Russia's forces carried out dozens of air strikes in eastern Ukraine overnight after Ukrainian officials said Moscow had launched a major offensive, the defence ministry said on Tuesday. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
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3:55am: Marine in besieged Mariupol says 'maybe facing our last days, if not hours'
A commander for the Ukrainian marines fighting in the last stronghold of Mariupol said his forces were "maybe facing our last days, if not hours" and appealed for extraction in a Facebook post published early Wednesday.
"The enemy is outnumbering us 10 to one," Serhiy Volyna from the 36th Separate Marine Brigade said, sheltering at the besieged Azovstal factory, adding: "We appeal and plead to all world leaders to help us. We ask them to use the procedure of extraction and take us to the territory of a third-party state."
It is not possible to verify information given by either side given the scale of the fighting and lack of communications in Mariupol.
Russian forces are believed to have gradually pushed their way into the city and some Ukrainian officials said Tuesday that a hospital near the Azovstal plant was hit.
Volyna said the Russians had the "advantage in the air, in artillery, in their forces on land, in equipment, and in tanks".
"We are only defending one object -- the Azovstal plant -- where in addition to military personnel, there are also civilians who have fallen victim to this war," he added.
3:20am: Russia issues new surrender deadline in Mariupol, Ukrainian fighters refuse to lay down arms
Russia gave Ukrainian fighters still holding out in Mariupol a fresh ultimatum to surrender on Wednesday as it pushed for a decisive victory in its new eastern offensive, while Western governments pledged more military help to Kyiv.
Thousands of Russian troops backed by artillery and rocket barrages were advancing in what Ukrainian officials have called the Battle of the Donbas.
Russia's nearly eight-week-long invasion has failed to capture any of Ukraine's largest cities, forcing Moscow to refocus in and around separatist regions.
The biggest attack on a European state since 1945 has, however, seen nearly 5 million people flee abroad and reduced cities to rubble.
Russia was hitting the Azovstal steel plant, the main remaining stronghold in Mariupol, with bunker-buster bombs, a Ukrainian presidential adviser said late on Tuesday. Reuters could not verify the details.
"The world watches the murder of children online and remains silent," adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
After an earlier ultimatum to surrender lapsed and as midnight approached, Russia's defence ministry said not a single Ukrainian soldier had laid down their weapons and it renewed the proposal. Ukrainian commanders have vowed not to surrender.
2:05am: US preparing new $800 mn military aid package for Ukraine
The United States is set to approve another $800 million in military aid for Ukraine, less than a week after announcing a package of the same amount, US media reported Tuesday.
Details of the new package are still being worked out, according to CNN, which cited three senior officials in President Joe Biden's administration.
NBC News reported that the new assistance is expected to include more artillery and tens of thousands of shells to help Kyiv combat Russia's invasion, as fighting escalates in the east of Ukraine.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Tuesday that Biden and other world leaders had participated in a call during which they discussed providing additional ammunition and security aid to Ukraine.
Biden on April 13 had unveiled an $800 million package of equipment for Kyiv, including helicopters, howitzers and armoured personnel carriers.
9:51pm: Ukraine's military gets more aircraft and parts: Pentagon
Ukraine's partners have provided it additional military aircraft and parts to repair others in Kyiv's arsenal that were damaged or inoperable, according to the Pentagon.
"They have received additional aircraft and aircraft parts to help them get more aircraft in the air," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing, adding that Washington had not provided aircraft to Kyiv.
9:31pm: Some 10,000 to 20,000 mercenaries fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine
Up to 20,000 mercenaries from the Russian private military company the Wagner Group as well as from Syria and Libya are fighting alongside Moscow's forces in Ukraine, a European official said Tuesday.
"Regarding their capabilities, it's infantry. They don't have any heavy vehicles and weapons. It's much more infantry," the official told reporters in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"These guys are mainly used as a mass against Ukrainian resistance," the official said.
He added that of the estimated 10,000 to 20,000 mercenaries taking part in the invasion, it is difficult to say how many are from the Wagner Group, which is said to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and how many are from Syria and Libya.
