Ukraine news - live: Zelensky says peace talks over if Mariupol soldiers killed

As Russian forces renewed their attack on the Mariupol steel plant housing Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky threatened abandoning peace talks over Moscow’s attempts to crush the last pocket of resistance in the port city.

“If our men are killed in Mariupol, Ukraine will withdraw from any negotiation process,” said Mr Zelensky.

It comes ahead of his meeting with the US secretary of state Antony Blinken, and the US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin in Kyiv.

Speaking in a news conference, Mr Zelensky gave little detail about logistics of the encounter but said he expected concrete results — “not just presents or some kind of cakes, we are expecting specific things and specific weapons.

Earlier Russia pounded several cities in southern and eastern Ukraine, killing a three-month-old baby along with eight others in the Black seaport city of Odesa.

“The war started when this baby was one month old. Can you imagine what is happening?” Mr Zelensky said. “They are just b*******. ... I don’t have any other words for it, just b*******.”

Key points

• Russia attacks Mariupol steel plant days after Putin ordered troops not to storm it, says Ukraine

• ‘Russia aims to invade other countries’, warns Zelensky

• Heavy fighting in Mariupol despite Russian claim of victory, says MoD

• UN chief to visit Moscow and Kyiv next week

• 'Moskva’ sinking left one soldier dead and 27 missing

• Ukraine accuses Russia of ‘imperialism’ after general’s land grab remark

Boston hospital treating two burnt Ukrainian children

06:30 , Namita Singh

A Boston hospital is treating severe burns of two Ukrainian children who were recently flown from the war-torn country after they were unable to receive the much needed medical care following the invasion.

A two-year-old girl and a 17-month-old boy sustained serious burns from scalding hot water, said the doctors at Shriners Children’s hospital.

While the girl was injured about a month ago in Kyiv and had burns across 70 per cent of her body, the boy had burns over 55 per cent of his body after being injured in Lviv.

The two arrived in Boston late on Wednesday and were accompanied by each of their parents.

Ukraine claims to destroy Russian command post in Kherson

06:15 , Namita Singh

The Ukrainian military on Saturday claimed to have destroyed a Russian command post in Kherson, a southern city that fell to Russia early in the war.

They hit the command force on Friday, killing two generals and critically wounding another, said the Ukrainian military intelligence agency in a statement.

Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in an online interview that 50 senior Russian officers were in the command center when it was attacked.

Blinken to visit Kyiv on Sunday

06:03 , Namita Singh

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to Kyiv on Sunday, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky announced.

Mr Blinken and Mr Austin will discuss the kinds of weapons that Ukraine needs to battle Russia’s renewed aggression in the east and south of the country, Mr Zelensky said at a news conference Saturday.

The visit will mark the highest level United States officials to visit since the Russian invasion began on 24 February.

Sunday’s meeting comes ahead of a major US-hosted summit in Germany on Tuesday to discuss Ukraine’s longer-term security.

My colleague Bevan Hurley has the details.

Blinken to visit Kyiv in highest level US official visit since war began

Russian forces attempt to storm the last defense stronghold in Mariupol

05:19 , Namita Singh

Russian forces tried to storm a steel plant housing soldiers and civilians in the southern city of Mariupol on Saturday, as it attempted to crush the last pocked of resistance in the port city, said Ukraine’s officials.

The fate of the Ukrainians in the besieged seaside steel mill was not immediately clear.

On Saturday, a Ukrainian military unit released a video reportedly taken two days earlier in which women and children holed up underground, some for as long as two months, said they longed to see the sun.

“We want to see peaceful skies, we want to breathe in fresh air,” one woman in the video said. “You have simply no idea what it means for us to simply eat, drink some sweetened tea. For us, it is already happiness.”

Pictured: Ukrainians mark Easter holiday as two months of war looms

05:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Blinken to visit Kyiv in highest level US official visit since war began, Zelensky says

04:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to Kyiv on Sunday, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky announced.

