March 31, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

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Wimbledon will accept entries from Russian and Belarusian players for this year’s tournament if they agree to compete as neutral athletes and comply with “appropriate conditions,” organizers announced Friday in a statement.

Russians and Belarusians were banned from competing at Wimbledon in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Wimbledon is the third grand slam event in the calendar year.

The ban resulted in the men’s and women’s professional tours – the ATP and WTA – and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) stripping Wimbledon of its ranking points.

Entry conditions for this year’s event, one of tennis’ four majors, include prohibiting “expressions of support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” while players who receive funding from the Russian or Belarusian state will not be allowed to compete, including those receiving sponsorship from companies operated or controlled by them.

President Joe Biden called for the release of arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Friday — his first public comments on the matter since Gershkovich was accused of espionage by Russian authorities Thursday. Vice President Kamala Harris added to the conversation, saying Friday she is “deeply concerned” about Gershkovich.

The Biden Administration’s calls are among others urging Russia to also free him. The leaders of more than 30 news organizations around the world signed a letter Thursday to the Russian ambassador to the US demanding Gershkovich’s release.

If you’re just now catching up, here’s what you should know:

Belarus and nuclear weapons: Senior Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak rejected Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s calls for an immediate ceasefire while Russian forces continue to occupy Ukrainian territory. On Friday, Lukashenko accused the West of “preparing to invade” Belarus from Poland, and welcomed Moscow’s move to station Russian tactical nuclear warheads in Belarus, saying the weapons are needed to safeguard the country. Lukashenko said he has intensified talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about deploying both tactical and strategic – more powerful – nuclear weapons to deal with threats from Ukraine’s western allies who he claims are planning a coup against him.

Russia’s new foreign policy doctrine: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday listed the United States as the main security threat to Russia and “the just development of mankind” in a decree on a new version of the Russian Foreign Policy Concept.

Aid to Ukraine: The International Monetary Fund board has approved a new 48-month extended arrangement of about $15.6 billion for Ukraine, the fund said in a statement Friday. The loan is part of a support package for Ukraine that totals $115 billion and allows for the immediate disbursement of around $2.7 billion. And while the US is not providing Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles, it instead is looking at other options to give the Ukrainian military a longer reach on the battlefield, according to Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley. 

The family of Paul Whelan, an American the US says is wrongfully detained in Russia, is concerned for his well-being after he didn’t make his usual daily call to his parents, his brother told CNN’s Paula Newton Friday.

“Normally our parents are able to speak to him on an almost daily basis. He (is) allowed a 15-minute phone call once a day, and so he speaks to our parents just to stay up to date on what’s going on at home and share what’s going on with him and if he has any problems. He was unable to call yesterday; that’s unexpected. He was supposed to be able to speak to the US embassy consular staff yesterday, and that didn’t happen, either. So we’re a little bit concerned that there may be something else going on,” David Whelan told CNN.

On the detention of another American: The Whelan family issued a statement Thursday, saying they were sorry to hear about the arrest of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who works for the Wall Street Journal.

David Whelan spoke out against a Wall Street Journal editorial calling for retaliation for the reporter’s arrest.

“I think retaliation is wrong, and I was very disappointed to see the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board suggest that we should expel the Russian ambassador. The one thing you shouldn’t do, is do anything that would cause the Russians to reduce the consular support,” he said.

He also pointed to a similarity between his brother’s case and Gershkovich’s arrest, saying the two are part of Russia’s attempt to get a concession from the US.

“To the extent that they’re using this for extortion — to get a concession from the US government — that may make it simpler,” Whelan added.

He said he worries the US is struggling to deter these types of detentions.

The US is not providing Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles, but is instead looking at other options to give the Ukrainian military a longer reach on the battlefield, according to Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley. 

The top US general said the US has “relatively few” ATACMS, and the military has to maintain its own levels of critical weapons in its inventories. But the military is considering other possibilities, Milley said in an interview with Defense One on Friday.  

“The range of the ATACMS is longer, but there’s other systems that can get to that range,” Milley said. “There’s UAVs, for example, that could do it. The Brits have a couple systems. So those are some things we’re looking at to give them a little bit more legs.”

He noted it’s a policy decision, and he would not take anything on or off the table for the future.

The ATACMS missile has a range of approximately 200 miles, far greater than any system the US has provided to Ukraine so far. 

