March 23, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has moved here.

Joe Biden speaks during an event in Washington, DC on March 23.

US President Joe Biden?will make a long-awaited trip to America’s northern neighbor Thursday evening, a 24-hour whirlwind visit where he will press to elevate a concerted effort to repair a bilateral relationship as the two nations confront growing geopolitical challenges.

Despite the brief nature of the trip, White House officials say the crowded agenda underscores the relationship’s importance — and the substantial shift away from the fractures that developed during former President Donald Trump’s time in office.

Still, they acknowledge there are a series of economic, trade and immigration challenges that must be navigated between the two governments.

Biden’s visit includes a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, an address to the nation’s parliament in Ottawa, and a cozy reception at an elaborate gala dinner.

For Biden, who last traveled to Ottawa shortly after Trump was elected in 2016, the visit will also mark a moment to underscore close ties and the critical role Canada has played in the Western alliance that has supported Ukraine since Russia’s invasion more than a year ago.

The two men are expected to discuss Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Trudeau, the longest-serving leader in the G7, has been an ally to Biden in providing military and financial assistance to the country during the Kremlin’s invasion.

After paying a visit to the front lines in the southern region of Kherson, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed optimism that cooperation with European allies could bring a victory by the end of the year.

He warned, however, that there were still problematic areas such as delays in the supply of armaments.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is eyeing a counteroffensive in Bakhmut as Russian forces in the besieged city appear to be losing momentum, one of Kyiv’s top generals said Thursday.

Here are the latest headlines:

Zelensky calls for increased support: The Ukrainian president shared his view that the end of the war could come this year if European allies don’t waver in their support. Zelensky identifies several areas where he feels cooperation could improve, including supplies of long-range missiles and modern combat planes and increased sanctions on Russia. “If our joint efforts are resolutely focused on Ukraine’s victory, the victory will be gained already this year,” he said.?

Russian forces said to be stalling in Bakhmut: Russian forces are depleted in Bakhmut and are “running out of energy,” Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s land forces, said Thursday. “Very soon, we will take advantage of this opportunity,” he added. However, Russia’s heavy bombardment of the area continues, with attacks intensifying in the nearby town of Avdiivka. Some Ukrainian officials worry Avdiivka could be the next Bakhmut.

Infusion of supplies from allies: Slovakia announced it has handed over four of its Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, days after pledging to send 13 such jets. Additionally, Spain is expected to send its first shipment of modern battle tanks to Ukraine by the end of the week, the Spanish Defense Ministry said in a statement Thursday.

Ukraine retracts report of Russian retreat from Kherson: The Ukrainian military swiftly backtracked its earlier claim that Russian forces had withdrawn from the strategic town of Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region. That’s after Russian officials and military bloggers slammed the report. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said the mistake was the result of “incorrect use of available data.”?

Russian athletes: World Athletics, the international governing body for track and field and other sports, lifted its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, but announced the athletes will still be excluded “for the foreseeable future” due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Reconstruction could top $400 billion: Reconstruction efforts in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion could cost an estimated $411 billion, according to an?updated assessment by the World Bank.

Ukrainian officials said its air defenses have intercepted two cruise missiles fired at the Odesa region.

Ukraine’s Air Command South said Thursday evening that “the air defense forces shot down two Kh-59 air-to-surface guided missiles fired by Russian Su-35 fighters from the Black Sea in Odesa region.”

It’s the second time this week that Kh-59 missiles have been fired at the Odesa region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a tripartite meeting on January 11 in Lviv, Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had an optimistic view on the end of the war for his European allies, while also warning of some areas that he believes need improvement.

He said, “if our joint efforts are resolutely focused on Ukraine’s victory, the victory will be gained already this year.”

The Ukrainian president said he appreciated European support for the work of the International Criminal Court and efforts to launch a compensation scheme that would use billions in seized Russian assets to rehabilitate Ukraine.

But he said there were several areas where cooperation was still lacking:

Zelensky said Ukraine was progressing in developing its institutions to European standards and its “transformation into a modern, fully accountable to society, corruption-free and institutionally stable” state. It was critical that its accession path to the European Union not be impeded.

“Ukraine is ready for a decision to start accession negotiations on EU membership already this year. The same readiness is needed from all of you – every leader in Europe.”