Mr Blinken and Mr Austin will discuss the kinds of weapons that Ukraine needs to battle Russia’s renewed aggression in the east and south of the country, Mr Zelensky said at a news conference Saturday.

The visit will mark the highest level United States officials to visit since the Russian invasion began on 24 February.

Read the full story here.

President Zelensky thanks UK for training Ukrainian military on home soil

03:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the Prime Minister for currently training members of the Ukrainian military on UK soil.

Boris Johnson spoke to the Ukrainian president on Saturday afternoon for an update on Kyiv’s conflict with Russia, according to Downing Street.

Offering a readout of the phone call, a No 10 spokesman said: “President Zelensky thanked the Prime Minister for the training of Ukrainian military personnel currently taking place in the UK.”

Read the full story below:

President Zelensky thanks UK for training Ukrainian military on home soil

Pictured: Odesa missile strike aftermath

02:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Russia warns it will deploy ‘Satan 2’ nuclear missiles ‘capable of hitting UK’ by the autumn

01:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Russia has announced it will deploy its recently tested “Satan II” missile by the autumn, as tensions between Moscow and the west mount amid the Ukraine war.

The Kremlin announced the first test launch of its new, nuclear-capable Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system on Wednesday, with experts warning the warhead could target the UK as well as Europe and the US.

The Sarmat is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys, and of striking targets thousands of miles away in the United States or Europe.

Read the full story here.

Mother killed with her baby in Odesa attack had posted about ‘new level of happiness’ after birth

Sunday 24 April 2022 00:02 , Sam Rkaina

A mother and her three-month old baby were among six people killed by a missile strike on Ukraine on Saturday,

The mother, named in local reports as Valerie Glodan, had posted on social media just a few weeks ago saying she had experienced a “new level of happiness” since the birth.

“These were the best 40 weeks ever. Our girl is 1 month old now. Daddy got her her first flowers. It’s a whole new level of happiness,” she wrote on Instagram.

Click here for the full story.

Zelensky thanks Johnson for help with training troops

Saturday 23 April 2022 23:45 , Sam Rkaina

Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the Prime Minister for currently training members of the Ukrainian military on UK soil.

Boris Johnson spoke to the Ukrainian president on Saturday afternoon for an update on Kyiv’s conflict with Russia, according to Downing Street.

Offering a readout of the phone call, a No 10 spokesman said: “President Zelensky thanked the Prime Minister for the training of Ukrainian military personnel currently taking place in the UK.”

It comes after Mr Johnson confirmed for the first time during his trade trip to India this week that Ukrainian forces were in the UK.

More than 20 soldiers arrived last week for training on the 120 armoured vehicles that are being supplied to the resistance against Moscow, the Government has said.

The talks came as Ukrainian officials said Russian forces had started attacking a steel plant in the battered city of Mariupol in an apparent bid to eliminate the last stand by Kyiv’s defenders.

Russia warns it will deploy ‘Satan 2’ nuclear missiles ‘capable of hitting UK’ by autumn

Saturday 23 April 2022 23:10 , Sam Rkaina

Russia has announced it will deploy its recently tested “Satan II” missile by the autumn, as tensions between Moscow and the west mount amid the Ukraine war.

The Kremlin announced the first test launch of its new, nuclear-capable Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system on Wednesday, with experts warning the warhead could target the UK as well as Europe and the US.

The Sarmat is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys, and of striking targets thousands of miles away in the United States or Europe.

Click here to read the full story.

UK warning over Russian plans ‘to conscript Ukraine civilians'

Saturday 23 April 2022 23:08 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine has accused Putin’s forces of planning to conscript civilians from the Russian-occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has said.

An MoD intelligence update on Twitter tonight said: “This would follow similar prior conscription practices in the Russian-occupied Donbas and Crimea.