In terms of weapons inventory, the US is also reviewing its estimates for how much munitions the military would need in a great power war after seeing how quickly Ukrainians are using up munitions, Milley said. The US currently has “sufficient ammunition in our inventory today to do what we need to do,” he said, but the defense industrial base will be working to expand its capacity over several years.

“[I]f you’re involved in a significant great power war,” Milley said, “it’s best not to underestimate how much munitions you’re going to need.”

The International Monetary Fund board has approved a new 48-month extended arrangement of about $15.6 billion for Ukraine, the fund said in a statement Friday. The loan is part of a support package for Ukraine that totals $115 billion and allows for the immediate disbursement of around $2.7 billion.

“The overarching goals of the authorities’ program are to sustain economic and financial stability at a time of exceptionally high uncertainty, restore debt sustainability on a forward-looking basis in both a baseline and downside scenario, and promote reforms that support Ukraine’s recovery on the path toward EU accession in the post-war period,” according to the statement. “The program, together with financing assurances from the G7, EU and other donors, is designed to solve Ukraine’s balance of payment problem and restore medium term external viability.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the IMF, including Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, for approving the loan to Kyiv.

“Together we support the [Ukrainian] economy. And we are moving forward to victory,” he said in a tweet.

IMF First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath complimented Ukrainian authorities for their work managing the country’s finances despite the “devastating economic and social impact” of Russia’s full-scale invasion. 

“Activity contracted sharply last year, a large swathe of the country’s capital stock has been destroyed, and poverty is on the rise,” Gopinath said. “The authorities have nevertheless managed to maintain overall macroeconomic and financial stability, thanks to skillful policymaking and substantial external support.”

Gopinath admitted the risks of the program were “exceptionally high,” but she said Ukraine’s track record was a mitigating factor. 

“The authorities’ track record of undertaking ambitious policies when warranted, their readiness to undertake contingency measures, and the frequent reviews in the first phase of the program are risk mitigating factors,” she said. “The program has been appropriately designed to resolve Ukraine’s balance of payments problem and restore medium-term external viability in both a baseline and downside scenario.”

Russia’s stated plan to place nuclear weapons in Belarus is proof that talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping earlier this month failed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday.

Though China had appeared to position itself as a peace broker between Russia and Ukraine in the weeks leading up to Xi’s three-day state visit to Moscow, the meetings between the two leaders did not yield a meaningful breakthrough on resolving the conflict.

“The signal that Russia wants to place their nuclear weapons in Belarus tells me that the meeting with China was unsuccessful, it’s failed,” Zelensky told reporters during a visit to Bucha.

The Ukrainian president also said Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko has “lost any importance,” claiming he “doesn’t decide anything about what kind of weapons are based in his country.”

Some background: Putin announced last week that Moscow will construct a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, completing it by the start of July. Lukashenko welcomed the move in a national address Friday, adding that Russia could also station strategic nuclear weapons in his country.

The mentioning of strategic nukes, which can decimate entire cities, is an escalation in rhetoric from Lukashenko. Russia has not publicly announced any plans to send strategic nuclear weapons to Belarus.

Global reaction: While there is no guarantee Putin will follow through on his plans for Belarus, any nuclear signaling by Putin causes concern in the West.

Ukraine, NATO and the European Union’s top diplomat have condemned the plan. The US has downplayed the move, saying there are no indications Russia will use nuclear weapons.

The nuclear announcement comes as Putin faces mounting problems elsewhere. Read CNN analysis on the decision here.

CNN’s Andrew Carey, Ivana Kottasová, Lindsay Isaac and Anna Chernova contributed to this report.

Commander in Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi said Russia’s actions during the occupation of Bucha will always be remembered in Ukraine’s “national memory.”

“Bucha. A suburb of the capital. An important hub of the entire Kyiv defense area. A symbol of Ukrainian resistance,” Ukraine’s top general wrote on Facebook on the one-year anniversary of Bucha being taken back from Russian troops. “33 days of occupation, more than 9 thousand recorded Russian war crimes.”

The general said Ukraine’s efforts to liberate the Kyiv suburb showed the world that the country would not give up.

“The joint actions of the Defense Forces, volunteers, and locals have succeeded in driving out the enemy,” he said. “The de-occupation of the Kyiv region has demonstrated to the world that Ukrainians will not give up a single piece of their land.”

“We remember the Heroes who laid down their lives for the sake of Ukraine’s future,” he added.

