Ukraine has "repelled numerous Russian assaults" along the line of contact in Donbas this week, British military intelligence has said.
Despite Russia making some territorial gains, Ukrainian resistance has been strong across all axes and inflicted a significant cost on Russian forces, the UK Ministry of Defence said in its latest update.
"Poor Russian morale and limited time to reconstitute, re-equip and reorganise forces from prior offensives are likely hindering Russian combat effectiveness," it added.
It comes as Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, prepares for the most senior US officials yet to visit Kyiv since the invasion, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, as the war enters its third month.
But Mr Zelensky warned he would call off peace talks if Russia killed any of the last defenders of Mariupol, the besieged southern port city where a steel factory was targeted by air strikes this weekend.
Meanwhile, a mother and baby were among eight killed in an apartment block missile strike in Odesa on Saturday.
Follow the latest updates below.
02:47 PM
ICYMI: today's full Ministry of Defence intelligence briefing
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 24 April 2022
'We have nowhere to go': Ukrainians face churchless Easter as Putin attends mass
02:29 PM
Russia blamed for collapse of Mariupol humanitarian corridor
No humanitarian routes were established out of the southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Sunday, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, blaming Russian forces for not holding their fire.
Vereshchuk said that the Ukrainian side would try again on Monday to establish safe passage out of Mariupol. She called for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who is scheduled to travel to Moscow before visiting Kyiv next week, to demand a ceasefire and open up humanitarian corridors from Mariupol.
"This is what Guterres should talk about in Moscow, if he is preparing to talk about peace," Vereshchuk said.
02:15 PM
War in Ukraine: latest pictures
Vladimir Putin attends the Orthodox Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russian on April 24 - ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/POOL/EPA-EFE Families line up with their Easter baskets to be blessed with holy water by Father Sergei and Father Oleg . Easter Sunday celebrations at the Ukrainian Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour in Dnipro. - Heathcliff O'Malley for The Telegraph Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses Ukrainian people with Orthodox Easter message, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, at the Saint Sophia cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine - Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
02:02 PM
Almost 5.2 million Ukrainians flee war
Nearly 5.2 million Ukrainians have now fled the country since Russia's invasion two months ago, the UN refugee agency said Sunday.
The total figure of 5,186,744 is an increase of 23,058 on Saturday's data, the UNHCR said. More than 1.15m Ukrainians have left during April so far, compared with 3.4m in the month of March alone.
"It will be another day of fear, anguish, loss and separation from loved ones, as war continues to rage without mercy," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said.
The UN's International Organisation for Migration said an additional 218,000 citizens of third countries - largely students and migrant workers - have also escaped to neighbouring countries.
Women and children account for 90 per cent of those who have fled abroad, with many men obliged to stay.
01:45 PM
Russian shelling 'kills civilians' on Orthodox Easter Sunday
An unspecified multiple number of civilians were killed by Russian shelling in Ukraine's Luhansk region on Sunday, local governor Serhiy Gaidai said.
In a sombre video address commemorating Orthodox Easter Sunday, Gaidai said "today, once again, civilians have died. Our compatriots. The (Russians) do not hold anything sacred."
Both Russians and Ukrainians are celebrating Orthodox Easter Sunday, which has prompted fresh calls for a truce.
01:24 PM
German government faces crisis over Ukraine arms
A row over whether to send heavy weaponry to Ukraine threatens to throw Berlin into crisis after the opposition said it would force a parliamentary vote, with junior coalition partners expected to rebel against the government.
Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, confirmed on Friday that he would ask the parliament to vote on a motion calling for "immediate" deliveries of heavy weapons, including battle tanks, to Ukraine.
"If the government isn't going to deliver, then the Bundestag needs to deliver," he said.
Germany's ruling Social Democrats responded on Saturday by warning the opposition against "starting fights".
Olaf Scholz's government has repeatedly delayed sending heavy weapons, such as Marder tanks, to Ukraine. Most recently, Mr Scholz explained his hesitancy by saying he was trying to avoid nuclear war.
Pro-Russian graffiti daubed at Northern Ireland tourist hotspot
Police in Northern Ireland are making enquiries following the daubing of pro-Russian graffiti at a Game of Thrones filming location, just as Ukrainian refugees begin arriving there.
The graffiti - "Z glory to Russia" - written in the large words and referring to the symbol Z painted on Russian tanks during the invasion of Ukraine, appeared on the road at the Dark Hedges in Co Antrim.
