Russia-Ukraine conflict newest: youngster amongst Kharkiv shelling victims, says mayor; Austrian chief’s talks with Putin ‘open and difficult’ | Ukraine

12:53

Multiple casualties, including one child, after shelling of Kharkiv, mayor says

Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv came under heavy shelling today, resulting in multiple casualties, mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a televised interview, Reuters reports.

Among the casualties in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, was the death of one child, the region’s mayor said.

When asked about the risk of a new Russian assault on the city, Terekhov said that Ukrainian forces were focused and ready to defend the city.

Updated at 1:00 PM EDT

28s ago16:15

Vladimir Kara-Murza, one of the main opponents of the Ukraine invasion and the Russian government, was arrested today in Russianreports AFP.

Kara-Murza’s lawyer, Vadim Prokhorov, spoke about Kara-Murza’s arrest to Interfax news agency:

I learned of his arrest less than 10 minutes ago, I will join him.

The reasons for Kara-Murza’s arrest were not immediately known and comment from Russian authorities on the arrest was not available, AFP further reported, but Kara-Murza was routinely critical of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.

Throughout the invasion, Russia has come down harder on critics of the regime.

Those spreading information deemed false about the military face up to 15 years in prison.

17m ago15:59

Top officials at the United Nations have said that women and children in Ukraine need more protectionreports AFP.

UN officials also called for an investigation into violence against women during its invasion of Ukraine and increased protection for Ukrainian children.

Sima Bahous, director of the UN women’s agency, spoke on her concerns during a meeting with the Security Council today:

This was must stop. Now…We are increasingly hearing of rape and sexual violence. These allegations must be independently investigated to ensure justice and accountability.

Bahous, who recently visited the region, also said “mass displacement with the large presence of conscripts and mercenaries, and the brutality displayed against Ukrainian civilians, has raised all red flags.”

Russia has rejected accusations of abuse through the Ukraine invasion.

30m ago15:45

Read an article from the Guardian’s Andrew Roth and Shaun Walker about Russian soldiers looting throughout Ukrainian territories they occupy:

When Russian soldiers left the village of Novyi Bykiv after a month of occupation, Natalia Samson returned to her house to find they had stolen her perfumes, jewellery, some wine, a scooter, a novelty cushion and a collection of old coins.

A few days later she ventured into the village school, where she works as the deputy headteacher, and discovered the Russians had taken most of the computers, the projectors and other electronic equipment.

In the headteacher’s office, an opened pair of scissors had been inserted into a plasma screen that was left behind, apparently in an attempt to ensure that what could not be stolen was instead destroyed.

“People saw them simply loading everything on to Ural trucks, everything they could get their hands on,” said Samson, shaking her head in disbelief. A dozen houses on the village’s main street had been looted, as well as all the shops. Other villagers reported losing washing machines, food, laptops and even a sofa…

Read the full article here.

45m ago15:31

4,354 people evacuated from Ukraine using humanitarian corridors todayreports Reuters.

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk shared the number online today, with evacuations coming from cities across the country.

1 hour ago15:16

About four million chickens were killed at a poultry farm in the Kherson region as Russian shelling cut off power supplies to the farmreports NEXTA:

About four million chickens were killed at Chornobayivska poultry farm in Kherson region, Ukrainian human rights commissioner Lyudmyla Denysova said.

As a result of Russian shelling, the power supply was interrupted, leaving the farm without the ability to feed its poultry.

1 hour ago15:05

Ukraine officials have accused Russia of holding civilians, including journalists, in Russian prisonsreports Reuters.

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a televised statement that many civilians are being imprisoned:

We have many priests, journalists, activists, mayors, and in general civilians who are in prisons, not, for example, even on the territory of Ukraine, but in (the) Kursk, Bryansk, Rostov (regions of Russia)… They are forcibly held…

Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians.

1 hour ago14:52

Russian forces are focusing on the Donbas region, says the US Pentagon, but have– not launched an offensive yetreports AFP.

Russian forces are reinforcing around the Donbas, notably near the town of Izyum, but have not yet launched an offensive to seize control of the disputed region of eastern Ukraine, Pentagon officials said Monday.

“They’re repositioning, they’re refocusing on the Donbas,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Kirby said a convoy of vehicles had been observed heading for Izyum but “it’s not clear to us how many vehicles are in this convoy and what exactly they’re bringing.

“It does seem to be a mix of personnel-carrying vehicles as well as armored vehicles and maybe some artillery,” he said.

