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Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 5)

5:11pm April 05, 2022

by NPR Staff

A resident looks for belongings on Tuesday in an apartment building destroyed during fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces in Borodyanka, Ukraine. Vadim Ghirda / AP

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

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the United Nations Security Council. He demanded the council hold Russia — which is a permanent Security Council member — and its leader Vladimir Putin accountable for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. He urged Russia's removal from the Security Council. If not, he said, the Security Council should "dissolve" itself.

Zelenskyy described the situation in Bucha, outside Kyiv, where bodies were found in the streets and in mass graves after the withdrawal of Russian forces. Zelenskyy accused Russian troops of killing entire families and of torture, among other horrors. Russia has denied reports of atrocities, and its U.N. ambassador accused Western countries of "fueling anti-Russian hysteria."

Humanitarian aid was turned away before reaching Mariupol — again. Officials say it's still not safe to enter, but an evacuation corridor has been set up so residents will be able to leave using their own transport. Many are bracing for what aid teams may find after they're admitted to the besieged city.

European countries stepped up their expulsions of Russian diplomats. France, Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Italy are among those ejecting dozens of Russian diplomats. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock declared 40 Russian diplomats "undesirable" and described their work as a threat to "those who are seeking our protection."

Seizures of Russian oligarchs' riches continue. Spanish officials seized a luxury yacht in Mallorca, owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, at the request of the U.S. Justice Department. It was the first coordinated seizure under the department's Task Force KleptoCapture.

In-depth

Charging Putin for potential war crimes is difficult, and any penalty would be hard to enforce.

Despite the upheaval of war, millions of Ukrainian children are still in school.

The war in Ukraine may speed up Europe's transition to greener energy, but it depends on how governments balance an immediate need for fossil fuels against long-term shifts in energy production.

Ukrainians entering Poland at one border crossing were welcomed by an Italian pianist playing music.

Epic Games, the maker of the popular video game Fortnite, said that along with Xbox, it raised $144 million to fund humanitarian aid for Ukraine.