As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 48th day, we take a look at the main developments.
Here are the key events so far on Monday, April 11.
Get the latest updates here.
Fighting
- Ukraine has pleaded for more weapons from Western countries to help it fend off an expected Russian offensive in the Donbas region.
- Russia has nearly completed its buildup for a renewed assault on Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukraine’s defence ministry says. The governor of Luhansk says Russia is moving military vehicles closer to the front lines.
- Russian forces are reinforcing around the Donbas region, notably near the town of Izyum, but have not yet launched a full offensive, Pentagon officials say.
- Ukraine says it is checking unverified information that Russia may have used chemical weapons while besieging the southern port city of Mariupol. The UK also says it is trying to verify the reports after Ukraine’s far-right Azov battalion alleged that a Russian drone had dropped a “poisonous substance” on troops and civilians in Mariupol.
- “I would like to remind world leaders that the possible use of chemical weapons by the Russian military has already been discussed … at that time, it meant that it was necessary to react to the Russian aggression much harsher and faster,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.
- “Russian troops left behind tens if not hundreds of thousands of dangerous objects,” he adds.
Civilian toll
- Tens of thousands of people have likely been killed in Russia’s assault on Mariupol, Zelenskyy tells South Korea’s parliament. In an earlier interview with Al Jazeera, Zelenskyy said of the 500,000 population in Mariupol, “something like 400,000 have either been evacuated or killed. Now the population is about 100,000 and there are bodies of people all around the streets”.
- Seven bodies were found buried in the rubble of two destroyed high-rise housing blocks in the town of Borodyanka near the capital, Kyiv, the state emergencies service said, bringing the total civilian toll there to 19 so far.
Economy and business
- The European Union’s executive is drafting proposals for an oil embargo on Russia, although reports indicate there is no agreement yet.
- French bank Societe Generale says it will quit Russia and take a 3 billion euros ($3.3bn) hit from selling its Rosbank unit to a firm linked to a Russian oligarch.
- Separately, Origin Energy says the Australian government has confirmed the company is not breaching sanctions against Russia at a gas project in the Northern Territory, where its partner has a Russian oligarch shareholder.
- The war could almost halve world trade growth this year and drag down global GDP growth, according to the World Trade Organization.
- US President Joe Biden has held a “constructive, direct conversation” with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House says. The US is seeking more help from India to apply economic pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
