The world must act to stop mass murder in Ukraine, the UK's Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said, comparing reports of civilian killings by Russian troops to the 1995 genocide in Bosnia.

Since Russian troops withdrew from towns and villages around the Ukraine's capital Kyiv, Ukrainian troops have been showing journalists corpses of what they say are civilians killed by Russian forces, destroyed houses and burnt-out cars.

"This is mass murder on an unprecedented scale in Europe. Wehaven't seen the likes of this I think since 1995," Javid told BBC Breakfast.

In July 1995, Bosnian Serb forces overran a United Nations 'safe zone' in Srebrenica and massacred men and boys in what is widely seen as Europe's worst atrocity since the Second World War.

"I don't want to be commemorating another genocide in Europe years from now. We have the power, the world has the power to stop this, and it must act," Javid said.

Nato 'must help Ukraine defend itself ahead of Russia's eastern offensive'published at 08:16 British Summer Time 6 April 2022

08:16 BST 6 April 2022

Paul Adams
BBC Diplomatic correspondent

Nato’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, says it'll take Russian forces some weeks to prepare for an expected offensive in eastern Ukraine.

He says the alliance must use this window to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself when the offensive comes.

The US has just approved another one hundred million dollars' worth of Javelin anti-tank missiles. And yesterday, it emerged the Czech Republic is sending a number of Russian-made tanks to Ukraine, and may have been doing so for some time.

In the UK, the Ministry of Defence says the situation in the besieged southern port of Mariupol is getting even worse. It says Russian forces are preventing humanitarian aid from reaching the city's remaining 160,000 residents.

This, and the horrors from Bucha, are triggering fresh waves of international sanctions.

The US is expected to announce more restrictions against Russian banks, as well as measures targeting Vladimir Putin’s two adult daughters.

And EU ambassadors are meeting to discuss Europe's fifth round of sanctions, also expected to include banks and individuals, but also a ban on imports of Russian coal.

An anguished debate about the much bigger issues of oil and gas continues.

Image source, Family photos

A Ukrainian refugee has slammed delays to processing applications to allow those fleeing the war to live in Wales.

Olga and her eight-year-old daughter Alexa left their home in Ukraine's capital Kyiv when war broke out in late February.

Since arriving in the Port Talbot area to live with Olga's sister Olena, she's been unable to open a bank account, get benefits or secure school meals.

The UK government has said its refugee scheme was "one of the fastest and biggest visa programmes in UK history".

Olga has said the family had received a huge welcome in Wales and she's very grateful for the support of the local community.

"I've met a lot of friends here, I've met a lot of people who wanted really to help us, not only by words but also in deed. I'm really grateful to Welsh people for everything."

Read more on this story here.

Image source, Getty Images

French luxury giant Chanel has stopped selling its products to people who intend to take them to Russia, after shutting its stores in the country.

Russian authorities and some customers have accused the firm of Russophobia, and threatened a boycott of the brand.

Chanel says it's simply complying with European Union sanctions, which ban the sale to Russia of luxury goods priced at more than €300 ($327; £250).

Many Western firms halted operations in Russia after the Ukraine war started.

Chanel told the BBC that sanctions imposed by the EU also prohibit the sale of luxury items to individuals who intend to use them in Russia.

Some Russians say they have been turned away from Chanel stores around the world.

Influencer Anna Kalashnikova has said on Instagram she was stopped from buying Chanel products in Dubai.

Read more on this story here.

Vikas Pandey
BBC News, Delhi

India has "unequivocally condemned" killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and supported calls for an independent investigation into the "deeply disturbing reports".

This is the strongest statement it has made since Russia invaded Ukraine.

But India's support for an independent inquiry into civilian killings in Bucha is hardly surprising.

It still stopped short of blaming or naming Russia for the violence in Bucha, which was in line with its policy of neutrality over Ukraine.

India has frequently abstained from voting on UN resolutions condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine.

The West has so far appeared to be accommodating of India's stand, which largely stems from its reliance on Russian defence equipment and its historical ties with Moscow.

But as allegations of Russian atrocities mount, so will the pressure on Delhi to take a clearer stand.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday said that Washington wanted Delhi to scale down its defence dependence on Russia. If his statement is a sign of things to come, India's policy of pushing for diplomacy over Ukraine will be seriously tested.

Read more here.

Image source, .

The international humanitarian charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says hospitals, patients and medical staff must absolutely be spared from attack in Ukraine.

The call comes after the head of MSF's mission in Ukraine, Michel-Olivier Lacharité, told the BBC's Newsday programme that three hospitals were hit in the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv in the past two days.

He says the hospitals are in residential areas and he believes they may have been hit with cluster bombs.

"At the moment of the explosion there [was] a gas leak and smell. So our team tried to escape from the scene", he says.

"While they were escaping they saw dead bodies on the road and people wounded."

