Ukraine War: Over 4,600 Evacuate Through Humanitarian Corridors

Over 4,600 Evacuate Through Humanitarian Corridors

More than 4,600 people were evacuated through humanitarian corridors Thursday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

3,256 people fled Mariupol and Berdiansk and arrived in Zaporizhzhia Thursday, Vereshchuk reports. Of those, 1,205 were from Mariupol and 2,050 were from Vasylivka, Berdiansk and Melitopol.

Teams were also able to evacuate 1,420 others from Lisichansk, Severodonetsk, Rubížne and Kreminna in Ukraine's Luhansk region Thursday.

A convoy of nine buses is now headed to Melitopol with humanitarian assistance. Vereshchuk said the buses will evacuate civilians out of the city to Zaporizhzhia. Two more buses arrived in Tomak Thursday and are also scheduled to head to Zaporizhzhia Friday morning. Another group of buses will leave Zaporizhzhia Friday morning to evacuate civilians remaining in Berdiansk.

Red Cross Leads 1,000 Civilians Out of Mariupol

After days of failed attempts, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) led 1,000 civilians out of Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia this week.

The ICRC said the Mariupol civilians fled the besieged city on their own. The Red Cross team led the convoy of private cars and buses from Berdiansk on Tuesday, and arrived in Zaporizhzhia Wednesday. The team previously estimated there were 500 civilians in the group, but increased the number to 1,000 on Thursday.

"This convoy's arrival to Zaporizhzhia is a huge relief for hundreds of people who have suffered immensely and are now in a safer location," ICRC's Pascal Hundt said. "It's clear, though, that thousands more civilians trapped inside Mariupol need safe passage out and aid to come in. As a neutral intermediary, we're ready to respond to this humanitarian imperative once concrete agreements and security conditions allow it."

The ICRC team who led the effort tried to reach Mariupol for five days and were held by police about 20 kilometers outside of the city, in the town of Manhush.

As of Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said about 100,000 people remained in Mariupol. Russian forces continue blocking access to the city by land and sea. The ICRC team also said it observed "acute humanitarian needs" as it assisted those who fled the city.

"The ICRC remains ready to facilitate the safe passage of civilians from Mariupol and other cities, provided that the parties to the conflict ensure the necessary security guarantees and conditions," Hundt said.

Zelensky Says Thousands of Ukrainians Are Missing

Thousands of Ukrainians are missing as Russia's invasion continued for a 43rd day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday.

"We already know about thousands of missing people," he said in a video address Thursday. "We already know about thousands of people who could be either deported to Russia or killed. There are no other options for their fate."

Zelensky continued calling for tougher economic sanctions on Russian banks, a ban from the "democratic world" on buying Russian oil and more weapons. He also called out the West for not imposing sanctions on Russia before its invasion.

"It is still possible to give us weapons that will really stop this aggression," he said. "The West can do it. Just as it could have applied preventive sanctions last year to prevent this invasion. If the mistake is made again, if there is no preventive action again, it will be a historic mistake for the whole Western world."

Mariupol Update:

About 100,000 people remain in the besieged city of Mariupol and are dying of "starvation and thirst," Zelensky said Thursday.

"For more than a month now, my every morning begins with Mariupol," Zelensky said in an address to Greek Parliament Thursday. "With what is happening in this Ukrainian city, which Russian troops are simply destroying. This has never happened in the history of Europe in all the years after World War II that a city is destroyed to ashes, destroyed completely. That it is under blockade and its inhabitants are killed with starvation and thirst."

More than 400,000 people called Mariupol home prior to Russia's invasion. Weeks of ongoing attacks have destroyed nearly every building in the city. Russian forces have blocked land and sea access to the city since the beginning of March. Repeated efforts by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate civilians failed for several days.

"Mariupol is almost destroyed," Zelensky said. "This is what Russia has done with our peaceful Mariupol. But also with your peaceful Mariupol. This city has always been home to a large Greek community."

Lavrov Calls Request to Withdraw Russian Troops 'Unacceptable'

Russia provided an update on peace negotiations with Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the draft agreement the Ukraine delegation submitted "shows a departure from the most important provisions" that were included in the document signed by head of the Ukrainian delegation David Arakhamia at the meeting in Istanbul on March 29.

Lavrov said a provision stating that future security guarantees for Ukraine would not apply to Crimea or Sevastopol was absent from the most recent proposal.

