Europe

Damaged military vehicles and a Ukrainian flag are seen at the partly destroyed steel plant in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces in Mariupol on Monday.

World News

Putin orders troops not to storm Mariupol's last holdout

2:26pm April 21, 2022

The Russian president called it a victory, but Ukrainian soldiers maintain control of a sprawling steel plant. Putin said a blockade of the plant will save the lives of Russian fighters.

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'Navalny' documentary spotlights the Russian who dared to take on Putin

9:41am April 21, 2022

by John Powers

Daniel Roher's film about Russian dissident Alexei Navalny offers intimate, sometimes amazing access to the bravery — and human cost — of opposing a despot.

News brief: Mariupol resistance, drug overdose deaths, mask mandate appeal

7:50am April 21, 2022

Russia says it controls most of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. The White House has a plan to reduce drug overdose deaths. The Justice Department will appeal the mask ruling by a federal judge.

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Putin calls off final effort to storm steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine

7:21am April 21, 2022

NPR's A Martinez talks to Peter Zwack, a retired brigadier general and former defense attaché serving in Russia, about the context of the struggle for this significant port city of Mariupol.

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In this image provided by the European Council, European Council President Charles Michel, center, looks at destroyed vehicles as he is given a tour of the region of Borodyanka, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 20, 2022.

World News

Putin tries to claim Mariupol win but won't storm holdout

6:20am April 21, 2022

by The Associated Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to claim victory in the strategic port of Mariupol on Thursday, even as he ordered his troops not to storm the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance.

It's Queen Elizabeth's birthday. The British monarch is 96

5:54am April 21, 2022

To celebrate she is getting her own Barbie doll. The doll has an ivory gown with a blue ribbon and a tiara like the queen wore on her wedding day. Big retail chains are selling the doll for $75.

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Centrist candidate and French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and far-right contender Marine Le Pen pose before a televised debate in La Plaine-Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Wednesday, April 20, 2022.

World News

Macron attacks Le Pen on Russia, Muslim headscarf ban pledge

2:43am April 21, 2022

by The Associated Press

French President Emmanuel Macron tore into his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen in a debate for her ties to Russia and wanting to strip Muslim women of their right to cover their heads in public.

World News

Ukraine has been preparing to face Russia's expected offensive. Is it ready?

6:08pm April 20, 2022

by Brian Mann

Russia has begun military operations that are expected to lead to a massive offensive. Ukraine has had weeks to prepare.

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Residents walk past an apartment building on Wednesday in Mariupol, Ukraine, destroyed during the war with Russia.

Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 20)

4:47pm April 20, 2022

by NPR Staff

A roundup of key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A woman and a child, along with other refugees from Ukraine, wait in the ticket hall of the railway station in Przemysl in eastern Poland.

World News

The number of people fleeing Ukraine has surpassed 5 million

1:16pm April 20, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

The U.N. had initially estimated that 4 million Ukrainians would flee Russia's war — a number that was exceeded last month. Overall, more than 10 million people have been displaced by the conflict.