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10:54
Russia's Lavrov welcomes UN chief to Moscow
Photo: Antonio Guterres and Sergei Lavrov
Copyright: EPA

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has welcomed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to Moscow saying has "expeditiously responded" to Guterres's initiative "to have another contact on a number of issues including definitely the situation around Ukraine which has become a catalyst for a number of problems".

Lavrov says "we appreciate your desire to have another round of talks at this hard time" saying that the "multilateral principles" of the UN "have been flaunted by the West".

Lavrov adds that there's no doubt they'll talk about "any issue" Guterres deems important.

10:59
We must end the war - UN secretary general tells Lavrov
Speaking at the start of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stresses the need to do everything possible to end the war in Ukraine.

Guterres - who will also meet with President Vladimir Putin today - says he wants to help create the conditions for dialogue, a ceasefire and ultimately, peace.

We need a ceasefire "as soon as possible", he says.

He also says the priority must be to minimise human suffering in the country.

The talks are now going on behind closed doors, but we'll return with updates when Lavrov and Guterres hold a press conference later.


Analysis
Posted at 11:21
UK minister's remarks reflect Nato's deepening involvement in war
James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent

Ukraine is fighting an existential war with Russia, so it is unsurprising Ukrainian forces should target supply lines over the Russian border.

It is equally unsurprising Western powers are relaxed that some of their weaponry are used such strikes.

What is interesting about James Heappey’s remarks is their frankness. In other conflicts, such as in Yemen, British ministers tend to be coy about the use of British weapons.

On one level, the defence minister is just revealing his usual candour. He often speaks more as a former soldier than a politician. But on another level, his remarks reflect Nato’s deepening involvement in this conflict.

The weapons provided by western powers are getting bigger and more powerful. It is one thing to give Ukraine short-range anti-tank bazookas. It is another to provide them with drones and artillery that can cross borders.

The line between defending Ukraine and attacking Russia is increasingly blurred.


11:44
What is Nato and how is it involved in the war?

We have been reporting that there will be a meeting between defence ministers of Nato and European Union countries today to discuss further military assistance for Ukraine - but what is Nato?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance formed in the aftermath of World War Two in 1949 by 12 countries including the UK and US.

Its 30 current members agree to come to one another's aid in the event of an armed attack against any individual member state.

Ukraine is not a Nato member - so the alliance isn't obliged to come to the country's defence.

But Nato countries have nevertheless been supporting Ukraine - which borders several members, including Poland and Romania - with financial military aid and equipment.

Nato has rejected calls from Ukraine to impose a no-fly zone over the country and send troops there, saying it doesn't want the war to escalate into a wider conflict that goes beyond Ukraine's borders.

Russia has repeatedly said Ukraine should never be allowed to join Nato, as this would bring the alliance into its backyard.


11:56
One dead after missiles hit Zaporizhzhia factory - Ukrainian officials
One person has died after two Russian missiles hit a factory in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia, the local authorities have said.

Another person was injured in the incident, the first such attack on the city.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify this report.

According to the local regional administration, a third Russian missile "exploded in the air".

The city, which is a major industrial centre, has been the first stopping off point for many civilians fleeing fighting in the southern port city of Mariupol.

Earlier, Ukraine's state nuclear company, Energoatom, reported seeing two cruise missiles flying at low altitude over its Zaporizhzhia plant.

It is not known whether the same missiles were responsible for the strikes in the city.

The plant - the largest nuclear site in Europe - was captured by the Russian military in early March.

Energoatom said in a statement: "In the 36 years since the Chernobyl tragedy, Russia has exposed the whole world to the danger of a repeat of the nuclear catastrophe."


12:14
More than eight million people expected to flee Ukraine - UN
Photo: People fleeing from Ukraine amid Russia"s invasion arrive in Medyka
Copyright: Reuters
Image caption: Almost three million people have crossed the border into Poland

The UN refugee agency has increased its estimate of the number of people it expects to leave Ukraine this year due to the war, to 8.3 million.

A previous projection at the beginning of March suggested four million refugees would leave, but that estimate has already been surpassed.

Since Russia invaded two months ago, more than five million people have fled according to the UN, with an additional 7.7 million people displaced within the country.

A map of where people fleeing Ukraine are going
More than 5.2m people have fled Ukraine

12:42
UN's Guterres and Russia's Lavrov hold news conference
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has been meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, where he's been pushing for a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine.
The talks were also expected to focus on humanitarian corridors for the shattered port city of Mariupol.

The two men are holding a news conference - we'll bring you the latest here.

12:52
We are interested in working with UN and Red Cross - Russia's Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov tells the news conference he looks forward to working together with the UN and Red Cross to facilitate a humanitarian response in Ukraine.

He says during their talks he and Guterres talked about the future of the UN in general and potential partnerships.

Photo: Sergei Lavrov

12:52

Lavrov says the UN was created to ensure the sovereignty of member states and he welcomes the secretary general's visit to Moscow.

12:53
Frank discussions with Russia, says UN chief Guterres
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is now giving a statement to the media in Moscow, following his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

He says he came to Moscow as a "messenger of peace" to "save lives and reduce suffering".

Guterres adds frank discussions took place and it is clear there are two different positions of what is happening in Ukraine.

Photo: Antonio Guterres


12:58

Guterres now turns to the potential establishment of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine to allow civilians to escape.

He says he has proposed the establishment of a contact group with officials from the UN, Russia and Ukraine to look at the opportunities for creating safe corridors.

This would involve the cessation of hostilities and guarantee that the escape routes are effective.

13:00
Photo: Antonio Guterres

Antonio Guterres acknowledges there is a "crisis" in Mariupol, adding the UN is "ready to mobilise" its logistical resources in the city.

He says this would enable the safe evacuation of civilians who want to leave the city "in any direction they chose" and the delivery of the humanitarian aid required.

"It is my deep conviction that the sooner we end this war the better for the people of Ukraine, for the people of the Russian Federation and those far beyond," the UN chief says.

13:06
Russia has to remind people of 'equal sovereignty' of UN member states
The two men are now taking questions at the news conference in Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov - seemingly with today's meeting of EU and Nato countries in Germany in mind - says talks being hosted by Western states, which exclude Russia, are alarming.

He says it's "an alarm bell for the UN".

Lavrov emphasises a need for multilateralism and says Russia has to remind the world of the equal sovereignty of different member states.

13:11
War crime claims require investigation - UN chief
Asked about reports of alleged war crimes by Moscow, Antonio Guterres says he is concerned.

The UN chief says they require "independent investigation".

He goes on to say he accepts Russia has "grievances" but adds the UN is there to help address such issues.

13:13
Too early to talk about mediation in Ukraine talks - Lavrov
Sergei Lavrov says it is too early to talk about mediation in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

But he says that Moscow is committed to a diplomatic solution through talks with the government in Kyiv.