US President Joe Biden’s administration is still working to secure a meeting with detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is being held in Russia’s Lefortovo prison in Moscow.

US officials have described Russia’s espionage allegations against the journalist as “ridiculous” and “absolutely ludicrous.”

“We have not been able to achieve consular access and nobody from our embassy has been able to meet with him,” John Kirby, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, told CNN’s Bianna Golodryga on Friday. “We are continuing to work on that, of course, and will until we can get that consular access to ascertain for ourselves how he’s doing.”

The US has previously warned US citizens against traveling to Russia. Kirby emphasized Friday that those recommendations apply even to journalists working in the country.

“This is not the time for Americans to be in Russia. If you’re in Russia now — whether it’s on business or leisure, whatever kind of travel — you need to leave now,” Kirby said. “This is not a good place for you to be in Russia, even if you are a working journalist. Russia is a hostile environment for American citizens right now. And it’s time to go if you’re there.”

The leaders of more than 30 news organizations around the world signed a letter Thursday to the Russian ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, demanding the release of imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

“Gershkovich is a journalist, not a spy, and should be released immediately and without conditions,” said the letter, spearheaded by the Committee to Protect Journalists, which was made public Friday.

The letter was signed by the leaders of the Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, TIME, Euronews, Bloomberg News, Sky News, The New Yorker, and The Economist, among many others.

“Gershkovich’s unwarranted and unjust arrest is a significant escalation in your government’s anti-press actions,” the letter said. “Russia is sending the message that journalism within your borders is criminalized and that foreign correspondents seeking to report from Russia do not enjoy the benefits of the rule of law.”

A representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists told CNN that the group had not received a response by Friday afternoon ET.

Gershkovich was arrested in Russia on suspicion of espionage, according to Russian authorities, the first time a US journalist has been detained on accusations by Moscow of spying since the Cold War.

In a Thursday statement, The Wall Street Journal said it “vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter.”

Almar Latour, the CEO of Dow Jones, which publishes The Wall Street Journal, condemned Russia’s arrest of Gershkovich in a memo to staffers Thursday, saying the company is working “around the clock” to secure his release.

“This is an incredibly disturbing development,” Latour said in a memo to staff obtained by CNN.

Given its close ties with Moscow, China could be one of the only countries that can have a “game-changer effect” on the war in Ukraine, a source from the French presidency told journalists during a briefing Friday.

The source spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing professional norms, ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China.

“It’s obvious that China is one of the few countries on Earth — maybe the only country in the world — to have a ‘game-changer’ effect on the conflict, for both sides,” the source said.

Macron’s upcoming visit to China will be a crucial opportunity for France and China to reconnect at the highest level after three years of China sealing itself off due to its strict zero-Covid policy, according to the source.

Macron will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday to start his visit, one day later than previously announced, and will also visit the southern city of Guangzhou before leaving China on April 8.

With meetings scheduled with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, Macron aims to “find a space so that we can try initiatives that are useful to the Ukrainian people and then to find a way to identify solutions to end this war in the medium term,” the source said.

He is also expected to bring up cooperation between the European Union and China, as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will accompany him on the visit. 

Von der Leyen will be in Paris on Monday to meet with Macron and prepare for the visit, according to the Élysée source. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a decree on a new version of the Russian Foreign Policy Concept, which lists the US as the main security threat to Russia and “the just development of mankind.” 

“Moscow considers Washington’s course as the main source of risks for its own and international security, for peace and the just development of mankind as a whole,” the document read. 

“The new concept of foreign policy provides for the possibility of symmetrical and asymmetric measures in response to unfriendly actions against the Russian Federation,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after presenting Putin with the updated doctrine. 

The 42-page document outlines the main objectives of Moscow’s foreign policy, among which are the strengthening of the military cooperation with allies and elimination of US dominance in world affairs.

The document made no direct mention of Ukraine even as Russia continues its full-scale invasion of the country, but did say that “Moscow is stepping up the process of registration within the framework of international law of its state border and jurisdiction over the territories it controls.” 

“The main goal in the near abroad is to turn the region into a zone of peace, good neighborliness and prosperity,” it continued.

According to the document, Moscow also sees “risks of aggravating conflicts involving large countries, as well as their escalation into a local or global war. The factor of strength increasingly determines relations between countries.”

Russia will also focus on deepening ties with India and China as well as increasing cooperation with Latin American countries. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the now famous street in Bucha where his country’s forces destroyed a column of Russian armored vehicles that were charging toward Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv.

