Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now
The United States and Europe are planning new sanctions to punish Moscow over civilian killings in Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said more deaths were likely to be uncovered in areas seized from Russian invaders. Russia said the deaths had been stagemanaged by the West to discredit it. Here
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CALLS FOR WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATION
- Ukraine said 50 bodies found in Bucha had been victims of extra-judicial killings by Russian troops. Reuters could not verify the events, but its journalists saw the bodies of civilians scattered over the town at the weekend.
- Satellite images showed a 45-foot-long (14-metre) trench dug in the grounds of a church where a mass grave was found.
- The Kremlin categorically denied any accusations related to the murder of civilians in the town, saying the graves and corpses had been staged by Ukraine to tarnish Russia.
- Russia said it would present to the U.N. Security Council "empirical evidence" of what it called lies by Ukraine and its Western sponsors.
- U.S. President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and urged a trial.
- The U.S. said it would push for Russia to be suspended from the U.N. Human Rights Council.
FIGHTING
- Ukraine's general staff said Russian forces attacked the southern city of Mykolayiv with cluster munitions banned by the Geneva convention and whole blocks of civilian buildings, including a children's hospital, came under fire.
- Russia probably plans to shift its focus to the south and east of Ukraine, and is refitting forces in Belarus, U.S. officials said.
- Heavy fighting has continued in Mariupol, British military intelligence said.
ECONOMY
- Russia's latest sovereign bond coupon payments have been stopped, a source familiar with the matter and a spokeswoman for the U.S. Treasury said, pushing it closer to a historic default.
- Western powers said more sanctions on Russia would be imposed in coming days.
- Thousands of auto workers have been furloughed and food prices are soaring as Western sanctions pummel the small Russian city of Kaluga and its flagship foreign carmakers.
PEACE TALKS
- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian "war crimes" had made it harder for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia. There has been no update on peace talks that had been set to resume on Monday.