Zelensky ended his speech by warning that “If Europe hesitates, evil may have time to regroup and prepare itself for years of war.”

New Zealand national Kane?Te?Tai has died in Ukraine, a spokesperson from New Zealand’s government said in a statement to CNN.

Ukrainian authorities confirmed Te Tai’s death, New Zealand’s Ministry of?Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said Thursday.

According to previous CNN reporting, Te Tai fought with Ukraine’s International Legion, a band of foreign fighters who have bolstered the Ukrainian military.

The Ukrainian military quickly retracted its claim that Russian forces had withdrawn from a strategic town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region Thursday, as Moscow-backed leaders mocked Kyiv over the report.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces initially said in an update Thursday that all Russian military units had pulled out of the town of Nova Kakhovka on the east bank of the Dnipro River.

It would have marked a significant development, as the first east bank settlement of any size seized by Ukraine since forcing Russia’s troops out of Kherson and seizing the west bank last November.

But the General Staff retracted the claim a short time later, writing in a statement on Facebook: “The occupiers are still temporarily located in Nova Kakhovka. The information about the enemy’s alleged withdrawal from this settlement was made public as a result of incorrect use of available data.”

Russia slammed the report: By the time of Ukraine’s retraction, Russian-appointed officials and military bloggers had already loudly denied Ukraine’s claims of a military withdrawal from Nova Kakhovka.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed head in the occupied Kherson region, said “all Russian military personnel in Nova Kakhovka, as well as in other locations on the east bank of the Dnipro river, remain in their positions.”

Saldo theorized the claim was tied to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent visit to the region, which he said had a “weak PR effect.”

Vladimir Leontyev, the Russia-backed leader in Nova Kakhovka, also said the claim was false, calling it “misinformation” and the work of propagandists.

Russian military correspondent Aleksandr Kots mocked the report on Telegram.

Recent developments in the area: While Russia has fortified many settlements on the east bank of the river near Kherson, those nearest the Dnipro have been subjected to frequent attacks by Ukraine, including special forces assaults.

Nova Kakhovka is a notable territory to monitor in the fighting, because it’s the site of a major hydroelectric project and the entrance to a canal that feeds fresh water to Crimea from the Dnipro River.

According to unofficial social media accounts, explosions rocked the town last weekend, and a fire broke out close to or in the town’s grain elevator.

Some Telegram channels said a fuel dump had been set on fire, along with Russian military equipment. Those accounts could not be verified.

In mid-March, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported Ukrainian troops had launched a massive artillery strike on the neighborhood of Sokol in Nova Kakhovka, killing a woman and damaging houses, stores and power lines.

Warming spring weather is creating ideal conditions for Russia to begin rolling heavy military equipment through Ukraine, said Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian private military group Wagner.

“Spring is coming. The soil is drying,” Prigozhhin said, which means “everything is in place for us to start rolling heavy equipment through the fields.”

Prigozhin, in an interview shared on Telegram, acknowledged Ukraine also had received a large amount of support from NATO countries, including military equipment, armored vehicles and Leopard tanks, as well as around 200,000 trained reserves.?

Officials in Kyiv have long warned of a spring offensive amid ramped-up military attacks from the Kremlin.

The ban against Russian and Belarusian athletes has been lifted, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said.

However, athletes from those countries will still be excluded “for the foreseeable future” due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he said at a news conference Thursday.?

World Athletics is the international governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running and more. It hosts several international events and competitions, according to its website.

Some background: In?January,?the International Olympic Committee outlined a multi-step plan for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate at the upcoming 2024 Summer Games in Paris and the 2026 Winter Games in Milan.

IOC president Thomas Bach defended the decision Wednesday, calling for officials to “keep politics and sports apart.” The plan would allow competitors to participate as neutral athletes, without representing their home country via flag, anthem, uniform or other identification.

Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have kept up their bombardments across Donetsk region, with more than 200 strikes against the Bakhmut area alone in the past 24 hours —?but they claim the Russians are losing hundreds of men a day across the front lines.

The eastern city of Bakhmut remains “the focus of the enemy’s main attack,” according to Serhii Cherevatyi, the spokesman for the Eastern Grouping of the armed forces.

Cherevatyi said it was difficult to tell whether the intensity of Russian attacks around Bakhmut was waning because of factors such as weather, the rotation of units or reserves being brought forward by the Russians.

However, he said Russian tactics have remained the same with small tactical groups “trying to deplete our defenses.” He said soldiers from the Wagner mercenary group are near Bakhmut, with Russian troops providing reinforcements where necessary.

Cherevatyi drew a distinction between the battle for Bakhmut and fighting elsewhere. He said further north, Wagner was less in evidence around Lyman and Kupyansk, where regular Russian forces, supported by the Luhansk militia, had made more than 400 attacks over the past day.

“The main task now is to withstand, to deplete the enemy’s forces, while units are being trained both in Ukraine and abroad, equipped with new defense equipment, and coordinated,” Cherevatyi said.

In and around the town of Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region, intense Russian bombardments and air strikes continue against Ukrainian defenses.

“All the time we were in the city, there were explosions. We did not see a single building that was not damaged. Unfortunately, there are still civilians in Avdiivka. People live in basements,” military spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskyi said.

But he said many of the civilians were unwilling to leave, especially the elderly, and there has been no electricity in the city since May last year.

Dmytrashkivskyi said that the Russians were trying to bypass the town “and these attacks are constantly accompanied by shelling. Yesterday the enemy managed 26 attacks and suffered quite significant losses. More than 100 people were killed and more than 240 wounded,” he claimed. “During the day, they attack with the help of aircraft, artillery and manpower. They are suffering heavy losses in manpower and equipment.”

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach attends a meeting at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, on December 5, 2022.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach pleaded with politicians Wednesday to “keep politics and sports apart” as he defended the committee’s plan to include Russian and Belarusian athletes at the 2024 Paris Games.

Bach made the comments at a?political forum in Essen, Germany.

“If politics decides who can take part in a competition, then sport and athletes become tools of politics,” Bach said during a speech in German, which lasted over an hour.

According to Reuters, Bach said “Ukraine wants, and this is a direct quote, ‘the total isolation of all Russians.” That line was met by applause from some in attendance.

But Bach described the request as a “dilemma” and “a completely new situation.”

“If we exclude athletes for political reasons, we face the decline?of the international sporting system,” the IOC president said.

More background: In?January,?the IOC outlined a multi-step plan for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate at the upcoming 2024 Summer Games in Paris and the 2026 Winter Games in Milan.

The plan would allow competitors to participate as neutral athletes, without representing their home country via flag, anthem, uniform or other identification.

The?United States, Canada and most European countries have criticized the decision. Last month, the?US?and more than 30 other “like-minded” countries backed a proposed ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in international sports

Ukraine has not ruled out boycotting the Olympics if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete, the country’s sports minister said in January.

In February, the IOC reiterated its condemnation of the war in Ukraine in a?statement marking the invasion’s first anniversary.

Sauli Niinist?, Finland's president, signs a domestic law which ratifies NATO treaties in Helsinki, Finland, on March 23.

The Russian Foreign Ministry again condemned Finland’s bid to join NATO, calling it “unbalanced” and “counterproductive” in comments reported by state news agency RIA Novosti Thursday.

“As for Finland’s decision to join NATO, it can hardly be considered balanced,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during a briefing in Moscow. She claimed the decision was taken “under the influence of an unprecedented anti-Russian media campaign” and without proper public debate.

“We understand that the United States of America and a number of its allies are behind this political campaign,” she added, without providing evidence.

Zakharova said the move would only exacerbate the military and political situation in Europe. Russia has repeatedly asserted Helsinki’s decision will be counterproductive, and that it has already negatively impacted Russian-Finnish relations.

Some context: Finland and Sweden announced their intention to join NATO in May 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused the Nordic countries to abandon their long-held non-aligned status.

The move was a setback for Moscow, with the war triggering the kind of NATO enlargement that Russia invaded Ukraine to prevent.

Finland and Sweden’s applications were welcomed by almost all NATO leaders, but under the alliance’s rules, just one member state can veto a new applicant’s membership.

Finland’s bid took a major step forward when Turkey and Hungary, which had to that point been the key holdouts, agreed to start the process of ratifying Finland’s membership last week.

On Thursday, Finland’s President Sauli Niinist? signed legislation that?approves the country’s bid to join NATO.

