Ukraine: Latest developments you need to know

Russia invaded Ukraine exactly seven weeks ago after diplomatic talks between the duo had reached an impasse.

The war has been couched “genocide” by world powers, following seething reports of “war crimes” perpetrated by the Russian troops in key cities within the Ukrainian territory.

Here are some latest developments in the war in Ukraine:

– Russian flagship ‘seriously damaged’ –

The Russian navy’s Black Sea flagship is “seriously damaged” by an ammunition explosion, state media says.

A Ukrainian government official claims the vessel was hit by the country’s missiles.

The “Moskva” gained notoriety early in the war when it called on Ukrainian border troops defending the strategic Snake Island to surrender, only to be defiantly refused.

US unveils $800m new aid to Ukraine –

The United States unveils a major new package of aid to Ukraine, including equipment such as helicopters, howitzers and armoured personnel carriers.

The package includes equipment Washington had previously refused to provide to Kyiv for fear of escalating the conflict with nuclear-armed Russia.

– Ukraine a ‘crime scene’ –

“Ukraine is a crime scene,” the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor says on a visit to the town of Bucha west of Kyiv, one of several towns where Russia is accused of massacring civilians.

Prosecutor Karim Khan says there are “reasonable grounds to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the court are being committed”.

The ICC investigates allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression.

– Russia committing ‘genocide’ –

US President Joe Biden accuses Russian forces – for the first time – of committing genocide in Ukraine.

“It’s become clearer and clearer that (President Vladimir) Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being able to be a Ukrainian,” he tells reporters.

– Biden assures Zelensky of support –

President Joe Biden has called Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to assure him of “ongoing US support” for Kyiv, the White House says.

Zelensky tweets they discussed an “additional package of defensive and possible macro-financial aid” worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

– Russia threatens Kyiv –

The Russian military threatens to strike Ukraine’s command centres in Kyiv as “we are seeing Ukrainian troops’ attempts to carry out sabotage and strike Russian territory,” Moscow’s defence ministry says.

“If such cases continue, the Russian armed forces will strike decision-making centres, including in Kyiv,” the ministry states.

– Le Pen for NATO-Moscow rapprochement –

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen says she will back closer ties between NATO and Russia and pull Paris out of the alliance’s military command if elected president in an April 24 runoff with Emmanuel Macron.

Following accusations she is too close to Vladimir Putin, Le Pen said a “strategic rapprochement” is needed and questions need to be asked about the role of the alliance after the end of the Warsaw Pact.

– Ceasefire seems impossible: UN –

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says a “global ceasefire doesn’t seem possible”, indicating the UN is still waiting for answers from Russia to concrete proposals for evacuating civilians and delivering aid.

“That was our appeal for humanitarian reasons, but it doesn’t seem possible,” said Guterres.

– Polish, Baltic leaders in Kyiv –

The leaders of Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania travel to Kyiv together by train to show support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier says he had planned to join them but was told by Kyiv he was “not wanted”, with a top aide to Zelensky saying Kyiv wants German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to visit instead.