More horror in Ukraine. A missile hit the Kramatorsk station in the Donetsk region, causing 50 deaths - including ten children - and hundreds of injured. A massacre of civilians: thousands of people were in the station, still operational, in an attempt to leave the region. "The Russians knew very well where they were aiming and what they wanted, sow panic and fear, they wanted to hit as many peaceful people as possible", accuses Kiev, speaking of "deliberate massacre".
"Inhuman Russians", Zelensky's attack, and this time too comes the usual rebuke of responsibility, with the Moscow Defense Minister saying that the attack was carried out by a Ukrainian missile battalion from Dobropolye, for the purpose to "prevent civilians from leaving to use them as human shields". There is "clear evidence", claims the Kremlin, and "Kiev will have to answer for it."
As expected, therefore, the fighting becomes more violent after - at least according to the Pentagon - Vladimir Putin has given up on conquering Kiev. According to the US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, the Russian president was convinced that he could very quickly conquer Ukraine and its capital, but he was wrong: and now "he may have given up his efforts to capture the capital, concentrating in the south. and in the east of the country ". That is why the Pentagon is preparing to send 1,400 Stinger missiles, more than 5,000 anti-tank Javelins and hundreds of drones to Kiev.
Meanwhile, the G7 announces new economic and financial sanctions against Moscow and the EU calls for a total embargo on Russian gas and oil with the 27 ambassadors of the member countries giving the green light to the fifth EU sanctions package, which includes, among other things the gradual embargo on Russian coal imports.
Other explosions also rocked Odessa, while Ukrainian Attorney General Iryna Venediktova announced that 26 bodies had been extracted from the rubble of two bombed apartment buildings in Borodyanka, a town northwest of Kiev where about 200 residents are missing.
Today the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen , went to Bucha, the city on the outskirts of Kiev which has become a symbol of the atrocities of war: "Here the unthinkable happened - she commented -. We saw the cruel face of the army. of Putin, the recklessness and ruthlessness of those who occupied the city. Here in Bucha we have seen humanity fall apart. The whole world is with Bucha today ". Von der Leyen was accompanied by the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, and at the press point she said she was "deeply convinced" that Ukraine will win, because "freedom and democracy will triumph." And all this will form Ukraine's path towards the EU ".
HERE all the articles on the conflict in Ukraine.
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The day live:
9pm. 9pm - EU sanctions in force, there are also Putin's daughters
The new EU sanctions have been published in the Official Journal. The fifth package thus enters into force. The measures on which the member countries have reached political agreement are confirmed, including a stop to coal since August. 217 Russian personalities enter the black list. Among these are the two daughters of Vladimir Putin, Ekaterina Tikhonova and Maria Vorontsova, and the patron oligarch of Rusal, Oleg Deripaska.
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8.15 pm - Russia closes the offices of Amnesty and Human Rights Watch
Russia has closed the local offices of Amnesty international and Human Rights Watch. This was announced by the Ministry of Justice of Moscow.
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19.19 - Zelensky, "we do not kill Russian or Belarusian civilians"
"Everyone must be equal before the law. Ukraine has always supported this principle. Unlike the Russian Federation, we do not seek to influence the international court with power, because we are a democratic country, so we want an independent court. I am convinced that all actions by the Ukrainian armed forces must be fair and just, but we are on our territory and we have not killed Russian or Belarusian civilians. " Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this at a press conference in Kiev with the president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
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7 pm - Kramatorsk, a witness: "Incredible horror"
"People were waiting for the train, enjoying the sun. Then the explosion, everyone fell. I started running and I was saved: an incredible horror." It is the story of a journalist who was in Kramatorsk at the time of the attack on the station. "It all caught fire, the cars were in flames and a man was burning," he added according to reports from the Ukrainian agency UNIAN.
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18.50 - Moscow: "Kiev will have to answer for Kramatorsk"
There is "clear evidence" that "Ukraine is responsible for the bombing of Kramatorsk" and this confirms that Russian military action in Ukraine is "justified". This was stated by the Moscow Foreign Ministry, adding that "Kiev will not be able to shirk its responsibilities" for this episode. Russia also calls on the international community to "stop the supply of arms to Ukraine and induce it to reject inadmissible methods of combat".
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6.40 pm - "132 bodies in Makarov"
In Makarov, in the Kiev area, 132 bodies of people were found in many cases killed by gunshots and buried in mass graves. Mayor Vadym Tokar said this, pointing out that almost half of the city is completely destroyed. "We found 132 civilians who were killed by Russian orcs. 40% of the city is destroyed and many houses cannot be rebuilt," he explained, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
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18.30 - Biden: "Another Russian atrocity, we will supply more and more weapons to Kiev"
"The attack on the Kramatorsk station" is another horrific atrocity committed by Russia, which hit civilians who were trying to evacuate. " US President Joe Biden tweets it. "We will continue to provide security assistance and weapons to Ukraine to defend the country. And, together with our allies, we will support efforts to investigate this attack," he adds.
