Russia invades Ukraine: Kyiv says Russian assault in the east to start 'soon'

The New Arab's live coverage of the latest from the Russian invasion of Ukraine concludes for today.

Here were the key developments from Saturday:

'Last battle' for Mariupol

Ukrainian forces have said they are preparing for a "last battle" for the besieged southern city of Mariupol because their ammunition is running out.

"It's death for some of us, and captivity for the rest," the 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces says on Facebook, saying it had been "pushed back" and "surrounded" by the Russian army.

Pro-Russia rebels say they already control Mariupol's port.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he believes "tens of thousands" of people in the city have been killed.

Austrian leader meets Putin

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer meets President Vladimir Putin in Moscow after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

The first European leader to meet Putin since the start of the Russian invasion, Nehammer said it was not "a visit of friendship," and called their conversation "direct, open and hard".

French forensic team arrives in Ukraine

French police officers and forensic doctors have arrived in Ukraine to help investigate the discovery of scores of bodies in civilian clothing scattered in Bucha and other towns around Kyiv after Russia's withdrawal from the region.

Biden, Modi discuss Ukraine

US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual summit, weeks after Biden said New Delhi has been "shaky" in its response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Sixth round of EU sanctions

EU foreign ministers met to discuss a sixth round of sanctions on Moscow.

EU members are divided on whether to impose the sanctions that would hurt Russia the most, a boycott of its oil and gas exports, but diplomats acknowledge there are discussions about the measures.

Ukraine economy collapses

The World Bank has predicted that the war will cause Ukraine's economy to contract by 45.1 percent this year.

More than 4.5 million flee

More than 4.5 million Ukrainian refugees have now fled their country, the United Nations refugee agency says.

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Warsaw takes over Russia-built compound to give to Ukraine

A disputed compound in the Polish capital of Warsaw administered by Russia’s diplomatic mission is being taken over by the city and will be made available to the Ukrainian community, the mayor said Monday.

Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was at the site early Monday and said a bailiff had entered the two apparently empty, fenced buildings, nicknamed “Spyville” by Warsaw residents, to check on their condition and to mark them as seized by the city.

Trzaskowski said Warsaw was getting back the compound “unlawfully” occupied by Russia. 

Russia’s Embassy, which had the tall apartment blocks built in the 1970s on land obtained from the city, has been refusing court orders to pay to lease the land or hand it over.

Once busy, the buildings became empty in the 1990s, after Poland shed its communist rule and Soviet Union's dominance in 1989, and after the Soviet Union itself dissolved in 1991.

Ever since, Poland has been saying that the contract for the lease of the plot of land had expired and demanded that it be returned. But its gates remained closed and guarded.

Ukraine's ambassador, Andrii Deshchytsia, told Poland’s state news agency PAP that Ukraine will file to lease the compound, which could be used for a school or a Ukrainian culture center.

Indian PM Modi suggests direct talks between Putin and Zelensky

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that he has suggested direct talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while adding that he found the situation in Ukraine to be very worrying.

Modi's remarks came before a virtual meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. The Indian prime minister said that news about the killing of civilians in Bucha, Ukraine was particularly worrying.

(Reuters)

Russian regions bordering Ukraine step up security

Three Russian regions bordering Ukraine announced they were stepping up security measures on Monday over what they said were "possible provocations" from the Ukrainian side.

Moscow, which sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in what it called a "special military operation", has accused Ukraine of targeting its border regions, including by striking a fuel depot in the city of Belgorod earlier this month.

The authorities in the Belgorod, Voronezh and Bryansk regions announced they were boosting security and urged citizens to be more vigilant. Another region bordering Ukraine, Kursk, was the first to announce similar measures on Sunday.

"During the special operation by Russian forces on the territory of Ukraine, the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, issues pertaining to anti-terrorist security have become more pressing due to possible provocations from Ukrainian nationalists," said Alexander Gusev, the governor of the Voronezh region, which shares a border with Ukraine's Luhansk region.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod region, said it would implement additional security measures until 25 April to counter what he called terrorist threats. The region borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions.

Gladkov said the population should steer clear of crowded public places, carry identity documents on them, have an evacuation plan and pay special attention to strangers and unusual vehicles near residential buildings.

The Bryansk region, which shares a border with Ukraine's Sumy and Chernihiv regions, said it was also on alert for terrorist threats.

