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(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.

The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.” Heavy shelling and missile attacks, many on civilian buildings, continue in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, as well as major cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Mar 29, 7:26 pm
Zelenskyy says Russia still has ‘significant potential’ to continue attacks

In his latest national address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians to stay vigilant and warned that Russia still has “significant potential” to continue its attacks.

The comments come after Russia claimed it would move forces away from Kyiv and Chernihiv and the latest round of in-person peace negotiations kicked off in Turkey.

Zelenskyy said there were positive signals that came out of Tuesday’s talks in Istanbul and that Ukraine is willing to continue the negotiation process, but that his country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be guaranteed.

“There can be no compromise on sovereignty and our territorial integrity. And there will not be any,” he said.

The president called for sanctions targeting Russia to be intensified amid continued shelling.

“The question of [lifting Russian] sanctions cannot even be raised until the war is over, until we get back what’s ours and until we restore justice,” he said.

-ABC News’ Fidel Pavlenko

Mar 29, 7:01 pm
Ukraine outlines proposals for new system of security guarantees

Ukraine outlined proposals for a new system of security guarantees for their country during talks with Russia in Turkey on Tuesday, officials said.

Ukraine is seeking security guarantees comparable to NATO’s collective defense clause, Article 5, in that in the event of an attack on Ukraine, “guarantor countries” would be legally obligated to provide arms and impose a “no-fly” zone over Ukraine, according to David Arakhamia, the head of Ukraine’s negotiation team. The security guarantees would “not work temporarily” in the currently occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and Crimea, the government said.

The suggested list of guarantors includes permanent members of the UN Security Council — the U.S., Great Britain, France, China and Russia — as well as Turkey, Germany, Canada, Italy, Poland and Israel.

In exchange, Ukraine’s would “undertake not to deploy foreign military bases, foreign military contingents on its territory, not to join military-political alliances, and military exercises on the territory of Ukraine will be possible with the consent of the guarantor countries,” the government said.

It is “fundamentally important” that a potential treaty does not deny Ukraine’s right to join the European Union, Oleksandr Chalyi, a member of the Ukrainian delegation, said in a statement.

Negotiations with Russia will continue in the next two weeks, and Ukraine has already begun consultations with all countries they would like to see on the guarantor list, according to Chalyi.

-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

Mar 29, 2:30 pm
Biden says ‘we’ll see’ if Russians will follow through on moving forces away from Kyiv, Chernihiv

President Biden on Tuesday expressed skepticism regarding Russia’s claim that its forces will move away from Kyiv and Chernihiv.

“I don’t read anything into it until I see what their actions are. We’ll see if they follow through on what they’re suggesting,” Biden said during a joint press conference with Singapore’s prime minister.

Biden also commented on the ongoing negotiations in Turkey between Ukraine and Russia and said there is consensus among Western allies to “see what they have to offer.”

“But in the meantime, we’re going to continue to keep strong sanctions. We are going to continue to provide the Ukrainian military with their capacity to defend themselves and we are going to continue to keep a close eye on what’s going on,” Biden said.

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez

Mar 29, 2:16 pm
Rocket strike on Mykolaiv government building leaves 12 dead, 33 injured

A rocket strike on a regional administration building in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv killed 12 and injured 33 people, according to Ukrainian State Emergency Services.

Emergency services said 18 people were rescued from the rubble.

According to state officials, the strike occurred Tuesday at 8:45 a.m. local time. Search and rescue operations are still underway.

-ABC News’ Natalya Kushnir

Mar 29, 2:14 pm
Top military commander says US will likely need more troops in Europe, may become permanent force

Gen. Tod Wolters, the top U.S. military commander in Europe, met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday, telling them he expects he’ll need more U.S. troops and it’s possible they may become a permanent force in the country.

With U.S. troop levels in Europe now at 100,000 from 60,000 just a few months ago, Wolters said it’s very likely that the number of troops could continue to rise depending on the situation in Ukraine.

“My suspicion is we’re going to still need more,” Wolters said. “And obviously, there’s always a mix between the requirement of permanent versus rotational and there are pluses and minuses of each one. We’ll have to continue to examine the European contributions to make a smart decision about where to go in the future.”

Wolters praised Ukraine’s military and its ability to stall Russian military operations through the weapons systems provided by the U.S. military.

When asked if the U.S. had overestimated the Russians and underestimated Ukraine’s defensive capability, Wolters said in part, “When this crisis is over with we will accomplish a comprehensive after-action review in all domains and in all departments and find out where our weak areas. Where it makes sure that we can find ways to improve and this could be one of those areas.”

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Mar 29, 1:22 pm
Some troops moving away from Kyiv but US believes it’s ‘redeployment, not a withdrawal’

The U.S. is seeing some movement of Russian troops away from Kyiv, as Russia has suggested, but the White House does not view this as a withdrawal but rather a “redeployment,” a White House official told ABC News.

“We’re seeing some movement of troops away from Kyiv, which could be an indication of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin having to adjust his original plan,” a White House official said. “But no one should read too much into an adjustment — should momentum build, Russia could change its plans again at any moment, or this could just be a regroup.”

“No one should be fooled by Russia’s announcements. We believe any movement of forces from around Kyiv is a redeployment, not a withdrawal, and the world should be prepared for a major offensive against other areas of Ukraine,” the official added.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

Mar 29, 12:22 pm
1st superyacht owned by a Russian national seized in UK waters

The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency said it’s seized a superyacht owned by a Russian national — worth around $49.92 million — in Canary Wharf in London.

The National Crime Agency’s statement doesn’t identify the Russian national but says the owner deliberately registered the ship to a company based in Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean. The agency also said the ship carried Maltese flags, allegedly to hide its origins.

British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the seizure “turned an icon of Russia’s power and wealth into a clear and stark warning to Putin and his cronies.” Shapps said the seizure proves “we can and will take the strongest possible action against those seeking to benefit from Russian connections.”

-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

Mar 29, 11:33 am
4 European countries expel dozens of Russian officials

Belgium announced Tuesday its decision to expel 21 Russian intelligence officers.

The officers were working for the Russian embassy and consulate in Brussels and were allegedly involved “in espionage and influence operations threatening national security,” Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes said in a statement on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands said it has expelled 17 Russian intelligence officers. The officers were in The Netherlands under diplomatic cover, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in a statement on Twitter.

Ireland confirmed it has asked four senior Russian officials to leave the country.

“This is because their activities have not been in accordance with international standards of diplomatic behaviour,” Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said in a statement posted to Twitter. “The Government continues to believe that diplomatic channels between Ireland and the Russian Federation should remain open.”

The Czech Republic also announced its decision to expel one Russian diplomat from the Russian embassy in Prague. The individual was requested to leave the country within 72 hours.

“Together with our Allies, we are reducing the Russian intelligence presence in the EU,” the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Twitter.

-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

Mar 29, 10:29 am
Russia says talks were ‘constructive,’ Ukraine says more countries will be involved

Tuesday’s talks in Istanbul between Ukraine and Russia have concluded.

Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky told reporters the talks were “constructive.”

Meanwhile, Alexander Chaly of the Ukrainian delegation told reporters that talks will continue, and in two weeks they plan to involve other countries in the negotiation process.

Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said he believes enough has been covered to now involve the presidents of Ukraine and Russia in the talks.

Medinsky noted, “As a result of today’s substantive conversation, we have approved and offer a solution, according to which a meeting between the heads of state is possible simultaneously with the initialing of the agreement.”

“The proposed format is like this: first an agreement will be drafted, then the agreement will be approved by the negotiators and signed by the foreign ministers at a meeting, and then the possibility of a meeting between the heads of state will be discussed in order to sign this agreement,” Medinsky said.

