Russia may be planning a "Victory Day parade" in the devastated Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, Petro Andryushchenko, an aide to the city's mayor, has said on Telegram.

He said Kostyantyn Ivashchenko, whom Russian troops put in charge of the parts of Mariupol under their control, was ordered "to clear a part of the city's central district of rubble and dead bodies to ensure that a parade can be held on 9 May".

"Judging from the whole array of data, the occupiers are planning to hold a 'victory carnival' in Mariupol in case their 'special operation' is successful," Andryushchenko has said.

He added: "The good news is that there are no vehicles or people in the city to carry out such events."

The parade would coincide with Russia's biggest public holiday, Victory Day, which is held annually on 9 May to celebrate triumph over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Image source, Reuters

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As it looks increasingly like the besieged port city of Mariupol is close to being completely captured by Russian forces, we explain what's so important about the city.

Put simply, its fate is likely to be critical for the next phase of the war.

In Russian hands, it would provide control of a clear swathe of territory connecting Moscow's two fronts in the south and east.

It would also release large numbers of Russian forces who could be redeployed, and provide President Vladimir Putin with a moment of strategic "victory" after a shambolic first stage to his invasion.

But for Ukraine, it would mark a huge loss for the country's leadership, which has described Mariupol as "the heart of this war today".

Read more about why Mariupol is so critical here.

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As we've been reporting, Russia claims more than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered in the besieged south-eastern port city Mariupol.

But a top advisor to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the marines have broken through to connect with the Azov battalion - a group with strong ties to the far-right - and that Mariupol is still standing.

Oleksiy Arestovych said on Facebook, external that the city's defence system has increased and strengthened.

It's very difficult to verify what is happening in the city - but we will keep a watch on this and update you as and when.

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A photographer from news agency AFP has been embedded with Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which Moscow claims it is close to capturing following a weeks-long siege which created a humanitarian crisis.

The trip was organised by the Russian military. The photos show well-armed Russian troops patrolling through the ruined city, as well as interacting with locals.

Fighting has raged in and around Mariupol since the beginning of the war in late February. Russia has been accused of war crimes for its intense shelling of the city.

The mayor has said that about 21,000 civilians have been killed, with another 100,000 still waiting for evacuation.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

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"The city's under total siege. The shelling and bombing never stops," Ukrainian MP Dymtro Gurin told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, describing the situation in the south eastern city Mariupol.

Gurin believes more than 100,000 civilians are left in the strategically important port city, which has been under heavy fire since Russia's invasion started.

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He said there was little doubt that the Russians were guilty of genocide because their aim was very clear - to rid the world of Ukraine and its people.

Gurin also compared mass killings in the city, and across other areas of Ukraine, with the atrocities seen under the Nazis at Auschwitz.

As we've been reporting, there are growing signs Russia could be on the brink of fully capturing Mariupol.

If you're just joining us, here is the latest on the conflict:

Mariupol: Russia has claimed that more than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers have laid down their arms in Mariupol, amid other signs that Russia could be close to capturing the city

Nato: Finland is kickstarting a debate today which could result in the country applying for Nato membership within a matter of weeks

Evacuations: Ukraine has said it will not be possible to set up humanitarian corridors today as the situation remains dangerous

Diplomacy: The Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian presidents are travelling to the capital, Kyiv, to meet President Zelensky

Weapons: Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar says there is a high risk of Russia using chemical weapons

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar has said there is a high risk of Russia using chemical weapons against her country, echoing warnings by President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in the week, Reuters news agency reports.

On Tuesday, she said the authorities were checking unverified reports that Russia may have already used chemical weapons in the siege of Mariupol.

Western nations have warned that the use of chemical weapons would mark a dangerous escalation of the conflict and have pledged to take firm action if Russia carries out such attacks.

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The family of a British man fighting in Ukraine say he's told them he will have to surrender to Russian forces.

