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38 mins ago
Russian forces attacked Lviv city, Ukrainian officials say
By Mohammed Tawfeeq, Julia Kesaieva, Nathan Hodge
Ukrainian officials said Russian forces attacked the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, without providing many details.
"The Russian army attacked Lviv," Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi said on Twitter.
“We are awaiting information from the Military Administration.
Stay in the shelters."
Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv regional military administration, said: "There were three powerful explosions near Lviv from the Velyki Kryvchytsi side, now there is an airborne alarm, so keep calm and stay in shelter."
The explosions were audible on the street in the center of Lviv.
50 mins ago
CNN crew hears explosions and air raid sirens near Lviv
By Jennifer Hauser
CNN's John Berman saw smoke rising from behind a hill near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, Ukraine, on Saturday afternoon after a series of three explosions.
"We don't see any attack on the city itself, but smoke rising from the horizon behind that hill after three big explosions," Berman told viewers.
Earlier, the CNN crew heard air raid sirens.
US President Joe Biden is in Warsaw, which is 400 kilometers (approximately 250 miles) from Lviv.
1 hour ago
Biden calls Putin a 'butcher' after meeting with refugees in Poland
By Kyle Blaine
President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian refugees and aid workers during a visit to the PGE Narodowy Stadium, Saturday, March 26, 2022, in Warsaw.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Joe Biden called his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a "butcher" after visiting refugees in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday.
Asked by reporters traveling with the president what he thought of seeing the refugees as he deals with Putin every day, Biden replied: "He's a butcher."
Biden was previously asked what he thought of Russia changing its strategy, Biden replied, "I'm not sure they have."
During the short question-and-answer session at Stadion Narodowy, Biden recounted how he's been to places like this in his life, but said he's always struck by "the depth and strength of the human spirit."
"It's amazing, it's amazing. Seeing all those little kids. I just want to hug them, I just want to say thank you. I mean, it's, it just makes you so proud," he said.
He added: "Every one of those kids said something to the effect of, 'Say a prayer for my dad or my grandpa or my brother who's out there fighting.' And I remember what it's like when you have somebody in a war zone. mornings you wake up and wonder. You just wonder. And you pray you don't get that phone call."
1 hour ago
Biden meets with Ukrainian refugees in Poland
By Allie Malloy
President Joe Biden spent time with refugees in Warsaw on Saturday and met with families who were forced to leave Ukraine.
A woman Biden spoke with told him she was there with her daughter, but her husband and son are in Ukraine fighting.
"It's scary," Biden told him.
The woman, through a translator, spoke about the horror her family has endured, commenting on Putin: "We, Ukrainian mothers, are ready to strangle him with our bare hands."
Biden then grabbed a girl in a pink jacket and pulled out what appeared to be her own phone, taking a selfie with her and her family there.
The president said that she does not speak Ukrainian but that she wanted someone to tell the girl: "I want to take her home."
“Thank you for everything,” Biden was repeatedly told.
“You are all brave, brave, brave,” Biden told the family.
2 hours ago
An ambulance blessed and donated by Pope Francis is en route to Lviv
By Livia Borghese
Pope Francis blesses an ambulance en route to Lviv, Ukraine.
(Vatican Media)
An ambulance that was donated and blessed by Pope Francis is headed to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, according to the Holy See press office.
Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal beggar, left this Saturday for Lviv with the vehicle, which will be handed over to the Lviv authorities in an effort to bring relief to the city.
Lviv has seen a stream of internally displaced Ukrainians arriving from the east.
On Thursday, the pope blasted countries for increasing military spending as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, calling it "madness."
Speaking before an audience with the Italian Women's Center in Rome, Pope Francis blamed the "shameful" war in Ukraine on the "old logic of power that still dominates so-called geopolitics."
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelsenky called on the pope to visit the country, thanking the pontiff for his "clear and strong position against the war" during a speech posted on the Ukrainian government's Facebook page on Tuesday.
2 hours ago
Ukraine says 10 evacuation corridors have been agreed for Saturday
By Jennifer Hauser
This Saturday, ten corridors were agreed in the Kyiv, Lugansk and Donetsk regions to evacuate civilians from settlements affected by the Russian invasion, according to Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.
