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KYIV, Ukraine — Russia stepped up its assaults on eastern and southern Ukraine, and President Vladimir Putin threatened "lightning-fast" retaliation against any Western countries that intervene on Ukraine's behalf.
"The enemy is increasing the pace of the offensive operation. The Russian occupiers are exerting intense fire in almost all directions," Ukraine's military command said.
European leaders denounced Russia's attempt to "blackmail" Ukraine's allies over gas supplies as Western sanctions batter the Russian economy.
Fighting
- Ukraine fired three rockets at the center of the southern city of Kherson, but Russian occupying forces shot down two of them, RIA news agency cited a security source as saying.
- A Ukrainian soldier holed up in a steelworks in Mariupol said his forces would fight for as long as needed and he urged world leaders to find a way to save civilians and the hundreds of troops trapped in Russia's "medieval" siege.
- Russian forces used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse a pro-Ukraine rally in the occupied city of Kherson, Ukraine's prosecutor general said, as Moscow tightened its grip over the southern region.
- Western countries are openly calling on Ukraine to attack Russia and the West should take Moscow seriously when it says strikes on Russian territory will lead to a response, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
Reports of battlefield developments could not be immediately verified by Reuters.
Diplomacy
- Canadian lawmakers voted unanimously to call Russia's attacks in Ukraine a "genocide," with members of parliament saying there was "ample evidence of systemic and massive war crimes against humanity."
- Ukraine's lead negotiator said no agreement had been reached for the Ukrainian and Russian presidents to discuss the war despite efforts by Turkey to arrange talks.
Human and economic impact
- U.S. President Joe Biden announced Thursday he is asking Congress for an additional $33 billion to help Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion, a big boost in U.S. efforts to bolster Kyiv.
- The bodies of 1,150 civilians have been recovered in Ukraine's Kyiv region since Russia's invasion and 50-70% of them have bullet wounds from small arms, Kyiv police said.
- Real disposable incomes in Russia dropped 27.8% in the first quarter of 2022, the official statistics service said, pointing to a slide in purchasing power since the Ukraine conflict began.
- A number of Ukrainian cities plan to rename streets and squares associated with Russia under a process of "derussification" following Moscow's invasion.
Quotes
"The situation is difficult, but we're going to battle and fight for as long as we have to." Capt. Sviatoslav Palamar, a deputy commander in Ukraine's Azov Regiment, from the besieged steelworks in Mariupol.
