Ukraine said on Wednesday that Russian forces had pushed deeper into the east of the country and captured several villages.
Moscow said earlier this month it was withdrawing its invading troops from around the capital Kyiv to focus its military efforts on capturing Donetsk and Lugansk in east Ukraine.
The defence ministry said Russian forces had pushed out Kyiv's army from Velyka Komyshuvakha and Zavody in the northeastern Kharkiv region and had gained control over Zarichne and Novotoshkivske in Donetsk.
The defence ministry cautioned that Russian forces were "continuing an offensive in the direction of Nyzhnye and Orikhiv" in the central Zaporizhzhia region.
Also on Wednesday, Russia's gas supplier Gazprom said it had completely cut off deliveries to both Poland and Bulgaria after both countries refused to start paying for supplies in roubles.
The New Arab is providing live updates of what's been happening on the ground and additional analysis on the conflict's significance.
Russia coordinating cyberattacks with military strikes in Ukraine: Microsoft
A handful of hacker groups aligned with the Russian government have carried out hundreds of cyberattacks against Ukraine since Moscow invaded, US tech giant Microsoft said in a report Wednesday.
It added that in "hybrid" warfare tactics, Russia often matches cyberattacks with military assaults on the battlefield.
"Starting just before the invasion, we have seen at least six separate Russia-aligned nation-state actors launch more than 237 operations against Ukraine," said Microsoft, which is working with Ukrainian cybersecurity experts and private companies to counter such attacks.
It said the cyber-warfare included "destructive attacks that are ongoing and threaten civilian welfare."
In the first week of the invasion, the report said Russian hackers attacked a major Ukrainian media broadcaster on "the same day the Russian military announced its intention to destroy Ukrainian 'disinformation' targets and directed a missile strike against a TV tower in Kyiv."
It said the aim of such coordinated attacks was to "disrupt or degrade Ukrainian government and military functions and undermine the public's trust in those same institutions."
US: Ukraine war 'screams' need to reject Russian energy
US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Wednesday that Russia's war on Ukraine “screams” that the world needs to stop importing oil and gas from Russia and instead move toward other forms of energy.
At an international forum on offshore wind energy in Atlantic City, Granholm said the U.S. as well as its energy industries “are on a war footing,” and called for a rapid acceleration of renewable energy including offshore wind power.
Her comments were echoed by Kadri Simson, the European Commissioner for Energy, who noted that Europe recently committed itself to a large-scale move away from Russian fossil fuel imports, and considers wind energy an important part of that transition.
Their comments came as Russia cut off natural gas to NATO members Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday and threatened to do the same to other countries, dramatically escalating its standoff with the West over the war in Ukraine. European leaders decried the move as “blackmail.”
Spain bars ship carrying suspected Russian cargo
Spain has barred from its waters a Maltese ship carrying cargo from a Russian vessel, in line with EU sanctions over the Ukraine invasion, the Spanish transport ministry said Wednesday.
"The Maltese-flagged ship Black Star is denied access to Spanish territorial waters because there is evidence that it was carrying cargo transferred from the Russian ship Andrey Pervozvanniy, which is subject to EU sanctions," the ministry said in a statement.
Spanish authorities had already prevented a stopover in Barcelona by the 'Andrey Pervozvanniy' on April 25, because of the European sanctions against Russia over its offensive in Ukraine.
The Maltese ship had planned to unload its cargo, including non-food palm oil and derivatives, on Wednesday evening at the port of Barcelona, the statement added.
UN chief arrives in Ukraine
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced his arrival in Kyiv on Wednesday following talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I have arrived in Ukraine after visiting Moscow. We will continue our work to expand humanitarian support and secure the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones. The sooner this war ends, the better -- for the sake of Ukraine, Russia, and the world," he wrote on his official Twitter account.
Russian forces disperse pro-Ukraine rally
Russian forces used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse a pro-Ukraine rally in the occupied city of Kherson on Wednesday, Ukraine's Prosecutor General said.
