Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Red Cross postpones Mariupol evacuation

Facing deeper isolation by the day over the Ukraine war, Russia seemed to slightly recalibrate its stance Thursday, allowing greater humanitarian access to the devastated port city of Mariupol and apparently retreating from a payment confrontation with European gas customers. But Western officials said they saw little evidence to support Russia’s claims that it was greatly reducing its military presence around Kyiv, and fighting continued unabated in areas around the city. Stay tuned for more updates.

Red Cross postpones Mariupol evacuation, will try again Saturday

The Red Cross said a team sent to help evacuate thousands of civilians from Mariupol on Friday had been forced to turn around, but would try again Saturday.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said its team of three cars and nine staff that had been heading to the besieged Ukrainian port city had been forced to turn back "after arrangements and conditions made it impossible to proceed".

The team "did not reach Mariupol or facilitate the safe passage of civilians today," the ICRC said in a statement, adding that they had returned to Zaporizhzhia, more than 200 kilometres away. - AFP.

Russian soldiers likely exposed to Chernobyl radiation: Ukraine

Russian soldiers were likely exposed to radiation while they were occupying the area around the Chernobyl nuclear power station over the past four weeks, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.

Vehicles used by Russian forces would have raised radioactive dust clouds and soldiers also dug trenches in the most contaminated part of the site, Ukraine's nuclear agency Energoatom said. - AFP.

PM Modi conveys to Lavrov India's readiness to contribute to peace efforts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday conveyed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that India stands ready to contribute in any way to the peace efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and called for early cessation of violence in that country.

The prime minister communicated this when Lavrov called on him after holding wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, a day after arriving in India on a two-day visit.

Ahead of his meeting with Modi, Lavrov said at a media briefing that India, with its "just and rational" approach towards international problems, can support the peace efforts if it chooses to play such a role.

"Foreign Minister Lavrov briefed the prime minister on the situation in Ukraine, including the ongoing peace negotiations," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.

"The prime minister reiterated his call for an early cessation of violence, and conveyed India's readiness to contribute in any way to the peace efforts," it said. - PTI.

Kyiv satellite town Bucha recaptured by Ukraine, mayor says

Ukrainian forces have recaptured the town of Bucha, near the capital Kyiv, its mayor said on Friday.

"March 31 will go down in the history of our town... as the day of its liberation from Russian (forces)," Mayor Anatolii Fedoruk said in a video which appeared to be filmed outside Bucha's town hall. - Reuters.

Russian defence ministry says two of Ukraine's Mi-24 helicopters entered Russian airspace around 5 am, hit oil depot in Belgorod region

UNESCO says 53 Ukrainian historic, religious site damaged during Russia invasion

Governor of Donetsk region says Russian side is not fulfilling its promises on humanitarian corridor for Mariupol

Ukraine has exchanged 86 servicemen with Russia: Kyiv

Ukraine on Friday exchanged 86 servicemen with Russia, a senior Kyiv official said Friday.

"The exchange has just taken place, 86 of Ukraine's servicemen, including 15 women, are already safe," Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the Ukrainian president's deputy chief of staff said in a video message on Telegram. - AFP.

Ukraine MPs back bill to boost taxes on foreign firms still working in Russia

The Ukrainian parliament approved on Friday a bill to ramp up taxes on foreign companies in Ukraine by 50% if they continue to operate in Russia.

The move is the authorities' latest bid to isolate Russia over its invasion, which began on Feb. 24 and which Ukraine estimates to have cost it so far more than $560 billion in economic losses and damage to infrastructure.

The new law targets companies whose continued operations in Russia "provide the aggressor state with the necessary financial resources to continue hostilities in the sovereign territory of Ukraine", according to its initiators in parliament. - Reuters.

In call with Putin, Erdogan calls for common sense, dialogue - Turkish presidency

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called for Russia and Ukraine to act with common sense and maintain dialogue in a call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, his office said on Friday.

