Russia invades Ukraine: 'Horrific' rocket attack on Kramatorsk train station kills at least 52

The New Arab's live coverage of the latest from the Russian invasion of Ukraine concludes for today.

Here were the key developments from Saturday:

IMF approves account for Ukraine grants, loans

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved the creation of a special account for donor countries to give Ukraine grants and loans.

Ukraine could receive EU candidate country status in June: minister

Ukraine could receive European Union candidate country status in a matter of weeks, Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine said on Twitter.

Russian forces destroy ammunition depot at Ukrainian air base: Interfax

Russian forces have destroyed an ammunition depot at the Myrhorod Air Base in central-eastern Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, quoting Russia's defence ministry.

EU discusses Ukraine war crime probes with ICC prosecutor

The EU is to discuss its support for war crimes probes in Ukraine in meetings over the next two days with the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, the European Commission said on Saturday.

Evacuations resume from Kramatorsk after deadly rocket attack on train station 

Evacuations resumed on Saturday from Kramatorsk, the town in eastern Ukraine where a missile strike killed 52 people at a railway station as civilians fled a feared Russian offensive.

Global pledging event raises 10.1 bn euros for Ukraine

A global pledging event for Ukrainian refugees called Stand Up for Ukraine has raised 10.1 billion euros ($11 billion), European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in Warsaw on Saturday.

UK PM Boris Johnson makes unannounced visit to Ukraine

British prime minister Boris Johnson paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv Saturday in a "show of solidarity" with Ukraine, a day after a missile strike killed dozens at a railway station in the country's east.

Ukraine committed to 'pressing for peace' 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that he is committed to pressing for peace despite Russian attacks on civilians, and he renewed his plea for countries to send more weapons ahead of an expected surge in fighting in the country’s east.

Russia kills 5 in east Ukrainian cities

Russian shelling killed five civilians and wounded five others in two east Ukrainian cities Saturday amid Moscow's invasion of the country, the local governor said on Telegram.

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Russia kills 5 in east Ukrainian cities

Russian shelling killed five civilians and wounded five others in two east Ukrainian cities Saturday amid Moscow's invasion of the country, the local governor said on Telegram.

"Today, five people were killed after Russian shelling in the region of Donetsk," the Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko posted on Telegram. 

Four of the five died in the city of Vugledar, and one died in the town of Novomikhaylovka, Kyrylenko said.

Ukraine says 4,532 people evacuated from cities on Saturday

4,532 people were evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on Saturday, according to a senior official.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Ukraine's presidential administration, made the announcement in an online post.

Ukraine committed to 'pressing for peace' 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that he is committed to pressing for peace despite Russian attacks on civilians, and he renewed his plea for countries to send more weapons ahead of an expected surge in fighting in the country’s east.

He made the comments in an interview with The Associated Press a day after at least 52 people were killed in a strike on a train station in the eastern city of Kramatorsk.

“No one wants to negotiate with a person or people who tortured this nation. It’s all understandable. And as a man, as a father, I understand this very well,” Zelenskyy said. But “we don’t want to lose opportunities, if we have them, for a diplomatic solution.”

“We have to fight, but fight for life. You can’t fight for dust when there is nothing and no people. That’s why it is important to stop this war,” he said.

Ukraine says third prisoner exchange with Russia underway

Ukraine on Saturday said 12 Ukrainian soldiers and 14 civilians were returning home following a prisoner exchange with Russia.

"On the order of President (Volodymyr) Zelensky, the third prisoner exchange took place today. 12 of our servicemen are returning home, including one female officer," deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram.

Fourteen civilians including nine women were also on their way home, he added.

UK PM says sanctions on Russia will 'ratchet up'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Saturday that countries supporting Ukraine during its invasion by Russia would continue to tighten economic sanctions on Moscow, Reuters reported.

"Together with our partners, we are going to ratchet up the economic pressure and we will continue to intensify, week by week, the sanctions on Russia," Johnson said, standing alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. 

The PM highlighted that the measures would include moving away from the use of Russian hydrocarbons.

UK PM Boris Johnson makes unannounced visit

British prime minister Boris Johnson paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv Saturday in a "show of solidarity" with Ukraine, a day after a missile strike killed dozens at a railway station in the country's east.

Johnson tweeted that Britain was "setting out a new package of financial and military aid which is a testament of our commitment to his country's struggle against Russia's barbaric campaign".

Global pledging event raises 10.1 bn euros for Ukraine

A global pledging event for Ukrainian refugees called Stand Up for Ukraine has raised 10.1 billion euros ($11 billion), European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in Warsaw on Saturday.

"The 'Stand Up For Ukraine' campaign has raised 9.1 billion euros for people fleeing bombs, inside and outside Ukraine, with an additional billion pledged by EBRD (the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development)," von der Leyen said.

The event convened by the EU and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sought to raise money for internally displaced people in Ukraine and refugees from the war-ravaged country, organisers said.

Artists including Elton John, Alanis Morissette, Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox and Chris Rock joined the campaign alongside global leaders pledging for their countries.