In the southeast, private transport for people from the besieged city of Mariupol to Zaporizhia is planned, but due to the blockade of buses by Russian forces at checkpoints, there will be no centralized evacuation of Mariupol residents on Saturday. , according to Vereshchuk.
Russian troops have entered the city of Slavutych, north of Kyiv, a move that has sparked protests among hundreds of Ukrainian civilians.
Earlier on Saturday, Oleksandr Pavliuk, head of the Kyiv regional administration, said that "Russian occupiers entered the city of Slavutych and seized the city hospital."
"Slavutych, Dymer, Ivankiv - we hear you and we know that you need routes (for evacuation). We are working on it," according to Vereshchuk.
In the southern city of Kherson, Vereshchuk said residents are actively and "massively" protesting against the occupation.
2 hours ago
Biden says NATO countries must be 'on par' with each other
US President Joe Biden meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda on March 26 in Warsaw, Poland.
(Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda on March 26 in Warsaw, Poland.
(Brendan Smyalowski)
US President Joe Biden, in talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda, said that peace in Europe is directly related to stability in the United States, adding that inaction in two world wars "has come back to haunt us."
"The ability of the United States to fulfill its role in other parts of the world rests on a united Europe, a secure Europe. We have learned from the sad experience of two world wars, when we stood by and did not participate in the stability of Europe, it always comes back to haunt us," Biden said.
"So I've been saying for a long time, as a visiting senator, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, as vice president for eight years, now as president, that stability in Europe is of vital importance to the United States in terms of our interest.
Not just in Europe, but all over the world," he continued.
Biden also said that he and US leaders view NATO Article 5 as "a sacred commitment."
Article 5 is the principle that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all members.
Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin thought he could divide NATO countries with his invasion of Ukraine.
"The most important criterion in this changing world ... is that NATO remains absolutely and completely united. There is no separation in our views. Whatever we do, we do it in unison," he said.
The US president also acknowledged the pressure of Ukrainian refugees on Poland, referring to the situation on the US-Mexico border.
3 hours ago
Chernihiv's population has more than halved since the invasion began, says mayor
By Anastasia Graham-Yooll
A man rides his bicycle in front of shell-damaged residential buildings in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on March 4.
(Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images)
, 2022. - Fourty-seven people died on March 3 when Russian forces hit residential areas, including schools and a high-rise apartment building, in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, officials said.
(Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP) (Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images)
The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, which is halfway between Kyiv and the Russian border, said the population has more than halved since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking during a virtual news conference on Saturday, Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko said that between 120,000 and 130,000 residents remain in the city, compared to around 290,000 before Russia's invasion, adding that "the city is surrounded."
Atroshenko said Russian forces "knowingly destroyed the only bridge connecting Chernihiv with a southern highway to Kyiv."
Atroshenko was referring to Russian warplanes that destroyed a key bridge on March 23, one of the last remaining routes connecting it to other Ukrainian-controlled territory.
The mayor said there are currently no evacuation corridors and "no safe way to bring supplies, aid or the injured in or out."
Atroshenko's comments come as the city tries to evacuate 44 people who have been seriously injured.
Most are connected to the military, but the figure also includes civilians, including three children, he said.
Atroshenko said there have been direct hits on hospitals, including the Chernihiv District Hospital, which has been "destroyed."
Water and electricity supplies have also been affected, and water has been delivered by volunteers.
Chernihiv has seen some of the heaviest bombardment since Russia invaded Ukraine just over four weeks ago.
Among the most recent deadly attacks, on March 16, was a queue of people to buy bread, in which authorities said at least 10 people were killed.
4 hours ago
Mayor of Kyiv cancels extended curfew
By Frederik Pleitgen
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko canceled a planned extended curfew for the capital on Saturday.
In a statement on Telegram, Klitschko said the curfew, planned to start at 8 p.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. Monday, will not take place.
"The curfew hours will remain normal, from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. local time [8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. local time]," Klitschko said.
"It will be possible to move around the capital and the region on Sunday afternoon."
4 hours ago
136 children have died since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian officials say
At least 136 children have been killed and 199 injured in Ukraine since the invasion began just over a month ago, according to a statement released Saturday by Ukraine's prosecutor general's office.
