Russia using barges to protect key Black Sea port
Russia is using barges to protect its key Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, according to the latest update from the Ministry of Defence.
Satellite images show Russia has positioned four barges at the opening of Novorossiysk port, narrowing the entrance gap to the facilities.
“This is an effort to enhance the defences of the port against attacks from Ukrainian Uncrewed Surface Vessels,” the MoD said.
Following a series of successful Ukrainian strikes on the port city of Sevastopol, Novorossiysk now serves a crucial role in sheltering the Black Sea Fleet’s most valuable assets.
05:00 PM BST
That’s all for today
Thank you for following our coverage. The latest updates from the day were:
Russia is using barges to protect its key Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
The Russian air force conducted a massive strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and the gas industry.
A Russian cruise missile strike on infrastructure in Ukraine’s western Lviv region killed one man, while another died in an attack in the northeast, officials said.
France said it will deliver hundreds of old armoured vehicles and new surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Vladimir Putin signed a decree setting out the routine spring conscription campaign, calling up 150,000 citizens for statutory military service.
Ukrainian shelling killed a woman in the Russian border village of Dunayka on Sunday, the latest in a series of deadly cross-border attacks by Kyiv, the local governor said.
Elon Musk said Russia “will certainly gain more land” in Ukraine, and that if the war lasts long “Odesa will fall too”.
Ukraine launched ten Czech-made Vampire rockets at the Russian border region of Belgorod, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defence.
Russia conducted a “counter-terrorism operation” in the southern region of Dagestan, detaining three people by Sunday morning.
04:54 PM BST
Two dead from Russian missile attacks
A Russian cruise missile strike on infrastructure in Ukraine’s western Lviv region killed one man, while another died in an attack in the northeast, officials said Sunday.
The attack in Lviv destroyed a building and sparked a fire, Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi wrote on social media app Telegram. He said that rescue operations were being conducted.
In the Kharkiv region, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said that an air attack killed an 19-year-old man after a missile hit a gas station.
04:15 PM BST
Ukrainian protestors demand prisoner exchange with Russia
03:37 PM BST
Ukraine shelling kills woman in Russian border village
Ukrainian shelling killed a woman in the Russian border village of Dunayka on Sunday, the latest in a series of deadly cross-border attacks by Kyiv, the local governor said.
Since Moscow launched its assault on Ukraine two years ago, Russia’s Belgorod region on the frontier has been repeatedly targeted by what authorities say is indiscriminate Ukrainian bombardment, which has increased in recent months.
“The village of Dunayka, in the Graivoron urban district, came under Ukrainian fire. To much grief, a civilian was killed,” governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on social media, reported by AFP.
“She died of her wounds on the spot before the ambulance crew arrived. I express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” he added.
Dunayka is about six kilometres (four miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Ukrainian forces launched over a dozen drone and artillery strikes at the region in the past 24 hours, Mr Gladkov said.
Authorities said Saturday they had evacuated five thousand children from the border territory following weeks of deadly strikes that killed over a dozen people.
03:18 PM BST
Zelensky commemorates two-year anniversary of the liberation of Bucha
Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the liberation of Bucha. He said:
“This is a war for our state’s right to exist, as well as for everyone’s right to life. This is a war for the dignity of our people and every nation seeking its own destiny.
And the bodies of our people, which were found on the streets of Bucha, demonstrated that no one in the world can stay away from this battle. Because it is here, in Ukraine, through the defense of our people, our lives, and our state, that humanity is prevailing.
To unleash such aggressions against others, Russia first destroyed its own morality and turned violence and hatred into its ideology. Such systems do not simply stop. They are brought to a stop by force. Unity stops them. Determination and an understanding of what they want to destroy is what stops them.
I thank everyone in the world who really helps us. Glory to our strong people, our warriors! Glory to all those who defend humanity and life! Glory to Ukraine!”
This is a war of global significance. This is a war for our state's right to exist, as well as for everyone's right to life. This is a war for the dignity of our people and every nation seeking its own destiny. This is a war to prevent anyone from daring to become a beast toward… pic.twitter.com/q9wXjqlw5H
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 31, 2024
02:41 PM BST
Elon Musk says Russia will ‘certainly gain more land’
Elon Musk has said Russia “will certainly gain more land” in Ukraine, and that if the war lasts long “Odesa will fall too”.
Writing on social media, the billionaire said there is “no chance” of Russia taking all of Ukraine, but said it is tough for Kyiv to hold land “that doesn’t have strong natural barriers”.
He added that it was “a tragic waste of life for Ukraine to attack a larger army” and that the question remained as to whether Ukraine would lose all access to the Black Sea.
“I recommend a negotiated settlement before that happens,” he said.
Mr Musk has commented on the war several times, and sparked international outrage in 2022 for suggesting Ukraine could concede land to the Kremlin to bring peace. Mr Musk hit back at the comments and said he “very much supports Ukraine”.