“Article 51 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states “the Occupying Power may not compel protected persons to serve in its armed or auxiliary forces”, and “no pressure or propaganda which aims at securing voluntary enlistment is permitted”.

“Protected persons in this context includes civilians within occupied territories.

“Any enlistment of Ukrainian civilians into the Russian armed forces, even if presented by Russia as being voluntary or military service in accordance with Russian law, would constitute a violation of Article 51 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.”

US Secretary of State Blinken to visit Kyiv on Sunday

Saturday 23 April 2022 21:40 , Sam Rkaina

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to Kyiv on Sunday, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky announced.

Mr Blinken and Mr Austin will discuss the kinds of weapons that Ukraine needs to battle Russia’s renewed aggression in the east and south of the country, Mr Zelensky said at a news conference Saturday.

The visit will mark the highest level United States officials to visit since the Russian invasion began on 24 February.

Click here for the full story.

Two dead after Russian shelling in Kharkiv

Saturday 23 April 2022 21:05 , Aisha Rimi

Heavy shelling by Russian armed forces has killed two people and injured 19 in Kharkiv. A warehouse for steel goods caught fire, and some cars were wrecked in the attack.

Zelensky ends news conference in Kyiv metro station

Saturday 23 April 2022 20:37 , Aisha Rimi

Mr Zelensky has ended the news conference, calling on world leaders to “be brave” and telling journalists “let’s meet when Mariupol is free”.

The Ukrainian president said he had so many requests from foreign media to do interviews with him, to which he said he doesn’t have the time.

Zelensky says it’s “illogical” for the UN Secretary-General to visit Russia before Ukraine

Saturday 23 April 2022 20:22 , Aisha Rimi

Mr Zelensky said there’s “no justice or logic” UN Secretary-General visiting Russia before Ukraine.

“Is he coming to pass the message from Russia to us,” said Mr Zelensky.

He added: “If you want to end the war, you have to know exactly what’s happening. What will he see there [Russia]? He will not see any dead bodies.”

He continued: “It would be logical to come here first and see what they’ve done here, the consequences of this war and this occupation, and to take this experience and knowledge to Russia and discuss with them.”

Zelensky: Ukraine would never use nuclear weapons

Saturday 23 April 2022 20:04 , Aisha Rimi

The Ukrainian president has said he doesn’t believe a “normal person” could use nuclear weapons. According to Mr Zelensky, they must have “lost touch with reality, with common sense”.

He added: “If the leadership of the Russian Federation doesn’t completely lose touch with reality and common sense, he will not use nuclear weapons.”

Mr Zelensky also said he believed Russia could use nuclear weapons, but he “doesn’t believe such a possibility”.

He continued: “If we had nuclear weapons, Ukraine would never use them. It’s impossible, we are normal people.”

Mr Zelensky urges Russians to ‘remove their 3D glasses and return to reality’

Saturday 23 April 2022 19:49 , Aisha Rimi

Following comments Mr Zelensky made that the Russian people must learn about their history and understand the suffering they’ve caused their neighbours, he’s asked how can this happen with Vladimir Putin as president.

“A human being who wants to know the truth, he will find the truth. People who want to understand what’s happening in the world, that person will find all the answers,” said Mr Zelensky.

He added: “If they want to find out the truth they have to accept the truth. The truth does exist.”

Mr Zelensky continued: “They have to leave this computer game which is life in the Russian Federation, it’s virtual reality, they have to step out of it, they have to remove their 3D glasses and return to the reality, to the civilised world.”

Zelensky: All those who issued ‘shameful orders’ will face a tribunal

Saturday 23 April 2022 19:24 , Aisha Rimi

Mr Zelensky was asked if he would like Vladimir Putin to face a tribunal and what the threat would be if the US and UK stopped providing Ukraine with weapons.

“It’s not that I want the Russian leader to stand trial, but all those who issued those shameful orders, they will all face a tribunal, I am convinced of this,” said President Zelensky.

