Ukraine said it was not opening humanitarian corridors on Wednesday that would allow civilians to evacuate, accusing Russian forces of violating agreements on granting safe passage. Mariupol’s mayor, Vadym Boichenko, told a press conference that Russian forces had destroyed all the buses slated for use in evacuations. Follow the day’s events as they unfolded on our liveblog. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
This live page is no longer being updated. For more of our coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
5:10 am: Expert team works to clear Kyiv region of landmines
Our colleagues at France 2 meet the team working to defuse thousands of undetonated explosives across a broad swath of territory around the Ukrainian capital:
2:40 am: US weighing high-level official visit to Ukraine, says source
Senior US officials are weighing whether to send a top Cabinet level official to Kyiv as a high profile representative in a show of solidarity with Ukraine, a source familiar with the situation said on Wednesday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken or Defense Secretary Austin Lloyd are potential candidates to pay a surprise visit to Kyiv, the source said.
President Joe Biden is unlikely to make the trip, the source said.
No final decision has been made on sending an official, the source said. The discussions were first reported by Politico.
Other Western leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, have made trips to Ukraine in show of support following Russia's invasion in February.
Meanwhile, Western governments are sending more military aid to bolster Ukraine's defence against a major offensive expected by Russia in eastern and southern Ukraine.
1:42 am: Zelensky calls for European embargo on Russian oil
"First of all, we need an oil embargo, and Europe's clear readiness to give up all Russian energy. The European Union must stop sponsoring Russia's military machine," the Ukrainian president said, calling for Western countries to step up sanctions against Russia.
1:05 am: Russia says flagship of Black Sea fleet badly damaged by blast
Russia on Thursday said the flagship of its Black Sea fleet was seriously damaged and its crew evacuated following a fire that caused an explosion, as a Ukrainian official said the vessel had been hit by missiles.
The incident on the Moskva missile cruiser occurred after ammunition on board blew up, Interfax news agency quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying.
"As the result of a fire on the Moskva missile cruiser, ammunition detonated," it said in a statement.
Maksym Marchenko, governor of the region around the Black Sea port of Odesa, said in an online post that the 12,500 tonne ship was hit by two missiles, without providing evidence.
"Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage," he said in an online post.
April 14, 12:45 am: US gives Ukraine $800 million more in military aid, adds heavy weapons
US President Joe Biden announced an additional $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday, expanding the scope of the systems provided to include heavy artillery ahead of a wider Russian assault expected in eastern Ukraine.
The package, which brings the total military aid since Russian forces invaded in February to more than $2.5 billion, includes artillery systems, artillery rounds, armoured personnel carriers and unmanned coastal defence boats, Biden said in a statement after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Biden said he had also approved the transfer of additional helicopters, saying equipment provided to Ukraine "has been critical" as it confronts the invasion.
"We cannot rest now. As I assured President Zelensky, the American people will continue to stand with the brave Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom," Biden said in a written statement.
The new package includes 11 Mi-17 helicopters that had been earmarked for Afghanistan before the U.S.-backed government collapsed last year. It also includes 18 155mm howitzers, along with 40,000 artillery rounds, counter-artillery radars, 200 armoured personnel carriers and 300 additional "Switchblade" drones.
10:12 pm: Four civilians killed in Kharkiv: governor
Russian strikes on Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv killed four civilians on Wednesday, the governor of the northeastern region said.
"Unfortunately, four civilians were killed and 10 wounded in the shelling during the day," governor Oleg Synegubov said on social media.
Russian bombing of the northeastern city increased significantly since Tuesday, said Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
"The enemy is bombing residential homes, residential areas. Unfortunately, there are civilian casualties – the worst thing is that children are dying," Terekhov told Ukrainian national television.
Satellite photos from Maxar technology showed long columns of armoured vehicles in the region.
8:50 pm: Macron steers clear of Biden's 'genocide' claim, Zelensky calls it 'painful'
French President Emmanuel Macron declined Wednesday to repeat US President Biden's accusation that Russia was carrying out "genocide" against Ukrainians, warning that verbal escalations would not help end the war.
