Mariupol mayor: Evacuations from Azovstal plant not possible Thursday as there is no stable ceasefire
From CNN's Katharina Krebs
There is no possibility to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal plant on Thursday as there isn't a stable ceasefire that will provide for safe evacuation, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said Thursday during an online briefing.
The mayor appealed to international partners to facilitate a ceasefire and a corridor for evacuation.
In addition, he noted that around 200 people are currently awaiting evacuation buses in Mariupol, but the buses have not arrived yet. Four evacuation buses with 80 civilians onboard left Mariupol on Wednesday and are currently heading to Zaporizhzhia, the mayor said.
He also said that on Wednesday, during an attempt to evacuate civilian population, Russian troops began shelling.
"Unfortunately, many residents made a decision to remain in the town because they thought it will be dangerous and their life will be threatened," he said.
He added that since March 13, when the first evacuation efforts became possible, more than 100,000 people have left Mariupol but around 100,000 civilians still remain in the city.
10:36 a.m. ET, April 21, 2022
Estonian president describes killings near Kyiv as "war crimes" with "elements of genocide"
From CNN's Radina Gigova, Eoin McSweeney and Becky Anderson
The president of Estonia said the growing body of evidence detailing killings and sexual crimes against Ukrainian citizens emerging from towns around Kyiv amounts to "war crimes" with "elements of genocide," after he visited a number of sites last week.
"It's just horrible. I was speechless. I mean, killing civilians, children, raping women and you see the results," Alar Karis told CNN on Thursday. "It's a war crime, it's a crime against humanity."
When pushed on whether what he saw amounted to genocide, he replied, "Well, elements of genocide, definitely."
President of Estonia Alar Karis talks to CNN on April 21. (CNN)
Along with the leaders of Poland, Lithuania and Lativa, Karis met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on April 13. They spoke about a ban on Russian oil and gas and how to get Ukraine's large storage of grain out of the country.
"One proposal was that we could, [use] our ports in [the] Baltics and in Poland and use trains to provide grain to different countries. And of course, another option is to try to keep the port of Odesa open [so] that we could provide this kind of humanitarian [aid] to countries," Karis said.
Estonia has called on the European Union to impose sanctions on the transport of Russian oil and gas, but Karis did not want to criticize Germany for its decision to continue importing fuel.
"But [a] country like Germany, of course, it's a huge country. It's not like Estonia because we decided to with the Baltic states that we [would] stop buying gas from Russia by the end of year. But for Germany, it's probably difficult," Karis told CNN.
The US State Department suggested Wednesday that NATO allies could become actively involved in Ukraine to help the implementation of evacuation corridors. Karis said such a move was unlikely unless Russia started using chemical weapons.
Russia is closing the consulates of Latvia in St. Petersburg and Pskov, as well as the consulates general of Estonia and Lithuania in St. Petersburg, and all their employees are declared "persona non grata," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Karis was unperturbed by the decision, only saying that "this is kind of practice which diplomats have."
9:20 a.m. ET, April 21, 2022
Mayor of Mariupol says evacuation buses have not yet arrived
From CNN's Julia Presniakova in Lviv
Local residents walk past a destroyed vehicle in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, on April 20. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
Vadym Boichenko, the mayor of the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, said Thursday that buses had not yet arrived to begin evacuating citizens from the city as of mid-afternoon local time.
Ukrainian authorities said earlier Thursday they would attempt to evacuate women, children and the elderly from the city, designating a gathering point for departure on Shevchenko Boulevard near the Port City shopping mall at 2 p.m. local time.
"More than 200 residents of Mariupol gathered for evacuation," Boichenko said. "Someone said that there would be a personal approach to who should be evacuated. First only women with children, then women without children and the elderly. The queue is already standing, waiting for evacuation, but we do not see buses at 3:05 p.m. at the point we identified."
Boichenko said more than 100,000 people have been transported since March 13 from Mariupol to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed that Russian forces had achieved the "liberation" of the city, but ordered his troops to stop short of taking the massive Azovstal steel factory, which is still in Ukrainian hands.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that "thousands" of civilians remain blockaded inside Mariupol.
9:08 a.m. ET, April 21, 2022
More than 7.7 million people internally displaced in Ukraine, according to report
From CNN’s Benjamin Brown in London
Internally displaced civilians from eastern Ukraine outside the train station in Lviv, Ukraine, on April 8. (Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
More than 7.7 million people are internally displaced in Ukraine after being forced to flee their homes due to Russia's invasion, according to the latest International Organization for Migration report.
According to the third Ukraine Internal Displacement Report, published Thursday, the number of internally displaced people in Ukraine has risen to at least 17.5% – or more than one in six – of Ukraine’s pre-war population.
The latest survey, conducted between April 11 and April 17, found that at least 60% of those internally displaced are women. More than half of IDPs reported a lack of some food products. According to IOM, 28% of families with children under the age of five said they had faced difficulties in getting enough food for their children.
“Women and children, the elderly, and people with disabilities have been disproportionately affected as they all represent a highly vulnerable group of people,” IOM Director General António Vitorino said.
