After weeks of grueling siege, the evacuation of the soldiers barricaded in the steel mill-bunker of Mariupol in Ukraine begins. The Russian Defense Ministry has announced a temporary ceasefire to allow wounded soldiers to exit through the humanitarian corridors.

"To save lives, the entire Mariupol garrison is implementing the decision approved by the Supreme Military Command", the battalion commander, Denis Prokopenko confirmed in a video message broadcast in the evening on social media, recalling that his forces "rejected the forces. crushing of the enemy for 82 days and allowed the Ukrainian army to reorganize ".

The corridors will have to lead the wounded to Novoazovsk , east of Mariupol , in the territory controlled by the separatists, while Kiev continues to press for the mediation of Turkey, which has again said it is ready to evacuate the military with a ship from the nearby port of Berdyansk to Istanbul.

Meanwhile, after Finland, Sweden too announces that it will apply for NATO membership . Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said so.

A news that "does not worry" Vladimir Putin , according to which "the expansion of NATO is artificial". “Russia has no problems with Finland and Sweden, their possible NATO membership does not create threats for Moscow. But there will be an answer, and it depends on how NATO expands its infrastructure ”.

Putin also attacked Ukraine, which " made its Nazis national heroes ", and the West, which "turns a blind eye to the rampant neo-Nazism that has long been seen in Ukraine".

McDonald's also leaves Russia and puts all its businesses in the country up for sale. And again - due to the opposition of Hungary - the embargo on Russian oil by the European Union with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba making himself heard: "I cannot believe that the sixth package of sanctions is approved without the oil embargo, the question now is when will it be approved. We are disappointed ”.

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The day by the hour:

A fourth mass grave found in Mariupol

A fourth mass grave emerges in Mariupol, near the central cemetery of the city. This was reported by Radio Svoboda, which analyzed satellite photos of the American company Maxar starting from a recent complaint by the mayor's adviser Petro Andrushchenko. The mass burial appears to consist of two trenches, one of which is over 30 meters long, which would have been dug as early as the beginning of March.

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Borrell: "We will not recognize a square kilometer taken from Moscow"

"We will not recognize a square kilometer of Ukrainian land taken from Russia. We will not allow any part of Ukraine to be claimed" by Moscow. This was underlined by the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell at the end of the meeting of the foreign ministers of the 27. "We have three tests to overcome: war, resilience and international legitimacy", he added.

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Kuleba: "No oil embargo from the EU, we are disappointed"

"I cannot believe that the sixth sanctions package is approved without the oil embargo, the question now is when it will be approved. We are disappointed that it has not been adopted but it is up to the European Union to deal with the Hungarian authorities, because it is of a family matter ". This was stated by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Brussels, on the occasion of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

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EU: "There is a way to pay for Russian gas without violating sanctions"

"The payment procedure provided for by the Russian decree of 31 March would violate EU sanctions, but there are options available for companies to continue paying for gas in euros or dollars in line with agreed contracts". A spokesman for the EU Commission underlines this in an interpretative note of the guidelines for companies on Russian gas. Opening a bank account with Gazprombank does not violate the sanctions, as long as the account is not in rubles. Traders should clearly state that they intend to fulfill their obligations under existing contracts and consider them fulfilled by paying in euros or dollars.

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Orban: "Ok to sanctions if they don't threaten energy security"

"Europe today has no means to deal with the conflict" in Ukraine. "On paper it is possible that sanctions could bring Russia to its knees, but as much as I try to remember, an effective continental blockade does not come to mind. On the other hand, I have seen how those who introduced it failed." This was stated by the Hungarian premier, Viktor Orban, in his inauguration speech. Hungary will not block "EU sanctions as long as they do not represent a risk to Hungarian energy security" Orban reiterated, explaining that "the war in Ukraine will last for a long time and will represent a permanent risk for the country's security".

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Sweden will apply for NATO membership

Sweden will officially apply for NATO membership. This was announced by Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.

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Moscow: "Agreement for the evacuation of the injured from Azovstal"

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that a truce has been reached with Kiev for the evacuations of Ukrainian wounded from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. Interfax reports it.

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Putin: "Biological weapons close to our borders"

"During the special operation in Ukraine, documented evidence was obtained that testifies to the fact that biological weapons laboratories were created near our borders." This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin quoted by the Russian agency Tass.

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Putin: "NATO expansionism does not worry us"

"The expansion of NATO is artificial". This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin quoted by the Russian agency Tass. "Russia has no problems with Finland and Sweden, their possible NATO membership does not create any threats for Moscow," Putin added. "Our answer will depend on how NATO expands its infrastructure."

