Ukraine news – live: Six killed in heavy shelling near Bakhmut as strikes destroy nursery

Six civilians were killed and eight wounded in Russian shelling of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine on Sunday morning, a senior Ukrainian official has said.

Kostiantynivka, home to about 70,000 people before the war, is just 12.5 miles west of Bakhmut, the epicentre of fighting for at least eight months as Russian forces try to capture the city.

“Russians have carried out massive shelling of the town of Kostiantynivka,” Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, said on the Telegram messaging app.

He said 16 apartment buildings, eight private houses, a kindergarten and an administrative building were damaged.

Yermak added photos showing the partial destruction of buildings and craters from explosions.

Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the photos or the number of casualties.

Elsewhere, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has lashed out at the start of Russia’s month-long UNSecurity Council presidency, calling the move “absurd and destructive”.

Russia has taken up the monthly presidency of the 15-member UN Security Council from Saturday, despite the fact that Vladimir Putin has been accused of war crimes and was issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court.

Key Points

• Six killed and eight wounded in heavy shelling near Bakhmut

• Zelensky condemns Russia’s UN Security Council presidency as ‘absurd and destructive'

• War has killed 262 Ukrainian athletes, sports minister says

• Russia's Security Council presidency 'slap in the face', says Ukraine

• Ukraine cleric accused of glorifying Russia invasion given house arrest

Six killed and eight wounded in heavy shelling near Bakhmut

11:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Six civilians were killed and eight wounded in Russian shelling of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine on Sunday morning, a senior Ukrainian official said.

Kostiantynivka, home to about 70,000 people before the war, is just 20 km (12.5 miles) west of Bakhmut, the epicentre of fighting for at least eight months as Russian forces try to capture the city.

“Russians have carried out massive shelling of the town of Kostiantynivka,” Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, said on the Telegram messaging app.

He said 16 apartment buildings, eight private houses, a kindergarten and an administrative building were damaged.

Yermak added photos showing the partial destruction of buildings and craters from explosions.

Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the photos or the number of casualties.

Ukraine says at least three killed, six wounded in Russian shelling in east of country

11:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

At least three civilians were killed and six wounded in Russian shelling of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine on Sunday morning, a senior Ukrainian official said.

Kostiantynivka, home to about 70,000 people before the war, is just 20 km (12.5 miles) west of Bakhmut, the epicentre of fighting for at least eight months as Russian forces try to capture the city.

“Russians have carried out massive shelling of the town of Kostiantynivka,” Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, said on the Telegram messaging app.

A photos published by Yermak showed the partial destruction of buildings and craters from explosions.

Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the photos and the number of casualties.

War-crimes warrant for Putin could complicate Ukraine peace

10:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

An international arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin raises the prospect of the man whose country invaded Ukraine facing justice, but it complicates efforts to end that war in peace talks.

“The arrest warrant for Putin might undermine efforts to reach a peace deal in Ukraine,” Daniel Krcmaric, an associate professor of political science at Northwestern University, said to The Associated Press.

Alexander Baunov, an analyst with the Carnegie Endowment, observed that the arrest warrant for Putin amounted to “an invitation to the Russian elite to abandon Putin” that could erode his support.

Rights groups have welcomed the ICC warrant but called for the need to focus on similar justice initiatives elsewhere as well.

“The ICC warrant for Putin reflects an evolving and multifaceted justice effort that is needed elsewhere in the world,” Human Rights Watch associate international justice director Balkees Jarrah said in a statement.

“Similar justice initiatives are needed elsewhere to ensure that the rights of victims globally — whether in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Myanmar, or Palestine — are respected.”

Russia fails to achieve goal of seizing Donbas by end of March

10:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The Institute of the Study of War has said that Russia’s winter offensive has failed to achieve the goal of seizing Ukraine’s Donbas.

Kremlin had set the goal of seizing Donbas, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, by 31 March.

ICYMI: Zelensky vows ‘never to forgive’ Russia over Bucha occupation on liberation anniversary

09:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine will never forgive Russian troops responsible for atrocities in Bucha, as the town near Kyiv marked the anniversary of its recapture after more than a month of occupation.

Read more:

Zelensky vows ‘never to forgive’ Russia over Bucha on liberation anniversary

Zelensky condemns Russia’s UN Security Council presidency as ‘absurd and destructive'

09:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has lashed out at the start of Russia’s month-long UN Security Council presidency, calling the move “absurd and destructive”.

Russia has taken up the monthly presidency of the 15-member UN Security Council from Saturday, despite the fact that Vladimir Putin has been accused of war crimes and was issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court.

“It is hard to imagine something more evident that proves the complete bankruptcy of such institutions,” Zelensky said.

Wall Street Journal demands immediate release of reporter arrested in Russia

09:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The Wall Street Journal on Saturday demanded the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, a Moscow-based correspondent who was arrested by Russia’s FSB security service (Federal Security Service) on suspicion of spying.

“Evan’s case is a vicious affront to a free press, and should spur outrage in all free people and governments throughout the world, the newspaper said in a statement on Twitter.

Ukraine cleric accused of glorifying Russia invasion given house arrest

08:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

A top Ukrainian cleric from a church with alleged Russian ties was sentenced to house arrest on Saturday.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is facing a crackdown from the government on the grounds it is pro-Russian and collaborating with Moscow, a charge the church denies.

In a statement, the UOC said a Kyiv court also ordered Metropolitan Pavlo to wear an electronic bracelet.

The Interfax Ukraine and Ukrinform news agencies said he had been given 60 days of house arrest.

“I haven’t done anything. I believe this is a political order,” the cleric told reporters after the ruling.

Away from home but not from war – the Ukrainian women forced to flee

08:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Nearly 8 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour on 24 February 2022.

The majority of these refugees are women and children, as most Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 were ordered to stay and fight.

Read more:

Away from home but not from war – the Ukrainian women forced to flee

War has killed 262 Ukrainian athletes, sports minister says

07:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Russia’s war against Ukraine has killed 262 Ukrainian athletes and destroyed 363 sports facilities, the country’s sports minister, Vadym Huttsait, said on Saturday.

The minister said no athletes from Russia should be allowed at the Olympics or other sports competitions.

“They all support this war and attend events held in support of this war,” he said, according to a transcript on president Volodymyr Zelensky’s website.

Ukraine said on Friday its athletes will not be allowed to take part in qualifying events for the 2024 Games if they have to compete against Russians.

The International Olympic Committee has recommended the gradual return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition as neutrals, and criticised Ukraine’s decision.

Russia becomes president of UN Security Council despite Ukraine invasion

07:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Russia has taken over as president of the UN Security Council despite its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia replaced Mozambique on Saturday, 1 April despite protests from Ukraine that urged members to block the move.

Around 50 Ukrainians protested in front of the UN’s office in Brussels on Saturday afternoon, waving a mixture of Ukrainian and EU flags.

Eleanor Noyce reports:

Russia becomes rotating president of UN Security Council despite Ukrainian invasion

Russia's Security Council presidency 'slap in the face', says Ukraine

06:28 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Ukraine has lashed out at the start of Russia’s month-long UN Security Council presidency.

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia’s tenure was “a slap in the face to the international community.”

“I urge the current UNSC members to thwart any Russian attempts to abuse its presidency,” he said on Twitter, calling Russia “an outlaw on the UNSC.”