Erdogan and Putin also discussed peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul this week. Erdogan said the "positive and constructive" talks had raised hopes for peace, the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

"Erdogan, who stated that it was important for the sides to act with common sense and maintain dialogue, noted he wanted to cap off the peace efforts by bringing together Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy," it added. - Reuters.

IAEA asks to visit Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has requested that its specialists be authorised to visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Interfax news agency quoted the head of Russia's atomic agency Rosatom as saying on Friday. - Reuters.

EU chief warns China of 'reputational damage' if it backs Russia's Ukraine war

Moscow accuses Kyiv of air strike in Russia in new snag for talks

Moscow on Friday accused Kyiv of carrying out its first air strike on Russian soil, further dashing hopes of any deescalation in President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine.

Peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials resumed via video, but Moscow warned that the helicopter attack on a fuel depot in the town of Belgorod would hamper negotiations.

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Botin urges EU to define green lending to reduce dependence on Russian energy

The chairman of Spanish bank Santander on Friday called for the European Union to define what kind of lending is considered consistent with a net zero energy policy, to help hasten moves to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas.

The EU, which was already targeting a shift towards green energy from fossil fuels, has said since Russia invaded Ukraine in February that it will cut Russian gas imports by two-thirds this year and end the use of Russian gas by 2027. - Reuters.

Russia using church as staging ground for Kyiv assault, says senior US administration official

Russian forces are using a church site 22 miles northwest of Kyiv as a staging ground for their assault on the Ukrainian capital, a senior US administration official said on Friday.

"Military personnel are situated both on the grounds of the church and the surrounding residential area," the official said on condition of anonymity and without citing evidence. - Reuters.

Zelenskyy says he spoke with France's Macron about necessity of implementing Mariupol evacuation initiative

Putin discusses measures to curb internal security threats

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed additional measures to "avert and neutralise internal security threats" with members of his Security Council on Friday, TASS news agency reported, as Moscow continues its military campaign in Ukraine.

Last month Putin delivered a stark warning to Russian "traitors" who he said the West wanted to use as a "fifth column" to destroy the country. - Reuters.

Ukraine defence ministry spokesperson, during a briefing, declines comment on Russian allegations that Ukraine hit a fuel depot inside Russia

With the Russian army camped at the city's gates, the days all seem the same in Kharkiv: rockets and missiles fall regularly on Ukraine's second city

EBRD forecasts Ukraine's GDP will contract by 20% in 2022

Ukraine’s GDP will contract by 20% in 2022 but could rise by 23% in 2023 if a ceasefire is brokered quickly, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said in a forecast issued on Friday.

The EBRD said that if a ceasefire is signed "within a couple of months", and followed quickly by a major reconstruction programme in Ukraine, it "will bring GDP by end-2023 back close to, but still below, pre-war levels."

The EBRD also said sanctions on Russia were expected to remain "for the foreseeable future," and forecast that Russia's economy would stagnate in 2023 after a sharp drop in 2022. - Reuters.

Russia pulling back some troops in Kyiv and Chernihiv

Russia is pulling back some of its forces in the northern Ukrainian regions of Kyiv and Chernihiv, the two regions' governors said on Friday.

Russia said that during negotiations on Tuesday that it would scale down operations in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. Fighting has continued in both regions and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said Russian forces are not withdrawing but regrouping.

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Kyiv mayor says there is a huge battle going on to the north and east of the capital

Erdogan says he will urge Putin to take steps on Donbas, Crimea with Zelenskyy

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he will tell his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a phone call later that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy need to take a step to address issues over Ukraine's Donbas region and Crimea.

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Erdogan said he will hold the phone call with Putin at 1300 GMT and renew an offer to host the Russian and Ukrainian leaders for peace talks, which he said Zelenskyy was warm towards after their call on Thursday.

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said his country would be grateful to Turkey if it could help organise a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. - Reuters.