UN officials say Ukraine children, women need more protection

Top officials at the United Nations called Monday for both an investigation into Russia's violence against women during its invasion of Ukraine, and the protection of children in the conflict.

"This war must stop. Now," Sima Bahous, director of the UN women's agency, told a meeting of the Security Council in New York.

"We are increasingly hearing of rape and sexual violence. These allegations must be independently investigated to ensure justice and accountability."

Bahous, who recently returned from a trip to the region, said the combination of "mass displacement with the large presence of conscripts and mercenaries, and the brutality displayed against Ukrainian civilians, has raised all red flags."

It was not clear if the Security Council, on which Russia is a veto-wielding permanent member, would agree to any investigation.

Manuel Fontaine, director of emergency programs at UNICEF, also called for an end to the war and warned of the risk to children of famine.

"Of the 3.2 million children estimated to have remained in their homes, nearly half may be at risk of not having enough food," he told the council.

"The situation is even worse in cities like Mariupol and Kherson, where children and their families have now gone weeks without running water and sanitation services, a regular supply of food, and medical care."

Russia 'provoking hunger in the world' with Ukraine war: EU

Russia is responsible for an escalating global food crisis through its war in Ukraine, notably by bombing wheat stocks and preventing ships from carrying grain abroad, the EU's top diplomat said Monday.

"They are causing scarcity. They are bombing Ukrainian cities and provoking hunger in the world. They are provoking hunger in our world," Josep Borrell told a media conference after chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

Russia starting to reinforce positions in eastern Ukraine: US official

The United States believes that Russia has started reinforcing and resupplying its troops in Donbas in eastern Ukraine, a senior US defence official said on Monday.

The United States did not however believe this was the start of a new offensive in the region, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said the United States did not have evidence that any S-300 missile defense system had been destroyed by Russia.

(Reuters)

Russia almost ready to launch new eastern assault: Ukraine defence ministry

Russia has nearly completed its buildup of forces for a renewed assault on Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukraine's defence ministry said on Monday.

"We forecast that active combat will begin in these areas in the nearest time," defence ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said, adding that Ukraine's army was ready to face the renewed assault.

He did not specify what evidence the ministry based its forecast on. 

(Reuters)

Pro-Russia separatists say in control of Mariupol port: agencies

A pro-Russia rebel leader said Monday that separatist forces in eastern Ukraine have taken control of the port of the strategic city of Mariupol, Russian news agencies reported.

"Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is already under our control," Denis Pushilin, leader of the separatists in the breakaway Donetsk region, said in comments reported by the RIA Novosti news agency.

Russia scolds Google after alleged 'dead Russians' translation option

Russia on Monday demanded Google take immediate steps to remove "threats" against Russians after it said Google Translate had offered some users the option to translate the phrase "dead Russians" instead of "dear Russians".

Russia's communications regulator said it had demanded Google "immediately take measures to exclude statements of threats against Russian users".

The regulator said that when "dear Russians" was typed into Google's translator, it had also offered the variant "dead Russians" under the "Did you mean" section.

The regulator, known as Roskomnadzor, said it did not offer such variants for the phrase with other nationalities. Google did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The regulator "demanded that the American company take comprehensive measures to prevent such situations against Russian users, as well as to inform the agency about the reasons for the appearance of such messages."

Ukrainian forces say they 'did everything possible and impossible' in Mariupol

Ukrainian forces said Monday that they "did everything possible and impossible" to control the southern port of Mariupol, besieged by Russians since the invasion.

"Today will probably be the last battle, as the ammunition is running out," the 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces said on Facebook.

The marines said that is where "the enemy gradually pushed us back" and "surrounded us with fire, and is now trying to destroy us".

Around half of its men are wounded, the brigade said.

"The infantry was all killed and the shooting battles are now conducted by artillerymen, anti-aircraft gunners, radio operators, drivers and cooks. Even the orchestra."

The marines also complained of a lack of support from Ukraine's military leadership: "No one wants to communicate with us anymore because we've been written off."

But the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces Valeriy Zaluzhny wrote on Facebook that "the connection with the units of the defence forces that heroically hold the city is stable and maintained".

The Ukrainian army is doing everything to "win and save the lives of personnel and civilians in all directions", he added.