The statement says that a 9-year-old boy, an 11-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy were killed last week due to shelling by the Russian army.
At least 64 of the dead were in Kyiv, according to the statement, which added that 570 educational facilities were also damaged, with 73 completely destroyed.
CNN cannot independently verify these figures, and the attorney general's office said: "These data are not conclusive, as it is not possible to inspect bombing sites in areas of active hostilities and in the temporarily occupied territories."
3 hours ago
Biden meets with Ukrainian officials in Warsaw
By Kevin Liptack
US President Joe Biden (2ndR) together with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (3rdR) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R) attend a meeting on the war of Russia in Ukraine with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (2ndL) and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov (L) in Warsaw on March 26, 2022. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden met with senior Ukrainian officials in Warsaw on the last day of his trip to Europe.
In a hotel in the Polish capital, Biden participated in a meeting between Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, and their American counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense, LloydAustin.
During a short photo session, the group discussed the ministers' arduous journey from Ukraine to Poland, which included a train ride followed by a three-hour drive.
"It's like flying from Kyiv to Washington with a connecting flight in Istanbul," Kuleba said.
“The good thing is that since the beginning of the war I learned to sleep in any condition.
So I slept on the train, I slept in the car,” he continued.
Biden seized on the idea that the ministers had traveled by train and conveyed that he, too, had experience of rail travel.
“You're looking at a guy who has traveled over a million, 200,000 miles on a train.
Literally,” Biden said.
"So you learned to sleep," replied one of the ministers.
"I learned to sleep," Biden said.
"I even learned how to befriend a driver so they would keep people away. You didn't have to worry about that."
Reporters were told to leave the room before any substantive questions about the war in Ukraine could be answered.
5 hours ago
Russia calls for new missile attacks on military targets in Ukraine
By Nathan Hodge
The Russian army on Saturday claimed new missile attacks on military targets in western, central and southwestern Ukraine.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles "destroyed a warehouse with ammunition and weapons near the Velyki Korovyntsi settlement in the Zhytomyr region." .
Konashenkov continued: "In addition, a high-precision Onyx cruise missile destroyed a fuel base in the Mykolaiv area, which supplied fuel to the AFU [Ukrainian Armed Forces] grouping in the southern part of Ukraine."
6 hours ago
Kyiv mayor declares new curfew this Saturday
By Frederik Pleitgen
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko visits a checkpoint on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 6.
(Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images)
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, announced this Saturday a new curfew in the Ukrainian capital.
In a statement on Telegram, Klitschko said the curfew would begin Saturday at 8 p.m. and last until 7 a.m. Monday.
"According to the decision of the military command, the curfew in Kyiv and the region will be strengthened again," he said.
Klitschko said only vehicles with special permits can operate during the curfew and city residents can only go out to shelters when an alarm sounds.
Public transport, shops, pharmacies and gas stations will not be operational, he said.
6 hours ago
Amid speculation, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu resurfaces
By Radina Gigova
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held an official meeting on Saturday, state media reported, amid speculation about his whereabouts and health during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The state news agency Tass said Shoigu met with the country's finance ministry to discuss maintaining the supply of advanced weapons for the conflict.
Those items include "robotic complexes, information support and electronic warfare equipment and, of course, logistics, as has always been the case," Shoigu said, according to TASS.
"Con los desafíos que enfrentamos hoy, nos estamos moviendo de acuerdo con el plan en la implementación del contrato de adquisición de defensa estatal", dijo Shoigu. "Teniendo en cuenta el hecho de que la financiación del gobierno para este año es un 15 % superior a la del año anterior, debemos, por supuesto, echar un vistazo a lo que necesita especial atención al cumplir con el contrato de adquisición de defensa estatal".
Hace 5 horas
Biden asistirá hoy a reunión con funcionarios ucranianos
Por Kevin Liptak
El presidente de EE. UU., Joe Biden, en el centro, habla con los miembros del servicio de la 82 División Aerotransportada durante su viaje a Polonia el 25 de marzo. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, asistirá este sábado a una reunión con funcionarios ucranianos mientras completa su visita a Polonia.
