March 26, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

US President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland on March 26.

US President Joe Biden declared forcefully Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power,” but the White House said afterward that it was not a call for regime change.

“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden announced at the very conclusion of a capstone address delivered at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

“The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change,” a White House official said.

Biden’s line that Putin “cannot remain in power” was not in his prepared remarks, a White House official said.

US officials had said previously said removing Putin from power was not their goal.

“For us, it’s not about regime change. The Russian people have to decide who they want to lead them,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this month.

The Kremlin’s response: “This is not to be decided by Mr. Biden,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “It should only be a choice of the people of the Russian Federation.”

US President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland on March 26.

US President Joe Biden gave a direct message to the Russian people while speaking from Warsaw Saturday telling them, “You… are not our enemy.” 

Biden also said Putin’s actions in Ukraine are “not the actions of a great nation” and called on Russians who were alive during the Soviet Union and heard of it from their families to speak up. 

“These are not memories of the past,” Biden said. “This is exactly what the Russian army is doing in Ukraine right now.”

“This is not who you are. This is not the future you deserve for your families and your children. I’m telling you the truth. This war is not worthy of you, the Russian people,” Biden said. 

US President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland on March 26.

US President Joe Biden, standing along NATO’s eastern edge in Poland, issued a stern warning to Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Saturday: “Don’t even think about moving on one single inch of NATO territory.” 

Biden delivered the notice during a speech in Warsaw. He said the US was committed to the collective protection obligations laid out in NATO’s charter “with the full force of our collective power.”

But Biden made clear the current conflict in Ukraine — not a NATO member — doesn’t require America to become directly involved.

“American forces are not in Europe to engage in conflict with Russian forces, American forces are here to defend NATO allies,” he said.

Maksym Kozytsky, the head of the Lviv regional military administration, said there were three additional explosions following a Russian strike earlier on a fuel depot.

“Another strike near Lviv,” Kozytsky said on his Telegram account. “There were three more powerful explosions. The air alarm remains!”

After the initial strike on the fuel depot, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said another strike had hit the city.

“As a result of new missile strikes on Lviv, significant damage was inflicted on infrastructure facilities,” Sadovyi said in a tweet.

Residential buildings were not damaged, the mayor added.

US President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland on March 26.

US President Joe Biden, speaking in Warsaw, said that Russia has “strangled democracy” in its invasion of Ukraine and called out Russian President Vladimir Putin’s lies in justifying the war.

“Over the last 30 years, the forces of autocracy have revived all across the globe. Its hallmarks are familiar ones: contempt for the rule of law, contempt for democratic freedom, contempt for the truth itself,” Biden said.

Biden then referenced US President Abraham Lincoln, who said “right makes might.”

Biden also addressed the Russian president’s criticism of NATO.

“A criminal wants to portray NATO enlargement as an imperial project aimed at destabilizing Russia. Nothing is further from the truth. NATO is a defensive alliance. It has never sought the demise of Russia,” Biden said.

Putin made the choice to engage in war, Biden said.

He then outlined steps to stymie Russia, including sanctions and other economic actions.

US President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland on March 26.

US President Joe Biden opened his speech in Warsaw by referencing Poland-born Pope John Paul II’s message to the Soviet Union in 1979.

“Be not afraid,” he said.

“We emerged anew in the great battle for freedom, a battle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and repression. … In this battle, we need to be clear-eyed. This battle will not be won in days or months either. We need to steel ourselves for the long fight ahead,” Biden said outside the Royal Castle .

There was applause when he mentioned people from Ukraine in the crowd in Warsaw.

“My message to the people of Ukraine is a message I delivered today to Ukraine’s foreign minister and defense minister, who I believe are here tonight: We stand with you. Period,” he said.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said another strike has hit the western Ukrainian city.

“Another rocket strike in Lviv,” Sadovyi said in a tweet, adding “updating the information.”

Fire and smoke rise following an explosion in Lviv, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 26.

US President Joe Biden was briefed on the strike on Lviv before leaving his hotel to deliver a speech in Poland, a White House official says. 

The White House has called the speech a “major address.”

There are also Ukrainian refugees in the crowd assembled in front of the stage for Biden’s remarks, per a White House official.

CNN’s Don Lemon reports from the scene of a fire in Lviv, Ukraine on Saturday.

CNN’s Don Lemon is at the site of an industrial facility used for fuel storage in Lviv, Ukraine, where a blazing fire and thick black smoke are rising.

“According to the mayor, he believes it is a Russian military strike on this facility,” Lemon reported.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said that “habitable infrastructure was not injured,” in a tweet confirming the burning of the facility. Firefighters and first responders are on the scene. Residents of a nearby neighborhood are also outside waiting for more information.

Sadoyvi advised residents to continue staying in shelters until the air alarm stops.

Lemon and his team were pushed back because there is concern about another explosion, he said.

The situation is fluid.

The mayor of the northern Ukrainian city of Slavutych was released by Russian forces Saturday after being detained, the Ukrainian political party Sluha Narodu said in a statement. 

“The abducted mayor of Slavutych is already at large,” a statement said. “Rallies [against the Russians] continue in the city.”

Russian troops on Saturday entered the city, which was built for workers at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, sparking protests by residents. 

In a video posted on Facebook, Mayor Yuri Fomichev was shown addressing residents on Saturday and telling them that they would have to “communicate with the occupiers” after Russian troops entered the town. Fomichev told residents the Russians would search for weapons but would leave the center of the city.

Fomichev added: “If someone needs to leave the city, we will agree on the procedure. We realize that now we must communicate with the occupiers. There is no other option. We do not have … machine guns, grenade launchers, missiles, tanks. … We do have hands, brains and hearts. This is the main thing we have. And love for Ukraine, for Slavutych!”

Smoke rises above Lviv, Ukraine on March 26.

Ukrainian officials said Russian forces struck near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, without providing extensive details. 

Maksym Kozytsky, head of Lviv regional military administration, said: “There were three powerful explosions near Lviv from the Velyki Kryvchytsi side, now there is an air alarm, so keep calm and stay in shelter.”

“The Russian army struck at Lviv,” Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said on Twitter. “We are waiting for information from the Military Administration. Stay in the shelters.” 

The blasts were audible on the street in center of Lviv. 

Sadovyi warned in a followup tweet that there could be more strikes after explosions were heard in the city.

At least two missiles struck Lviv Saturday, and there are reports of at least five people injured, according to Kozytsky.

He added there are still threats for more missile strikes, according to a post on his official Facebook account.

“Information about what was involved in a residential building or other infrastructure objects was not confirmed,” Kozytsky said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks to the media ahead of a solidarity march for Ukraine on March 26 in London.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the British government has “got to make it far easier” for Ukrainian refugees to come to the United Kingdom.

Khan, in an interview with talk radio station Leading Britain’s Conversation, added that he is “embarrassed” by the UK’s response so far compared to other countries in Europe on the issue of refugees.

Earlier in the day, Khan attended the London Stands With Ukraine march in solidarity with Ukrainians and to protest Russia’s invasion of the country.

More than 3.7 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion, the United Nations’ Refugee Agency said Friday.

The United States is considering sanctioning Russian companies that make supplies for the Russian military, sources familiar with the option tell CNN, though an official decision hasn’t been made. 

After meeting with top US officials in Warsaw on Saturday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said they believed officials in US President Joe Biden’s administration were “keen to move on with further sanctions.”

US President Joe Biden speaks at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland on March 26.

US President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “butcher” after visiting with Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday.

Asked by reporters traveling with the President what seeing the refugees made him think as he deals with Putin every day, Biden responded, “he’s a butcher.”

During the brief question-and-answer session at Stadion Narodowy, Biden recounted how he had been to places like this in his life, but said he is always surprised by “the depth and strength of the human spirit.” 

“It’s incredible, it’s incredible. See all those little children. Just want to hug, just want to say thanks. I mean, it’s, just makes you so damn proud,” he said.

He added: “Each one of those children said something to the effect, ‘Say a prayer for my dad or my grandfather or my brother who’s back there fighting.’ And I remember what it’s like when you have someone in a war zone. Every morning you get up and you wonder. You just wonder. And you pray you don’t get that phone call.”

Kremlin’s reaction: The Kremlin responded to Biden’s comments in Warsaw, saying his remarks “narrow the window of opportunity” to repair US-Russia relations, according to Russian state news agency TASS. 

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told TASS that “the leader of a nation must keep a sober head.”

“Of course, every time these personal insults narrow the window of opportunity for our bilateral relations under the current [US] administration. One has to be aware of this,” Peskov said, according to TASS.

-CNN’s Chandler Thornton contributed reporting to this post.

Smoke rises above Lviv, Ukraine on March 26.

CNN’s John Berman saw smoke rising from behind a hill near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, Ukraine, on Saturday afternoon following a series of three blasts.

“We don’t see any strikes in the city itself per se, but smoke rising from the horizon back behind that hill following three large blasts,” Berman told viewers.

Earlier, the CNN team heard air raid sirens. 

US President Joe Biden is in Warsaw, which is 400 kilometers (roughly 250 miles) from Lviv.

President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian refugees and humanitarian aid workers on March 26 in Warsaw, Poland.

US President Joe Biden spent time with refugees in Warsaw Saturday, meeting with families who were forced to leave Ukraine. 

One woman Biden spoke with told him she was there with her daughter, but her husband and son are back in Ukraine fighting. 

“It’s frightening,” Biden told her. 

Biden then picked up a little girl in a pink jacket and took out what appeared to be his own phone and took a selfie with her and her family there. The President said he doesn’t speak Ukrainian, but he wanted someone to tell the girl that “I want to take her home.” 

“Thank you for everything,” they repeatedly told Biden. 

“You’re all brave, brave, brave,” Biden told the family. 

US President Joe Biden participates in an arrival ceremony with Polish President Andrzej Duda on March 26 in Warsaw, Poland.

US President Joe Biden is wrapping up his high-stakes foreign trip in Poland, where he met with Ukrainian officials and the Polish president.

Biden is meeting with Ukrainian refugees before delivering what the White House is billing as a “major address” this afternoon.

The US President, while holding talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda, said that peace in Europe is directly related to stability in the United States, adding that lack of some actions in two world wars “has come back to haunt us.” Biden also called NATO’s Article 5 “a sacred commitment.”

Earlier, Biden stopped into a meeting between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and their American counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Reznikov said he feels cautiously optimistic after the meeting.