Croatia to expel 24 Russian diplomats, staff

Croatia will expel 24 Russian diplomats and embassy staff over the war in Ukraine, its foreign ministry said on Monday, following a wave of similar moves across Europe.

The foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to Croatia to voice the "strongest condemnation of the brutal aggression against Ukraine and numerous crimes" and to demand that 18 Russian diplomats and six administrative staff leave Croatia.

Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman last month accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of war crimes in Ukraine and voiced hope that his "autocratic regime will not last long".

The Russian embassy in Zagreb slammed his remarks as "absolutely unacceptable".

Croatia is a member of both NATO and the European Union. As an EU country, it imposed sanctions against Moscow after Russian troops invaded Ukraine on 24 February.

Russia says will 'go to court' if declared in default

Moscow will start legal proceedings if it is declared in default by the West, finance minister Anton Siluanov said Monday, after Russia was declared in "selective" default over the weekend.

Russia last week paid its foreign dollar debt in rubles after it was unable to process the payment in foreign currency due to sanctions over Ukraine.

"We will go to court because we have taken all the necessary measure to ensure that investors receive their payments," Siluanov said in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper.

"We will present to the court our invoices confirming our efforts to pay both in foreign currency and in rubles," he said, without specifying which legal body Moscow would turn to.

Credit ratings agency S&P on Saturday said Russia had gone into "selective default" after it repaid dollar-denominated bonds that matured last week in rubles.

The designation, however, only affected Moscow's payments in foreign currencies while the rating for its ruble payments remained unchanged.

Ukraine expects Russian attack in the east 'will begin soon'

Ukraine is expecting Russia to launch a major offensive in the east of the country "soon", Ukrainian defence ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said at a briefing on Monday.

"The enemy has almost finished preparation for assault on the east, the attack will begin soon," he said.

France sends police officers to Ukraine to probe Russian 'war crimes'

French police officers and forensic doctors arrived in Ukraine Monday to help investigate alleged Russian war crimes after hundreds of civilian bodies were discovered in towns around Kyiv, Paris said.

The French interior and justice ministries said they had sent the team to "prevent the impunity of acts constituting war crimes" following the killings that shocked the world.

The ministries said the detectives would "provide concrete support" to Ukrainian and international jurisdictions to probe the killings.

"In agreement with the Ukrainian authorities, it may also contribute to the International Criminal Court investigation."

The experts will help in "identification and collection of evidence," they said.

France's ambassador to Ukraine posted a photograph on Twitter of the uniformed officers standing by a mobile laboratory van in the western city of Lviv.

"Proud to welcome to Lviv the detachment of technical and scientific gendarmes who came to assist their comrades in investigations of war crimes committed near Kyiv," Etienne de Poncins said.

"France is the first to provide such help. They will start work tomorrow."

Canada imposes sanctions on Russian defence sector over Ukraine invasion

Canada said on Monday that it was imposing sanctions on companies in the Russian defence sector and that it was studying options for additional measures in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Monday's sanctions impose restrictions on 33 entities in Russia's defence sector for providing assistance to Russia's military in the conflict, the government said in a statement.

"These entities have provided indirect or direct support to the Russian military and are therefore complicit in the pain and suffering stemming from Vladimir Putin’s senseless war in Ukraine," the statement said.

"Canada continues to monitor the situation, coordinate actions with its international partners and explore options for new measures," it said.

Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 700 individuals and entities from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus since the invasion on 24 February, according to the statement. 

(Reuters)

Sweden's ruling Social Democrats to review party policy on NATO

Sweden's ruling Social Democrat party, which has until now rejected membership of NATO, is reviewing its international security policy in the light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it said on Monday.

The Social Democrats, the biggest party in parliament and who form a single party, minority government, have consistently rejected calls to join NATO, arguing that military non-alignment has served the country well.

But an increasingly belligerent Russia has forced a rethink across the political spectrum in both Sweden and neighbour Finland, which is also outside the 30-member NATO alliance.

"When Russia invaded Ukraine, Sweden's security position changed fundamentally," the Social Democrats said in a statement.

Daily DN quoted Social Democrat party secretary Tobias Baudin saying the review would be complete before the summer.

The Social Democrats said the review was more than a discussion about whether or not to join NATO and aimed to give members the opportunity to give their views on all aspects of security policy.

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and party leadership could still decide to apply to join NATO without the backing of the membership "if the need for a different security policy arises during the (review) process," the Social Democrats said.