EU proposes letting Ukraine refugees convert their money into euros

The European Commission proposed on Friday allowing Ukraine refugees to convert their hryvnia currency into euros up to a maximum of around 300 euros ($331.7) person, as part of the bloc's humanitarian assistance to those fleeing the war.

The proposal, which takes the form of a recommendation to EU governments and would need their backing, would allow those who have fled to the European Union the right to convert a maximum of 10,000 hryvnia per person without charges. - Reuters.

Russia-Ukraine talks resume via video

Russia and Ukraine on Friday resumed peace talks by video conference, a negotiator said, after Moscow reported a Ukrainian air strike on a fuel depot in western Russia.

"We are continuing talks by video conference," Moscow's chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on Telegram. "Our positions on Crimea and Donbass have not changed."

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held face-to-face talks in Istanbul on Tuesday. The talks provided a spark of hope for an end to the more than a month of fighting in Ukraine but there are few signs of attacks abating on the ground. - AFP.

Ukraine presidential adviser says Mariupol is still withstanding Russian offensive

German defence ministry approves delivery of armoured fighting vehicles to Ukraine from Czech Republic

Firefighters are seen putting out a fire at a fuel storage facility in Belgorod, after "an air strike carried out by two Ukrainian army helicopters" according to the local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov

Ukraine foreign minister says he cannot confirm or deny reports of Ukrainian involvement in Belgorod strike as he does not have military information

Russia won't turn off gas supplies to Europe from Friday, Kremlin says

Rouble payments that Russia is insisting on for its gas exports will affect settlements due in late April and May, and Russia will not turn off gas supplies to Europe on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

President Vladimir Putin signed an order on Thursday stipulating the change of currency, which European governments have called an unacceptable breach of contract.

"Does this mean that if there is no confirmation in roubles, then gas supplies will be cut off from April 1? No, it doesn't, and it doesn't follow from the decree," Peskov told reporters. - Reuters.

Will intensify efforts to bypass dollar-based payment system: Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov

Russia has developed a system to engage in trade in national currencies with countries like India and efforts to move away from the dollar-based payment system will intensify, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

Soon after holding talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, he said Russia is exploring ways to bypass impediments for bilateral trade with its allies and partners.

Lavrov said a rupee-rouble payment system for trade with India was put into place earlier and it could be strengthened further.

"More and more transactions will be done using national currencies and bypassing dollar-based system," he told a select group of reporters. - PTI.

China blames US, NATO growth for Ukraine war

China is accusing the United States of instigating the war in Ukraine and says NATO should have been disbanded following the break-up of the Soviet Union.

“As the culprit and leading instigator of the Ukraine crisis, the US has led NATO to engage in five rounds of eastward expansion in the last two decades after 1999,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing Friday.

“The number of NATO members increased from 16 to 30, and they have moved eastward more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) to somewhere near the Russian border, pushing Russia to the wall step by step,” Zhao said. - AP.

Sergei Lavrov says open to India mediating in Ukraine crisis

Lavrov says the peace talks with Ukraine need to continue

Nearly 300,000 refugees from Ukraine recorded in Germany

Almost 300,000 refugees fromUkrainehave been registered in Germany as of Friday, according to Germany's Interior Ministry.

The ministry, citing figures from the federal police, said 294,508 refugees have been recorded so far and most of them are women, children or the elderly.

Top EU officials banned from entering Russia

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that "the top leadership" of the European Union (EU) has been barred from entering the country in response to Brussels' massive sanctions imposed in the wake of Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine.

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Russia withdrawing some troops from Kyiv region: Governor

Russia is continuing to withdraw some of its forces from Ukraine's northern Kyiv region and they are heading towards Belarus, the local governor said on Friday."We are observing the movement of joint (Russian) vehicle columns of various quantities," Governor Oleksandr Pavlyuk wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Russian foreign minister appreciates India's response to Ukraine crisis

Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday Russia appreciated India's response to the Ukraine crisis."We appreciate that India taking this situation in the entirety of facts and not just in a one sided way," Lavrov said in a statement before talks with his Indian counterpart.

