The British PM wanted to show ‘unwavering support for the people of Ukraine’ by visiting Kyiv
Boris Johnson walks Kyiv streets with Zelensky
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Russia’s aggression was a “catastrophe” not just limited to Ukraine. He said that the whole of Europe was a target.
Mr Zelensky urged the west to impose a complete embargo on Russian energy products and to supply Ukraine with more weapons.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has offered Mr Zelensky 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems during their meeting in Kyiv, according to Downing Street.
The British PM’s surprise visit to Ukraine’s capital to meet Mr Zelensky in person is his first since Vladimir Putin launched the Russian invasion on 24 February. He said it was to show “unwavering support” for Ukraine.
Following their meeting, Mr Johnson said in a statement: “We are stepping up our own military and economic support and convening a global alliance to bring this tragedy to an end, and ensure Ukraine survives and thrives as a free and sovereign nation.”
It comes the day after he announced a further £100 million worth of UK military assistance, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft weaponry.
Meanwhile, with Mr Zelensky warning of a “decisive battle” with Putin amassing troops in eastern Ukraine, authorities told civilians in Luhansk to flee. Ten humanitarian corridors in Donbas are reportedly agreed for evacuations today, including from Mariupol.
A senior US defence official was quoted as saying by Reuters that the Pentagon believes Russian forces used an SS-21 Scarab missile to attack the train station in Kramatorsk on Friday morning. More than 50 people died in the attack.
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“The solidarity of countries, companies and people worldwide offers some light in this dark hour,” the European Commission said in a statement on Saturday.
The commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “We will continue providing support. And once the bombs have stopped falling, we will help the people of Ukraine rebuild their country. We will continue to stand up for Ukraine.”
“Whether it’s food, water, shelter, or medical aid – we will continue to have your backs and provide the assistance you need at this time. We are standing up for Ukraine,” Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said in the statement.
Maroosha Muzaffar10 April 2022 06:10
Zelensky calls for more sanctions, weapons to stop Russian ‘catastrophe’
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Russia’s aggression was a “catastrophe” not just limited to Ukraine. He said that the whole of Europe was a target.
Mr Zelensky urged the west to impose a complete embargo on Russian energy products and to supply Ukraine with more weapons.
“Russia’s use of force was a catastrophe that will inevitably hit everyone,” he said. “Russian aggression was not intended to be limited to Ukraine alone… the whole European project is a target for Russia.”
The president added: “Russia can still afford to live in illusions and bring new military forces and new equipment to our land. And that means we need even more sanctions and even more weapons for our state.”
Maroosha Muzaffar10 April 2022 05:50
Mexico ‘does not accept Russian invasion of Ukraine’
Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Saturday that Mexico does not accept the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We do not accept Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, because we have suffered from invasions,” Mr Lopez Obrador said. “We are in favour of a peaceful solution to the conflict.”
Mexico has, so far, remained neutral in the conflict and has declined to impose sanctions against Russia. While his government backed a United Nations vote urging Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, Mexico reportedly abstained in a vote on Thursday at the United Nations General Assembly on suspending Russia from the UN’s human rights body.
Maroosha Muzaffar10 April 2022 05:30
US believes Russia used short-range ballistic missile to strike train station
The US believes that Russia used a short range ballistic missile to strike the Kramatorsk railway station in east Ukraine on Friday.
A senior US defence official told Reuters that the Pentagon believes Russian forces used an SS-21 Scarab missile to attack the train station. More than 50 people died in the attack on Friday morning.
SS-21 is the name used by the Nato military alliance for a type of missile known as the Tochka in former Soviet states. “We are not buying the denial by the Russians that they weren’t responsible,” the official said.
The Russian defence ministry, meanwhile, has denied its role in the attack and said that the missiles that were used to strike the station were used only by Ukraine’s military and that Russia’s armed forces had no targets assigned in Kramatorsk on Friday.
Maroosha Muzaffar10 April 2022 05:10
Ukraine exchanges prisoners with Russia
The deputy prime minister of Ukraine said that Kyiv and Moscow carried out a prisoner exchange exercise on Saturday, following which 12 soldiers were returning home.
