Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 3)

As Sunday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments of the day:

Ukrainian forces retaking control over the Kyiv region are reporting horrors from the ground. They include bodies of men who were apparently killed execution-style, some with their hands tied behind their backs. Ukrainian officials are urging third-party organizations such as the International Criminal Court to send investigators, and Human Rights Watch says it has documented several cases of apparent war crimes committed by Russian troops. Russia's defense ministry has denied the accusations.

At least 11 mayors have been kidnapped by Russian forces, according to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. The mayors are from six regions, including Kyiv, Kherson and Donetsk. Vereshchuk said at least one mayor had been killed.

Russia's lead negotiator says talks with Ukraine will resume on Monday, but in its current state, the draft for an agreement doesn't warrant a meeting between the countries' presidents. The disagreement on a potential summit comes after negotiators from both sides recently said their counterparts were showing a willingness to agree to the other side's demands.

Lithuania has become the first country in the EU to immediately ban fuel imports from Russia. President Gitanas Nauseda heralded the decision and urged other nations to follow suit. Lithuania plans to immediately replace Russian fuel with liquefied natural gas from other countries.

In-depth

Some Russians are skirting website restrictions through VPNs — virtual private networks.

How much are sanctions actually helping push Russia to end the war?

Here's a quick overview of the NATO alliance and what it's doing to help Ukraine.

Earlier developments

You can read more news from Sunday here, as well as more in-depth reporting and daily recaps here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR's State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.

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