War In Ukraine: Latest Developments

Ukrainian soldiers sit on an armoured personnel carrier (APC) near Mayaky, eastern Ukraine, on 6 May, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP Photo)

Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:

Russian Fire Overshadows Evacuation 

Ukrainian troops defending the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol accuse Russian forces of firing during a civilian evacuation, despite a Moscow-imposed ceasefire.

"A car was hit by Russians who used an anti-tank guided weapon," the Azov battalion, which has been leading the defence, says on Telegram. It says the vehicle was "moving towards civilians to evacuate them" at the time.

A Ukrainian fighter was killed and six injured in the alleged incident.

A new United Nations (UN)-led mission was to evacuate the estimated 200 civilians still trapped inside the sprawling steel plant that has become the devastated city's final holdout against Russian forces.

The Russian military had announced a three-day ceasefire starting Thursday at Azovstal, but Ukraine says the assault on the plant continues.

Eastern City Surrounded 

Russian forces have almost encircled Severodonetsk, the easternmost city in Ukraine held by Kyiv, and are trying to storm it, a local official says.

Oleksandr Striuk, the head of the Severodonetsk military administration, says on Ukrainian television that Kyiv's army was so far "repelling these attacks" but the Russians were pressing on.

He says around 15,000 people remain in Severodonetsk, which had a population of around 100,000 before the war.

G7-Zelensky Video Conference 

Leaders of the world's top industrialised nations will hold video talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Sunday, a spokeswoman for the German government as acting G7 chair says.

Russia In Southern Ukraine 'Forever': Lawmaker 

A senior official from the Russian parliament says that Russia will remain in southern Ukraine "forever", speaking on a visit to the Moscow-controlled city of Kherson.

"Russia is here forever. There should be no doubt about this. There will be no return to the past," Andrey Turchak is quoted as saying in a statement from the ruling United Russia party.

EU Wrangles On New Sanctions 

European diplomats are locked in difficult negotiations on a sixth package of sanctions against Russia, with Hungary and Slovakia opposed to a ban on Russian oil imports.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen has crossed "a red line" with her proposed ban.

There is also a disagreement over whether to add the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, to the European Union (EU)'s targeted sanctions list.

Pentagon Denials 

The Pentagon denies media reports that it helped Ukrainian forces sink the Russian warship Moskva in the Black Sea on 13 April. 

"We did not provide Ukraine with specific targeting information for the Moskva," spokesman John Kirby says in a statement.

Earlier the United States (US) Defense Department also denied providing intelligence on the locations of Russian generals on the battlefield so that Ukrainian forces could kill them.

Agricultural Powers Make Pledge 

The EU, the US and more than two dozen other countries vow to shore up global food security in a joint statement to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Voicing alarm at the "global effects on food security" triggered by the Ukraine war, they stress "the urgency and importance of maintaining open and predictable agricultural markets and trade".

Sanctions Busting Import List 

Russia allows for hundreds of categories of goods to be imported without the agreement of the intellectual property owner in order to bypass restrictions imposed over the Ukraine conflict.

Among the list published by the industry and commerce ministry are Apple and Samsung smartphones, major car brands, game consoles and spare parts used in various industries.