Speaking to France 2 TV as he ramps up his re-election bid against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, Macron said leaders should be careful with language.
"I would say that Russia unilaterally unleashed the most brutal war, that it is now established that war crimes were committed by the Russian army and that it is now necessary to find those responsible and make them face justice," said Macron.
"But at the same time I look at the facts and I want to try as much as possible to continue to be able to stop this war and to rebuild peace. I'm not sure that verbal escalations serve this cause," he said.
Macron said it was best to be "careful" with the terminology on genocide in these situations, especially as "the Ukrainians and Russians are brotherly peoples".
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also spoke of war crimes in Ukraine on Wednesday but steered clear of mentioning genocide.
"This is a terrible war in Eastern Europe. And I think that's what shouldn't be minimised," Scholz told German radio RBB.
"War crimes are being committed," he added.
Responding to Macron’s comments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the French president’s refusal to call the killings in his country a “genocide” and his reference to Russians as a “brotherly people”.
"Such things are very painful for us, so I will definitely do my best to discuss this issue with him," Zelensky said at a press conference with the visiting leaders of Poland and the Baltic states.
7:30 pm: Biden, Zelensky discuss US support for Ukraine
US President Joe Biden spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday to update him on "ongoing US support" for Kyiv, the White House said.
The hour-long conversation came as Washington was reportedly poised to announce the delivery of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new military equipment to Kyiv.
Zelensky for his part tweeted that he and Biden had discussed an "additional package of defensive and possible macro-financial aid."
7:25 pm: Russian forces ready for fresh assault in Donetsk, Kherson: Ukraine military
The Russian defence ministry has warned that if attacks on Russian territory continue then its forces will strike at the places in Ukraine, including Kyiv, where such decisions are made.
Authorities in Russia’s western Kursk region earlier said gunfire was heard in the adjacent territory near the village of Gordeevka.
Local authorities in western Russian regions bordering Ukraine announced they were stepping up security measures on Monday over what they said were "possible provocations" from the Ukrainian side.
Meanwhile Ukrainian armed forces command on Wednesday said Russian forces are fully ready for a fresh assault in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region and southern Kherson region.
6:33 pm: France to send additional military aid to Ukraine
French Defence Minister Florence Parly spoke with her Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov today. Following Kyiv’s new demands, France will provide additional military capabilities – in addition to the €100 million worth of military equipment already supplied.
The message, posted on Twitter, did not provide details of the additional military aid.
6:08 pm: Jersey seizes Abramovich-linked assets
The British Crown dependency of Jersey said Wednesday it has frozen more than $7.0 billion (6.4 billion euros) in assets believed to be linked to sanctions-hit Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.
The Law Offices Department of Jersey, a tax haven long known for drawing large amounts of foreign direct investment, said Wednesday that the assets being targeted were either located in Jersey, or owned by Jersey-incorporated entities.
"Search warrants were executed by the States of Jersey Police on Tuesday 12 April 2022 at premises in Jersey suspected to be connected to the business activities of Roman Abramovich," Jersey authorities said in a brief statement.
"The Royal Court also imposed a formal freezing order on 12 April... over assets understood to be valued in excess of $7.0 billion which are suspected to be connected to Mr Abramovich and which are either located in Jersey or owned by Jersey incorporated entities."
The statement added that no further comment would be made at this stage.
5:34 pm: UK's Truss denounces sexual violence in Ukraine during 'Murad Code' launch
The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad joined forces with Britain to present a global code of conduct to the United Nations on Wednesday to address sexual violence in conflict.
The document is called the "Murad Code," after the Iraqi Yazidi advocate who was held as a sex slave by the Islamic State (IS) group.
It aims to boost efforts to seek justice for surviving victims via recovery of evidence, allowing victims to safely testify and minimise psychological and physical consequences on them.
In a joint statement, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss denounced the "growing number of reports of sexual violence by Russian forces" in the war in Ukraine.