Ukrainian officials said a military alliance of other countries — including the U.S. — needs to be created to provide security protections to Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed skepticism about the talks, saying he would leave it to the Ukrainians to characterize any progress.

Mar 29, 9:41 am
Russia says talks are constructive, Ukraine says more countries will be involved in negotiation process

Tuesday’s talks in Istanbul between Ukraine and Russia have concluded.

Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky told reporters the talks were constructive.

Alexander Chaly of the Ukrainian delegation told reporters that negotiations will continue, and in two weeks they plan to involve other countries in the negotiation process.

Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said he believes enough has been covered to now involve the presidents of Ukraine and Russia in the talks.

Medinsky noted, “As a result of today’s substantive conversation, we have approved and offer a solution, according to which a meeting between the heads of state is possible simultaneously with the initialing of the agreement.”

“The proposed format is like this: first an agreement will be drafted, then the agreement will be approved by the negotiators and signed by the foreign ministers at a meeting, and then the possibility of a meeting between the heads of state will be discussed in order to sign this agreement,” Medinsky said.

Ukrainian officials said a military alliance of other countries — including the U.S. — needs to be created to provide security protections to Ukraine.

Mar 29, 9:07 am
Biden to speak with leaders of France, Germany, Italy, UK

President Joe Biden will hold a call at 9:15am ET Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss the latest with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the White House.

Macron is also set to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

Mar 29, 9:01 am
Russia claims it’s ‘drastically’ decreasing military activity near Kyiv, Chernihiv

Russian forces are “drastically” decreasing military activity around Kyiv and Chernihiv to try to improve trust and aid further talks with Ukraine, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Col. Gen. Alexander Fomin told reporters.

“Due to the fact that the negotiations on elaborating a treaty on Ukraine’s neutrality and nuclear-free status, as well as on providing Ukraine with security guarantees are shifting to the practical field, and taking into account the principles discussed during today’s meeting, the Russian Defense Ministry has decided to decrease its military activity in the areas of Kyiv and Chernihiv drastically in order to increase mutual trust and create conditions required for further negotiations and for achieving the ultimate goal of reaching an agreement on and signing of the aforementioned treaty,” he said.

Mar 29, 8:54 am
Over 3.9 million refugees have fled Ukraine: UNHCR

More than 3.9 million people have been forced to flee Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Refugee Agency.

The tally from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) amounts to just over 8.8% of Ukraine’s population — which the World Bank counted at 44 million at the end of 2020 — on the move across borders in 34 days.

More than half of the refugees crossed into neighboring Poland, UNHCR figures show.

Mar 29, 8:27 am
Russia says ‘special military operation’ to continue until ‘objectives are achieved’

Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine will continue “until the objectives are achieved,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.

Shoigu claimed that Russian troops are “actively providing humanitarian assistance to the population of” the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics as well as Ukraine.

“As many as 684 humanitarian operations have been completed and 6,079 tons of cargo have been supplied to 210 populated localities,” Shoigu said at a teleconference.

Mar 29, 8:24 am
Deadly missile strike leaves gaping hole in Mykolaiv government building

Russian forces struck Mykolaiv’s regional state administration building on Tuesday morning, Ukrainian authorities said.

A video posted on Telegram by Mykolaiv Oblast Gov. Vitaliy Kim and verified by ABC News shows the moment the building was hit. A live webcam over the southern city of Mykolaiv captured the missile crossing the camera. Moments later, smoke from an explosion fills the screen.

Another video posted on Facebook by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and verified by ABC News shows a gaping hole in the building where the missile hit. At least seven people were killed and 22 others were injured. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, according to the State Emergency Service.

An image posted on Twitter by Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security (Stratcom) also showed the destroyed building.

Mar 29, 7:44 am
Macron to speak with Putin on Tuesday

French President Emmanuel Macron will speak via telephone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, according to the Elysee Palace.

Their phone conversation is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Paris time.

Mar 29, 7:02 am
Kremlin confirms Abramovich’s involvement in peace talks

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is taking part in Russian-Ukrainian negotiations at the approval of both parties, although he is not an official member of the Russian delegation, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

“Abramovich has been engaged in ensuring certain contacts between the Russian and the Ukrainian side,” Peskov said during a daily call with reporters Tuesday. “He is not an official delegation member.”

“Nevertheless, he is also present on our side in Istanbul,” Peskov added, referring to the peace talks currently underway in Turkey’s capital.

Abramovich’s participation in the negotiations has been endorsed by both sides, according to Peskov.

Peskov said it will be clear “today or tomorrow whether [the talks] hold some promise or not.”

Mar 29, 6:59 am
Ukrainian soldiers patrol streets of Irpin after claims of liberation

Ukrainian soldiers were seen patrolling the streets of Irpin on Tuesday, following claims that the besieged Kyiv suburb has been “liberated” from Russian forces.

Video released by the Ukrainian military and verified by ABC News shows their troops driving through Irpin, a northwestern suburb of Kyiv where some of the heaviest fighting near the Ukrainian capital has taken place.

Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn announced in a video posted to Telegram on Monday that “Irpin has been liberated.”

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government released video on Tuesday showing elderly people who had been evacuated from Irpin arriving in Kyiv, where they reunited with their families.

The footage purportedly shows 86-year-old Irpin resident Olga Molchanova being embraced by her daughter and son. Molchanova’s adult children had evacuated Irpin earlier via a humanitarian corridor, but their parents refused to leave at the time, according to Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security (Stratcom).

“Recaptured by Ukrainian army, Irpin remains too dangerous for civilians to stay,” Stratcom said in a post on Twitter alongside the video.

Mar 29, 6:16 am
Abramovich attends peace talks after suspected poisoning

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is taking part in Tuesday’s in-person negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Turkey’s capital, a Turkish presidential source told ABC News.

Abramovich is the owner of the English professional football club Chelsea. The U.K. government has included him among the wealthy Russians targeted in recent sanctions.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, that Abramovich and two Ukrainian negotiators suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning after peace talks in Kyiv in early March.

A Turkish presidential source told ABC News that Abramovich suspected he was poisoned after experiencing eye problems.

Turkish officials confirmed there is a discussion regarding the food protocols during Tuesday’s negotiations in Istanbul.

Mar 29, 6:12 am
Ukraine warns delegation not to eat or drink at talks

Ukraine is warning its delegation against eating or drinking while attending in-person peace talks with Russian negotiators, amid fears of potential poisoning.

“I advise to everyone who’s going to any negotiations with Russia, not to eat or drink anything, and also not to touch any surfaces,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement Tuesday.

The warning came a day after The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources, that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and two Ukrainian negotiators had suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning following peace talks in Kyiv in early March.

Mar 29, 3:22 am
Talks between Russia, Ukraine begin in Turkey

The latest round of in-person peace negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations kicked off in Istanbul on Tuesday morning, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in attendance.

Erdogan addressed both sides with a brief speech before the talks began.

“Establishing a cease-fire and peace as soon as possible will be to everyone’s benefit. We think that we’ve entered a period where we need to achieve concrete results from negotiations,” Erdogan said. “As members of the delegations, you’ve taken on a historic responsibility. The whole world is awaiting the good news that will come from you.”

Footage showing the start of the meeting was broadcast by Russian state-backed television channel RT.

Tuesday’s negotiations are taking place in Dolmabahce Palace in the Besiktas district of Turkey’s capital, according to Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu Agency. It’s the first face-to-face talks to take place between Russia and Ukraine in more than two weeks.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(RABAT, Morocco) — The U.S. remains skeptical that Russia is engaging genuinely in negotiations with Ukraine to end its monthlong war against its neighbor.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Kremlin’s negotiators had still not shown “signs of real seriousness,” even after the two sides discussed potential elements of a peace deal shortly after talks in Turkey on Tuesday.

