school — a human shield for the Russian troops based there. Ten of the captives died. Among those held inside were a baby and a 93-year-old, Ukrainian prosecutors said.

“This is our concentration camp,” said Oleh Turash, 54, one of those imprisoned, who helped bury the people who perished there. For most of the time there was virtually no light. Despite the freezing winter weather, he said, people were packed in so tightly their body warmth was all the heat they needed.

But there was never enough oxygen to breathe normally, causing some people to black out and others, mainly older, to suffer hallucinations. “They would start babbling about the need to plant potatoes, and other things that they could not do,” said Ivan Petrovich, the school’s janitor.

Turash, 54, slept in the largest room. It had the only source of air, a tiny hole the people made themselves, Petrovich said. A bucket sat at the far side of the room, a makeshift toilet for children and others who could not wait until morning, when there was hope that the Russian soldiers would let people out to use the regular toilets.

A tally on the door of the largest room noted that 136 people had stayed there, nine of them children. Originally, the number had been 139, but that had been scratched out to reflect three deaths, Turash said.

“Three people died around me,” said his 73-year-old mother, Valentyna. She had broken her right arm going down the stairs to the basement, but received no medical treatment. Her wrist is still swollen three months later.

“I am still in a lot of pain, and I can’t use my fingers as well as I used to,” she said.

She said the room she was in was so crowded there was no space for her to move.

“I spent 30 days just like this, hardly moving,” she said, squatting down low to the ground. “Twice, I lost consciousness because of the lack of oxygen, but my son banged on the door to get me out. Thank God I survived.”

Petrovich and Turash brought crayons for the children to draw. Inside, they drew a mural on the wall composed of Ukrainian flags, hearts, suns and butterflies. At the top, a child had written, “No War!!!”

In a smaller room, about 25 by 10 feet, there was another amended body count: 22 people, including five children, had been written in pencil. Someone writing in navy blue crayon had changed the number to 18.

On one wall was a tally of the dead and the date they had died. One man, Anatoly Shevchenko, had a question mark next to his name. His fate is still a mystery.

Every few days, if the captives were lucky, the Russians would give them permission to take the bodies into the school’s boiler room, usually several at a time.

That was also where they got their drinking water.

The men would go through an opening and climb down a ladder to a sewer line, where they would fetch water used in normal times for the school’s heating system.

Once they got the water, they would boil it over the open flame that they used to cook, when they were allowed to.

“Imagine, there were dead bodies here on this table,” Turash said. “And just next to the corpses, we were boiling the water that we drank.”

At one point the Russian soldiers conscripted Turash and others to dig a pit at least 10 feet deep next to the boiler room.

“I thought I was digging my own grave,” he said.

Instead, the Russians eventually installed a generator there.

Every week or so, after some negotiating, the soldiers would grant Turash permission to bury the deceased outside in a communal grave. They accompanied him, as they did all villagers who got permission to leave the basement, with their Kalashnikovs raised. The residents were able to get intermittent, and inconsistent, food supplies under soldiers’ watch.

Outside, the school was surrounded by Russian tank positions. The soldiers had felled trees from the forest behind the school and dug foxholes for themselves, stealing rugs from people’s homes to put inside the mud dwellings. Turash recognized his own boots on a soldier’s feet.

The occupiers told some of the residents there were plans to bring them to Russia. “They told us, ‘The men will go to Tyumen to work in wood production and the women will be sent to another part of Russia to work cleaning fish,’” said Ekaterina Balanovych, referring to a city in western Siberia.

On March 30, when the Russian forces began retreating from the north, the soldiers locked everyone inside, bolted the door and ordered them not to leave.

That night the villagers broke down the door and quickly realized the Russians had left. But they could hear heavy fighting nearby, and most remained inside, waiting to be rescued.

But they found an old phone, Balanovych said, and someone was able to reach one of the Ukrainian troops.

“When our boys arrived, we were so happy, we hugged them, and we cried,” she said. “They brought bread. We hadn’t seen a crumb of bread for a month.”

More than two months later, however, Yahidne is far from back to normal. The school is badly damaged, perhaps beyond repair. The wrecked tanks and armored vehicles have been towed away but the evidence of the occupation — underground dwellings, recently extinguished fires and the scattered belongings of those forced to live in the basement — remain.

Some, like Petrovich, appear to be suffering depression or some form of PTSD. “After two months, we are still in shock,” he said. “There is so much work to do at home still, but you can’t lift your hand. It is scary.”

There is still a lot of cleaning up to do. “There is not a single house here where there was no tank or armored personnel carrier standing,” said Valentyna Sezonenko, 75, who found partly unexploded ordnance on the road in front of her house. Houses across the street and next door had been razed.

On a street next to the village's destroyed events hall, volunteers from the capital were putting new roofs on apartment buildings. A shell from a cluster munition lay nearby.

“My soul hurts,” said Nina Shish, who managed to flee Yahidne hours before it was occupied only to be trapped in a basement by Russians in a neighboring village.

As soon as she returned to Yahidne, she went to see the local school, where she had worked and where her granddaughter had been in kindergarten.

“I have no words for my grief, the school was so beautiful before,” she said. “Now, students won’t learn there any more.”

She took a plant stand with a spider plant home and put it in her building’s hallway as a memento.

On Wednesday, Ukraine’s chief prosecutor announced eight new war crimes cases, including one against nine Russian soldiers accused of terrorizing Yahidne.

“Unfortunately, these people are not located here physically, and we are going for an in absentia trial, but it is very important for us, for Ukrainian justice, for the victims and their relatives to have this legal process,” the prosecutor general, Irina Venediktova, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

While Russia denies that its soldiers have committed war crimes, Ukraine has already sentenced three soldiers for related offenses. Most of the soldiers named by Venediktova come from Tuva, a remote province in southeastern Siberia.

On the road locals call Fourth Street, Ludmila Shevchenko was tending her garden. She had already buried one son, Vitaliy, 53, who was shot by the Russians in the early days of the occupation.

And she was worried about her other son, Anatoly, the man with the question mark next to his name on the list in the basement.

“I don’t know if he is alive or dead,” she said, resting against the pockmarks of the damaged house.

“I don’t know if the commander will be tried,” she said. “But I want to ask him, ‘Where is my son, Anatoly Shevchenko?’”

More than two months after the residents of Yahidne kicked down the bolted basement door where the Russian army had held them hostage, the village is being rebuilt but the memories remain fresh — and deeply painful.