"The launch of the Murad Code is a vital step towards helping and supporting survivors and bringing perpetrators to justice for their crimes," she said.
5:02 pm: Borodyanka, near Kyiv, destroyed after Russian withdrawal
Reporting from Borodyanka, a small town around 70 kilometres from Kyiv, FRANCE 24’s Rob Parsons says the town is completely destroyed after Russian troops withdrew.
There are signs of the fierce battle to control Borodyanka everywhere, including damage from artillery and tank battles, as well as airstrikes, says Parsons.
Ukrainian authorities are now engaged in demining and ordnance-defusing operations.
3:29 pm: Kremlin denies pro-Russia tycoon in Ukrainian captivity had back channel to Moscow
The Kremlin has said pro-Russian Ukrainian tycoon and politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who was captured by Ukraine on Tuesday, did not have any communication back channel to the Russian leadership.
Commenting on a Ukrainian proposal to swap Medvedchuk for Ukrainians being held by Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Medvedchuk was a Ukrainian citizen and a foreign politician.
Medvedchuk, who is both the former leader of a pro-Russian opposition party and a close associate of Vladimir Putin. The Russian president is also the godfather of one of Medvedchuk’s daughters. The pro-Kremlin tycoon was under house arrest before the Russian invasion began and disappeared shortly after hostilities broke out.
Here’s a profile of the Ukrainian politician charged with treason in Kyiv:
1:44 pm: Mayor of Mariupol says Russia has destroyed critical infrastructure
The mayor of the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, Vadym Boichenko, said in televised remarks on Wednesday that "Russian invaders" and their collaborators had destroyed critical infrastructure in the town. "There is no running water, electricity [or] cell coverage," he said.
Mariupol started evacuation attempts at the start of March but Russian forces "intentionally and purposefully" fired on areas where evacuees were gathering, in the process destroying the buses that were to be used for evacuations.
1:16 pm: Finland to make decision on NATO membership in coming weeks
Finland will make a decision about whether to apply to join the 30-member NATO alliance in the next few weeks, Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters in Stockholm on Wednesday.
"There are different perspectives to apply (for) NATO membership or not to apply and we have to analyse these very carefully," Marin told reporters at a joint news conference with her Swedish counterpart.
"But I think our process will be quite fast, it will happen in weeks."
11:52 am: Russian shelling kills seven in Kharkiv, local governor says
Seven civilians have been killed by Russian shelling in the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine over the past 24 hours, the regional governor said on Wednesday.
"Twenty-two civilians, including three children, have been injured during shelling of the region. Seven people have died. A 2-year-old boy injured by shelling a few days ago has died in hospital," Oleg Synegubov announced on social media.
11:18 am: Ukraine's Zelensky says Russia using phosphorous bombs
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday in an address to Estonia's parliament that Russia was using phosphorous bombs in Ukraine, accusing Moscow of using terror tactics against civilians.
He did not provide evidence and FRANCE 24 has not been able to independently verify his claim.
10:28 am: Ending Russian energy imports risks 'sharp recession' for Germany
An immediate end to Russian energy imports would send Germany into "sharp recession" next year, the country's leading economic institutes said in a forecast published Wednesday.
Germany, which is highly dependent on Russian gas for its energy needs, has so far resisted calls for a European boycott in response to the war in Ukraine.
Closing the taps in "mid-April" this year would limit growth to 1.9 percent in 2022 and push Germany into a recession in 2023, causing the economy to shrink by 2.2 percent, according to the forecast.
The impact of a boycott would "not be overcome" over the next two years, the economic institutes (DIW, Ifo, IfW Kiel, IWH and RWI) said in a joint statement.
9:21 am: Russia claims more than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers surrender in Mariupol
Russia's defence ministry said Wednesday that more than a thousand Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered in Mariupol, a strategic port city in eastern Ukraine that has been besieged by Moscow's troops for over a month.
