Live blog: Western weapons in Ukraine legitimate targets – Russia's Lavrov

Monday, April 25, 2022

Russia: Western weapons in Ukraine legitimate targets

Deliveries of Western weaponry to Ukraine mean that the NATO alliance is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and Moscow views these weapons as legitimate targets, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview.

"These weapons will be a legitimate target for Russia'smilitary acting within the context of the special operation," Lavrov told state television in an interview posted on the Foreign Ministry's website.

"Storage facilities in western Ukraine have been targeted more than once (by Russian forces). How can it be otherwise?" Lavrov said. "NATO, in essence, is engaged in a war with Russia through a proxy and is arming that proxy. War means war."

Mariupol officials say new mass grave found

Officials in the embattled Ukrainian city of Mariupol have said a new mass grave has been identified north of the city.

Mayor Vadym Boychenko said authorities are trying to estimate the number of victims in the grave about 10 kilometres north of Mariupol.

Satellite photos released over the past several days have shown what appear to be images of other mass graves.

Russia's Lavrov: 'Real' danger of World War III

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that peace talks with Ukraine would continue, while warning there was a "real" danger of a World War III.

"The danger is serious, it is real, you can't underestimate it," Lavrov told the Interfax news agency.

He criticised Kiev's approach to the talks, adding: "Goodwill has its limits. But if it isn't reciprocal, that doesn't help the negotiation process. 

Lavrov also accused Ukraine's President Zelenskyy of "pretending" to negotiate, saying, "he's a good actor" but "if you watch attentively and read attentively what he says, you'll find a thousand contradictions."

Russia: Ukraine bombed village, wounded two civilians

The governor of a Russian region bordering Ukraine has accused Kiev of bombing one of its villages, wounding two civilians and damaging several houses.

"A village was targeted by shots... It is already clear that there are injured civilians," Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine: Russia continues to storm steel plant in Mariupol

Russian forces have been continuing to attack the vast Azovstal steel plant where Ukrainian fighters are holed up in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian presidential aide Oleksiy Arestovych said.

"The enemy continues to attack our defences in the area of the Azovstal plant, using aircraft, artillery ... firing with tanks and trying to advance with assault groups, violating the order of their own supreme commander," Arestovych said in a video address.

Ukraine: Russia strikes on rail infrastructure kill several

At least five people have been killed and another 18 injured in Russian strikes on railway infrastructure in the central Ukraine region of Vinnytsia, Kiev said.

"Preliminary information shows that five people died and 18 were injured. Rescue operations are under way, investigators, prosecutors and other services are working at the scene," the Ukrainian prosecutor general's office said in a statement on social media.

The prosecutor's office said Russian forces had used rockets to strike "transport infrastructure" near the town of Zhmerynka and Kozyatyn.

Biden approves $165M sale of non-standard ammunition for Ukraine

The Biden administration has approved the sale of roughly $165 million in non-standard ammunition for Ukraine's armed forces.

The announcement comes less than a day after the US secretaries of state and defence met in Kiev with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The proposed sale, which Congress was notified of on Sunday, includes among many things 52-millimetre and 152-millimetre artillery rounds, grenade launcher rounds and 120-millimetre mortars.

US sees Ukraine beating Russia with 'right equipment'

The United States believes Kiev can win the conflict against Russia if it has the "right equipment", Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has said.

"The first step in winning is believing that you can win. And so they believe that we can win," Austin told a group of journalists after he and Blinken met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"We believe that we can win, they can win if they have the right equipment, the right support."

Russia expels dozens of German diplomats

Moscow has said it was expelling 40 German diplomats in response to the "unfriendly decision" by Berlin to kick out Russian diplomats over the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement it summoned Germany's ambassador in Moscow and handed him a note "declaring persona non grata 40 employees of German diplomatic institutions in Russia as part of a symmetrical response".

"A strong protest was made to the head of the German diplomatic mission in Moscow in connection with the openly unfriendly decision of the German government," to expel Russian diplomats, the ministry said.

US diplomats to return to Kiev as Biden taps new envoy

American diplomats will return to Kiev this week as US President Joe Biden announced his pick to fill the long-vacant ambassador post for Ukraine.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the flurry of diplomatic activity while addressing reporters in Poland after departing Ukraine in what was the first visit by a senior American official since Russian began its attacks in February.

Biden announced career diplomat Bridget Brink as his nominee to be the new US envoy to Kiev. 