Russia’s military said it would “fundamentally” scale back its military operations near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and the northern city Chernihiv to give those talks a chance.

But Blinken declined to say whether the U.S. had confirmed a real shift in Russian strategy nearly five weeks after Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched his invasion and aimed for a swift takeover of the Ukrainian government.

“There is what Russia says and what Russia does, and we’re focused on the latter — and what Russia is doing is the continued brutalization of Ukraine and its people, and that continues as we speak,” he told reporters in Rabat, Morocco.

“I have not seen anything that suggests that this is moving forward in an effective way because Russia is not showing signs of real seriousness, but if Ukraine concludes that there is, that’s good, and we support that,” he added.

President Joe Biden also weighed in Tuesday on Russia’s claim that it will move forces, saying “we’ll see if they follow through on what they’re suggesting.”

“I don’t read anything into it until I see what their actions are,” he said during a joint press statement with Singapore’s prime minister at the White House.

Biden noted the ongoing negotiations in Turkey between Ukraine and Russia and said there is consensus among Western allies to “see what they have to offer.”

“We’ll find out what they do,” he added. “But in the meantime, we’re going to continue to keep strong sanctions. We are going to continue to provide the Ukrainian military with their capacity to defend themselves and we are going to continue to keep a close eye on what’s going on.”

Ukrainian negotiators have laid out a detailed framework for a peace deal, where Ukraine would remain neutral and not joined the Western military alliance NATO — but it would join the European Union and its security would be guaranteed by several regional and world powers, including the U.S.

Asked Tuesday whether the U.S. would join that pact, Blinken expressed support: “If there is some kind of outcome, and if our support for Ukraine can be part of that, can include our support in the future for its defense and security, of course that’s something we’ll want to pursue.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday’s talks made “meaningful” progress, with “a consensus and common understanding” on some issues, according to the Associated Press.

But Blinken was more skeptical, saying it could be Moscow “trying to deflect and deceive people into thinking that it’s not doing what it is doing, whether it’s simply trying to regroup given the heavy losses that it’s suffered – I don’t know.”

Russian forces had already been pushed back from east of Kyiv and moved into defensive positions north of the city, Pentagon officials said last week — a sign the Kremlin was suffering major losses in its efforts to seize the capital and decapitate the Ukrainian government.

Late last week, Russia said its “main goal” was now on the eastern provinces known as the Donbas, where Moscow has led separatist forces for over eight years against the Ukrainian government.

The top U.S. diplomat engaged with his Russian counterpart repeatedly before the war, saying the U.S. had to give diplomacy a chance. But after the Kremlin launched its brutal invasion, he’s been far more skeptical — accusing the Kremlin of not negotiating in good faith and, instead, using the cover of diplomacy to continue its attacks.

After Biden spoke to his British, French, German and Italian counterparts earlier on Tuesday, the British government echoed the same skepticism.

“The Prime Minister underscored that we must judge Putin’s regime by their actions not their words,” a spokesperson for Boris Johnson said.

ABC News’ Libby Cathey contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The first face-to-face peace talks in more than two weeks between Ukraine and Russia concluded after five hours on Tuesday in Turkey with both sides reporting progress in the negotiations.

In an unexpected move, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Col. Gen. Alexander Fomin told reporters following Tuesday’s talks that Russia’s military activity is being dramatically curtailed near the Ukraine capital Kyiv and in Chernihiv in an attempt to increase “mutual trust and create conditions required for further negotiations.”

Formin said the “ultimate goal” of the talks is reaching a peace treaty.

Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said Tuesday’s talks were “constructive.”

“We have received proposals from Ukraine to consider their clearly formulated position on inclusion in the treaty,” Medinsky told reporters following the session.

Ukrainian negotiator Alexander Chaly said the next talks in about two weeks could involve other countries in the negotiation process.

David Arakhamia, another Ukrainian negotiator, added, “We believe that enough material has already been developed to involve the presidents of Ukraine and Russia in the talks.”

Medinsky noted that Tuesday’s “substantive conversation” could clear the way for a meeting between the heads of state.

“The proposed format is like this: first an agreement will be drafted, then the agreement will be approved by the negotiators and signed by the foreign ministers at a meeting, and then the possibility of a meeting between the heads of state will be discussed in order to sign this agreement,” Medinsky said.

The in-person talks were held in Istanbul and Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan addressed the opposing parties before the negotiation session started.

“It is in the hands of the parties to stop this tragedy,” Erdogan said in his opening remarks, which were carried live on Russian TV.

Erdogan said Turkey sees both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “valuable friends.”

Also participating in the negotiations was Roman Abramovich, the billionaire Russian oligarch whose assets have been frozen by sanctions imposed by the West due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Previous in-person peace talks have been held in Belarus and representatives of both parties have also been communicating via video conferencing.

Russia initially only presented Ukraine with ultimatums but has changed its strategy as its troops have met tough resistance from Ukrainian forces, which have managed to re-take some towns and villages.

Prior to Fomin’s announcement that Russia was de-escalating its military activities in Kyiv and Chernihiv, a U.S. defense official said Monday that Russian troops around Kyiv have stopped making advances toward the city, though they continue using long-range fires. Russian troops remain 15-20 miles north/northwest of the city and about 35 miles east.

“Static situation on the ground there, except for the fact that we continue to see Ukrainians defend the city and try to push Russians back as well,” the U.S. official said on Monday.

Before Tuesday’s negotiations, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned the Ukrainian delegation to be on guard for sabotage, including poisoning.

“I advise to everyone who’s going to any negotiations with Russia, not to eat or drink anything, and also not to touch any surfaces,” Kuleba said.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(SEOUL, South Korea) — North Korea’s long-range missile launch last week may have been a modified version of a type they tested in 2017, not the newly developed type of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Pyongyang claims to have fired, according to South Korean lawmakers who were briefed by South Korea’s military in a closed meeting Tuesday.

“South Korea and the U.S. intelligence concluded that North Korea’s claim is false, that it was actually Hwasong-15 [not Hwasong-17]. That’s why we are saying that North Korea is deceiving,” Min Hong Chul, a South Korean lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party and a former general in the army, told reporters.

Hwasong-15 refers to the type of ICBM North Koreans successfully tested in November 2017. It was tested again two weeks ago in a failed attempt. Hwasong-17 is the type that Pyongyang announced to have successfully launched last Thursday.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff had confirmed the latest launch saying the missile flew 671 miles at an altitude of 3,852.5 miles.

Regardless of whether that missile was the new or old type, South Korean and Japanese military analysis confirmed the trajectory shows a considerable improvement in technology, and the range and scale of the ICBM could potentially reach New York or Washington.

South Korea’s opposition lawmaker Ha Tae-keung also claimed that his North Korea sources witnessed “debris falling from the skies in Pyongyang area” on the day of the failed launch on March 16. So in order to make up for the failure and loss of credibility to the people, he told reporters, the country may have exaggerated the success of the latest launch, upgrading it to a new missile type.

However, Ha’s claims about debris were dismissed by other lawmakers and defense officials as it can not be verified at the moment.

North Korea’s state television on Friday had widely reported the launch through a 12-minute-long, theatrical video claiming this “new Hwasong-17” will “mark the end to a self-imposed moratorium on testing long-range missiles since 2017” and “make the whole world clearly aware of the power of our strategic armed forces once again.”

The meticulously produced Hollywood-style video showed leader Kim Jong-Un directing the launch wearing a black leather jacket and black sunglasses, including a slow-motion video of him strutting through the launch area in front of the missile. Many analysts believe from the video that the footage was shot on different dates.