With more than five million refugees having left Ukraine for neighboring countries, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a total of at least 12.7 million people have been left displaced since the beginning of the Russian invasion in late February.
8:47 a.m. ET, April 21, 2022
Another Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange takes place, Ukrainian deputy prime minister says
From CNN's Julia Presniakova in Lviv
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Thursday that another exchange of prisoners had taken place between Ukraine and Russia.
"Today we are returning home 19 people, including 10 military (including 2 officers) and nine civilians," she said. "This time there are wounded among the released, and this is very important. After this they will be able to receive full treatment and undergo rehabilitation."
8:17 a.m. ET, April 21, 2022
UK prime minister won't press India's Modi to take harsher stance on Ukraine
From CNN's Manveena Suri in New Delhi
Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to the media as he flies to India for a two day visit on April 20. (Stefan Rousseau/PA Images/Getty Images)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson played down the prospects of getting India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a harsher stance on Ukraine, during the first leg of a two-day visit to the country intended to accelerate a post-Brexit trade deal.
Speaking to reporters, Johnson said he had raised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during his visit, but that India and Russia “have historically had a very different relationship than Russia and the UK” and that his government “have to reflect that reality” in their approach.
“India and Russia have historically had a very different relationship than Russia and the UK have had over the last couple of decades. We have to reflect that reality, but clearly, I'll be talking [about Ukraine] to Narendra Modi,” Johnson said, while also applauding Modi’s government for its condemnation of “the atrocities in Bucha.”
India has been an international outlier on Ukraine, abstaining from various UN resolutions condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion while also continuing to make significant purchases of Russian oil.
The government’s stance shifted earlier this month though, after images of mass civilian graves in the town of Bucha led India’s representative to the UN to “unequivocally condemn” the killings and call for an “open investigation” without naming Russia.
Previous statements issued by the Indian government have repeatedly fallen short of condemning Russia’s aggression, instead calling for a “cessation of violence” and focussing on “diplomacy and dialogue.”
8:09 a.m. ET, April 21, 2022
New UK sanctions target Russian generals and individuals supporting Putin's military
From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite in London
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Minister for Women and Equalities Liz Truss arrives in Downing Street to attend the weekly Cabinet meeting on April 19, in London, England. (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images)
The United Kingdom has announced a new wave of sanctions targeting "both the Generals committing atrocities on the front line, as well as individuals and businesses supporting Putin’s military," the UK foreign office said Thursday.
“The depravity of Russia’s assault on the people of Ukraine is plain for all to see. They are deliberately targeting hospitals, schools, and transport hubs in Mariupol and beyond – just as they did in Chechnya and Syria," UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.
“The UK is unyielding in our support for Ukraine and in holding Putin and his regime to account. Today’s new wave of sanctions hits the generals and defence companies that have blood on their hands," Truss added.
The UK government is imposing sanctions on the following individuals "in response to the continued war of aggression in Ukraine":
Lt. Col. Azatbek Omurbekov, a commanding officer in the Russian army with involvement in the "Bucha massacre"
Col. Gen. Andrey Serdyukov, commander of airborne forces
Maj. Gen. Valery Flyustikov, commander of Russian Special Operations Forces
Col. Gen. Nikolay Bogdanovsky, first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces
8:05 a.m. ET, April 21, 2022
US President Biden will announce new Ukraine security assistance in remarks today, official says
From CNN's Kevin Liptak and Kaitlan Collins
US President Joe Biden is expected to announce on Thursday additional security assistance to Ukraine, according to an official.
CNN has previously reported the President was preparing an additional $800 million package of assistance following a similarly sized measure earlier this month.
In his remarks at the White House on Thursday, Biden plans to update Americans on US efforts to support the people of Ukraine and unveil the new assistance package, which has been finalized over the past days.
The latest package would come a week after the Biden administration authorized an $800 million security package, which included heavy weapons including artillery and anti-artillery radars for the first time since the Russian invasion began.
The Biden administration is working to get the military assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible because they believe the war is in a critical stage and the continued US assistance could make a difference when Russia’s more aggressive assault on Eastern Ukraine ramps up.
Luhansk official says civilian evacuation "complicated" amid heavy Russian shelling
From CNN's Julia Presniakova in Lviv
An apartment building damaged by a military strike in Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region, Ukraine, on April 16. (Serhii Nuzhnenko/Reuters)
Serhii Haidai, the head of the Luhansk region military administration, said Thursday that evacuation of the region has become "complicated" amid heavy Russian shelling.
"Lately, at the end of every day, I've been saying to myself: 'We did it,'" Haidai said.
"Because evacuation is complicated. Yes, we already can't get to some settlements of Hirske. The blue and yellow [Ukrainian] flag continues to fly above them, but the route is constantly shelled by the Russians, or mined," he said.
"Every trip to Popasna is full of danger — evacuation vehicles have repeatedly come under fire from the Russians. However, today we managed to save 60 locals. And in total for three days, 163 citizens of Popasna," he continued.
Hayday quoted the Popasna local administration as saying more than 100 people have been killed in shelling since Feb. 24, and that more than 2,500 people still remain in bomb shelters.
The military governor said on Wednesday that 80% of the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine was under Russian control.