The official said there has been some "transfer" of fighters from Libya and Syria to the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine.
9:10pm: Russia pours in more troops for eastern Ukraine offensive: Pentagon
Russia has added two more combat units, known as battalion tactical groups, in Ukraine over the past 24 hours, according to a senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon’s assessments of the war. That brought the total number of units in the country to 78, all of them the south and the east, up from 65 last week, the official said.
That would translate to about 55,000 to 62,000 troops, based on what the Pentagon said at the start of the war was the typical unit strength of 700 to 800 soldiers. But accurately determining Russia's fighting capacity at this stage is difficult.
A European official, likewise speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military assessments, said Russia also has 10,000 to 20,000 foreign fighters in the Donbas. They are a mix of mercenaries from Russia's private Wagner Group and Russian proxy fighters from Syria and Libya, according to the official.
8:47pm: Putin responsible for war crimes: Scholz
Russian President Vladimir Putin is responsible for war crimes in Ukraine that have already left thousands of civilians dead, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
"Russia's invasion of Ukraine remains a blatant breach of international law. The killing of thousands of civilians as we have seen is a war crime for which the Russian president bears responsibility," Scholz told reporters following talks with Western leaders on the conflict.
8:35pm: US, France, other allies discuss additional military supplies for Ukraine
The US, France and other allies on Tuesday discussed how to provide security guarantees to Ukraine as the conflict entered a new phase, according to a French presidency official.
The video conference brought together the leaders of the US, France, Britain, Germany, Romania, Poland, Italy, Canada and Japan.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Berlin intended to supply Ukraine with anti-tank and air defence weapons as well as long-range artillery weapons.
Scholz said the allies agreed Russia must not win the war, and that an imposed peace as envisaged by Russian President Vladimir Putin was not acceptable.
When asked if the US would be sending more artillery to Ukraine following the video conference, President Joe Biden said yes. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US planned to send more military aid to Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also promised more artillery weapons as the conflict moved into a new phase. The British readout of the meeting said Johnson "underscored the critical need for further military support to Ukraine in the face of a major Russian offensive in the Donbas and ongoing attacks elsewhere."
5:25pm: UN chief denounces Russia offensive, calls for four-day truce
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has denounced Russia's fresh offensive in eastern Ukraine and called for a four-day truce to mark Orthodox Holy Week.
"Instead of a celebration of new life, this Easter coincides with a Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine," Guterres told reporters.
"The intense concentration of forces and firepower makes this battle inevitably more violent, bloody and destructive," he said as he called for a "humanitarian pause" from Orthodox Holy Thursday until Easter Sunday on April 24.
4:47pm: ‘The side that wins the logistics battle wins the war’
Frank Ledwidge, a military expert at the University of Portsmouth, analyses the situation on the ground for Ukrainian troops as Russia intensifies the battle for control of eastern Ukraine.
The Russians will be looking for weak points along the eastern Ukraine frontline to launch probing attacks, explains Ledwidge. The Ukrainian military has the advantage of the quality of their troops and training, their equipment, and above all, high troop morale.
But Ledwidge notes, the real issue is one of logistics in battle. “The side that wins the logistics battle wins the war,” he told FRANCE 24. “That’s where the West comes in. So, we have to stop this dribs and drabs of equipment here and there and institutionalise Ukraine's supply in the next weeks and months and make sure that they win that attritional battle.”
4:35pm: Three dead in new shelling of Kharkiv: governor
At least three people were killed and 21 were injured in new Russian shelling on Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv Tuesday, according to local authorities.
The announcement came a day after strikes on the city, which lies close to the Russian border, killed five people.
"At the current time in Kharkiv, three people have unfortunately died," regional governor Oleg Sinegubov said on Telegram.
He also told Ukraine's Hromadske television that 21 people were injured in the strikes Tuesday in four different residential areas.
"The intensity of the shelling of Kharkiv has increased," Sinegubov said, asking residents to take shelter and avoid going outside.
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city that had nearly 1.5 million inhabitants before Russia invaded in late February, saw heavy fighting at the start of Moscow's offensive but always remained under Ukrainian control. Ukraine now fears the city could be a major target in a new Russian offensive.