Zelensky posted a video on his official Telegram account recounting the fighting on February 27, 2022, in Bucha. The Ukrainian victory of destroying the Russian vehicles was short-lived, as it gave way to a brutal month-long occupation in the town.

Friday marks one year since Ukrainian forces liberated Bucha, ending that occupation, and Zelensky reflected on the fighting there during his visit.

The president’s video shows the street shortly after it was liberated last year, flanked by damaged houses and littered with destroyed Russian military vehicles. More than 200 buildings had been damaged in the town, Zelensky said in his post.

CNN was among the first media outlets to gain access and visit the Kyiv suburb at this time, documenting the horrors there.

The video then shows Zelensky and Ukrainian leaders walking the street as it is now — clean, with refurbished houses. 

More on Zelensky’s visit: The Ukrainian president spoke at a ceremony marking the anniversary of Bucha’s liberation and toured the town speaking to residents.

“I talked to a resident of one of the houses, 85-year-old Hryhorii Zamohylnyi. He stayed in his house during the fighting and the occupation of Bucha,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

In the video, the Ukrainian president is shown speaking to an elderly couple.

“Little by little. Thank you so much for such a work, for returning (Bucha),” the woman says.

“Let the God give you health, let Ukraine prosper and flourish,” the man adds. “We are so grateful, all of us Bucha residents, for the work you did here.”

Senior Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has rejected Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s calls for an immediate ceasefire while Russian forces continue to occupy Ukrainian territory.

“Any ceasefire will mean [the Russian Federation’s] right to stay in the occupied territories. This is totally inadmissible,” Podolyak said. “[Ukraine] has the right to move troops and equipment on its territory as it deems necessary.”

Earlier on Friday, Lukashenko called for a freezing of “hostilities” in Ukraine, which the Kremlin rejected.

“It is necessary to stop hostilities and declare a truce that prohibits both sides from moving groups of troops and from transferring weapons, ammunition, manpower, and equipment,” Lukashenko said. “All stopped, frozen.”

The Kremlin said Moscow is aware of Lukashenko’s advice, adding it will “certainly be discussed” next week when Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lukashenko are scheduled to speak.

Lukashenko also said he has intensified talks with Putin about deploying both tactical and strategic — more powerful — nuclear weapons to deal with threats from Ukraine’s Western allies, who he claims are planning a coup against him.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko accused the West of “preparing to invade” Belarus from Poland, and welcomed Moscow’s move to station Russian tactical nuclear warheads in Belarus, saying the weapons are needed to safeguard the country.

In an address to the nation Friday, Lukashenko said he has intensified talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about deploying both tactical and strategic – more powerful - nuclear weapons to deal with threats from Ukraine’s western allies who he claims are planning a coup against him.

“If necessary, not only tactical but also strategic nuclear weapons will be introduced into Belarus,” he is quoted as saying by state media BELGA in his first comments since Putin announced plans to complete the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus by the beginning of July. 

He confirmed that Moscow has already transferred an Iskander short-range missile system, a device which can be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads, to Belarus.

“Our converted planes can also carry a nuclear warhead. You heard from the President of Russia about joint plans to create the appropriate infrastructure on the territory of Belarus. I just want to clarify: the entire infrastructure has been created and is ready,” he said.  

Lukashenko stressed that Minsk and Moscow would make “every effort and use the means to ensure their sovereignty and independence,” against Poland and its “zealous” western neighbors who he accused of building up the “formation of certain regiments, banners, legions,” for a “subsequent coup in Belarus.”

“At the same time, the transfer of NATO troops to the east is proceeding at an accelerated pace. The grouping of the bloc in Poland and the Baltic countries alone today has more than 21,000 military personnel, 250 tanks, almost 500 armored vehicles, about 150 aircraft and helicopters. And this whole armada is defiantly training near the borders of Belarus and Russia. The question is the same: why?” he said.

In response, the Belarusian military has been instructed to “immediately restore sites” in Belarus where intercontinental ballistic missile systems with nuclear warheads were previously located. “If necessary, Putin and I will decide and introduce strategic nuclear weapons here. And they must understand this, those who are trying to blow us up abroad today from inside and outside. We will stop at nothing, protecting our countries, our states and their peoples,” the Belarusian leader said, adding that he is “confident that these measures” will deter “overseas hawks and their satellites for a long time.”