ABC News’ Hakyung Kate Lee contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.

The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.” Heavy shelling and missile attacks, many on civilian buildings, continue in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, as well as major cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Mar 30, 5:27 am
Over four million refugees have fled Ukraine: UNHCR

More than four million people have been forced to flee Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Refugee Agency.

The tally from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) amounts to just over 9% of Ukraine’s population — which the World Bank counted at 44 million at the end of 2020 — on the move across borders in 35 days.

More than half of the refugees crossed into neighboring Poland, UNHCR figures show.

Mar 30, 3:41 am
Russian authorities may ‘single out and detain’ Americans in Russia and Ukraine, US warns

The United States is warning that Russian authorities “may single out and detain U.S. citizens” in both Russia and Ukraine.

The warning came Tuesday as the U.S. Department of State issued new travel advisories for the two warring countries.

The State Department previously warned Americans in Russia that they could be targets for harassment by Russian authorities. But the latest advisory makes it explicit that U.S. citizens could be “singled out,” “including for detention.”

The State Department has also previously warned Americans against traveling to Ukraine to join the fight against Russian forces, pointing to statements from Russian authorities that anyone detained while fighting will not be considered a lawful combatant. That could mean mistreatment or worse, according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

“There are continued reports of U.S. citizens being singled out and detained by the Russian military in Ukraine and when evacuating by land through Russia-occupied territory or to Russia or Belarus,” the latest advisory for Ukraine states.

Both Russia and Ukraine have been on the State Department’s “Travel Advisory Level 4 – Do Not Travel” for months, as tensions ratcheted up and with little to no diplomatic presences on the ground.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.

The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.”

Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance. Heavy shelling and missile attacks, many on civilian buildings, continue in Kyiv, as well as major cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol. Russia also bombed western cities for the first time last week, targeting Lviv and a military base near the Poland border.

Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Mar 29, 7:02 am
Kremlin confirms Abramovich’s involvement in peace talks

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is taking part in Russian-Ukrainian negotiations at the approval of both parties, although he is not an official member of the Russian delegation, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

“Abramovich has been engaged in ensuring certain contacts between the Russian and the Ukrainian side,” Peskov said during a daily call with reporters Tuesday. “He is not an official delegation member.”

“Nevertheless, he is also present on our side in Istanbul,” Peskov added, referring to the peace talks currently underway in Turkey’s capital.

Abramovich’s participation in the negotiations has been endorsed by both sides, according to Peskov.

Peskov said it will be clear “today or tomorrow whether [the talks] hold some promise or not.”

Mar 29, 6:59 am
Ukrainian soldiers patrol streets of Irpin after claims of liberation

Ukrainian soldiers were seen patrolling the streets of Irpin on Tuesday, following claims that the besieged Kyiv suburb has been “liberated” from Russian forces.

Video released by the Ukrainian military and verified by ABC News shows their troops driving through Irpin, a northwestern suburb of Kyiv where some of the heaviest fighting near the Ukrainian capital has taken place.

Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn announced in a video posted to Telegram on Monday that “Irpin has been liberated.”

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government released video on Tuesday showing elderly people who had been evacuated from Irpin arriving in Kyiv, where they reunited with their families.

The footage purportedly shows 86-year-old Irpin resident Olga Molchanova being embraced by her daughter and son. Molchanova’s adult children had evacuated Irpin earlier via a humanitarian corridor, but their parents refused to leave at the time, according to Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security (Stratcom).

“Recaptured by Ukrainian army, Irpin remains too dangerous for civilians to stay,” Stratcom said in a post on Twitter alongside the video.

Mar 29, 6:16 am
Abramovich attends peace talks after suspected poisoning

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is taking part in Tuesday’s in-person negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Turkey’s capital, a Turkish presidential source told ABC News.

Abramovich is the owner of the English professional football club Chelsea. The U.K. government has included him among the wealthy Russians targeted in recent sanctions.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, that Abramovich and two Ukrainian negotiators suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning after peace talks in Kyiv in early March.

A Turkish presidential source told ABC News that Abramovich suspected he was poisoned after experiencing eye problems.

Turkish officials confirmed there is a discussion regarding the food protocols during Tuesday’s negotiations in Istanbul.

Mar 29, 6:12 am
Ukraine warns delegation not to eat or drink at talks

Ukraine is warning its delegation against eating or drinking while attending in-person peace talks with Russian negotiators, amid fears of potential poisoning.

“I advise to everyone who’s going to any negotiations with Russia, not to eat or drink anything, and also not to touch any surfaces,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement Tuesday.

The warning came a day after The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources, that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and two Ukrainian negotiators had suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning following peace talks in Kyiv in early March.

Mar 29, 3:22 am
Talks between Russia, Ukraine begin in Turkey

The latest round of in-person peace negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations kicked off in Istanbul on Tuesday morning, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in attendance.

Erdogan addressed both sides with a brief speech before the talks began.

“Establishing a cease-fire and peace as soon as possible will be to everyone’s benefit. We think that we’ve entered a period where we need to achieve concrete results from negotiations,” Erdogan said. “As members of the delegations, you’ve taken on a historic responsibility. The whole world is awaiting the good news that will come from you.”

Footage showing the start of the meeting was broadcast by Russian state-backed television channel RT.

Tuesday’s negotiations are taking place in Dolmabahce Palace in the Besiktas district of Turkey’s capital, according to Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu Agency. It’s the first face-to-face talks to take place between Russia and Ukraine in more than two weeks.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LONDON) — Members of Britain’s royal family gathered Tuesday to celebrate the life of Prince Philip, who died at age 99 almost one year ago.

Queen Elizabeth led the royal family at the service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey for Philip, her husband of over 70 years.

The 95-year-old queen has battled health conditions over the past several months — including COVID-19 and a brief hospitalization for what Buckingham Palace said was “preliminary investigations” — so her attendance was all the more noteworthy.

The queen entered Westminster Abbey using a walking stick and holding on to the arm of her son, Prince Andrew, who last month agreed to settle a sexual assault lawsuit. The last time Andrew appeared in a public capacity with the royal family was last April, when the family gathered in London for Prince Philip’s funeral.

Joining the queen to celebrate Philip, in addition to Andrew, are the couple’s three other children — Princes Charles and Edward and Princess Anne — and many of their grandchildren, including Prince William and his wife, Duchess Kate.

Several of the queen and Philip’s great-grandchildren, including William and Kate’s two oldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, also attended the service.

Notably absent from the service was Prince Harry, who stepped down from his senior royal role in 2020 and now lives in California with his wife, Meghan, and their two children. A spokesperson for Harry, the duke of Sussex, confirmed earlier this month he would not attend.

Harry, who did attend his grandfather’s funeral last April, has expressed concern about his safety in the United Kingdom. Earlier this year, he filed a legal challenge asking that the U.K. government allow him to pay for his own police protection while in the U.K.

The service of Thanksgiving that Harry missed was a much larger affair than Prince Philip’s funeral, which was held at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor and had to be modified due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The queen was “actively involved” in planning the Thanksgiving service for her husband, “with many elements reflecting Her Majesty’s wishes,” according to Buckingham Palace.

The service of Thanksgiving, led by the dean of Westminster, was designed to “pay tribute to The Duke of Edinburgh’s contribution to public life and steadfast support for the over 700 charitable organizations with which His Royal Highness was associated throughout his life,” according to the palace.

Philip, the duke of Edinburgh, was known as one of the hardest-working members of the royal family during his tenure alongside the country’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth.