Local authorities say Russia appointed its own mayor of Kherson on Tuesday after its troops took over the administration headquarters in the regional capital.
Amazing courage: in Russian-occupied Kherson, Ukrainians took to the street today in protest against occupation and in support of Ukraine. Russians are planning a bogus referendum to create a proxy 'Kherson republic'. All these people risk persecution, torture for their stance pic.twitter.com/FAYPdAZ9Us
— Olga Tokariuk (@olgatokariuk) April 27, 2022
Some residents have staged occasional anti-occupation rallies in Kherson and crowds gathered in the city centre again on Wednesday, the date Kyiv said Russia planned to stage a referendum to create a breakaway region like those in eastern Ukraine.
"During a peaceful pro-Ukrainian rally on Freedom Square in the city of Kherson, servicemen of the Russian armed forces used tear gas and stun grenades against the civilian population," the office of Ukraine's Prosecutor General said in a statement.
Russian forces stuck on Snake Island, says Ukraine
Kyiv said its troops struck Russian positions on the Black Sea's Snake Island, which gained notoriety when Ukrainian soldiers deployed there rebuffed demands to surrender from Moscow's invading forces.
"Our forces carried out strikes on enemy positions on Snake Island," the Ukrainian military said in a statement on social media late Tuesday, claiming to have hit a checkpoint and an anti-aircraft system.
"The Russians' losses are being clarified," it said.
Russia has not confirmed the attack on Snake Island which Moscow captured shortly after launching its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Putin warns Russia will respond swiftly to any interference in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that any countries attempting to interfere in Ukraine would be faced with a swift response from Russia and said all decisions on how Moscow would react in that situation have already been taken.
Addressing lawmakers in St Petersburg, Putin said the West wanted to cut Russia up into different pieces and accused it of pushing Ukraine into conflict with Russia.
Indonesia invites Ukrainian president to G20 summit
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Twitter that his Indonesian counterpart had invited him to attend the summit of Group of 20 (G20) major economies to be held in the Southeast Asian country later this year.
"Had talks with President @jokowi...Appreciate inviting me to the @g20org summit," he said in a tweet, referring to Indonesia President Joko Widodo, the current G20 chair, by his nickname.
Ukraine is not a member of the G20, but the chairs of the grouping have previously invited countries as guests to join meetings.
Had talks with President 🇮🇩 @jokowi. Thanked for the support of 🇺🇦 sovereignty and territorial integrity, in particular for a clear position in the UN. Food security issues were discussed. Appreciate inviting me to the @g20org summit
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 27, 2022
MENA states among hardest hit from soaring inflation triggered by invasion
The invasion of Ukraine has "significantly" impacted the Middle East and North Africa, with the crisis dealing a heavy blow to low-income countries while benefiting oil-producing states, the IMF said on Wednesday.
To read the full story, click here.
Women killed in Russian shelling of hospital
A woman was killed in the Russian shelling of a hospital in the east Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk on Wednesday, the regional governor said.
Russia did not immediately comment on the accusation by the Luhansk region's governor, Serhiy Gaidai.
The hospital was one of only two still working in the area more than two months since Russia invaded Ukraine, Gaidai said. The other is in nearby Lysychansk.
"Our defenders had to withdraw. They have entrenched themselves in new positions and continue to fight the Russian army," said Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai, adding that Russian forces had attacked "from all sides"https://t.co/dqaZB2oj2K
— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) April 19, 2022
Further 52,000 refugees flee Ukraine
More than 5.3 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia invaded two months ago, the UN said Wednesday, with more than 52,000 joining their ranks in the past 24 hours.
In total, 5,317,219 people have fled Ukraine as refugees since February 24, according to the latest data from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
Russians continue to pummel Mariupol
Russian forces were on Wednesday pounding a huge steelworks in Mariupol where the southern Ukrainian city's last defenders and some civilians are holed up, a local official said.
"Air attacks on Azovstal are not subsiding. No ceasefire, but attempts to storm again and again. Despite the statements (by Putin)," Petro Andryushchenko, an aide to the city mayor, said.
