Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of trying to wipe out civilians who remain trapped in the southern port city of Mariupol, after Russia claimed it had cleared the city of Ukrainian forces.
Look back at all of Saturday's news and updates with our live blog.
Key events
- Ukraine shows no sign of accepting Russia's surrender request in Mariupol
- UN says 4.8 million refugees have now fled Ukraine
- Russia launches missile strikes in Kyiv, Lviv
- Two killed, four wounded in Russian attacks across eastern, central Ukraine
- UK Prime Minister, government officials barred from entering Russia
Live updates
By Kate Ainsworth
That's all for the blog today
You can stay up-to-date with the latest news online or on the ABC News app.
By Kate Ainsworth
Ukraine shows no sign of accepting Russia's surrender request in Mariupol
It's approaching 7am in Ukraine, but Ukrainian authorities have given no sign that they will accept Russia's request for Ukrainian forces still fighting in Mariupol surrender their weapons in exchange for a "guarantee that their lives will be spared".
Russia has repeatedly claimed that it has cleared the urban area of the besieged southern city, but has not provided any evidence. Ukrainian officials have also not verified the claims.
Earlier, Russia's state-owned news agency TASS reported that Russia's defence ministry told Ukrainian forces who are reportedly blockaded in the Azovstal steelworks plant that they would have between 6am and 1pm Moscow time to lay down their weapons and ammunition and leave the plant.
Ukraine has not disclosed whether it would agree to the deal proposed by Russia, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously said the destruction of the port city would end negotiations.
Zelenskyy described the situation in Mariupol as "very difficult" and the situation remains "inhuman".
More than 20,000 civilians have been killed in the southern port city of Mariupol since the war began on February 24, and more than 100,000 people remain trapped in the city.
Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of failing to follow agreed humanitarian corridors, and efforts to evacuate civilians from Mariupol have repeatedly broken down, with both sides blaming each other.
If Mariupol was captured by Russia, it would give Moscow the option to build a land bridge to Crimea and control the entire north shore of the Sea of Azov.
By Kate Ainsworth
In pictures: The Ukrainians fleeing to safety in Romania
The UN estimates more than 732,000 Ukrainian refugees have travelled to Romania since Russia began its invasion.
Reuters photographer Fedja Grulovic captured these images of those who are the latest refugees to reach the border crossing point in Siret, Romania.
By Kate Ainsworth
Head of the Russian navy meets with members from sunken missile cruiser
Russia's defence ministry claims the head of the Russian navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, has met with crew members from the sunken missile cruiser Moskva.
Reuters is reporting that Yevmenov said the crew would continue to serve in the navy.
Ukraine said it hit the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet with a misisle, while Russia claims the Moskva sank after ammunition on board exploded.
The Russian defence ministry released a 26-second undated video showing Yevmenov and two other officers standing outside in front of around 100 sailors on a parade ground where they were speaking to one man. The ministry did not say when the meeting took place.
Russia has said all of the 500 crew were rescued after the blast late on Wednesday, but Ukrainian officials have said some of those on board died.
Neither side has been able to verify its account of the ship sinking.
By Kate Ainsworth
By Kate Ainsworth
In pictures: Life inside a chemical plant bomb shelter in eastern Ukraine
Inside a chemical plant in Sievierodonetsk, in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, dozens of people have spent weeks hiding in its dedicated shelter to hide from shelling since the beginning of the war.
Reuters photographer Marko Djurica went inside the shelter, capturing the new daily life of those seeking safety from the unrelenting Russian assault.
By Kate Ainsworth
New EU sanctions on Russia to target Sberbank, oil: Commission head
The head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has told a German newspaper that the European Union will sanction Russian banks, particularly Sberbank, and oil.
Reuters is reporting that Bild am Sonntag asked von der Leyen to name the key points of a planned sixth round of sanctions.
"We are looking further at the banking sector, especially Sberbank, which accounts for 37 per cent of the Russian banking sector. And, of course, there are energy issues," she said.
The EU has so far spared Russia's largest bank from previous sanctions rounds because it, along with Gazprombank, is one of the main channels for payments for Russian oil and gas, which EU countries have been buying despite the conflict in Ukraine.
She also said that the EU was working on "clever mechanisms" so that oil could also be included in the next sanctions.
"What should not happen is that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin collects even higher prices on other markets for supplies that would otherwise go to the EU," she said.
"The top priority is to shrink Putin's revenues."
By Kate Ainsworth
Who are the British politicians banned from travelling to Russia?
Earlier we heard that Moscow has barred 13 British politicians from travelling to Russia, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in response to sanctions imposed on Russian officials.
But who are the other 12 senior ministers and politicians who are no longer welcome in Russia? The BBC has put together this list:
- Theresa May, Johnson's predecessor as British prime minister
- Foreign Secretary Liz Truss
- Defence Secretary Ben Wallace
- Justice Secretary (and deputy PM) Dominic Raab
- Home Secretary Priti Patel
- Chancellor Rishi Sunak
- Transport Secretary Grant Shapps
- Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng
- Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries
- Armed Forces Minister James Heappey
- Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
- Attorney General for England and Wales and advocate general for Northern Ireland Suella Braverman
By Kate Ainsworth
Terrified for her mother cut off in Ukraine, a NSW woman put her faith in a young hero to help
When war broke out, Australian resident Svetlana Ward's 80-year-old mother refused to leave her village.
But when Russian bombs started falling, it took luck, bravery and a stranger's kindness to get Valentina to safety.
By Kate Ainsworth
By Kate Ainsworth
UN says 4.8 million refugees have now fled Ukraine
More than 4.8 million Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia's invasion began on February 24, according to the UN's refugee agency.
Over 2.74 million Ukrainian refugees have travelled to Poland since the war started, while more than 732,000 Ukrainians have fled to Romania.
454,000 Ukrainians have crossed the border to Hungary, and more than 421,000 have sought refuge in Moldova.
By Kate Ainsworth
Payne: Australia to follow court decision on whether Russia has committed genocide
Here's how she responded:
"From Australia's perspective, by and large we operate within decisions by courts in relation to the declaration of a genocide," she said.
"That's the approach that we have consistently taken and why we are so strongly supporting the work of the International Criminal Court, including through the reference in early March to the International Criminal Court of these appalling events in Ukraine by Russia.
"That enabled investigations to begin at that time. That enables the preservation of evidence and the taking of evidence and statements in the context of the investigations of the court.
"We are also providing two officials to work with the court in their investigations, and I think that there is room for us to also provide support potentially through the Australian Federal Police and their significant experience in a number of these issues, particularly related to MH17."
By Kate Ainsworth
By Kate Ainsworth
Kyiv mayor urges residents not to return home for now
Kyiv's mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has told the city's residents that now is not the time to return to their homes in Ukraine's capital.
Some Kyiv residents have begun returning to the city after a fortnight of relative calm, after Russian forces withdrew from the north of Ukraine.
But after recent missile strikes in the Darnytskyi district, Klitschko wrote on his Telegram channel that Kyiv residents should not yet return to the city.
"Those Kyivites who left earlier and are already going to return to the capital, I ask you to refrain from this and stay in safer places," he said.
"It is no secret that one of the Russian generals recently stated that they were ready for missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital. And, as we see, they are carrying out such shelling."
By Kate Ainsworth
In pictures: Shelling aftermath in the eastern Luhansk region
As Russia increases its offensive on Ukraine's south and east, the streets of Sievierodonetsk have been littered with debris and rubble from buildings damaged by shelling.
Reuters photographer Serhii Nuzhnenko captured these images in the aftermath of a recent strike in the city that was once home to 100,000 people.
By Kate Ainsworth
1,449 evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors
The deputy head of Ukraine's presidential administration says 1,449 people were evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on Saturday, local time.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko did not say which cities they were evacuated from.
A total of 2,864 people were able to flee through corridors on Friday.
By Kate Ainsworth
Spanish village changes its name to Ukraine in solidarity
In the white-walled village of Fuentes de Andalucia, east of Seville, a sign at a roundabout near the village's entrance has been replaced by Ukraine, along with a blue and yellow flag painted alongside.
Streets have been renamed renamed City of Kyiv, Odesa and Mariupol in the village that's home to more than 7,000 people.
The village's mayor said the name change was more than a gesture.
"The main objective is to raise awareness about the conflict in Ukraine but also about where countries are at war in current times," Francisco Martinez told Reuters.
He said villagers had raised 3,500 euros ($5,118) within two days, which would be put towards a planned refugee centre.
The village wants to offer homes to up to 25 refugees at the centre or with families.
Rafael Osuna, a pensioner in the village, said he would take a Ukrainian couple into his house.
"The people of Fuentes are very proud of what we are doing," he said.
"As I live alone and have a big house I have thought of taking in a Ukrainian couple for a while."
By Kate Ainsworth
Russia will spare the lives of Mariupol fighters if they surrender, state news says
Russia's defence ministry says it will spare the lives of Ukrainian forces who are still fighting in Mariupol if they lay down their weapons from 6am Moscow time on Sunday (1pm AEST), according to the Russian-owned TASS news agency.
Earlier, Russia claimed it had cleared Ukrainian forces from all urban areas in Mariupol, and said the remaining fighters in the besieged port city, who it says are both Ukrainian and foreign, are blockaded in the Azovstal steelworks.
TASS quoted Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, director of the Russian National Center for Defence Management, as saying Moscow's offer was prompted by "the catastrophic situation" in the plant as well as "purely humane principles".
"We guarantee that the lives of all those who lay down their arms will be spared," he said.
Under the terms of the proposed deal, the remaining defenders in the plant would leave between 6am and 1pm Moscow time, without weapons or ammunition.
Ukrainian authorities are yet to respond to the offer.
By Kate Ainsworth
By Kate Ainsworth
Pope condemns cruelty of war, calls for gestures of peace
Pope Francis used an Easter vigil Mass in St Peter's Basilica to condemn the cruelty of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Reuters reports that the vigil was attended by Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of the occupied city of Melitopol, and three Ukrainian parliamentarians, who Francis addressed directly.
He did not directly refer to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but spoke of the "darkness of war, of cruelty" and called for an Easter truce in order to reach negotiated peace.
"All of us pray for you and with you. We pray because there is so much suffering. We can only give you our company, our prayers and say to you 'courage, we accompany you'," Francis said.
He ended the homily by saying "Christ is risen" in Ukrainian.
The Vatican said Francis met privately with the Ukrainian delegation before the Mass.
