Ukrainian officials have condemned Russia’s missile attack on Kyiv Thursday night, saying it occurred as the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was finishing a visit to the Ukrainian capital.
Here are the latest updates on the war in Ukraine:
- UN chief's visit: President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his daily video message, said "Russian missiles flew into the city" immediately after the end of talks with Guterres in Kyiv. He called for a "powerful response." Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's minister of foreign affairs, called the missile strikes a "heinous act of barbarism." It came after the UN chief met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. The UN is urging for evacuation corridors in the besieged city of Mariupol.
- Russia making "slow and uneven" progress: Russian forces have made some progress in Moscow's renewed assault on eastern Ukraine, according to US and NATO officials, as their military tries to fix the myriad problems that plagued the early weeks of the invasion. The US has seen "some evidence" of improvement in Russia's ability to combine air and ground operations, as well as its capacity for resupplying forces in the field, officials say.
- Soldiers behind Bucha killings "identified": Zelensky said 10 Russian service members have been identified as suspects in the “crimes committed against our people in Bucha." The investigation into crimes committed by the Russian military is underway, Zelensky said, adding the 10 soldiers are from the "64th motorized rifle brigade of the Russian Ground Forces."
- American killed fighting in Ukraine: An American citizen, Willy Joseph Cancel, was killed Monday fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, his family told CNN. The 22-year-old was working with a private military contracting company. "He wanted to go over because he believed in what Ukraine was fighting for, and he wanted to be a part of it to contain it there so it didn't come here, and that maybe our American soldiers wouldn't have to be involved in it," his mother, Rebecca Cabrera, told CNN.
- Orphaned girl reunited with grandfather: 12-year-old Kira Obedinsky, who was orphaned by war and taken from her hometown of Mariupol to a hospital in a Russian-controlled area of eastern Ukraine in early in March has been reunited with her grandfather. He was initially told she would eventually be sent to an orphanage in Russia. Their reunion, more than a month after they had last seen each other, was orchestrated by negotiators from Ukraine and Russia.
- Russia trying to eradicate Ukrainian identity: Occupying Russian forces in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson are trying to extend their grip over the area. In recent days the Russians have appointed their own officials to run Kherson, replacing elected Ukrainian officials. On Thursday one of those newly installed officials said Kherson would begin to use the ruble from next week, replacing the Ukrainian currency, the hryvnia. Additionally, Russian television channels have taken the place of Ukrainian networks.
- US seeks more money for Ukraine: The Biden administration is sending a $33 billion supplemental funding request to Congress aimed at supporting Ukraine through a new phase over the next several months. It includes funding for security, economic, and humanitarian aid. "We need this bill to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom," Biden said.