The tree-lined route became world famous when it was featured in the HBO fantasy series and now attracts significant numbers of tourists.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed it had received a report that graffiti had been daubed in Armoy. A spokesman said: "Enquiries are ongoing."
12:50 PM
Watch: Kharkiv residents take cover as city targeted by Russian attacks
12:31 PM
Russian forces 'trying to storm Azovstal plant'
Russian forces are attempting to storm the Azovstal plant in Mariupol by land, backed up by aerial and artillery bombardment, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has warned.
Arestovych wrote on Facebook that "Russian troops are trying to finish off the defenders of Azovstal and more than 1,000 civilians who are hiding at the plant".
The Azovstal steel factory is the main remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the southeastern port of Mariupol. Russian troops surrounded the plant in early March and have gradually taken control of most of the city.
Destruction in Ukraine's besieged port city of Mariupol where the Russian army has claimed control - Leon Klein/Anadolu Agency
12:11 PM
Pope renews call for Easter truce in Ukraine
Pope Francis on Sunday appealed again for a truce in war-torn Ukraine over the Orthodox Easter weekend, "to ease the suffering of exhausted people".
The blue and yellow flag of Ukraine flflew among the faithful gathered on St Peter's Square, where the leader of the Roman Catholic Church recalled that fighting erupted two months ago on February 24.
"Instead of halting, the war has become worse," Pope Francis said. "It is sad that on these most holy and solemn days for Christians we hear more of the murderous noise of weapons than that of the bells announcing the resurrection" of Christ.
"I renew the appeal for an Easter truce, the smallest tangible sign of a willingness for peace," he pleaded. "Stop the attacks to ease the suffering of exhausted people."
Pope Francis delivers his blessing while overlooking St.Peter's Square, at the Vatican, on April 24 - Andrew Medichini/AP
11:45 AM
Zelensky pressures Putin for urgent Mariupol evacuation
Ukraine's president has called on his Turkish counterpart to press Vladimir Putin for an "immediate evacuation" from Mariupol, the destroyed southern port city claimed by Russian troops.
Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Twitter following a phone call with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that ahead of Turkey's talks with the Russian president on Monday, "I stressed the need for immediate evacuation of civilians from Mariupol, including Azovstal, and immediate exchange of blocked troops".
The pair also discussed how global food security is threatened by Russian encirclement of Black Sea ports.
(2/2) Discussed the course of the negotiation process, coordination with 🇹🇷 & other countries of security guarantees for our state. Raised issues related to 🇺🇦 defense capabilities and global food security, which is under threat due to the blocking of navigation in the Black Sea
Russian embassy in US 'blockaded' as Western sanctions bite
The working of the Russian embassy in Washington is "blockaded", with its bank accounts closed and staff threatened, state news agency RIA cited ambassador Anatoly Antonov as saying on Sunday.
"The embassy is in essence blockaded by US government entities. Accounts of our two consulates in Houston and New York have been closed by Bank of America," Antonov was quoted as saying, as Western sanctions bite.
"We receive threats both by phone and letters come... At some point even the exit from the embassy was blocked," he added.
Russia and the US were locked in a row over the size and functioning of their respective diplomatic missions long before the war, which has prompted European capitals to kick out more than 300 Russian officials and the Kremlin to launch tit-for-tat expulsions.
11:04 AM
Zelensky: My family are terrified of assassination attempts
Ukraine's president has opened up about his family's terror at assassination attempts by Russian mercenaries.
There have been several reports of attempts on Volodymyr Zelensky's life since Vladimir Putin's invasion began, including a foiled plot by an "elite group" of Chechens in Kyiv and more than 400 mercenaries from the pro-Kremlin Wagner Group reportedly arrived in the capital on orders to kill.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday from a Kyiv metro station serving as a war bunker, Mr Zelensky said: "Here's a partial answer to your questions about attempts on my life.
"I'm not very afraid - my bodyguards are very afraid, I'll tell you frankly, and my family is terrified, to be completely honest."
Watch the broader interview below.
10:43 AM
UN calls for 'immediate stop' to Mariupol fighting to allow evacuation
The United Nations Ukraine crisis coordinator has demanded an "immediate stop" to fighting in Mariupol to allow the evacuation of trapped civilians in the battered city "today".
"The lives of tens of thousands, including women, children and older people, are at stake in Mariupol," Amin Awad said in a statement this morning.
