As Russian forces continue their offensive in Ukraine, a pro-Russian official evokes the annexation of the Kherson region. The UN Human Rights Council, meeting in extraordinary session, will examine this Thursday the abuses committed in Mariupol and Boutcha.
10:40 p.m.
More than six million Ukrainians have fled their country since the start of the invasion by the Russian army on February 24, the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva said on Thursday. As of May 11, 6,029,705 Ukrainians had sought refuge first in neighboring countries before often continuing their odyssey, according to the dedicated UNHCR website. Poland hosts by far the largest number of refugees (3,272,943 as of May 11).
Women and children represent 90% of these refugees, men aged 18 to 60, likely to be mobilized, not having the right to leave. The daily flow of refugees has considerably reduced since the outbreak of hostilities. In March, almost 3.4 million Ukrainians fled their country, often in a hurry and with very little personal belongings. In April, just over 1.5 million chose to flee the fighting and violence. Since the beginning of May, almost 493,000 Ukrainians have crossed the border to find refuge elsewhere.
6:16 p.m.
The UN called on Thursday for an end to the bombing of schools in Ukraine while denouncing at the same time their use for military purposes, during a meeting of the UN Security Council convened at the request of France and from Mexico. “These attacks (on schools) must stop,” said senior United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official Omar Abdi. “Until last week, at least 15 of the 89 schools – one in six – supported by Unicef in eastern Ukraine had been damaged or destroyed since the start of the war” on February 24, a- he lamented.
“Hundreds of schools across the country are reported to have been hit by heavy artillery, airstrikes and other explosive weapons in populated areas, while other schools are being used as information centres, shelters, supply centers or for military purposes – with a long-term impact on the return of children to school”, also denounced Omar Abdi. During the debate, Mexico and France recalled that the attacks on schools were a flagrant violation of humanitarian law.
4:50 p.m.
The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday tightened its grip on Russia by approving by a very large majority the opening of an investigation into the atrocities blamed on the Russian occupation troops.
The resolution, adopted by 33 votes for, 2 against (China and Eritrea) and 12 abstentions, calls for the UN’s international commission on Ukraine to carry out an “investigation” into the serious human rights violations committed in Kyiv, Cherniguiv, Kharkiv and Sumy regions in late February and March 2022, “with a view to holding those responsible to account”.
2:41 p.m.
Russian gas giant Gazprom has announced it will stop using a key gas pipeline to Europe via Poland, in response to Western sanctions imposed on Russia over its offensive in Ukraine.
1:43 p.m.
Germany’s energy minister has accused Russia of now using energy “as a weapon” after sanctions imposed by Moscow on more than 30 Western energy companies and the observed reduction in gas flows to Europe.
11:12 a.m.
The transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine will experience a drop of almost a third on Thursday compared to the previous day, according to the Russian giant Gazprom, supplies being affected for the second consecutive day by the conflict.
10:46
A Russian airstrike on the city of Novgorod-Siversky, in northeastern Ukraine, left at least three people dead and twelve injured overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, local emergency services announced on Thursday. AFP.
10:16 a.m.
Russia should put an end to its interventions abroad and focus on its internal problems, said Marat Gabidullin, a former member of the Russian private military company Wagner, in an interview with AFP.
09:15
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy Dmytro Kouleba asked Thursday that a place be “reserved” for his country in the European Union, even if the accession negotiations must last a long time. “We hear very often that Ukraine belongs to the European family and now it is important to reserve this place” for the country in the European Union, he told German public television at the start of a visit. in the country.
6:00 am
The UN Human Rights Council, meeting in extraordinary session, is today examining the allegations of serious abuses committed by Russia in Ukraine, in particular in Mariupol and Boutcha. This meeting “on the deterioration of the human rights situation in Ukraine following the Russian aggression” was requested by kyiv, which, according to a first draft resolution, wants an investigation into what happened happened in the regions of kyiv, Cherniguiv, Kharkiv and Sumy.
05:26
A 21-year-old Russian soldier will be tried for war crimes in Ukraine, which will be the first trial on this charge in the country invaded by Russia on February 24, the prosecutor general of kyiv announced on Wednesday.
05:10
A Ukrainian commander among the fighters besieged by Russian forces at the Azovstal factory in Mariupol on Wednesday appealed for help directly to US billionaire Elon Musk to intervene to save them.