President Biden was asked by CNN what his message to Russia is following the detainment of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

This is the first time Biden has publicly commented on the matter since Gershkovich was accused of espionage by Russian authorities Thursday.

Asked later by another reporter if the US would expel Russian diplomats or journalists over the detention of Gershkovich, Biden said, “That’s not the plan right now.” 

Later on Friday, US Vice President Kamala Harris said she was “deeply concerned” about Gershkovich.

“I will state in unequivocal terms that we will not tolerate and condemn, in fact, repression of journalists and that we are absolutely concerned about any attempt to in any way stifle freedom of the press,” Harris said in a press conference with Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema in Lusaka.

CNN’s Jasmine Wright contributed reporting to this post.

Ukraine will “punish every perpetrator” for the atrocities that happened in Bucha, the town just north of Kyiv where Russian forces allegedly committed war crimes last year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Friday marks exactly one year since Bucha was liberated, which Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin recalls, “was the first time we all saw evidence of the unprecedented scale of the enemy’s atrocities.”

Here are the other headlines:

The Kremlin has ruled out a truce in Ukraine proposed by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday.

“In the context of Ukraine, nothing changes. The special military operation continues because at the moment it is the only way to achieve the goals that our country faces,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in regular call with journalists.

Peskov said Moscow is aware of Lukashenko’s advice and said it will “certainly be discussed” next week, when Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lukashenko speak during a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State.

Earlier Friday, Lukashenko called for a freezing of “hostilities” in Ukraine.

“It is necessary to stop hostilities and declare a truce that prohibits both sides from moving groups of troops and from transferring weapons, ammunition, manpower, and equipment,” Lukashenko said. “All stopped, frozen.”

Accredited foreign journalists can continue to work in Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday, following the arrest of Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

His comments came in response to a question regarding a Thursday article from the Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal, which says: “The Biden Administration will have to consider diplomatic and political escalation.”

“Expelling Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., as well as all Russian journalists working here, would be the minimum to expect. The U.S. government’s first duty is to protect its citizens, and too many governments now believe they can arrest and imprison Americans with impunity,” it said.

Peskov was asked “how likely” it is that Russian journalists and Russia’s ambassador will be expelled from the United States.

“All foreign journalists who have valid accreditation here can and continue their journalistic activities in our country. They don’t face any restrictions and work fine,” Peskov replied.

“In this case, we are talking about espionage activities under the guise of journalistic activities. Since this journalist was caught red-handed, this situation is obvious,” he added.

The WSJ has categorically rejected those allegations, saying in a statement Thursday that it “vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter.”

Peskov continued: “In this regard, to demand the expulsion of all Russian journalists … Well, the newspaper can do it, but this should not be the case. There is simply no reason for this. If there are any violations of the law, going beyond the scope of activities provided for by law, yes. But it would be absurd and wrong to restrict the rights of conscientious journalists.”

He once again reiterated he was unable to expand his “red-handed” accusation, saying: “We do not have detailed information, it is classified. The FSB is handling this.”

The White House has called the Russian espionage charge “ridiculous.”

Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday. 

Golob told Zelensky that Slovenia will contribute to the post-war recovery of Ukraine, specifically the liberated city of Izium in the northeastern Kharkiv region, according to the Slovenian government’s Twitter account.

The Slovenian leader also discussed Ukraine’s path to joining the European Union and the NATO military alliance during a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, according to the Twitter account.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko called for a freezing of “hostilities” in Ukraine, and warned that Russia would have to use the full force of its military if the West were attempt to use a hypothetical pause in the war to encroach on its territory. 

“It is necessary to stop hostilities and declare a truce that prohibits both sides from moving groups of troops and from transferring weapons, ammunition, manpower, and equipment, Lukashenko said in an address to the nation Friday. “All stopped, frozen.”

But he warned Moscow would be obliged to use the “full power of its military-industrial complex and the army to prevent the escalation of the conflict – phosphorus ammunition, non-depleted uranium, and enriched uranium – everything must go into action if there is deception and even the slightest movement across the border of Ukraine is noticed.”

Lukashenko is a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his comments come amid heightened tensions in the region, with Russia amassing troops along the Belarus-Ukraine border in recent weeks.

The United States and its allies have expressed concern over the potential for further escalation in the conflict. 

Finland will formally join NATO in the “coming days,” Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday after lawmakers in Turkey – the last remaining hold-out among current members – approved its membership.

“All 30 NATO Allies have now ratified the accession protocol,” Stoltenberg said in a video posted to Twitter. 

