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The Russia-Ukraine war makes Indians poorer and hungrier
In India, household diets are suffering as profits fall as inflation rates have worsened since the conflict in Ukraine. Read more here. 12 minutes ago (12:13 GMT)
US embassy in Ukraine says it hopes to return to Kyiv by end of May
The US embassy in Ukraine hopes to return to Kyiv by the end of May, if conditions allow, its envoy said. “We listen to security professionals and when they tell us we can come back, we will come back,” Kristina Kvien told a news conference. US diplomats left the Kiev embassy almost two weeks before Russia began its invasion, moving some operations to the western city of Lviv before finally relocating to neighboring Poland. Some Western countries have already relocated their embassies back to Kyiv as the main focus of fighting in Ukraine has shifted from the capital to the east and south of the country. 37 minutes ago (11:48 GMT)
“Heroes of Mariupol” and “Master Yoda”: Kyiv votes to rename metro stations
Ukrainians have begun voting online to rename five metro stations in Kyiv, whose names are associated with Russia or the former Soviet Union, an official said. Among the new names proposed are “Heroes of Mariupol” and “Bukha”, said the head of the Kiev metro Viktor Braginsky in the Telegram. Some non-war-related proposals have also been made, such as “Master Yoda”, the name of a Jedi guru in the famous Star Wars movie franchise and “Borscht”, after Ukraine’s iconic red beetroot soup, Braginsky added. . Report by Mansur Mirovalev in Kyiv. 45 minutes ago (11:40 GMT)
A Russian rocket hit a strategic bridge in the Odessa region
A Russian rocket attack hit a strategically important bridge over the Dniester estuary in the Odessa region of southwestern Ukraine, according to local authorities. The bridge, which has already been hit twice by Russian forces, provides the only road and rail link on Ukrainian soil to a large southern part of the Odessa region. Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the regional administration, cited the latest strike in a Telegram post, but gave no further details. 60 minutes ago (11:25 GMT)
Ukraine says Russia deploys “aid” to Popasna: AJE correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, who writes closely in the town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, says the Ukrainian military believes Russia has transferred 800 troops to Popasna as “reinforcements” for its attack on Donbas. “This disputed city is located east of here and is part of Russia’s campaign to try to surround the urban centers of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk,” he said. “As for other battles on the front lines; its cities such as Lyman, Izyum and Barvinkove, where Russia is trying to increase, according to the Ukrainian army.” It was not immediately clear if Russian troops had moved from Mariupol, but Ukrainian officials said earlier Monday that Moscow had moved a battalion from the port to Popasna. 1 hour ago (11:03 GMT)
The evacuation buses of Mariupol have not yet reached the point of receipt: Municipal Council
The Mariupol city council says buses seeking to evacuate more civilians have not yet reached an agreed collection point, contradicts an earlier report. The city council urged the displaced to remain in place. It was not immediately clear what caused the delay. Petro Andriusenko, assistant mayor of Mariupol, had earlier stated that the buses had left Mariupol. But he later posted a message that also confirmed the problem in the planned evacuation. The civilians waiting for the evacuation do not come from the Azovstal steel plant, the last stronghold of Ukrainian fighters resisting the siege of Russia. The UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have organized convoys to evacuate people from the vast area of the Soviet era. A first group of evacuees was to arrive in Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian-controlled town northwest of Mariupol, on Monday morning after leaving the facility on Sunday. Andryushchenko, assistant mayor of Mariupol, said Russian forces resumed bombing the steel plant on Sunday as soon as the evacuees left the factory. 2 hours ago (10:34 GMT)
Poland looks forward to Russian oil embargo across EU by end of 2022
Poland wants the European Union to impose a clear expiration date by which Member States should stop importing Russian oil, the country’s climate minister said. “We want this package (of sanctions) to include a very specific and clear date and requirement for all countries; that it should be a complete package without gaps,” said Anna Moskva, adding that she hoped an embargo could be enter into force before the end of the year. Warsaw has repeatedly backed tough measures against Russia, but with many EU countries heavily dependent on Moscow for their energy needs, the bloc seems divided over how to impose sanctions. Russia cut off gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland last week after refusing to comply with a request to pay in rubles. 2 hours ago (10:28 GMT)
Turkey’s tourism revival is fading with the Russian war
The Moscow attack is expected to lead to a massive reduction in the number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey this year. The projected recession is a major cause for concern for Ankara, which is battling ongoing economic crises. Read more here. Turkey’s economy relies heavily on the country’s strong tourism sector [File: Murad Sezer/Reuters] 2 hours ago (10:13 GMT)
Zelenski accuses Turkey of “double standards”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Turkey of having “double standards” in welcoming Russian tourists as it tries to act as an intermediary between Moscow and Kiev to end the war. “On the one hand, Turkey acts as an intermediary and supports Ukraine with important steps, but on the other hand we also see the development of tourist routes, especially for Russian tourism,” Zelenski told Greek television network ERT. “These are double measures and measures. That’s unfair, “he said. Report by Mansur Mirovalev in Kyiv. 2 hours ago (10:04 GMT)
Russia redeploys some forces from Mariupol: Ukrainian army
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that a Russian battalion was deployed from Mariupol to the town of Popasna in the eastern Luhansk region of the country. Popasna has been one of the focus of fighting in the east, as the Russian military has tried to break up Ukrainian defenses there as part of a reorientation offensive in Donbas. The Ukrainian General Staff also said that Russian forces were trying to suppress their attacks from Izyum on Slovyansk and Barvinkove. 3 hours ago (09:16 GMT)
Israel denounces Lavrov’s Hitler comments, summons Russian ambassador
Israel has accused Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of hinting that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had Jewish roots and apologized to Moscow. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Russian ambassador for a “tough discussion” over Lavrov’s remarks in an interview with Italian television on Sunday. Asked about Russian allegations that he invaded Ukraine to “de-nationalize” the country, Lavrov said Russia’s neighbor could still have Nazi elements even if some figures, including Zelensky, were Jewish. “Hitler was also of Jewish descent, so it means nothing,” he told the station in Russian, translated from an Italian translation. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said Lavrov’s comments were “unforgivable.” 4 hours ago (08:40 GMT)
Ukraine says it has destroyed two Russian patrol cars
A Ukrainian Bayraktar drone destroyed two Russian Raptor-class patrol cars in the Black Sea on Monday, the Ukrainian army chief said. “Two Russian Raptor boats were destroyed this morning near the island of Zmiinyi (Snake),” Chief of General Staff Valeriy Zaluzhniy wrote in a Telegram post. There was no immediate reaction from Moscow to the allegation. 4 hours ago (08:26 GMT)
Russia says it shot down a Ukrainian fighter jet
Russia’s Defense Ministry says its armed forces have shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet near the town of Slovyansk in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. The ministry said in a statement that Russian troops had hit a total of 38 military targets across Ukraine overnight, including ammunition depots and checkpoints. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv on the allegations. 4 hours ago (08:18 GMT)
5.5 million have fled Ukraine: UNHCR
More than 5.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia began its invasion, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The majority have fled to neighboring Poland, which has welcomed more than three million people trying to escape Russian aggression. 5 hours ago (06:57 GMT)
New Zealand adds 170 Russian politicians and six defense companies to the sanctions
New Zealand added 170 Russian politicians to the sanctions list, as well as six defense companies and organizations that had contributed to the Moscow attack. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced that the “full set” of sanctions has now been imposed on more than 400 Russian leaders, oligarchs and members of their families. These sanctions will prevent those on the list from “doing business in New Zealand and …