3:50pm: Ukraine received 76 prisoners of war in swap with Russia
Ukraine said it got back 60 soldiers and 16 civilians in a prisoner swap Tuesday with Moscow. There were no details on how many Russians went home in the exchange.
"Today we exchanged 60 servicemen, including ten officers. Sixteen civilians are also returning home," Kyiv's deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram.
Vereshchuk said it was the fifth prisoner exchange between the two countries since the invasion began on February 24th.
As in previous prisoner swaps, she gave no details on how many Russians were exchanged.
The prisoner swap came as Ukraine says Russia has launched a major fresh offensive in the east of the country.
Last week Kyiv said it had returned 30 prisoners of war by an order of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky has offered to swap pro-Kremlin tycoon Viktor Medvedchuk, arrested by Kyiv after escaping house arrest, for Ukrainians captured in Russia.
On Monday Kyiv's security services aired a video of Medvedchuk asking his ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Zelensky to exchange him in return for an evacuation of civilians and troops from the besieged port city of Mariupol.
3:35pm: Mariupol's Azovstal steelworks, a holdout of Ukrainian resistance
Constructed in the early Soviet era and rebuilt after the Nazi occupation during World War II, Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks is one of Europe's biggest metallurgical plants, covering more than 11 sq km (4.25 sq miles) and overlooking the Sea of Azov.
It is now the site of one of the last pockets of Ukrainian resistance in the besieged port city. Ukrainian military officials say there are also hundreds of civilians sheltering in the plant. Russia's defence ministry has demanded that measures be taken to release civilians from the Azovstal plant.
3:05pm: Russia to expel 36 European diplomats: foreign ministry
Russia has said it is expelling 36 diplomats from two European countries in retaliation for similar measures taken against Moscow's foreign envoys over the Kremlin's military operation in Ukraine.
The Russian foreign ministry said it had declared 21 diplomats from Belgium and 15 from the Netherlands "persona non grata", giving them two weeks to leave.
Moscow also summoned Luxembourg's envoy, warning him that Russia may decide to take reciprocal measures for the tiny European state's expulsion of Moscow's ambassador.
2:15pm: Russia says it opened corridor for Ukrainian forces to leave Mariupol steel plant
Russia's defence ministry has said it had opened up a corridor for Ukrainian forces who want to take up a Russian offer to lay down their arms and safely leave the Azovstal steel works in the besieged port city of Mariupol.
The announcement came hours after Russia called on Ukrainian troops and foreign fighters holed up in the plant to lay down their arms by noon Moscow time (09:00 GMT) if they wanted to live.
Ukraine has been calling for Russia to facilitate a humanitarian corridor for evacuees from Mariupol and another from the Azovstal steel plant that has been the city's last significant area of Ukrainian resistance.
The Azovstal steelworks are one of Europe's biggest metallurgical plants, covering more than 11 sq km (4.25 sq miles) and overlooking the Sea of Azov.
1:54pm: Donbas: A 'consolation prize' for Putin?
"Some people are calling Donbas a consolation prize for [Russian President Vladimir Putin]; they'll never say this in Russian propaganda but they essentially failed to capture Kyiv – that was his first goal," said FRANCE 24 International Affairs Commentator Douglas Herbert. "When that happened he pushed back the forces and then they claimed that it was just sort of the prelude to what their real goal is, which is capturing the east, the Donbas."
1:52pm: Lithuania bans using letter 'Z' as show of support for Russia's war
Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday voted to ban public displays of the letter "Z", the black and orange ribbon of St George, and other symbols seen as expressing support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russian military vehicles in Ukraine are prominently marked with the letter "Z", and it has started appearing on social media and on clothing elsewhere in support of the war.
Meanwhile the ribbon of St George, first introduced as an honour by Catherine the Great, has gained significance in the Russian-speaking world since separatists in eastern Ukraine adopted it as a symbol of their support for Russia in 2014.
1:38pm: Negotiation process further 'complicated' by Mariupol siege, Ukrainian negotiator says
Russia's siege of the city of Mariupol has further complicated the negotiation process in the war in Ukraine and it is hard to say when direct talks might resume, Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters on Tuesday.