The Russian delegation also took issue with a change to the previous "unambiguous provision" that now provides for the possibility of Ukraine conducting military exercises with the consent of the majority of guarantor states without any mention of Russia.

"This kind of difficult negotiating approach has become all too frequent," he said. "It shows Kiev's true intentions and its policy of dragging out negotiations or even disrupting them by deviating from the understandings reached."

Lavrov also said this change indicates the Ukrainian government being controlled by "Washington and its allies, who are pushing President Zelensky to continue hostilities."

He added that the Ukrainian delegation will likely ask for a withdrawal of troops and "add more preconditions" for an end to the conflict.

"This intention is clear; this is unacceptable," he said.

Lavrov also claimed that after the peace talks in Istanbul, the Russian armed forces "de-escalated" operations on the Kiev-Chernigov track as a "gesture of goodwill and to expedite the progress towards an agreement."

"What we got in response was a provocation in Bucha, with the West immediately taking advantage of it to announce a new portion of sanctions, as well as Ukrainian neo-Nazis committing atrocities against Russian prisoners of war," he said.

Lavrov said that "despite all the provocations" from Ukraine, the Russian delegation will continue the negotiation process by promoting its draft agreement, "which spells out all the key positions and demands very clearly and in full."

Ukraine Prosecutor's Office Opens Almost 300 Child Abduction Cases

About 12,000 war crime criminal proceedings have been registered, according to the Ukraine Prosecutor General's Office.

Deputy Prosecutor General Oleksiy Symonenko also said the Office has opened almost 300 criminal proceedings for the alleged illegal imprisonment or kidnapping committed by Russia.

"Every day at least four Ukrainian children die and another seven are injured or wounded by Russian soldiers, which often leads to disability," Symonenko said.

The Prosecutor's Office also reported that 167 children have been killed and 297 injured.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said Russia is abducting Ukrainian children "en masse."

"Thousands of [Ukrainian] orphans from the occupied territories are being illegally 'evacuated' to Russia," the Ministry said in a tweet.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said investigative task forces of prosecutors and experts, coordinated by the Prosecutor General's Office, are in Bucha, Borodianka, Irpin, and Gostomel to "document every war crime of the occupiers."

"Russia's armed aggression will be proven and we will punish all those who killed Ukrainians," she said in a tweet.

Mayor Says Nearly 90% Of Bucha Victims Were Shot

The Mayor of Bucha said nearly 90% of the murdered civilians found in the city had bullet wounds, not shrapnel, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense.

The ministry said the wounds are further proof the civilians were killed "deliberately."

"They are not random collateral casualties of war," the ministry said Thursday. "They were killed deliberately, on purpose."

At least 320 civilians were killed, Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk told the Kyiv Independent, saying the number of bodies found grows daily.

"It is growing because they are found in private estates, parks, squares, where it was possible to bury bodies when there was no shelling," Fedoruk told the outlet.

Investigators continue piecing together the horror that unfolded in the city, as mass graves are discovered as well as bodies with their "hands tied and bullet wounds." Nearly 50,000 lived in Bucha prior to the invasion -- the number has now dwindled to 3,700, Fedoruk said.

Horrifying images of the reported atrocities in Bucha sparked international outrage and prompted some countries to enact new sanctions on Russia. Russia has claimed the massacre was "staged" by Ukrainian armed forces and some media outlets.

NATO Chief Criticizes China's Failure to Condemn Russia

The head of NATO criticized China for its inability to condemn Russia for its actions in Ukraine.

"We have seen that China is unwilling to condemn Russia's aggression," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a press briefing at the NATO summit in Brussels.

He said the attendance of NATO's Asia Pacific partners—Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea— was important "because the crisis has global ramifications," of China's close relationship with Russia and their threat to sovereignty.

"Beijing has joined Moscow in questioning the right of nations to choose their own path," he added. "This is a serious challenge to us all. It makes it even more important that we stand together to protect our values."

During the United Nations General Assembly, China voted with Russia against a resolution to suspend the Kremlin from the Human Rights Council, saying the resolution was not drafted in "an open or transparent matter."

China previously called reports of atrocities in Bucha "deeply disturbing" but did not assign blame to Russia of Ukraine, as the Kremlin did.

