(Reuters) – Russia unleashed a wave of major attacks across Ukraine on Saturday, hitting energy infrastructure and killing 14 in a missile strike on a nine-storey apartment building in Dnipro, officials said.
FIGHTING
* Ukrainian forces are fighting to retain control of Soledar in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the regional governor said, contradicting Russian claims that Moscow’s forces had captured the small town.
* Reuters could not verify the accounts.
* Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, boasted of his forces’ prowess amid a simmering rivalry with the defence ministry over who should get credit for leading Russia’s assault on Soledar.
* Moldovan President Maia Sandu, denouncing “Russia’s brutal war”, said missile debris was found in her country near Ukraine’s western border after the latest wave of Russian attacks.
ARMS, DIPLOMACY
* Britain will send 14 of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks and artillery support to Ukraine, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said, disregarding criticism from the Russian Embassy.
* Russia cancelled at the last minute a scheduled prisoner exchange, the Ukrainian body dealing with prisoners said, after Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said Russian soldiers had allegedly reported instances of extortion while in Ukrainian captivity.
* Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the G7 summit he will host in May should demonstrate a strong will to uphold the international order and rule of law after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
* Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused Kishida of shameful subservience to the United States and suggested he should ritually disembowel himself.
ECONOMY
* Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said the coming days would be “difficult” on the energy front after a massive missile attack by Russia on Saturday hit critical infrastructure in several regions.
QUOTE
* “They keep sending SMS-es. We stop our work now and then to keep silence and we hear people scream from underneath the rubble,” said Mikhailo Lysenko, deputy mayor of Dnipro, of rescue efforts at the apartment building.
(Compiled by Frances Kerry and William Mallard)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.