The United States has made assurances that there will be additional defense support for Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Biden’s trip comes off the heels of a series of emergency summits this week in Brussels.

After those summits, Biden said he supported ejecting Russia from another summit, the Group of 20, which is scheduled to convene in November, though other members of that grouping would have to sign on. And he issued a vague warning that the United States would respond to potential chemical weapons use on the battlefield.

But he maintained his view that direct US military intervention in Ukraine would result in catastrophe and defended a sanctions regime that so far has not stopped Russian President Vladimir Putin from intensifying his assault.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed reporting to this post.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said he feels cautiously optimistic following his meeting with US counterpart Lloyd Austin, President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken Saturday.

“I asses my & @DmytroKuleba meeting with @POTUS, @SecDef, @SecBlinken with cautious optimism,” Reznikov said in a tweet, adding there is “mutual struggle with a common enemy.”

Reznikov said he and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed with the US officials “urgent needs” of the Ukrainian army.

Reznikov and Kuleba met with the US officials in Warsaw earlier Saturday, where Kuleba said the US promised additional defense support for Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden meets with chef José Andrés, far right, at a World Center Kitchen food distribution site in Warsaw, Poland on March 26.

US President Joe Biden met with chef José Andrés and volunteers in Warsaw Saturday at a food distribution site for Andrés’ World Center Kitchen, the nonprofit devoted to providing meals in the wake of disasters. 

Biden met with some of the volunteers, some of whom are from Europe and the United States. 

“God love ya,” the President could be heard saying to them while asking if he could help them.

Pope Francis blesses an ambulance en route to Lviv, Ukraine.

An ambulance that was donated and blessed by Pope Francis is on its way to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, according to the Holy See press office.

Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, on Saturday left for Lviv and will make the approximately 18-hour drive to give the vehicle to authorities in Lviv in an effort to provide relief to the city. Lviv has seen a stream of internally displaced Ukrainians arriving from the east.

On Thursday, the Pope issued strong criticism against countries for increasing military spending as Russia’s onslaught of Ukraine continues, branding it “madness.”

Speaking to an audience with the Italian Women’s Center in Rome, Pope Francis blamed the “shameful” war in Ukraine on the “old logic of power that still dominates the so-called geopolitics.”

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelsenky appealed to the Pope to visit the country, thanking the Pontiff for his “clear and strong position against the war” during an address Tuesday that was posted on the Ukrainian government’s Facebook page.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, second from left, meets with US President Biden in Warsaw, Poland on March 26.

The United States has made assurances that there will be additional defense support for Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday.

“Today we did receive additional promises from the United States on how our defense co-operation will evolve,” Kuleba told reporters in Warsaw, stressing that “no other country provided Ukraine with more support than the United States.”

Earlier on Saturday, Kuleba and Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov met their US counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in Warsaw.

“We see that the United States are keen to move on with further sanctions,” Kuleba also said.

“We have some European countries who need to be convinced and who need to be taken on board as well, so we agreed today with my counterpart, Secretary Blinken, on how we will be working together with them,” the foreign minister added.

Ten corridors in the Kyiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions were agreed upon Saturday to evacuate civilians from settlements affected by the Russian invasion, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

In the southeast, private transportation is planned for people from the besieged city of Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, but due to the blockade of buses by Russian forces at checkpoints, there won’t be a centralized evacuation of Mariupol residents on Saturday, according to Vereshchuk.

Russian troops have entered the city of Slavutych, north of Kyiv, a move that has sparked protests among hundreds of Ukrainian civilians. Early Saturday, Oleksandr Pavliuk, head of the Kyiv regional administration, said “the Russian occupiers entered the city of Slavutych and seized the city hospital.”  

“Slavutych, Dymer, Ivankiv - we hear you and we know that you need routes (for evacuation). We are working on it,” according to Vereshchuk.

In the southern city of Kherson, Vereshchuk said residents are actively and “massively” protesting the occupation. 

US President Joe Biden meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda on March 26 in Warsaw, Poland.

US President Joe Biden, while holding talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda, said that peace in Europe is directly related to stability in the United States, adding that lack of action in two world wars “has come back to haunt us.”

“America’s ability to meet its role in other parts of the world rests upon a united Europe, a secure Europe. We’ve learned from sad experience in two world wars, when we’ve stayed out of and not been involved in stability in Europe, it always comes back to haunt us, the United States,” Biden said.

Biden also said that he and US leaders see NATO’s Article 5 as “a sacred commitment.”

Article 5 is the principle that an attack on one member of NATO is an attack on all members.

Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin thought he’d be able to divide NATO countries with his invasion of Ukraine.

“The single most important criterion in this time-changing world … is that NATO stay absolutely, completely, thoroughly united. There be no separation in our points of view. That whatever we do, we do in unison, and everyone — everyone — comes along,” he said.

The US President also acknowledged the strain of Ukrainian refugees upon Poland, referencing the situation at the US-Mexico border.

Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s developments in the war in Ukraine.

Bombardments predicted to continue: Britain’s Ministry of Defence said Saturday in its latest intelligence update that Russia prefers “indiscriminate” bombardments and will likely continue using “heavy firepower” on urban areas. 

In a video address on Friday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country’s military had dealt “powerful blows” to Russia.

