2023-04-18T13:16:45Z
A 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter were killed after Russian forces struck a residential building in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia early on Sunday, authorities said. Edward Baran reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met his commanders in two regions of Ukraine that Moscow claims to have annexed, while Russian forces stepped up artillery bombardments and air strikes on the devastated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
POLITICS/DIPLOMACY:
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited troops on Tuesday in Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, his office said. He heard reports from military commanders on the battlefield situation and handed out awards to soldiers.
* The Group of Seven industrial powers on Tuesday criticised Russia’s threat to station nuclear weapons in Belarus, promising to intensify sanctions on Moscow for its war on neighbouring Ukraine.
* Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held a meeting with the Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s Donetsk region on Tuesday, the state-run Belta news agency reported.
* Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S., British and Canadian ambassadors for a dressing down after they condemned the conviction of an opposition politician for treason.
FIGHTING:
*Russian forces are stepping up their use of heavy artillery and air strikes in the devastated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces said on Tuesday. Russia was suffering significant losses in the battle, he said.
* A Russian artillery attack killed one person and injured nine more in the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine on Tuesday, regional officials said. Officials said a market in the city centre had been hit.
* A Moscow court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich to be freed from pre-trial detention, meaning he will stay in a former KGB prison until at least May 29 while a spying case against him is investigated.
Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, denies the espionage charges.
* It will be very difficult for Europe to refill its gas storage to last year’s levels after the continent ended the winter heating season with relatively low stockpiles, Russian natural gas giant Gazprom GAZP.MM said on Tuesday.
* French spirits group Pernod Ricard PERP.PA said it is suspending exports entirely of its premium vodka Absolut to Russia, having previously reduced sales following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.GRAIN
* Inspections of ships moving grains from Ukraine have restarted after a pause which threatened to shut down the Black Sea shipping corridor, the RIA news agency said, citing the Russian foreign ministry.
Related Galleries:
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Colonel General Oleg Makarevich, commander of the Dnieper Group of Forces, during his visit to the headquarters of the “Dnieper” army group in the Kherson Region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, in this still image taken from handout video released on April 18, 2023. Kremlin.ru/Handout via REUTERS
From left, European Union Deputy Secretary General and Political Director of the European External Action Service Enrique Mora, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, France’s Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, and Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, pose for a photo during the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at The Prince Karuizawa hotel in Karuizawa, Japan April 17, 2023. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS
Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is accused of treason and of discrediting the Russian army, appears on a screen in a court building during a video link to a hearing in Moscow, Russia. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu attend a meeting in Moscow, Russia, April 16, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS
Ukrainian servicemen return from heavy fighting amid Russia?s attack on Ukraine, close to Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
A Ukrainian serviceman looks on as he returns from heavy fighting amid Russia?s attack on Ukraine, close to Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Emergency workers and volunteers work at the site of an apartment building damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Kudriavtseva
Volunteers work at the site of a residential building damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Kudriavtseva
Ukrainian artillery fires towards the frontline during heavy fighting amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, near Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Smoke is seen during a shelling on the outskirts of the frontline city of Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 10, 2023. REUTERS/Oleksandr Klymenko
A Ukrainian serviceman clears a trench at the front line near Donetsk, Ukraine, April 8. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
FILE PHOTO; A police officer inspects remains of a Russian missile which hit a residential area, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine April 9, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer
Serhii (35), a Ukrainian sniper with the 1st Tank Brigade, is fully disguised as he tests his weapon prior to a mission amid Russia?s attack on Ukraine at the frontline near Donetsk, Ukraine, April 8, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Ukrainian service member from 28th mechanised brigade launches an RPG at the frontline, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine in the region of Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Listen to this article