If you're just joining us, here is a round-up of the latest developments:

Sanctions and condemnation:

• The US and the EU are set to impose more sanctions on Russia amid allegations of war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha
• Washington is reportedly considering measures targeting Putin's two daughters as well as Russia's largest bank
• Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a speech to the United Nations Security Council in which he outlined a list of alleged Russian atrocities
• In the strongest statement it has made since Russia invaded Ukraine, India has "unequivocally condemned" killings in Ukraine's Bucha and supported calls for an independent investigation into the "deeply disturbing reports"

On the ground:

• Russian forces have focused their main efforts on an "aggressive" operation aimed at establishing complete control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the General Staff of the Ukraine Armed Forces has said in its daily update.

• Heavy fighting and Russian airstrikes have continued on the port city of Mariupol, according to the latest intelligence update from the UK's Ministry of Defence.
• Nato foreign ministers will gather in Brussels later for two days of talks on how best to support Ukraine in the next phase of the conflict.

This is Ayeshea Perera in Singapore and Meryl Sebastian in Delhi signing off and handing over to our colleagues Chris Giles and Jack Burgess in London.

Nato foreign ministers will gather in Brussels later for two days of talks on how best to support Ukraine in the next phase of the conflict.

Nato’s Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, has said the alliance expects that Moscow will try to capture the "entire" Donbas region in the east, with the aim of creating a land corridor from Russia to annexed Crimea. But he continues to insist that no Nato troops or planes will be sent to fight in Ukraine.

The US and EU are set to impose additional sanctions on Russia today amid allegations of war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. Images of mass graves and bodies of civilians reportedly executed in the Kyiv suburb have shocked the world.

Washington says it’ll ban new investment in Russia and place further sanctions on Russian financial institutions. It is reportedly considering measures targeting Putin's two daughters and Russia's largest bank.

Jeremy Bowen
BBC News, Borodyanka

The town of Borodyanka may have faced some of the worst attacks since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

Police in the town - about 60km (40 miles) northwest of Kyiv - say there could be hundreds of people buried under the rubble of civilian apartment blocks destroyed in Russian shelling attacks.

Heavy fighting and Russian airstrikes have continued on the port city of Mariupol, according to the latest intelligence update from the UK's Ministry of Defence.

UK intelligence said the humanitarian situation in the city was "worsening".

"Most of the city’s 160,000 residents have no light, communication, medicine, heat or water. Russian forces have prevented humanitarian access, likely to pressure defenders to surrender," its latest statement said.

Mariupol has been encircled by Russian forces since the beginning of March. The Ukraine army said earlier today that its troops had been fending off attacks on the city for more than 40 days.

Last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it was forced to postpone an attempt to evacuate civilians from the besieged city after conditions made it impossible to proceed.

Life for civilians in Mariupol has been grim. Endless bombardments have left widespread destruction and the city's deputy mayor says people are dying from starvation and dehydration.

Russian forces have been advancing further into the centre of the city, but Ukrainian forces are still in control of some areas.

Image source, .

Russian forces have focused their main efforts on an "aggressive" operation aimed at establishing complete control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the General Staff of the Ukraine Armed Forces has said in its daily update.

There have also been continuous attacks in the eastern areas of the country, but without success, the update added.

It said Russian forces are also continuing their efforts to storm Mariupol, one of the most heavily bombed and damaged cities in Ukraine. Ukrainian troops had been fending off attacks on the city for over forty days.

It also alleged that Russia is continuing to actively use ammunition banned by international law.

The BBC has been unable to independently verify this.

An increasing number of sanctions have been imposed on Russia by the West - moves that are designed to damage the country's economy.

Here are some of them:

• Western countries have frozen the assets of Russia's central bank, to stop it using its $630bn (£470bn) of foreign currency reserves
• Some Russian banks have been removed from the international financial messaging system Swift, which is used to transfer money across borders.
• The US has banned all Russian oil and gas imports while the EU and the UK plan to phase out oil imports.
• The US, EU and UK have together sanctioned over 1,000 Russian individuals and businesses, including wealthy business leaders considered close to the Kremlin.
• The UK, EU and US have also banned the export of dual-use goods, external- items with both a civilian and military purpose, such as vehicle parts- to Russia.
• EU and UK have banned the export of luxury goods to Russia - including vehicles, high-end fashion and art.

Read the full list here.

A Ukrainian man, stuck at the border with Romania, is grappling with how best to help his family and his country.

Denys, an engineer in The Netherlands, travelled to the border after the war broke out to make sure his family based in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, were safe.

Once his family is rescued, Denys plans to stay back and join the Ukrainian forces to fight in the war.

Filmed and produced by Oana Marocico

Image source, Getty Images

Western leaders are set announce a further set of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, the US has said.

Calls for further sanctions have grown in recent days amid allegations of Russian atrocities in Bucha.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the measures will target Russian financial and state-owned bodies, as well as some officials and oligarchs.

Ms Psaki added that the move would "hold accountable the Russian kleptocracy that funds and supports Putin's war".