Sweden’s?parliament approved its own bid to join NATO Wednesday, but the Swedish government still awaits Turkey and Hungary’s go-ahead.

CNN’s Yusuf Gezer, Amy Cassidy and Jack Guy contributed to this report.

The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, third left, visits the Santa Barbara Sistemas plant in Seville, Spain, on March 23.

Spain is expected to send its first shipment of?modern battle tanks to Ukraine by the end of next week, once officials have completed final firing tests in the field, the Spanish Defense?Ministry?said in a statement Thursday.

The six Leopard 2A4 tanks have been undergoing final checks at a weapons factory near Seville in southern Spain, the statement said.

Spanish Defense?Minister?Margarita Robles visited the factory Thursday and said four?more Leopard tanks due for Ukraine will arrive there soon for inspection and testing.

The first group of Ukrainian troops to learn how to operate the Spanish tanks are wrapping up training at a?military base in northern Spain, the Defense Ministry announced last week.

Some background: Robles initially told Spain’s parliament last month that the country would send six Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

A day later, Spanish Prime?Minister Pedro Sánchez?made a surprise visit to Kyiv on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion. He?met with?Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and announced Spain would bump its commitment to 10 fighting vehicles.

The estimated cost of reconstruction efforts in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion has reached $411 billion, according to an updated assessment by the World Bank.

This amounts to 2.6 times the country’s estimated GDP in 2022. It includes an estimated $135 billion of direct damage – mainly to the housing, transportation, energy, commerce and industry sectors, according to the bank. The majority of damage is concentrated in frontline eastern regions, including Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk.?

The updated cost estimate covers damage incurred in the one year period after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24,?2022. It marks an increase from the bank’s $349 billion estimate in June 2022.

The reconstruction cost is a joint assessment made by Ukraine’s government, the World Bank Group, the European Commission and the United Nations.

A MiG-29 supersonic fighter of the Slovak army pictured on April 14, 2005, in Sliac, Slovakia.

Slovakia has handed four of its Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets over to Ukraine, the country’s Defense Minister Jaro Nad said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

This comes days after the country pledged 13 Mig-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, along with Poland which pledged four.

On the question of a military advantage, Russia has been dismissive, claiming the gift of more Soviet-era MiGs to Ukraine will not alter the course of the conflict. Which might be why it is F-16s – and not MiGs – that are in fact at the top of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s wish list.

MiG-29s are analog aircraft, using older flight technology. Zelensky’s sought-after F-16s are digital. MiGs can be used for short combat missions, they can deploy weaponry and shoot down Russian aircraft with good maneuverability at short range. But F-16s can fly for longer, are more versatile, possess integrated weapons systems and have dramatically better long range and radar capability, therefore providing improved early warning.

CNN’s Bianca Nobilo contributed reporting to this post.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has traveled to the Kherson region, where reconstruction efforts are underway after some areas were liberated from Russian control a few months ago.

Elsewhere, the death toll from a Russian drone strike on Ukraine’s capital earlier this week has risen to at least nine people.

Here are the latest headlines:

Dmitry?Medvedev?attends a military parade on?Victory?Day in Red Square, Moscow, Russia, on May 9.

If Russian President Vladimir Putin gets arrested overseas following the?International Criminal Court’s (ICC) warrant, that would mean “a?declaration of war against Russia,” Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday, according to state news agency TASS.

Responding to German Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann’s remark that Berlin would have to implement the ICC decision and arrest the Russian president if he arrived in Germany, Medvedev said: “Does he even realize that it would be a casus belli, a declaration of war? “

Medvedev also reiterated that?the ICC’s decision would have detrimental impact on Moscow’s relations with the West.

“Our relations with the Western world are already poor; they are perhaps at their worst ever. Even when Churchill delivered his Iron Curtain speech, our relationship was better. And all of a sudden, they make such a move against our head of state,” Medvedev said, according to TASSS.

Pedro Sanchez attends the second session of the motion of censure, at the Congress of Deputies, in Madrid, Spain, on March 22.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says he will discuss Russia’s war on Ukraine with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a state visit to China next week.

Sánchez said he will address three topics with Xi:

Sanchez said he would specifically address the issues of peace, on Kyiv’s terms, and Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

“That means respecting the UN human rights charter, with regards to the territorial integrity which is being violated by Russia, in this case in Ukraine,” he told reporters as he arrived for a European Council meeting in Brussels. “And logically it will be Ukrainians themselves who establish the conditions for the beginning of that peace dialogue that will logically have to occur.”

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said it has no information to provide regarding the matter.

The Spanish prime minister said he was thankful for President Xi’s invitation and referred to China as “a global actor of the first order,” adding it was important to hear Beijing’s view.

Beijing has attempted to position itself as a peace broker in the conflict despite its growing relationship with Russia. Xi departed Moscow on Wednesday after pledging to deepen ties with President Vladimir Putin during a three-day state visit. Their talks failed to achieve a breakthrough on Ukraine.

Ukraine's President?Volodymyr?Zelensky, center right,?walks along a street as he visits Kherson, Ukraine, on March 23.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting the front line southern region of Kherson — months after parts of it were freed from Russian occupation.?

On Wednesday, Zelensky paid a surprise visit to wounded troops at a hospital in?the eastern Donetsk region near the front lines.

“I talked to the locals about their current issues and needs. We will restore and rebuild everything,” he added.

Russian forces destroyed much of the energy infrastructure in Kherson before they pulled out to the eastern bank of the Dnipro river. Months later, the two sides continue to exchange artillery strikes, from side to side, which have hindered repair work and power outages remain frequent.?

Zelensky visited one of the energy facilities in the region.?

“We considered the restoration of electricity supply in the de-occupied territories and the repair of equipment destroyed as a result of Russian shelling,” he said. “We have to ensure full restoration and protection of our energy sector.”

William,?Prince?of Wales, left, meets with Poland's President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, Poland, on March 23.

A meeting between Britain’s Prince William and Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw focused on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its impact on Polish society, a spokesperson for the Prince of Wales said in a statement.

“They discussed the importance of the need for ongoing support to Ukraine and its people.”

The statement continued to say that he was “very much” looking forward to seeing President Duda and the first lady at King Charles’ coronation in May, adding the Prince of Wales also thanked him for attending the late Queen’s funeral.

Some context: Prince William?made a rare, unannounced trip to Poland on Wednesday, meeting British and Polish troops stationed near the Ukrainian-Polish border and praising their “cooperation in support of the people of Ukraine and their freedom.”

The Prince of Wales first visited the 3rd Brigade Territorial Defense Force base in Rzeszów, where he met Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak and viewed a display of military equipment.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands after signing a joint statement on economic cooperation in Moscow, Russia, on March 21.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have made a sweeping affirmation of their alignment across a host?of issues – and shared mistrust of the United States – in a lengthy statement?following talks between the two leaders?in Moscow this week.

Their meeting, which took place under the shadow of Russia’s?onslaught in Ukraine, left no question about Beijing’s commitment to developing its rapport with Moscow, despite Putin’s growing isolation on the global stage as its?devastating war?continues into its second year.

It also failed to move the needle on bringing that conflict to resolution.

Instead, Xi’s three-day visit to the Russian capital, which concluded Wednesday, was an opportunity for the two self-described “friends” to showcase their?close personal rapport?amid the pomp of a state visit – and lay out how they could advance a world order that counters one they see as led by Washington and its democratic allies.

The meeting culminated in more than a dozen agreements bolstering cooperation in areas from trade and technology to state propaganda, according to a Kremlin list. The leaders’ central statement focused on how the two countries would “deepen” their relationship.

Read the full story here.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin attends a news conference at the EU Commission headquarters on February 17, in Brussels, Belgium.

During a meeting in Brussels on Thursday, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin thanked European Parliament President Roberta Metsola for the institution’s support in assuring Russia is held accountable for crimes committed during its invasion.?

Reiterating the Ukrainian demand for the establishment of a special tribunal to deal with Russian aggression, he called on the EU and the European parliament to support his proposal.

“We hope that the EU and the European Parliament will support our position as the most realistic and optimal way to restore justice and prevent possible armed conflicts in the future,” he said.

Ukrainian soldiers ride atop a tank on the front line in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine on Wednesday, March 22.

The ongoing depletion of Russian forces fighting for Bakhmut will allow Ukraine go on the counteroffensive in the eastern city “very soon,” a top Ukrainian general said in a Telegram post on Thursday.

