Exterior view of a school with blown-out windows and a collapsed roof, after it was destroyed by shelling, during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Novhorod-Siverskyi, Chernihiv Region, May 12, 2022. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters)Russia Ukraine War Live: Moscow warned Finland on Thursday it would face consequences as it seeks to apply for Nato membership “without delay” and Ukraine said it had damaged a Russian navy logistics ship in the Black Sea, where there has been renewed fighting in recent days.
Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution to set up an investigation into possible war crimes by Russian troops in the Kyiv area and beyond, a move that the Kremlin said amounted to political score-settling. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said there were many examples of possible war crimes, including unlawful killings and summary executions. Moscow denies deliberately attacking civilians.
Ukraine has spent 245.1 billion hryvnia ($8.3 billion) on fighting the Russian invasion, the finance minister told Reuters on Thursday, reflecting the scale of spending on everything from buying and repairing weapons to support for millions of displaced people. On the front lines, Ukraine has mounted a counter offensive in recent days, ousting Russian forces from villages north and east of Kharkiv they had held since the start of the invasion.
Russian forces have been bombarding the Azovstal steelworks in the southern port of Mariupol, the last bastion of Ukrainian defenders in a city now almost completely controlled by Russia after more than two months of a siege. Many of the civilians holed up at the plant have been evacuated but no deal has been reached with Moscow on allowing out hundreds of fighters, some of whom are wounded.
Relatives and supporters of Ukrainian fighters in the Azovstal steel plant Thursday called for fresh efforts to save them as Kyiv said new talks were underway with Moscow on a plan to rescue badly wounded servicemen.
Russian forces have been bombarding the steelworks in the southern port of Mariupol, the last bastion of Ukrainian defenders in a city almost completely controlled by Russia after more than two months of a siege. Civilians had been trapped at the plant and Kyiv says they have all been evacuated. But there is no deal on allowing out hundreds of fighters, some of whom are wounded.
"We have started a new round of negotiations around a road map for an (evacuation) operation. And we will start with those who are badly wounded," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told 1+1 television. Vereshchuk said Ukrainian authorities were working with the Red Cross and United Nations, which had both helped with earlier evacuations. (Reuters)
The war in Ukraine is a "child rights crisis" where education is under attack, nearly 100 youngsters have been killed in just the last month, and millions more have been forced to flee their homes, the UN children's agency said Thursday.
Omar Abdi, deputy executive director of UNICEF, told the UN Security Council that children are paying "an unconscionably high price" in the war, with 239 confirmed killed and 355 wounded since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Februrary 24. He said the actual numbers are much higher.
"These attacks must stop," he said. "Ultimately, children need an end to this war — their futures hang in the balance." Abdi said the school year came to a standstill after Russia invaded its smaller neighbour, and as of last week, at least 15 of 89 UNICEF-supported schools in the country's east had been damaged or destroyed in the fighting. (AP)
Russia has warned that it will have to take unspecified “military-technical” steps in response to Finland’s decision to join Nato.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday that Finland’s accession to Nato will “inflict serious damage on Russian-Finnish relations, as well as stability and security in Northern Europe.”
It said in a statement that “Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps of military-technical and other characteristics in order to counter the emerging threats to its national security.” The statement noted that while it’s up to Finland to decide on ways to ensure its security, “Helsinki must be aware of its responsibility and the consequences of such a move.” The ministry charged that Finland’s move also violated past agreements with Russia. (Read more)