More than two months after the residents of Yahidne kicked down the bolted basement door where the Russian army had held them hostage, the village is being rebuilt but the memories remain fresh — and deeply painful. On March 3, eight days after the full-scale invasion began, Russian forces swept into Yahidne, a village on the main road north of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. For nearly a month, until March 31, when Ukrainian troops liberated the town, more than 300 people, 77 of them children, were imprisoned in several rooms in the dank basement of the village school — a human shield for the Russian troops based there. Ten of the captives died. Among those held inside were a baby and a 93-year-old, Ukrainian prosecutors said. “This is our concentration camp,” said Oleh Turash, 54, one of those imprisoned, who helped bury the people who perished there. For most of the time there was virtually no light. Despite the freezing winter weather, he said, people were packed in so tightly their body warmth was all the heat they needed. But there was never enough oxygen to breathe normally, causing some people to black out and others, mainly older, to suffer hallucinations. “They would start babbling about the need to plant potatoes, and other things that they could not do,” said Ivan Petrovich, the school’s janitor. Turash, 54, slept in the largest room. It had the only source of air, a tiny hole the people made themselves, Petrovich said. A bucket sat at the far side of the room, a makeshift toilet for children and others who could not wait until morning, when there was hope that the Russian soldiers would let people out to use the regular toilets. A tally on the door of the largest room noted that 136 people had stayed there, nine of them children. Originally, the number had been 139, but that had been scratched out to reflect three deaths, Turash said. “Three people died around me,” said his 73-year-old mother, Valentyna. She had broken her right arm going down the stairs to the basement, but received no medical treatment. Her wrist is still swollen three months later. “I am still in a lot of pain, and I can’t use my fingers as well as I used to,” she said. She said the room she was in was so crowded there was no space for her to move. “I spent 30 days just like this, hardly moving,” she said, squatting down low to the ground. “Twice, I lost consciousness because of the lack of oxygen, but my son banged on the door to get me out. Thank God I survived.” Petrovich and Turash brought crayons for the children to draw. Inside, they drew a mural on the wall composed of Ukrainian flags, hearts, suns and butterflies. At the top, a child had written, “No War!!!” In a smaller room, about 25 by 10 feet, there was another amended body count: 22 people, including five children, had been written in pencil. Someone writing in navy blue crayon had changed the number to 18. On one wall was a tally of the dead and the date they had died. One man, Anatoly Shevchenko, had a question mark next to his name. His fate is still a mystery. Every few days, if the captives were lucky, the Russians would give them permission to take the bodies into the school’s boiler room, usually several at a time. That was also where they got their drinking water. The men would go through an opening and climb down a ladder to a sewer line, where they would fetch water used in normal times for the school’s heating system. Once they got the water, they would boil it over the open flame that they used to cook, when they were allowed to. “Imagine, there were dead bodies here on this table,” Turash said. “And just next to the corpses, we were boiling the water that we drank.” At one point the Russian soldiers conscripted Turash and others to dig a pit at least 10 feet deep next to the boiler room. “I thought I was digging my own grave,” he said. Instead, the Russians eventually installed a generator there. Every week or so, after some negotiating, the soldiers would grant Turash permission to bury the deceased outside in a communal grave. They accompanied him, as they did all villagers who got permission to leave the basement, with their Kalashnikovs raised. The residents were able to get intermittent, and inconsistent, food supplies under soldiers’ watch. Outside, the school was surrounded by Russian tank positions. The soldiers had felled trees from the forest behind the school and dug foxholes for themselves, stealing rugs from people’s homes to put inside the mud dwellings. Turash recognized his own boots on a soldier’s feet. The occupiers told some of the residents there were plans to bring them to Russia. “They told us, ‘The men will go to Tyumen to work in wood production and the women will be sent to another part of Russia to work cleaning fish,’” said Ekaterina Balanovych, referring to a city in western Siberia. On March 30, when the Russian forces began retreating from the north, the soldiers locked everyone inside, bolted the door and ordered them not to leave. That night the villagers broke down the door and quickly realized the Russians had left. But they could hear heavy fighting nearby, and most remained inside, waiting to be rescued. But they found an old phone, Balanovych said, and someone was able to reach one of the Ukrainian troops. “When our boys arrived, we were so happy, we hugged them, and we cried,” she said. “They brought bread. We hadn’t seen a crumb of bread for a month.” More than two months later, however, Yahidne is far from back to normal. The school is badly damaged, perhaps beyond repair. The wrecked tanks and armored vehicles have been towed away but the evidence of the occupation — underground dwellings, recently extinguished fires and the scattered belongings of those forced to live in the basement — remain. Some, like Petrovich, appear to be suffering depression or some form of PTSD. “After two months, we are still in shock,” he said. “There is so much work to do at home still, but you can’t lift your hand. It is scary.” There is still a lot of cleaning up to do. “There is not a single house here where there was no tank or armored personnel carrier standing,” said Valentyna Sezonenko, 75, who found partly unexploded ordnance on the road in front of her house. Houses across the street and next door had been razed. On a street next to the village's destroyed events hall, volunteers from the capital were putting new roofs on apartment buildings. A shell from a cluster munition lay nearby. “My soul hurts,” said Nina Shish, who managed to flee Yahidne hours before it was occupied only to be trapped in a basement by Russians in a neighboring village. As soon as she returned to Yahidne, she went to see the local school, where she had worked and where her granddaughter had been in kindergarten. “I have no words for my grief, the school was so beautiful before,” she said. “Now, students won’t learn there any more.” She took a plant stand with a spider plant home and put it in her building’s hallway as a memento. On Wednesday, Ukraine’s chief prosecutor announced eight new war crimes cases, including one against nine Russian soldiers accused of terrorizing Yahidne. “Unfortunately, these people are not located here physically, and we are going for an in absentia trial, but it is very important for us, for Ukrainian justice, for the victims and their relatives to have this legal process,” the prosecutor general, Irina Venediktova, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. While Russia denies that its soldiers have committed war crimes, Ukraine has already sentenced three soldiers for related offenses. Most of the soldiers named by Venediktova come from Tuva, a remote province in southeastern Siberia. On the road locals call Fourth Street, Ludmila Shevchenko was tending her garden. She had already buried one son, Vitaliy, 53, who was shot by the Russians in the early days of the occupation. And she was worried about her other son, Anatoly, the man with the question mark next to his name on the list in the basement. “I don’t know if he is alive or dead,” she said, resting against the pockmarks of the damaged house. “I don’t know if the commander will be tried,” she said. “But I want to ask him, ‘Where is my son, Anatoly Shevchenko?’”

‘We are still in shock’: A month trapped by Russian forces in a basement

Russia hit Kyiv with cruise missiles fired from the Caspian Sea on Sunday, striking a rail car repair facility in the Ukrainian capital, in the first such attack for weeks, Ukraine's army and railway chief said.

Dark smoke funnelled into the sky above Kyiv's eastern outskirts. At least one person was hospitalised though no deaths were immediately reported, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said.

Ukrainian air defences shot down one incoming missile at around 6 a.m. local time (0300 GMT), the military said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-defence-minister-optimistic-that-war-with-russia-could-end-this-year-485176">Ukraine's defence minister 'optimistic' that war with Russia could end this year</a>

One Russian missile that was probably headed for Kyiv flew "critically low" over a major nuclear power plant in the southern Mykolaiv region, state-run nuclear power operator Energoatom said on Telegram.

Russia's Defence Ministry said its missiles had destroyed T-72 tanks and armoured vehicles supplied to Ukraine by eastern European countries that were housed in a rail car repair facility in Kyiv.

Oleksandr Kamyshin, head of the Ukrainian railway, confirmed that four missiles had smashed into the Darnytsia rail car repair facility in eastern Kyiv, but denied there had been any military hardware at the site.

"Their (Russia's) target is the economy and the civilian population," he said.

The sprawling railway system has served as a vital lifeline as Russia's Feb. 24 invasion has smashed the Ukrainian economy and severed export routes via the Black Sea.

The missiles were the first to hit the capital since late April when a Radio Liberty producer was killed in a Russian missile strike that hit the building she lived in.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine conflict: Explosions rock Ukraine's capital Kyiv

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-ukraine-conflict-explosions-rock-ukraines-capital-kyiv-485310/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"According to preliminary data, the (Russians) launched missiles from Tu-95 aircraft from the Caspian Sea," the Ukrainian air force said in a statement.

Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak called on the West to impose more sanctions on Russia to punish it for the strikes and to supply more weapons to Ukraine.

"The Kremlin resorts to new insidious attacks. Today’s missile strikes at Kyiv have only one goal - kill as many as possible," he wrote in a tweet.

The mayor of the historic town of Brovary, around 20 km (12 miles) from Kyiv's centre, urged people to remain inside their homes as there had been reports of a sooty smell coming from the smoke.

Despite continuing Russian offensives in Ukraine and the widespread destruction, life in Kyiv has been relatively attack-free in recent weeks, after Moscow turned the focus of its invasion to the east and south.