He added: “It takes years but we will wait, if someone like me doesn’t live long enough, our children will live long enough.”

He continued: “I don’t consider it an option that our partners [the US and UK] won’t hand over the weapons that they have promised to us.

“I don’t consider such a possibility – they have no alternative.”

President Zelensky set to meet US defence minister tomorrow

Saturday 23 April 2022 19:16 , Aisha Rimi

Mr Zelensky will be meeting the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin tomorrow in Kyiv.

He expressed his gratitude to the US for its support and military aid.

Mr Zelensky also said that the US has influenced European countries to supply weapons to Ukraine, but he would like this to happen faster.

Ukrainians have ‘no other choice’ but to defend their country, says Zelensky

Saturday 23 April 2022 19:05 , Aisha Rimi

Mr Zelensky was asked if Ukrainians were ready to live in a state of military preparedness like Israel.

“It’s not a question of whether or not we’re ready,” said the Ukrainian president. “We have no other choice. We will be such a country. We are already such a country that knows that we have to defend ourselves.”

He added: “I believe once we win, we will be a country with the strongest army and our people will also be prepared to defend this country.

“We will be one of the strongest countries in Europe – we have no other choice. This is the reality of the way we live.”

Zelensky: All captured territories will be taken back

Saturday 23 April 2022 18:56 , Aisha Rimi

Mr Zelensky was asked to give his assessment of Russia’s plans and their ability to hold the operation in Donbas and the east of Ukraine.

“Anything they [Russia] break through or occupy, we will return everything,” said Mr Zelensky.

“This is not a question of 20 to 30 years...this will be a question of us having weapons.

“As soon as we have enough weapons we will return everything in one go in all those occupied territories.”

‘I expect 100% support from the UN Secretary-General’, says Zelensky

Saturday 23 April 2022 18:46 , Aisha Rimi

Mr Zelensky is asked about the upcoming UN Secretary General’s – António Guterres – visit to Kyiv, during which he expects to gain his full support.

“I expect 100 per cent from the UN Secretary-General – the truth is 100 per cent on our side here,” said Mr Zelensky.

He added his hopes that Mr Guterres will go beyond Kyiv and visit other cities to fully understand what is happening in Ukraine and to have a “clear point of view”.

“Just coming to Kyv and just talking isn’t enough,” said Mr Zelensky. ‘He must see what’s happening here – it’s about help and not political tourism.”

Zelensky: ‘War can only be stopped by those who started it'

Saturday 23 April 2022 18:36 , Aisha Rimi

Mr Zelensky is asked whether he is still insisting on a meeting with Vladimir Putin and whether he thinks discussions would end the war.

“The war can only be stopped by whoever started it,” said Mr Zelensky, before pausing as a train passed through the metro stop.

He insisted he wants to end the war, stating that any “healthy person will always choose the diplomatic way” instead of the military way.

While his family and security guards are “afraid” of the attempts on his life, Mr Zelensky believes he has “no right to be afraid” as the Ukrainian people “have shown they have no fear”.

NEW: President Zelensky holds news conference in Kyiv’s metro

Saturday 23 April 2022 18:17 , Aisha Rimi

Ukraine’s president is currently holding a news conference, answering questions from international and local media.

President Zelensky thanks Boris Johnson for training members of Kyiv’s military in the UK

Saturday 23 April 2022 18:02 , Aisha Rimi

During a phone call, Ukraine’s president thanked Boris Johnson for the training of Ukrainian military personnel in the UK.

“The Prime Minister confirmed that the UK is providing more defensive military aid, including protected mobility vehicles, drones and anti-tank weapons,” a No 10 spokesman said.

Boris Johnson ended the call by “reiterating the UK’s unwavering support for the people of Ukraine” and he committed to “continue working with international partners to provide the assistance necessary to help Ukraine defend itself.”