"In the city of Mariupol ... 1,026 Ukrainian servicemen of the 36th Marine Brigade voluntarily laid down their arms and surrendered," the ministry said in a statement. The claims could not be independently confirmed.
Ukrainian defence ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk on Wednesday said he had no information about the surrender of a Ukrainian marine brigade in Mariupol.
"I don't have information," Motuzyanyk said in a message in reply to a request for comment by Reuters.
9:16 am: 'Too dangerous' for humanitarian corridors Wednesday
Ukraine said Wednesday it was halting all humanitarian corridors allowing for the evacuation of civilians from war-scarred regions of the country, accusing Russian forces of violating agreements to allow people to flee.
"Unfortunately, we are not opening them today. The situation along the routes is too dangerous and we are forced to refrain from opening humanitarian corridors today," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on social media.
Vereshchuk said that around Zaporizhzhia in the south Russian forces were blocking buses used in the evacuations and that in the eastern Lugansk region Moscow's army was violating an agreement to halt shooting while people escape.
"The occupiers not only disregard the norms of international humanitarian law, but also cannot properly control their people on the ground," Vereshchuk said on Telegram.
7:58 am: Mayor of Ukraine's Mariupol says more than 100,000 people awaiting evacuation
The mayor of the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, Vadym Boichenko, said on Wednesday in televised remarks that more than 100,000 people remained in the city awaiting evacuation.
7:41 am: Presidents of Poland, Baltic states to visit Kyiv on Wednesday
Polish President Andrzej Duda and the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are on their way to Kyiv to meet Ukraine's President Volodimir Zelensky, an adviser to the Polish leader said on Wednesday.
"Our countries are showing support to Ukraine and President Zelensky in this way," adviser Jakub Kumoch posted on Twitter.
"Heading to Kyiv with a strong message of political support and military assistance," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda tweeted on Wednesday, along with a picture of the presidents next to a train.
The "symbolic" visit will include talks about the details of support, Pawel Szrot, head of the Polish president Andrzej Duda's office told private broadcaster Polsat News.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Poland on Tuesday and said he had planned to go on to Ukraine but was turned down.
"I was prepared to do this, but apparently, and I must take note of this, this was not wanted in Kyiv," he told reporters on Tuesday.
6:10 am: Zelensky offers to swap pro-Putin tycoon for captured Ukrainians
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered Wednesday to swap pro-Kremlin tycoon Viktor Medvedchuk, one of the richest people in Ukraine who was arrested after escaping house arrest, for Ukrainians captured by Russia.
A hugely controversial figure in Ukraine, Medvedchuk, 67, was under house arrest over accusations of attempting to steal natural resources from Russia-annexed Crimea and of handing Ukrainian military secrets to Moscow.
He counts Russian President Vladimir Putin among his personal friends and says the Kremlin leader is godfather to his youngest daughter Darya.
“I propose to the Russian Federation to exchange this guy of yours for our boys and our girls who are now in Russian captivity,” Zelensky said in a video address posted on social media.
“And may Medvedchuk be an example for you. Even the former oligarch did not escape. What can we say about much simpler criminals from the Russian hinterland? We will get everyone.”
Ukrainian authorities announced Tuesday they had captured a prominent pro-Kremlin tycoon who escaped from house arrest after Russia’s invasion.
Zelensky posted a picture online of a dishevelled-looking Medvedchuk with his hands in cuffs and dressed in a Ukrainian army uniform.
“A special operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine. Well done!” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
12:36 am: Biden says ‘evidence is mounting’ that Russia is committing ‘genocide’
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday stood by his characterisation of Russia’s actions in Ukraine as “genocide”, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin “is trying to wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian”.
“I called it genocide because it has become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian and the evidence is mounting,” Biden told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One to return to Washington after an event in Iowa.
“We’ll let the lawyers decide internationally whether or not it qualifies, but it sure seems that way to me,” he said.
David Smith, Washington bureau chief of The Guardian, comments on Biden's statement in the video below.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)