Air raid sirens regularly disrupt life in Kyiv, but there have been no major strikes on the city in several weeks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-vows-to-strike-harder-if-longer-range-missiles-supplied-to-ukraine-485294">Putin vows to strike harder if longer-range missiles supplied to Ukraine</a>

The Darnytskyi district on the left bank of the Dnipro River stretches from the fringes of Kyiv to the river's shores while the Dniprovskyi area in the city's north lies along the river.

Oleksandr Honcharenko, mayor of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region in the east, reported overnight strikes on the city, resulting in widespread damage but no casualties.

On Saturday, Ukrainian officials said the country's troops had recaptured a swathe of the embattled city of Sievierodonetsk in a counteroffensive against Russia.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Russia hit Kyiv with cruise missiles fired from the Caspian Sea on Sunday, striking a rail car repair facility in the Ukrainian capital, in the first such attack for weeks, Ukraine's army and railway chief said.

Russia hit Kyiv with cruise missiles fired from the Caspian Sea on Sunday, striking a rail car repair facility in the Ukrainian capital, in the first such attack for weeks, Ukraine's army and railway chief said. Dark smoke funnelled into the sky above Kyiv's eastern outskirts. At least one person was hospitalised though no deaths were immediately reported, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said. Ukrainian air defences shot down one incoming missile at around 6 a.m. local time (0300 GMT), the military said. Also read | Ukraine's defence minister 'optimistic' that war with Russia could end this year One Russian missile that was probably headed for Kyiv flew "critically low" over a major nuclear power plant in the southern Mykolaiv region, state-run nuclear power operator Energoatom said on Telegram. Russia's Defence Ministry said its missiles had destroyed T-72 tanks and armoured vehicles supplied to Ukraine by eastern European countries that were housed in a rail car repair facility in Kyiv. Oleksandr Kamyshin, head of the Ukrainian railway, confirmed that four missiles had smashed into the Darnytsia rail car repair facility in eastern Kyiv, but denied there had been any military hardware at the site. "Their (Russia's) target is the economy and the civilian population," he said. The sprawling railway system has served as a vital lifeline as Russia's Feb. 24 invasion has smashed the Ukrainian economy and severed export routes via the Black Sea. The missiles were the first to hit the capital since late April when a Radio Liberty producer was killed in a Russian missile strike that hit the building she lived in. Watch | Russia-Ukraine conflict: Explosions rock Ukraine's capital Kyiv "According to preliminary data, the (Russians) launched missiles from Tu-95 aircraft from the Caspian Sea," the Ukrainian air force said in a statement. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak called on the West to impose more sanctions on Russia to punish it for the strikes and to supply more weapons to Ukraine. "The Kremlin resorts to new insidious attacks. Today’s missile strikes at Kyiv have only one goal - kill as many as possible," he wrote in a tweet. The mayor of the historic town of Brovary, around 20 km (12 miles) from Kyiv's centre, urged people to remain inside their homes as there had been reports of a sooty smell coming from the smoke. Despite continuing Russian offensives in Ukraine and the widespread destruction, life in Kyiv has been relatively attack-free in recent weeks, after Moscow turned the focus of its invasion to the east and south. Air raid sirens regularly disrupt life in Kyiv, but there have been no major strikes on the city in several weeks. Also read | Putin vows to strike harder if longer-range missiles supplied to Ukraine The Darnytskyi district on the left bank of the Dnipro River stretches from the fringes of Kyiv to the river's shores while the Dniprovskyi area in the city's north lies along the river. Oleksandr Honcharenko, mayor of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region in the east, reported overnight strikes on the city, resulting in widespread damage but no casualties. On Saturday, Ukrainian officials said the country's troops had recaptured a swathe of the embattled city of Sievierodonetsk in a counteroffensive against Russia. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Kyiv rocked by blasts from Russian cruise missiles: Ukraine

Ukraine announced Saturday the deaths of four foreign military volunteers fighting Russian forces, whose invasion has spurred a wave of solidarity abroad including from experienced combat veterans.

The International Legion of Defence of Ukraine, an official volunteer brigade, announced the men from Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and France had died but did not specify when or under what circumstances.

"We lost our brothers in combat but their bravery, their memory and legacy will forever inspire us," it said in a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dolphins-may-be-dying-in-black-sea-due-to-ukraine-war-say-scientists-485033">Dolphins may be dying in Black Sea due to Ukraine war, say scientists</a>

AFP journalists in Kharkiv last month were present at the May 21 burial of the Dutch citizen named in the statement, Ronald Vogelaar. Colleagues said he had been killed several days earlier by artillery.

The Australian was reported killed in May and his death was confirmed by a foreign affairs department spokesperson.

Tasmania's Mercury newspaper identified the man as Michael Charles O'Neill, 47. A tribute on Facebook said he was "driving the wounded and injured from the front line".

Watch |&nbsp;Ukraine war completes 100 days: Moscow focused on seizing east Ukraine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ukraine-war-completes-100-days-moscow-focused-on-seizing-east-ukraine-484915/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Paris on Friday confirmed that a French volunteer fighter had been killed in combat in Ukraine, following reports that the man died in artillery fire in the Kharkiv region.

The official statement Saturday was accompanied by photographs of the men showing them clad in camouflage and carrying small arms.

The organisation says on its website that citizens from countries including Denmark, Israel, Poland, Latvia, Croatia the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada have joined their ranks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-made-historic-error-by-invading-ukraine-french-president-emmanuel-macron-484899">Putin made 'historic error' by invading Ukraine: French president Emmanuel Macron</a>

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the formation of the force at the start of the war and Kyiv shortly afterwards said it had received some 20,000 applications.

The conflict, now beyond its 100th day, is also said to have drawn in a significant number of volunteer fighters from ex-Soviet Georgia, which fought a brief and disastrous war with Russia in 2008.

Russia claimed this week to have killed "hundreds" of foreign fighters in Ukraine since its invasion began on February 24 and stemmed the flow of newcomers.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Ukraine announced Saturday the deaths of four foreign military volunteers fighting Russian forces, whose invasion has spurred a wave of solidarity abroad including from experienced combat veterans.

Ukraine announced Saturday the deaths of four foreign military volunteers fighting Russian forces, whose invasion has spurred a wave of solidarity abroad including from experienced combat veterans. The International Legion of Defence of Ukraine, an official volunteer brigade, announced the men from Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and France had died but did not specify when or under what circumstances. "We lost our brothers in combat but their bravery, their memory and legacy will forever inspire us," it said in a statement. Also read | Dolphins may be dying in Black Sea due to Ukraine war, say scientists AFP journalists in Kharkiv last month were present at the May 21 burial of the Dutch citizen named in the statement, Ronald Vogelaar. Colleagues said he had been killed several days earlier by artillery. The Australian was reported killed in May and his death was confirmed by a foreign affairs department spokesperson. Tasmania's Mercury newspaper identified the man as Michael Charles O'Neill, 47. A tribute on Facebook said he was "driving the wounded and injured from the front line". Watch | Ukraine war completes 100 days: Moscow focused on seizing east Ukraine Paris on Friday confirmed that a French volunteer fighter had been killed in combat in Ukraine, following reports that the man died in artillery fire in the Kharkiv region. The official statement Saturday was accompanied by photographs of the men showing them clad in camouflage and carrying small arms. The organisation says on its website that citizens from countries including Denmark, Israel, Poland, Latvia, Croatia the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada have joined their ranks. Also read | Putin made 'historic error' by invading Ukraine: French president Emmanuel Macron Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the formation of the force at the start of the war and Kyiv shortly afterwards said it had received some 20,000 applications. The conflict, now beyond its 100th day, is also said to have drawn in a significant number of volunteer fighters from ex-Soviet Georgia, which fought a brief and disastrous war with Russia in 2008. Russia claimed this week to have killed "hundreds" of foreign fighters in Ukraine since its invasion began on February 24 and stemmed the flow of newcomers. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Ukraine announces deaths of four foreign military volunteers

Ukraine war: A timeline of 100 days of fighting that killed thousands of civilians

Two&nbsp;people were&nbsp;injured&nbsp;following an explosion in the Moscow-controlled city of&nbsp;Melitopol&nbsp;in southeastern&nbsp;Ukraine, local pro-Kremlin authorities said on Monday, blaming Kyiv.