The sanctions, which are expected to include a ban on all new investment in Russia, will "degrade key instruments of Russian state power, impose acute and immediate economic harm on Russia", Ms Psaki told reporters during a news conference in Washington DC on Tuesday.

Read more here.

India said it “unequivocally condemned” the killings in Bucha and supported the call for an independent investigation into the "deeply disturbing reports".

The images of mass graves and bodies of civilians apparently executed in public places are the most shocking to emerge from Ukraine.

India's condemnation at the UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday is the country's strongest statement on Ukraine and Russia since the war began.

India has so far abstained from voting on resolutions at the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly and at the UN Human Rights Council condemning Russian actions.

The country has a long history of pursuing a non-aligned strategy in international politics.

But its diplomatic balancing act is under pressure from Western countries to help rein in Russia.

India, which depends on Russia for oil imports, was criticised by the US and Australia last week for considering a Russian proposal that undermines Western sanctions.

YouTube has suspended the account of a Chinese vlogger reporting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Wang Jixian, a resident of Odesa for the past four years, said he had been posting videos of the Russian invasion to counter China's narrative of what was happening in the country. He says he had received multiple messages not to "provoke" Beijing.

China has been making concerted efforts to stifle strong views about the conflict in the country and has refrained from condemning Russia so far.

"I'm countering lies and panic by reporting from the front line," Wang told Radio Free Asia, external.

He says his YouTube account was suspended, external for posting "violent content" in a video from 28 March. Wang says his appeal against the suspension was ignored by the platform.

The BBC was able to confirm that although the channel is up, Wang is unable to post new videos.

Chinese censors have also cracked down on Wang's videos on the messaging app WeChat and Douyin, the country's version of TikTok.

Wang's Chinese social media accounts were previously banned after he spoke to CNN.

Image source, Getty Images

In the latest round of US military assistance to Ukraine, American officials said on Tuesday that they will provide $100m (£76m) in anti-armour Javelin missiles to Ukraine's forces.

This is the sixth batch of US equipment aid released to Ukraine since August.

The latest promise means that $1.7bn in military hardware has been pledged for Ukraine by the US alone since the Russian assault began on 24 February, according to the US State Department.

US Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the newly-authorised money will "meet an urgent Ukrainian need for additional Javelin anti-armor systems, which the United States has been providing to Ukraine and they have been using so effectively to defend their country".

Image source, Getty Images

If you're just joining us, here is a round-up of the latest developments:

• Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a speech to the United Nations Security Council in which he outlined a list of alleged Russian atrocities
• Russia continues to deny any war crimes and its UN ambassador repeatedly rejected claims about bodies being found on the streets in Bucha
• The US has pledged another $100m (£76m) in weapons shipments to Ukraine, saying that the money will go to Javelin anti-armour missiles
• The European Commission proposed a new round of sanctions against Russia, including a ban on coal imports
• The US is expected to also extend its own sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, and will reportedly target Putin's two daughters and Russia's largest bank

• More than 7.1 million people have been displaced by the war in Ukraine, part of more than 10 million people who have now fled their homes following the Russian invasion
• Spain has become the latest EU member to announce the expulsion of Russian diplomats following the global outcry over alleged civilian killings by Russian troops
• Nato's secretary-general Jensen Stoltenberg said Russia is likely to launch a new offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region in the next few weeks

Thank you for following Tuesday's BBC coverage of the war in Ukraine.

This is Jude Sheerin in Washington DC and Max Matza in Seattle signing off and handing over to our colleagues Ayeshea Perera in Singapore and Meryl Sebastian in Delhi.

Image source, Getty Images

The mayor of the city of Bucha has told the BBC that some 320 civilians were shot dead by Russian troops during their occupation of the town.

Speaking on the Word Tonight, Anatoly Fedoruk said he had personally witnessed the executions of several people by Moscow's forces.

"I saw several episodes," Fedoruk said. "There were three civilian cars trying to evacuate themselves towards Kyiv and they were brutally shot. There was a pregnant woman whose husband was screaming asking not to shoot her but they just brutally shot her."

Fedoruk also alleged that Russian forces had been hunting local politicians during their occupation.

He called on Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who has denied allegations of war crimes by Moscow's troops, to "come over to the town of Bucha and to see the bodies of the dead people and to look into the eyes their families, mothers, husbands, kids who became orphans".

The US and the European Union are set to impose additional sanctions on Russia on Wednesday in response to Ukraine's allegations that Russian troops committed war crimes in the town of Bucha.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the US would ban new investment in Russia and place further sanctions on Russian financial institutions, as well as Kremlin officials and their families.

The Wall Street Journal reports, external that Washington is considering additional sanctions against Putin's two daughters and Sberbank, Russia's largest bank.

EU ambassadors will on Wednesday consider plans for a fifth package of sanctions, that includes banning imports of Russian coal, and preventing most Russian- owned or operated ships from using EU ports.

Image source, Getty Images