Podolyak said in a written response to questions from Reuters that he believed Russia was banking on strengthening its positions through a new offensive it has launched in eastern Ukraine.
"Obviously, against the backdrop of the Mariupol tragedy, the negotiation process has become even more complicated," he said of the southern port city where Russia has given the last Ukrainian defenders holed up in a steel works an ultimatum to surrender by noon (09:00 GMT).
1:32pm: Kremlin says not 'authorised' to discuss Moskva warship missing crew
The Kremlin refused Tuesday to reveal any details about casualties suffered from the sinking of Russia's guided-missile cruiser Moskva, as parents called for the truth about their missing children.
The flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet sank last week after an explosion and fire that Ukraine said was caused by a successful missile strike and Russia said was the result of exploding munitions.
Russian authorities said the crew had been evacuated from the warship – which is able to carry up to 680 sailors – but gave no other details.
After the Moskva sank parents and other family members of sailors who served aboard -- including conscripts – took to social media, saying their children had gone missing and that they needed answers.
12:22pm: Poland ready to take in at least 10,000 injured Ukrainian soldiers
Poland's health service has capacity to treat at least 10,000 injured Ukrainian soldiers, the Polish prime minister said on Tuesday, as Russia launches a new offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters during a visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv that Poland was already treating "several dozen" soldiers and was prepared to take in more.
"We are ready to take in at least 10,000 (soldiers), if necessary," he said. "We are doing everything to take in and treat all injured soldiers from Ukraine."
12:21pm: Russian forces seize east Ukraine city Kreminna, governor says
Russian forces have taken control of the city of Kreminna in eastern Ukraine and Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the city, the regional governor said on Tuesday.
"Kreminna is under the control of the 'Orcs' (Russians). They have entered the city," Serhiy Gaidai, the governor of the Luhansk region, told a briefing.
11:49am: Russia accuses West of trying to prolong Ukraine conflict with arms supplies
The United States and other Western countries are doing everything to drag out Russia's military operation in Ukraine, the TASS news agency quoted Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying on Tuesday.
"The increasing volume of foreign arms supplies clearly demonstrates their intentions to provoke the Kyiv regime to fight to the last Ukrainian standing," Shoigu was cited as saying.
11:02am: Russia says carried out dozens of strikes in eastern Ukraine
Russia's forces carried out dozens of air strikes in eastern Ukraine overnight after Ukrainian officials said Moscow had launched a major offensive, the defence ministry said Tuesday.
The ministry said that "high-precision air-based missiles" had hit 13 Ukrainian positions in parts of the Donbas, including the key town of Slovyansk, and that other air strikes "hit 60 military assets of Ukraine", including in towns close to the eastern frontline.
It said Russian troops destroyed two warehouses containing warheads of Tochka-U tactical missiles in Chervona Polyana, in the region of Lugansk, and in Balakliia in the Kharkiv region.
10:29am: Denmark to boost green energy, North Sea gas production to quit Russian supply
Denmark's government on Tuesday said it aimed to significantly boost renewable energy supply and temporarily increase production of natural gas from its fields in the North Sea, in a move to rapidly become independent of Russian supplies.
"We will increase production of natural gas in the North Sea for a limited time period," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters during a briefing on Tuesday.
10:26am: Automaker Stellantis stops production at Russia factory
US-European automaker Stellantis announced Tuesday the suspension of production at its factory in Russia, citing a lack of parts and sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine war.
The group, which was formed in January last year when Fiat-Chrysler and PSA merged, had already announced in March that it was halting imports and exports to and from Russia.
Production for the local market at the Kaluga factory southwest of Moscow also slowed down, and the company had warned that it would have to suspend work due to shortages of components. The factory was meant to produce Peugeot, Citroen and Opel vans for the European market.
10:24am: Russia calls on Ukraine, foreign fighters to surrender Mariupol steel plant by midday
Russia on Tuesday called on Ukrainian forces and foreign mercenaries to leave the Azovstal metallurgical plant in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol by noon Moscow time (0900 GMT).
