The situation in Mariupol remained critical, with street fighting taking place in its centre
Kyiv:
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed for talks as Russia signalled it was scaling back its military operations and shifting focus on territory claimed by Russian-backed separatists in the east.
Here are the 10 latest developments of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:
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In a potentially significant shift, the Russian army says the first phase of its military campaign in Ukraine is over and troops will now focus on the complete “liberation” of the eastern Donbas region.
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Russian forces have taken control of the town of Slavutych, where workers at the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant live, the governor of Kyiv region, Oleksandr Pavlyuk, said.
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A fresh curfew will be imposed in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv from Saturday evening until Monday morning, mayor Vitali Klitschko announced. “The military command decided to reinforce the curfew. It will start from 8:00 pm Saturday and last until 7:00 am on Monday,” he said on Telegram.
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The situation in the besieged city of Mariupol remained critical, with street fighting taking place in its centre, the city’s mayor said.
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Mariupol mayor said he had spoken to France’s ambassador to Ukraine about options for evacuating civilians after French President Emmanuel Macron said he would propose to Russia a plan to help people leave.
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136 children have been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched a military offensive 31 days ago, said Ukraine’s prosecutor general.
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US President Joe Biden will give a speech later today in Warsaw, where he is expected to ask the “free world” to oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Biden will on Saturday also meet two Ukrainian ministers in Poland, the first face-to-face meeting between the US president and top Kyiv officials since Russia’s invasion began.
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky called on energy-producing countries to increase output so that Russia cannot use its oil and gas wealth to “blackmail” other nations.
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Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said an agreement has been reached on the establishment of 10 humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from front-line hotspots in Ukrainian towns and cities.