"We need a pause in fighting right now to save lives. The longer we wait the more lives will be at risk. They must be allowed to safely evacuate now, today. Tomorrow could be too late."
An attempted evacuation from Mariupol failed on Saturday, with Kyiv saying it was "thwarted" by Russian forces.
The UN statement said there was an estimated 100,000 civilians trapped in the city, which has been heavily destroyed.
10:37 AM
'Strong reactions' loom over Wimbledon ban on Russian players
Women's Tennis Association chief Steve Simon has warned Wimbledon organisers and Britain's tennis body of "strong reactions" to their decision to ban players from Russia and Belarus from competing in tournaments.
The All England Club (AELTC), which organises the summer grass court major, and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) barred Russian and Belarusian players because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The ATP, which runs the men's tour, and the WTA denounced the move as "discriminatory", with the two world governing bodies evaluating sanctions in response.
Mr Simon told The Tennis Podcast that the decision was against Grand Slam rules. "We need to sit down with our tournament, our player councils and I suppose our board and see where everything's at," he said.
"I do think that you'll see some strong reactions that will come from us, but what those are and how far they'll go is still to be determined."
10:16 AM
War in Ukraine: latest pictures
Forces patrol in Mariupol, where the Russian army has taken control of most areas - Leon Klein/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A family from Mariupol wait in their car during registration after arriving at an evacuation point in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine for people that had fled - Chris McGrath/Getty Images A Ukrainian military vehicle drives to the front line during a fight, amid Russia's invasion in Ukraine, near Izyum, Kharkiv region - Jorge Silva/Reuters
10:00 AM
EU's von der Leyen in India with Ukraine on agenda
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will press India over its neutral stance on the Ukraine war after arriving in the country on Sunday for trade, security and climate talks.
New Delhi has long walked a tightrope in its relations with the West and Moscow - which supplies most of India's arms - and Russia's invasion of its neighbour has highlighted the difficulty of the balancing act.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has not openly condemned the Kremlin or backed a UN Security Council vote that deplored Moscow's "aggression".
She meets with Mr Modi on Monday as the latest in a stream of recent diplomatic visitors seeking to lure India away from Russia with pledges of security, defence and energy cooperation.
This included Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit last week, though he did not pressure India over its stance.
09:46 AM
Russia says it struck arms depots in Ukraine's Kharkiv region
Russia's defence ministry said on Sunday its high-precision missiles struck nine Ukrainian military targets overnight, including four arms depots in the Kharkiv region where artillery weapons were stored.
The ministry also said its missile and artillery forces destroyed a further four such arms depots in the same region and hit a facility in Dnipropetrovsk region producing explosives for the Ukrainian army.
The claims have not been independently verified.
09:31 AM
Children aged 5 and 14 killed in shelling in Donetsk region
Two children were killed on Sunday in shelling by Russian forces, the governor of Ukraine's Donetsk region said, urging people to evacuate areas near the fighting.
Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram that the children, girls aged 5 and 14, had died in the Ocheretynsk community after the building where they lived was destroyed.
09:18 AM
Watch: Zelensky thanks 'British friends' for reopening embassy in Kyiv
09:11 AM
Putin still capable of victory, says minister
Russia has always been capable of winning the conflict in Ukraine, according to a UK Government minister.
Oliver Dowden, the Conservative Party chairman, was asked what had influenced the Prime Minister's thinking when he conceded the Kremlin could be victorious.
He told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme: "It is really important that we need to continue to tighten the ratchet on Russia, whether that's, for example, the 120 armoured personnel carriers that the Prime Minister agreed with Zelensky just last week or whether it is continuing to increase aid and tighten our sanctions.
"So, the West has to respond in turn and we are willing to do so."
Asked whether he thought Russia could win, he replied: "That has always been a possibility that Russia could come out of this victorious. We don't want that to happen."
08:45 AM
Zelensky vows 'wickedness' will not destroy Ukraine
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on Sunday in an Orthodox Easter message that no "wickedness" would destroy the country.
Standing inside one of the country's best known landmarks, the 1,000-year-old Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Mr Zelensky said in a video address that Ukraine will overcome the darkness that the war has brought upon it.
"Today, we still believe in the new victory of Ukraine and we are all convinced that we will not be destroyed by any horde or wickedness," Mr Zelensky, wearing his trademark dark khaki outfit, said.
"We are overcoming dark times and on this day I - and most of us - are not in bright clothes, but we are fighting for a luminous idea."