Brink is currently the US ambassador to the Slovak Republic, and had previously served as a top official at t he State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

EU: Ukraine war has consequences for Asia

Russia's attacks on Ukraine threatens India's regional security, the European Union chief has said during a trip to New Delhi aimed at fostering deeper strategic ties.

"The outcome of the war will not only determine the future of Europe but also deeply affect the Indo-Pacific region," Ursula von der Leyen told an audience at the Raisina Dialogue, an annual geopolitical conference in New Delhi.

Von der Leyen is the latest visiting Western diplomat to press India, which gets most of its arms from Russia, over its neutral stance on the conflict.

Germany says ‘will do everything possible’ to end Russian attacks

Germany will continue to do everything possible to end Russia’s attacks on Ukraine, the government said.

In a statement released after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s meeting with his Estonian counterpart Kaja Kallas, the German government pledged more support to Ukraine.

“It is now important to continue to do everything possible to end the Russian war of aggression and further exp and support for Ukraine,” the statement said, but did not provide any concrete details.

Ukraine: No deal on humanitarian corridor from Mariupol plant

Ukraine has said Moscow had not agreed to its request for a humanitarian corridor to let wounded soldiers and civilians leave the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged port city of Mariupol. 

"Unfortunately, there are no agreements on humanitarian corridors from Azovstal today," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vershchuk said on Telegram.

Russia's defence ministry earlier announced a ceasefire around the steel plant to allow a civilian evacuation from the industrial area that has been sheltering the remaining Ukrainian resistance.

Ukraine: Russian attacks in east are being rebuffed

Ukraine's defence ministry has said Russia was continuing to attack in eastern Ukraine but was being pushed back.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said Russian forces had attempted to break through the defences of towns including Rubizhne, Popasna, Sievierodonetsk, Maryinka and Avdiivka.

He also said the forces were attempting to advance from the town of Izyumtowards Barvinkove and Sloviansk.

ICC prosecutor to join EU team probing crimes in Ukraine

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor will join an EU investigations team to probe possible international crimes committed in Ukraine.

"The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague will become a participant in the joint investigation team (JIT) on alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine," Eurojust said in a statement.

Ukraine: More than 200 children killed so far in Russian attacks

At least 215 children have been killed and 391 others injured in Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine, authorities said.

Some 1,500 educational institutions have been damaged in Russian attacks, including 102 which were completely destroyed, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office.

In a separate update, the Ukrainian military claimed the number of Russian soldiers killed during the conflict has risen to at least 21,900.

Activists block Russian oil tanker in Norway

Greenpeace activists in Norway have blocked a Russian oil tanker from unloading its cargo near Oslo, saying the shipment was helping to finance Russian President Vladimir Putin's "warfare".

The Hong Kong-registered Ust Luga, leased by Russian oil company Novatek, is carrying 95,000 tonnes of fuel bound for Esso's terminal in southeast Norway, Greenpeace said in a statement.

The tanker was coming from its namesake Russian city, near Saint Petersburg, according to the Marine Traffic website.

UN: Another 45,000 flee Ukraine conflict

More than 5.2 million Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia launched its attacks two months ago, with over 45,000 joining their ranks in the past 24 hours.

In total, 5,232,014 people have fled Ukraine as refugees since February 24, according to the latest data from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

That marks an increase of 45,270 over Sunday's figure.

US State Department backs ammunition sale for Ukraine

The US State Department has said it supported the approval of a possible sale of $165 million worth of ammunition to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against Russia's ongoing attacks.

The Ukrainian government had asked to buy various rounds of so-called non-standard ammunition, the department said in a statement, referring to ammunition that does not adhere to NATO standards.

Russia warns US against sending more weapons to Ukraine

Russia has told the US to stop giving more weapons to Ukraine, warning that its actions could intensify the conflict, Moscow’s envoy to Washington said.

The US sending arms worth $800 million to Kiev “does not contribute to the search for a diplomatic solution or settlement,” Anatoly Antonov said in an interview with state-run Rossiya 24 news channel.

Antonov accused Washington of “trying to raise the stakes, to aggravate the situation.”

Putin accuses West of trying to murder Russian journalists

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of trying to murder Russian journalists and said the Federal Security Service (FSB) had thwarted one such attempt on a television reporter.

Speaking on state television, Putin did not provide evidence to support his claim.

Five railway stations come under fire in Ukraine, casualties reported

Five railway stations have come under fire in western and central Ukraine, causing an unspecified number of casualties, Ukrainian television quoted state-run Ukrainian Railways as saying. 

Oleksander Kamyshin, the company's chief, said the attacks took place in the space of an hour and details were being checked. 

