Updates and key developments in the Russian war in Ukraine.
KYIV, Ukraine — The Ukraine military’s general staff says that Russian forces continue their “offensive operations” in eastern Ukraine with the goal of defeating Ukrainian forces, establishing full control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and securing “a land route between these territories and the occupied Crimea.” Ukrainian forces in the past 24 hours repelled eight Russian attacks in the two regions, destroying nine tanks,18 armored units and 13 vehicles, a tanker and three artillery systems, the general staff said on its Facebook page on Saturday morning. Russian forces continue to partially block and shell Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, and are active in the area of Izyum, the update said. In the strategic port city of Mariupol, Russian troops “continue to blockade” Ukrainian units in the area of the Azovstal steelworks, the last remaining stronghold, and “launch air strikes on the city, including with the use of long-range aircraft,” the post said, adding that an engineering unit arrived to Mariupol in order to demine the port infrastructure. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Possible mass graves near Mariupol shown in satellite images — EXPLAINER: Why the battle for Mariupol’s steel mill matters — EXPLAINER: Why Washington is boosting heavy arms for Ukraine — UN rights chief sees ‘horror story’ of violations in Ukraine — US to welcome Ukraine refugees but no longer through Mexico — Follow all AP stories on Russia’s war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: KYIV, Ukraine — Another mass grave has been found outside Mariupol, the city council and an adviser to the mayor said Friday. The city council posted a satellite photo provided by Planet Labs showing what it said was a mass grave 45 meters (147.64 feet) by 25 meters (82.02 feet) that could hold the bodies of at least 1,000 Mariupol residents.