Russian troops took control of the city in the Zaporizhzhia region in the early days of Moscow's military campaign in&nbsp;Ukraine, but were met with fierce resistance.

"This morning there was a terrorist attack aimed at destabilising the peaceful life of the city,"&nbsp;Melitopol's Russia-installed authorities said on Telegram.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russias-new-law-to-enlist-more-people-into-armed-forces-483264">Russia's new law to enlist more people into armed forces</a>

According to the statement, a car packed with explosives blew up in the city centre, injuring&nbsp;two&nbsp;"humanitarian aid" volunteers, a 28-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man.

"The Ukrainian government continues its war on the civilian population and the infrastructure of cities," the statement said, adding that an investigation was underway.&nbsp;

Clouds of black smoke were visible in the city on Monday morning. The&nbsp;blast&nbsp;shook the windows and walls of nearby buildings, Vladimir Rogov, a Russia-appointed official in&nbsp;Melitopol, said on Telegram.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Did Putin survive an assassination attempt?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-did-putin-survive-an-assassination-attempt-482766/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In another sign that Moscow is looking to maintain a long-term presence in parts of&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;controlled by its troops, Russian investigators said they would be looking into the&nbsp;blast.&nbsp;

Russia's Investigative Committee "will identify the persons involved in committing this crime in order to bring the perpetrators to justice," it said in a statement.&nbsp;

According to its information, the&nbsp;blast&nbsp;"organised by Ukrainian saboteurs" took place during the distribution of humanitarian aid near a residential building.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-war-russia-targets-key-eastern-town-in-severodonetsk-civilians-trapped-483220">Ukraine war: Russia targets key eastern town; civilians trapped</a>

Three people were&nbsp;injured,&nbsp;two&nbsp;of whom are in hospital, the investigators said.&nbsp;

Some reports suggested that the&nbsp;blast&nbsp;took place near the area where the Russia-installed head of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, lives.

Last week, the Moscow-appointed mayor of Enerhodar, another city in the Zaporizhzhia region under Russian control, was&nbsp;injured&nbsp;in an explosion.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Two people were injured following an explosion in the Moscow-controlled city of Melitopol in southeastern Ukraine, local pro-Kremlin authorities said on Monday, blaming Kyiv.

Two people were injured following an explosion in the Moscow-controlled city of Melitopol in southeastern Ukraine, local pro-Kremlin authorities said on Monday, blaming Kyiv. Russian troops took control of the city in the Zaporizhzhia region in the early days of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine, but were met with fierce resistance. "This morning there was a terrorist attack aimed at destabilising the peaceful life of the city," Melitopol's Russia-installed authorities said on Telegram. Also read | Russia's new law to enlist more people into armed forces According to the statement, a car packed with explosives blew up in the city centre, injuring two "humanitarian aid" volunteers, a 28-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man. "The Ukrainian government continues its war on the civilian population and the infrastructure of cities," the statement said, adding that an investigation was underway. Clouds of black smoke were visible in the city on Monday morning. The blast shook the windows and walls of nearby buildings, Vladimir Rogov, a Russia-appointed official in Melitopol, said on Telegram. Watch | Gravitas: Did Putin survive an assassination attempt? In another sign that Moscow is looking to maintain a long-term presence in parts of Ukraine controlled by its troops, Russian investigators said they would be looking into the blast. Russia's Investigative Committee "will identify the persons involved in committing this crime in order to bring the perpetrators to justice," it said in a statement. According to its information, the blast "organised by Ukrainian saboteurs" took place during the distribution of humanitarian aid near a residential building. Also read | Ukraine war: Russia targets key eastern town; civilians trapped Three people were injured, two of whom are in hospital, the investigators said. Some reports suggested that the blast took place near the area where the Russia-installed head of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, lives. Last week, the Moscow-appointed mayor of Enerhodar, another city in the Zaporizhzhia region under Russian control, was injured in an explosion. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Ukraine war: Two injured in blast in Russia-controlled Melitopol

The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase.

It is no secret that the initial invasion went badly for Russia. Expecting easy victories, the Russian Army inflicted terrible destruction — especially in its shelling of cities — but for the most part failed to take territory outside the southeast of the country. Ukrainian resistance was fierce. After six weeks of war, undermanned Russian forces were made to retreat from Kyiv and its suburbs.

In the hope of winning new victories, Russia has now confined its forces to the south and east of Ukraine. The main battles are taking place in small towns and villages along the Donets River. Russia talks of cutting off the Ukrainian Army from the Donbas, but so far, its forces have made slow progress advancing from the Black Sea coast.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-has-turned-off-gas-supply-in-transit-points-says-ukraine-478138">Russia has turned off gas supply in transit points, says Ukraine</a>

In response, the United States and its allies have also shifted their position. At first, the Western support for Ukraine was mainly designed to defend against the invasion. It is now set on a far grander ambition: to weaken Russia itself. Presented as a common-sense response to Russian aggression, the shift, in fact, amounts to a significant escalation.

By expanding support to Ukraine across the board and shelving any diplomatic effort to stop the fighting, the United States and its allies have greatly increased the danger of an even larger conflict. They are taking a risk far out of step with any realistic strategic gain.

Russia’s more limited focus has proved more manageable for its armed forces. The bloody siege of Mariupol is, for practical purposes, now complete, and Russia has secured the town of Izium while bombarding minor cities. But these advances, which have come at a cost, are limited. The likelihood of Russian territorial advances far from Crimea or the Donbas is now remote.

The shift from general to limited conquest was already a concession on Russia’s part. The Russian leadership has blamed a single factor: It claims to be fighting not just Ukraine but the NATO system in Eastern Europe. Hubris and clumsy tactics are more to the point. Yet there is no denying that the United States, Britain, Poland and other European NATO members have been parties to the conflict from the outset.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine conflict to fuel food crisis in Africa

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-ukraine-conflict-to-fuel-food-crisis-in-africa-478014/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It is not just military transports and trucks carrying tens of thousands of antiaircraft and antiarmor weapons to Ukrainian fighters. The United States has also provided real-time intelligence, reportedly including targeting information on the location of Russian forces. Though the Pentagon has disputed the extent of intelligence sharing, leaks have been remarkably revealing. We now know the United States provided the tracking intelligence that led to the sinking of the Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. More striking still, U.S. intelligence agencies provided critical targeting for battlefield assassinations of Russian generals.

This was already a significant form of participation in the war. But the United States has since shifted its strategy to push Russia further. The early U.S. response to the invasion was simple: Supply the defenders and apply America’s unique financial weaponry to the Russian economy. The new strategy — call it bleed Russia — is quite different. The underlying idea is that the United States and its allies should seek to recover more from the rubble of Kharkiv and Kramatorsk than the survival of Ukraine as a polity or even a symbolic frustration of Russian aggression.

Top officials have made that quite clear. The U.S. secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, has said the goal is “to see Russia weakened.” The speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said Ukraine is defending “democracy writ large for the world.” Britain’s foreign minister, Liz Truss, was explicit about widening the conflict to take in Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia, such as Crimea, when she spoke of evicting Russia from “the whole of Ukraine.” This is both an expansion of the battlefield and a transformation of the war.