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held an official meeting on Saturday, state media reported, to discuss maintaining the supply of advanced weapons for the conflict.

On the ground: Russian troops have entered the city of Slavutych, north of Kyiv — a move that sparked protests among hundreds of Ukrainian civilians. Slavutych was built for workers at the Chernobyl nuclear plant after the 1986 disaster left the area uninhabitable.

The Russian military on Saturday also claimed new missile strikes on military targets in western, central and southwestern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have staged a counteroffensive in areas around Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, according to local officials.

Biden in Poland: After meeting with Ukrainian officials in Warsaw, US President Joe Biden is now holding talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Biden is set to meet with Ukrainian refugees and will give a “major address” later in the day, according to the White House.

The Kyiv region’s military administration said Saturday that suburbs to the west and east of the capital had come under Russian shellfire in recent hours, adding that Russian forces were digging in within some districts.

Oleksandr Pavliuk, the head of the Kyiv regional military administration, said in a statement that the western suburbs of Маkariv, Bucha and Irpin were under shelling and that the community of Bilohorodka had come under rocket attack and missile strikes. 

Pavliuk added that Russian forces were entrenching in Bucha and another western suburb, Nemishaeve.

A Ukrainian counterattack north and west of the capital appeared to have made some headway earlier this week, with Ukrainian forces restoring control of the town of Makariv, which is about 40 miles west of Kyiv. Shellfire was audible in central Kyiv Saturday morning. 

The greatest damage from shelling was in the region’s Bucha, Brovary and Vyshhorod districts, Pavliuk said.

A man rides his bicycle in front of residential buildings damaged by shelling in Chernihiv, Ukraine on March 4.

The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, which is located about halfway between Kyiv and the Russian border, said the population has more than halved since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking during a virtual press briefing Saturday, Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko said 120,000 to 130,000 residents remain in the city, compared to around 290,000 prior to Russia’s invasion, adding that the “the city is surrounded.”

Atroshenko said that Russian forces “consciously destroyed the only bridge connecting Chernihiv with a southern highway towards Kyiv.”

Atroshenko was referring to Russian warplanes destroying a key bridge on March 23, one of the last remaining routes linking it with other Ukrainian-held territory. 

Atroshenko’s remarks come as the city attempts to evacuate 44 people who have been severely wounded. Most are military-related, but the figure also comprises civilians, including three children, he said.

Atroshenko said there have been direct hits on hospitals, including Chernihiv District Hospital, which has been “destroyed.” Electricity and water supplies have also been impacted, with water being delivered by volunteers.

Chernihiv has seen some of the most intense shelling since Russia invaded Ukraine just more than four weeks ago. 

Among the more recent deadly attacks on March 16 was on a line of people in line for bread, in which officials said at least 10 people died. 

Smoke rises above residential areas of Kyiv, Ukraine following Russian attacks on March 25.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Saturday canceled an extended curfew planned for the capital.

In a statement on Telegram, Klitschko said the curfew – planned to begin Saturday at 8 p.m. and run until 7 a.m. on Monday – would not be introduced.

“Curfew time will remain normal - from 20:00 to 7:00 [8:00 pm to 7:00 am local time],” Klitschko said. “It will be possible to move around the capital and the region on Sunday afternoon.”

US President Joe Biden participates in an arrival ceremony with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Saturday, March 26, in Warsaw, Poland.

US President Joe Biden has been welcomed to the Presidential Palace in Warsaw with a a show of pageantry ahead of bilateral talks with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda.

He was greeted in a courtyard by Polish officials and an honor guard of Polish troops standing at attention.

Afterward, a band played the Star Spangled Banner followed by the Polish national anthem as the two presidents watched on, standing atop a red carpet.

The band struck up a march as Biden and Duda walked over to survey a cordon of Polish troops, who wore white caps and gold braiding to accent their blue uniforms.

The band paraded in front of the two presidents, followed by the marching troops, before Biden and Duda walked inside.

Roman Abramovich attends a Chelsea FC match in Porto, Portugal in 2021.

The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich has taken part in Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, amid media reports that Abramovich had surfaced as an interlocutor in facilitating potential peace talks. 

In a conference call Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Abramovich “did take part in the negotiations at the initial stage, that is true.”

Pressed further, Peskov gave few details, but added: “And now the negotiations are going on between the two negotiating teams – Russian and Ukrainian.”

Peskov was answering a question regarding an article in The Wall Street Journal that reported that the Biden administration held off on sanctions on Abramovich at the urging of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, because of the oligarch’s role in potentially negotiating peace. CNN has not independently confirmed such a discussion between Washington and Kyiv and Peskov provided no additional information. 

Separately, the Financial Times has reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally endorsed Abramovich’s potential role in talks, citing two two unnamed people with direct knowledge of the matter. CNN has not independently confirmed that reporting. 

It is unclear what role at this stage Abramovich is playing in prospective negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. 

At least 136 children have died and 199 have been injured in Ukraine since the invasion started just over a month ago, according to a statement released Saturday by the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office.

The statement said a 9-year-old, 11-year-old and 13-year-old were all killed in the past week from shelling by the Russian military. 

At least 64 of those killed were in Kyiv, according to the statement, adding that 570 educational facilities have also been damaged, with 73 completely destroyed.