13:18
Lavrov agrees there are no Ukrainian troops in Russia
A moment of plain speaking from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, when he tells reporters: "There is one thing that is true and obvious and that no arguments can change: We have no Ukrainian troops in the territory of the Russian Federation, but we have Russian troops in the territory of Ukraine."

Russian Foreign Minister Segei Lavrov agrees.
"That is true, I confirm that," he says.

13:22
Russian occupation of Chernobyl was very dangerous - UN atomic power chief
The head of the UN's atomic agency has told reporters Russia's weeks-long occupation of the the former Chernobyl nuclear power station was "very, very dangerous".

But as an International Atomic Energy Agency mission arrived at the site, director general Rafael Grossi says radiation levels are "at normal".
The disused power station was the site of history's worst nuclear disaster in 1986 and is still used to contain nuclear waste,

This post has been corrected, as the original AFP news agency report had quoted Grossi as saying radiation levels were "abnormal". AFP later corrected the quote to clarify he actually said "at normal".

13:24
Russia dismisses talks in Mariupol, Lavrov says
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia has dismissed Ukraine's proposal to stage talks in Mariupol.

The besieged Ukrainian port city has been shelled heavily throughout the war in Ukraine.

As we've been reporting, Russia has claimed control of the city but Ukrainian troops and civilians are still sheltering at the Azovstal steel plant - the last Ukrainian stronghold in the city.

13:35
What did we learn from Lavrov and Guterres statements?
Photo: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Russian Foreign Minister Segei Lavrov
Copyright: Reuters

United Nations' Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have now finished their press conference following their meeting in Moscow today. But what did we learn from their statements?

Lavrov complained that Western involvement in Ukraine had been used as a foothold to limit, control and aggravate Russia.

He also blamed the current conflict on the "infringement" of the West into Russia's "geopolitical space", side-lining Russian influence in Ukraine.

Lavrov repeated the Kremlin's baseless claim that the residents of the eastern Ukraine region of Donbas needed liberating from "Nazis".

But he also said Russia would work with the UN to protect civilians.

Guterres said he had held "frank discussions" with Lavrov and repeated the UN's view that the war was a violation of the integrity of Ukraine's territory and against the UN charter.

He said that despite the difference in position about the cause of the war, it was in everyone's interests for an end to hostilities and called for safe corridors for civilian evacuations.

Guterres finished his statement by calling for international laws to be respected and a return to co-operation in order to overcome the challenges of climate change and epidemics.

13:46
Atomic experts say they are monitoring Chernobyl day by day

We've got a bit more from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which sent a mission to Chernobyl to check on the site of the former nuclear power station after Russian forces occupied it for weeks.

Describing radiation levels as "normal", the agency's director general Rafael Grossi said: "There have been some moments when the levels have gone up because of the movement of the heavy equipment that Russian forces were bringing here and when they left. We are following that day by day."

But he said of the occupation by Russian forces: "The situation was absolutely abnormal and very, very dangerous,"

AFP reported he was speaking just as he arrived at the "sarcophagus" that was intended to limit radiactive contamination from reactor number four of the former nuclear power plant after the 1986 disaster.

The IAEA said its mission to Chernobyl was intended to deliver equipment, check radiation levels and restore safeguards and monitoring systems at the site.

Russian troops took over the former power plant on 24 February, the first day of the invasion of Ukraine, and stayed there for several weeks.

Workers told the BBC they were forced to steal fuel to keep generators working and prevent a dangerous leak of radioactive material.

This post has been corrected, as the original AFP report said Grossi had described radiation levels as "abnormal". AFP later corrected the quote to say "at normal".

14:01
UN ready to evacuate those trapped in Mariupol - Guterres
Back now to Moscow and the talks between Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Speaking about the UN's proposals for the besieged city of Mariupol, Guterres said the organisation was "ready to fully mobilise its human and logistical resources" to help save lives and evacuate people.

Guterres said "thousands of civilians are in dire need of lifesaving humanitarian assistance" in the city.

He also proposed work with the Red Cross to enable people holed up inside the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol to leave.

14:20
Guterres must help save Azovstal defenders - Ukraine’s deputy PM
Toby Luckhurst and Olga Pona
Reporting from Lviv

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister has called on the UN secretary general to help those in Mariupol.

The Ukrainian defenders now control just one part of the city – the Azovstal steel works, a huge complex in the south-east of Mariupol.

The fighters have frustrated Russian attempts to seize the site, leading Vladimir Putin to publicly order his troops last week to abandon their assault and instead seal in the defenders to starve them out.

But Ukrainian officials say the Russian attacks continue.

“No one is allowed to leave Azovstal. It is a lie that the attack has stopped,” deputy mayor of Mariupol Serhiy Orlov tells us.

“There are still people there, civilians, military, families. The plant is constantly being bombarded.”

He adds that they have tried repeatedly to organise humanitarian corridors, but accuses the invaders of deporting people to their own country.

“We think that Russia has deported 40,000 people from Mariupol to their country,” he alleges – a claim the BBC cannot independently confirm.

Iryna Vereschuk, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, tells us there are about 1,000 civilians sheltering in the Azovstal works, and they are in desperate need of aid.

“They need immediate medical assistance,” she says. “Some of them have had amputations. It's not only about armed forces, it's about civilians as well.”

She also accuses the Russians of bad faith in negotiations over humanitarian corridors.

The Russians say they will protect the corridors but then insist anyone who uses them must walk out with their hands up, she says.

The deputy prime minister also accuses Russians of deporting people to their own country, “cynically” using planned humanitarian corridors to get people onto buses that then take them abroad.

Vereschuk says UN Secretary-General António Guterres should use his time in Moscow today to save the people of Mariupol and guarantee true humanitarian corridors. Ukrainian authorities are ready to go if this is confirmed, she adds.

“If this doesn’t happen, then there's no point to the UN,” she says.

Analysis
Posted at 14:26
UN needs to show it can help

Imogen Foulkes
Reporting from Geneva

When Russia invaded Ukraine, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres immediately told Moscow it had violated the UN Charter, and demanded that President Vladimir Putin withdraw his troops.

Since then, we haven’t heard much from the world’s top diplomat.

The UN is supposed to be able to resolve conflicts and punish aggressors. Other invasions, such as Iraq’s of Kuwait, have led to UN sanctions. Not this time.

Russia is a permanent, veto-holding member of the UN Security Council – which means no big decisions can be taken without its agreement.

So what can the UN's chief achieve in Moscow? Realistically, as he says himself, it’s about saving lives.

UN diplomacy may not be working, but the UN’s humanitarian side is.

Access for aid agencies to cities like Mariupol would be a meaningful success for the UN – and a huge relief to people living in cellars with little food or medical help.

A UN-negotiated ceasefire appears unlikely – neither side seems ready for that.

But if the UN’s humanitarian workers could do their job, it would change conditions on the ground for civilians and be an important signal that the UN still exists and can still be useful.