Stoltenberg also sounded an optimistic note on Sweden’s chances of joining the alliance. Sweden and Finland submitted a joint application to NATO shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“All Allies agree that a rapid conclusion of the ratification process for Sweden will be in everyone’s interest,” he tweeted. “I look forward to also welcoming Sweden as a full member of the NATO family as soon as possible.”

However Turkey has not indicated whether it will approve Sweden’s NATO membership.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has previously said Turkey would not approve Sweden’s NATO membership unless the country extradites “terrorists” upon Turkish request.

Sweden has made clear this won’t happen and for now, the process is stuck.

Hungary is also holding out on Sweden’s membership bid. On Wednesday, Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said there was “an ample amount of grievances that need to be addressed” before Sweden’s bid would be ratified.

Writing in a blog, Kovács said that relations between the two countries “have been worn down over years,” which he said makes “bridging the gap more challenging.”

“We see the need to clear the air with Sweden in order to proceed,” he added.

Ukraine will “punish every perpetrator” for the atrocities committed in Bucha, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday. 

“Bucha and Bucha district. 33 days of occupation. More than 1,400 deaths, including 37 children. More than 175 people were found in mass graves and torture chambers,” said Zelensky in a Telegram post. 

“A symbol of the atrocities of the occupying country’s army. We will never forgive. We will punish every perpetrator.”

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said these were “horrifying figures” in a separate statement Friday.

“That was the first time we all saw evidence of the unprecedented scale of the enemy’s atrocities,” he said.

The prosecutor’s office has notified almost 100 Russian military officers on suspicion of committing war crimes in Bucha, with indictments against 35 already sent to court, according to the statement. 

“We will not stop until all organizers and perpetrators of war crimes are sentenced,” said Kostiin in the statement.

The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, also marked the anniversary in a tweet.

“A year has passed since the war crimes committed by Russian troops in #Bucha were revealed. I carry with me the horrendous images,” he said.

“The EU assists Ukraine to investigate such crimes and collect evidence. There will be no impunity.”

Russia’s armed forces are not planning for a second wave of mobilization and an upcoming military draft is part of a routine conscription program, officials announced Friday.

“I would like to assure you all that the plans of the General Staff do not include a second wave of mobilization,” said Vladimir Tsimlyansky, a representative of the General Staff of Russia’s armed forces, during a briefing about a spring draft campaign.

He added that the defense ministry has “enough” soldiers to fulfil its assigned tasks, and that conscripts will be sent only to points of permanent deployment within Russia.

Russia’s defense ministry routinely conscripts men for compulsory military service twice per year, in spring and the fall.

Conscription involves the selection and enlistment of young men into the military, while mobilization refers to the larger-scale process of calling up reservists and other military personnel in the event of an emergency or war.

The spring conscription, which was signed into effect by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, will apply to 147,000 citizens aged 18-27 and will take place from April 1 to July 15, according to an official document published by the government.

The Kremlin has consistently denied rumors of a possible second wave of mobilization in Russia.

The body lay across the street from Ivan Fedorov’s house for several days. Fedorov didn’t dare to go outside, so he never found out who the dead man was. All he knows is that he was a civilian.

“He was just a passer-by who got shot,” Fedorov told CNN.

At 90, Fedorov and his wife Iryna, 84, have spent their entire married life living in the same house on Yablunska Street in Bucha, the town just north of Kyiv that has become synonymous with Russian atrocities and alleged war crimes.

Their street — named after apple trees — was where the Ukrainian army found bodies of at least 20 civilians after liberating Bucha in early April. Some had their hands tied behind their backs.

A year has passed since Russian troops rolled in and the city is trying hard to move on from the horrors it endured. There’s construction work on every corner and the clean-up operation has almost finished. The residents, however, remain scarred.

Read the full report from Bucha here.

Three people were injured after Russia fired nine missiles at Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, Thursday night, according to the head of Kharkiv’s regional military administration.

“Last night, the enemy launched a missile attack on the Novobavarsky district of Kharkiv city,” Oleh Syniehubov, the head of Kharkiv’s regional military administration, said.
“As a result of the missile attack, 3 people were slightly injured. They did not need hospitalization.”

Syniehubov had previously said “at least six hits were recorded.”

“Civilian infrastructure and private residential buildings were damaged in Kharkiv. Some missiles hit the ground and exploded in the air,” Syniehubov added.