Ukraine unable to get supplies into besieged Mariupol, mayor's aide

An aide to the mayor of Mariupol said on Friday the besieged southern Ukrainian city remained closed for anyone trying to enter and was "very dangerous" for anyone trying to leave.

Petro Andryushchenko said Russian forces had since Thursday been preventing even the smallest amount of humanitarian supplies reaching trapped residents, making clear a planned "humanitarian corridor" had not been opened.

Ukraine air strike on fuel depot in Russia: local governor

Ukrainian helicopters have carried out a strike on a fuel storage facility in Russia's western town of Belgorod, the local governor said on Friday.

"There was a fire at the petrol depot because of an air strike carried out by two Ukrainian army helicopters, who entered Russian territory at a low altitude," Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on his Telegram channel.

Five humanitarian corridors agreed in Ukraine, says Governor

Russia regrouping for 'powerful strikes', Zelenskyy warns

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia is consolidating and preparing "powerful strikes" in the country's east and south, including besieged Mariupol, where a new attempt will be made Friday to evacuate civilians from the devastated city.

Russia meanwhile threatened to turn off its gas taps to Europe if payments are not made in rubles, as US President Joe Biden ordered a record release of strategic oil reserves to ease soaring US prices.

UK says Ukraine has retaken villages of Sloboda, Lukashivka

British military intelligence said on Friday Ukrainian forces have retaken the villages of Sloboda and Lukashivka to the south of Chernihiv and located along main supply routes between the city and Kyiv.

"Ukrainehas also continued to make successful but limited counter attacks to the east and north east of Kyiv," Britain's Ministry of Defence said.

Chernihiv and Kyiv have been subjected to continued air and missile strikes despite Russian claims of reducing activity in these areas, the ministry added.

Ukraine’s military: 7 attacks repelled in Donetsk and Luhansk directions.

According to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, over the past 24 hours, Ukraine’s military destroyed 3 tanks, 2 armoured personnel carriers, 2 artillery systems and shot down an Orlan-10 drone.

(The Kyiv Independent)

Russia will not ask EU to end sanctions

Russia will not ask the European Union to end sanctions and has a sufficient "margin of safety", the RIA news agency quoted a Russian foreign ministry official as saying on Friday.

"The European Union is not the centre of the universe," Nikolai Kobrinets, the head of the European cooperation department at the ministry, said.

1,458 Ukrainians evacuated from hot spots on March 31

According to Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, 631 people were evacuated from besieged Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia. The rest were evacuated from Berdiansk, Enerhodar, and other cities in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

(The Kyiv Independent)

Biden: 'Open question' whether Putin is fully informed on his military’s performance in Ukraine

USPresident Joe Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have already fired some of his advisers or placed them under house arrest.

(The Kyiv Independent)

11 settlements in Kherson liberated

Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated 11 settlements in the Khersonregion and seized trophy equipment.

(NEXTA)

After Ukraine, UN atomic watchdog chief visits Russia

UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi was in Russia on Thursday ahead of talks the following day with top Russian officials, after visiting neighbouringUkraine.

Biden says Putin may have put some advisors 'under house arrest'

US President Joe Biden said Thursday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin may have placed some of his advisors under "house arrest" after becoming "isolated" while trying to run the invasion ofUkraine.

In his first public remarks on Western assessments about internal Kremlin tensions over the war inUkraine, Biden also said he was "skeptical" about Moscow's claim to be scaling back its onslaught in parts of the country.

UK says Russia redeploying elements of forces from Georgia to Ukraine

Russia is redeploying elements of its forces from Georgia to reinforce its invasion of Ukraine, British military intelligence said on Thursday.

"Between 1,200 and 2,000 of these Russian troops are being reorganised into 3x Battalion Tactical Groups," Britain's Ministry of Defence said.