14:37
WATCH: My agenda is to save lives - UN chief
Here's a clip from that joint news conference we've been reporting on between UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Guterres said Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a violation of the United Nations charter, and he said he was concerned about reports of war crimes.
But he stressed that his own "objective and my agenda is strictly linked to save lives and to reduce suffering" in Ukraine.
Here's how Guterres explained the UN's stance:

Video content
Video caption: Russia sees Ukraine situation differently to us - UN chiefRussia sees Ukraine situation differently to us - UN chief

"As secretary general of the United Nations, I came to Moscow as a messenger of peace. My objective and my agenda is strictly linked to save lives and reduce suffering.

I had a very frank discussion with the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and it is clear that there are two different positions on what is happening in Ukraine.

According to the Russian federation, what is taking place is a special military operation, with the objectives that were announced.
According to the UN, in line with the resolutions passed by the general assembly, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a violation of it's territorial integrity, and it is against the charter of the United Nations.

But it is my deep conviction that the sooner we end this war the better, for the people of Ukraine, for the people of the Russian Federation, and those far beyond."

Guterres is now due to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, for their first face-to-face meeting since the invasion.


14:48
Transnistria official links Ukraine to attack
An official in Transnistria, the pro-Russian breakaway territory in Moldova, has accused three unidentified infiltrators from Ukraine over the grenade attack which damaged a security headquarters in the territory.

The unnamed official, quoted by Russia’s RIA and Interfax news agencies, said they entered from Novovladimirovka, 8km (five miles) north of Tiraspol, fired at the building in Tiraspol, then returned to Ukraine. No casualties were reported.

The official called it a “terrorist act” and accused Ukraine of “provoking a spreading of the conflict to Transnistria’s territory”.

There is no independent evidence to support that claim.

Ukraine was not mentioned in connection with the other two reported attacks in Transnistria – on radio masts and a Russian military unit.


15:04
Germany reverses policy as it sends anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine

As we've been reporting, defence ministers from Nato and European Union countries have been meeting today at the United States' airbase in Ramstein, south-west Germany, to discuss providing more support to Ukraine.

A major policy shift was announced by the German government, which has authorised the supply of about 50 Gepard Flakpanzer anti-aircraft tanks.

Held in storage for the past decade, they will get technical upgrades before being shipped to Ukraine.

Germany has long had a policy of not shipping heavy weaponry to conflict zones, but its government has come under increasing pressure to provide more help to Kyiv.

Making the announcement, the country's defence minister, Christine Lambrecht, said Germany would "look into all possibilities how we can further support Ukraine in its courageous and important fight for freedom and for peace".


15:19
Monument to a friendship that no longer exists
Joe Inwood
Reporting from Kyiv

Photo: Kyiv statues being removed
Copyright: BBC

For 40 years, two figures have stood on a hillside overlooking Kyiv.

Eight metres tall and cast in bronze, they depict two soviet workers - one bare chested, both with impossibly chiselled features, holding aloft a symbol of the USSR.
They were erected here under a titanium “Friendship Arch” to symbolise cooperation and brotherhood between the people of Russia and Ukraine.

Well, after years of fighting and two months of all-out war, that relationship is in tatters.
As a consequence, the city authorities have decided the statues must come down.

Mayor of Kyiv, former heavyweight world champion boxer Vitali Klitschko, told me that it was Russia’s actions that had destroyed the relationship and that this soviet-era monument had no place in the city.

Removing them is no easy task.
Four hours in and the statues still stand. But the people here are determined they will come down, to be replaced with a monument to an independent Ukraine.

15:33
Where is Transnistria and why does it matter?
Laurence Peter
BBC News Europe analyst

Wrecked masts in Grigoriopol, Transnistria, 26 Apr 22
Copyright: Reuters/Transnistria Interior Ministry
Image caption: Radio masts were blown up in Grigoriopol, Transnistria

Mysterious explosions in Transnistria, a breakaway Russian-controlled territory in Moldova, have raised fears that the Ukraine conflict may be spreading.

Russia has about 1,500 troops based in Transnistria, which borders on Ukraine and broke away from Moldova in a brief war in 1992.

If Russia reinforces Transnistria it could enable its forces to move on Odesa - a strategically important port city - from the west. Its push on the city from the east was blocked by Ukrainian troops.

On Friday, a top Russian general, Rustam Minnekayev, said "control over the south of Ukraine is another way out to Transnistria, where there are also cases of oppression of the Russian-speaking population".

President Vladimir Putin has pledged to “protect” ethnic Russians in ex-Soviet republics. That was his argument for invading Ukraine. Moldova was formerly Soviet Moldavia.

Moldova is not in Nato or the EU. It is one of Europe’s poorest countries and home to many ethnic Ukrainians.


15:53
Nations stand united to support Ukraine, says US
As we reported earler, Germany's announcement that it will send anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine is a major shift for a country which had a policy against sending heavy weaponry to conflict zones.

Coming after weeks of pressure on the German government to meet Kyiv's demands, it is the most significant development so far to emerge while a meeting organised by the US between Nato and EU allies takes place.

Ministers from 40 countries are gathering at the US Ramstein air base in south-west Germany to try to speed up shipments to help Ukraine's defend itself against Russia.

It comes despite warnings from Russia that the countries' support for Kyiv could escalate the conflict with "unpredictable consequences".

"Nations from around the world stand united in our resolve to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia's imperial aggression," said US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

"Ukraine clearly believes that it can win, and so does everyone here."


16:09
Moldova steps up security after blasts

Moldova has stepped up security measures after a series of explosions in the breakaway Russia-backed region of Transnistria.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu urged citizens to remain calm after a series of explosions in the area bordering Ukraine raised fears of a spill over from the conflict with Russia.

Speaking after a meeting of Moldova's Supreme Security Council, Sandu attributed the explosions to "internal differences between various groups in Transnistria that have an interest in destabilising the situation".

The council recommended that state agencies step up patrols near the buffer zone with Transnistria, and security checks on critical infrastructure.

16:21
US defence chief Lloyd Austin holds news conference
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is holding a news conference following a meeting of the US and its allies at an airbase in Germany to pledge more weapons for Ukraine.

He says the group will meet once a month to discuss Ukraine's defence needs to battle invading Russian troops.

"Today's gathering will become a monthly Contact Group on Ukraine's self-defence," he said following the first session of a weapons summit.

Stay with us for the latest updates

16:24
US won't engage in nuclear sabre-rattling, says Austin
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is asked about the explosions in Moldova and whether he is concerned that the conflict might spill over beyond Ukraine.

Austin says the US is still examining the cause of the blasts, but said "certainly we don’t want to see any spillover".

He's also asked about whether he is concerned there will be threats from Russia about nuclear weapons as a result of the allies providing heavy weapons to Ukraine.

The defence secretary says that kind of rhetoric is "very dangerous and unhelpful" and "all sides lose" in nuclear war.

"We won't engage in rattling of sabres," he says.

