Ukraine says mass graves in Mariupol were 20 times bigger than Bucha burial site; Biden to send more weapons and aid to Ukraine – CNBC

Fri, Apr 22 20221:23 AM EDT

As many as 9,000 people may be buried in a mass grave in a village outside the city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said in a statement on Telegram.

Satellite images captured by the U.S. defense contractor Maxar show mass graves 20 times bigger than a cemetery discovered this month in the city of Bucha, the Mariupol City Council said, according to NBC translation. The site in the village of Mangush could hold 3,000 to 9,000 and 70 bodies have been found so far, the city council.

Maxar said the graves appeared toward the end of March and expanded in April.

CNBC and NBC were not able to independently confirm the report.

A grave with a wreath and a Ukrainian flag in Chernihiv, Ukraine on April 16, 2022. As many as 9,000 people may be buried in a mass grave in a village outside the city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said, NBC News reported.

Andre Luis Alves | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

"The biggest war crime of the 21st century was committed in Mariupol. This is the new Babyn Yar," said Mariupol's Mayor Vadym Boychenko, referring to the Kyiv ravine where Nazi forces killed an estimated 33,000 Jews in 1941.

"And now Putin is destroying Ukrainians.He has already killed tens of thousands of civilians in Mariupol.And this requires a strong reaction from the entire civilized world.Anything needs to stop the genocide," said the mayor.

The embattled city of Mariupol has been hit especially hard as victory there will be a prized target for Russia. The capture of the southern port city will give Moscow control over much of Ukraine's southern coast and provide a land corridor to Crimea, which the Kremlin annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Chelsea Ong

Fri, Apr 22 202212:07 AM EDT

The liquefied natural gas tanker Sohshu Maru berthed in Japan on Dec. 17, 2021. Japan's industry minister said an exit of Japan from the Sakhalin energy projects in Russia could reduce the impact of Western sanctions and benefit Russia, according to Reuters.

Kiyoshi Ota | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Japan's industry minister said exiting the Sakhalin energy projects could reduce the impact of Western sanctions and benefit Russia, Reuters reported.

Japan and Russia both hold stakes in the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 integrated oil and gas projects.

"We are concerned that if Japan withdraws from the project and the concessions are acquired by Russia or a third country, it could further boost resource prices and benefit Russia, which will not result in effective sanctions," Japanese Economy, Industry and Trade Minister Koichi Hagiuda told a news conference, Reuters reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida previously said he will not abandon the project in order, citing his country's energy security.

Earlier, the Telegraph reported Shell is in talks with some Chinese companies to sell its stake in the project.

Chelsea Ong

Thu, Apr 21 202211:17 PM EDT

Ukrainian soldiers patrol in the frontline of Mykolaiv surrounded of the destruction after the Russian shelling over a village in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address that Russia has rejected an Easter truce proposal.

Celestino Arce | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Russia rejected an Easter truce proposal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.

"This shows very well how the leaders of this state actually treat the Christian faith, one of the most joyful and important holidays," he added, though he said he still hopes for peace.

Earlier, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a four-day pause to the fighting in Ukraine during the Orthodox Christian Easter to evacuate civilians and allow humanitarian aid to be sent into needy areas.

Zelenskyy also said Mariupol continues to resist Russia, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim of victory in the city.

Chelsea Ong

Thu, Apr 21 20225:48 PM EDT

Dmitry Beliakov | Bloomberg via Getty Images

Vagit Alekperov, the longtime CEO of Russia's second-largest oil company Lukoil, informed the board that he would resign from the company Thursday, according to a statement.

A former oil rig worker who founded Lukoil in 1993, Alekperov had been at the helm of the company for nearly 30 years, amassing a fortune estimated at around $10.5 billion. According to Lukoil, Alekperov controls slightly over 8% of the company, which reported revenues of $131 billion last year.

Seen as relatively independent from the Kremlin, Alekperov managed to escape the first several rounds of Western sanctions, during which many of his fellow Russian billionaires were targeted.

Last week, both the United Kingdom and Australia sanctioned Alekperov, instructing banks to freeze his assets in their countries. Reuters reported that Alekperov decided to resign in order to protect the company's operations.

Christina Wilkie

Thu, Apr 21 20225:13 PM EDT

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman speaks during a panel with the Friends of Europe in Brussels, Belgium, April 21, 2022.

Johanna Geron | Reuters

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Western sanctions have been key in preventing Russia from deepening its invasion of Ukraine.

"What we have all tried to make sure is that whatever we do hurts Putin," Sherman said before an audience at an event organized by the Friends of Europe think-tank in Brussels.

"What we are aiming for here is a strategic failure for Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin and I believe that is already happening," Sherman said, adding that the raft of Western sanctions will have a long-term impact.

Sherman said that so far the U.S. and its allies have imposed sanctions on more than half of Russia's high-tech imports, more than 80% of assets in the Russian banking sector, designated more than 2,100 Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior government officials that enable the Kremlin's war.

For nearly eight weeks, Russian forces have faced a slew of battlefield logistics that stalled advances on Ukraine's capital Kyiv.

Amanda Macias

Thu, Apr 21 20224:20 PM EDT

A Russian ballistic weapon lies in the middle of a Ukrainian farmer's field. Russian disruption of Ukrainian commerce is seen taking a staggering 45.1% off Ukraine's GDP this year, according to the World Bank.

Anastasia Vlasova | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says farmers in the country expect to sow and farm 80% of the land they did a year ago, before Russia's invasion of the country.

That figure is higher than the 75% the Agriculture Ministry predicted earlier this month, and a world away from initial concerns in March that the unprovoked Russian attack might force farmers to cut agricultural production by as much as half.