Whereas once the primary Western objective was to defend against the invasion, it has become the permanent strategic attrition of Russia. The outline of the new policy began to emerge on April 13, when the Pentagon called a convocation of the eight biggest American arms companies to prepare arms transfers on a grand scale. The result was the pledge made by President Biden on April 28 that the United States would provide four times as much military aid to Ukraine as it had already supplied since the beginning of the conflict — a promise made good by a proposed aid package for Ukraine worth $39.8 billion.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-pushing-back-russians-from-kharkiv-zelensky-478089">Ukraine pushing back Russians from Kharkiv: Zelensky</a>

This strategic shift has coincided with the abandonment of diplomatic efforts. Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia were always fraught but contained moments of promise. They have now stalled completely. Russia bears its fair share of responsibility, of course. But European channels to Moscow have been all but severed, and there is no serious effort from the United States to seek diplomatic progress, let alone cease-fires.

When I was in Ukraine during the first weeks of the war, even staunch Ukrainian nationalists expressed views far more pragmatic than those that are routine in America now. Talk of neutral status for Ukraine and internationally monitored plebiscites in Donetsk and Luhansk has been jettisoned in favor of bombast and grandstanding.

The war was dangerous and destructive enough in its initial form. The combination of expanded strategic aims and scotched negotiations has made it more dangerous still. At present, the only message to Russia is: There is no way out. Though President Vladimir Putin did not declare general conscription in his Victory Day speech on May 9, a conventional escalation of this kind is still possible.

Nuclear weapons are discussed in easy tones, not least on Russian television. The risk of cities being reduced to corium remains low without NATO deployment in Ukraine, but accident and miscalculation cannot be discounted. And the conflict takes place at a time when most of the Cold War arms control agreements between the United States and Russia have been allowed to lapse.

A weakened Russia was a likely outcome of the war even before the shift in U.S. policy. Russia’s economic position has deteriorated. Far from a commodity superpower, its undersized domestic industry is struggling and is dependent on technology imports that are now inaccessible.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/hypersonics-missile-strikes-russias-assault-on-ukraine-in-numbers-478150">Hypersonics &amp; missile strikes: Russia's assault on Ukraine in numbers</a>

What’s more, the invasion has led directly to greater military spending in second- and third-tier European powers. The number of NATO troops in Eastern Europe has grown tenfold, and a Nordic expansion of the organization is likely. A general rearmament of Europe is taking place, driven not by desire for autonomy from American power but in service to it. For the United States, this should be success enough. It is unclear what more there is to gain by weakening Russia, beyond fantasies of regime change.

Ukraine’s future depends on the course of the fighting in the Donbas and perhaps the south. The physical destruction of the east is already well underway. Ukrainian casualties are not insignificant; estimates of the number killed and wounded vary widely, but it is certainly in the tens of thousands. Russia has destroyed whatever sense of shared heritage remained before the invasion.

But the longer the war, the worse the damage to Ukraine and the greater the risk of escalation. A decisive military result in eastern Ukraine may prove elusive. Yet the less dramatic outcome of a festering stalemate is hardly better. Indefinite protraction of the war, as in Syria, is too dangerous with nuclear-armed participants.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-covers-leg-with-blanket-as-health-rumours-swirl-on-victory-day-477866">Putin covers leg with blanket as health rumours swirl on Victory Day</a>

Diplomatic efforts ought to be the centerpiece of a new Ukraine strategy. Instead, the war’s boundaries are being expanded and the war itself recast as a struggle between democracy and autocracy, in which the Donbas is the frontier of freedom. This is not just declamatory extravagance. It is reckless. The risks hardly need to be stated.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase. It is no secret that the initial invasion went badly for Russia. Expecting easy victories, the Russian Army inflicted terrible destruction — especially in its shelling of cities — but for the most part failed to take territory outside the southeast of the country.

The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase. It is no secret that the initial invasion went badly for Russia. Expecting easy victories, the Russian Army inflicted terrible destruction — especially in its shelling of cities — but for the most part failed to take territory outside the southeast of the country. Ukrainian resistance was fierce. After six weeks of war, undermanned Russian forces were made to retreat from Kyiv and its suburbs. In the hope of winning new victories, Russia has now confined its forces to the south and east of Ukraine. The main battles are taking place in small towns and villages along the Donets River. Russia talks of cutting off the Ukrainian Army from the Donbas, but so far, its forces have made slow progress advancing from the Black Sea coast. Also read | Russia has turned off gas supply in transit points, says Ukraine In response, the United States and its allies have also shifted their position. At first, the Western support for Ukraine was mainly designed to defend against the invasion. It is now set on a far grander ambition: to weaken Russia itself. Presented as a common-sense response to Russian aggression, the shift, in fact, amounts to a significant escalation. By expanding support to Ukraine across the board and shelving any diplomatic effort to stop the fighting, the United States and its allies have greatly increased the danger of an even larger conflict. They are taking a risk far out of step with any realistic strategic gain. Russia’s more limited focus has proved more manageable for its armed forces. The bloody siege of Mariupol is, for practical purposes, now complete, and Russia has secured the town of Izium while bombarding minor cities. But these advances, which have come at a cost, are limited. The likelihood of Russian territorial advances far from Crimea or the Donbas is now remote. The shift from general to limited conquest was already a concession on Russia’s part. The Russian leadership has blamed a single factor: It claims to be fighting not just Ukraine but the NATO system in Eastern Europe. Hubris and clumsy tactics are more to the point. Yet there is no denying that the United States, Britain, Poland and other European NATO members have been parties to the conflict from the outset. Watch | Russia-Ukraine conflict to fuel food crisis in Africa It is not just military transports and trucks carrying tens of thousands of antiaircraft and antiarmor weapons to Ukrainian fighters. The United States has also provided real-time intelligence, reportedly including targeting information on the location of Russian forces. Though the Pentagon has disputed the extent of intelligence sharing, leaks have been remarkably revealing. We now know the United States provided the tracking intelligence that led to the sinking of the Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. More striking still, U.S. intelligence agencies provided critical targeting for battlefield assassinations of Russian generals. This was already a significant form of participation in the war. But the United States has since shifted its strategy to push Russia further. The early U.S. response to the invasion was simple: Supply the defenders and apply America’s unique financial weaponry to the Russian economy. The new strategy — call it bleed Russia — is quite different. The underlying idea is that the United States and its allies should seek to recover more from the rubble of Kharkiv and Kramatorsk than the survival of Ukraine as a polity or even a symbolic frustration of Russian aggression. Top officials have made that quite clear. The U.S. secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, has said the goal is “to see Russia weakened.” The speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said Ukraine is defending “democracy writ large for the world.” Britain’s foreign minister, Liz Truss, was explicit about widening the conflict to take in Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia, such as Crimea, when she spoke of evicting Russia from “the whole of Ukraine.” This is both an expansion of the battlefield and a transformation of the war. Whereas once the primary Western objective was to defend against the invasion, it has become the permanent strategic attrition of Russia. The outline of the new policy began to emerge on April 13, when the Pentagon called a convocation of the eight biggest American arms companies to prepare arms transfers on a grand scale. The result was the pledge made by President Biden on April 28 that the United States would provide four times as much military aid to Ukraine as it had already supplied since the beginning of the conflict — a promise made good by a proposed aid package for Ukraine worth $39.8 billion. Also read | Ukraine pushing back Russians from Kharkiv: Zelensky This strategic shift has coincided with the abandonment of diplomatic efforts. Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia were always fraught but contained moments of promise. They have now stalled completely. Russia bears its fair share of responsibility, of course. But European channels to Moscow have been all but severed, and there is no serious effort from the United States to seek diplomatic progress, let alone cease-fires. When I was in Ukraine during the first weeks of the war, even staunch Ukrainian nationalists expressed views far more pragmatic than those that are routine in America now. Talk of neutral status for Ukraine and internationally monitored plebiscites in Donetsk and Luhansk has been jettisoned in favor of bombast and grandstanding. The war was dangerous and destructive enough in its initial form. The combination of expanded strategic aims and scotched negotiations has made it more dangerous still. At present, the only message to Russia is: There is no way out. Though President Vladimir Putin did not declare general conscription in his Victory Day speech on May 9, a conventional escalation of this kind is still possible. Nuclear weapons are discussed in easy tones, not least on Russian television. The risk of cities being reduced to corium remains low without NATO deployment in Ukraine, but accident and miscalculation cannot be discounted. And the conflict takes place at a time when most of the Cold War arms control agreements between the United States and Russia have been allowed to lapse. A weakened Russia was a likely outcome of the war even before the shift in U.S. policy. Russia’s economic position has deteriorated. Far from a commodity superpower, its undersized domestic industry is struggling and is dependent on technology imports that are now inaccessible. Also read | Hypersonics & missile strikes: Russia's assault on Ukraine in numbers What’s more, the invasion has led directly to greater military spending in second- and third-tier European powers. The number of NATO troops in Eastern Europe has grown tenfold, and a Nordic expansion of the organization is likely. A general rearmament of Europe is taking place, driven not by desire for autonomy from American power but in service to it. For the United States, this should be success enough. It is unclear what more there is to gain by weakening Russia, beyond fantasies of regime change. Ukraine’s future depends on the course of the fighting in the Donbas and perhaps the south. The physical destruction of the east is already well underway. Ukrainian casualties are not insignificant; estimates of the number killed and wounded vary widely, but it is certainly in the tens of thousands. Russia has destroyed whatever sense of shared heritage remained before the invasion. But the longer the war, the worse the damage to Ukraine and the greater the risk of escalation. A decisive military result in eastern Ukraine may prove elusive. Yet the less dramatic outcome of a festering stalemate is hardly better. Indefinite protraction of the war, as in Syria, is too dangerous with nuclear-armed participants. Also read | Putin covers leg with blanket as health rumours swirl on Victory Day Diplomatic efforts ought to be the centerpiece of a new Ukraine strategy. Instead, the war’s boundaries are being expanded and the war itself recast as a struggle between democracy and autocracy, in which the Donbas is the frontier of freedom. This is not just declamatory extravagance. It is reckless. The risks hardly need to be stated. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

