(Reuters) – The flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet was seriously damaged and its crew evacuated on Thursday, following an explosion on board that Ukraine said was caused by a missile strike.
FIGHTING
* Ukraine towns of Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka are likely to be targeted by Russia for levels of violence seen in other urban centres since Moscow invaded, British military intelligence says.
* Russian television broadcasts clips of what it says is the surrender in the besieged port of Mariupol showing unarmed men in military fatigues walking with their hands up towards masked soldiers.
* Ukraine says nine humanitarian corridors have been agreed for Thursday to evacuate civilians from eastern cities including Mariupol, if occupying Russian forces stop shelling.
* Analysts say Russia beefing up forces for a new assault in eastern Donbas region, setting the stage for a protracted battle certain to inflict heavy losses on both sides.
* The mayor of the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest, said bombings had increased significantly.
DIPLOMACY
* U.S. President Biden said for the first time that Russia’s invasion amounts to genocide.
* A mission of experts set up by Organization for Security and Cooperation and Europe nations has found evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Russia in Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians.
* Senior U.S. officials are weighing whether to send a top cabinet member such as Secretary of State Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd to Kyiv in a show of solidarity, a source familiar with the situation said.
* Australia imposed targeted financial sanctions on 14 Russian state-owned enterprises.
* Fiji police investigate arrival of a superyacht suspected of being owned by sanctioned billionaire Suleiman Kerimov.
ECONOMY AND BUSINESS
* Russia can easily redirect energy exports away from the West to countries that really need them while increasing domestic consumption of oil, gas and coal, President Vladimir Putin said.
* Britain said it had imposed new sanctions on 206 individuals in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
QUOTES
“We did not want this … forgive us,” said a message written on a wall of a house in the village of Lubianka northwest of Kyiv that had been occupied by Russian forces.
(Compiled by Stephen Coates; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