Subdued Easter celebrations took place across the country on Sunday, exactly two months since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
Mr Zelensky added: "Give every boy and every girl a happy childhood, youth, and old age, which will allow at least a bit to shed the memories of their terrible childhood during the war."
The Saint Sophia Cathedral, a Unesco World Heritage Site is seen from a surrounding wall tower in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 26 - Vadim Ghirda/AP
08:33 AM
Ukraine negotiator says Russia continuously shelling Mariupol
Senior Ukrainian negotiator and presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Sunday that Russian forces were continuously shelling Mariupol and urged Moscow to agree a "real Easter truce".
"Russia is continuously attacking the Mariupol Azovstal. The place where our civilians and military are located, is shelled with heavy air bombs and artillery," Podolyak said on Twitter.
He urged Russia to "think about the remnants of its reputation" and called for "a real Easter truce in Mariupol" alongside an immediate humanitarian corridor for civilians and special round of talks to facilitate the exchange of military and civilians"
08:14 AM
Five things you may have missed
Good morning and welcome to our Russia-Ukraine latest updates, we'll be with you through until 4pm.
Here are five developments so far this weekend to get you up to speed.
Russian assault on Mariupol steel works: Russia resumed its assault on the last defenders in a giant steel works in Mariupol, a Ukrainian official said, days after Moscow declared victory in the southern port city and said its forces did not need to take the factory.
Mother and baby among eight killed in Odesa attack: a mother and her baby daughter have been identified as two of the people killed by Russian missiles which hit a residential building in Odesa, a Black Sea port city, on Saturday.
Anthony Blinken and Lloyd Austin to visit Kyiv: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit Kyiv on Sunday, the highest American delegation since the beginning of the war.
Zelensky criticises UN Secretary's Russia visit as unjust: the Ukrainian president criticised a decision by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to visit Moscow on Tuesday, instead of travelling first to Kyiv.
'A third of Russian gas to EU will be lost': a third of Russian gas exported to the European Union could be affected because of the war, said the head of Ukraine's state gas company Naftogaz.
I'd like to see more from France and Germany, says Dowden
France and Germany could be doing more to support Ukraine in its battle against Russia, according to a Cabinet minister.
Oliver Dowden, the Conservative Party chairman, told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: "I would like to see more, but the Prime Minister is engaging on precisely that point.
"So, earlier this week he had a call not just with President Biden but also President Macron and the leaders of other countries such as Germany.
"There is a desire for us all to do it but it would be good to see more from France and Germany as well."
Eight people die in Russian attacks in Ukraine's Luhansk region
Eight people died and two were injured in Russian attacks in Ukraine's Luhansk region on Saturday, Serhiy Haidai, the region's governor, wrote in a post on social media.
Reuters was not able to immediately verify the reports.
In a Telegram post, he wrote that six people died when the towns of Hirske and Zolote were hit on Saturday.
Two more people were reportedly found dead under the rubble of a destroyed house in the town of Popasna, he added.
07:41 AM
Ukraine’s Orthodox worshippers turn away from Moscow during Easter
Father Myhailo Syvak, a 35-year old priest at the Cathedral of the Holy Intercession in Lviv, tells me that his parishioners are willing to die “for our freedom and our independence”.
He does not just mean the freedom of their state.
Fr Syvak supports the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which in 2018 declared its independence from the Russian Orthodox leadership of Patriarch Kirill in Moscow.
Since the beginning of the war, dozens of parishes in Lviv have officially joined the UOC; nationwide, it is estimated that around half of all Orthodox parishes are looking to make a similar break.
But some Ukrainian priests remain loyal to Mr Kirill and are accused of preaching against resistance to the invasion, even of giving away the movements of Ukrainian troops.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin were to visit Kyiv on Sunday to discuss Ukraine's request for more powerful weapons after months of combat with invading Russian forces.
The visit, announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday, would be the highest-level visit by US officials to the country since the start of the war on February 24.
As the war enters its third month, there is no end in sight to the fighting that has shocked the world, killed thousands, uprooted millions and reduced cities to rubble.
"Tomorrow we will discuss this exact list of weapons that are essential for us and the pace of deliveries," Zelensky told a dramatic Saturday evening news conference in an underground metro station.
"We would like to have... powerful heavy weapons. As soon as we have (more weapons), as soon as there are enough of them, believe me, we will immediately retake this or that territory, which is temporarily occupied."
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