When he retired in 2017, at the age of 96, Philip had completed 22,219 solo engagements since 1952, gave 5,496 speeches in his travels to more than 76 countries, authored 14 books, served as patron to 785 organizations and made 637 solo overseas visits, Buckingham Palace said at the time.

Tuesday’s service also put a spotlight on a program beloved by Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which he launched in the 1950s to encourage “young people to serve their communities” and “experience adventure,” according to the royal family’s website.

The only non-member of the clergy to speak at the service was Doyin Sonibare, a recipient of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, according to the palace.

In addition to Philip’s family members, Tuesday’s service was also attended by royals from around the world, including Spain, Sweden, Bahrain Romania, Serbia, Norway and Greece, according to Buckingham Palace.

Philip was born in Greece, in 1921, as the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg. His family was exiled from Greece when he was a baby, and he spent some of his childhood in France.

He was known as Prince Philip of Greece until he became a British subject in 1947 and dropped his titles, becoming Philip Mountbatten.

Upon his marriage to Elizabeth in 1947, he became the duke of Edinburgh.

One decade later, in 1957, the queen made Philip a “Prince of the United Kingdom.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.

The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.”

Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance. Heavy shelling and missile attacks, many on civilian buildings, continue in Kyiv, as well as major cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol. Russia also bombed western cities for the first time last week, targeting Lviv and a military base near the Poland border.

Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Mar 29, 3:22 am
Talks between Russia, Ukraine begin in Turkey

The latest round of in-person peace negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations kicked off in Istanbul on Tuesday morning, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in attendance.

Erdogan addressed both sides with a brief speech before the talks began.

“Establishing a cease-fire and peace as soon as possible will be to everyone’s benefit. We think that we’ve entered a period where we need to achieve concrete results from negotiations,” Erdogan said. “As members of the delegations, you’ve taken on a historic responsibility. The whole world is awaiting the good news that will come from you.”

Footage showing the start of the meeting was broadcast by Russian state-backed television channel RT.

Tuesday’s negotiations are taking place in Dolmabahce Palace in the Besiktas district of Turkey’s capital, according to Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu Agency. It’s the first face-to-face talks to take place between Russia and Ukraine in more than two weeks.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.

The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.”

Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance. Heavy shelling and missile attacks, many on civilian buildings, continue in Kyiv, as well as major cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol. Russia also bombed western cities for the first time last week, targeting Lviv and a military base near the Poland border.

Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Mar 28, 6:44 pm
Russian troops ‘pushed away from Kyiv’: Zelenskyy

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during his evening address Monday that Irpin was liberated and Russian forces have been “pushed away from Kyiv.”

“The occupiers are pushed away from Irpin. Pushed away from Kyiv,” he said.

However, he said Russian troops still control the north of Kyiv.

“They are trying to restore the destroyed units. The level of their losses, even at 90%, is not an argument for them to stop. Hundreds and hundreds of units of burned and abandoned enemy equipment do not convince them that this will happen to everyone,” he said.

Zelenskyy also said the situation in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv regions, along with Donbas and southern Ukraine, remains tense.

“This is a ruthless war against our nation, against our people, against our children.
As of today, 143 children are known to have died,” Zelenskyy said Monday.

-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

Mar 28, 4:00 pm
Biden says he ‘was expressing moral outrage’ with comment that Putin ‘cannot remain in power’

President Joe Biden told reporters Monday that when he said in Poland this weekend that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power,” he “was expressing moral outrage that I feel,” adding, “I make no apologies for it.”

Biden did not dispute when a questioner noted the line had not been in his prepared remarks.

“The last part of the speech was talking to the Russian people, telling them what we thought. I was communicating this to not only the Russian people but the whole world. This is — this is just stating a simple fact that this kind of behavior is totally unacceptable. Totally unacceptable. And the way to deal with it is to strengthen and put — keep NATO completely united and help Ukraine where we can,” Biden said.

“I want to make it clear, I wasn’t then, nor am I now, articulating a policy change,” Biden said.

“The last thing I want to do is engage in a land war or a nuclear war with Russia,” he said. “That’s not part of it. I was expressing my outrage at the behavior of this man.”

Biden said that if Putin “continues on this course that he’s on, he is going to become a pariah worldwide.”

He said he didn’t think his comments complicated diplomatic efforts, but that it is Putin’s actions that are complicating the situation.

“He shouldn’t remain in power. Just like, you know, bad people shouldn’t continue to do bad things. But it doesn’t mean we have a fundamental policy to do anything to take Putin down in any way,” Biden said.

The president said “it’s ridiculous” to think his remark was a statement of U.S. policy.

“People like this shouldn’t be ruling countries, but they do. The fact they do doesn’t mean I can’t express my outrage about it,” he said.

Biden told ABC News that he’s confident Putin won’t view his remarks as an excuse for escalation.

“The idea that he is going to do something outrageous because I called him for what he was and what he’s doing, I think is just not rational,” Biden said.

-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson

Mar 28, 1:50 pm
UN Secretary-General appeals for a humanitarian ceasefire

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday appealed for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine.

“Since the beginning of the Russian invasion one months ago, the war has led to the senseless loss of thousands of lives, the displacement of 10 million people, mainly women and children, the systematic destruction of essential infrastructure and skyrocketing food and energy prices worldwide. This must stop,” Guterres said.

U.N. humanitarian agencies and partners in the last month have reached nearly 900,000 people, mainly in eastern Ukraine, providing food, shelter, blankets, medicine, bottled water and hygiene supplies, he said.

Mar 28, 1:18 pm
US sending six Navy electronic warfare aircraft to Germany

The Pentagon said it’s sending six U.S. Navy EA-18 “Growlers” (Navy fighter aircraft equipped with electronic warfare jamming equipment) and 240 personnel to Germany to boost NATO’s defenses because of the aircraft’s electronic warfare jamming capability.

“They are not being deployed to be used against Russian forces in Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stressed. “They are being deployed completely in keeping with our efforts to bolster NATO’s deterrence and defense capabilities along that Eastern flank. They are not being sent because of some sort of acute threat that was perceived or some specific incident that happened.”

“This is in order to bolster readiness, enhance NATO’s collective defense posture and further increase air integration capabilities with our Allied and partner nations,” Kirby said.

Mar 28, 12:50 pm
Russians prioritizing Donbas, Ukrainians ‘slugging it out’ in Mariupol: US official

The Russians appear to be prioritizing the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Monday.

“We’re not exactly sure what’s behind this reprioritization,” the official said.

This could be Russia refocusing its strategic goals or trying to gain leverage for talks, the official said.

Meanwhile, in the hard-hit city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine, “the Ukrainians are slugging it out” and “keeping the Russians at bay,” the official said.

In Kyiv, the situation is static, the official said. Russian troops have stopped making advances toward the capital city, though they continue using their long-range missile fires, the official said.

“We continue to see Ukrainians defend the city and try to push Russians back,” the official said.

Mar 28, 11:41 am
Russia says radiation levels remain stable despite fires in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

Radiation levels remain stable in Russia despite fires in the occupied Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Russian public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said Monday.

Rospotrebnadzor said it was continuing to monitor the situation.

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is a 1,000-square-mile restricted area of deserted, contaminated land around the shuttered Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986. Russian forces seized the defunct plant and surrounding exclusion zone just hours after launching an invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

The State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management has warned that the radiation hazard is growing due to the blazes in the area, which it said have the potential to spread. The fires observed at more than 30 spots in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone over the past two weeks have exceeded 8,700 hectares in total, according to the agency.

However, Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, said on Monday that the situation was currently “more or less stable.”

Mar 28, 11:32 am
Kremlin expresses concern over Biden’s remark in Poland

Russia is concerned by U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent remark seemingly regarding the need for a change of administration in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

In an address on Saturday from Poland’s capital, Warsaw, Biden made a comment that appeared to be directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine.