Syrskyi said Russian forces — made up mostly of fighters from the Wagner private military company — continue to try and take Bakhmut “at any cost, despite losses in both manpower and equipment.”?

The commander, who has paid frequent visits to soldiers close to the front line in and around Bakhmut, also paid tribute to Ukrainian soldiers defending the city.

“Under continuous fire from enemy artillery and aircraft, our soldiers at the front demonstrate superhuman resilience, courage and bravery,” he said. “In particular, the units of the 93rd, 10th, 57th and 5th Brigades who are now defending our homeland in the east of the country.”

Some context: In an update Wednesday, Ukraine’s military said Russia’s offensive capacity is diminishing in and around Bakhmut as Moscow’s forces expend large numbers of troops trying to capture the city in fierce fighting.

A security personnel stands guard at a site of a building heavily damaged by Russian drone strikes in Kyiv region, on March 22.

At least nine people have now been confirmed dead as a result of a Russian drone attack on the Kyiv region on Tuesday night, Ukraine’s state emergency service said in a statement Thursday.?

The service said it has completed rescue and recovery efforts after recovering nine bodies from the destroyed building.?

On Tuesday, a wave of Russian attacks with Iran-made Shahed drones hit a residential building in the town of Rzhyshchiv, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of the capital.

Rescuers stand in front of a residential building damaged by a Russian?missile?strike in?Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on March 22.

Kyrylo Chorine was inside an apartment block in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday, just meters from where the blast struck from a Russian missile attack.

Using a torch to point out his apartment, the 20-year-old student told CNN outside the complex that he “heard an explosion and saw a fire.”

Inside, all the windows are blown out. Chorine said his father was standing by a window when the explosion happened and narrowly avoided being killed. Still, Chorine and his parents say they will not be forced out of their home.

At least one person was killed and 34 others injured after Russian missiles hit two Zaporizhzhia apartment blocks on Wednesday, in what has been described as a “deliberate strike” to “kill civilians,” according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack “bestial savagery” on social media app Telegram and later said the wave of Russian strikes Wednesday would be met with a reply from Ukraine.

Rescuers work at a site of a residential building damaged by a Russian?missile?strike in?Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on March 22.

Russia unleashed a wave of deadly attacks on towns and cities across Ukraine on Wednesday as Chinese leader Xi Jinping departed from?Moscow?following talks with?President Vladimir Putin.

Xi left Russia’s capital pledging to deepen ties with Putin but the meetings?failed to achieve a breakthrough?on Ukraine.

As Xi flew back to Beijing, Russia’s military launched a barrage of strikes with Iran-made Shahed drones on Ukraine’s Kyiv region, killing at least eight people, according to Ukrainian authorities. Andrii Niebytov, the Kyiv region’s police chief, said seven others were injured when a drone struck a dormitory building in the town of Rzhyshchiv.

In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, at least one person was killed and 34 injured — including two children — after Russian missiles hit apartment blocks, in what has been described as a “deliberate strike” to “kill civilians,” according to senior Ukrainian official and presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak.

Video of the attack shows an explosion blasting through the side of two nine-story residential buildings.

The Ukrainian prosecutor’s office said in a statement at least six missiles hit the city, causing extensive damage.

Xi’s trip fails to create path to peace: Wednesday’s wave of attacks in Ukraine came as Putin wrapped up hosting his Chinese counterpart in Moscow following a three-day state visit?billed by Beijing as a peace mission, but which failed to?achieve any breakthrough?on resolving the conflict.

Both leaders called for the cessation of actions that “increase tensions” and “prolong” the war, according to their joint statement released by China’s Foreign Ministry. The statement did not acknowledge that Russia’s invasion and military assault were the cause of ongoing violence and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Read more here.

China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang attends a news conference in Beijing on March 7.

China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Wednesday his country’s relationship with Russia could be?“even more precious in the face of rampant unilateralism and hegemonism” as he praised leader Xi Jinping’s trip to Moscow.?

Qin described the relations between China and Russia as representing “the correct direction of historical development” and having “world significance beyond the scope of the two sides,” according to a statement released after Xi’s state visit.??

