April 3, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

The besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which has been the center of intense Russian bombardment during the invasion, is still a hotbed for fighting and airstrikes, the UK's Ministry of Defense said in its latest intelligence report.

The report highlights ongoing heavy fighting in Mariupol “as Russian forces attempt to take the city,” along with intense indiscriminate air strikes.

Why Mariupol matters: “Mariupol is almost certainly a key objective of the Russian invasion as it will secure a land corridor from Russia to the occupied territory of Crimea," said the report.

Mariupol, which is ringed by Russian checkpoints, has suffered weeks of bombardment. Ukrainian officials have described the situation there for the remaining residents as a major humanitarian emergency, with no access to electricity, heat or water. Evacuation attempts are also ongoing.

Shocking images of carnage in the town of Bucha, near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, show civilian bodies littering the street after five weeks of near-constant firefights. 

The photos were captured by Agence France-Presse on Saturday, the same day Ukraine declared the town liberated from Russian troops.

Here's what we know so far:

Vladimir stands on the edge of a mass grave in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv. He holds his hands to his head, then up to the sky.

"Brother, we've been looking for you for so long," he says, bursting into tears halfway through. His brother, Dmitry, has been missing for roughly a week and neighbors told Vladimir he might be buried here.

Inside the grave, the bodies are piled on top of one another, mostly inside black bags but some with limbs protruding. Only some are interred. A CNN team saw at least a dozen bodies on the mass grave, but the earth shows signs of recent movement, suggesting many more could lie beneath.

Kyiv Regional Police and local residents say they believe at least 150 people were buried in the mass grave, but the mayor of Bucha says the death toll could be as high as 300. CNN could not independently verify their claims.

Vladimir gathers himself, comforted by his wife, Anna, and a neighbour, Liubov, and leaves. He says he believes his brother is buried there, but the sad reality is he cannot know for sure — and might not for a very long time.

Residents say the grave, on the grounds behind the Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints, started being dug early in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, such was the death toll in this leafy suburb of Kyiv.

Read the full story:

RELATED

At a mass grave in a Kyiv suburb, the sense of loss is impossible to measure

Lithuanian documentary filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius was killed in Mariupol, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s information agency reported Sunday on Twitter.

Mariupol has been the center of intense bombardment from Russian strikes in recent weeks.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda expressed his condolences in a statement.

“We have lost not only in Lithuania, but also in the world, a well-known creator, who until the last moment, despite the danger, worked in Ukraine, which was attacked by the aggressor Russia. I wish strength and strength to M. Kvedaravičius' relatives, friends and all fans of his talent, " Nausėda said.

Lana Estemirova, the daughter of Natalia Estemirova, a human rights investigator from Chechnya who was murdered in 2009, mourned the death of Kvedaravičius on Twitter.

“Mantas was a family friend, a frequent guest in our Grozny flat. A brave and kind soul. I can’t believe this,” Estemirova said.

“RIP dearest Mantas -- a true artist, cinema poet, mysterious and brave soul. A terrible loss for Lithuanian cinema community and all the world. Our hearts are broken,” Lithuanian documentary director Giedre Zickyte said on Facebook.

In 2016, Kvedaravičius‘ documentary “Mariupolis” premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival.

His 2011 documentary “Barzakh” focused on Russia’s war in Chechnya and earned him the Amnesty International Film Prize.

In a video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for an end to Russian “war crimes.”

His address came after reports of dozens of bodies found in the streets and mass graves in the Ukrainian city of Bucha.

Zelensky called on Russian leaders to be held accountable for the actions of the nation's military.

“I want all the leaders of the Russian Federation to see how their orders are being fulfilled. Such orders. Such a fulfillment. And joint responsibility. For these murders, for these tortures, for these arms torn off by explosions that lie on the streets. For shots in the back of the head of tied people. This is how the Russian state will now be perceived. This is your image,” Zelensky said.

In his address, Zelensky announced a “mechanism of justice” would be established to investigate crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Ukrainian territory. The mechanism would be supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the National Police, the Security Service, the Intelligence Service and other government branches, he said.

“This mechanism will help Ukraine and the world bring to concrete justice those who unleashed or in any way participated in this terrible war against the Ukrainian people and in crimes against our people,” he said.

Zelensky said he will provide more information on the state of Ukrainian territory that was occupied by Russian forces.

He also noted efforts are underway to restore electricity and water to Bucha, as well as reestablishing medical institutions and infrastructure.

 Zelensky once again invoked the need for stronger sanctions against Russia.

“There will definitely be a new package of sanctions against Russia. But I'm sure that's not enough. More conclusions are needed. Not only about Russia, but also about the political behavior that actually allowed this evil to come to our land,” he said.

Family and friends mourn at the casket of Ukrainian soldier Dmitry Zhelisko, who died fighting the Russian army near the town of Kharkiv.

Here are photos from his funeral at the Church of St. Luke in Rusyn, Ukraine:

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in his victory speech on Sunday his re-election sends a message not only to the EU, but also to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Oban is known as an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The election campaign was dominated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which put Orban's lengthy association with Putin under scrutiny.

While Hungary ultimately supported most EU sanctions unveiled so far, Orban has been adamant that measures are not extended to imports of Russian oil and gas. Most of Hungary’s oil and natural gas imports come from Russia.

Correction: This post misstated Viktor Orban’s title. He is the Prime Minister of Hungary.

A total of 2,694 people were evacuated through humanitarian corridors on Sunday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced in a post on Telegram.                                           

Vereshchuk said 469 Mariupol residents have traveled by their own vehicles via humanitarian corridors from Mariupol and Berdiansk to Zaporizhzhia.

In the Luhansk region, 1,467 people were evacuated from the cities of Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, Rubizhne and Kreminna.

Seven buses accompanied by a delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross reached Manhush on Sunday. Vereshchuk said negotiations are underway to continue the convoy’s movement to Mariupol on Monday.

A convoy of buses carrying more than 350 people from Mariupol and Berdiansk passed through checkpoints, she said.

Ten more buses carrying 408 Mariupol residents from Berdiansk are currently passing through Vasylivka, Vereshchuk said.

Ukrainian Parliament Member Anastasia Radina is on a mission to advocate for more aid from US lawmakers as Russia's war in Ukraine continues.

Radina visited members of Congress in Washington, DC, describing and showing them the dire situation on the ground.

"We are receiving a lot of support and we also are glad to hear that, there is an understanding that action is needed and not just words, but we are calling for this action to happen immediately," she told CNN's Dana Bash during her visit this week alongside other Ukrainian parliament members.

Asked if she was frustrated Radina responded, "A bit. But we are also very much determined to fight until the end because that's basically our only choice."

For Radina, the trip to the US was a difficult decision. She left behind her two-year-old son and elderly father. Radina told CNN she uses an an app on her phone to monitor air raid warnings as she visits DC. She said that the app has alerted to a few air raid alarms. "It's probably one of the most terrifying experiences in my life."

Radina said that "As a mother, I feel guilty, but I also have a duty to speak on behalf of all Ukrainian mothers...as privileged as I am to spread the message across the world about what is happening in Ukraine and what kind of support Ukraine needs to stop that."

During her visit in Congress, Radina carried a binder filled with pictures of the dire situation in Ukraine, including a particularly devastating image of a mother in Mariupol mourning her 19-month-old child, who died after a shelling.

Radina became emotional while describing the situation. "He was shelled in Mariupol, if I'm not mistaken. They managed to get him to a hospital but there's nothing the doctors could do," she explained.

"I cannot look at this picture without tears because what I think of when I look at this picture is my son who is staying in Ukraine right now," Radina said.

Watch the full interview here: