Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:
– Safe passage from steel plant starts –
An operation is under way for civilians to leave the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, a UN spokesman says.
“UN confirms that a safe passage operation is ongoing in Azovstal steel plant, in coordination with the ICRC and the parties to the conflict,” says spokesman Jens Laerke.
Russian news agencies report 40 people left the plant while the Russian defence ministry says nearly 50 civilians had left a day earlier.
– Pelosi backs Zelensky –
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi voices support for Ukraine’s “fight for freedom” at a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on a visit to Kyiv, US and Ukrainian officials say.
“We believe that we are visiting you to say thank you for your fight for freedom… Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done,” Pelosi tells Zelensky.
– Angelina Jolie visits Lviv –
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie makes a surprise appearance in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv where she meets displaced people and is spotted in a cafe.
Jolie also visited injured children at a hospital and spoke to volunteers.
The actress is a UNHCR special envoy but it was not known if she was visiting the country in that capacity.
– Turkey spokesman meets Zelensky –
Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin has met Zelensky in Kyiv, his office says.
There were no immediate details about the content of Kalin’s meeting, but Ankara has been mediating between Ukraine and Russia in efforts to end the war.
– Germany slashes Russia reliance –
Germany says it has made progress in sharply reducing its reliance on Russian energy, a strategic shift Europe’s biggest economy has embarked on since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Russian supplies now make up 12 percent of Germany’s oil imports compared to 35 percent previously, the economy ministry says.
Coal from Russia has also been slashed to eight percent compared to 45 percent of Germany’s purchases previously, it added in a statement.
– Missile hits Odessa airport –
A Russian missile destroys the runway at Odessa airport in southern Ukraine but there are no victims, the regional governor Maxim Marchenko says on his Telegram account.
– Russia could seize assets –
Moscow suggests it could seize the Russia-based assets of countries it deems hostile in retaliation for a US proposal to sell off Russian oligarchs’ assets and pay the proceeds to Ukraine.
“As far as companies based in Russian territory are concerned whose owners are citizens of hostile countries and where the decision has been taken” to seize Russian assets, “it is fair to take reciprocal measures and confiscate assets,” says the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin.
– Russian plane enters Swedish airspace –
A Russian reconnaissance plane briefly violated Sweden’s airspace, Swedish defence officials say, as the Scandinavian country ponders a bid for NATO membership after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
– 13 million uprooted –
More than 5.4 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia invaded two months ago, with tens of thousands joining their ranks every day, the United Nations says.
Beyond the refugees, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates more than 7.7 million people have been displaced within Ukraine, meaning that more than 13 million people overall have been uprooted by the conflict.
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