CNN cannot independently verify these figures and the prosecutor general’s office said: “These data are not conclusive, as it is not possible to inspect the sites of shelling in areas of active hostilities and in the temporarily occupied territories.”

As China faces criticism and pressure from the West for not denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a senior Chinese diplomat traveled to Moscow to meet with Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday.

Liu Xiaoming, China’s representative on Korean affairs said via Twitter he had “in-depth discussions on the Korean Peninsula situation and international issues of mutual concern.”

Liu also said he held his first face-to-face talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov.

The Chinese envoy’s visit comes on the heels of North Korea confirming it tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile, which represented its first long-range test in more than four years, marking a potential new era of regional confrontation as well as raising concerns with its neighbors including Russia and China.

Ukrainian forces have staged a counter-offensive in areas around Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, local officials said Saturday. 

In a statement on Telegram, Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said, “We are not only defending our positions, but also liberating our temporarily occupied land. Several settlements were liberated, and fighting for our territories is underway in the direction Rohan. Fighting also continues in the Izium direction and Chuhuiv direction.”

CNN could not immediately verify that claim. Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, has come under intense shellfire since Russian forces invaded in late February. 

Syniehubov said the city “was shelled only 24 times overnight. Which now can be considered a relatively small amount.”

Kostiantyn Nemichev, a far-right Kharkiv politician and member of the nationalist Azov battalion, said “Yesterday was very productive day, and a few settlements were liberated,” and posted pictures of what purported to be Russian prisoners of war. 

CNN cannot independently verify claims of territory changing hands in that region. 

US President Joe Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov in Warsaw, Poland on March 26.

US President Biden is huddling with senior Ukrainian officials in Warsaw on the final day of his trip to Europe.

At a hotel in the Polish capital, Biden dropped by a meeting between Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and their American counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

During a short photo-op, the group made small talk about the arduous journey the ministers took from Ukraine to Poland, which included a train ride followed by three hours in a car.

“It’s like flying from Kyiv to Washington with a connecting flight in Istanbul,” Kuleba said.

“The good thing is that since the beginning of the war I’ve learned how to sleep under any conditions. So I slept on the train, I slept in the car,” he went on.

Biden latched onto the idea the ministers had traveled by train, and relayed that he, too, had experience of rail travel.

“You’re looking at a fellow who’s traveled over a million, 200,000 miles on a train. Literally,” Biden said.

“So you learned how to sleep,” one of the ministers replied.

“I learned how to sleep,” Biden said. “I even learned how to become friends with a conductor so they kept the people away. You didn’t have to worry about that.”

Reporters were told to leave the room before any questions of substance about the war in Ukraine could be answered.

The Russian military on Saturday claimed new missile strikes on military targets in western, central and southwestern Ukraine.

In a statement released on Saturday, Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles “destroyed a warehouse with ammunition and weapons near the settlement of Velyki Korovyntsi, Zhytomyr region.”

Konashenkov continued: “Also, a high-precision Onyx cruise missile destroyed a fuel base in the Mykolaiv area, which supplied the AFU [Armed Forces of Ukraine] grouping in the southern part of Ukraine with fuel.”

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko visits a check-point on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 6.

The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, on Saturday announced a new curfew in the Ukrainian capital.

In a statement on Telegram, Klitschko said the curfew would begin Saturday at 8 p.m. and last until 7 a.m. on Monday. 

“According to the decision of the military command, the curfew in Kyiv and the region will be strengthened again,” he said.

Klitschko said only vehicles with special permits can operate during the curfew and that residents of the city can only go out to shelters when an alarm sounds. 

Public transport, shops, pharmacies and filling stations will not be operational, he said.

People gather for a protest in Slavutych, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 26.

Russian troops have entered the city of Slavutych, north of Kyiv – a move which has sparked protests among hundreds of Ukrainian civilians.

Early Saturday, Oleksandr Pavliuk, head of the Kyiv regional administration, said “the Russian occupiers entered the city of Slavutych and seized the city hospital.” 

The mayor of Slavutych, Yuri Fomichev, asked residents to come to the city square with Ukrainian symbols to “show their position.”

Images and video geolocated by CNN showed a crowd – possibly several hundred people – chanting “Slavutych is Ukraine” and “Glory to Ukraine” in the main square. A large Ukrainian flag was unfurled.

The sound of at least three stun grenades, whose origin is unclear, can be heard.

Later, as the crowd moves through the square, several bursts of heavy gunfire can be heard.

Pavliuk also said that “according to the latest information, the mayor Yuri Fomichiv was abducted by invaders.”

Late on Friday, the mayor had issued a statement on Facebook saying that: “Our defenders defended bravely and selflessly! But we do not have equal strength! Unfortunately, we have our dead.”

Some background: The arrival of Russian forces in Slavutych follows several days of shelling against the city, which is strategically located close to the Dnieper River, about 95 miles (150 kilometers) north of Kyiv and close to the border with Belarus.

According to local officials, the city has been isolated almost since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

Slavutych was built for workers at the Chernobyl nuclear plant after the 1986 disaster left the area uninhabitable.

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held an official meeting on Saturday, state media reported, amid speculation over his whereabouts and health during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

State news agency Tass said Shoigu met with the country’s Ministry of Finance to discuss maintaining the supply of advanced weapons for the conflict.