"All who lay down their arms are guaranteed to remain alive," the defence ministry said.
Earlier on Tuesday Russia-backed separatist forces said they were trying to storm the Azovstal metallurgical plant, the RIA news agency quoted separatist spokesperson Eduard Basurin as saying.
10:15am: Fall in Russian gas flows to Europe through Ukraine
Russian gas deliveries to Europe through Ukraine fell on Tuesday morning, in line with customer requests, while flows to Germany through Nord Stream 1 were steady and increased eastbound into Poland from Germany through the Russia-EU Yamal pipeline.
Daily nominations for Russian gas deliveries to Slovakia via Ukraine fell on Tuesday, data from Slovakian operator TSO Eustream showed.
10:14am: Ukrainian presidential adviser says new Russian offensive will fail
Russia's new offensive in eastern Ukraine will fail because Moscow's forces lack the strength to break through Ukrainian defences, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday.
"The battle for Donbas, which was announced and apparently began yesterday, is under way and is going very cautiously. The battle will not go in Russia's favour," presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said.
10:12am: 'Big question' over fighting capacity of Russian units redeployed from northern Ukraine
"The Russians have succeeded in taking so far in the Donbas region since the invasion on the 24th of February only small amounts of territory really – apart from the northeastern part of [...] Luhansk region, which is sparsely populated," FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reported from Ukraine.
"US experts say that there are 76 Russian batallion groups fighting basically for this offensive in the Donbas – 11 of which were deployed only in recent days – and that there are 22 more just to the north of the border," Cragg continued.
"Some of these groups [...] were fighting in the north of Ukraine in Kyiv region and Chernihiv region [and] suffered very severe losses there – and there's a big question as to how much they're going to be able to be re-equipped, re-deployed, get their morale back up and be made combat-ready again. Lots of military experts are saying that they don't think they're going to be able to muster that much of a fighting force out of these units that suffered those defeats in Kyiv and Chernihiv regions."
9:53am: Greece seizes Russian tanker as part of EU sanctions
Greece on Tuesday seized a crude oil Russian tanker off the island of Evia as part of European Union sanctions against Russia, a Greek shipping ministry official said.
The Russian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, was seized near the coastal city of Karystos in Evia.
"It has been seized as part of EU sanctions," a shipping ministry official said.
9:52am: China to increase coordination with Russia, senior Chinese diplomat says
China told Russia it will continue to increase "strategic coordination" with it regardless of international volatility, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng gave this assurance to Russian ambassador to China, Andrey Denisov, on Monday, the statement said.
9:01am: US seeks to seize superyacht in Fiji from suspected Russian owner
The United States is seeking to seize a superyacht suspected of belonging to a Russian oligarch that is docked in the Pacific island nation of Fiji, according to an application for a restraining order filed on Tuesday by Fiji's public prosecutor.
The luxury vessel the Amadea is widely believed to be owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, sanctioned by the United States and European Union.
The vessel arrived in Fiji a week ago after leaving Mexico 18 days earlier and crossing the Pacific. Police are investigating.
9:00am: Russia forces attacking along broad east front, Ukraine says
Russian forces attacked along a broad front in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday as part of a full-scale ground offensive to take control of the country’s eastern industrial heartland in what Ukrainian officials called a “new phase of the war".
Ukraine's General Staff said early Tuesday that Russian forces are focusing their efforts on taking full control of the Donbas region.
“The occupiers made an attempt to break through our defenses along nearly the entire frontline,” the General Staff said in a statement.
8:44am: EU planning Russian oil embargo, says France's Le Maire
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday that an embargo on Russian oil at a European Union level was in the works, adding that France's President Emmanuel Macron wants such a move.
"I hope that in the weeks to come we will convince our European partners to stop importing Russian oil," Le Maire told Europe 1 radio.
8:43am: Ukraine says no safe corridors agreed for civilians for third successive day
Ukraine was for the third successive day unable to secure Russia's agreement on establishing any humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians trapped in cities and towns, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Tuesday.