Ukraine on Friday marked the one-year anniversary of the liberation of Bucha, the town just north of Kyiv that has become synonymous with Russian atrocities and alleged war crimes.

Bucha was occupied by Russia for 33 days, during which time the population was “terrorized,” the town’s mayor Anatolii Fedoruk said on Telegram.

“For 33 days, the Bucha community was under occupation. Our villages — Blystavytsia, Syniak, Havrylivka, Zdvyzhivka, Lubianka, Myrotske — were the first to be hit,” Fedoruk said.
“For 28 days of occupation, the fierce enemy terrorized the civilian population of Bucha.”

Fedoruk described how “the days of occupation changed us forever inside,” adding that they “united us in the struggle for the most valuable things: freedom, our home and our loved ones.” 

Some context: According to the Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office, around 700 people died in the town of Bucha and around 1,400 in the Bucha district overall.

International investigators from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe concluded last July that atrocities committed by Russian troops in Bucha amounted to crimes against humanity and said there was “credible evidence” suggesting violations of “even the most fundamental human rights.” The experts said that photographic and video evidence “appear to show that Russian forces carried out targeted, organized killings of civilians in Bucha.”

The Russian government has consistently denied the accusations and claimed the images were “a hoax.”

Multiple rocket attacks hit the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia Friday, damaging several buildings, according to a statement from Zaporizhzhia’s Regional Military Administration.

The military administration said rockets hit the regional center and suburbs. There were no casualties but civil and residential buildings were damaged by the blast wave, according to the statement. 

“Civilian buildings were damaged. A fire broke out in a private home, and the resulting blast wave damaged nearby houses,” the statement said. 

First responders are at the scene to help mitigate the damage caused by the strike, the statement added.

Lesya Belinska is proud of her son. She stands next to Roman Belinsky at her home and hugs him with one arm. Belinsky waves her away, embarrassed.

Belinsky’s face is badly disfigured from a serious combat injury. The 42-year-old was discharged from duty recently, but still wears his army uniform.

“I am proud because you didn’t run and hide. You must be born with that. I am proud of my son and all his boys. If not for this, the Russians will destroy us,” his mother says.

Belinsky says he volunteered for a Ukrainian mechanized infantry brigade in 2020. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, it was one of the first groups to see combat.

In May, Belinsky and his brigade defended Huliaipole, in central Ukraine – the Russians threw everything at them, he said.

Field surgeons saved his life, he says. But what followed were months of painful and increasingly technical operations to try to put Belinsky’s skull and face back together.

Read the full story here.

Ukraine has decided to boycott Olympic qualifying events in which Russians are competing for the Paris 2024 Games.

It comes after International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach outlined new guidelines on Tuesday that would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals, paving the way for their participation.

In a televised interview on Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne on Thursday Oleh Nemchinov, the Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, acknowledged that the decision means some Ukrainian athletes will miss their chance to participate in the Games.

“You know, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” he said, when he asked what will happen to the Ukrainian athletes. He added that while this decision might impact the athletes careers, ultimately “you and your children’s lives will be saved.”

“Yesterday, I attended another funeral of a good acquaintance of mine, who gave more than 20 years to athletics and died in the Kharkiv area. He left behind three children. He volunteered for his second war. And he wasn’t a canteen cook, let’s put it that way. That is, he was serving in combat units,” Nemchinov said.

Ukrainian skeleton star and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych told CNN on Wednesday that the IOC’s decision to allow Russian and Belarussian athletes to participate in international competitions comes as “a slap in the face, not only to Ukrainian athletes but to all Ukraine and all Ukrainians.”

But Heraskevych also told CNN that boycotting Paris 2024 Games should be up to athletes and that “athletes should decide their own road.”

Russia will assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council Saturday as part of the position’s regularly scheduled rotation of countries, despite fierce criticism from many of the alliance’s members over its invasion of Ukraine.

The United States and 44 other countries in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Thursday invoked a special mechanism to investigate alleged human rights violations by Russia during its war in Ukraine, “particularly with regard to the forced transfer and deportation of children.”

Here are the other latest developments:

Wall Street Journal reporter and US national Evan Gershkovich was detained in Russia on suspicion of “espionage” and placed under arrest until May 29, according to a Moscow court Thursday. It comes amid a crackdown in Russia on independent journalists and foreign news outlets in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

The US State Department is tasked with officially determining if Americans are detained wrongfully abroad.