“For god’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden said.

After the speech, the White House released a statement clarifying that Biden wasn’t calling for a regime change.

“The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change,” a White House official said.

When asked by reporters on Monday about Biden’s remark, Peskov replied: “Indeed, this statement makes us worry.”

“We will continue to closely monitor statements made by the U.S. president,” he added. “We are thoroughly recording them and will be continuing to do so.”

Mar 28, 11:20 am
Cost of damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure estimated at $63 billion

The cost of direct damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure amid Russia’s ongoing invasion has already reached almost an estimated $63 billion, according to an analysis by the Kyiv School of Economics.

As of March 24, at least 4,431 residential buildings, 92 factories and warehouses, 378 institutions of secondary and higher education, 138 health care institutions, 12 airports, seven thermal power plants and hydroelectric power plants have been damaged, destroyed or seized in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, according to the Kyiv School of Economics.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s overall economic losses due to the war range from $543 billion to $600 billion, the Kyiv School of Economics said.

Mar 28, 11:15 am
Russia dubs German broadcaster DW a ‘foreign agent’

The Russian Ministry of Justice on Monday added German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) to a list of media organizations it has labeled as “foreign agents.”

The justice ministry said in a statement that it made the decision “based on the documents received from the authorized state authorities,” without providing further details. The designation requires media outlets to publish a disclaimer on all its publications.

“This latest, arbitrary decision by the Russian authorities was unfortunately to be expected,” DW director Peter Limbourg said in a statement. “It is a further attack on press freedom and a fresh attempt to cut the Russian population off from free, independent media.”

“It started with the forced closure of our studio in Moscow at the beginning of February, then our website in all languages was blocked in Russia. There then followed the gradual restriction of social media services and now DW has been labeled a ‘foreign agent,'” he added. “This will not stop us from continuing to provide comprehensive and independent coverage of Russia and the region from our new studio in Latvia and from Germany. We will have to put a lot more effort into censorship circumvention tools in the future. This includes VPN clients like Psiphon or the Tor browser, which we already use.”

Mar 28, 11:00 am
Russia’s Nobel-winning Novaya Gazeta newspaper suspends publication

Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose editor was a co-winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, announced Monday that it is suspending publication until the war ends in neighboring Ukraine.

Novaya Gazeta was the last remaining established independent media outlet still operating in Russia and trying to cover the invasion of Ukraine, despite strict censorship. Its decision to halt operations is another watershed moment in the silencing of free media across Russia.

The Moscow-based paper, famous for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime, said it made the decision after receiving a second warning from Russia’s state communications and media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, for allegedly violating the country’s repressive “foreign agent” law. Another alleged violation could allow a court to shut Novaya Gazeta down completely.

Novaya Gazeta is best-known by Western countries for the fact that six of its journalists have been murdered since 2000, including most famously Anna Politkovskaya. Last October, the paper’s editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, was jointly awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize with Maria Rosa, one of the Philippines’ most prominent journalists, for “their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

Before Russian forces attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24, there was still a very small number of popular, influential media outlets able to operate in Russia — albeit under permanent pressure from the government. But since the war began, austerities have moved to crush all of them, and dozens — likely hundreds — of independent journalists have fled abroad. Most are now publishing articles from outside the country. Novaya Gazeta is arguably the most symbolic closure. The paper was co-founded in 1993 by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who still sits on its board.

Novaya Gazeta said in a statement Monday that it is suspending publication until the end of Russia’s so-called “special military operation in Ukraine,” the term the Russian government is using instead of war or invasion. Russia has banned media from using those words to describe the situation. But Novaya Gazeta had been getting around that ban with some symbolic gestures, including blank pages, and replacing the word “war” in its articles with phrases like “word forbidden by Russian government.”

Mar 28, 9:28 am
Ukrainian-American pastor abducted in Ukraine has been freed

Dmitry Bodyu, a Ukrainian-American pastor who was allegedly abducted in Ukraine earlier this month, has been freed, local church officials told ABC News on Monday.

It was unclear where he was released or in what condition.

Bodyu, 50, was taken by a group of about eight to 10 Russian soldiers from his home in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol on March 19, his family told NBC News. He is a pastor of Word of Life Church in Melitopol.

-ABC News’ Dragana Jovanovic

Mar 28, 8:05 am
At least 1,119 civilians killed, 1,790 injured in Ukraine: OHCHR

At least 1,119 civilians have been killed and 1,790 others have been injured in Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24, according to the latest figures from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

At least 99 children were among the dead, according to the OHCHR, which noted that the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine had reported at least 139 children were killed as of Sunday.

“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes,” the agency said in a statement Sunday.

The agency noted that the actual number of casualties are believed to be “considerably higher” because the receipt of information from some areas with intense hostilities, like the southeastern port city of Mariupol, have been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration.

Other areas where the number of casualties are still being corroborated include Volnovakha in the Donetsk Oblast, Izium in the Kharkiv Oblast, Popasna and Rubizhne in the Luhansk Oblast, and Trostianets in the Sumy Oblast, where there are allegations of numerous civilian casualties, according to the OHCHR. Casualty numbers from these regions are not included.

From 24 Feb—26 March, we recorded 2,909 civilian casualties in context of Russia’s armed attack against #Ukraine: 1,119 killed, incl 99 children; 1,790 injured, incl 126 children, mostly caused by shelling & airstrikes. Actual toll is much higher. Update https://t.co/LlMm7iUqsr pic.twitter.com/OcyhxSUrj3

— UNHumanRightsUkraine (@UNHumanRightsUA) March 27, 2022

Mar 28, 7:33 am
Nightly curfew in Kyiv shifts back, shortens an hour

The nightly citywide curfew in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, has been shifted back and shortened by an hour.

Starting Monday night, the curfew will be from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time.

There has been a curfew in Kyiv every day since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24. The previous time frame was from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. local time.

-ABC News’ Julia Drozd and Patrick Reevell

Mar 28, 7:00 am
Russian forces attempt to seize key highways, settlements

Russian forces on Monday morning were attempting to breach defenses from the northwest and east of Ukraine to seize key highways and settlements, which are held by Ukrainian troops, according to Ukrainian officials.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said that hypersonic missiles for the Russian military’s Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile system were being delivered to the Belarusian town of Kalinkovichi. Two of the latest strikes to hit Lutsk, a city in northwestern Ukraine, were launched from neighboring Belarus, according to Ukrainian officials.

Mar 28, 6:20 am
New round of talks could start Monday in Turkey

Ukraine and Russia have both said that a new round of peace negotiations with be held in person in Turkey at the start of this week, but it remains unclear whether the talks begin Monday or Tuesday.

One of the Ukrainian negotiators, David Arakhamia, has said the talks would be held Monday through Wednesday.

Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, has said the talks would start Tuesday.

Arakhamia said the decision to hold the negotiations in person was reached during the latest round of talks via video link, which are taking place everyday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Russian journalists that his country is ready to compromise on Moscow’s demand for neutral status, but wants meaningful security guarantees from Western countries. He said any peace deal is only possible if Russia withdraws all of its troops to areas occupied before the war began.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Mar 28, 6:16 am
Ukraine intel chief says Russia plans a ‘Korean scenario’

Russian President Vladimir Putin may be seeking to split Ukraine in two after failing to seize the capital, Kyiv, according to the head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency.

Brig. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov said in a statement Sunday that Putin may now be pursuing a “Korean scenario” that would see Russian forces try to occupy the east and south of Ukraine since they no longer have the strength to “swallow the whole state.”