8:29am: New Zealand imposes new sanctions on Russian banks
New Zealand unveiled new sanctions on Tuesday targeting Russia’s largest banks and financial institutions, in its response to the invasion of Ukraine.
"We are deeply concerned at the reports of brutality from Russian forces," Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said in a statement after the measures were announced.
"New Zealand continues to condemn Putin’s war and supports the International Criminal Court’s investigations into the atrocities committed against the citizens of Ukraine."
8:27am: UK not looking to help Russia, minister says on swapping Putin ally for captured Britons
Britain is not going to be looking at how to help Russia, a senior minister said on Tuesday when asked about the prospect of swapping pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk for two British fighters who were captured in Ukraine by Russian forces.
The Britons appeared on Russian state TV on Monday and asked to be exchanged for Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who is being held by the Ukrainian authorities.
Asked on Sky News whether a possible swap was something the government would get involved with, Britain's Northern Ireland minister Brandon Lewis said: "We're actually going through the process of sanctioning people who are close to Putin regime, we're not going to be looking at how we can help Russia."
7:00am: Russian official says Ukraine strikes village near border
Ukrainian forces have struck a village near Russia's border with Ukraine, wounding one resident, the governor of the Russian province of Belgorod said on Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear whether the strike on the village of Golovchino that figured in posts by governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on messaging app Telegram was carried out by artillery, mortars, missiles or was an aerial attack.
4:45am: US, allies to meet over Ukraine as conflict escalates in east
US President Joe Biden will convene a meeting of allies to discuss the Ukraine conflict Tuesday, the White House said, after Kyiv announced Russia had launched a major new offensive in the east of the country.
The meeting, announced on Biden's schedule, "is part of our regular coordination with allies and partners in support of Ukraine," an official told AFP, without naming who would be included on the video call.
It will also cover "efforts to hold Russia accountable," the White House said.
The meeting comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia, which invaded its pro-Western neighbor on February 24, had launched a large-scale offensive in the eastern Donbas region, a move predicted by Kyiv for weeks.
Fighting has intensified in eastern Ukraine after Russia withdrew troops from the region around the capital Kyiv and refocused its efforts in Donbas, which pro-Moscow separatists have partly controlled since 2014.
The United States and Western allies have heaped pressure on Moscow via sanctions, while supporting Ukraine through military and other aid.
Asked Monday whether new measures would soon be announced, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Washington would "continue to escalate our financial sanctions and other economic measures against the Russian Federation until and unless Moscow relents in its campaign against Ukraine."
"We have not yet seen that, and we'll continue to raise the costs."
04:30am: Turkish, British, Italian defence ministers to discuss Ukraine in Istanbul
The defence ministers of Turkey, Britain and Italy will meet in Istanbul on Friday to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine and security ties between the three NATO allies, the Turkish Defence Ministry said.
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Italian Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini will visit Istanbul at the invitation of their Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar.
"At the meeting, where an exchange of views will be carried out on defence and security relations between the countries and on regional issues, developments in Ukraine are also expected to be discussed," the statement said.
NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has good ties with both and has taken a mediating role in the conflict. It has so far hosted peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers and negotiators, and has been working to arrange a meeting of their presidents.
Turkey and Italy have also increased engagement since a NATO summit last month, where the leaders of Turkey, Italy and France discussed ways to revive the SAMP-T air defence system project by the Franco-Italian Eurosam consortium.
3:20am: France 24's Gulliver Cragg reports on Russia's offensive in the eastern Ukraine.
1:07am: Biden to hold call with allies on Tuesday over Ukraine invasion
U.S. President Joe Biden will on Tuesday hold a call with allies to discuss the Ukraine crisis, including on how to coordinate on holding Russia accountable, the White House said.
"The President will convene a secure video call with allies and partners to discuss our continued support for Ukraine and efforts to hold Russia accountable as part of our close coordination," it said in a statement.
1:00am: UN seeks humanitarian contact group for Ukraine
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths announced Monday that he will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey this week to push for the creation of a "humanitarian contact group" involving Ukraine and Russia.