16:29
German tank supply significant, says Austin
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin was asked about the German decision to supply Ukraine with 50 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks - a major policy shift for Berlin.

Austin said it was a "significant move" as "those systems will provide real capability for Ukraine".

He predicted Germany will look for ways to continue to be "relevant" and provide "good capability" to the Ukrainians as they continue to fight Russian forces.

16:32
US doesn't want Russia to be able to bully neighbours
The US defence secretary expanded on comments he made yesterday about wanting to see Russia weakened.

Lloyd Austin told reporters that he wanted Russia to be less able to threaten its neighbours and said they had already suffered significant loses to its land forces and "substantial casualities".

Gen Austin said that sanctions and trade restrictions would make it more difficult for Russian forces to re-equip and return military capability to the point where it could "bully its neighbours".

16:41
Austin criticises 'bluster' over nuclear weapons
Austin is asked again about Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's reported comments yesterday that there was a "serious" and "real" risk of World War Three - although Lavrov also said that we must not "elevate those risks artificially".

Austin says the US and international community "will do everything within our power to make sure it doesn’t spin out of control".

But he repeated that "bluster" about the use of nuclear weapons was "dangerous and unhelpful".

“Nobody wants to see a nuclear war, nobody can win that,” he said.

There was "always a possibility that things can happen", but it was wrong "speculate about the use of nuclear weapons".

17:17
Russia halts gas supplies to Poland, reports say
Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent

As European countries move to limit or ban supplies of Russian natural gas, there are reports from Poland that Moscow has halted deliveries to the country.

The Onet.pl website says the move has been unofficially confirmed by sources in the Polish government and the country’s state gas company PGNiG.

There has been no official confirmation of the news yet.

PGNiG buys about 60% of Poland’s natural gas imports from Gazprom via the Yamal pipeline.

If supplies have indeed been deliberately suspended by Gazprom, it would not be an immediate problem for Poland because underground storage is about 70% full and stocks can be drawn down. Also, natural gas demand is fairly low now because of the upcoming summer season.

Poland plans to stop importing Russian gas by the end of the year when its long-term supply contract with Gazprom expires and a new pipeline delivering gas from Norway comes online.

The Baltic Pipe project has the capacity to replace Russian deliveries via the Yamal pipeline.

17:26
Kremlin accuses UK of 'provoking' Ukraine into attacking Russia
Russia's Defence Ministry has said the UK is "provoking" Ukraine into launching an attack in Russia.

Both Interfax and RIA news agencies have quoted the defence ministry saying that Russia would give "a proportional response if there are such attempts".

It said the Russian army "is ready to deliver retaliatory strikes against decision making centres in Kyiv using high accuracy weaponry".

Earlier on, UK Armed Forces minister James Heappey said it was "entirely legitimate" that Ukrainian forces should target supply lines in Russian territory.

Heappey acknowledged that the weapons provided to Ukraine by the international community had the range to be used in Russia.

17:41
Germany will train Ukrainian soldiers, German ambassador says
More from the meeting that has been taking place at the US air base in Ramstein, Germany, where representatives from more than 40 countries allied with the US have been holding talks.

Germany's ambassador to the US Emily Haber says that in addition to sending anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine, as we've been reporting, Germany will also be training Ukrainian soldiers on German soil.

17:52
Putin speaking after meeting Guterres
Vladimir Putin is speaking in Moscow, where he's been having talks with the visiting UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

We'll bring you more from the two men's meeting as soon as we have it.

18:06
Putin says talks with Ukraine will continue online
Vladimir Putin says that negotiations with Ukraine will continue in an online format and hopes that the talks will yield a positive result.

With reference to the current situation in Mariupol, which he describes as "complicated and tragic," he adds there are no longer Russian military operations taking place in the besieged city.

18:12
Putin: We still expect a diplomatic solution
Putin restated at length his justification for invading Ukraine.

But he told Antonio Guterres: "We still expect and hope we will be able to achieve agreements through a diplomatic channel."

Putin said recent talks in Istanbul had reached a "breakthrough" but he suggested they had been derailed after the reports of atrocities against civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.

He claimed these were a "provocation" and added "the Russian army had nothing to do with it".

But he said talks continue and he hopes they reach a positive result.

18:19
Ukrainian troops using Mariupol civilians as human shields - Putin
Regarding the besieged port city of Mariupol, the Russian president claims Ukrainian soldiers are holding civilians as human shields at the Azovstal steel plant and Russian forces were not stopping them leaving.

Russia has made this allegation about human shields before. The BBC has not seen evidence to support the claim.

18:51
Deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation - Guterres
More now from the UN secretary general's visit to Moscow and his news conference with Vladimir Putin in the past hour.

Antonio Guterres told the Russian president that the invasion of Ukraine fully contradicted the constitution of the UN charter.

Guterres said he was deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation.

He said that he wanted to establish a new group comprising Ukraine, Russia and the UN to co-ordinate the setting up of humanitarian corridors.

19:01
The foreign volunteer fighters recovering in Ukrainian hospitals

Andrew Harding
Reporting from Donbas

Two men sitting outside a hospital in Ukraine
Copyright: BBC
Image caption: The men sat outside the hospital where they are recovering from shrapnel wounds

We visited two volunteer fighters at a hospital in eastern Ukraine.
The men - one British, one American - were injured during a Russian missile attack.

“I’m going to keep fighting when this has healed,” said the 27-year-old Yorkshireman, gesturing with his broken fist.
“Yeah. There’s no going back (home),” agreed the 28-year-old American.

The BBC has confirmed that the men - neither currently serving with UK or US military - have been absorbed into a Ukrainian special forces unit involved in ambushing Russian troops. They asked not to be identified.

They described Russian troops as “unprofessional” and “inaccurate”, and said Ukrainian forces had become far more determined since news of Russian atrocities in places like Bucha had emerged.

19:15
Russian defence official predicts break-up of Ukraine

Ukraine could be broken up into several smaller countries as a result of the war, one of Russia's top defence officials has said.

Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's Security Council, accused the US and other Western nations of trying to instil hatred towards Russia in Ukraine - and said that "history teaches that hatred can never become a reliable factor in national unity", Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported.

As a result, "the policy of the West and the Kyiv regime under its control can only be the disintegration of Ukraine into several states," he told the paper.

Russia has already said it recognises the independence of two pro-Russia breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine, initially styling its invasion as a peacekeeping operation in defence of them. In recent weeks, Russia has redeployed its forces to focus on those areas.
Russia also previously annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

19:33
Putin agrees 'in principle' to Red Cross help in Mariupol
More now on Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Putin has agreed "in principle" to UN and International Committee for the Red Cross involvement in the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol, the United Nations says.

"Follow-on discussions will be had with the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Russian Defence Ministry," UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric adds.

19:43
We are holding the line - Luhansk governor
There has been heavy fighting in the eastern region of Ukraine - known as the Donbas - which borders Russia.

Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the Luhansk region, told the BBC that although the situation in the region is difficult, the Ukrainian military is "holding the line" against Russian forces.

He said Ukraine has repelled six Russian attacks in the region in the past 24 hours. He said constant shelling had caused many casualties.

The town of Kreminna has fallen to the Russians, Haidai confirmed.

Haidai said the situation for people across Luhansk is "critical", with many cities remaining cut off from electricity, water and food supplies as key infrastructures have been "destroyed completely".

He also said all residents have been advised to evacuate to safer regions and that evacuations are being carried out every day while it's safe for people to leave.

19:55
Russia to stop supplying gas to Poland
Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent

The Gazpro logo seen in St Petersburg, Russia
Copyright: Reuters

Russia will stop sending gas to Poland from tomorrow morning, the Polish state natural gas company PGNiG has said.

Gazprom justified the suspension under new payment rules announced on 31 March, under which “unfriendly countries” must pay for Russian gas in roubles. PGNiG has refused to pay in the Russian currency.

PGNiG relies on Gazprom for the majority of its gas imports.

However, the supply suspension will not create an immediate threat to supplies in Poland. PGNiG said its underground gas storage is almost 80% full and the summer is coming, so demand is lower.

Also, Poland does have alternative supply sources. It has a liquefied natural gas (PNG) terminal in Swinoujscie on the Baltic coast and pipeline connections to Germany and the Czech Republic.

Gas supplies to the EU

However, if Russian gas supplies remain suspended for several weeks, the country will probably have to start restricting supply to the country’s largest consumers, such as chemical manufacturers.

In the longer term, Poland would be able to cope better, and indeed is planning to stop importing Russian gas by the end of the year.

A new pipeline delivering gas from Norway, called the "Baltic Pipe", comes online in October and should reach full capacity by the end of this year.

Construction of the Baltic Pipe in Denmark
Copyright: Getty Images
Construction of the "Baltic Pipe" is under way

20:09
UK defence sources clarify remarks by minister
James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent

UK defence sources have sought to clarify remarks by Defence Minister James Heappey who said earlier it was “not necessarily a problem” for UK-supplied arms to be used by Ukrainian forces against military targets in Russia.

They said the UK was not involved in Ukrainian targeting and said the phrase “deep strike precision targeting” referred to stopping the relentless bombardment of Russian artillery, not striking targets in Russia.

“The UK and many other Western allies are now providing longer-range weapon systems to help counter the indiscriminate artillery fire that the Russian armed forces have been raining down on besieged Ukrainian cities,” the source said.

“Targeting is a matter for Ukraine, but the UK expects all parties in this conflict to decide on their military targets in full compliance with the laws of armed conflict.”

Analysis
Posted at 20:21
Atomic energy experts say no new problems at Chernobyl

Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent

Reports of comments from the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, as he arrived at Chernobyl raised new concerns about the former power plant.

But the IAEA has told BBC News that Grossi was not referring to any new problems at Chernobyl.

He was talking about a situation that was potentially dangerous when Russian forces occupied the site (they have since left).

Mr Grossi was asked by a reporter: “Just how close did we come to disaster during the invasion?”

He replied: “I don’t know if we were very close to disaster, but the situation was absolutely abnormal and very, very dangerous.”

Radiation levels were raised by the movement of soil caused by heavy machinery and the digging of trenches, and they remain higher than normal. But it is thought that they are not dangerously high.

Experts believe that other than slightly elevated levels of background radiation, the inherent safety of the site has not been affected by the invasion.

The IAEA mission is there to find out whether that is the case and to check that no nuclear material has left the site to be used for military purposes. Independent, expert verification of those facts by the nuclear watchdog will be a huge relief to the international community.


20:38
Ukraine pledges support to Moldova
As we've been reporting, there have been a series of explosions over the last couple of days in Transnistria, the Russian-controlled slice of territory in Moldova bordering Ukraine.

Ukraine's foreign ministry has pledged its support for Moldova's territorial integrity and accused Russia of trying to create unrest and destabilise the area.

It suggested Russia was attempting to drag the area into its war against Ukraine.

Writing on Twitter, Mykhaylo Podolyak, a Ukraine presidential aide, said "Ukraine will definitely ensure strategic security of the region. But we need to work as a team".

The Russian army has been fighting alongside separatists in Transnistria since the early 1990s.

20:57
Russia to suspend gas deliveries to Bulgaria
The Bulgarian government has said Russia's state gas company Gazprom is halting deliveries to the country from tomorrow.

It comes just hours after Poland said its gas supply from Russia was being suspended.

Reuters quoted the Bulgarian energy ministry as saying Bulgaria has taken steps to secure alternative gas supplies and that it has told residents there is no need to restrict gas consumption at the moment.

It said Gazprom has proposed a new payment scheme which breaches its current contract with Bulgaria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree earlier this month requiring gas buyers to pay in roubles through Russian bank accounts, to support its currency as Western sanctions bite.

21:19
Ramstein gathering a display of international solidarity

Paul Adams
BBC Diplomatic correspondent

Participants meet at the US airbase in Ramstein, Germany
Copyright: EPA
Image caption: More than 40 nations gathered for the talks on Ukraine in Germany

Today’s large gathering at Ramstein was designed to chart the way forward, but also to make a point.

Most participants were from Nato, but others came from Africa, the Middle East and Asia. This was a calculated display of international solidarity, at a time when some of Ukraine’s backers are moving towards sending heavier, more sophisticated weapons.

Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has accused the West of fighting a proxy war in Ukraine. It’s hardly that – Ukraine is fighting for itself, not someone else. But the West is getting more and more involved, upping the military assistance and the rhetoric.

It's a calculated gamble. The Kremlin has rattled its nuclear sabre more than once during this crisis, and may well do again.

But Washington has clearly decided to send a message: Ukraine can win and the West is determined, in the words of Lloyd Austin, to “move heaven and Earth” to make that happen.

21:43
Russia says it has taken control of Kherson region
Russia's defence ministry said its forces have "liberated" the entire region of Kherson in southern Ukraine, according to the Interfax news agency.

The BBC has not been able to confirm this independently, but earlier today, a Ukrainian regional military official said the Russian army had appointed new heads of the regional administration and the city council.

In a Telegram post, Hennadiy Lahuta said: "Yesterday, the occupiers seized the premises of the Kherson city council, removed all Ukrainian symbols and replaced their guards."

The mayor of the city of Kherson, Ihol Kolykayev, said he refused to co-operate with the administration appointed by Russian troops.

"I remain in Kherson and I am with Kherson residents, who over 18 months ago entrusted me with managing our city," he said on Facebook.

21:58
UK to send Brimstone missiles to Ukraine within weeks - minister

Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK was looking at ways to supply anti-ship missiles to Ukraine, including mounting its Brimstone missiles to vehicles.

Now, defence minister James Heappey has told MPs that the work to adapt the missiles has progressed quickly enough that it can provide them "in the next few weeks".