More than 4.4 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on 24 February.

Most of them have headed to EU countries including neighbouring Poland which has taken in more than 2.5 million refugees so far.

Evacuations resume from Kramatorsk after deadly rocket attack on train station 

Evacuations resumed on Saturday from Kramatorsk, the town in eastern Ukraine where a missile strike killed 52 people at a railway station as civilians fled a feared Russian offensive.

Moscow denied responsibility for the rocket attack on Friday morning, which killed 52 and injured a further 109 people, according to the latest official count.

Minibuses assembled at a church in Kramatorsk to collect shaken evacuees on Saturday. Almost 80 people, most of them elderly, took shelter overnight in the building, not far from the targeted station.

"There were around 300 to 400 people who rushed here after the strike," Yevgeny, a member of the Protestant church, told AFP.

"They were traumatised. Half of them ran to shelter in the cellar, others wanted to leave as soon as possible. Some were evacuated by bus in the afternoon (on Friday)."

The station in Kramatorsk was being used as the main evacuation hub for refugees from the parts of the eastern Donbas region still under Ukrainian control.

Ukraine 'still ready' for talks with Russia: Zelensky

Ukraine was "still ready" to continue negotiations with Moscow, which have stalled since the discovery of atrocities in Bucha and other areas near Kyiv, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday.

"Ukraine has always said it is ready for negotiations and looking for any way to stop this war," Zelensky said in a press conference with the Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer, who visited Bucha.

"Sadly, in parallel we see the preparations for important battles, some people say decisive ones, in the east," he said, referring to an anticipated Russian offensive.

"We are ready to fight and to look in parallel to end this war through diplomacy," he added.

The last face-to-face talks between the two sides took place on 29 March, during which Ukrainian negotiators are said to have signalled their readiness to accept neutrality in return for security guarantees from third parties.

"In the east and in the south, we have seen a concentration of arms, equipment and troops who are getting ready to occupy another part of our territory," Zelensky said.

The outcome of any new Russian offensive would depend "on several factors", he said, including Ukraine's "strength, how quickly our partners supply us with arms, and the Russian leader's (Vladimir Putin) desire to go further."

EU discusses Ukraine war crime probes with ICC prosecutor

The EU is to discuss its support for war crimes probes in Ukraine in meetings over the next two days with the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, the European Commission said on Saturday.

Karim Khan, of The Hague-based court, is to meet EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday in Luxembourg, then take part in a meeting of EU foreign ministers in the city on Monday.

The meetings underline the European Union's strong support - also voiced in a G7 statement on Thursday - for investigations into atrocities in Ukraine, spurred on notably by killings in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv.

The EU is providing 7.5 million euros ($8.2 million) to train Ukrainian prosecutors to investigate war crimes.

Borrell said in a Kyiv media conference on Friday alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: "We are in the presence of war crimes and we will help you, we will help the Ukrainian prosecutor, to present the proofs in front of the International Criminal Court."

The EU has set up a joint investigation team with the Ukrainians to gather evidence in Bucha and elsewhere, with forensic experts drawn from some EU member states.

A commission spokesman said: "There are ongoing talks between Eurojust (the EU agency for judicial cooperation) and the International Criminal Court to join forces and for the court to be part of the joint investigation team."

Additionally, 10 of the EU's 27 member states have opened national investigations into alleged crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, he said.

Russia warns of reprisals after YouTube blocks parliament channel

Russian officials on Saturday warned of reprisals after US video hosting service YouTube blocked the channel of the lower house of parliament due to US sanctions.

Thinly veiled threats to ban YouTube in Russia came on the 45th day of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine, with thousands killed and more than 11 million having fled their homes or the country.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said "YouTube has sealed its fate".

Zakharova urged Russians to transfer their content from YouTube to Russian platforms. "And hurry up," she added on Telegram.

"Google is committed to compliance with all applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws," a Google spokesperson told AFP in a statement.

"If we find that an account violates our terms of service, we take appropriate action."

On Thursday, Russia's state communications watchdog said it would ban US internet giant Google from advertising its services in the country, accusing YouTube of spreading "fake news" about its military campaign in Ukraine.

Germany says limited in its arms shipments to Ukraine

Germany has almost exhausted its ability to supply Ukraine with weapons from its army reserves, but is working on direct deliveries from the arms industry, German defence minister Christine Lambrecht said Saturday.

"For deliveries coming from the Bundeswehr's stocks, I have to say honestly that we have reached a limit," she told German daily Augsburger Allgemeine.

The German army must maintain its capacity to act and be able to "guarantee the defence of the country and the (NATO) alliance", Lambrecht said.

"But that doesn't mean we can't do more for Ukraine, that's why we have clarified what the industry can provide directly" to Kyiv, she added.

Until the Russian invasion on 24 February, Germany had been reluctant for historical reasons to send weapons to Ukraine, which had been demanding them in the face of rising tensions with Moscow.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz then made a U-turn and Ukrainian forces have already received anti-tank weapons, missile launchers and surface-to-air missiles from Berlin.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday urged NATO members to quickly supply him with more military equipment, including heavy weapons.