Aiden Aslin, from Newark in Nottinghamshire, has been fighting in Ukraine since he moved there in 2018, and became a marine in the country's military.

His unit has recently been defending the besieged city of Mariupol, which has been heavily bombarded by Russia.

His mother Ang Wood said her son told her he had no choice.

"He called me and said they have no weapons left to fight," she said.

"I love my son, he is my hero - they put up one hell of a fight."

Read more on this story here.

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Russia claims 1,026 Ukrainian soldiers have laid down their arms in the besieged city of Mariupol.

The southern port has been under attack for weeks and is believed to be close to falling into Russian hands.

The group, from 36th Marine Brigade, were said to have surrendered near the Ilyich Iron and Steel works.

Ukrainian defence ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk has said he has no information as yet on the reports.

Earlier in the week, Mariupol's deputy mayor labelled as "fake" a Facebook post attributed to the same brigade which claimed troops were running out of ammunition and lacking support.

The Russian embassy in the US , external has criticised what it calls "provocative statements" from US government official Ned Price yesterday, who warned of Russia possibly using chemical weapons in Ukraine.

“We are concerned, as we’ve said before, that Russia may seek to resort to chemical weapons,” Price said during a press briefing, American public broadcaster PBS reports.

“Russia has a track record. Russia has used these agents on their own people,” Price said.

Image source, Manuel Balce Ceneta/Pool

The Russian embassy calls the comments "empty" and "not backed by evidence".

It also criticises references to military and strategic failures of Russia's invasion.

The embassy says Russia's armed forces have "successfully performed the tasks set before them" in Ukraine.

The US and UK yesterday said they are looking into reports of chemical weapons being used by Russian forces attacking the Ukrainian port of Mariupol.

The BBC hasn't been able to verify these reports.

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The presidents of Poland and the Baltic states are visiting Kyiv for talks with their Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.

But as we reported earlier, they will not be joined by their German counterpart.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier cancelled his plans to join the group after Ukraine made clear that he was not welcome, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz now invited instead.

The plan, Steinmeier said during a trip to Warsaw, had been to “undertake a trip to Kyiv to send a strong signal of common European solidarity with Ukraine".

"I was ready to do this, but apparently - and I have to take note of this - this was not wanted in Kyiv."

The German newspaper Bild cited Ukrainian sources as saying that Steinmeier was refused admission to Kyiv "due to close ties with Russia in recent years".

Last week, Steinmeier admitted he was wrong about Russia, saying that German policy towards Moscow had failed and that he was mistaken for trying to build bridges with Putin and for supporting Nord Stream 2.

Image source, Reuters

Finland is kickstarting a debate today which could result in the country applying for Nato membership within a matter of weeks, news agency AFP reports.

A government-commissioned report released on Wednesday will examine the "fundamentally changed" security environment, according to Finland's foreign ministry, and will make its way through parliament.

An opening debate is planned for a week later.

Until recently, most Finns had not wanted to join Nato, but Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted some re-thinking, and latest polls suggest there's now a majority in favour of joining.

Russia has warned both Finland and Sweden against joining Nato, arguing the move would not bring stability to Europe.

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A woman in the UK has spoken about the "emotional" moment a family of Ukrainian refugees arrived at her home in Nottingham.

Leah Godsell-Fletcher says they all feel like "one extended family", communicating through Google Translate.

"It isn't perfect but it's been a lifesaver to get our sense of humour," she said.

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Olha Havrilyk, who arrived with her two daughters, said they had seen rockets explode in their neighbourhood.

Havrilyk says she had to leave behind her husband, a dental surgeon, in their home in central Ukraine, as he had been conscripted.

Ms Godsell-Fletcher shares her home with her husband Mark and young daughter.

"They were very happy to be here but obviously very emotional, quite scared coming into somebody else's house they don't know," she said.

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China's trade with Russia rose sharply last month as Beijing continues to criticise Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

In dollar terms, overall trade with Russia increased 12.76% in March to $11.67bn (£9bn), Chinese customs data shows.