This latest planned delivery is in response to requests from Kyiv for longer-range ground attack missiles, he said.

Brimstone missiles are designed for use against fast-moving land and sea targets and are typically fired from aircraft.

22:20
Watch: Putin tells UN chief he hopes for positive result in Ukraine talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin met the UN Secretary General across his famous long white table earlier today, telling Antonio Guterrez that negotations with Ukraine continue online.

He said he hopes for a "positive result" from the talks.

But Putin said he cannot sign security guarantees for Ukraine without deciding on territorial issues over Crimea and Sevastopol, annexed by Russia in 2014, and the Donbas - where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukraine for eight years.

22:39
Wall of Flowers memorial builds in Lviv
The wall of flowers memorial in Lviv
Copyright: Reuters

A floral tribute to the Ukrainians who have died in the Russian invasion has gone up in the western city of Lviv.

The creator of the installation, Leo Soto, travelled from the US state of Florida to erect the memorial over the weekend.

"It's a wall of hope," the 27-year-old hospitality school student told France24.

The wall of flowers memorial in Lviv
Copyright: Reuters

Using artificial flowers that were donated from Poland, the memorial includes images of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who have died since the war began three months ago.

The wall includes a photo of 11-year-old gymnast Kateryna Diachenko, who was killed after her home in Mariupol was struck by a Russian missile.

The wall of flowers memorial in Lviv
Copyright: Getty Images

5:42
The latest updates from Ukraine

Welcome to our live coverage for Thursday - and good morning if you're in the UK. If you're just joining our live coverage, here’s a quick catch up of yesterday’s stories, and what to look out for today:

• In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was using gas and trade as weapons against Europe.

• This comes after Russia's state-owned energy company Gazprom cut off supplies to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday. Moscow said it took the decision because the two countries refused to pay in roubles.

• Russia's move has been widely condemned: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it showed Russia was "unreliable" as an energy partner. The White House said Russia was almost weaponising energy supplies. Read more: Can Europe wean itself off Russian oil and gas?

• President Zelensky also claimed Russian special services were behind a series of explosions in Transnistria - which is a breakaway territory in Moldova which borders Ukraine and is controlled by Russia. The region has seen a number of apparent attacks in the last few days. Russia says it was concerned and was watching developments closely. For more on the situation there, and what it might mean, read our piece -Transnistria and Ukraine conflict: Is war spreading?

• In his nightly address, Zelensky also said the European Commission has agreed to remove all duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports for a year.
  He accused Russia of trying to provoke a global price crisis, "to start chaos in all basic markets and especially in the food market".
  He said that the fighting remains focused to eastern Ukraine in the besieged port city of Mariupol, and Marinka, Popasna, Severodonetsk, Izyum, Rubizhne, Dniprorudne and Melitopol regions.

• Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin issued a new threat to the West, saying any country that sets out to intervene in Ukraine will face a "lightning-fast" military response.

• Also in the news, Trevor Reed, a US citizen and former marine, who has been in a Russian jail since 2019, has been freed in a prisoner swap with Russia. He was traded for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian jailed on drug-smuggling charges.

• In the clearest indication yet of the UK's policy on the conflict, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Russian forces must be pushed out of the whole of Ukraine. Speaking in London, she said a victory for Ukraine would be a strategic imperative for the West

• And finally, the UN Secretary General António Guterres is in Kyiv today to meet Zelensky for talks. He's been in Moscow already this week for a meeting with Putin.

5:47
UN chief in Ukraine to meet Zelensky
A handout photo released by the Russian Presidential Press and Information Office on the official website of the Russian President shows Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attending a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (not pictured) in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 26 April 2022.
Copyright: EPA
Guterres sat across from Putin at far ends of a long table when they met on TuesdayImage caption: Guterres sat across from Putin at far ends of a long table when they met on Tuesday

There's a day of diplomacy ahead as António Guterres, the UN secretary general, is meeting Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv later for talks.

Guterres has already travelled to Moscow earlier this week to make an appeal to Vladimir Putin about the war. At the Moscow talks, Guterres made clear the UN considered Russia's actions an invasion - and repeated calls for Russia and Ukraine to work together to set up safe humanitarian corridors.

In a tweet yesterday after he landed in Ukraine, Guterres promised to "continue our work to expand humanitarian support and secure the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones".

And he told Portuguese media that Putin had agreed in principle to help evacuate the hundreds of civilians trapped in a steelworks in Mariupol. But he said the operation was complicated and "particularly delicate".


6:00
Kherson to use rouble from 1 May - Russian officials
Kherson city in southern Ukraine, which Russia claims to have captured, will transition to using the rouble from 1 May, Russian state-run media Ria Novosti reported.

Kirill Stremousov, the deputy chairman of the military-civilian administration of the region, told Ria Novosti that the transition would take place over a period of four months, during which the Russian rouble and the Ukrainian hryvnia will be in circulation.

After this period, the region will fully transition to using Russian currency, he added.

6:30
Russia's navy still posing Black Sea threat, says UK
An update just now from the UK's Ministry of Defence says that Russia's Black Sea fleet still has the capacity to strike Ukrainian targets.

According to British intelligence, Russia's naval strength in the Black Sea includes around 20 vessels, with submarines also as part of the fleet.

However, the closing of the Bosphorus Strait to non-Turkish warships has meant the Russian navy has been unable to replace its downed flagship cruiser, the Moskva, the update adds.

6:48
Could UN chief's visit end Mariupol deadlock?
Joe Inwood
Reporting from Kyiv

No one is seriously expecting this visit to bring peace to Ukraine. But, it’s hoped Antonio Guterres might find a solution to one of its most difficult problems.

There are hundreds of civilians and Ukrainian fighters still trapped in the giant Azovstal Steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol.

Repeated efforts to create a humanitarian corridor have failed. The United Nations secretary general says he will try to change that.

He told journalists that finding a solution was particularly difficult as “we are not dealing with people who are in their homes, or in public places… but inside a bunker in truly dramatic conditions".

He also said President Putin had agreed to the evacuation of civilians “in principle”.

What isn’t clear is whether any deal would include the Ukrainian fighters who are there with them.

President Zelensky has previously said that if Mariupol’s defenders are killed, all negotiations will be called off.

7:43
West must gear up for war - former Nato commander
Some more reaction this morning to comments last night by the UK's Foreign Secretary that Russia should be pushed out of the whole of Ukraine.

The apparent escalation in military goals has been welcomed as "absolutely the right approach" by former Nato deputy Supreme Commander Europe General Sir Richard Shirreff.

"It's got to be followed through with significant resources, and it's got to be done right across the alliance, as a whole," Sir Shirreff tells BBC Radio 4's Today.

The former military commander cautioned that Putin may respond aggressively, but argued that this escalation was necessary to show that the West was serious.

"The worst case is war with Russia. By gearing itself up for the worst case it is most likely to deter Putin, because ultimately Putin respects strength."


8:12
No shift in UK strategy - defence secretary

The UK Foreign Secretary's comments last night that Russia should be pushed out of "all" of Ukraine are consistent with the UK's longstanding strategy in the region, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says.

There was speculation after the comments that the UK would now be supporting offensive operations by Ukrainian forces to retake Crimea, which has been under Russian control for eight years.

The international community has "always refused to recognise Russia's invasion in 2014 of Crimea", Mr Wallace tells BBC Breakfast, "so I think this is consistent".

He also defended the UK's decision to become increasingly involved in the conflict by sending military aid to Ukraine.

"It's really important to send a message to Putin that he will always get an escalation of certain behaviours when he behaves like he does. It's always calibrated to make sure that it doesn't broaden the conflict and to make sure that we are viewed as being defenders".


8:30
Russian targets fair game for Ukraine army, UK says
Some more now from BBC Breakfast's interview with the UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, where he's been defending Ukraine's right to use its weapons however it wishes within the laws of war.

"If Ukraine did choose to target the logistics structure of the Russian army, that would be legitimate under international law," he says.

But Mr Wallace adds that any strikes on Russian infrastructure are unlikely to have been targeted with UK-supplied weapons.

"They currently don't have British weapons that could do that, so it is unlikely that it is our weapons. We don't really have many long range weapons that are delivered in the way their army does."

The comments come after a different UK minister earlier this week said it would be legitimate for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons on Russian soil.

8:45
UN chief in Borodyanka: 'The war is evil'
Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Borodyanka, Ukraine

Image shows Guterres in Borodyanka
Copyright: BBC
Image caption: Antonio Guterres visits Borodyanka ahead of a meeting with Ukraine's President Zelensky

Antonio Guterres, the UN chief, is visiting sites around Ukraine’s capital that were occupied by Russian troops for several weeks in March.

The first stop was Borodyanka, to the north west of Kyiv, where the damage from air strikes and shelling is breathtaking.

Standing beside the wreckage of residential apartment blocks on Central Street, Mr Guterres was clearly moved by the sight.

“When I see those destroyed buildings, I imagine my family in one of those houses now destroyed and black. I see my granddaughters running in panic," he said.

"The war is an absurdity in the 21st century – the war is evil and when you see these situations our heart of course stays with the victims, our condolences to their families. But our emotions - there is no way a war can be acceptable in the 21st century. Look at that”

Image shows Guterres in Borodyanka


Analysis
Posted at 9:07
Should we be worried about a gas supply crisis?

How worried should we be about Gazprom's decision to halt gas exports to Poland and Bulgaria over the countries' refusal to pay for supplies in roubles?

Both Poland and Bulgaria were already planning not to renew their contracts with the Russian energy giant, which expire at the end of the year.

In Poland's case, it had been filling its stores of gas ahead of time, which provides some cushion, especially as we approach the summer lull in use of gas.

This escalation is real, and justified by the Kremlin on the basis of a refusal to pay for gas by changing money into roubles in Russian bank accounts.

But the additional impact of Wednesday's news should be containable and the actions of the Kremlin through Gazprom need to be put in perspective.

9:30
UN chief in Bucha: 'Thorough investigation needed'
Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Bucha

Antonio Guterres in Bucha on 28 April 2022
Copyright: BBC

In Bucha at the site of the mass grave behind a church, Antonio Guterres was told about the killing of civilians.

The UN secretary-general said: “Here, you feel how important it is for a thorough investigation and accountability.

"I fully support the international criminal court and appeal to the Russian federation to accept to cooperate with the ICC (the International Criminal Court). But when we talk of war crimes we cannot forget that the worst of crimes is war itself."

Antonio Guterres in Bucha on 28 April 2022
Copyright: BBC
Guterres visits Bucha ahead of a meeting with President Zelensky


9:59
Russian hackers and military worked in tandem, Microsoft says
Kyiv's TV tower targeted by a missile
Copyright: Reuters
Image caption: In early March Kyiv's TV tower was targeted by a missile just as media companies were struck by hackers, Microsoft found

Russian government hackers have carried out at least 37 cyber-attacks against Ukraine since the invasion began, Microsoft has said in a report.

The tech giant's researchers said digital attacks on Ukraine began a year in advance of the invasion and may have laid the groundwork for military missions.
It also found that hacking and military operations worked in tandem, focusing on the same targets, but Microsoft said it wasn't clear whether there was a co-ordinated plan or they were just driven by shared goals.

On 1 March, the day a missile was fired at Kyiv's TV tower, media companies were hit by destructive hacks and cyber-espionage, the report found.

While Russian forces laid siege to the city of Mariupol, Microsoft said Ukrainians began receiving emails from a Russian organisation pretending to be a Ukrainian resident, falsely accusing the government of "abandoning" its citizens.

Victor Zhora, a Ukrainian cyber-security official, said he continues to see Russian hackers target telecoms companies and energy grid operators on a daily basis, Reuters reported.

"I believe that they can organise more attacks on these sectors. We shouldn't underestimate Russian hackers but we probably should not over-estimate their potential," he said.


10:16
Russia claims overnight missile strikes
Russia's Ministry of Defence claims to have carried out four missile strikes on Ukrainian military targets overnight, destroying two missile and ammunition depots near the settlements of Barvinkove and Ivanivka in eastern Ukraine

It says Russian air defence also shot down a Ukrainian Su-24 aircraft near Luhansk, a city in eastern Ukraine, writing on Telegram.

It also claims to have neutralised 67 Ukrainian military facilities overnight and up to 40 armoured and motor vehicles.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify these claims.


10:24
Nato joining process for Finland and Sweden would be quick, alliance chief says
Nato is ready to quickly welcome Finland and Sweden, should they decide to apply for membership, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, the secretary general said it's up to each country to decide whether to apply for membership, but they would be "welcomed with open arms to Nato" if they chose to do so.

Stoltenberg said the formal joining process would "be quick" if Finland and Sweden apply.

He added that the Nato military alliance would also support both countries in the interim period between application and formal ratification.

Russia - which shares a 1,340km (830 miles) border with Finland - has previously said it would have to "rebalance the situation" with its own measures if Finland's Nato bid went ahead.

The Nato chief told reporters that he plans to speak with the Finnish president Sauli Niinisto later in the day.


10:35
Careful words from UN chief
Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Irpin

Antonio Guterres in Irpin on 28 April 2022
Copyright: EPA

After Borodyanka and Bucha, the UN chief's third stop was Irpin.
All along the route he passed scenes of terrible destruction: houses, shops, infrastructure smashed to burned ruins by the bombs and fighting. Russian forces occupied territory here close to Kyiv for most of March.

In the morning sunshine, there were some signs of life returning: small street market with tables of pork meat; on Voksalna street in Bucha what looked like a demining team; elsewhere, men repairing electricity pylons.
But these towns and suburbs have seen immense suffering.