(Reuters)

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow will not pause its military operation in Ukraine before the next round of peace talks. 

However, he also said that there was no reason not to continue talks with Kyiv.

(Reuters)

Lithuania wants the NATO battalions in the Baltic countries to be expanded into brigades, the country's defence ministry said on Monday.

A brigade consists of several battalions of troops.

Lithuania and other Baltic states have been consistently calling for more troops in their region and the whole eastern NATO flank since Russia invaded Ukraine.

"Lithuania, together with other countries on the eastern flank of NATO, is seeking to strengthen the battle groups of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence into forward presence brigades," defence minister Arvydas Anusauskas was quoted as saying.

Anusauskas, who did not state the expected size of the brigades, said decisions on reshaping the forces will be taken at a NATO summit in Madrid in June.

(Reuters) 

Italy's premier to sign gas deal with Algeria to cut dependency on Russia

Italian premier Mario Draghi will travel to Algeria on Monday to sign a deal for more natural gas, the latest push by a European Union country to acquire alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia is Italy’s biggest supplier, representing 40% of total imports, followed by Algeria, which provides some 21 billion cubic meters of gas via the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline.

The new deal would add an additional 9 billion cubic meters of gas from Algeria, just eclipsing Russia’s 29 billion cubic meters a year.

The deal between Italy and Algeria is the first concrete result of missions by Italy’s foreign minister to energy-producing nations to secure alternate sources, also including Azerbaijan, Qatar, Congo, Angola and Mozambique.

Austria leader on Moscow trip to discuss 'humanitarian corridors'

A visit by Austria's chancellor to Moscow on Monday is aimed at mitigating "the humanitarian hell in Ukraine", notably by pleading for "humanitarian corridors", his foreign minister said.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer was to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, becoming the first European leader to visit Moscow since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

While "this is not an EU-mandated trip", Nehammer informed key EU leaders beforehand, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told reporters in Luxembourg.

He said Nehammer decided to go to Moscow following a visit to Kyiv on Saturday and talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Nehammer was taking with him "a very clear political message," Schallenberg said, that Putin "is isolating Russia, that he will lose this war morally, and that he is doing everything wrong that can be done wrong".

He will also push for "humanitarian corridors" to evacuate civilians trapped in places such as the besieged city of Mariupol, and for "international humanitarian organisations to be able to conduct their work," Schallenberg said.

Nehammer was also expected to raise alleged war crimes in Bucha and other devastated areas around Kyiv, where Ukrainian authorities say more than 1,200 bodies were found after Russian forces withdrew.

Ukrainian forces ready for 'last battle' in Mariupol

Ukrainian forces are preparing for a "last battle" to control the southern port of Mariupol, besieged by Russians since the invasion, marines in the city said Monday.

"Today will probably be the last battle, as the ammunition is running out," the 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces said on Facebook.

"It's death for some of us, and captivity for the rest," it added, saying it had been "pushed back" and "surrounded" by the Russian army.

Russia's war to shrink Ukraine economy 45%: World Bank

The World Bank says Ukraine's economy will shrink by 45.1% this year because of Russia's invasion, which has shut down half of the country's businesses, choked off imports and exports, and damaged a vast amount of critical infrastructure.

Unprecedented sanctions imposed by Western allies in response to the war, meanwhile, are plunging Russia into a deep recession, lopping off more than a tenth of its economic growth, the World Bank said in a report Sunday.

The war is set to inflict twice the amount of economic damage across Europe and Central Asia that the Covid-19 pandemic did, the Washington-based lender said in its “War in the Region” economic report.

“The magnitude of the humanitarian crisis unleashed by the war is staggering," said Anna Bjerde, the World Bank's vice president for the Europe and Central Asia region. "The Russian invasion is delivering a massive blow to Ukraine’s economy and it has inflicted enormous damage to infrastructure.”

The report said economic activity is impossible in "large swathes of areas" in Ukraine because productive infrastructure like roads, bridges, ports and train tracks have been destroyed.

Zelensky asks South Korea to provide arms to fight Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged South Korea on Monday to provide his country with arms to help it fight Russia's military.

Zelensky made the request in a video address to South Korean lawmakers that came hours after Seoul’s defence ministry confirmed it had rejected a Ukrainian request for anti-aircraft weapons during a call between the countries’ defence ministers last week.