Such a group would "meet convened by the UN to discuss on a virtual or actual basis at any time to discuss humanitarian issues," Griffiths told reporters in New York.
That could include ceasefire monitoring, safe passage, humanitarian corridors or other issues between the two warring sides, he said.
Griffiths did not say when he would meet Erdogan, but initially said he planned to arrive in Turkey on Wednesday and leave Thursday.
However, he tested positive for Covid-19 shortly after his announcement, forcing him to postpone his trip to an unspecified date.
Griffiths and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had spoken with Erdogan by phone Sunday to discuss the initiative.
Griffiths had visited Moscow in early April before a trip to Kyiv, to try to obtain a humanitarian ceasefire and facilitate other aid interventions.
11:40pm: New tranche of US arms for Ukraine starts to arrive
The first shipments of a new US military aid package have arrived at Ukraine's borders to be handed over in its fight against the Russian invasion, a senior Pentagon official said Monday.
The United States on April 13 unveiled a $800-million tranche of equipment for Ukraine, including helicopters, howitzers and armored personnel carriers.
"There have been four flights from the United States arriving into the theater just yesterday," a senior Pentagon official said Monday, with a fifth flight due shortly.
The package includes 18 155mm howitzers for the first time, as well as 40,000 artillery rounds, 200 M113 armored personnel carriers, 11 Mi-17 helicopters and 100 armored multi-purpose vehicles.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the first shipment had arrived 48 hours after President Joe Biden authorised the aid delivery, an "unprecedented speed."
Kirby also said that soldiers deployed on the eastern flank of NATO territory since the start of Moscow's invasion will begin "in the next several days" to train Ukrainian soldiers to handle the howitzers, which are the latest generation of that weapon.
The training will be done outside Ukraine, Kirby stressed. "It'll be a small number of Ukrainians that will be trained on the howitzers, and then they'll be reintroduced back into their country to train their colleagues."
11:20pm: Biden has 'no plans' to visit Ukraine, says White House
President Joe Biden is not planning to visit Kyiv, despite Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky urging him to demonstrate US support for the fight against Russia by traveling to the embattled capital, the White House said Monday.
"There's no plans for the president to go. Let me just reiterate that," Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.
A string of European leaders have made the trip to Kyiv and met with Zelensky.
However, a Biden visit would present a more complex security challenge. The Biden administration has said it instead wants to send a high-ranking official, most likely Secretary of State Antony Blinken or Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Last week, Biden said "we're making that decision," although he muddied the waters by responding "yeah" when asked by a reporter whether he might go.
Psaki made clear Monday that "if anyone were to go... we wouldn't outline from here or anywhere from the government who, if and when for security reasons."
10:18pm: 'Battle for Donbas' has begun, Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed late Monday that Russia's offensive in the eastern Donbas region has begun.
"We can now confirm that Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas, which they have been preparing for a long time. A large part of the Russian army is now dedicated to this offensive," he said on Telegram.
"No matter how many Russian troops are driven there, we will fight. We will defend ourselves. We will do it every day,” vowed Zelensky.
Earlier Monday, Zelensky's chief of staff said the "second phase of the war” had begun but expressed optimism in the outcome. "Believe in our army, it is very strong," chief of staff Andriy Yermak wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine's Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said Russia had attempted to break through defences "along almost the entire front line of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv" regions.
"They began their attempt to start the active phase this morning," he said. "Fortunately, our military is holding on," he added
Russian forces had managed to capture the town of Kreminna, said Danilov. "But the fighting continues. We do not surrender our territories."
9:35pm: Russian troops capture Kreminna, Luhansk regional governor says
Russian troops on Monday captured the eastern Ukraine town of Kreminna, local authorities said, as Kyiv's armed forces launched salvoes on Russian forces in the nearby settlement of Rubizhne.
"There was a major attack in the night" from Sunday to Monday in Kreminna, said Luhansk's regional governor, Sergiy Gaiday, in a statement on social media.
"The Russian army has already entered there, with a huge amount of military hardware ... Our defenders have retreated to new positions," he added.
Four civilians had died as they tried to flee Kreminna, said Gaiday.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP and REUTERS)