"At the same time, street fighting continues again in the sector between the Azovstal plant's management (buildings) to the street."
Russia releases US Marine in prisoner exchange
Russia and the United States carried out a prisoner exchange on Wednesday, trading a Marine veteran jailed in Moscow for a convicted Russian drug trafficker serving a long prison sentence in America, US officials said.
The surprise deal would have been a notable diplomatic manoeuvre even in times of peace, but it was all the more extraordinary because it was done as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has driven relations with the US to their lowest point in decades.
As part of the exchange, Russia released Trevor Reed, a former Marine from Texas who was arrested in the summer of 2019 after Russian authorities said he assaulted an officer while being driven by police to a police station following a night of heavy drinking. Reed was later sentenced to nine years in prison, though his family has maintained his innocence and the US government has described him as unjustly detained.
The US agreed to return Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot serving a 20-year federal prison sentence in Connecticut for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the US after he was arrested in Liberia in 2010 and extradited to the US.
Brussels proposes suspending EU import duties on Ukraine
The EU's executive on Wednesday proposed suspending all import duties on products from Ukraine in a bid to help the country's economy survive Russia's military assault.
"This far-reaching step is designed to help boost Ukraine's exports to the EU. It will help alleviate the difficult situation of Ukrainian producers and exporters in the face of Russia's military invasion," the European Commission said.
Russia attacks key bridge in Odesa region
Russia launched two missile strikes and damaged a strategic bridge in Ukraine's Odesa region, state railways and local officials said on Wednesday, an event that could affect Ukrainian plans to expand exports through Danube ports.
The bridge links mainland Ukraine with part of the Odessa region near the mouth of Danube.
The bridge across the Dniester Estuary is a part of the only fully Ukrainian-controlled railway route to Ukraine's ports on Danube, which Kyiv regarded as a promising route for exports in a situation where Black Sea ports are blocked.
Ukraine, a major agricultural producer, used to export most of its goods through seaports but since Russia's invasion in February has been forced to export by train via its western border or via its small Danube river ports.
Moldovan breakaway region says shots fired from Ukraine towards village
Moldova's pro-Russian breakaway region of Transdniestria said on Wednesday that shots were fired from Ukraine towards a village that houses an ammunition depot, the latest report to raise concern that Russia's invasion of Ukraine might expand.
The interior ministry of the unrecognised region that borders southwestern Ukraine said in a statement that several drones had been detected flying over the village of Cobasna overnight and they had been launched from Ukraine.
It said shots were later fired on Wednesday morning towards the border village from Ukrainian territory.
It gave no further details, but said nobody had been hurt.
Russia withdraws from UN tourism body
Russia is withdrawing from the United Nation's tourism body, the UNWTO said on Wednesday ahead of a vote by its executive council to suspend Moscow's membership over its invasion of Ukraine.
"Russia has announced its intention to withdraw from UNWTO," the organisation said in a tweet, adding that Russia's suspension "is effective immediately".
UNWTO was the first @UN agency to address the membership of Russia.
— Zurab Pololikashvili (@pololikashvili) April 27, 2022
Today, Russia announced their intention to withdraw from @UNWTO.
Our statues are clear: promotion of tourism for peace & universal respect for human rights. Only Members that abide by this can be part of UNWTO. pic.twitter.com/suDX05iCf8
Russia bans entry to 287 British MPs
The Russian foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it had banned entry to 287 British MPs in response to the UK's sanctions against Russian parliamentarians.
"In response to the decision taken by the British government on March 11 to add 386 State Duma deputies to a sanctions list, in a reciprocal move, personal restrictions are being placed on 287 members of the House of Commons," the ministry said in a statement.
The House of Commons has a total of 650 members.
EU says it will respond collectively to Russian gas shutdown
The EU promised "solidarity" with Poland and Bulgaria and a "coordinated" response to Gazprom's decision to turn of its taps.
Russia's Gazprom halted gas shipments to Poland and Bulgaria in Moscow's latest use of gas as a weapon in the conflict.
