Russia invades Ukraine: Zelensky vows win over 'wickedness' in Orthodox Easter message

The New Arab's live coverage of the latest from the Russian invasion of Ukraine concludes for today.

Here were the key developments from Saturday:

Blinken to visit Ukraine

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit Kyiv on Sunday as the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its third month.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who announced the visit, also issues a new call for a meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "to end the war".

Eight killed in Odessa

A Russian strike on a residential building on Saturday killed eight people, including a baby, and wounds at least 18 others in Ukraine's Black Sea city of Odessa, Kyiv says.

Nearby, a depot containing weapons delivered by the United States and European countries to Ukrainian forces was struck by a missile, Russia's defence ministry announces.

Pope urges Easter truce

Pope Francis renews calls for a truce over the Orthodox Easter weekend, "to ease the suffering of exhausted people".

"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, says the pontiff.

UN calls for 'stop' in Mariupol fighting 

UN Ukraine crisis coordinator Amin Awad calls for 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," Awad says in a statement. "We need a pause in fighting right now to save lives."

EU to press India over Ukraine

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in India, where she will press leaders over the country's neutral stance on the Ukraine war.

New Delhi has long walked a tightrope in its relations with the West and Moscow-- which supplies most of India's arms.

UK urges France and Germany to do more

Britain said "it would be good to see more from France and Germany" to support the Ukraine war effort.

Minister Oliver Dowden tells the BBC that the West should "continue to tighten the ratchet on Russia" as Moscow ramps up its offensives in the south and east of Ukraine.

Join us tomorrow for the latest updates on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Russia says village in its Belgorod region shelled by Ukraine: state media

Russia said on Sunday a village in its Belgorod region bordering Ukraine was shelled from across the frontier, state news agency TASS quoted a local official as saying.

Vladimir Pertsev, the official, said there were no casualties or damage after one projectile landed in a field, according to TASS.

(Reuters)

Almost 5.2 million Ukrainians flee war: UN

The number of Ukrainians who have fled the country since Russia's invasion two months ago is approaching 5.2 million, the UN refugee agency said Sunday.

The total figure of 5,186,744 is an increase of 23,058 over Saturday's data, the UNHCR said.

More than 1,151,000 Ukrainians have left during April so far, compared with 3.4 million in the month of March alone.

Ukraine's Luhansk region governor says Russian shelling kills civilians on 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."

(Reuters)

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 flew 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," 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," the pope added, with both Russians and Ukrainians celebrating Orthodox Easter this Sunday.

UK urges France and Germany to do more for Ukraine

Britain on Sunday said "it would be good to see more from France and Germany" to support the Ukraine war effort, warning that a Russian victory has "always been a possibility".

Minister Oliver Dowden told the BBC that the West should "continue to tighten the ratchet on Russia" as Moscow ramps up its offensives in the south and east of Ukraine.

"The West has to respond in turn and we are willing to do so," he added.

"There is a desire for us all to do it but it would be good to see more from France and Germany as well."

Asked whether he thought Russia could emerge victorious, he said: "That has always been a possibility that Russia could come out of this victorious. We don't want that to happen."

The United States' top diplomat and defence chief were Sunday set to make their first war-time visits to Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine two months ago, with fierce fighting casting a long shadow over Orthodox Easter.

The trip by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin comes as the war enters its third month with thousands dead and millions displaced.

Ukrainian presidential advisor says 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 said on Sunday.

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. 

(Reuters)

Ukraine's Zelensky, Turkey's Erdogan discuss Mariupol

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that he had talked with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the eve of the Turkish president's talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky said he and Erdogan discussed the need for the immediate evacuation of civilians from the mostly Russian-occupied port city of Mariupol, including the surrounded but Ukrainian-held Azovstal factory, and the exchange of Ukrainian troops holed up at the plant.

(Reuters)

UN calls for 'immediate stop' in Mariupol fighting to allow civilian evacuation

The United Nations Ukraine crisis coordinator, Amin Awad, on Sunday called for 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," Awad said in a statement. "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."

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".

Von der Leyen meets with 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.

Two girls killed in shelling in Ukraine's Donetsk region: governor

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.

(Reuters)

Switzerland vetoes German request to re-export ammunition to Ukraine: report

Neutral Switzerland has held up German arms deliveries to Ukraine by blocking the re-export of Swiss-made ammunition used in Marder infantry fighting vehicles that Kyiv would like to get, Swiss paper SonntagsZeitung reported.

The news comes as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces growing criticism for his government's failure to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine to help it fend off Russian attacks, even as other Western allies step up shipments.

The Marder, made by German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, uses ammunition manufactured in Switzerland, the paper said. Switzerland restricts the re-export of such war materiel to conflict zones.

The paper quoted a spokesperson for the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) as saying it had received two inquiries from Germany about transferring to Ukraine munitions it had got from Switzerland.

"Both of Germany's requests were answered in the negative with reference to Swiss neutrality and the mandatory rejection criteria of the war material legislation," it quoted the spokesperson as saying.

(Reuters)

Ukraine says Russian attacks continue in east

The Ukrainian military says Russian forces have continued to press their attacks in the east.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said Sunday that the Russians fired on Ukrainian positions along the entire line of contact on the war’s 60th day. It also said the Russian military intensified its offensive and assault operations in the Siverodonetsk, Kurakhiv and Popasna directions.

A regional official in eastern Ukraine says at least eight people have been killed by the Russian shelling.

Luhansk regional Governor Serhiy Haidai said Sunday that two others were wounded by the Russian barrage in the past 24 hours.

The General Staff added that Russian forces have also continued to pummel the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, hitting it with air strikes, including by long-range aircraft.

The shelling comes as the Russians are pressing their offensive in a bid to gain full control over Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland called Donbas.

The Russians have also shelled the Dnipro region west of Donbas, where at least one person was killed by a Russian missile, according to Dnipro regional Governor Valentyn Reznichenko.

Ukraine negotiator says Russia continuously shelling Mariupol, urges 'real Easter truce'

Senior Ukrainian negotiator and presidential advisor 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".

(Reuters)