Live blog: Deadly Russian shelling strikes eastern town in Ukraine —Kiev

Saturday, March 30, 2024

1318 GMT — Ukraine has said that Russian shelling overnight and in the morning killed two elderly people in the eastern town of Krasnogorivka, and urged civilians still living there to evacuate.

Krasnogorivka lies directly on the frontline in the eastern Donetsk region, more than half of which is under the control of Russian forces and is an active combat zone.

"The town was under enemy fire during the night and morning. A 70-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man were killed," Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin said on social media.

"Krasnogorivka has been on the frontline for 10 years and remains one of the most dangerous places in the country. Do not expose yourself to mortal danger. Evacuate," he said.

More updates 👇

1646 GMT — Zelenskyy fires more aides in a reshuffle as Russia launches drones and missiles across Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed a longtime aide and several advisers in a continuing reshuffle while Russia unleashed fresh attacks overnight.

Zelenskyy dismissed top aide Serhiy Shefir from his post of first assistant, where he had served since 2019. The Ukrainian president also let go three advisers, and two presidential representatives overseeing volunteer activities and soldiers’ rights.

No explanation was given immediately for the latest changes in a wide-reaching personnel shakeup over recent months.

1329 GMT — Ambassadors of dozens of countries attend memorial ceremony to honour victims of Moscow terror attack

Ambassadors and staff of dozens of diplomatic missions in Russia have attended a memorial ceremony in Moscow to honour the victims of the March 22 terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 144 people.

The ceremony started with a minute of silence followed by diplomats releasing white balloons and laying flowers at the memorial in front of the Crocus City Hall in Moscow region's administrative centre of Krasnogorsk, which was destroyed by fire.

Diplomats from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the US, and the Middle East, as well as Director General of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexey Ostrovsky, representatives of the Russian Council of Young Diplomats, the Foreign Ministry and college students took part in the event.

0939 GMT — US reaffirms support to Ukraine amid Russian 'aggression'

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin has reiterated his country’s support to Ukraine, according to the US Department of Defense.

Austin spoke with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov over the phone to discuss recent battlefield developments, announced the US Department of Defense on its official website.

The department noted that the discussion also focused on the severe consequences of "Russia's ruthless missile barrages on Ukraine's cities and critical infrastructure."

Austin and Umerov discussed Ukraine's need "for additional artillery, air defence…to continue fighting against Russian aggression."

"The two leaders pledged to remain in close contact," it added.

0914 GMT — Russia moves 5,000 children from Belgorod to other regions

Five thousand children have been evacuated from Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine following weeks of deadly bombardment by Kiev, the region's governor has said.

Regional authorities last week said 9,000 minors would be moved to other regions after a spate of cross-border shelling and drone strikes killed over a dozen civilians.

"Five thousand of our children are already outside the region. Yesterday, 1,300 children arrived in Saint Petersburg, Bryansk, and Makhachkala," Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Children who remain in the region and live in municipalities close to the border, including the region's capital Belgorod, will switch to remote learning next month, he added.

0809 GMT — Ukraine accuses Russia of destroying thermal power plant in east

Ukraine has accused Russia of effectively destroying the Zmiivska Thermal Power Plant located in the eastern Kharkiv region.

Centrenergo, a company managing the plant, said on its website that the plant was critically damaged during attacks on March 22.

"On March 22, the Russian army destroyed one of the largest thermal power plants in the Kharkiv region. All blocks have been destroyed, and auxiliary equipment has been damaged. The degree of destruction varies from complete to significant," it said.

0641 GMT — Ukraine says Russia fired 12 drones, four missiles overnight

Ukraine's air force has said that Russia fired four missiles into eastern Ukraine overnight, as well as 12 Shahed drones across the country.

It said nine of the drones were shot down in four regions.

Russia has launched an air strike campaign on Ukraine's energy infrastructure over the past week, causing significant damage in several regions.

2307 GMT — Ukraine's Zelenskyy reports his income increased in 2022 compared to 2021

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared his income for 2022 rose to $306,000 from around $94,000 the previous year, with the increase attributable to improved rent collection and the sale of some government bonds.

A statement on the president's website said most of the income of the president and his family came from his salary, bank interest and rent payable from his properties.

It said Zelenskyy and his family had derived an income of $1.9 million from the sale of government bonds. It said most of the income came from his salary, bank interest and rent payable from his properties.

It also reported no major changes in the president's assets or the vehicles he possessed.

Zelenskyy has called for public officials to disclose their incomes as part of efforts to increase transparency and eliminate corruption as Ukraine tries to meet the stringent requirements for its bid to join the European Union.

Western allies providing weaponry and financial assistance, as well as international bodies like the International Monetary Fund, have also sought assurances on efforts to eliminate corruption.

2210 GMT — Ukraine forces will retreat if US aid not delivered: Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said in an interview that if Ukraine does not get promised US military aid blocked by disputes in Congress, its forces will have to retreat "in small steps".

"If there is no US support, it means that we have no air defence, no Patriot missiles, no jammers for electronic warfare, no 155-millimetre artillery rounds," he told the Washington Post.

"It means we will go back, retreat, step by step, in small steps," he said. "We are trying to find some way not to retreat."

2014 GMT — Ukraine's Zelenskyy sacks office staff, names envoy to Moldova

Zelenskyy has pressed on with changes to officials close to him, dismissing two deputy heads of his office and appointing a former top security official ambassador to neighbouring Moldova.

A presidential decree announced the dismissal of Andriy Smyrnov, who was responsible for legal policy matters, and Oleksiy Dniprov, who headed the office's "apparatus".

They were among ten deputies to Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.

Appointed in their place were Olena Kovalska, who has been part of a group advising the president on the creation of a tribunal to prosecute Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, and Iryna Mudra, who has served as deputy justice minister.

In his new video address, Zelenskyy said he had appointed Oleksiy Danilov, former head of Ukraine's Security and Defence Council, as ambassador to Moldova, saying Danilov had wanted a diplomatic appointment.

For our live updates from Friday, March 29, click here.