"The reports and images of civilian deaths in Bucha are deeply disturbing," Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun told the U.N. Security Council, adding that "attacks against civilians are unacceptable and should not occur."

Zhang said the incident should be "verified and established."

"Any accusations should be based on facts," he added. "Before conclusions are drawn, all sides should exercise restraint and avoid unfounded accusations."

European Union Supports Full Embargo on Russian Energy

The European Union voted to place an immediate embargo on Russian fossil fuels.

With a 513 to 22 vote, with 19 abstentions, the EU Parliament called for additional punitive measures on Russia, including "an immediate full embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas."

"This should be accompanied by a plan to ensure the EU's security of energy supply, as well as a strategy to 'roll back sanctions in case Russia takes steps towards restoring Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and completely removes its troops from the territory of Ukraine,'" the EU said in a statement.

The EU Parliament also called on EU leaders to exclude Russia from G20 and other multilateral organizations, such as UNHRC, Interpol, the World Trade Organisation, UNESCO and SWIFT, "which would be an important sign that the international community will not return to business as usual with the aggressor state."

MEPs also called for European leaders to step up their deliveries of weapons to Ukraine and the establishment of safe humanitarian corridors for civilian evacuations.

Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Chairperson of the Ukrainian Parliament, thanked EU lawmakers for supporting this resolution.

U.S. Senate Suspends Trade With Russia, Bans Oil Imports

The U.S. Senate voted to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban importing its oil, in a rare unanimous vote Thursday.

Both bills passed with a 100-0 vote.

"Now, I wish this could have happened sooner, but after weeks of talks with the other side, it's important that we have found a path forward," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

"Revoking Russia's [Permanent Normal Trade Relations] PNTR status sends the strong message to Vladimir Putin that he doesn't get to tear down the international order, brutalize the Ukrainian people and then benefit from normal trade relations," U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said. "This is a big step in holding his regime accountable."

The bills head to the House later today then to President Joe Biden's desk for a signature. Biden banned the import of Russian oil to the U.S. by Executive Order in March.

Thursday's action is the latest effort hitting Russia's economy. The move comes amid growing calls by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for stronger sanctions against Russia. Zelensky said sanctions imposed Wednesday by the U.S. have a "spectacular look," but are "not enough."

"If there is no really painful package of sanctions against Russia and if there is no supply of weapons we really need and have applied for many times, it will be considered by Russia as a permission," Zelensky warned Wednesday. "A permission to go further. A permission to attack. A permission to start a new bloody wave in Donbas."

After Vote, Russia Said It 'Chose' to Leave Human Rights Council

After the United Nations General Assembly voted to suspend Russia's membership from the U.N. Human Rights Council Thursday, its deputy effectively said Russia wasn't fired, but chose to quit.

"The Russian Federation made a decision about suspending its membership in the [U.N.] Human Rights Council before the end of its term on the 7th of April," Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the U.N. Gennady Kuzmin said. He read the "authorized" statement before the General Assembly after the vote.

"The sincere commitment of Russia to promoting and protecting of human rights does not make it possible for us to remain a member of an international mechanism which has become an enabler of the will of the above mentioned [West and its allies] group of countries," Kuzmin said.

Prior to the vote, Kuzmin blamed the West and its allies of attempting to "destroy the existing human rights architecture." He also continued to call the allegations against Russia "untruthful."

Kuzmin said "Russia's decision" to end its membership "does not mean that we are not going to continue fulfilling our international obligations in the human rights field."

Countries began questioning Kuzmin's claims that Russia chose to withdraw from the Council, when it was in fact suspended. Another Russian representative, not Kuzmin, answered saying, "I think we made a very clear statement."

Blinken Says Targeting Civilians Was Part of Russia's Plan All Along

After meeting with NATO counterparts and foreign ministers from other allies, including Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said

Blinken said allies are building on support to Ukraine and pressure on Russia and its enablers, noting that these countries recognize the Russia not just attacking one country, but the entire world older.

He said the "revulsion" at what Russia is doing in Ukraine "is palpable" and detailed horrific first-person stories of Russian soldiers killing and raping Ukrainian civilians, noting credible reports of Russian atrocities are emerging every day.

"With each day, more and more credible reports of rape, killings, torture are emerging, and for every Bucha, there are many more towns Russia has occupied and more towns it is still occupying—places where we must assume Russian soldiers are committing more atrocities right now," he said, adding that the U.S. continues to collect evidence of war crimes for international investigations to hold those responsible accountable.

When asked about reports of Russian soldiers admitting to indiscriminately killing Ukrainians, Blinken said targeting civilians was "part of the [Russian] game plan all along."

He said the constant flow of images of atrocities almost normalizes and trivializes things, making them look like something in the background that people don't respond to.

"Then something so stark, so outrageous emerges, like Bucha," he said. "It hits people."

Blinken said he was glad to hear the United Nations voted to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, saying "a wrong has been righted."

"The country that's perpetuating gross and systematic violations of human rights should not sit on a body whose job it is to protect those rights," he said.

Blinken met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss how the U.S. can continue to provide Ukrainian defenders with what they need "to continue to push Russia back."

"We will not let anything stand in the way of sending arms to Ukraine," he said.

He said more than 30 countries have joined the U.S. in delivering security assistance to Ukraine. Blinken also added that he is confident that Europe is committed to ends its dependency on Russian oil and gas.

Kuleba was critical of the speed by which allies are providing Ukraine with weapons.

When asked about this, Blinken said President Joe Biden has "aggressively" moved weapons out to Ukraine months before Russia began its invasion. He said the reason Ukraine has been able to push back Russia, besides the "extraordinary courage" of its people, is that Ukrainians already had effective weapons in hand.

Over 4.3 Million People Have Fled Ukraine

Tens of thousands continue fleeing Ukraine as Russia's invasion continues for a 43rd day. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR estimates more than 4.3 million people have now left Ukraine and entered neighboring countries.

"Sexual exploitation, abuse and trafficking are just some of the worrying risks that people face as they flee Ukraine," UNHCR said.

More than 2.5 million refugees have entered Poland in recent weeks. Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski continues calling on international support to help refugees, consisting mostly of women, children and the elderly.

"From the spontaneous, national insurgency coordinated by local governments, we must move to the stage of thoughtful integration and long-term help for guests from Ukraine," Trzaskowski said. "For this we need both financial support and the international system, for which I have been calling for many weeks."

Where refugees are going, by country:

• Poland: 2.5 million
• Romania: 662,751
• Hungary: 404,021
• Moldova: 401,704
• Russia: 350,632
• Slovakia: 304,983
• Belarus: 18,060

*Estimates above provided by UNHCR as of 4/6

U.N. Suspends Russia From Human Rights Council

The United Nations General Assembly voted to suspend the Russian Federation from the U.N. Human Rights Council Thursday.

93 members voted in favor of the resolution, 24 against and 58 abstained.

"War criminals have no place in U.N. bodies aimed at protecting human rights," Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said following the vote. "Grateful to all member states which supported the relevant UNGA resolution and chose the right side of history."

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Thursday an "important and historic day."

"Countries from around the globe have voted to suspend Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council," she said. "We have collectively sent a clear message that Russia will be held accountable."

U.N. Member Countries Preview Resolution Vote

Several U.N. General Assembly member countries have indicated how they will vote on today's resolution to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council.

Here are how member countries said they will vote so far:

Russia: No

Kazakhstan: No

Venezuela: No

North Korea: No

Iran: No

Syria: No

Cuba: No

Senegal: Abstain

South Africa: Abstain

Egypt: Likely abstain, saying it "does not believe the draft resolution is being proposed at the right moment and we warn of it."

Brazil: Abstain

China: No

Mexico: Abstain

Chile: Yes

Belarus: No

Some members who indicated they will vote "no" or abstain called the resolution a means of politicizing human rights and is a double standard, as previous human rights violation have not been addressed in this way.

Others called the vote premature, asking that the independent investigation into reports of Russia's human rights abuses be completed first.

Russia Calls Events 'Staged' Ahead of U.N. Vote

Russia blamed the West and its allies of attempting to "destroy the existing human rights architecture," ahead of a vote Thursday to suspend Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council.

"Our priority has always been to strengthen constructive dialogue involving all interested sides in the process of collective development and adoption of decisions in defending and promoting human rights," Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the U.N. Gennady Kuzmin said.

Kuzmin said the West's use of sanctions and "military intervention" has "only exacerbated" human rights conflicts. He added that Thursday's resolution to suspend Russia from the council has "no relationship to the actual human rights situation on the ground."

"We reject the untruthful allegations against us based on staged events and widely circulated fakes," he said, urging all members to "really consider your decision."

Kuzmin addressed the assembly following Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.N. Sergiy Kyslytsya. Kuzmin criticized Kyslytsya's remarks, saying, "today is not the time or the place for theatrics or these kinds of extremely theatrical performances like the one presented by Ukraine."

Ukraine Says Voting No on Resolution 'Means Pulling a Trigger'

Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations give opening remarks during a U.N. vote on a resolution to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council (HRC).

Sergiy Kyslytsya said suspending Russia from the HRC "is not an option, but a duty" for the General Assembly.

He said the Council should be named "Titanic" if the General Assembly does not "take action today to stop the Council from sinking."

Russia's actions in Ukraine go "beyond the pale," Kyslytsya said, not just in terms of human rights violations, but in threatening international security.

Kyslytsya also condemned Russia's position presenting itself as a victim, calling it "perverted logic."

Quoting Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel, Kyslytsya took aim at those members who will abstain from this vote.

"Indifference is not a response. Indifference is not a beginning, it is an end. And, therefore, indifference is always a friend to the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor, never his victim."

He said members now have an opportunity to prove "you are not an indifferent bystander."

"All you need to do is to press the 'yes' button and to save the Human Rights Council and many lives around the world and in Ukraine," he said.

Pressing "no," however, "means pulling a trigger," he said. Putting a red dot on the vote screen is "red as the blood as the innocent lives lost" in Ukraine.

"The red dots will stay with you and with all of us as long as memories don't fade away," he added.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Asks for More Weapons from NATO Allies

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba joined NATO and G7 allies in Brussels Thursday.

He said his agenda included three things: "weapons, weapons, weapons."

"To win the war you need weapons," he said.

Kuleba said he believes there is a growing understanding among allies that Ukraine is not only fighting for its own safety and security, but for the safety and security of NATO, Europe and the world.

After outlining Ukraine's specific requests and the timeline for which they should be accommodated, Kuleba said he is "cautiously optimistic" about the outcomes of discussions with allies.

While providing an update on the situation on the ground in Ukraine, Kuleba said the battle in Donbas is underway and will see the heaviest part of the fighting. He predicted the situation in Donbas will be remnant of World War II.

He also said Bucha is just "the tip if the iceberg" in terms of atrocities committed by the Russian forces.

What authorities are seeing in Mariupol is "much, much worse that Bucha on all accounts," Kuleba said.

While Kuleba said he appreciates everything allies have done to arm Ukraine in the fight against Russia, he appealed for more support

"We will have the weapons necessary to fight, but its a matter of the timeline when we get them," he said.

He said Ukraine needs help now, "and I'm speaking days not weeks," or else "our help will come too late and many people will die, many civilians will lose their homes, many villages will be destroyed exactly because this help came too late."

Kuleba said there has been a reluctance among some allies to provide certain weapons on time, only acting after disaster like Bucha occurred.

"How many Buchas have to take place for you to step up sanctions?" he said. "You cannot allow sanctions fatigue just as we cannot allow fighting fatigue."

He also called on the West to continue go beyond sanctions against Russia.

Sanctions are inflicting serious damage on Russia, he said, but so long as the West continues buying Russia gas and oil, "it is supporting supporting Ukraine with one hand while supporting Russian war machine with the other hand."

To prevent more Buchas, Kuleba said peace talks with Russia must continue.

Both Ukraine and Russia's position going into these negotiation depend on the success of armies on the battleground and the impact of sanctions on Russia, he said.

While Kuleba looks forward to more peace talks, he is appalled with the actions of the Russian delegation.

When asked about the video apparently showing Ukrainian troops shooting a Russian solider in the head, Kuleba said he has not seen it but would look into it.

He said Ukraine respects the rules of warfare and that this isolated incident will be investigated.

He added that he would check the date of the video, noting that no one outside of Ukraine understands how it feels after seeing images from Bucha or talking to rape survivors who escaped from Russian forces.

"This is not an excuse to violate the rules of warfare," he said, "but there are some things you simply cannot understand."

U.N. Votes on Resolution to Suspend Russian from Human Rights Council

The United Nations General Assembly is meeting now to vote on a resolution that will suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council.

The resolution expresses "grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, particularly at the reports of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation, including gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights."

The General Assembly Emergency Special Session on Ukraine is streaming live on the U.N. website and YouTube Channel.