Here’s what we know so far:

Local monitoring groups reported two explosions in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia just after midnight local time Friday (5 p.m. ET Thursday).

As sirens blared in the city, the Ukrainian Secretary of the Zaporizhzhia City Council Anatolii Kurtiev urged residents on Telegram to immediately head to shelters and stay there.

The head of a Russian-installed governing council in occupied parts of the Zaporizhzhia region also reported explosions.

“It’s loud in Zaporizhzhia!” the Russia-backed official, Vladimir Rogov, said on his Telegram channel.

Rogov said “several explosions were heard in the regional center.”

Despite fierce criticism from many of the alliance’s members over its invasion of Ukraine, Russia will assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council Saturday as part of the position’s regularly scheduled rotation of countries.

In condemning Russia’s assumption of the post, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba noted Saturday is April 1, and called it the worst kind of “April Fool’s Day joke.”

Kuleba made the remarks Thursday in a conversation hosted by the policy institute Chatham House.

“The country which systematically violates all fundamental rules of international security is presiding over a body whose only mission is to safeguard and protect international security,” Kuleba said.

The foreign minister downplayed Moscow’s ability to wield significant power during the course of its presidency, though.

“I don’t think Russia will be able to change the balance inside the UN Security Council during its presidency. It will try to abuse its rights of the presidency to push its own narratives, but I doubt they will be able to secure the sufficient number of votes to make the council adopt decisions,” Kuleba continued.

The foreign minister also said he expects the other members of the UNSC, both permanent and non-permanent, to “corner Russia as much as they can within existing procedures and rules during its presidency, not allow it to abuse the UNSC rules and to continue pushing the narratives which tell the truth about this war that Russia is conducting.”

Why this is happening: The presidency of the Security Council is held by each member in turn for one month, following the English alphabetical order of the member states’ names. The council requires consensus to adopt most decisions, regardless of which country sits at the head of its meetings. You can read more about how it functions here.

Turkey has finally approved Finland’s application to join NATO, putting an end to months of delays while also continuing to block Sweden from joining the military alliance.

The Turkish Parliament voted unanimously in favor of Finland’s membership on Thursday, clearing the last hurdle in the accession process.

The vote fulfills Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “promise” to allow Finland in the defense alliance. Turkey was the last NATO member to approve Finland’s accession, although Hungary only did so on Monday.

In a statement after the vote, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said his country is “now ready to join NATO.”

“All 30 NATO members have now ratified Finland’s membership. I want to thank every one of them for their trust and support,” he also said. “Finland will be a strong and capable ally, committed to the security of the Alliance.”

“We look forward to welcoming Sweden to join us as soon as possible,” the Finnish president added.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also hailed the decision. “I welcome the vote of the Grand National Assembly of #Türkiye to complete the ratification of #Finland’s accession. This will make the whole #NATO family stronger & safer,” Stoltenberg said in a tweet.

Read more here.

Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker told staff in a memo Thursday that she was “very concerned” for the safety of Russia-based reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested Wednesday by security forces in the city of Yekaterinburg.

“I am very sorry to let you know you that one of our reporters Evan Gershkovich was yesterday detained outside Moscow according to a statement put out by the Russian security services,” Tucker wrote in a memo to newspaper staff at 5:11 am ET and later obtained by CNN.

Gershkovich was arrested in Russia on suspicion of espionage, the first time a US journalist has been detained on accusations by Moscow of spying since the Cold War.

In a statement, the Wall Street Journal said it “vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich.”

“We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family,” the newspaper said. A person familiar tells CNN that the Journal is in contact with the family about the matter.

Read more here.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has blasted some European governments as “deplorable” for what he calls their “negative reactions” to the organization’s stance on Russia.

Bach’s comments came in a press conference Thursday on the final day of a three-day meeting by the IOC’s executive board at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland. He didn’t name the countries he was specifically referencing in his opening remarks.

“It is deplorable to see that some governments do not want to respect the majority within the Olympic movement and of all the stakeholders, nor the autonomy of the sport which they are appraising and requesting from other countries in countless speeches, UN resolutions, European Union declarations and at every other opportunity,” Bach said.

It had been announced Tuesday that a decision had not been made on whether athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport would be eligible to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and that remained the case on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the executive board also issued a recommendation to international federations and sports event organizers with six points, which included having athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport compete as neutrals, while athletes who “actively support the war” cannot compete.

Read more here.