America and its allies want to bleed Russia. They really shouldn’t.

In pics: Timeline of siege of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol

Russia's push in eastern Ukraine & the fate of Mariupol

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.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-gas-embargo-will-cost-germany-almost-190-billion-says-bundesbank-472991">Russian gas embargo will cost Germany almost $190 billion, says Bundesbank</a>

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?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-is-the-west-trying-to-hide-russian-oil-imports-473083/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

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;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-to-reopen-kyiv-embassy-in-show-of-support-for-ukraine-boris-johnson-473006">Britain to reopen Kyiv embassy in show of support for Ukraine: Boris Johnson</a>

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

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

A&nbsp;series&nbsp;of&nbsp;explosions&nbsp;were&nbsp;heard&nbsp;and smoke was seen in Ukraine's southern&nbsp;port&nbsp;city of&nbsp;Odesa&nbsp;in the early hours of Sunday (April 3), a&nbsp;Reuters&nbsp;witness&nbsp;said.

Footage showed large clouds of dark smoke rising over the city.

Odesa&nbsp;was attacked by missiles and there were reports of fires in some areas, the city council said in an online post.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irpin-bucha-gostomel-and-the-whole-kyiv-region-liberated-ukraine-467833">&nbsp;Irpin, Bucha, Gostomel and the whole Kyiv region liberated: Ukraine</a>

One of the city's "critical infrastructure facilities" was hit, regional administration spokesperson Sergey Bratchuk told Ukraine's public broadcaster.

"We hope there will be no casualties," Bratchuk said.

Ukraine's military said on Friday (April 1) that its anti-air defences had foiled an attempted Russian missile attack on critical infrastructure in the major Black Sea&nbsp;port&nbsp;city.

Governor Maksym Marchenko said three missiles had hit a residential area earlier on Friday, adding there were casualties.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mykolaivs-governor-says-at-least-35-killed-from-russian-strike-on-government-building-467790">&nbsp;Mykolaiv's governor says at least 35 killed from Russian strike on government building</a>

Reuters&nbsp;could not immediately verify the&nbsp;Ukrainian&nbsp;statement at the time.

Russia has denied targeting civilians in its war in Ukraine that began on February 24 in what Moscow calls a "special operation" to demilitarise its southwestern neighbour.

Western countries call it an unprovoked war of aggression.

Watch |&nbsp;Zelensky says 3,000 rescued from Mariupol amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/zelensky-says-3000-rescued-from-mariupol-amid-the-ongoing-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-467572/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

A series of explosions were heard and smoke was seen in Ukraine's southern port city of Odesa in the early hours of Sunday (April 3), a Reuters witness said. Footage showed large clouds of dark smoke rising over the city.

A series of explosions were heard and smoke was seen in Ukraine's southern port city of Odesa in the early hours of Sunday (April 3), a Reuters witness said. Footage showed large clouds of dark smoke rising over the city. Odesa was attacked by missiles and there were reports of fires in some areas, the city council said in an online post. Also read | Irpin, Bucha, Gostomel and the whole Kyiv region liberated: Ukraine One of the city's "critical infrastructure facilities" was hit, regional administration spokesperson Sergey Bratchuk told Ukraine's public broadcaster. "We hope there will be no casualties," Bratchuk said. Ukraine's military said on Friday (April 1) that its anti-air defences had foiled an attempted Russian missile attack on critical infrastructure in the major Black Sea port city. Governor Maksym Marchenko said three missiles had hit a residential area earlier on Friday, adding there were casualties. Also read | Mykolaiv's governor says at least 35 killed from Russian strike on government building Reuters could not immediately verify the Ukrainian statement at the time. Russia has denied targeting civilians in its war in Ukraine that began on February 24 in what Moscow calls a "special operation" to demilitarise its southwestern neighbour. Western countries call it an unprovoked war of aggression. Watch | Zelensky says 3,000 rescued from Mariupol amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine

Ukraine war: Series of explosions heard in Ukrainian port of Odesa, say reports

&nbsp;The euro edged lower on Thursday on caution about developments in Ukraine and limited progress in peace talks, while the Norwegian crown fell sharply after the central bank decided to buy foreign currency. Russian forces prepared for new attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, while no quick resolution is expected from peace talks that will resume on Friday. The euro dropped 0.3 per cent&nbsp;to $1.1118 after hitting its highest since March 1 at $1.1184. "The single currency is always around $1.11, with investors still cautious about future developments in Ukraine," Roberto Mialich, forex analyst at Unicredit, said. "The market wants to believe in a peace deal or at least in a truce in Ukraine. This is why rouble remains not far from its pre-war levels against the dollar, and the greenback is struggling to appreciate," he added.The dollar index, which tracks the U.S. currency against six peers, rose 0.2 per cent&nbsp;to 98.074.

The rouble was down 3 per cent&nbsp;versus the greenback at 78.55.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-forces-leaving-chernobyl-nuclear-site-have-been-infected-with-radiation-sickness-reports-467130">Russian forces leaving Chernobyl nuclear site hit by radiation sickness: Reports</a>

Investors also focused on the next European Central Bank's moves after robust inflation data. ECB chief economist Philip Lane said on Thursday euro zone inflation was increasingly likely to stabilise around 2 per cent&nbsp;but the ECB should be ready to change course if the outlook deteriorates due to Russia's war in Ukraine.&nbsp;

“Until the risk of an energy crisis and considerable economic effects resulting from the Ukraine war have been banished, the ECB is likely to hesitate to make a clear commitment,” Antje Praefcke, forex analyst at Commerzbank, said in a note to clients.