"It is clear that Germany can do more, given its reservations," he said.

Russian forces destroy ammunition depot at Ukrainian air base: Interfax

Russian forces have destroyed an ammunition depot at the Myrhorod Air Base in central-eastern Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, quoting Russia's defence ministry.

A Ukrainian air force MiG-29 fighter and a Mi-8 helicopter were also destroyed in the attack on the base in the Poltava region, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

He added that a large ammunition depot was also destroyed near the city of Novomoskovsk in the central-eastern Dnipro region.

Governor of the Poltava region, Dmytro Lunin, said on social media that two people had been wounded and "significant damage" caused due to the Russian strike at Myrhorod. He did not give further details.

In its most recent update, on 25 March, Russia's defence ministry said 1,351 Russian soldiers had been killed since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and 3,825 had been wounded. 

(Reuters)

S&P cuts Russia's foreign currency rating to 'selective default'

Credit rating agency S&P on Saturday lowered Russia's foreign currency ratings to "selective default" on increased risks that Moscow will not be able and willing to honor its commitments to foreign debtholders.

Facing waves of sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, Russia could face its first sovereign external default in over a century after it made arrangements to make an international bond repayment in rubles this week, even though the payment was due in dollars.

S&P said in a statement it understood that Russia had made coupon and principal payments on dollar-denominated Eurobonds in rubles on Monday.

"We currently don't expect that investors will be able to convert those ruble payments into dollars equivalent to the originally due amounts, or that the government will convert those payments within a 30-day grace period."

Sanctions on Russia are likely to be further increased in the coming weeks, the agency said, "hampering Russia's willingness and technical abilities to honor the terms and conditions of its obligations to foreign debtholders."

Russia's finance minister on Thursday said the country will do everything possible to pay its creditors, but investors in Russia's international bonds face an increasingly uncertain path to recover their money should the country default.

S&P assigns a selective default rating when it believes the debtor has selectively defaulted on a specific issue or class of obligations but will continue to meet its payment obligations on other issues or classes of obligations in a timely manner.

Russia has not defaulted on its external debt since the aftermath of its 1917 revolution, but its bonds have now emerged as a flashpoint in its economic tussle with Western countries.

A default was unimaginable until recently, with Russia rated as investment grade in the run-up to its 24 February invasion of Ukraine.

(Reuters)

Ukraine could receive EU candidate country status in June: minister

Ukraine could receive European Union candidate country status in a matter of weeks, a Ukrainian minister said Saturday.

"Ukraine received the EU membership questionnaire. We have already done much preparatory work, so ready to move fast," Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine said on Twitter.

"Expect to be granted a candidate status in June."

Stefanishyna's comment followed a visit to Kyiv by the President of the EU Commission on Friday.

Ursula von der Leyen told the press that sanctions by EU member states were putting severe pressure on Moscow.

"Russia will descend into economic and financial and technological decay, while Ukraine is marching towards a European future," von der Leyen said.

Handing Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky an envelope containing the EU membership questionnaire, von der Leyen said the start of an EU membership bid "will not take the usual matter of months... but a matter of weeks, if we work closely together".

Ten humanitarian corridors agreed for Saturday: Deputy PM

Ten humanitarian corridors to evacuate people from Ukraine's besieged regions have been agreed for Saturday, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

The planned corridors include one for people evacuating by private transport from the city of Mariupol, Vereshchuk said.

A total of 6,665 people were evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on Friday, more than the 4,676 who escaped on Thursday, according to the deputy PM.

(Reuters)

IMF approves account for Ukraine grants, loans

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved the creation of a special account for donor countries to give Ukraine grants and loans.

The "Administered Account" will provide donors with "a secure vehicle to direct financial assistance to Ukraine", the IMF said on Friday.

"The Administered Account is intended to channel donor resources in the form of grants and loans aimed at assisting Ukraine to meet its balance of payments and budgetary needs and help stabilize its economy," the IMF said.

"Donors will benefit from the IMF’s tested infrastructure to quickly deliver authenticated payments."

The account was created "at the request of several IMF member countries".

Canada has proposed assistance of up to CAD$1 billion (USD$796 million) to be given to Ukraine through the account.

The IMF's executive board approved a USD$1.4 billion emergency loan for Ukraine on 9 March, just over two weeks after Russia began its invasion.

More evacuations needed from Ukraine's Luhansk as shelling increases: governor

More people need to be evacuated from the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine as shelling has increased in recent days and more Russian forces have been arriving, Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Saturday.

He said that some 30% of residents still remain in cities and villages across the region and have been asked to evacuate.

"They (Russia) are amassing forces for an offensive and we see the number of shelling has increased," Gaidai told public television.

Ukraine has increasingly been warning that Russia plans intensified attacks in the country's east and south after withdrawing its troops from areas to the north of the capital, Kyiv.

The United States said this week that Moscow probably plans to deploy tens of thousands of soldiers in eastern Ukraine.

(Reuters)