02:28 PM BST
Tajik Eurovision singer fears Russia crackdown on poorest migrants
Senior foreign correspondent Roland Oliphant reports:
It was a heartfelt plea from Russia’s most famous Tajik migrant.
In a video message on Instagram Manizha Sanghin, a female singer who represented Russia at Eurovision in 2021, voiced widespread fears that the Moscow terrorist attack could cause a backlash against her community.
“My grandmother has been gone these past 14 years. And in recent years I’ve thought a lot that I’m glad she did not live to see what is happening to us and to the world.”
“I’m glad she didn’t see that brutal night, she doesn’t see how public torture is the law’s response to brutal atrocity,” she said.
The attack at the music venue, Crocus City Hall, has brought attention once again to Russia’s difficult relationship with its large migrant communities.
Russian authorities have arrested eight people. The four accused attackers and three suspected accomplices are all of Tajik origin. The eighth is a Kyrgyzstan-born man with Russian citizenship.
All are from Russia’s large Central Asian diaspora – a broad community that often sits at the lowest economic and social strata of society and has often been subject to racist harassment.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, there were reports of assaults, at least one migrant-owned business being burned down, and clients refusing to ride with Tajik taxi drivers.
01:55 PM BST
Russia claims to thwart Ukrainian attack
Russia has thwarted a Ukrainian attack over Belgorod and Yaroslavl oblasts, the Kremlin claimed.
Three Ukrainian drones were destroyed and 10 rockets downed, the Russian defence ministry said.
Belgorod Oblast governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the attack injured a woman and damaged 18 homes.
Ukrainian authorities have not commented.
01:44 PM BST
Ukrainians mark second anniversary of the liberation of Bucha
01:31 PM BST
Russia arrests gay bar owner amid ongoing crackdown
The owner of a popular gay bar in the Russian city of Orenburg has been arrested for “extremism”, rights groups said Sunday, as authorities crack down on the LGBTQ community.
Police and local nationalists raided the Pose bar in Orenburg earlier this month during a drag show, later arresting its administrator and artistic director in the first criminal case of its kind.
The bar’s owner was detained three days ago at a Moscow airport and has now been remanded in custody together with his colleagues until May 18, the OVD-Info rights group said.
Prosecutors accuse the man of conspiring with supporters of the “international LGBT movement”, an entity that Russia has labelled “extremist”, Orenburg’s Central District Court said Sunday.
The bar owner, whom it did not name, and his two employees face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
The Kremlin has ramped up conservative rhetoric since launching its military assault on Ukraine two years ago, casting the conflict as a battleground against the West and its values.
The country’s top court labelled the “international LGBT movement” as extremist in November, making anyone who engages in pro-LGBTQ activism or shares LGBTQ symbols liable to criminal prosecution.
12:45 PM BST
Ukraine launches Czech-made Vampire rockets at Russian border
Ukraine has launched ten Czech-made Vampire rockets at the Russian border region of Belgorod, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defence.
One woman was injured when a fire broke out following the attack, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
12:25 PM BST
Russian casualties in Ukraine close to 450,000
Russian casualties in Ukraine are close to 450,000, according to updated figures published by Kyiv’s military on Sunday.
Moscow lost 650 troops in the past day, Ukraine’s General Staff said, bringing the current purported total to 442,170.
Moscow’s forces also lost 15 tanks in the previous 24 hours, Ukraine said.
12:06 PM BST
ICYMI: Life as a Ukrainian front line medic
11:37 AM BST
Russia launches massive strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure
The Russian air force has conducted a massive strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and the gas industry, its defence ministry said on Sunday.
The ministry said that it used “high-precision long-range air-based weapons” and drones.
“As a result of this strike, the operation of defence industry enterprises involved in the manufacture and repair of weapons, equipment and ammunition has been disrupted. All the goals of the strike have been achieved. The assigned objects were hit,” the ministry said.
Moscow has intensified strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks, causing significant damage and leaving Ukrainians fearing a return to the blackouts seen in the first winter of the full-scale war.
11:30 AM BST
Pope urges ‘general exchange of all prisoners’ between Russia and Ukraine
Pope Francis has called for a Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap in his traditional Easter message at the Vatican as the war between the countries grinds into a third year.
“In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine,” he told tens of thousands of Catholics gathered at Saint Peter’s Square.
11:07 AM BST
France to send old armoured vehicles and new missiles to Ukraine
France will deliver hundreds of old armoured vehicles and new surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine in its war against Russia, French defence minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Sunday.
In an interview with La Tribune Dimanche, Mr Lecornu said that president Emmanuel Macron, following talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, had asked him to prepare a new aid package, which will include old but still functional French equipment.
“The Ukrainian army needs to defend a very long front line, which requires armoured vehicles; this is absolutely crucial for troop mobility and is part of the Ukrainian requests,” he said.
He said France was looking at providing hundreds of VAB (Véhicule de l’Avant Blindé) front-line troop carriers in 2024 and early 2025.