China and Russia will continue to uphold “good-neighborliness and mutual trust,” as Xi’s decision to choose Russia as his first foreign visit in his new presidency was a political decision made after careful consideration, Qin said.

In addition to praising the cooperation and friendship with Russia, Qin reiterated China’s stance on what the statement describes as the “Ukrainian crisis.”

He added that China is “neither the maker nor the party” involved in the crisis but “an advocate” that supports a political settlement and promotes peace talks.

The statement did not name the country obstructing peace talks.

Some context: Meetings between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin this week yielded no breakthrough on resolving the Ukraine conflict. Both leaders called for the cessation of actions that “increase tensions” and “prolong” the war, according to their joint statement released by China’s Foreign Ministry. The statement did not acknowledge that Russia’s invasion and military assault were the cause of ongoing violence and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov delivers a speech during a session of the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland on March 2.

The?risk?of?a?nuclear?conflict?is now?at?its?highest?level?in decades,?Russian?Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Wednesday, according to state-run news agency Tass.

Ryabkov reiterated that?Moscow is not?departing “from the key provisions, doctrinal and political ones.”?He said non-nuclear states, especially those not aligned with the United States, should “more loudly to call to order politicians?in?the Western capitals,?including Washington, who have absolutely lost their sense?of?reality.”

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin?said?he was?suspending his country’s participation?in?the New START?nuclear?arms reduction treaty with the US during?his much-delayed annual?State?of?the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday it was distressing to see the aftermath of Russian bombardments after he made an unannounced visit to the eastern Donbas region.?

“It is distressing to look at the cities of Donbas, to which Russia has brought terrible suffering and ruin,” Zelensky said in his nightly address. “The almost constant, hourly air-alert siren in Kramatorsk, the constant threat of shelling, the constant threat to life…”

“Right there, in Donbas, in the Kharkiv region — wherever Russian evil has come, it is obvious that the terrorist state cannot be stopped by anything other than one thing — our victory.”

Zelensky said he felt there was hope in every eastern Ukrainian city that was not under occupation, adding that it was an honor to support those closest to the front.?

The Ukrainian president also visited injured soldiers to pay tribute.?

“I wished them — and I’m sure on behalf of all of you, all of our people — a speedy recovery,” he said. “I thanked the doctors and nurses. And now I want to thank everyone who supports our soldiers recovering from injuries. Who helps with everything necessary, our doctors, everyone who works for rehabilitation after injuries.”

Ukrainian servicemen head toward Bakhmut in BMP infantry fighting vehicles on March 22.

Ukraine says the offensive capacity of Russian forces in and around Bakhmut is diminishing, but cautions that it remains one of the areas where the fiercest fighting is ongoing.

“The Russian Federation continues its armed aggression against Ukraine, focusing its main efforts on attempts to completely seize Donetsk and Luhansk regions within the administrative borders,” the Ukrainian military’s General Staff said in an update on Wednesday. “The fiercest fighting is taking place in the southern and northern parts of Bakhmut.”

According to the Ukrainian military, Russian forces are continuing to expend large numbers of men trying to re-take the city.

The Ukrainian military went on to say Moscow’s armies were on the defensive in some areas in the southern part of Ukraine.

“The enemy is conducting defensive actions in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions. Areas near the contact line came under fire,” it said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a Flag Day ceremony in Moscow in 2021.

Any European country that is a party to the International Criminal Court (ICC) should arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he visits, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

Blinken would not say whether the US authorities would turn the Russian leader over to the ICC if he were to come to the United States, noting that the US is not a party to the court.

Putin has scarcely left Russia in recent years, and he has not traveled to the US since 2015.

Some more context: Last week, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Putin for his role in a vast Kremlin-wide effort to forcibly deport Ukrainian children into Russia.

A report released in mid-February from the US State Department-backed Conflict Observatory by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab found that more than 6,000 children — ranging in age from mere months old to 17 — have been in Russian custody at some point during the course of the war, although the “total number of children is not known and is likely significantly higher than 6,000.”

It identified 43 facilities that are a part of the vast network where the children were sent, stretching “from one end of Russia to the other,” including Russian-occupied Crimea, the “eastern Pacific Coast — closer to Alaska than it is to Moscow,” and Siberia, Yale Humanitarian Research Lab’s Nathaniel Raymond said.