Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky believes the scenes in the town of Borodyanka are "significantly more dreadful" than the horrific sites witnessed in Bucha. Russian forces there have been reported as leaving civilians dying in the rubble of their destroyed homes for a week.
Ukrainian officials reported that 300 people were killed by Russian troops in Bucha with an estimated 50 of that number executed. On the damage seen in Borodyanka, 15 miles away though, Mr Zelensky said: "They have started sorting through the ruins in Borodianka. It's much more horrific there, there are even more victims of Russian occupiers."
Iryna Venediktova, Ukraine's Prosecutor General, added that 26 bodies had been recovered from underneath two destroyed apartment buildings in Borodyanka and accused Vladimir Putin of targeting civilian areas. The Ukrainian Parliament, meanwhile, posted the following tweet: "The destruction in Borodyanka was considered even worse than in Irpen and Bucha.
"The world will soon learn about the atrocities of the occupiers there, but now only one thing is clear - the village in ruins. Of the 29 high-rise buildings, 21 were damaged, 8 of them were completely destroyed. Rescuers have been dismantling the debris for several days now, so the horrific finds will soon be known to everyone."
Russian forces in north have fully withdrawn from Ukraine, says MoD
Russian forces in north of Ukraine have have now fully withdrawn from Ukraine to Belarus and Russia, says the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD). In an intelligence update issued this morning, the MoD said: "In the north, Russian forces have now fully withdrawn from Ukraine to Belarus and Russia. At least some of these forces will be transferred to East Ukraine to fight in the Donbas.
"Many of these forces will require significant replenishment before being ready to deploy further east, with any mass redeployment from the north likely to take at least a week minimum.
"Russian shelling of cities in the east and south continues and Russian forces have advanced further south from the strategically important city of Izium which remains under their control."
Putin's press secretary confirms Russia has suffered “significant losses of troops”
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary to Russian president Vladimir Putin, has confirmed that Russia has sustained “significant losses of troops” in the war, calling the deaths a “huge tragedy”. Speaking to Sky News, Mr Peskov denied Russian forces were behind the deaths of Ukrainian civilians in places such as Bucha, which is situated on the outskirts of the capital, instead calling the photos a “bold fake”.
It comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) said a “grim milestone” had been reached, saying it had verified more than 100 attacks on health care in Ukraine since the start of the war on February 24. The attacks so far have claimed 73 lives and injured 51, WHO said.
UK and Nato agree to supply "new and heavier" weapons to Ukraine
UK and Nato allies have agreed to supply “new and heavier” weapons to Ukraine in an acknowledgement that the conflict has entered a “new and different phase”. After withdrawing from Kyiv, Mr Putin’s troops look to have regrouped as they eye gains in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
Ms Truss said allies “agreed to help Ukrainian forces move from their Soviet era equipment to Nato standard equipment on a bilateral basis” in response to Kyiv’s calls for advanced weapons. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has urged the West to hand over the weapons swiftly or else Ukraine risks losing territory to the invading forces. “Either you help us now, and I’m speaking about days, not weeks, or your help will come too late,” he warned.
UK journalist pays tribute to colleagues killed in Ukraine
Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall has paid tribute to his colleagues who were killed in Ukraine while reporting on the war. The British journalist said he felt “damn lucky” to have survived a shelling attack by Russian forces.
Mr Hall, 39, manged to survive the assault but lost half a leg and a foot, while one of his eyes is “no longer working”. His team was reporting for the US network in Horenka, on the outskirts of Kyiv, when his vehicle was hit by Russian shelling on March 14.
His Ukrainian producer Oleksandra Kuvshynova and Irish cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski were both killed in the incident. “It’s been over three weeks since the attack in Ukraine and I wanted to start sharing it all. But first I need to pay tribute to my colleagues Pierre and Sasha who didn’t make it that day,” Mr Hall wrote on Twitter.
“Pierre and I travelled the world together, working was his joy and his joy was infectious. RIP.” Sharing a picture of himself bandaged and wearing an eye-patch he added: “To sum it up, I’ve lost half a leg on one side and a foot on the other.
“One hand is being put together, one eye is no longer working, and my hearing is pretty blown… but all in all I feel pretty damn lucky to be here – and it is the people who got me here who are amazing.”
Boris Johnson to offer Berlin solution to its dependence on Russian gas
Boris Johnson is set to meet the German Chancellor as they look to discuss how to help European countries wean themselves off Russian gas following the attack on Ukraine. The Prime Minister will host Olaf Scholz at Downing Street today, with a press conference planned for the afternoon.
Mr Johnson is expected to offer assistance to Berlin, which is still heavily reliant on Russian gas, to reduce its dependence on Moscow’s energy exports in a bid to starve Vladimir Putin’s war machine of funds. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has pushed for foreign leaders to go further on cutting ties with the Kremlin.
“As long as the West continues buying Russian gas and oil it is supporting Ukraine with one hand while supporting the Russian war machine with another hand,” he said in Brussels. He took particular umbrage with Germany, urging it to cut red tape and speed up support to Ukraine. “While Berlin has time, Kyiv doesn’t,” Mr Kuleba said.
Germany has faced criticism from Ukraine and other European nations, including Poland, with claims it has been too slow to phase out Russian energy. Robert Habeck, the German economy and energy minister, has announced plans to stop importing oil and coal from Russia this year, and gas by mid-2024.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