Lt Gen Olexandr Pavlyuk, head of Kyiv region military administration, said it was important for Antonio Guterres to see the damage with his own eyes and hear what happened - and so that Russia could be stopped.

Whilst the troops have been pushed back from the capital, the fighting in eastern Ukraine is now intense and the general said he fears more atrocities are being committed.

Against a backdrop of a housing complex in charred tatters, its inside hanging out, Mr Guterres said he was struck by how innocent civilians "always pay the highest price… wherever there is war".

But as in Bucha and Borodyanka he chose his words carefully, talking about war in general and not blaming or criticising Russia directly.

The UN convoy has now sped off back to Kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky who previously criticised Guterres for visiting Moscow and Vladimir Putin first, before seeing what his troops have done here.


11:21
West openly calling for Ukraine to attack Russia - Kremlin
Western countries are now openly calling for Ukraine to attack Russia, Kremlin Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova says.

Speaking after a top UK minister said Ukrainian strikes on Russian targets were legitimate, she warned that the West should take Moscow's vows to respond to strikes on its territory seriously.

Her comments come after Russia reported multiple blasts and an ammunition depot fire yesterday in the country's south, the latest in a spate of incidents described by a top Ukrainian official as "karma."

As we reported earlier this morning, the UK's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC that it was fair for Ukraine to strike Russian targets in self-defence.
"If Ukraine did choose to target the logistics structure of the Russian army, that would be legitimate under international law," Wallace said.
Earlier this week another UK minister said it would be legitimate for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons on Russian soil.


11:34
WATCH: Ukraine today is a slaughterhouse - Amal Clooney
Video content
Video caption: Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney speaks at UN about UkraineHuman rights lawyer Amal Clooney speaks at UN about Ukraine

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has urged countries to collect and preserve evidence of atrocities in Ukraine.
Speaking at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday, she said: "Ukraine today is a slaughterhouse."

She also said she feared politicians would get distracted by other matters and could become "numb" to the conflict.
Clooney is part of an international legal task force advising Ukraine on securing justice for the victims of war crimes.

12:40 28 Apr
EU companies 'will use loophole to pay for gas in roubles', FT reports
It's being reported that European energy companies could use a loophole in order to satisfy a Russian demand that gas be paid for in roubles – amid fears that the supply might be cut off to more countries.

On Wednesday, the state-owned energy giant Gazprom halted gas exports to Poland and Bulgaria over their refusal to pay in roubles.

Today, the Financial Times is reporting that two of the single largest importers of Russian gas to Europe - Germany's Uniper and Austria's OMV - are preparing to use a new system which allows them to acquiesce to Russia's demand.

In order not to breach EU sanctions, Russia established a mechanism in late March whereby European companies would continue to pay Gazprombank - the Swiss-based financial arm of Gazprom - for their imports in euros.

The Russian bank, which is not under EU sanctions, would then convert euro-denominated deposits into roubles in a second account opened in their name, for onward payment to Russia, the FT reports.

Tiina Tuomela, chief financial officer of Uniper, told the newspaper that the company believes this amended payment process complies with sanctions.


13:52 28 Apr
Will fresh attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol work?
Ukrainian refugees from Mariupol area walk after arriving in a small convoy that crossed through a territory held by Russian forces
Copyright: Reuters

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is to discuss fresh attempts at setting up humanitarian corridors in Mariupol, including for those in the vast Azovstal steel works, during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today.

Repeated efforts to evacuate thousands of trapped civilians in the devastated port city have so far failed. But why has it been so hard to guarantee people a passage to safety?

Humanitarian corridors have been mostly unsuccessful up to now - with Russia breaking its promised temporary ceasefire window to allow civilians out of bombarded cities - by blocking and shelling escape routes.

Many Mariupol residents fled on foot or by car when efforts to organise mass evacuations by bus - including with the help of the Red Cross - collapsed. Ukrainian officials say around 100,000 civilians remain in the city, which has been almost totally levelled by the Russian bombardment.

Moscow has also been accused of forcibly relocating thousands of civilians to Russia or Russian-controlled areas.

Hundreds of civilians are said to be with the Ukrainian fighters, in a network of bunkers and tunnels underneath the Azovstal steel plant.

Elderly people, children and many people with disabilities are among those stuck needing medicine, and about 600 seriously wounded fighters are not getting the care they need, including major surgery such as amputations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in principle to the UN and the Red Cross being involved in civilian evacuations, at a meeting with Guterres in Moscow on Tuesday - but Ukrainian officials remain pessimistic.

And the governor of Donetsk has said Russia is not agreeing to the evacuation of wounded Ukrainian fighters from the Azovstal steel works.


14:09 28 Apr
Mariupol residents at risk of disease and deadly epidemic, says mayor
people get water from a well in downtown of Mariupol, Ukraine
Copyright: EPA
Image caption: Residents retrieve water from a well in downtown Mariupol

More now on Mariupol, which lies in ruins and is largely under Russian control.
There are some 100,000 residents left there – and they are in "mortal danger" due to "unsanitary" and "medieval" conditions, the city council has said.
There's a risk from diseases such cholera and dysentery due to the lack of sanitation, it said.
"Powerful and deadly epidemics" could soon take hold as it gets warmer, the council posted on Telegram.

It added that the decomposition of thousands of corpses under the rubble - and a catastrophic shortage of drinking water and food - could add to the outbreak.

"The occupiers are unable to provide the existing population with food, water and medicine - or just not interested in it," the city's mayor, Vadym Boychenko, said, calling for immediate and complete evacuation of Mariupol.
"They block all evacuation attempts and without that, people will die."

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres is in Kyiv today speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss setting up humanitarian corridors to get people out of Mariupol.


14:25 28 Apr
Opening Gazprombank accounts may be breach of sanctions - EU

As we've been telling you, it's being reported that European companies could use a loophole in order to meet Russian demands that gas be paid for in roubles (see our earlier post).

But a senior EU official has now said that opening a bank account in roubles at Russia's Gazprombank – the reported loophole - may be in breach of EU sanctions.

However, the official said it had no formal indication that EU companies have set up rouble accounts for gas payments.

Poland's climate minister said the EU should penalise countries which use the currency to pay for Russian gas. Anna Moskwa said Poland is "counting on there being consequences for these countries".

This all follows the announcement by the Russia state-owned energy giant Gazprom that it had stopped gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria over their refusal to pay in roubles.


14:39 28 Apr
Civilians killed in attack on Donetsk market, separatists say
Pro-Russian separatists controlling the city of Donetsk say a market has been bombarded, with three civilians killed and several injured.

Unverified video clips show what appear to be bodies lying in a market area and smoke rising over a street.

According to the territorial defence staff of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, the Merkuriy Market in Kirovskyi District was hit by Ukrainian forces. The report could not be independently confirmed.

Donetsk is the main city in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, which is now the focus of the ground war between invading Russian forces and government troops.