Ukrainian foreign minister: 'Russia must be designated a state sponsor of terrorism and treated accordingly'

Saturday 23 April 2022 17:35 , Aisha Rimi

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has said “the only aim of Russian missile strikes on Odesa is terror”. A missile attack on an apartment block in the city earlier today killed five people and left 18 injured.

Russia investigates media report on presence of British SAS special forces in Ukraine

Saturday 23 April 2022 17:21 , Aisha Rimi

The Russian state investigative body has said it is looking into a Russian media report alleging that sabotage experts from the UK’s SAS special forces have been deployed to western Ukraine.

Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency quoted a Russian security source as saying about 20 SAS members were sent to the Lviv region.

The Special Air Service is an elite military force trained to conduct special operations, surveillance and counter-terrorism.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said it would follow up the report that they had been sent in “to assist the Ukrainian special services in organizing sabotage on the territory of Ukraine”.

Britain said it sent military trainers to Ukraine earlier this year to instruct local forces in using anti-tank weapons but the British government said on 17 February – a week before Russia’s invasion – that it had pulled out all troops except those needed to protect its ambassador.

Ukraine accuses Russia of thwarting new evacuation push from Mariupol

Saturday 23 April 2022 17:00 , Thomas Kingsley

A new attempt to evacuate Ukrainian civilians from war-torn Mariupol failed on Saturday, an aide to the city's mayor said on his Telegram channel, blaming Russian forces.

The official said 200 residents of Mariupol had gathered to be evacuated, but that the Russian military told them to disperse and warned of possible shelling.

Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for repeated failures to evacuate people from Mariupol.

Ukraine president spoke with UK's Johnson about "new phase" of military aid

Saturday 23 April 2022 16:45 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken with British prime minister Boris Johnson about a "new phase" of military aid, including the provision of heavy weapons, the president's deputy chief of staff Andriy Sybiga said on Saturday.

Speaking on national television, Mr Sybiga said the pair also talked about further financial support for Ukraine on the call.

Watch: Missiles hit apartment block in Ukraine port city of Odesa

Saturday 23 April 2022 16:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Three-month old infant among dead in Odesa strike, officials say

Saturday 23 April 2022 16:10 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukraine's presidential chief of staff says a three-month old infant is among the dead following a missile strike on an apartment block in Odesa.

Anton Gerashchenko, Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, has claimed at least six people have been killed in the strike.

Watch: The moment ‘missile' hits an Odesa apartment block

Saturday 23 April 2022 16:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukraine foreign minister condemns Odesa strike

Saturday 23 April 2022 15:51 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has condemned a Russian missile strike on a residential apartment in Odesa.

Kyiv officials claim the strike on Saturday has killed five people and left 18 people injured.

“The only aim of Russian missile strikes on Odesa is terror. Russia must be designated a state sponsor of terrorism and treated accordingly. No business, no contacts, no cultural projects. We need a wall between civilization and barbarians striking peaceful cities with missiles,” wrote on Twitter.

NEW: Missile strike kills five people in Ukraine’s Odesa region, says official

Saturday 23 April 2022 15:43 , Thomas Kingsley

At least five people were killed and 18 injured in a missile strike on Ukraine's southern port city of Odesa on Saturday, the president's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said in an online post.

Ukraine's southern air command had earlier said that two missiles struck a military facility and two residential buildings in Odesa.

Pictured: Civilians who fled Mariupol forced in temporary accommodation in Russia

Saturday 23 April 2022 15:35 , Thomas Kingsley

For Ukrainian Orthodox in US, war casts a shadow on Easter celebrations

Saturday 23 April 2022 15:15 , Aisha Rimi

The rituals leading up to Easter are the same. The solemn Good Friday processions. The Holy Saturday blessings of foods that were avoided during Lent. The liturgies accompanied by processions, bells and chants.

But while Easter is the holiest of holy days on the church calendar, marking the day Christians believe Jesus triumphed over death, many members of Ukrainian Orthodox churches across the United States are finding it difficult to summon joy at a time of war.