Iryna Vereshchuk said this was the third such swap since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine on 24 February.
Ms Vereshchuk added that as part of the deal, 14 civilians would return to Ukraine. She did not say how many Russians had been released, Reuters reported.
Maroosha Muzaffar10 April 2022 04:50
Russian envoy to US claims west is inciting bloodshed by ‘pumping weapons’ to Ukraine
Anatoly Antonov, Russian ambassador to the US, has claimed that the west is inciting further bloodshed in Ukraine by supplying weapons to Kyiv.
“The special military operation in Ukraine is a result of the Kyiv regime’s unwillingness to stop the genocide of Russians through implementation of its obligations under international agreements,” Mr Antonov told Newsweek.
According to the Russian envoy, it was the “nationalist frenzy and revanchist sentiments of the Kyiv regime” that made Ukraine choose “the path of rapid militarisation” with help from abroad.
“The Nato member countries have commenced a military exploration of Ukraine. It was flooded with western weaponry while President Vladimir [Volodymyr] Zelensky announced Kyiv’s plans to acquire nuclear weapons, which would threaten not only neighbouring countries, but also the entire world.”
He added: “Western states are directly involved in the current events as they continue to pump Ukraine with weapons and ammunition, thereby inciting further bloodshed.”
“We warn that such actions are dangerous and provocative as they are directed against our state. They can lead the US and the Russian Federation onto the path of direct military confrontation. Any supply of weapons and military equipment from the West, performed by transport convoys through the territory of Ukraine, is a legitimate military target for our Armed Forces.”
Maroosha Muzaffar10 April 2022 04:34
Banned PTM-1S mines found near Kharkiv
Residents of Bezruky village near Kharkiv, are discovering munitions that eject up to two dozen small mines that explode at intervals, the New York Times reported.
The new munition — PTM-1S land mine — a type of scatterable munition left behind by Russian forces — was discovered by residents of the village.“Nobody understood what it was,” Sergiy, one local resident was quoted as saying.
These scatterable mines were banned by the 1997 Ottawa Treaty to reduce civilian casualties and have never been officially recorded during this war. But now they have “appeared only sparingly in Bezruky and elsewhere in the periphery of Kharkiv,” the report adds.
Maroosha Muzaffar10 April 2022 04:10
Zelensky hopes for peace despite Russian atrocities
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he is committed to pressing for peace despite Russian attacks on civilians.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Mr Zelensky said: “No one wants to negotiate with a person or people who tortured this nation. It’s all understandable. And as a man, as a father, I understand this very well.”
But, he continued: “we don’t want to lose opportunities, if we have them, for a diplomatic solution.”
“We have to fight, but fight for life. You can’t fight for dust when there is nothing and no people. That’s why it is important to stop this war.”
Maroosha Muzaffar10 April 2022 03:52
Russia’s departure from northern Ukraine ‘shows evidence of non-combatants disproportionately targeted’
UK’s military intelligence has said that Russia’s departure from northern Ukraine “shows evidence of non-combatants being disproportionately targeted”.
“Russian forces continue to use IEDs to inflict casualties, lower morale, and restrict Ukrainian freedom of movement,” a statement read.
It said that the evidence includes mass graves, the fatal use of hostages as human shields and mining of civilian infrastructure.
The update from the UK military intelligence also said that Russian forces “continue to attack infrastructures with high risk of collateral harm to civilians, including a nitrate acid tank at Rubizhne, Ukraine”.
Maroosha Muzaffar10 April 2022 03:34
‘This is what true friendship looks like’, says Ukraine of Boris Johnson visit
Ukraine’s defence ministry has shared footage of prime minister Boris Johnson and president Volodymyr Zelensky walking around Kyiv and talking to people in the city.
The ministry shared the video, saying: “This is what democracy looks like. This is what courage looks like. This is what true friendship between peoples and between nations looks like.”
Holly Bancroft10 April 2022 02:01
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