Ukraine round-up: Russia sends warning to US

For weeks Russian forces have been withdrawing from around the Ukrainian capital to focus on seizing eastern parts of the country. But Friday proved that that Kyiv is still far from safe.

Russia said it hit a plant just outside the city that makes anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, and claimed the attack was in response to a Ukrainian helicopter attack on a Russian village.

Ukraine denies it carried out that attack.

Moscow then warned it will respond to any Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory by striking Kyiv with more missiles.

The discovery of bodies in areas surrounding the Ukrainian capital continues, more than a week after Russian troops left the area.

“Regretfully, I can say that we have found the bodies of 900 deceased civilians and transferred them to forensic experts,” Kyiv Region Police Chief Andriy Nebytov said on Friday.

He added that more than 350 of the bodies were retrieved from Bucha – where evidence of atrocities has led to accusations of war crimes against Russian troops, vehemently denied by Moscow.

Russia has told the United States there will be “unpredictable consequences” if it refuses to stop sending weapons to Ukraine.

A diplomatic note was sent to the Biden administration, the Washington Post first reported.

The US recently announced that more sophisticated offensive weaponry would be sent to Ukraine as part of a $800m (£612m) package.

Much of the focus of the war in Ukraine has so far been about the battle on the ground – but the fight to dominate the skies is just as important.

“Past wars have shown, whoever dominates the air wins the war,” Captain Vasyl Kravchuk said.

Information is still trickling out about a Russian warship that sunk on Thursday – however there are still many unanswered questions and contradictions.

Moscow says the Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, was being towed to port when “stormy seas” caused it to sink. Kyiv says its missiles hit the warship.

The US has now said it also believes the cruiser was hit by two Ukrainian missiles.

Ukraine has said the captain of the warship was killed on board, but this has not been confirmed.

Germans are being urged to turn down their heating by a degree and use the train or bike over Easter to help reduce their dependence on Russian gas and oil.

“It’s easy on the wallet and annoys Putin,” Economics Minister Robert Habeck said.

Germany is under pressure from several other EU countries to agree to a complete ban on Russian energy but it currently relies on Russia for 40% of its gas and a quarter of its oil.

Churches in Ukraine will be closed during the curfew for Orthodox Easter, taking place on Sunday 24 April.

The news has been reported by Ukraine’s police, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

The consecration of Easter baskets will still be held, but it will also respect the curfew.