“After the failures near Kyiv and the impossibility to overthrow the central government in Ukraine, Putin is already changing his main direction of operations — to the south and east,” Budanov said. “There are grounds to suggest that he is considering the Korean scenario for Ukraine. That is to attempt to lay down a new line of contact between the non-occupied and occupied regions of our country. In fact, it’s an attempt to create in Ukraine a North and South Korea. Indeed, he definitely doesn’t have the strength to swallow the whole state.”

Budanov said he believes Putin still wants to open a land corridor between the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula and the other Russian-controlled regions in eastern Ukraine, which would mean the occupation of besieged Mariupol, a strategic port city in the southeast that has been under heavy Russian bombardment. But he said Ukraine’s continued counterattacks as well as resistance by local people in the occupied areas were disrupting Putin’s plans.

Budanov also predicted the start of guerrilla warfare that would make it impossible for Russia to hold territory.

“Soon the season of the total Ukrainian partisan safari will start,” he said. “Then for the Russians will remain only one relevant scenario — how to survive.”

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Mar 28, 5:07 am
Ukraine says no humanitarian corridors for Monday

Ukraine’s government announced for the first time in nearly three weeks that no humanitarian corridors for evacuating civilians will be open on Monday due to concerns about possible “provocations” from Russian forces.

“Our intelligence has informed us of possible provocations from the side of the occupiers on the routes of the humanitarian corridors,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on her official Telegram channel. “And so in interest of citizens’ safety today we are not opening humanitarian corridors.”

The Ukrainian government has been evacuating hundreds of thousands of civilians from cities and towns in the north, east and south of the country through established corridors. Officials have previously accused Russian forces of shelling some of the evacuation routes, despite agreeing to cease-fires.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Mar 27, 5:17 pm
Zelenskyy outlines goals for peace agreement to Russian journalists

In his first interview with Russian journalists since his country was invaded, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described some of Ukraine’s positions for ending the war.

During an interview with popular Russian independent news sites TV Rain and Meduza, Zelenskyy said any peace deal is only possible if Russia withdraws its troops to the territory occupied before the start of the invasion, meaning Crimea and the separatist-held areas of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said his main goals are “to maximally reduce the number of casualties (and) to shorten the length of this war.”

“The withdrawal of Russia to compromise territories — but that is everything (that) was before 24 February, before the assault. Let them return there,” Zelenskyy said. “I understand that to force Russia to completely liberate territory is impossible. That will lead to a third world war. I totally understand all that. And I say it: compromise. Return to where all this started and there we will try to resolve the question of Donbas, the difficult question of Donbas.”

Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine is ready to discuss taking a position of “neutrality” and “non-nuclear status” with Russia, but wants security guarantees for his country in return.

He again said he would put the issue to a referendum in Ukraine and that any treaty would need to be ratified by “guarantor countries” — which other officials have suggested must include the United States.

Zelenskyy reiterated that no guarantor countries, such as the United Kingdom and Turkey, will sign any agreement while Russian troops remain on Ukrainian soil.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.

The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.”

Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance. Heavy shelling and missile attacks, many on civilian buildings, continue in Kyiv, as well as major cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol. Russia also bombed western cities for the first time last week, targeting Lviv and a military base near the Poland border.

Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Mar 28, 12:50 pm
Russians prioritizing Donbas, Ukrainians ‘slugging it out’ in Mariupol: US official

The Russians appear to be prioritizing the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Monday.

“We’re not exactly sure what’s behind this reprioritization,” the official said.

This could be Russia refocusing its strategic goals or trying to gain leverage for talks, the official said.

Meanwhile, in the hard-hit city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine, “the Ukrainians are slugging it out” and “keeping the Russians at bay,” the official said.

In Kyiv, the situation is static, the official said. Russian troops have stopped making advances toward the capital city, though they continue using their long-range missile fires, the official said.

“We continue to see Ukrainians defend the city and try to push Russians back,” the official said.

Mar 28, 11:41 am
Russia says radiation levels remain stable despite fires in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

Radiation levels remain stable in Russia despite fires in the occupied Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Russian public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said Monday.

Rospotrebnadzor said it was continuing to monitor the situation.

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is a 1,000-square-mile restricted area of deserted, contaminated land around the shuttered Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986. Russian forces seized the defunct plant and surrounding exclusion zone just hours after launching an invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

The State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management has warned that the radiation hazard is growing due to the blazes in the area, which it said have the potential to spread. The fires observed at more than 30 spots in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone over the past two weeks have exceeded 8,700 hectares in total, according to the agency.

However, Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, said on Monday that the situation was currently “more or less stable.”

Mar 28, 11:32 am
Kremlin expresses concern over Biden’s remark in Poland

Russia is concerned by U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent remark seemingly regarding the need for a change of administration in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

In an address on Saturday from Poland’s capital, Warsaw, Biden made a comment that appeared to be directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine.

“For god’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden said.

After the speech, the White House released a statement clarifying that Biden wasn’t calling for a regime change.

“The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change,” a White House official said.

When asked by reporters on Monday about Biden’s remark, Peskov replied: “Indeed, this statement makes us worry.”

“We will continue to closely monitor statements made by the U.S. president,” he added. “We are thoroughly recording them and will be continuing to do so.”

Mar 28, 11:20 am
Cost of damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure estimated at $63 billion

The cost of direct damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure amid Russia’s ongoing invasion has already reached almost an estimated $63 billion, according to an analysis by the Kyiv School of Economics.

As of March 24, at least 4,431 residential buildings, 92 factories and warehouses, 378 institutions of secondary and higher education, 138 health care institutions, 12 airports, seven thermal power plants and hydroelectric power plants have been damaged, destroyed or seized in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, according to the Kyiv School of Economics.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s overall economic losses due to the war range from $543 billion to $600 billion, the Kyiv School of Economics said.

Mar 28, 11:15 am
Russia dubs German broadcaster DW a ‘foreign agent’

The Russian Ministry of Justice on Monday added German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) to a list of media organizations it has labeled as “foreign agents.”

The justice ministry said in a statement that it made the decision “based on the documents received from the authorized state authorities,” without providing further details. The designation requires media outlets to publish a disclaimer on all its publications.

“This latest, arbitrary decision by the Russian authorities was unfortunately to be expected,” DW director Peter Limbourg said in a statement. “It is a further attack on press freedom and a fresh attempt to cut the Russian population off from free, independent media.”

“It started with the forced closure of our studio in Moscow at the beginning of February, then our website in all languages was blocked in Russia. There then followed the gradual restriction of social media services and now DW has been labeled a ‘foreign agent,'” he added. “This will not stop us from continuing to provide comprehensive and independent coverage of Russia and the region from our new studio in Latvia and from Germany. We will have to put a lot more effort into censorship circumvention tools in the future. This includes VPN clients like Psiphon or the Tor browser, which we already use.”

Mar 28, 11:00 am
Russia’s Nobel-winning Novaya Gazeta newspaper suspends publication

Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose editor was a co-winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, announced Monday that it is suspending publication until the war ends in neighboring Ukraine.

Novaya Gazeta was the last remaining established independent media outlet still operating in Russia and trying to cover the invasion of Ukraine, despite strict censorship. Its decision to halt operations is another watershed moment in the silencing of free media across Russia.

The Moscow-based paper, famous for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime, said it made the decision after receiving a second warning from Russia’s state communications and media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, for allegedly violating the country’s repressive “foreign agent” law. Another alleged violation could allow a court to shut Novaya Gazeta down completely.

Novaya Gazeta is best-known by Western countries for the fact that six of its journalists have been murdered since 2000, including most famously Anna Politkovskaya. Last October, the paper’s editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, was jointly awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize with Maria Rosa, one of the Philippines’ most prominent journalists, for “their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

Before Russian forces attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24, there was still a very small number of popular, influential media outlets able to operate in Russia — albeit under permanent pressure from the government. But since the war began, austerities have moved to crush all of them, and dozens — likely hundreds — of independent journalists have fled abroad. Most are now publishing articles from outside the country. Novaya Gazeta is arguably the most symbolic closure. The paper was co-founded in 1993 by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who still sits on its board.

Novaya Gazeta said in a statement Monday that it is suspending publication until the end of Russia’s so-called “special military operation in Ukraine,” the term the Russian government is using instead of war or invasion. Russia has banned media from using those words to describe the situation. But Novaya Gazeta had been getting around that ban with some symbolic gestures, including blank pages, and replacing the word “war” in its articles with phrases like “word forbidden by Russian government.”

Mar 28, 9:28 am
Ukrainian-American pastor abducted in Ukraine has been freed

Dmitry Bodyu, a Ukrainian-American pastor who was allegedly abducted in Ukraine earlier this month, has been freed, local church officials told ABC News on Monday.

It was unclear where he was released or in what condition.

Bodyu, 50, was taken by a group of about eight to 10 Russian soldiers from his home in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol on March 19, his family told NBC News. He is a pastor of Word of Life Church in Melitopol.

-ABC News’ Dragana Jovanovic

Mar 28, 8:05 am
At least 1,119 civilians killed, 1,790 injured in Ukraine: OHCHR

At least 1,119 civilians have been killed and 1,790 others have been injured in Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24, according to the latest figures from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

At least 99 children were among the dead, according to the OHCHR, which noted that the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine had reported at least 139 children were killed as of Sunday.

“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes,” the agency said in a statement Sunday.

The agency noted that the actual number of casualties are believed to be “considerably higher” because the receipt of information from some areas with intense hostilities, like the southeastern port city of Mariupol, have been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration.

Other areas where the number of casualties are still being corroborated include Volnovakha in the Donetsk Oblast, Izium in the Kharkiv Oblast, Popasna and Rubizhne in the Luhansk Oblast, and Trostianets in the Sumy Oblast, where there are allegations of numerous civilian casualties, according to the OHCHR. Casualty numbers from these regions are not included.

From 24 Feb—26 March, we recorded 2,909 civilian casualties in context of Russia’s armed attack against #Ukraine: 1,119 killed, incl 99 children; 1,790 injured, incl 126 children, mostly caused by shelling & airstrikes. Actual toll is much higher. Update https://t.co/LlMm7iUqsr pic.twitter.com/OcyhxSUrj3

— UNHumanRightsUkraine (@UNHumanRightsUA) March 27, 2022

Mar 28, 7:33 am
Nightly curfew in Kyiv shifts back, shortens an hour

The nightly citywide curfew in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, has been shifted back and shortened by an hour.

Starting Monday night, the curfew will be from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time.

There has been a curfew in Kyiv every day since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24. The previous time frame was from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. local time.

-ABC News’ Julia Drozd and Patrick Reevell

Mar 28, 7:00 am
Russian forces attempt to seize key highways, settlements

Russian forces on Monday morning were attempting to breach defenses from the northwest and east of Ukraine to seize key highways and settlements, which are held by Ukrainian troops, according to Ukrainian officials.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said that hypersonic missiles for the Russian military’s Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile system were being delivered to the Belarusian town of Kalinkovichi. Two of the latest strikes to hit Lutsk, a city in northwestern Ukraine, were launched from neighboring Belarus, according to Ukrainian officials.

Mar 28, 6:20 am
New round of talks could start Monday in Turkey

Ukraine and Russia have both said that a new round of peace negotiations with be held in person in Turkey at the start of this week, but it remains unclear whether the talks begin Monday or Tuesday.

One of the Ukrainian negotiators, David Arakhamia, has said the talks would be held Monday through Wednesday.

Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, has said the talks would start Tuesday.

Arakhamia said the decision to hold the negotiations in person was reached during the latest round of talks via video link, which are taking place everyday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Russian journalists that his country is ready to compromise on Moscow’s demand for neutral status, but wants meaningful security guarantees from Western countries. He said any peace deal is only possible if Russia withdraws all of its troops to areas occupied before the war began.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Mar 28, 6:16 am
Ukraine intel chief says Russia plans a ‘Korean scenario’

Russian President Vladimir Putin may be seeking to split Ukraine in two after failing to seize the capital, Kyiv, according to the head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency.

Brig. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov said in a statement Sunday that Putin may now be pursuing a “Korean scenario” that would see Russian forces try to occupy the east and south of Ukraine since they no longer have the strength to “swallow the whole state.”

“After the failures near Kyiv and the impossibility to overthrow the central government in Ukraine, Putin is already changing his main direction of operations — to the south and east,” Budanov said. “There are grounds to suggest that he is considering the Korean scenario for Ukraine. That is to attempt to lay down a new line of contact between the non-occupied and occupied regions of our country. In fact, it’s an attempt to create in Ukraine a North and South Korea. Indeed, he definitely doesn’t have the strength to swallow the whole state.”

Budanov said he believes Putin still wants to open a land corridor between the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula and the other Russian-controlled regions in eastern Ukraine, which would mean the occupation of besieged Mariupol, a strategic port city in the southeast that has been under heavy Russian bombardment. But he said Ukraine’s continued counterattacks as well as resistance by local people in the occupied areas were disrupting Putin’s plans.

Budanov also predicted the start of guerrilla warfare that would make it impossible for Russia to hold territory.

“Soon the season of the total Ukrainian partisan safari will start,” he said. “Then for the Russians will remain only one relevant scenario — how to survive.”

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Mar 28, 5:07 am
Ukraine says no humanitarian corridors for Monday

Ukraine’s government announced for the first time in nearly three weeks that no humanitarian corridors for evacuating civilians will be open on Monday due to concerns about possible “provocations” from Russian forces.

“Our intelligence has informed us of possible provocations from the side of the occupiers on the routes of the humanitarian corridors,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on her official Telegram channel. “And so in interest of citizens’ safety today we are not opening humanitarian corridors.”

The Ukrainian government has been evacuating hundreds of thousands of civilians from cities and towns in the north, east and south of the country through established corridors. Officials have previously accused Russian forces of shelling some of the evacuation routes, despite agreeing to cease-fires.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Mar 27, 5:17 pm
Zelenskyy outlines goals for peace agreement to Russian journalists

In his first interview with Russian journalists since his country was invaded, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described some of Ukraine’s positions for ending the war.

During an interview with popular Russian independent news sites TV Rain and Meduza, Zelenskyy said any peace deal is only possible if Russia withdraws its troops to the territory occupied before the start of the invasion, meaning Crimea and the separatist-held areas of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said his main goals are “to maximally reduce the number of casualties (and) to shorten the length of this war.”

“The withdrawal of Russia to compromise territories — but that is everything (that) was before 24 February, before the assault. Let them return there,” Zelenskyy said. “I understand that to force Russia to completely liberate territory is impossible. That will lead to a third world war. I totally understand all that. And I say it: compromise. Return to where all this started and there we will try to resolve the question of Donbas, the difficult question of Donbas.”

Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine is ready to discuss taking a position of “neutrality” and “non-nuclear status” with Russia, but wants security guarantees for his country in return.

He again said he would put the issue to a referendum in Ukraine and that any treaty would need to be ratified by “guarantor countries” — which other officials have suggested must include the United States.

Zelenskyy reiterated that no guarantor countries, such as the United Kingdom and Turkey, will sign any agreement while Russian troops remain on Ukrainian soil.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

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