“And as a result, it will also be a while before the euro can appreciate on a sustainable basis,” she added.

Money markets are currently pricing in an around 85 per cent chance of 20 basis points (bps) of ECB rate hikes by July 2022 and 60 bps by year-end.&nbsp;

The Norwegian crown plunged after oil prices dived and the central bank said it would buy foreign currency for its sovereign wealth fund in April.

Norges Bank plans to exchange 2 billion crowns ($231.9 million) per day into foreign currency, which will in turn be invested abroad by the wealth fund, already the world's largest with assets of $1.3 trillion.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-does-the-russia-ukraine-war-impact-indias-wheat-export-strategy-467097">How does the Russia-Ukraine war impact India's wheat export strategy?</a>

The Norwegian currency fell 1.6 per cent&nbsp;against the euro hitting its lowest level since March 18 of 9.7111, and 1.9 per cent&nbsp;versus the dollar at 8.7255.

However, it is not far from its highest since October 2018 against the euro at 9.4424 and its highest since November 2021 versus the dollar at 8.5675, which it hit last week on the back of a rally in Brent crude oil futures.

"The central bank move might curb the currency, but we think the Norwegian crown still has room for further appreciation, thanks to expectations of more rises in energy prices," Unicredit's Mialich argued.

Other commodity currencies, such as the Australian and New Zealand dollar, dropped by around 0.5 per cent.

The Swedish crown was slightly lower against the euro, just off its highest since January of 10.3059 hit on Wednesday as the central bank said it would have to tighten monetary policy this year.

Bitcoin was down 0.2 per cent&nbsp;at $47,191, while Ether, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency, was up 0.45 per cent&nbsp;at $3,402.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia: Complete focus on liberating Ukraine's Donbas region

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-complete-focus-on-liberating-ukraines-donbas-region-465606/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The euro edged lower on Thursday on caution about developments in Ukraine and limited progress in peace talks, while the Norwegian crown fell sharply after the central bank decided to buy foreign currency.

The euro edged lower on Thursday on caution about developments in Ukraine and limited progress in peace talks, while the Norwegian crown fell sharply after the central bank decided to buy foreign currency. Russian forces prepared for new attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, while no quick resolution is expected from peace talks that will resume on Friday. The euro dropped 0.3 per cent to $1.1118 after hitting its highest since March 1 at $1.1184. "The single currency is always around $1.11, with investors still cautious about future developments in Ukraine," Roberto Mialich, forex analyst at Unicredit, said. "The market wants to believe in a peace deal or at least in a truce in Ukraine. This is why rouble remains not far from its pre-war levels against the dollar, and the greenback is struggling to appreciate," he added.The dollar index, which tracks the U.S. currency against six peers, rose 0.2 per cent to 98.074. The rouble was down 3 per cent versus the greenback at 78.55. Also read | Russian forces leaving Chernobyl nuclear site hit by radiation sickness: Reports Investors also focused on the next European Central Bank's moves after robust inflation data. ECB chief economist Philip Lane said on Thursday euro zone inflation was increasingly likely to stabilise around 2 per cent but the ECB should be ready to change course if the outlook deteriorates due to Russia's war in Ukraine. “Until the risk of an energy crisis and considerable economic effects resulting from the Ukraine war have been banished, the ECB is likely to hesitate to make a clear commitment,” Antje Praefcke, forex analyst at Commerzbank, said in a note to clients. “And as a result, it will also be a while before the euro can appreciate on a sustainable basis,” she added. Money markets are currently pricing in an around 85 per cent chance of 20 basis points (bps) of ECB rate hikes by July 2022 and 60 bps by year-end. The Norwegian crown plunged after oil prices dived and the central bank said it would buy foreign currency for its sovereign wealth fund in April. Norges Bank plans to exchange 2 billion crowns ($231.9 million) per day into foreign currency, which will in turn be invested abroad by the wealth fund, already the world's largest with assets of $1.3 trillion. Also read | How does the Russia-Ukraine war impact India's wheat export strategy? The Norwegian currency fell 1.6 per cent against the euro hitting its lowest level since March 18 of 9.7111, and 1.9 per cent versus the dollar at 8.7255. However, it is not far from its highest since October 2018 against the euro at 9.4424 and its highest since November 2021 versus the dollar at 8.5675, which it hit last week on the back of a rally in Brent crude oil futures. "The central bank move might curb the currency, but we think the Norwegian crown still has room for further appreciation, thanks to expectations of more rises in energy prices," Unicredit's Mialich argued. Other commodity currencies, such as the Australian and New Zealand dollar, dropped by around 0.5 per cent. The Swedish crown was slightly lower against the euro, just off its highest since January of 10.3059 hit on Wednesday as the central bank said it would have to tighten monetary policy this year. Bitcoin was down 0.2 per cent at $47,191, while Ether, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency, was up 0.45 per cent at $3,402. Watch | Russia: Complete focus on liberating Ukraine's Donbas region

Euro dips amid caution over Ukraine, Norwegian crown plunges

Ukraine's top negotiator said enough progress had been made at talks Tuesday in Turkey to resolve the conflict with Russia to enable a meeting between the presidents of the two countries.

"The results of today's meeting are sufficient for a meeting at the leaders' level," Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said, raising the possibility of a meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin that Russia had shot down as recently as Monday as being "counterproductive".

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-and-russia-what-are-the-latest-updates-467024">&nbsp;Ukraine and Russia: What are the latest updates?</a>

A Russian negotiator welcomed "meaningful" progress with Ukrainian representatives at peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, over a month after Russia invaded its neighbour.

The discussions are focussing on the humanitarian situation in war-scarred Ukrainian regions as well as Russia's demand that Ukraine become a neutral state, among other issues.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zelensky-says-ukraine-preparing-for-new-russian-offensive-in-the-east-dismisses-russian-claims-of-scaleback-467037">&nbsp;Zelensky says Ukraine preparing for new Russian offensive in the east, dismisses Russian claims of scaleback</a>

Meanwhile, Ukraine called for an international agreement under which other countries would guarantee its security.

Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia told reporters the guarantee should resemble NATO's Article 5 which commits alliance members to defend each other.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Global Headlines: Putin-Zelensky talks possible, Sri Lanka financial crisis &amp; more

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-global-headlines-putin-zelensky-talks-possible-sri-lanka-financial-crisis-more-466778/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Ukraine's top negotiator said enough progress had been made at talks Tuesday in Turkey to resolve the conflict with Russia to enable a meeting between the presidents of the two countries.

Ukraine's top negotiator said enough progress had been made at talks Tuesday in Turkey to resolve the conflict with Russia to enable a meeting between the presidents of the two countries. "The results of today's meeting are sufficient for a meeting at the leaders' level," Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said, raising the possibility of a meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin that Russia had shot down as recently as Monday as being "counterproductive". Also read | Ukraine and Russia: What are the latest updates? A Russian negotiator welcomed "meaningful" progress with Ukrainian representatives at peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, over a month after Russia invaded its neighbour. The discussions are focussing on the humanitarian situation in war-scarred Ukrainian regions as well as Russia's demand that Ukraine become a neutral state, among other issues. Also read | Zelensky says Ukraine preparing for new Russian offensive in the east, dismisses Russian claims of scaleback Meanwhile, Ukraine called for an international agreement under which other countries would guarantee its security. Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia told reporters the guarantee should resemble NATO's Article 5 which commits alliance members to defend each other. Watch | Gravitas Global Headlines: Putin-Zelensky talks possible, Sri Lanka financial crisis & more

Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky meeting possible after Istanbul talks, says Ukraine

Ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started last month, there have been concerns raised over whether the conflict could spill over the Ukrainian border.&nbsp;

Given the impact that the Ukraine invasion has had on the security environment in the region, Estonia —which shares a border with Russia —has called for NATO to build up a permanent force in the region that is capable of stopping the Russian offensive

In an exclusive conversation, when WION asked Eva-Maria Liimets, the Foreign Minister of Estonia, if she is worried that Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine, the minister said, “We truly hope that this unprovoked and unjustified war started by Russia will end as soon as possible. So that we will not see any more civilian casualties and also that Ukraine could restore its territorial integrity. Here in Estonia, we don't see that there is a direct military threat to any of the NATO countries."

The minister added, "But as we have seen, Russia has a very aggressive approach towards its neighbours, towards democratic countries in the neighbourhood. We, of course, are a bit worried that we need to have a stronger defence posture so we don't give any reasoning for any miscalculations."

There are around 320,000 ethnic Russians in Estonia. When asked about the sentiment prevailing within that community over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Estonian foreign minister said, “This community is well integrated and of course, there are different views among these people. But the majority of them support Estonian views on this issue.”

Talking about China, the minister said it is "very important that China and other countries would really help us to end this war and also pressure Russia to end this war."

Western nations have warned that Russia could be preparing to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine. When asked about her views on this, Eva-Maria Liimets said, "It is really difficult to predict how this war in Ukraine continues. But I personally and truly hope that Russia stops the violation of international law, the UN Charter, and also other agreements related to peace and security. I truly hope that the international community comes together and helps to avoid another massacre where chemical weapons are used.”

The minister also sent out a solidarity message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky through WION.

The minister said, “We continue to support your country politically, also towards your aspiration towards EU (membership). We continue to support your country economically. We continue to support your people. We truly hope the war ends, that your country can restore its territorial integrity within the internationally recognised borders."

"I would ask the Russian president to end this unjustified and unprovoked war,” she added.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;'China needs to put pressure on Russia to end war,' says Estonian foreign minister Eva-Maria Liimets

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-needs-to-put-pressure-on-russia-to-end-war-says-estonian-foreign-minister-eva-maria-liimets-465271/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started last month, there have been concerns raised over whether the conflict could spill over the Ukrainian border. Given the impact that the Ukraine invasion has had on the security environment in the region, Estonia —which shares a border with Russia —has called for NATO to build up a permanent force in the region that is capable of stopping the Russian offensive In an exclusive conversation, when WION asked Eva-Maria Liimets, the Foreign Minister of Estonia, if she is worried that Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine, the minister said, “We truly hope that this unprovoked and unjustified war started by Russia will end as soon as possible.

Ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started last month, there have been concerns raised over whether the conflict could spill over the Ukrainian border. Given the impact that the Ukraine invasion has had on the security environment in the region, Estonia —which shares a border with Russia —has called for NATO to build up a permanent force in the region that is capable of stopping the Russian offensive In an exclusive conversation, when WION asked Eva-Maria Liimets, the Foreign Minister of Estonia, if she is worried that Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine, the minister said, “We truly hope that this unprovoked and unjustified war started by Russia will end as soon as possible. So that we will not see any more civilian casualties and also that Ukraine could restore its territorial integrity. Here in Estonia, we don't see that there is a direct military threat to any of the NATO countries." The minister added, "But as we have seen, Russia has a very aggressive approach towards its neighbours, towards democratic countries in the neighbourhood. We, of course, are a bit worried that we need to have a stronger defence posture so we don't give any reasoning for any miscalculations." There are around 320,000 ethnic Russians in Estonia. When asked about the sentiment prevailing within that community over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Estonian foreign minister said, “This community is well integrated and of course, there are different views among these people. But the majority of them support Estonian views on this issue.” Talking about China, the minister said it is "very important that China and other countries would really help us to end this war and also pressure Russia to end this war." Western nations have warned that Russia could be preparing to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine. When asked about her views on this, Eva-Maria Liimets said, "It is really difficult to predict how this war in Ukraine continues. But I personally and truly hope that Russia stops the violation of international law, the UN Charter, and also other agreements related to peace and security. I truly hope that the international community comes together and helps to avoid another massacre where chemical weapons are used.” The minister also sent out a solidarity message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky through WION. The minister said, “We continue to support your country politically, also towards your aspiration towards EU (membership). We continue to support your country economically. We continue to support your people. We truly hope the war ends, that your country can restore its territorial integrity within the internationally recognised borders." "I would ask the Russian president to end this unjustified and unprovoked war,” she added. Watch | 'China needs to put pressure on Russia to end war,' says Estonian foreign minister Eva-Maria Liimets

Estonian foreign minister to WION: China, other countries must pressure Russia to end Ukraine war

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated today that his country has not seen proof that Russia is withdrawing more troops.

"We don't see any retreat of Russian forces from Ukraine's borders yet," President Voldymyr Zelensky told reporters.

It comes after Russia stated it was drawing out additional troops—this time from the Crimean peninsula.

Earlier today, after declaring that some troops had pulled back, Russia said&nbsp;that military drills in Crimea had ended and troops were returning to their barracks. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/troops-returning-to-permanent-base-after-crimea-drills-russia-453668">Also read | Troops returning to permanent base after Crimea drills: Russia</a>

Moscow's defence ministry said: "Units of the southern military district, having completed their participation in tactical exercises, are moving to their permanent deployment points." 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/target-ukraine-us-f-35-vs-russian-air-force-su-57-jets-who-wins-450431">Also Read in Pics |&nbsp;Target Ukraine: US F-35 vs Russian Air Force SU-57 jets, who wins?</a>

According to Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, there has been no de-escalation on the ground, and Russia "continues the military build-up."

Later today, NATO defence ministers will gather in Brussels to examine the prospect of a Russian invasion.

Watch:&nbsp;Donbass is committing genocide,&nbsp;says Putin

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ukraine-crisis-donbass-is-committing-genocide-says-russian-president-vladimir-putin-453636/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The websites of Ukraine's defence ministry and two banks were taken down by a series of cyber strikes on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is commemorating a day of unity after reports from the United States hinted that Russia might attack today.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/tsirkon-serial-production-russias-race-for-hypersonic-missiles-revealed-452075">Also Read in Pics |&nbsp;Tsirkon 'serial production': Russia's race for hypersonic missiles revealed</a>

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated today that his country has not seen proof that Russia is withdrawing more troops. "We don't see any retreat of Russian forces from Ukraine's borders yet," President Voldymyr Zelensky told reporters.

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated today that his country has not seen proof that Russia is withdrawing more troops. "We don't see any retreat of Russian forces from Ukraine's borders yet," President Voldymyr Zelensky told reporters. It comes after Russia stated it was drawing out additional troops—this time from the Crimean peninsula. Earlier today, after declaring that some troops had pulled back, Russia said that military drills in Crimea had ended and troops were returning to their barracks. Also read | Troops returning to permanent base after Crimea drills: Russia Moscow's defence ministry said: "Units of the southern military district, having completed their participation in tactical exercises, are moving to their permanent deployment points." Also Read in Pics | Target Ukraine: US F-35 vs Russian Air Force SU-57 jets, who wins? According to Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, there has been no de-escalation on the ground, and Russia "continues the military build-up." Later today, NATO defence ministers will gather in Brussels to examine the prospect of a Russian invasion. Watch: Donbass is committing genocide, says Putin The websites of Ukraine's defence ministry and two banks were taken down by a series of cyber strikes on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Ukraine is commemorating a day of unity after reports from the United States hinted that Russia might attack today. Also Read in Pics | Tsirkon 'serial production': Russia's race for hypersonic missiles revealed (With inputs from agencies)

'No sign of Russian troops' withdrawal yet': Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelensky