Ukraine War: Talks Between Russia and Kyiv Resume, Lavrov Meets PM Modi
Catch all the updates on Russia's invasion of Ukraine here.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, 1 April, met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is on a visit to New Delhi amid the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, peace talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed on Friday, via video conference, a Russian negotiator told AFP. The focus of the talks will be on a peace framework presented by the Ukrainian delegation during a face-to-face meeting in Istanbul earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian helicopters carried out a strike on a fuel storage facility in Russia's western town of Belgorod, the local governor said on Friday.
The United States and Britain had said that they respected India's decision to continue importing oil from Moscow
The US said that President Putin's demand for payment in rubles from foreign buyers was a sign of "desperation"
Ukraine said on Thursday that Russia had vacated the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant after weeks of occupation
A convoy of Ukrainian buses left for Mariupol to deliver humanitarian aid and rescue trapped civilians, Ukraine's deputy prime minister said
EU Sanctions Won't Remain Unanswered: Russia
Russia warned on Friday that it will respond to sanctions by the European Union (EU).
"The actions of the EU will not remain unanswered… the irresponsible sanctions by Brussels are already negatively affecting the daily lives of ordinary Europeans," a senior foreign ministry official told the RIA news agency.
Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks To Resume Today
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are due to resume on Friday via video conference. The focus of the talks will be on a peace framework the Ukrainian side presented during a face-to-face meeting in Istanbul earlier this week.
UN Atomic Body Probing If Russian Soldiers Were Exposed to Radiation from Chernobyl
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is probing Ukrainian claims indicating that Russian soldiers who occupied the Chernobyl nuclear power station have vacated the grounds after receiving high doses of radiation, The Guardian reported.
As per the IAEA, the claims by Ukrainian state power company Energoatom have not yet been verified.
Zelenskyy Strips Military Rank From 2 ‘Traitor’ Generals
Two Ukrainian military general were stripped of their ranks by President Zelenskyy, who termed them as “traitors” and “anti-heroes”, Financial Times reported.
In a virtual address, the President indicated that the former internal security chief at the SBU, Ukraine’s intelligence service, and a general previously in charge of security for the SBU in the Kherson region were going to be deprived of their military roles.
“Now I do not have time to deal with all the traitors. But gradually they will all be punished," the President added.
Russia's Gazprom Says Exports to Europe Continuing
Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom said on Friday that it was continuing to supply natural gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with requests from European customers.
The company added that requests for gas stood at 108.4 million cubic metres for 1 April, down from 109.5 a day earlier.
Ukraine Carries Out Strike on Russian Fuel Storage Facility
Ukrainian helicopters have carried out a strike on a fuel storage facility in Russia's western town of Belgorod, the local governor said on Friday.
"There was a fire at the petrol depot because of an air strike carried out by two Ukrainian army helicopters, who entered Russian territory at a low altitude," Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
Belgorod lies 40 kilometres from Russia's border with Ukraine and around 80 kilometres from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
Russia Withdrawing Forces Around Kyiv
Russia is withdrawing some of its forces from around Ukraine’s northern Kyiv region, and sending them towards Belarus, Al Jazeera reported.
India Follows Independent Foreign Policy: Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that India follows an independent foreign policy based on real and legitimate national interests, ANI reported.
He also added that the same policy was followed by Russia and "this makes us, as big countries, good friends and loyal partners".
Energy Prices in Eurozone Surge by Record 7.5 Percent
Energy prices and disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine caused consumer prices in the eurozone to surge by a new record of 7.5 percent, EU statistics agency Eurostat said Friday.
First Ukrainian Strike on Russian Soil: Fuel Depot Attacked in Belgorod
In the first Ukrainian strike on Russian soil, Ukrainian helicopters bombed a fuel storage depot in Russia's western town of Belgorod sparking a huge fire, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Friday.
He added that two employees at the storage facility were injured in the fire.
Around 170 firefighters were battling to put out the enormous blaze, which started around 6 am (0300 GMT), the emergencies ministry stated.
Russia-Ukraine Talks Resume via Video Conference
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed on Friday via video conference, a Russian negotiator told AFP.
The focus of the talks will be on a peace framework presented by the Ukrainian delegation during a face-to-face meeting in Istanbul earlier this week.
'India Could Play a Mediator's Role Between Moscow and Kyiv': Foreign Min Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that India could mediate between Moscow and Kyiv as the peace talks between the two countries had so far failed to reach a solution to end the war.
He was quoted as saying, "India is an important country. If India sees to play that role which provides a resolution of the problem…If India is with its position of a just and rational approach to international problems, it can support such process."
Brussels Tells Beijing To Refrain From Providing Arms to Russia
European Union and Chinese leaders met for their first summit in two years on Friday, with Brussels pressing Beijing for assurances that it will neither supply Russia with arms nor help Moscow overcome western sanctions.
Earlier, EU officials had stated that any help given to Russia would damage China's international reputation and jeopardise relations with Europe and the United States.
PM Modi Meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is on a visit to New Delhi amid the war in Ukraine.
The meeting lasted for 40 minutes, during which Lavrov informed the Prime Minister about various bilateral initiatives.
Lavrov briefed the Prime Minister on the situation in Ukraine, including the ongoing peace negotiations. Meanwhile, PM Modi reiterated his call for early cessation of violence, and conveyed India's readiness to contribute in any way to the peace efforts.
The Russian Foreign Minister also updated PM Modi on the progress of the decisions taken during the India-Russia bilateral summit held in December 2021.
UN's Nuclear Watchdog To Lead a Mission to Chernobyl Plant Soon
The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog has said that he will lead a mission to Ukraine's defunct Chernobyl plant as soon as possible after Kyiv said Russian troops left the site.
Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a tweet, "It will be the first in a series of such nuclear safety and security missions to Ukraine."
28 Killed in Rocket Strike on Regional Administration Building: Governor
Twenty-eight people have been confirmed killed as a result of Tuesday's rocket strike on the regional administration building in Ukraine's southern city of Mykolaiv, Vitaliy Kim, the region's governor, said.
The nine-storey building was left with a gaping hole after being struck by Russian forces.
Zelenskyy Speaks to Emmanuel Macron To Discuss Mariupol Evacuation Plan
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Friday about the need to implement an initiative by Paris to help civilians evacuate Mariupol.
Ukrainian Parliament Passes Law Allowing Seizure of Property of War Supporters
The Ukrainian Parliament passed a law permitting the seizure of property of Russian war supporters.
The law allows the confiscation of property that belongs not only to the Russian state or its residents but also to non-residents connected to the Russian government, who deny or support Russia's war, The Kyiv Independent reported.
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