Those items include “robotic complexes, information support and electronic warfare equipment, and of course, logistics, as it has always been the case,” Shoigu said, according to TASS.

“With the challenges we are facing today, we are moving according to plan in implementing the state defense procurement contract,” Shoigu said. “Considering the fact that the government funding for this year is 15% higher than for the previous year, we must of course take a look at what needs particular attention when fulfilling the state defense procurement contract.”

Shoigu reportedly claimed that despite sanctions on Russia, the level of execution of state contracts is at 85%. Outside observers have expressed skepticism that Russia can continue to produce high-tech weaponry amid severe international sanctions, particularly if procurement of some technology by Russia is restricted.

In addition, Shoigu spoke about legal changes that would guarantee government support to Russian troops who have fought in Ukraine, TASS reported.

“According to these amendments, participants of the special military operation in Ukraine acquire the status of combat veterans. Support will also include relatives of this category of military service members,” he said. 

According to a separate report from TASS, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law on Saturday. It had been “unanimously” adopted by the State Duma and approved by the Federation Council on Wednesday.

The new law means that those who have taken part in Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, will have access to the “social protection system used by veterans of Afghanistan, Syria, and other hot spots,” which includes additional payments from the state, tax benefits and medical care, the Russian state media outlet reported.

The bigger picture: Speculation has been mounting over Shoigu’s whereabouts in recent days, as the Defense Minister has kept a low profile in the last few weeks despite having a leading role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on media reports and speculation that Shoigu had been experiencing health problems.

“The defense minister has a lot on his plate at the moment,” he said when CNN asked about Shoigu’s reported absence. “The special military operation is going on. Naturally, now is not exactly the time for media activity, this is quite understandable.”

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Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, and Head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia and First Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov listen to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. Putin has ordered Russian nuclear forces on high alert amid tensions with the West over his invasion of Ukraine.

Related article Questions swirl over whereabouts of Russia's defense minister

US President Joe Biden, center, talks to service members from the 82nd Airborne Division during his trip to Poland on March 25.

US President Joe Biden will attend a meeting Saturday with Ukrainian officials as he completes his visit to Poland.

The White House said Biden would drop by a meeting between his Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Ukrainian counterparts, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.

It comes as Ukraine laments the outcomes of this week’s NATO summit, which rebuffed calls from the country’s leader to impose a no-fly zone.

“We expected more bravery. We expected some bold decisions,” Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to President Volodomyr Zelensky, told the Atlantic Council in a live video interview Friday.

Volunteers are seen preparing and distributing food for locals and the territorial defense in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 25.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Saturday that the UK will provide £2 million (approximately $2.64 million) in food supplies for areas of Ukraine encircled by Russian forces, following a direct request from the Ukrainian government, according to a government press release on Saturday. 

Truss said the UK government is working with Poland and Slovakia to provide “dried food, tinned goods and water” to Ukraine from “early next week,” where approximately 25 truckloads of supplies will be transported by road and rail to communities in need. 

The donation comes as part of the £400 million (approximately $528 million) the UK has committed in humanitarian and economic aid, according to the press release. 

Access to food, water and cooking facilities for cities encircled by Russian forces is becoming increasing difficult, the statement added. 

UK’s Ministry of Defence said on Saturday in its intelligence update that Russia “continues to besiege” several major Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a video link address to the Doha Forum in Qatar's capital on March 26.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked energy producing countries at the Doha Forum in Qatar on Saturday to increase oil and gas output to avoid Russia’s global “blackmail.” 

“The future of Europe rests on your efforts, I ask you to increase the output of energy to ensure that everyone is Russia understands that you cannot use energy as a weapon,” Zelensky told the political forum virtually. 

“[Qatar] can make their contribution to the stabilization of Europe,” he said. 

Zelensky also referenced other conflict-stricken countries, saying the international order needs to be protected not just for Ukraine, but for Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen. 

The Ukrainian president also warned of the potential effect the invasion is having on food exports from Ukraine to countries around the world, saying no country is insured against food disruption.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani addresses the Doha Forum in Qatar's capital on March 26.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said his country stands with millions of refugees in the “unjust” war on Ukraine. 

Speaking at the opening of the Doha Forum, Sheikh Tamim said Qatar also stands against any hostilities against national sovereignties. 

The question of gas: Qatar, one of the world’s top suppliers of liquefied natural gas (LNG), has been thrust into the limelight as European states rush to find alternatives to the Russian gas that has powered their economies for decades, while Moscow presses on with its brutal war in Ukraine.

The European Union depends on Russia for about 40% of its natural gas. This week, German economy minister Robert Habeck left the Qatari capital, Doha, with an understanding to have Qatar supply it with gas. Germany currently has no terminals to receive direct shipments of LNG from Qatar, but it plans to build two.

Read more here about Qatar’s key role in supplying gas.

A man recovers items from a burning shop following a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 25.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence said Saturday in its latest intelligence update that Russia prefers “indiscriminate” bombardments and will likely continue using “heavy firepower” on urban areas. 

“Russian forces are proving reluctant to engage in large scale urban infantry operations, rather preferring to rely on the indiscriminate use of air and artillery bombardments in an attempt to demoralise defending forces,” the ministry said. 

