The bodies of more than 900 Ukrainian citizens were found in the Kiev region after the withdrawal of Russian forces, according to a local police chief. Andriy Nebytov, head of the Kyiv regional police force, said the bodies had been abandoned on the streets or temporarily buried. He said 95 percent had died from gunfire. “Therefore, we understand that people were just executed in the streets,” Mr Nebitov told reporters, adding that more bodies were found every day. Meanwhile, an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry claimed that the captain of the Russian warship Moskva had died in an alleged rocket attack that sank it this week. “First Captain Άν Anton Kuprin died during the explosion and fire on the ship,” Anton Gerastshenko wrote in the Telegram. Ukraine says its army successfully struck the flagship on Wednesday, but the Russian Defense Ministry insists the fire on the ship and “stormy sea conditions” are responsible for its sinking.

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ICYMI: Psaki steps back on Biden trip to Ukraine: “We are not sending the president”

President Joe Biden may say he is ready to visit Ukraine, but White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said he would not be leaving soon. On Thursday, Biden told reporters that he and his advisers had not yet decided whether to send a high-level envoy to Ukraine as a sign of support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine’s efforts to overthrow the Russian invasion. Asked if he was ready to make the trip himself, Biden replied: “Yes.” But Ms. Psaki poured cold water on the idea of ​​a presidential trip to Kyiv hours later, when she appeared in a theater in Washington, DC for a live filming of the Pod Save America podcast. Andrew Feinberg has the details. Joe Middleton April 15, 2022 10:27 PM 1650056488

The captain of the sunken Russian warship Moskva “was killed in an explosion”, says Ukraine

The captain of a Russian warship that sank in the Black Sea died in an explosion after a rocket attack, according to Ukrainian authorities. The first captain Anton Kuprin, 44, died during an “explosion and fire in Moskva”, said Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, in the application Messenger Telegram. The flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet sank on Thursday while being towed to a port in stormy weather conditions after an explosion and fire on the ship, according to Russian news agencies, citing the Ministry of Defense. Moscow had earlier claimed that the crew of 500 people aboard the Soviet-era cruiser had been evacuated after the ship’s ammunition exploded, setting it on fire. However, the United States has confirmed Ukraine’s claim that it hit the warship with two Neptune anti-ship missiles. Joe Middleton April 15, 2022 10:01 PM 1650055207

A Russian state television presenter says the war in Ukraine “has already escalated into World War III.”

A Russian state television presenter says the war in Ukraine “has already escalated into World War III.” Joe Middleton April 15, 2022 9:40 p.m. 1650054044

Dozens in Sevastopol mourn the sinking of the Russian missile cruiser Moskva

Dozens of people gathered in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on Friday to mourn the sinking of the Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship, a symbol of hope, rebirth and strength until his death, which the crowd heard. Others hugged and others laid flowers in memory of the Moskva cruise missile at a monument to the founding of the Russian Navy in 1696 in the center of Sevastopol, the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet. Moscow said the ship sank while being towed into a stormy sea after a fire caused by an ammunition explosion. Ukraine said one of its missiles had sunk it. “Even for those who have not been to it, Moscow was a symbol for all, a symbol of our strength, our hope, the revival of the fleet in the 1990s,” after the collapse of the Soviet Union, said reserve captain Sergei Gorbachev. , who spoke to the crowd in his navy uniform. “There will be victories, there will be tragedies, but the memory remains,” Gorbachev said. The crowd, which included a number of people who served on the ship, stood in silence. Some wore the ribbon of St. George, a symbol of the Russian army. “The loss of every ship, especially a flagship, is a tragedy for all these tens of thousands of people who have served there for more than 20 years,” said Rev. Georgy Plogyakov. Joe Middleton April 15, 2022 9:20 p.m. 1650052592

Watch: Zelensky accuses EU of buying Russian oil, making “blood money”

Zelensky accuses European countries of buying Russian oil of making “blood money” Sam Hancock April 15, 2022 8:56 p.m. 1650051374

Russia warns US not to arm Ukraine: ‘There will be consequences’

Russia has warned the United States that there will be “unforeseen consequences” if Washington continues to supply arms to Ukraine, the Washington Post reported on Friday. In Moscow, a State Department spokesman confirmed that Russia had sent diplomatic notes to the United States and other nations about arms supplies to Ukraine, but did not say what the messages contained, according to Interfax news agency. “We call on the United States and its allies to stop the irresponsible militarization of Ukraine, which has unintended consequences for regional and international security,” the Post quoted Russia as saying in a White House statement. It came as US President Joe Biden approved a dramatic expansion of the range of weapons supplied to Ukraine, including a $ 800 million (12 612.3 million) package of 155mm shells – a major upgrade to long-range artillery for fits Russian systems – coastal defense drones and armored vehicles, as well as additional portable anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons and millions of cartridges. The United States has also facilitated a shipment of long-range air defense systems to Ukraine, including a shipment of Russian-made S-300 launchers from Slovakia, in which Ukrainian forces have already been trained. Sam Hancock April 15, 2022 8:36 p.m. 1650050515

In the photo: This latest graphic shows the extent of the Russian war in Ukraine

This map shows the extent of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (Press Association Pictures) Sam Hancock April 15, 2022 8:21 PM 1650049509

Putin attacks Ukrainian anti-ship missile plant after Moscow sinking

A day after Russia lost its flagship missile cruiser Moskva, its Defense Ministry threatened Ukraine with intensifying attacks and claimed to have hit a ship-laden missile plant on the outskirts of Kiev. “High-precision, long-range, sea-based Kalibr missiles attacked a military installation on the outskirts of Kiev,” said Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. Witnesses reported some of the strongest explosions in the capital since Russian forces withdrew from the area two weeks ago, write Namita Singh and Alastair Jamieson. Sam Hancock April 15, 2022 8:05 PM 1650048714

Seven dead in Kharkov from Russian bombing – governor

Seven people were reportedly killed today after a Russian bombardment hit a residential area, local media reported. Oleh Synyehubov, Kharkiv’s regional governor, said today that seven people, including a small child, had been killed and 34 wounded in airstrikes. Eastern Europe Nexta TV reports: Sam Hancock April 15, 2022 7:51 p.m. 1650047973

Watch: Holocaust survivor sends message of hope to Ukrainian refugees

Holocaust survivor in Good Morning Britain sends message of hope to Ukrainian refugees Sam Hancock April 15, 2022 7:39 p.m.