Kyiv said Saturday it has destroyed another Russian warship near the Black Sea’s Snake Island, where Ukrainian forces were awarded for heroism after rebuffing Russian demands to surrender.
United Nation’s Human Rights Office informed on Friday that 3,309 people, including 234 children have been killed since the beginning of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. Additionally, 3,493 people are reported to be injured including 350 children.
Dozens more civilians were rescued Friday from the tunnels under the besieged steel mill where Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol have been making their last stand to prevent Moscow’s complete takeover of the strategically important port city.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said diplomatic efforts were underway to save the remaining fighters holed up inside the Azovstal steelworks in the city of Mariupol, as more civilians were evacuated from the bombed-out plant.
Read more news on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis here.
Here are the latest updates:
UKRAINE
Bombing of school in Ukrainian town kills two, 60 more under debris – Governor
Two people have been killed in the Russian bombing of a school in the Ukrainian village of Bilohorivka and 60 who remained under debris are feared dead, Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the Luhansk region, said on Sunday.
Mr. Gaidai said Russia dropped a bomb on Saturday afternoon on the school where about 90 people were sheltering. Thirty people have been rescued. – Reuters
UKRAINE
Ukraine’s Mariupol defenders face final showdown with Russian invaders
Ukraine’s last soldiers in the port city of Mariupol face a brutal final showdown Sunday with besieging Russian forces, who are hoping to deliver a critical win ahead of the country’s victory day.
President Volodymyr Zelensky is also set to hold talks with G7 leaders via video conference to discuss the situation in his country, which fears a renewed intensity to Moscow’s offensive after the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks. – AFP
UKRAINE
Last women and children evacuated from Ukrainian steel mill
Russian forces kept up their barrage of southern Ukraine, hitting the major Black Sea port of Odesa with cruise missiles and bombarding the steelworks up the coast in Mariupol, where Ukrainian fighters remained trapped underground after the last civilians were brought out to safety.
Moscow was aiming to complete its conquest of Mariupol in time for Victory Day celebrations on Monday. But it was facing stiff resistance elsewhere. – AP
KYIV
Ukraine says sank Russian landing craft at Snake Island
Kyiv said Saturday it has destroyed another Russian warship near the Black Sea’s Snake Island, where Ukrainian forces were awarded for heroism after rebuffing Russian demands to surrender.
Ukraine’s defence ministry said in a statement an armed drone had destroyed a Serna-class landing craft and an missile defence system at the small island under Russian control. – AFP
BUCHAREST
Jill Biden hears heartbreak of Ukrainian moms now in Romania
Jill Biden on Saturday heard heartbreaking stories from Ukrainian women and children who fled Russia’s war and found safe haven across the border in Romania, and the American first lady praised the Romanian government and relief organizations for the range of humanitarian aid they are providing to refugees.
At a Romanian public school hosting refugee students, Ms Biden saw firsthand the relief efforts to assist some of the 900,000 Ukrainians who have fled to Romania since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Most of those Ukrainians have moved on to other countries, but many — mainly women and children — have remained as the fighting rages. – AP
NEW DELHI
Path of diplomacy, dialogue should be the only viable option: India on Ukraine conflict
The path of diplomacy and dialogue should be the only viable option for addressing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and no solution can be reached by shedding blood, India has said, as it reiterated its deep concern at the worsening situation in the East European country.
Russia on Friday hosted a Security Council Arria-formula meeting on ‘Systematic and mass grave violations of the international humanitarian law as well as other war crimes committed by the Ukrainian military personnel and militia and discovered in the course of the ongoing special military operation of the Russian armed forces.’ Counsellor in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Pratik Mathur said that India continues to remain “deeply concerned” at the worsening situation in Ukraine and reiterated the call for the immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities.
“We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. We have emphasised right from the beginning of the conflict that the path of diplomacy and dialogue should be the only viable option,” he said.
UNITED NATIONS
Meenakshi Lekhi discusses Ukraine conflict, impact on food, energy with UN General Assembly President
Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi discussed the Ukraine conflict and its impact on food and energy as well as the situation in Afghanistan with the President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid in New York.