"There are extremists in all countries, yet Ukraine has made its Nazis national heroes," he added. "Rampant neo-Nazism has long been observed in Ukraine, the West turns a blind eye to this."

"Ten Azovstal fighters have surrendered"

Ten Ukrainian fighters stranded on the ground of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol would have surrendered to the forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). This was stated by Alexander Khodakovsky, commander of a unit of the internal forces of the DPR. "The first ten soldiers carrying white flags came out of a tunnel," wrote Khodakovsky on Telegram quoted by the Russian agency Interfax.

This morning the adviser of the mayor of Mariupol Petro Andryushchenko denied the surrender of some fighters of the steel mill.

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Kuleba to the EU: "Russian oil embargo"

"I started my visit to Brussels to push for the sixth EU sanctions package on Russia which must include an oil embargo". Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba writes on Twitter. "I will also focus on supplying other weapons and granting Ukraine EU candidate status. We believe Ukraine deserves individual and merit-based evaluation," he added.

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McDonald's leaves Russia

McDonald's exits Russia with the full sale of its assets to a local buyer following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Bloomberg reports it. Locals will no longer use the McDonald's name, logo, brand name.

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Kiev: "At least 27,700 Russian soldiers killed"

At least 27,700 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the invasion began, according to the Kiev army. In its update on the losses suffered by Moscow so far, the army indicates that after 82 days of conflict there are also 200 fighters, 165 helicopters and 427 drones shot down. In addition, the Kiev forces claim to have destroyed 1,228 Russian tanks, 577 pieces of artillery, 2,974 armored vehicles for transporting troops, 97 cruise missiles, 195 rocket launchers, 13 ships, 2,101 vehicles and tankers for the transport of fuel, 89 anti-aircraft defense units and 42 special equipment units.

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The requisitioned monastery in Mariupol is the seat of the Republic of Donetsk

The monastery of the Order of Saint Paul the first hermit in Mariupol where the Pauline fathers lived and served, was seized by the Russians and became the seat of the local administration of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic. The administration was established in late March. But only now has it been known that his seat is housed in the Catholic monastery. To give the news Father Pavlo Tomaszewski, the Pauline parish priest of the parish of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Mariupol, with a post on Facebook, taken up by the Sir agency.

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Missiles on the Odessa region, a child among the wounded

Russian troops are launching missile attacks on the Odessa region, including attacks on a bridge over the Dniester estuary. The Ukrainska Pravda reports, quoting local media, and specifying that in the attack, which damaged a recreation center, two adults and a small child were injured, which is serious.

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Moscow: "No preparations for Putin-Biden talks"

Russia and the United States are not making arrangements for talks between the leaders of their respective countries, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, or between their heads of diplomacy Sergey Lavrov and Anthony Blinken, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said today. . Tass reports it. "No" such preparations are underway, Ryabkov said.

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Moscow to NATO: "We will not stand the accession of Sweden and Finland"

NATO "must not be under any illusions" that Russia can tolerate the accession of Sweden and Finland to the Alliance. This was stated by the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, quoted by the Interfax agency. "How we guarantee our security ... will depend on the practical consequences" of the planned admission of Finland and Sweden to NATO, he said.

Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Ryabkov said that "the general level of military tensions will increase and there will be less predictability in this area. It is a shame that common sense is sacrificed to an elusive idea of ​​what should be done in the current circumstances. ". "This is another serious mistake with far-reaching consequences. Well, this is the level of those who make the respective decisions in their respective countries," he added.

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Moscow, Renault activities in Russia pass to the state

The activities of the French carmaker Renault in Russia are now owned by the Russian state: the Moscow Ministry of Industry and Commerce announced in a statement. The announcement follows Renault's withdrawal from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. "Agreements have been signed for the transfer of Russian assets from the Renault group to the Russian Federation and the Moscow government," the ministry said in the statement.

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Kiev, the death toll of children rises to 229

The toll of children killed since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine rises to 229. This was reported by the Ukrainian Public Prosecutor's Office on Telegram, specifying that 421 minors were injured.

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Sirens and explosions in Mykolaiv

Explosions were heard in Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine this morning. Ukrinform reports it citing the mayor Alexander Senkevich. "Explosions are heard in Mykolaiv", writes the mayor on Telegram, inviting citizens to stay in shelters. At 5.19 am the air alarm sounded in the city.

(Unioneonline)

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