Russia “continues to besiege” several major Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol, the ministry added. 

St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 1.

When Vladimir Putin’s forces last approached a capital city, they leveled it.

As the invasion of Ukraine enters its second month, Russian forces are digging in on the outskirts of Kyiv — and there are fears they could be preparing for the same indiscriminate scorched-earth tactic used in the Chechen capital of Grozny in 1999.

Kyiv is one of Ukraine’s many jewels — a city more than 1,500 years old, a once-bustling capital of 2.8 million people, and home to irreplaceable international treasures, including architectural landmarks and cultural monuments.

Here are some of the sites experts say are at risk:

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Photo taken on Nov. 11, 2019 shows the golden roofs of the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev, Ukraine. The Monastery of the Caves Pechersk Lavra in Kiev was founded in the 11th century. It was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List along with Saint-Sophia Cathedral in 1990.

Related article These are some of the historical sites at risk in Kyiv

In a video address on Friday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country’s military had dealt “powerful blows” to Russia, and thanked all those who were helping defend the nation.

Russian losses: Zelensky claimed that more than 16,000 Russian soldiers had been killed since the war began, a far higher number than the estimate Russia put forth Friday. CNN cannot independently confirm these figures.

“By restraining Russia’s actions, our defenders are leading the Russian leadership to a simple and logical idea: talk is necessary. Meaningful. Urgent. Fair. For the sake of the result, not for the sake of the delay,” he said. “16,000 Russian servicemen have already died. For what? What does it give and to whom?”

Any negotiations with Russia must guarantee Ukraine’s sovereignty and the country’s territorial integrity, he added.

Civilian evacuations: The President added that Ukraine had established 18 evacuation corridors this week, allowing more than 37,000 people to escape “blocked cities” — including more than 26,000 residents from Mariupol, which has been under relentless shelling for weeks. “The situation in the city remains absolutely tragic,” Zelensky said.

Biden arrives at Warsaw Chopin Airport, Friday, March 25, in Warsaw, Poland.

US President Joe Biden on Saturday is taking part in his final stop on a last-minute trip to Europe aimed at synchronizing how Western allies will address Russia’s war with Ukraine and reassure nations that they have the support of the United States.

In Warsaw, Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda to discuss how the US and its allies are responding to the refugee crisis that has ensued as a result of the war and he will meet with Ukrainian refugees.

Before returning to Washington, Biden will also deliver a speech billed by the White House as a “major address.”

His Europe trip: Biden’s multi-day swing through Europe began in Brussels, where heconferred with major US allies on the global response to the war. The trip is set to end in a nation bordering Ukraine — where the regional security issues and the humanitarian crisis underway will be front and center.

The visit to Ukraine’s western neighbor comes as Poland has, on several fronts, urged the US to do more in the war.

Emergency meetings: During snap summits in Brussels, Biden announced new sanctions against Russian parliament members, revealed the US’ intent to take in 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine and conferred with leaders on how the world will respond if Russia deploys a chemical, biological or nuclear weapon during the war.

On Friday, Biden also announced a new initiative intended to deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of European energy profits that Biden says are used to fuel Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Read more here.

The sun is rising in Kyiv, where a Ukrainian official says Ukraine’s forces are “going on the counterattack” around the capital. Meanwhile, Russia says it will now concentrate on eastern Ukraine, claiming the “first stage” of its military plan is complete.

Here’s what you need to know:

Tyler Jacob, seen in a Oct. 2021 family photo, was living in Ukraine and freed Friday March 25, from detention in Russia.

Tyler Jacob, an American living in Ukraine, was freed from detention in Russia on Friday, according to the office of Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Klobuchar’s office said Jacob, who is originally from Winona, Minnesota, was taken by Russian forces about two weeks ago while trying to leave Ukraine. He was held in Russia for 10 days.

“I am grateful that Tyler, his wife, and their daughter are in a safe place,” said Jacob’s father, John Quinn, in the statement by Klobuchar’s office.

A State Department spokesman told CNN the department was aware of the reports but had no further comment due to privacy considerations.

Markian Lubkivskyi, an adviser to Ukraine's defense minister spoke with CNN recently.

A senior adviser to the Ukrainian minister of defense told CNN the notorious Russian private military group Wagner was involved in an alleged assassination plot against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Lubkivskyi said the plot was confirmed by Ukraine’s intelligence service and special forces in charge of protecting Zelensky.

“All these documents and the necessary proof will be presented to the International Court,” he said, adding that he couldn’t reveal more due to operational reasons.

CNN was unable to independently confirm the claims.

The Wagner group first came to prominence during Russia’s invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014. Since then, independent research and CNN investigations have found that the private military contractor has operated in Syria and multiple countries in Africa. They have been accused by US officials and human rights watchdogs of sustained human rights abuses.

The group is thought to be connected to — and financed by — Yevgeny Prigozhin, an oligarch so close to the Kremlin that he is known as Putin’s “chef.”

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any links to the group. Prigozhin denies any involvement in Wagner.

On Thursday, the United Kingdom became the latest country to sanction Wagner.

Lubkivskyi says that Ukrainian intelligence has tracked the group inside and outside of Ukraine and that several Wagner operatives have been killed inside the country, identified by their unique ID tags.