The ministry cited the South Korean government’s principle of limiting its military help to Ukraine to non-lethal supplies.

“The Republic of Korea has tanks, ships and various equipment that can block Russian missiles and we would be grateful if the Republic of Korea could help us fight back against Russia,” Zelensky said, using South Korea’s formal name.

“If Ukraine is able to receive such weapons, it will not only help us save the lives of our ordinary citizens but also provide Ukraine an opportunity to survive as a nation, and also help prevent other countries from being attacked by Russia,” said Zelensky, whose comments were dubbed over by a translator during the televised speech.

Joining US-led international sanctions against Moscow, South Korea has already banned the export of strategic materials to Russia and ended transactions with key Russian banks and sovereign wealth funds.

Zelensky thanked South Korea for those efforts but said sanctions alone haven't been enough to meaningfully stop the Russian aggression.

“Russia doesn't care how many people die," he said.

(Reuters)

Kremlin says NATO membership for Finland, Sweden won't bring stability to Europe

The Kremlin said on Monday that the possible accession of Sweden and Finland to the NATO military alliance would not bring stability to Europe.

"We have repeatedly said that the alliance remains a tool geared towards confrontation and its further expansion will not bring stability to the European continent," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call when asked about the possibility of Sweden and Finland joining NATO.

US officials told The Times that Sweden and Finland could join the military alliance as early as this summer.

Read more on this story here 

(Reuters)

German paper hires Russian journalist after anti-war stunt

German newspaper Die Welt said Monday it has hired Marina Ovsyannikova, the Russian journalist who protested against Moscow's military action in Ukraine during a primetime news broadcast on state TV.

Ovsyannikova, 43, "is now a freelance correspondent for Die Welt, reporting from Ukraine and Russia, among other places", the newspaper said in a statement.

Ovsyannikova, an editor at Russia's Channel One television, barged onto the set of its flagship Vremya (Time) evening news in March holding a poster reading 'No War' in English.

After her protest she was detained and questioned for 14 hours before being released and ordered to pay a fine of 30,000 rubles ($280).

She could face further prosecution, risking years in prison under draconian new laws.

Ovsyannikova's first piece for Die Welt, an opinion article entitled 'The Russians are afraid', was published Monday morning.

(AFP, The New Arab)

Zelensky says tens of thousands likely killed in Mariupol

Tens of thousands of people have died in the southeastern city of Mariupol since Russia began its assault there, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.

"Mariupol has been destroyed, there are tens of thousands of dead, but even despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive," Zelensky said in a video address to South Korean lawmakers.

Mariupol mayor said Wednesday that 5,000 civilians had been killed in the besieged port town since Russia's invasion began in February.

The UN said on 25 March that at least 1,035 civilians had been killed.

EU executive working on possible Russian oil embargo, ministers say

The European Union's executive is drafting proposals for a possible EU oil embargo on Russia, the foreign ministers of Ireland, Lithuania and the Netherlands said on Monday, although there is still no agreement to ban Russian crude.

"They are now working on ensuring that oil is part of the next sanctions package," Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said of the European Commission as he arrived for a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg.

"We are looking at all other (sanctions), including energy," Dutch foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra said.

(Reuters)

Russia's Gazprom continues gas exports to Europe via Ukraine

Russian state-owned gas producer Gazprom continued to supply natural gas to Europe via Ukraine on Monday in line with requests from European consumers, the company said.

Gazprom said requests stood at 94.9 million cubic metres for 11 April, in line with an earlier report by Interfax news agency, which cited data from Ukraine's gas pipeline operator. 

(Reuters)

Russia says it struck S-300 missile systems given to Ukraine by European state

Russia has destroyed S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems which had been supplied to Ukraine by a European country, Russia's defence ministry said on Monday.

The ministry said that Russian sea-launched Kalibr missiles on Sunday destroyed four S-300 launchers which were concealed in a hangar on the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Russia said 25 Ukrainian troops were hit in the attack.

Russia did not say which European country had supplied the S-300 systems.

Slovakia, which had donated such a missile system to Ukraine, denied on Sunday that the one it supplied had been hit. It said such reports were Russian lies.

Russian forces also shot down two Ukrainian Su-25 aircraft near the city of Izium and destroyed two ammunition depots, one of which was near the southern city of Mykolaiv, the Russian defence ministry said.

(Reuters)