I instructed my Deputy Minister to summon the Russian Ambassador to ensure he is presented with the images and detailed descriptions of the attacks in Bucha and Irpin.https://t.co/MFeczPf96D https://t.co/7wJn2a70VD
— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) April 6, 2022
Here is a round-up of the latest developments in the war in Ukraine.
In eastern Ukraine:
- Thousands of people are trying to escape the Donbas region ahead of Russia’s expected offensive in the east
- Ukrainian officials are appealing to people in the area to “take this opportunity” to flee “while it is safe”
- Russian troops are “regrouping and conducting reconnaissance” for an offensive in Donbas – which is made up of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk
- The US says that Russia’s withdrawal from the regions outside Kyiv and Chernihiv is now complete, as the war shifts focus to eastern Ukraine.
- Chernihiv residents tell the BBC they barely had any food or water, and lived without electricity, under a Russian siege
Elsewhere in Ukraine:
- More than 400 people are missing from the town of Hostomel, a local official says. The town bore the brunt of Russian advances on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, along with Bucha and Irpin
- Survivor accounts are still trickling out from Bucha, where hundreds of people are reported to have been killed by Russian soldiers
- President Zelensky on Thursday morning welcomed sanctions imposed on Russia but also described them as insufficient. He urged the west to boycott the use of Russian oil.
Global developments:
- The US has aimed new sanctions at Russia and Putin’s inner circle – including the president’s two adult daughters
- The UK and US both issued an asset freeze against Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank
- European Union leaders are discussing what further measures they could impose on Russia to damage its war effort. Proposals include a ban on importing Russian coal – but some senior leaders say oil and gas also need to be banned
- The UN will not a vote on Thursday on expelling Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over its invasion of Ukraine
- Russia has warned Nato member countries that any such attempts will be viewed as an “unfriendly gesture”.
- The US treasury secretary warned that a blanket ban on Russian oil imports would trigger “skyrocketing” energy prices in Europe
- Canada will summon Russia’s Ambassador to the country over the reported killings of civilians in Bucha and Irpin, and will “present him images” of what happened in the Kyiv suburbs
- The US has warned India against partnering too closely with Russia saying that “the costs and consequences for them” will be “significant and long-term”.
Met with Secretary General @jensstoltenberg at NATO HQ in Brussels. I came here today to discuss three most important things: weapons, weapons, and weapons. Ukraine’s urgent needs, the sustainability of supplies, and long-term solutions which will help Ukraine to prevail. pic.twitter.com/247GdqdPwj
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 7, 2022