The Russian flagship Moskva cruiser has sunk in the Black Sea off southern Ukraine, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. It is not yet clear if the ship was hit by Ukrainian weapons. Ukraine claims she was, but Russia maintains a fire on board and then “stormy sea conditions” while she was being towed into port was to blame. Russia only has three of this flagship class of warship, which have crews of almost 500 sailors, and the loss of the Moskva is a huge blow. Former CIA director David Petraeus described Russia’s admission as a “rare moment of truth… I’m surprised they admitted it,” he told the BBC.
Vladimir Putin may resort to using a low-yield or tactical nuclear weapon in light of military setbacks in the Ukraine invasion, CIA Director William Burns has said. During a speech In Atlanta, Burns said, “Given the possible desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership … none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential recourse to tactical nuclear weapons or low-yield nuclear weapons.” The Kremlin put Russian nuclear forces on high alert shortly after the assault began on February 24.
Russia has asked Brazil for support at the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the G20 group of major economies to help it counter crippling sanctions., according to a letter seen by Reuters. On March 30, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov wrote asking for “Brazil’s support to prevent political accusations and attempts at discrimination in international financial institutions and multilateral forums.” A spokesman for the Brazilian economy minister indicated that Brazil would like Russia to remain part of discussions in multilateral organizations.
The lives of around 2.7 million people with disabilities are at risk in Ukraine, a UN committee has warned, citing reports that many are trapped or abandoned in their homes, care centers and orphanages without basic supplies or medicine. The committee said it was “deeply disturbed” that the fate of people with disabilities in Ukraine is “largely unknown”.
At least 503 civilians, including 24 children, have been killed in the eastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine. since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, the region’s local governor has said. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city with a pre-war population of about 1.5 million, is 40 km (25 miles) from the Russian border.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Moscow would take “security and defense measures that we consider necessary” if Sweden and Finland join NATO. In an interview with Russia’s state news agency Tass, the minister said membership in the military alliance “will seriously worsen the military situation” and lead to “the most undesirable consequences.” Finland and Sweden had already taken an important step to join NATO.
Russia’s investigative committee said Ukrainian forces carried out at least six helicopter airstrikes on the village of Klimovo in Russia’s Bryansk region, wounding seven people. The governor of the Bryansk region earlier said that two residential buildings in the town had been hit by shelling. The area is located north of the Ukrainian region of Chernihiv. A village in Russia’s Belgorod region was also attacked by Ukraine, the region’s governor said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has called on the United Nations to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children who have been “illegally deported” to Russia. In a statement, the ministry said Russia had “engaged in state-organized kidnapping of children and the destruction of the future of the Ukrainian nation.”
France plans to return its embassy to the Ukrainian capital, kyiv. He had moved to the western city of Lviv in March when Russia invaded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the allies to resume their normal diplomatic presence in Ukraine.
Turkey is still working on organizing a meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the condition for a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents is a document ready for the two leaders to sign.
The UK government has imposed sanctions on Chelsea football club manager Eugene Tenenbaum in a bid to freeze up to £10bn of assets linked to the club’s Russian oligarch owner Roman Abramovich. The UK said it was extending sanctions on Tenenbaum and David Davidovich, another close Abramovich associate, because the oligarch had transferred billions of pounds of assets to the couple when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Zelenskiy has released a video compiled by his government urging European countries to give up Russian oil. which provides “blood” money to Moscow, and calls for more weapons to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion.
A total of 2,557 people were evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on Thursdaysaid Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, with 289 of those from Mariupol. Meanwhile, the head of the UN World Food Program said people were “starving” in the besieged city.
Moody’s Investors Service has said that Russia “may be considered in default” if it fails to pay the US dollar bonds by May 4. Russia paid two ruble bonds this month after sanctions cut off the country from global financial systems and the United States banned Moscow from making debt payments using dollars held in US banks. Ruble payments “represent a change in payment terms” and can be considered a default, according to Moody’s. S&P Global Ratings has also declared Russia in default.
Reference-www.theguardian.com