Ukraine is the world's largest fifth largest exporter of grain, fourth largest of corn, and exports more sunflower (safflower) oil than any country in the world. So any change in the farming output from Kyiv immediately reverberates across Europe, Asia and Africa.

Once crops are harvested, Shmyhal said there will be additional challenges this year in getting them to market. Russian ships are currently blockading Ukraine's major ports on the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

--- Christina Wilkie

Thu, Apr 21 20223:14 PM EDT

(EDITORS NOTE: Image contains graphic content) Cemetery workers unload bodies of civilians killed in and around Bucha before they are transported to the morgue at a cemetery on April 07, 2022 in Bucha, Ukraine

Chris Mcgrath | Getty Images

A new Human Rights Watch report alleged that Russian forces committed "a litany of apparent war crimes during their occupation of Bucha."

Human Rights Watch said its researchers went to Bucha days after Russian troops withdrew from the area and found extensive evidence of executions, other unlawful killings and torture, "all of which would constitute war crimes and potential crimes against humanity."

"Nearly every corner in Bucha is now a crime scene, and it felt like death was everywhere," saidRichard Weir, crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch, in the report. "The evidence indicates that Russian forces occupying Bucha showed contempt and disregard for civilian life and the most fundamental principles of the laws of war."

The Human Rights Watch report was compiled after researchers analyzed physical evidence, photographs and videos, and after they spoke with 32 Bucha residents, emergency responders, morgue workers, doctors and local officials.

Amanda Macias

Thu, Apr 21 20222:47 PM EDT

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in Warsaw, Poland, on April 5, 2022

Mateusz Wlodarczyk | Nurphoto | Getty Images

The United Kingdom unveiled new sanctions targeting top Russian military leaders, including the "Butcher of Bucha."

"Today's new wave of sanctions hits the generals and defense companies that have blood on their hands," wrote Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in a statement announcing the new measures.

Among those sanctioned are Russian Lt. Col. Azatbek Omurbekov, the commanding officer of the unit that occupied Bucha, where there have been reports of war crimes. Omurbekov, dubbed the "Butcher of Bucha," is subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze in the U.K.

Russian Col. Gen. Andrey Serdyukov, commander of Airborne Forces, is one of six senior commanders who oversee the different districts of the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. He also headed the operation of the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, according to the British government. Serdyukov is also subject to a travel ban and asset freeze.

The U.K. government has sanctioned approximately $1 trillion worth of global assets from Russian banks and oligarchs and their families, according to figures provided by the British government.

Amanda Macias

Thu, Apr 21 20222:22 PM EDT

The Biden administration unveiled a new program to expedite the admission of Ukrainian refugees into the U.S.

Through a web portal expected to launch Monday, individuals and organizations in the U.S. can apply to sponsor Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion. Thousands of Ukrainians previously fled to Mexico and sought refuge at the U.S.-Mexico border, where they were able to enter under a special refugee status.

Biden has said the U.S. will accept as many as 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.

The policy change could strand some Ukrainians who are already at or near the U.S. border with Mexico.

Christina Wilkie

Thu, Apr 21 20221:38 PM EDT

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said he assured Ukraine's prime minister that additional U.S. aid packages will keep Ukraine stocked with ammo to fight invading Russian forces.

"I told him, my response was 'as much as they need,'" Hoyer told reporters after leaving a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Capitol Hill.

Shmyhal requested that the U.S. provide "different types of weapons systems, ordinance, ammunition" during the meeting, Hoyer said.

"Obviously we need to keep them in ammunition. They cannot run out of ammunition. We're going to do that," he said.

The bipartisan leadership meeting came after Shmyhal met with President Joe Biden at the White House. Following that meeting, Biden announced that the U.S. would send an additional $1.3 billion in military and economic aid to Ukraine.

Kevin Breuninger

Thu, Apr 21 202212:28 PM EDT

The White House has released a photo of President Joe Biden's meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, which took place just before Biden announced a slate of new sanctions on Russia as well as $1.3 billion in new military aid and government assistance for Kyiv.

The meeting was not on Biden's public schedule and it was not open to press. But the photo of the two men, shown in the classic seated pose in the Oval Office where Biden meets other world leaders, conveys the respect and high esteem the president has for Shmyhal, and by extension, for Ukraine.

Christina Wilkie

Thu, Apr 21 202212:08 PM EDT

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby speaks during a news briefing at the Pentagon April 11, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. Kirby spoke on various topics including Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Alex Wong | Getty Images

The United States is sending a highly secretive tactical drone to Ukraine in the latest $800 million security package.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the drones were "rapidly developed by the Air Force, in response, specifically to Ukrainian requirements."

The drones, dubbed "Phoenix Ghost," are tactical unmanned aerial systems manufactured by Aevex Aerospace in Solana Beach, California. Once the drones are in the region, U.S. troops will have to train Ukrainian forces on how to operate them, Kirby added.

The Pentagon did not provide a timeline for when the drones would arrive in the region.

"It provides similar capabilities to the Switchblade series of unmanned systems, similar capabilities but not exact," Kirby said of the more than 121 drones included in the latest military assistance package. "There are other differences in the scope of capability for the Phoenix Ghosts, but I'm just not going to be able to get into more detail about those capabilities right now."

Amanda Macias

Thu, Apr 21 202211:34 AM EDT

Around 120,000 civilians are blocked from leaving the besieged city of Mariupol, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Reuters

Thu, Apr 21 202211:01 AM EDT

U.S. Marines with Alpha Battery, Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 4th Marines, fire their M777 Lightweight 155mm Howitzer during Exercise Alligator Dagger in Arta Beach, Djibouti, Dec. 18.

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Ukraine says mass graves in Mariupol were 20 times bigger than Bucha burial site; Biden to send more weapons and aid to Ukraine - CNBC