Bulgaria is almost completely dependent on Russia for its annual consumption of about 3.0 billion cubic metres of gas, while Poland is hoping to receive gas from Norway via a pipeline that is expected to be completed later this year.
Gazprom's announcement is another attempt by Russia to blackmail us with gas.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 27, 2022
We are prepared for this scenario. We are mapping out our coordinated EU response.
Europeans can trust that we stand united and in solidarity with the Member States impacted.
Russia says it hit Western weapon supplies
Russia has claimed its missiles swiped out a "large batch" of Western-supplied weapons and ammunition, that were being stored at an aluminium plant in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.
The US and Britain have been prodding allies to send more heavy weapons to Ukraine to sway the conflict.
Bulgaria says Russia's gas cut-off is a breach of contract
Bulgaria paid for Russian gas deliveries for April and supplier Gazprom will be in breach of its current contract if it halts the flow, energy minister Alexander Nikolov told reporters on Wednesday.
Sofia would soon know if gas received via Turkey would be stopped, Nikolov said following Gazprom's advice to Bulgarian state gas company Bulgargaz it would halt supplies as of Wednesday.
He said EU and NATO member Bulgaria would observe the European Commission's stance urging countries not to pay for Russian gas in roubles, which Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding.
"Because all trade and legal obligations are being observed, it is clear that at the moment the natural gas is being used more as a political and economic weapon in the current war," Nikolov said.
Gas flows in Poland via Germany
Eastbound gas flows via the Yamal-Europe pipeline from Germany to Poland rose significantly on Wednesday after Russia said it would stop supplies to Poland, data from the Gascade pipeline operator showed.
Rouble strengthens in Moscow as Russia halts gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria
The rouble strengthened on Wednesday after Russia said it had halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland, firming to a more than two-year high against the euro in Moscow trade on the prospect of upcoming income tax payments.
Russian energy giant Gazprom said it had halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland for failing to pay for gas in roubles, the Kremlin's toughest response yet to sanctions imposed by the West over the conflict in Ukraine.
Wimbledon defends decision to ban Russians from tournament
Two All England Club officials defended during a news conference on Tuesday the “intensely tough and agonizing decision” to bar players from Russia and Belarus from Wimbledon because of the invasion of Ukraine.
Citing the club’s “responsibility to play our part in limiting the possibility of Wimbledon being used to justify the harm being done to others by the Russian regime,” Chief Executive Sally Bolton said, “we believe that this decision is the only viable option for Wimbledon.”
Statement regarding Russian and Belarusian individuals at The Championships 2022.
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) April 20, 2022
Taiwan says Ukraine invasion will inform this year's military drills
Taiwan's main military drills this year will draw on the experiences of the invasion of Ukraine, focusing on asymmetric and cognitive warfare as well as the use of reserves as it practices fighting off a Chinese attack, a top officer said on Wednesday.
Taiwan, claimed by China as its own territory, has raised its alert level since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, wary that Beijing might make a similar move.
There are no reported signs that an attack is about to happen.
Lin Wen-huang, head of the Taiwan defence ministry's joint operations department, said this year's Han Kuang exercises, which simulate a Chinese invasion and are Taiwan's largest annual war games, would "draw on the experience" of the Ukraine war.
Russia cuts gas to Poland and Bulgaria
Russia halted gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday.
The Kremlin said the shutdown was because it didn't receive April's energy payment in roubles
However, the move occurred after blasts in a breakaway region of neighbouring Moldova led Kyiv to accuse Moscow of seeking to expand the Ukraine war further into Europe.
In a statement, Gazprom warned Poland and Bulgaria against "unauthorised withdrawals" of gas running through either country on its way elsewhere.
Russia wants to destabilize the Transnistrian region & hints Moldova should wait for “guests”. Bad news: if Ukraine falls tomorrow Russian troops will be at Chișinău’s gates. Good news: Ukraine will definitely ensure strategic security of the region. But we need to work as a team
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) April 26, 2022
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