The Pentagon spokesman underscored that the Ukrainian military has been fighting Moscow-backed separatists in the Donbas region since 2014.

“The Ukrainians have been for eight years – and are still – fighting over that,” he said. “And they show no signs of being willing to give that territory up.”

A senior US defense official said earlier Monday that the United States does not believe a “new offensive” in the Donbas region has begun yet.

“We still assess that while there is fighting going on they (the Russians) are working to reinforce their capabilities and to add to it,” the official said…

Updated at 14:57 EDT

2h ago14:42

More on the expulsion of six Russian diplomats in France: France’s General Directorate of Internal Security discovered the operation by Russian diplomats happening in Francereports NEXTA:

The General Directorate of Internal Security after a lengthy investigation revealed a covert operation conducted by the Russian secret services on the territory of France, according to a statement of the Foreign Ministry. As a result, six Russian agents were exposed.

The General Directorate of Internal Security after a lengthy investigation revealed a covert operation conducted by the #Russian secret services on the territory of #France, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry. As a result, six Russian agents were exposed.

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 11, 2022 2h ago14:29

Here is a statement from France’s foreign ministry on the decision to expel six Russian diplomats todayreported by Reuters:

Following a very long investigation, the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) revealed on Sunday April 10 a clandestine operation carried out by the Russian intelligence services on our territory…

Six Russian agents operating under diplomatic cover and whose activities proved contrary to our national interests have been declared persona non grata…

The foreign ministry did not provide any more elaboration into what the “clandestine operation” entailed.

2h ago14:21

France’s foreign ministry has declared six more Russian agents as persona non grata and operating under diplomatic coverreports Reuters.

The six agents are being accused of working against France’s “national interest” following an investigation, Reuters further reports.

Last week, France expelled 35 Russian diplomats as apart of a joint response with other European countries.

This story is developing-more details to come.

2h ago14:08

150,000 Mariupol residents are reportedly being allowed to flee the defeated city after Ukraine negotiators secured safe passage, according to a top Zelenskiy adlook.

From Foreign Policy’s Jack Detsch:

NEW: Ukrainian evacuation buses from Mariupol have allowed 150,000 residents to flee the defeated port city after [Ukraine] Negotiators managed to secure safe passage: top Zelensky advisor

Local officials estimate over 10,000 Mariupol residents have died during Russia’s 42-day siege

NEW: Ukrainian evacuation buses from Mariupol have allowed 150,000 residents to flee the defeated port city after 🇺🇦 negotiators managed to secure safe passage: top Zelensky advisor

Local officials estimate over 10,000 Mariupol residents have died during Russia’s 42-day siege

— Jack Detsch (@JackDetsch) April 11, 2022

Previously, civilians were only able to escape the port city via personal transport.

Zelensky advisor Oleksii Arestovich said in a televised interview that residents of Mariupol could only leave by personal transport before.

— Jack Detsch (@JackDetsch) April 11, 2022

Updated at 14:34 EDT

2h ago14:00

Summary

It is 9pm in Kyiv. Here’s where we stand now:

• Moscow will not pause its military operation in Ukraine before the next round of peace talks, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said. Speaking in an interview with Russian state television, Lavrov said he saw no reason not to continue talks with Ukraine but insisted Moscow would not halt its military operation when the sides convene again.

• Western officials said they expected Russia to try and “double or perhaps even treble” its forces in Donbas as it shifts forces from Kyiv and elsewhere in the coming weeks. The first of those forces had begun to redeploy via Belarus, but the whole exercise would take “some considerable time” and it was unclear how many units could be effectively brought back into battle.

• The US president, Joe Biden, spoke with Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, stressing the countries’ shared values ​​as the US pushed India to take a harder line against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Modi called the situation in Ukraine “very worrying” and said he has spoken with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appealing to both of them for peace.

• The Austrian chancellor, Karl Nehammer, held “direct, open and tough” talks with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow today. In a statement Nehammer – the first EU leader to meet with Putin since he ordered his troops to invade Ukraine – was quoted as saying that it was “not a friendly meeting”.

• Russia’s defense ministry claimed it has destroyed a S-300 anti-aircraft missile system near Dnipro which had been supplied to Ukraine by an unspecified European country. The claim has been described as disinformation by Slovakia’s prime minister, Eduard Heger, whose country donated an S-300 system last week.

That’s it from me, Léonie Chao-Fong, today as I hand over to my colleague, Gloria Oladipo, who will continue to bring you all the latest news from the war in Ukraine.