Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 6) – NPR

Internally displaced people arrive at a center in Zaporizhzhia, northwest of Mariupol, on Wednesday. Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Internally displaced people arrive at a center in Zaporizhzhia, northwest of Mariupol, on Wednesday.

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

All Russian ground forces have left the areas near Kyiv, Kharkiv and Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, according to the U.S. military. Ukrainian forces have been moving in and clearing mines left behind by the Russian troops, a senior U.S. defense official said. The Russian units are regrouping in Russia or Belarus, north of Ukraine. The Pentagon believes they will likely be sent back to Ukraine, into the eastern part of the country, where Russia is now focused.

More than 500 people were evacuated from the besieged city of Mariupol, after days of failed attempts. The International Committee of the Red Cross was able to escort a convoy of buses and private cars to Zaporizhzhia. Thousands of civilians are still believed to be in the city.

The U.S., European Union and Group of Seven nations are enacting new sanctions on Russia. The sanctions target top Russian officials and family members, including Putin's adult children, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's wife and daughter, former President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The U.S. is also imposing full blocking sanctions on Sberbank and Alfa Bank, two of Russia's top banks.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Brussels to meet with G-7 and NATO foreign ministers. They are expected to discuss Ukraine's need of more weapons and potential additional punitive actions against Russia. Blinken announced another $100 million of military aid for Ukraine, bringing the U.S. total to $1.7 billion since Russia invaded in February.

The Justice Department is helping investigate possible war crimes by Russia in Ukraine, meeting with Europol, Eurojust and a French prosecutor. The Justice Department has also charged a Russian oligarch with violation of sanctions, in the first such indictment since the invasion began.

In Bucha, death, devastation and a graveyard of mines.

Ukrainian officials survey damage to Kyiv's suburbs after Russian forces exit. See the photos.

Krakow, Poland's second-largest city, strains to accommodate Ukrainian refugees, with the city's population increasing 20%.

More than 300 dogs die of hunger and thirst in a Ukraine shelter.

A Mexican American comic book superhero saves Ukrainian civilians in a special online issue.

You can read more news from Wednesday 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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Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 6) - NPR