The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said. Earlier in the day, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the US should stop "encouraging war" in Ukraine "and start talking about peace" on the third day of his state visit to China. Follow our blog to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT + 2).
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5:17pm: Poland prohibits food imports from Ukraine to soothe farmers
Poland's government said Saturday that it has decided to temporarily prohibit grain and other food imports from Ukraine as it seeks to soothe the rising anger of Polish farmers, who say they are losing huge amounts of money to a glut of Ukrainian grain on the market.
Ruling party leader Jarosław Kaczyński said at a party convention in eastern Poland that the Polish countryside is facing a “moment of crisis”, and that while Poland supports Ukraine, it was forced to act to protect its farmers.
“Today, the government has decided on a regulation that prohibits the importation of grain, but also dozens of other types of food, to Poland,” Kaczyński said.
The government announced that the ban on imports would last until June 30. The regulation also includes a prohibition on imports of sugar, eggs, meat, milk and other dairy products and fruits and vegetables.
3:55pm: Zelensky says discussed Macron's China visit with French president
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he discussed with Emmanuel Macron his visit to China after the French president's remarks made to journalists on his way home drew criticism in Europe and the United States.
"I had almost an hour and a half conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron... The results of President Macron's recent visit to China were discussed," Zelensky said on social media.
3:07pm: Death toll in Sloviansk strike rises to 11
The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said.
1:01pm: Russia says Wagner mercenaries have seized two more areas in Bakhmut
Fighters of Russia's Wagner mercenary group have captured two more areas of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Russian news agencies quoted the Defence Ministry as saying on Saturday.
FRANCE 24 could not independently confirm the report.
Ukrainian troops have been forced to withdraw from some territory in Bakhmut as Russia mounts a renewed assault there with intense artillery fire over the past two days, Britain said in an intelligence update on Friday.
9:18am: Death toll in Sloviansk strike rises to nine
The death toll in Friday's Russian strike on an apartment block in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk has risen to nine, according to local authorities.
Vadim Lyakh, the head of Sloviansk's military administration, said Saturday that nine people died – including a woman whose body was recovered from the rubble overnight – and 21 were wounded.
Five people were still under the rubble and their identities were established, he said.
Rescue workers are still digging for survivors in the rubble of the typical Soviet-era housing block which was destroyed in the strike.
5:35am: US should stop 'encouraging' war in Ukraine, says Lula
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Saturday that the US should stop "encouraging war" in Ukraine "and start talking about peace".
"The United States needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace, the European Union needs to start talking about peace," Lula told reporters in Beijing at the end of a visit where he met with President Xi Jinping.
In that way, the international community will be able to "convince" Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky that "peace is in the interest of the whole world", he said before leaving for the United Arab Emirates.
Lula is carrying out a delicate balancing act as he also seeks closer ties with Washington. His visit comes after a meeting with US President Joe Biden in February.
Unlike Western powers, neither China nor Brazil have imposed sanctions against Russia after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and both seek to position themselves as mediators to achieve peace.
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Key developments of Friday, April 14
The Russian shelling of a residential building in Sloviansk killed at least eight people and injured 21, according to the Donetsk regional governor. Also on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said that China won't sell weapons to either side in the war in Ukraine, in response to Western concerns that Beijing could provide military assistance to Russia.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an electronic draft bill into law, greatly facilitating the military mobilisation for the Ukraine offensive.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