Russia 'shoots down' two Ukrainian drones near border

Russian forces shot down two Ukrainian drones near the border overnight, a regional governor said.

"Today at 4:15 am Russian air defence crews shot down two Ukrainian drones" in the Rylsky district on the border with Ukraine, Kursk region governor Roman Starovoyt said on Telegram.

Russia's armed forces have also struck Ukrainian military installations and the Kremenchug oil refinery, the Russian defence ministry reported.

US: Ukraine can beat Russia with right equipment

The US wants Russia "weakened" so it cannot attack again and Ukraine can win the conflict if it has the right equipment, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has said on returning from a trip to Kiev. 

"The first step in winning is believing that you can win. And so they believe that we can win," Austin told a group of journalists after the visit with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"We believe that we can win, they can win if they have the right equipment, the right support," Austin said. 

Russian gas flows to Europe stable as gas nominations for Slovakia rise

Daily nominations for Russian gas deliveries to Slovakia via Ukraine rose, while flows eastbound into Poland from Germany through the Russia-EU Yamal pipeline and direct flows from Russia to Germany via Nord Stream 1 remained stable.

Daily nominations for Russian gas deliveries to Slovakia through Ukraine via the Velke Kapusany border point were around 545,006 megawatt hours (MWh) per day on Monday, versus 381,789 MWh per day on Sunday, data from Slovakian operator TSO Eustream showed.

Russian gas producer Gazprom said it was supplying natural gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with European consumers' requests, which had increased from the previous day. 

Face-off with Russia over Ukraine lifts military spending in 2021

Military spending in Europe and Russia surged in the run-up to Moscow's offensive on Ukraine despite the subduing effects of the pandemic on economic growth, data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) showed. 

The conflict in Ukraine, which Russia calls a "special military operation", has forced a rapid rethink in Europe over defence strategies and led a string of countries to promise large increases in military budgets.

It has also paved the way for a potential expansion of NATO military alliance to include Finland and Sweden.

US pledges new Ukraine aid in secretive Kiev trip

The United States has announced new military assistance for Ukraine and a renewed diplomatic push in the nation as President Joe Biden's secretary of state and Pentagon chief completed a secrecy-shrouded trip to Kiev.

Top envoy Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Ukraine’s president, Volodomyr Zelenskyy, and his advisers that the US would provide more than $300 million in foreign military financing and had approved a $165 million sale of ammunition.

They also said Biden would soon announce his nominee to be ambassador to Ukraine and that American diplomats who left Ukraine before the Russian attacks would start returning to the country this coming week. The US Embassy in Kiev will remain closed for the moment. 

Brussels prepares to hit Russia with ‘smart sanctions’ on oil imports

The European Union is preparing "smart sanctions" against Russian oil imports, The Times reported, citing the European Commission's executive vice president, Valdis Dombrovskis.

"We are working on a sixth sanctions package and one of the issues we are considering is some form of an oil embargo," Dombrovskis told the Times. 

"When we are imposing sanctions, we need to do so in a way that maximises pressure on Russia while minimising collateral damage on ourselves," Dombrovskis added.

Australia, NZ show support for Ukraine at ANZAC Day commemorations 

Thousands of people have gathered across Australia and New Zealand to honour military personnel on Anzac Day, after the pandemic cancelled or limited public gatherings and commemorations in the past two years.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who faces an election next month, attended the dawn service in the Northern Territory city of Darwin, where he paid tribute to the people of Ukraine who are fighting the Russian offensive.

"On this particular day, as we honour those who fought for our liberty and freedom, we stand with the people of Ukraine who do the same thing at this very moment," Morrison said.

Ukraine: Civilians in steelworks beg for aid

A newly released video shows Ukrainian children in an underground bunker receiving Easter presents. The video was released by the far-right Azov Battalion, which is among Ukrainian forces at the Azovstal steelworks where soldiers and civilians have been holed up under a Russian attack.

One of the women in the video begs for help from world leaders and says she and others stuck under the plant are tired of the bombing and are desperate for their freedom.

"We want to live in our city, in our country. We are tired of these bombings, constant airstrikes on our land. How much longer will this continue?" she says through tears.

Large fire reported at oil storage depot in Russia's Bryansk

A large fire was reported at an oil storage facility in the Russian city of Bryansk, Russian news agencies reported, citing the emergency services ministry.

No further detail has been provided.

Bryansk is located about 380 km (236 miles) southwest of Moscow. The city is the administrative centre of the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine.

For live updates from Sunday (April 24), click here