Zelensky has repeatedly committed to staying in Ukraine to marshal the country’s defense during the war, now in its second month.

President Joe Biden told American troops on a deterrence mission near the border with Ukraine that the consequences of the raging conflict 50 miles away could extend around the world.

It was a sweeping view of the war underway in Ukraine, which has jolted the west into unprecedented cooperation while sending millions fleeing their homes, mostly into Poland. Biden was able to witness both of those factors at close range during his visit to Rzeszow, which has acted as a staging area for Western military assistance to Ukraine while also serving as a waypoint for people fleeing the violence.

As Biden was arriving, anti-aircraft missiles could be seen on the grounds of the airport. Later, he met with aid workers to hear their accounts of helping alleviate the humanitarian crisis, which he said was put in motion by a leader, Putin, whom he again described as a war criminal.

Speaking during a roundtable focused on the refugee issue, Biden said he would have preferred to see the crisis from an even closer perspective but was prevented by security concerns.

Read more:

President Joe Biden visits with members of the 82nd Airborne Division at the G2A Arena, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Jasionka, Poland. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Related article Biden heads to Poland following emergency summits in Brussels

The United Nations has received “increasing information” corroborating the existence of mass graves in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, and it has been able to get “satellite information” on one such grave, said Matilda Bogner, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

She added one caveat: It is not guaranteed that all of the people buried in the graves “are civilian casualties, because when we document civilian casualties, we do not include both military casualties and we do not include people who die for other reasons apart from direct hostilities.”

Bogner made this note as she painted a stark picture of a city where “the ordinary rate of mortality has increased” due to a lack of basic utilities such as food, electricity, and water. 

“People are dying in the city who are not just civilian casualties,” she stressed.

A top Russian general gave some of the most detailed public remarks to date on Russia’s military strategy in Ukraine, claiming on Friday that the “first stage” of Russia’s military plan is now complete, with their primary focus now centered on eastern Ukraine.

“In general, the main tasks of the first stage of the operation have been completed,” Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy, first deputy chief of Russia’s General Staff, said in a Friday briefing. “The combat potential of the armed forces of Ukraine has been significantly reduced, allowing us, I emphasize again, to focus the main efforts on achieving the main goal — the liberation of Donbas.”

Rudskoy’s remarks come as Russia’s advances appear to have stalled around major Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv and Kharkiv. Russia has also failed to achieve air superiority in Ukraine and has suffered heavy losses of personnel since the start of the invasion.

Rudskoy was referring to the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, separatist territories in eastern Ukraine that Russia recognized on the eve of its invasion.

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MYKOLAIV, UKRAINE - MARCH 10: A burnt out Russian Tigr fighting vehicle sits long a road, the Z letter on the door denoting its Russian origin as Ukraine Army troops dig in at frontline trench positions to continue repelling Russian attacks, east of the strategic port city of Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on March 10, 2022. Ukrainian forces have fended off several concerted ground attacks, with Russian forces coming northwest from Crimea and via Kherson, and filing frequent missile and rockets strikes on the city, Ukrainian officers and officials say they are optimistic that they can continue to stop the Russian southern advance along the Black Sea coast. (Photo by Scott Peterson/Getty Images)

Related article Russia says first phase of war is over

About 300 people are believed to have died in a Russian attack on a theater in Mariupol nine days ago, the city council has said, citing eyewitness reports.

The March 16 bombing of Mariupol’s Drama Theater, where Ukrainian officials say up to 1,300 had sought refuge, was among the most brazen of Russia’s attacks on civilians since its invasion began in late February.

Painted on the ground outside the building — in giant Russian letters — was the word “CHILDREN.” The message — large enough to be viewed from the sky — was scrawled near a public square. Russia has denied its forces hit the theater, claiming instead that the Azov battalion, the Ukrainian army’s main presence in Mariupol, blew it up.

CNN has been unable to independently verify the death toll.

Read more:

Aftermath image of a theatre in the encircled Ukrainian port city of Mariupol where hundreds of civilians were sheltering on Wednesday March 16, 2022 after Russian forces dropped a powerful bomb on it, Ukraine\'s foreign ministry said. Russia denied that attack.

Related article 300 people were killed in Russian airstrike on Mariupol theater, Ukrainian authorities say

One in every two Ukrainian children has been displaced since Russia began its invasion on Feb. 24, according to a statement from the UN Children’s Fund on Thursday.

UNICEF’s statement added that 4.3 million children have been displaced, which represents more than half of Ukraine’s estimated 7.5 million child population.

This figure includes over 1.8 million children who have crossed into neighboring countries as refugees, and 2.5 million children who are also internally displaced in Ukraine, the statement said.

The statement added that 78 children have been killed and 105 children have been injured in Ukraine since the invasion began over a month ago, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

However, these figures represent those that the UN has managed to confirm, and the true toll is expected to be higher, the statement said.

“It’s mind-boggling,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told CNN earlier this week. “Since the start of the war a month ago, out of every boy and girl in the country, one out of two now has had to flee their homes.

Elder said UNICEF is trying to get blankets, water purification tablets, generators, medical supplies and obstetric kits for mothers giving birth into the country.

“Unless the war stops, unless the indiscriminate attacks stop, we’re going to see more children wrenched from their homes and the bombardments,” he added.