Read on:

For Ukrainian Orthodox in US, war news casts pall on Easter

Sanctions hit Russian economy, although Putin says otherwise

Saturday 23 April 2022 15:00 , Aisha Rimi

Nearly two months into the Russian-Ukraine war, the Kremlin has taken extraordinary steps to blunt an economic counteroffensive from the West. While Russia can claim some symbolic victories, the full impact of Western sanctions is starting to be felt in very real ways.

As the West moved to cut off Russia’s access to its foreign reserves, limit imports of key technologies and take other restrictive actions, the Kremlin launched some drastic measures to protect the economy.

These included hiking interest rates to as high as 20%, instituting capital controls and forcing Russian businesses to convert their profits into rubles.

Read on:

Sanctions hit Russian economy, although Putin says otherwise

Russia attacks Mariupol steel plant days after Putin ordered troops not to storm it, says Ukraine

Saturday 23 April 2022 14:46 , Aisha Rimi

Russian troops have attacked the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol just two days after president Vladimir Putin ordered his generals not to storm it, Ukraine has said.

Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Saturday that the Kremlin’s soldiers were laying siege to the steelworks, Ukraine’s last stronghold in the city, where thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are holed up.

“The enemy is trying to completely suppress resistance of the defenders of Mariupol in the area of Azovstal,” he said.

Read on:

Russia attacks Mariupol steel plant, says Ukraine

Finland reduces electricity imports from Russia

Saturday 23 April 2022 14:30 , Aisha Rimi

According to the national power grid operator, Fingrid, electricity imports from Russia to Finland will be limited due to the “risks to the power system in the changing international situation”.

Risks include possible attempts by Russia to influence Finland during the debate about Nato membership and the potential application process.

Lviv regional governor Maksym Kozytskyy announces curfew starting on Orthodox Easter night

Saturday 23 April 2022 14:20 , Aisha Rimi

Citing “new intelligence,” Mr Kozytskyy said the curfew would run from 11 pm Saturday to 5 am Sunday, and then every day between those hours until further notice.“Unfortunately, the enemy doesn’t have such a concept as a major religious holiday,” Mr Kozytskyy wrote. “They are so beastly that they don’t understand what Easter is.”Mr Kozytskyy said the church leadership is in support of the decision and that all churches in the region will be postponing their Easter night services until the morning hours.

Two people killed and 19 more wounded by Russian shelling

Saturday 23 April 2022 14:07 , Aisha Rimi

Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov said on the messaging app Telegram on Saturday that over the past day Russian forces fired at the region’s civilian infrastructure 56 times.

Kharkiv, which is near the front lines, has faced repeated shelling from Russian forces.

Watch: Women and children trapped inside the Mariupol steel plant long to see 'peaceful skies’ and to ‘breathe in fresh air’

Saturday 23 April 2022 13:21 , Aisha Rimi

Earlier today, the Azov Regiment of Ukraine’s National Guard, which has members trapped inside the Azovstal factory, released footage of around two dozen women and children, some of whom have been in the underground tunnels for two months.

The footage of Azovstal showed soldiers giving sweets to children who respond with fist-bumps. One young girl says she and her relatives “haven’t seen neither the sky, nor the sun” since they left home on 27 February.

“We want to see peaceful skies, we want to breathe in fresh air,” one woman in the video said. “You have simply no idea what it means for us to simply eat, drink some sweetened tea. For us, it is already happiness.”

The regiment’s deputy commander, Sviatoslav Palamar, told The Associated Press the video was shot Thursday, the same day Russia declared victory over the rest of Mariupol. The contents could not be independently verified.

Breaking: Russian forces are attack steel plant in Mariupol

Saturday 23 April 2022 12:28 , Aisha Rimi

Russian forces are attacking a steel plant that is the last Ukrainian stronghold in the city of Mariupol, a Ukrainian official said.