"With Russian forces repositioning themselves for the next phase of the war, I have directed my administration to spare no effort in identifying and providing Ukrainian forces with the weapons they need to defend their country," Biden further said.
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5.50 pm - "Putin will stop when we stop him"
"Putin will stop when we stop him. In Ukraine we have a proverb: it doesn't matter who is in front of you, but who is next to you. And for us the important thing is to have Italians and our other allies beside you. it must feel the strength of our armaments, our sanctions and our union ". Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said it on video link to 'Live In' on SkyTg24.
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17.30 - Towards the return to Kiev of the Italian ambassador "
"I know that Italy is thinking of returning its ambassador to Kiev. This would be another sign we can give to Putin that we are not afraid of him." Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said it on video link to 'Live In' on SkyTg24.
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05.05 pm - Odessa: plane in the skies, then a strong explosion
Moments of strong tension in Odessa: a plane flew over the city and after a few seconds a loud explosion was heard, felt throughout the city, where the window panes shook and alarm sirens sounded.
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4.45 pm - 50 dead, 10 children in Kramatorsk
The toll of the attack on Kramatorsk station worsens: at least 50 dead, including 10 children. The Ukrainian media reported this, citing the governor of Donetsk Pavlo Kyrylenko, and the BBC which reports the data of the mayor of the city.
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16.35 - "Burned alive in Izium, even a child"
In the village of Husarivka, in the Kharkiv region, the Russians had set up a torture chamber in which people - including a child - were burned alive after being tortured. The Ukrainian police reported this on Facebook, as reported by UNIAN. Following the liberation of Husarivka on April 4, the police are now documenting the crimes of the Russian army in this village in the Izium district of the Kharkiv region. According to the investigation, the examination of the bodies revealed traces of prolonged abuse and torture. "People were burned alive. A child was tortured."
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4 pm - Russia expels 45 Polish diplomats for retaliation
The Russian government has decided to expel 45 Polish diplomats in retaliation for a similar decision taken in recent days by Warsaw. Polish media cited by Tass report this.
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15:40 - Lavrov: "Negotiations are not easy, but we strive for results"
The Russian-Ukrainian talks "are not proceeding easily, but we will try to ensure that all objectives are achieved". This was stated by the Russian Foreign Minister, Serghei Lavrov, quoted by Tass. Lavrov added that a list of countries that should act as guarantors for Ukraine's security if it agrees to become a neutral state is currently being studied. Russia, the head of diplomacy underlined, has asked for Belarus, a faithful ally of Moscow, to be included in this list.
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3.10 pm - Kramatorsk, emergency evacuation begins
An emergency evacuation by car began in Kramatorsk after the missile attack on the train station. This was stated by the mayor of Kramatorsk Alexander Goncharenko. "Today we are starting an emergency evacuation of people by all public and private transport, we are looking for drivers. To date, about 30-40 drivers will be needed," said the mayor.
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3 pm - "Kiev-Moscow still available for talks in Turkey"
"Both Russia and Ukraine are willing to hold new talks in Turkey", despite the horrors of Bucha, "but they remain far from an agreement on a joint text". This was reported by a senior Ankara government official.
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14.55 - EU: "There is no unanimity on the oil embargo"
Next Monday the EU Council of Foreign Ministers will "not discuss" a possible embargo on Russian oil. This is what we learn from European sources. "We have just completed the fifth package of sanctions, which added economic and individual measures to Russia. But oil requires unanimity between member states and Europe is dependent on Russian energy, so this is a complicated issue by the a technical and political point of view ", said an EU official.
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14.45 - In Italy 87,225 Ukrainian refugees
87,225 refugees have arrived in Italy so far since the start of the war in Ukraine. The Interior Ministry makes it known. According to Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict "is one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies since the war", for which Italy "is also playing its part with the commissioner for civil protection and with all the structures" .
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2.15 pm - Moscow: "Missile on Kramatorsk launched by the Ukrainians"
The Russian Defense Ministry claims that the attack on Kramatorsk station was carried out by a Ukrainian missile battalion from Dobropolye. The purpose, adds the ministry, was "to prevent civilians from leaving" to use them as "human shields" by the Ukrainian army. Tass reports it.
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2 pm - Kuleba: "Deliberate massacre"
"The Russians knew that the Kramatorsk railway station was full of civilians waiting to be evacuated. Yet they hit it with a ballistic missile, killing at least 30 and injuring at least a hundred people. This was a deliberate massacre. We will deliver any. war criminal to justice ". Thus the Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba.