La Casa Blanca dijo que Biden asistiría a una reunión entre su secretario de Estado, Antony Blinken, y el secretario de Defensa, Lloyd Austin, y sus homólogos ucranianos, el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Ucrania, Dmytro Kuleba, y el ministro de Defensa de Ucrania, Oleksii Reznikov.
Se produce cuando Ucrania lamenta los resultados de la cumbre de la OTAN de esta semana, que rechazó los llamamientos del líder del país para imponer una zona de exclusión aérea.
“Esperábamos más valentía. Esperábamos algunas decisiones audaces”, dijo Andriy Yermak, jefe de gabinete del presidente Volodomyr Zelensky, al Atlantic Council en una entrevista en vivo el viernes.
Hace 6 horas
Reino Unido proporcionará US$ 2,64 millones en suministros de alimentos a Ucrania
Por Wayne Chang
Se ve a los voluntarios preparando y distribuyendo alimentos para los locales y la defensa territorial en Kyiv, Ucrania, el 25 de marzo. (Wolfgang Schwan/Agencia Anadolu/Getty Images)
La secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores británica, Liz Truss, dijo este sábado que el Reino Unido proporcionará £2 millones (aproximadamente US$ 2,64 millones) en suministros de alimentos para las áreas de Ucrania rodeadas por las fuerzas rusas, luego de una solicitud directa del gobierno ucraniano, según un comunicado de prensa del gobierno el sábado.
Esta donación vital de alimentos y suministros ayudará al pueblo ucraniano frente a la bárbara invasión de Rusia”, dijo Truss.
Truss dijo que el gobierno del Reino Unido está trabajando con Polonia y Eslovaquia para proporcionar "alimentos secos, productos enlatados y agua" a Ucrania desde "principios de la próxima semana", donde se transportarán aproximadamente 25 camiones de suministros por carretera y ferrocarril a las comunidades necesitadas.
La donación forma parte de los 400 millones de libras esterlinas (aproximadamente US$ 528 millones) que el Reino Unido ha comprometido en ayuda humanitaria y económica, según el comunicado de prensa.
El acceso a los alimentos, el agua y las instalaciones para cocinar en las ciudades rodeadas por las fuerzas rusas se está volviendo cada vez más difícil, agrega el comunicado.
El Ministerio de Defensa del Reino Unido dijo este sábado en su actualización de inteligencia que Rusia "sigue asediando" varias ciudades importantes de Ucrania, incluidas Kharkiv, Chernihiv y Mariúpol.
Hace 6 horas
Zelensky dice que Ucrania ha "asestado poderosos golpes" a las fuerzas rusas
En un discurso en video este viernes, el presidente de Ucrania, Volodymyr Zelensky, dijo que el ejército del país había asestado "golpes poderosos" a Rusia y agradeció a todos los que estaban ayudando a defender la nación.
“Durante la última semana, nuestras heroicas fuerzas armadas han asestado poderosos golpes al enemigo, pérdidas significativas”, dijo Zelensky. "Estoy agradecido con nuestros defensores que mostraron a los ocupantes que el mar no estará en calma para ellos incluso cuando no haya tormenta. Porque habrá fuego".
Pérdidas rusas: Zelensky afirmó que más de 16.000 soldados rusos habían muerto desde que comenzó la guerra, una cifra mucho mayor que la estimación que Rusia presentó el viernes. CNN no puede confirmar de forma independiente estas cifras.
"Al restringir las acciones de Rusia, nuestros defensores están llevando a los líderes rusos a una idea simple y lógica: hablar es necesario. Significativo. Urgente. Justo. Por el bien del resultado, no por el retraso", dijo. "Ya han muerto 16.000 militares rusos. ¿Por qué? ¿Qué da y a quién?"
Cualquier negociación con Rusia debe garantizar la soberanía de Ucrania y la integridad territorial del país, agregó.
Evacuaciones civiles: el presidente agregó que Ucrania había establecido 18 corredores de evacuación esta semana, lo que permitió que más de 37.000 personas escaparan de las "ciudades bloqueadas", incluidos más de 26.000 residentes de Mariípol, que ha estado bajo un bombardeo implacable durante semanas. "La situación en la ciudad sigue siendo absolutamente trágica", dijo Zelensky.
Guerra en Ucrania