France’s army is gradually replacing its thousands of VABs, which first went into operation in the late 1970s, with a new multi-role troop carrier.
Mr Lecornu added that France was also preparing to release a new batch of Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles for the SAMP/T system provided to Kyiv.
The Aster 30 can intercept warplanes, drones and cruise missiles within a range of 120 km.
“Ukraine has an urgent need for better ground-air defence ... Russia is intensifying its strikes, in particular on civilians and civil infrastructure,” he said.
10:39 AM BST
Zelensky’s Easter address
Volodymyr Zelensky has shared an Easter Sunday message to Ukrainians.
“We defend ourselves, we endure, our spirit does not give up and knows that it is possible to avert death. Life can prevail,” he said. “May all prayers for protection from evil be heard today. May faith unite all good hearts and strengthen those who defend their homes. And may true peace come closer for our entire Ukraine and all the nations that suffer from wars.”
My greetings to Ukrainians and all Christians celebrating Easter today.
It is a holiday that reminds us of the power of the spirit that will not allow darkness to prevail. It will not allow the will to be overshadowed. It unites families, nations, and continents.
Now there is… pic.twitter.com/kshpW71W34— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 31, 2024
10:24 AM BST
Overnight Russian strikes target critical infrastructure
Russian cruise missiles targeted critical infrastructure in the western Lviv region overnight, which killed one man, its governor said on Sunday
There “may still be people under the rubble” that rescuers were combing through, governor Maksym Kozytsky said.
National energy operator Ukrenergo said Russia also targeted high-voltage facilities in the south, forcing emergency shutdowns in the Black Sea city of Odesa and nearby areas.
“There is no night or day when Russian terror does not try to break our lives,” Mr Zelensky wrote on social media.
Moscow has intensified strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks, saying it is responding to attacks by Kyiv on Russian border regions.
Energy consumption restrictions remained in place in Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv and Mr Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rig following earlier Russian attacks, Ukrenergo said on Sunday.
10:10 AM BST
Russia increasing security in Black Sea port, says MoD
The Ministry of Defence’s latest intelligence update says Russia is increasing security at its Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
Satellite images show Russia has positioned four barges at the opening of Novorossiysk port. “This is an effort to enhance the defences of the port against attacks from Ukrainian Uncrewed Surface Vessels,” the MoD report said.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 31, 2024
10:00 AM BST
Putin calls up 150,000 men for military service
Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out the routine spring conscription campaign, calling up 150,000 citizens for statutory military service, a document posted on the Kremlin’s website showed on Sunday.
Compulsory military service has long been a sensitive issue in Russia, where many men go to great lengths to avoid being handed conscription papers during the twice-yearly call-up periods.
All men in Russia are required to do a year-long military service, or equivalent training during higher education, from the age of 18.
In July Russia’s lower house of parliament voted to raise the maximum age at which men can be conscripted to 30 from 27. The new legislation came into effect on Jan 1, 2024.
Conscripts cannot legally be deployed to fight outside Russia and were exempted from a limited mobilisation in 2022 that gathered at least 300,000 men with previous military training to fight in Ukraine – although some conscripts were sent to the front in error.
In September Putin signed an order calling up 130,000 people for the autumn campaign and last spring Russia planned to conscript 147,000
09:47 AM BST
Pictures from Ukraine on March 31
09:33 AM BST
Ukraine says Russia fired 16 missiles and 11 drones overnight
Russia launched 16 missiles and 11 drones at Ukraine in an overnight air attack, Ukraine’s air force said on Sunday morning.
In a statement on Telegram, the air force said it had managed to down nine of the drones and nine of the missiles. It did not identify their targets.
For over a week, Russia has significantly stepped up an air strike campaign against Ukrainian energy facilities, causing significant damage and leaving Ukrainians fearing a return to the blackouts seen in the first winter of the full-scale war.
Ukraine’s largest private energy firm, DTEK, said on Saturday that five of its six plants had been damaged or destroyed with 80 per cent of its generating capacity lost, and that repairs could take up to 18 months.
09:25 AM BST
Russia detains three in ‘counter-terrorism operation’ in southern Dagestan
Russia has conducted a “counter-terrorism operation” in the southern region of Dagestan, detaining three people by Sunday morning, Russian news agencies reported, citing the National Anti-Terrorism Committee.
Russia is on high alert following a mass shooting at a concert hall in Moscow on March 22 – the deadliest attack in the country in 20 years with at least 144 killed.
“Security agencies detained three bandits who were planning a number of terrorist offences. During the inspection of the places where the criminals were detained, automatic weapons, ammunition and an improvised explosive device ready for use were found,” the committee said on Sunday, reported by Reuters.
Earlier the committee said that suspected criminals had been blocked by security services in several flats in residential areas of the regional capital Makhachkala and one of the biggest cities in the republic, Kaspiysk.
There were no civilian casualties and no losses among the law enforcement personnel.
The operation is ongoing, the committee said.