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1.50 pm - Kiev: "In Kramatorsk, the Iskander missile is Russian"
Russian high-precision Iskander missiles were used at the Kramatorsk railway station. The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament Lyudmyla Denisova claims this. "The Russian criminal army used a high-precision 'Iskander' cluster missile," he says on Telegram. The Russian defense ministry had rejected the accusation of having committed the attack, arguing that it was a Tochka-U missile "used only by Ukrainian forces".
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13.40 - From Slovakia to Kiev air defense system
Slovakia supplies Ukraine with the S-300 air defense system. This was announced by Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger.
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1.00 pm - Di Maio: "Kramatorsk a horror"
"More horrors in Ukraine. More civilians dead, even children. The bombs on Kramatorsk station are yet another demonstration that the Russian war is real, the victims are real. Strong condemnation. We all want peace, there is no time left. to lose: a ceasefire immediately ". Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio writes on Twitter.
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12.35 pm - At least 39 victims in Kramatorsk, 4 children
The victims of the Russian attack on Kramatorsk station are 39, including 4 children, according to the security service of Ukraine quoted by Ukrainska Pravda. "For every life killed, Russia will answer to the law," says Kiev. About 300 were wounded.
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12.30 - EU confirms almost 30 billion kidnappings from oligarchs
"So far, more than half of the Member States have communicated to the Commission the measures taken to freeze the assets of the Russian and Belarusian oligarchs, and assets worth € 29.5 billion have been frozen, including assets such as boats, helicopters, real estate and works of art, for a value of almost € 6.7 billion. In addition, transactions for approximately € 196 billion have been blocked ". The European Commission has made it known.
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12.20 - Moscow: "The Kramatorsk missile is Ukrainian"
The fragments of the missile that appear in a video near the Kramatorsk station belong to a Tochka-U carrier, "used only by Ukrainian forces". This was stated by the Russian Defense Ministry, rejecting the accusations of the Kiev authorities of having bombed the station of the town in the north-east of the country today. This was reported by the Interfax agency.
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12 pm - Zelensky: "Inhumane Russians must be punished in Kramatorsk"
"The occupants hit the Kramatorsk Point U railway station, where thousands of peaceful Ukrainians were waiting to be evacuated ... About 30 people died, about 100 people were injured to varying degrees. Police and rescuers are already on site. . The inhuman Russians do not abandon their methods. Not having the strength and courage to stand up to us on the battlefield, they are cynically destroying the civilian population. This is an evil that has no limits. And if it is not punished, it is not possible. will never stop ". This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram.
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11.15 am - Formal ratification of EU sanctions concluded
The written procedure for the formal ratification of the fifth package of European sanctions against Moscow was concluded with the approval of the EU capitals. The text of the new measures will be published today in the European Official Journal.
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10.35 am - Kramatorsk station bombed, there are victims
Russian rockets hit a train station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, killing people. This was stated by the Ukrainian state railway company, quoted by the Guardian. The station in these hours is used to evacuate civilians from the areas of the east of the country that are under the bombing.
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10.20 am - The FAO: "World food prices at maximum"
World food prices hit their "all-time high" in March, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine "shocked" the grain and vegetable oil markets. This was announced by the FAO, the United Nations food organization. The FAO food price index rose 12.6% in March compared to February, hitting a new high since its creation in 1990.
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9.30 am - The Sumy area frees from Russian troops, mines everywhere
The territory of the Sumy region, north-east of Ukraine, is completely free from Russian troops. This was reported by the head of the district administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, quoted by Ukrainska Pravda, indicating that the explosions that are heard are caused by rescuers who dispose of the ammunition left by the Russian military. Zhyvytskyi points out that the territory of the region is not safe as there are many mined and unexplored areas.
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8.45 am - United Kingdom: "Total withdrawal of Russian forces from the north"
"In the north, Russian forces have now completely withdrawn from Ukraine to Belarus and Russia." This was stated by the British Ministry of Defense in the latest intelligence bulletin, adding that "at least some of these forces will be transferred to eastern Ukraine to fight in the Donbass". "Many of these forces will need a significant resupply before they are ready to deploy further east," adds intelligence, stating that any massive deployment from the north will take "at least at least a week."
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8.15 am - Von der Leyen and Borrell towards Kiev
The president of the EU commission Ursula von der Leyen and the high representative for foreign policy Josep Borrell are on their way to Kiev. Both announce it with posts on social networks.
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7.50 am - Bucha, a video from the drone confirms the position of the bodies
Russian independent media Meduza released a video showing civilians in Bucha were killed during the Russian occupation. The video was shot from a drone over several days, from 23 to 30 March. The images, compared with the video shot on the ground after the withdrawal of the Russian army, show that the position of the bodies coincides. "The people in Bucha were killed before the Russian troops withdrew from the city," writes Meduza.
(Unioneonline)