That's as it jumped by 30.45% in the first quarter from the same period last year.

Gains in total trade, which includes the value of exports and imports, were in line with previous increases.

Russia is a major source of oil, gas, coal and agricultural commodities for China.

Beijing has so far refused to call Russia's action an invasion and has repeatedly criticised what it says are illegal Western sanctions against Moscow.

Before the war started, China and Russia declared a "no-limits" strategic partnership.

As sanctions against Russia mount, China could offset some of Moscow's pain by buying more goods.

But analysts say they have yet to see any major indication that China is violating Western sanctions on Russia.

Image source, REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says it will not be possible to open humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to escape today as the situation remains too dangerous.

On her Telegram channel, external, she accuses Russia's occupying forces of violating the ceasefire, saying Moscow cannot control its soldiers on the ground.

Vereshchuk says work will continue to get the humanitarian corridors open again as soon as possible.

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So let's look back at what US President Joe Biden said about Russia carrying out a genocide in Ukraine.

He had been at an event in Iowa, where he made an apparently throwaway remark about genocide during a speech on fuel prices. He was asked about this comment shortly afterwards as he boarded Air Force One.

Here's what he said:

"And the amount - the evidence is mounting. It’s different than it was last week.

"The - more evidence is coming out of the - literally, the horrible things that the Russians have done in Ukraine. And we're going to only learn more and more about the devastation.

"And we'll let the lawyers decide internationally whether or not it qualifies, but it sure seems that way to me."

Genocide is understood by most to be the gravest crime against humanity - a mass extermination of a particular group of people. We have more about it here.

Tom Bateman
BBC News, Zaporizhzhia, south-eastern Ukraine

Image source, ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES

There are growing signs that Russia could be close to capturing the key southern port city of Mariupol, which has suffered a devastating, six-week assault.

Officially, the Ukrainian military says they are sustaining their defence and are in "continuous contact" with their troops on the ground. But they concede it is likely that Russia will try and take full control of the city.

Ukrainian forces have said they are running out of ammunition. It is believed that they have been forced back to the port area of the southern city and the Azovstal steel and iron plant, from where they had launched counter-attacks for weeks.

With Russia tightening the siege on the city, it has become increasingly hard to resupply forces with food, water and ammunition, and evacuate the wounded.

Russian forces started their siege of Mariupol in early March. This has killed thousands of civilians and unleashed an appalling struggle for survival for trapped residents who remain.

Should Mariupol fall into Russian hands, it would provide control of a clear swathe of territory connecting Moscow's two fronts in the south and east.

It would release large numbers of forces to redeploy, and provide President Vladimir Putin with a moment of strategic "victory" after a lethally shambolic first stage to his invasion.

• More on why the city's fate is likely to be critical for the next phase of the war.

Image source, Getty Images

If you're just joining us or need a quick catch up, here's the latest developments:

Diplomacy:

• The Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian presidents are travelling to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to meet President Zelensky, an adviser to the Polish leader has said.
• US President Joe Biden has said, for the first time, that "dictator" Vladimir Putin is carrying out genocide in Ukraine.
• "Yes, I called it genocide. It has become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being — being able to be Ukrainian," Biden said at an event in Iowa.
• The White House is preparing to send Ukraine another $750m (£575m) in weapons, according to US media.
• US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have spoken by phone, discussing how to increase economic pressure on Russia and end Western reliance on its oil and gas.
• In a speech to the Lithuanian parliament, Ukrainian President Zelensky said the European Union was still too hesitant in imposing sanctions on Moscow.

In Ukraine:

• Ukraine and Russia are building up their military forces in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas as Moscow switches the focus of its offensive
• Reports and satellite images suggest that Russia is building up troops and military equipment in three places along its border with Ukraine - Belgorod and Voronezh regions, and around the town of Matveev Kurgan to the south
• Ukraine says it has arrested the country's most senior pro-Russian politician, