Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian forces continued to put up a defiant defense of their country’s cities, limiting Russian ground advances as the Kremlin’s invasion enters its 24th day.
- Major population centers such as Kyiv and Kharkiv remain in Ukrainian hands and Russia’s troops are still “stalled across the country,” the Pentagon said, even as it cautioned that Moscow retains 90 percent of its assembled combat power.
- The United Nations said Friday that roughly 9.8 million people have either fled Ukraine or are internally displaced as a result of the fighting, while 12 million are stranded or otherwise face dangerous living conditions.
More live updates here
- Ukrainian forces continued to put up a defiant defense of their country’s cities, limiting Russian ground advances as the Kremlin’s invasion enters its 24th day.
- Major population centers such as Kyiv and Kharkiv remain in Ukrainian hands and Russia’s troops are still “stalled across the country,” the Pentagon said, even as it cautioned that Moscow retains 90 percent of its assembled combat power.
- The United Nations said Friday that roughly 9.8 million people have either fled Ukraine or are internally displaced as a result of the fighting, while 12 million are stranded or otherwise face dangerous living conditions.
More live updates here
Evacuees from besieged Mariupol describe horrors of Russian attacks
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — Traumatized residents from Mariupol, Ukraine, arrived in a nonstop stream of cars at a humanitarian aid station on Friday, describing urban fighting and devastation as Ukrainian forces appeared to lose their grip on parts of the battered city.
They arrived in a near-constant convoy in the city of Zaporizhzhia, 140 miles to the northwest, their vehicles marked with white flags and signs reading “children” in the hope that it would spare them from attack.
Some families drove cars with their windshields smashed out or shattered from the force of explosions near their homes. One car, struck in a rocket attack, looked as if it had defied the odds by being able to move at all, one side completely punched in by the impact.
But with vehicles the only way out, anything that could move was put to use. Some cars were crammed with eight or nine people.
Read the full story here
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — Traumatized residents from Mariupol, Ukraine, arrived in a nonstop stream of cars at a humanitarian aid station on Friday, describing urban fighting and devastation as Ukrainian forces appeared to lose their grip on parts of the battered city.
They arrived in a near-constant convoy in the city of Zaporizhzhia, 140 miles to the northwest, their vehicles marked with white flags and signs reading “children” in the hope that it would spare them from attack.
Some families drove cars with their windshields smashed out or shattered from the force of explosions near their homes. One car, struck in a rocket attack, looked as if it had defied the odds by being able to move at all, one side completely punched in by the impact.
But with vehicles the only way out, anything that could move was put to use. Some cars were crammed with eight or nine people.
Read the full story here
Mixed signals from Ukraine’s president and his aides leave West confused about his end game
The mounting death toll in Ukraine has forced President Zelensky to consider concessions to Russia in order to bring an end to the devastating conflict, but the specific elements of any peace deal his government may be discussing with Moscow remain a mystery to Western leaders, said U.S. and European officials.
The secretive rounds of meetings between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators could hold the key to ending the conflict but also carry broader implications for European security depending on how the warring parties settle their differences. If Putin can use military force to compel political change in Ukraine, he could use the same tactic elsewhere, officials fear.
The prospects of a near-term deal look bleak, diplomats say, but mixed signals from Zelensky about how close he is to striking an agreement have only heightened anxiety about the trajectory of the negotiations.
Read the full story here
The mounting death toll in Ukraine has forced President Zelensky to consider concessions to Russia in order to bring an end to the devastating conflict, but the specific elements of any peace deal his government may be discussing with Moscow remain a mystery to Western leaders, said U.S. and European officials.
The secretive rounds of meetings between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators could hold the key to ending the conflict but also carry broader implications for European security depending on how the warring parties settle their differences. If Putin can use military force to compel political change in Ukraine, he could use the same tactic elsewhere, officials fear.
The prospects of a near-term deal look bleak, diplomats say, but mixed signals from Zelensky about how close he is to striking an agreement have only heightened anxiety about the trajectory of the negotiations.
Read the full story here
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Our video highlights and what we know at the end of day 24 of the war in Ukraine:
Ukrainian forces appeared to be losing their grip Saturday on Mariupol, with Russian forces advancing farther into parts of the besieged southern port city.
Fierce fighting for control of the strategically important city continued to hinder search and rescue efforts for hundreds of civilians believed trapped beneath the rubble of a theater after Russia bombed it Wednesday.
Other major population centers, including Kyiv and Kharkiv, remained in Ukrainian hands, as the Pentagon estimated that Russia’s troops were “stalled across the country.”
More live updates here:
Ukrainian forces appeared to be losing their grip Saturday on Mariupol, with Russian forces advancing farther into parts of the besieged southern port city.
Fierce fighting for control of the strategically important city continued to hinder search and rescue efforts for hundreds of civilians believed trapped beneath the rubble of a theater after Russia bombed it Wednesday.
Other major population centers, including Kyiv and Kharkiv, remained in Ukrainian hands, as the Pentagon estimated that Russia’s troops were “stalled across the country.”
More live updates here:
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russia’s “continued failure” to gain control of the air has “significantly blunted” its operational progress, British defense intelligence officials said. Satellite images show Russian forces digging in to maintain defensive positions around Kyiv's periphery as Kremlin efforts to seize the capital continue to be frustrated by Ukrainian resistance.
- In a video address to Swiss lawmakers, President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to the government for a “full freeze of all accounts of those who unleashed this war,” calling out Swiss food giant Nestlé for continuing to do business in Russia.
- More than 6,600 people made it through humanitarian corridors in Ukraine on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
- About 1.5 million children have fled Ukraine in the three weeks since Russia’s invasion, UNICEF said Saturday, and they face heightened risk of being trafficked or exploited.
More live updates here
- Russia’s “continued failure” to gain control of the air has “significantly blunted” its operational progress, British defense intelligence officials said. Satellite images show Russian forces digging in to maintain defensive positions around Kyiv's periphery as Kremlin efforts to seize the capital continue to be frustrated by Ukrainian resistance.
- In a video address to Swiss lawmakers, President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to the government for a “full freeze of all accounts of those who unleashed this war,” calling out Swiss food giant Nestlé for continuing to do business in Russia.
- More than 6,600 people made it through humanitarian corridors in Ukraine on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
- About 1.5 million children have fled Ukraine in the three weeks since Russia’s invasion, UNICEF said Saturday, and they face heightened risk of being trafficked or exploited.
More live updates here
Ukrainian officials say Russian forces bombed art school with 400 inside
The city council of Mariupol, in the southeast of Ukraine, alleged on Sunday that Russian armed forces bombed an arts school that was sheltering 400 residents.
The council said in a post on Telegram that women, children and elderly people had taken refuge inside Art School No. 12 in the Left Bank district of eastern Mariupol. It said the building was destroyed on Saturday and civilians “are still under the rubble,” but it did not say whether anyone had died.
“Information on the number of victims is being clarified,” it added.
The Washington Post could not independently verify the council’s claims. Mariupol has been surrounded by Russian armed forces for weeks. Access to food, water and medicine has been limited, and efforts to evacuate civilians have worked only intermittently amid heavy Russian shelling.
More live updates here
The city council of Mariupol, in the southeast of Ukraine, alleged on Sunday that Russian armed forces bombed an arts school that was sheltering 400 residents.
The council said in a post on Telegram that women, children and elderly people had taken refuge inside Art School No. 12 in the Left Bank district of eastern Mariupol. It said the building was destroyed on Saturday and civilians “are still under the rubble,” but it did not say whether anyone had died.
“Information on the number of victims is being clarified,” it added.
The Washington Post could not independently verify the council’s claims. Mariupol has been surrounded by Russian armed forces for weeks. Access to food, water and medicine has been limited, and efforts to evacuate civilians have worked only intermittently amid heavy Russian shelling.
More live updates here
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Our video highlights and what we know at the end of day 24 of the war in Ukraine:
- Russian forces are now present in all civilian neighborhoods in Ukraine’s strategic port city of Mariupol, where the battle for control has descended into house-to-house guerrilla warfare, Ukrainian military and city officials said Sunday.
- Seven humanitarian corridors were established in Ukraine on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. On Saturday, 4,000 people fled Mariupol, where about 39,000 residents have been able to leave over the past week, according to the city council.
- A senior Biden administration official on Sunday ruled out any U.S. military participation in a proposed NATO peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, as heads of state prepare for a planned alliance summit this week.
More live updates here
- Russian forces are now present in all civilian neighborhoods in Ukraine’s strategic port city of Mariupol, where the battle for control has descended into house-to-house guerrilla warfare, Ukrainian military and city officials said Sunday.
- Seven humanitarian corridors were established in Ukraine on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. On Saturday, 4,000 people fled Mariupol, where about 39,000 residents have been able to leave over the past week, according to the city council.
- A senior Biden administration official on Sunday ruled out any U.S. military participation in a proposed NATO peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, as heads of state prepare for a planned alliance summit this week.
More live updates here
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukraine's deputy prime minister rejected the Kremlin's calls to surrender Mariupol by Monday morning amid a bloody onslaught that has descended into intense street fighting.
- The Russian military is approaching a stalemate in many other parts of the country, including outside Kyiv, where munitions struck a shopping center and an apartment complex Sunday. Military experts have expressed concern that the Kremlin will turn to increasingly deadlier missile strikes on Ukrainian cities to compensate for its lack of battlefield progress.
- U.S. President Biden will travel to Europe this week for a summit with other NATO leaders to discuss the war, as well as to Poland to meet with President Andrzej Duda. Poland has floated the idea of creating a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, stemming from NATO or some other organization. A senior Biden administration official on Sunday ruled out any U.S. military participation in a peacekeeping mission.
More live updates here
- Ukraine's deputy prime minister rejected the Kremlin's calls to surrender Mariupol by Monday morning amid a bloody onslaught that has descended into intense street fighting.
- The Russian military is approaching a stalemate in many other parts of the country, including outside Kyiv, where munitions struck a shopping center and an apartment complex Sunday. Military experts have expressed concern that the Kremlin will turn to increasingly deadlier missile strikes on Ukrainian cities to compensate for its lack of battlefield progress.
- U.S. President Biden will travel to Europe this week for a summit with other NATO leaders to discuss the war, as well as to Poland to meet with President Andrzej Duda. Poland has floated the idea of creating a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, stemming from NATO or some other organization. A senior Biden administration official on Sunday ruled out any U.S. military participation in a peacekeeping mission.
More live updates here
Slovenia will ‘soon’ send diplomats back to Kyiv, prime minister says
The prime minister of Slovenia said his country would send diplomats back to Ukraine’s capital “soon,” even as Russian forces close in.
“They are volunteers,” tweeted Prime Minister Janez Jansa. “We are working to make [the European Union] do the same.” He said Ukraine “needs direct diplomatic support.”
Jansa was one of three European heads of government who traveled to Kyiv last week to meet with President Zelensky. Observers called the trip risky, even as approaching Russian forces seemed to have stalled outside the capital.
Late Sunday, explosions rocked Kyiv's Podilskyi district after Russian forces bombed a mall, burying several people in rubble.
Some countries, including the United States, pulled embassy staffers from Kyiv before Russia launched its full-scale invasion, worried about diplomats’ safety as the situation escalated.
More live updates here
The prime minister of Slovenia said his country would send diplomats back to Ukraine’s capital “soon,” even as Russian forces close in.
“They are volunteers,” tweeted Prime Minister Janez Jansa. “We are working to make [the European Union] do the same.” He said Ukraine “needs direct diplomatic support.”
Jansa was one of three European heads of government who traveled to Kyiv last week to meet with President Zelensky. Observers called the trip risky, even as approaching Russian forces seemed to have stalled outside the capital.
Late Sunday, explosions rocked Kyiv's Podilskyi district after Russian forces bombed a mall, burying several people in rubble.
Some countries, including the United States, pulled embassy staffers from Kyiv before Russia launched its full-scale invasion, worried about diplomats’ safety as the situation escalated.
More live updates here
White House believes Russia is seeing a big drop in oil sales, imperiling key source of funding
Senior Biden aides believe that Russia is suffering a dramatic decline in oil sales that stands to deprive the Kremlin of a key source of government revenue, according to a senior administration official and one person briefed by a senior administration official, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to share an assessment not yet made public.
The Biden administration is examining private industry data showing that sales of Russian crude oil by vessel went from roughly 2 million barrels a day to close to zero between March 15 and March 20, the people said.
The official said that more than 2 million barrels of Russian oil sold per day have been taken out of the market and that Asian buyers are not stepping in to fully fill the gap.
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Senior Biden aides believe that Russia is suffering a dramatic decline in oil sales that stands to deprive the Kremlin of a key source of government revenue, according to a senior administration official and one person briefed by a senior administration official, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to share an assessment not yet made public.
The Biden administration is examining private industry data showing that sales of Russian crude oil by vessel went from roughly 2 million barrels a day to close to zero between March 15 and March 20, the people said.
The official said that more than 2 million barrels of Russian oil sold per day have been taken out of the market and that Asian buyers are not stepping in to fully fill the gap.
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Our video highlights and what we know at the end of day 25 of the war in Ukraine
- President Zelensky remained defiant Monday, saying he would never agree to an ultimatum from Russia or surrender Ukraine’s cities, even as the Kremlin continued its bombardment of the capital, the coast and elsewhere.
- In Kyiv, an attack on a shopping mall late Sunday reduced much of the area to rubble, killing at least eight people and leaving civilians on edge. The capital remains one of Moscow’s primary targets.
- Ukrainian officials said seven of the eight humanitarian corridors for Ukrainians fleeing violence operated successfully Monday, allowing just over 8,000 people to evacuate, most from Mariupol and the Kyiv region.
- Ukrainians have grown more confident in their country’s ability to repel Russia’s invasion, according to a new poll that found 91 percent of Ukrainian respondents believe Ukraine will emerge victorious from the war.
More live updates here
- President Zelensky remained defiant Monday, saying he would never agree to an ultimatum from Russia or surrender Ukraine’s cities, even as the Kremlin continued its bombardment of the capital, the coast and elsewhere.
- In Kyiv, an attack on a shopping mall late Sunday reduced much of the area to rubble, killing at least eight people and leaving civilians on edge. The capital remains one of Moscow’s primary targets.
- Ukrainian officials said seven of the eight humanitarian corridors for Ukrainians fleeing violence operated successfully Monday, allowing just over 8,000 people to evacuate, most from Mariupol and the Kyiv region.
- Ukrainians have grown more confident in their country’s ability to repel Russia’s invasion, according to a new poll that found 91 percent of Ukrainian respondents believe Ukraine will emerge victorious from the war.
More live updates here
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Russia has used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, President Biden confirmed Monday, a move he suggested was in response to Moscow’s stalled ground campaign. Russia said last week that it had twice launched the missiles, which travel faster than five times the speed of sound and haven’t previously been used in combat.
- Satellite images released Monday offer a bird’s-eye view of the destruction in Mariupol, showing large swaths of bombed-out neighborhoods, with gray and black smoke marking smoldering ruins. The port city has refused to surrender despite weeks of bombardment.
- Biden warned Putin could seek to escalate the war by using biological and chemical weapons in Ukraine, though he did not provide evidence. The Pentagon also said it has detected “increased naval activity” in the northern Black Sea, where the port city of Odessa is bracing for a potential assault.
More live updates here.
- Russia has used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, President Biden confirmed Monday, a move he suggested was in response to Moscow’s stalled ground campaign. Russia said last week that it had twice launched the missiles, which travel faster than five times the speed of sound and haven’t previously been used in combat.
- Satellite images released Monday offer a bird’s-eye view of the destruction in Mariupol, showing large swaths of bombed-out neighborhoods, with gray and black smoke marking smoldering ruins. The port city has refused to surrender despite weeks of bombardment.
- Biden warned Putin could seek to escalate the war by using biological and chemical weapons in Ukraine, though he did not provide evidence. The Pentagon also said it has detected “increased naval activity” in the northern Black Sea, where the port city of Odessa is bracing for a potential assault.
More live updates here.
U.N. agencies setting up border refugee centers to help separated families
United Nations agencies are setting up support centers for children and women fleeing the war in Ukraine that are designed to protect them and serve as information hubs for traveling families, a spokesman for the U.N. secretary general said.
Workers at the "Blue Dot" centers, at border entry points and other strategic locations in neighboring countries, will identify unaccompanied or separated children and help them reconnect with their families.
A UNICEF news release said the hubs will also offer psychosocial support and referrals to social workers and health services.
According to UNICEF, 26 Blue Dots — which can each serve up to 5,000 people a day — will be opened in Moldova, Romania, Belarus, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Read the full story here.
United Nations agencies are setting up support centers for children and women fleeing the war in Ukraine that are designed to protect them and serve as information hubs for traveling families, a spokesman for the U.N. secretary general said.
Workers at the "Blue Dot" centers, at border entry points and other strategic locations in neighboring countries, will identify unaccompanied or separated children and help them reconnect with their families.
A UNICEF news release said the hubs will also offer psychosocial support and referrals to social workers and health services.
According to UNICEF, 26 Blue Dots — which can each serve up to 5,000 people a day — will be opened in Moldova, Romania, Belarus, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Read the full story here.
Biden heads to Europe in an effort to bolster the Western alliance
President Biden will travel to Belgium and Poland this week, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches the one-month mark with no sign of letting up.
Biden will land in Brussels Wednesday night, where he will attend a NATO summit, a Group of 7 meeting and a session of European Union heads of state. He will then travel to Poland, where he will meet President Duda on Saturday and is expected to promise significant U.S. help with the refugee crisis.
As divisions emerge between allies who want to supply offensive weapons such as fighter jets and others who are wary of escalating the confrontation with Moscow, Biden will seek to hold together a Western alliance that is beginning to show potential cracks.
Read the full story here.
President Biden will travel to Belgium and Poland this week, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches the one-month mark with no sign of letting up.
Biden will land in Brussels Wednesday night, where he will attend a NATO summit, a Group of 7 meeting and a session of European Union heads of state. He will then travel to Poland, where he will meet President Duda on Saturday and is expected to promise significant U.S. help with the refugee crisis.
As divisions emerge between allies who want to supply offensive weapons such as fighter jets and others who are wary of escalating the confrontation with Moscow, Biden will seek to hold together a Western alliance that is beginning to show potential cracks.
Read the full story here.
U.N. chief says the ‘war is going nowhere, fast’
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres described the war in Ukraine as “unwinnable” Tuesday, calling for an end to the fighting and for serious negotiations at the “peace table.”
In the nearly one month since Russian began its invasion, Guterres told reporters that the fighting has only become more “destructive and more unpredictable.”
He spoke of Mariupol, the Ukrainian port city on the Sea of Azov that has been the site of continued destruction, with strikes hitting a maternity ward and a theater that served as a shelter, and where the conflict has devolved into house-to-house warfare.
Read the full story here.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres described the war in Ukraine as “unwinnable” Tuesday, calling for an end to the fighting and for serious negotiations at the “peace table.”
In the nearly one month since Russian began its invasion, Guterres told reporters that the fighting has only become more “destructive and more unpredictable.”
He spoke of Mariupol, the Ukrainian port city on the Sea of Azov that has been the site of continued destruction, with strikes hitting a maternity ward and a theater that served as a shelter, and where the conflict has devolved into house-to-house warfare.
Read the full story here.
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Our video highlights and what we know at the end of day 26 of the war in Ukraine
- Biden, in his trip to Europe, is seeking to hold together a Western alliance that is beginning to show potential cracks. He will make a symbolic appearance in Poland, a country whose leaders fear it could be a future target of Russian aggression.
- Forest fires have broken out around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine’s parliament said, raising fears they could spread radiation.
- At least 82,525 square kilometers (31,863 square miles) of land in Ukraine could be laced with dangerous explosive devices, according to the Ukrainian Sappers’ Association, a national demining nonprofit.
More live updates here.
- Biden, in his trip to Europe, is seeking to hold together a Western alliance that is beginning to show potential cracks. He will make a symbolic appearance in Poland, a country whose leaders fear it could be a future target of Russian aggression.
- Forest fires have broken out around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine’s parliament said, raising fears they could spread radiation.
- At least 82,525 square kilometers (31,863 square miles) of land in Ukraine could be laced with dangerous explosive devices, according to the Ukrainian Sappers’ Association, a national demining nonprofit.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- President Biden will announce a new package of sanctions against Russia this week when he travels to Brussels to meet with European leaders, the White House said.
- Moscow’s siege of the strategic port city of Mariupol has entered a bloody new phase. Russian forces are shelling from the sea and vivid new satellite images show widespread destruction. Approximately 6,000 were evacuated Tuesday, but about 100,000 people are still trapped — many without food or water — in conditions President Zelensky has described as “inhumane.”
- Zelensky said talks are underway for two potential high-level visits from dignitaries: Pope Francis and the foreign minister of Greece, who offered to lead a humanitarian mission to Mariupol.
- The Pentagon said it had seen indications of Kyiv’s forces going on the offensive, with Ukraine saying Tuesday that it had retaken the town of Makariv, near the capital.
More live updates here.
- President Biden will announce a new package of sanctions against Russia this week when he travels to Brussels to meet with European leaders, the White House said.
- Moscow’s siege of the strategic port city of Mariupol has entered a bloody new phase. Russian forces are shelling from the sea and vivid new satellite images show widespread destruction. Approximately 6,000 were evacuated Tuesday, but about 100,000 people are still trapped — many without food or water — in conditions President Zelensky has described as “inhumane.”
- Zelensky said talks are underway for two potential high-level visits from dignitaries: Pope Francis and the foreign minister of Greece, who offered to lead a humanitarian mission to Mariupol.
- The Pentagon said it had seen indications of Kyiv’s forces going on the offensive, with Ukraine saying Tuesday that it had retaken the town of Makariv, near the capital.
More live updates here.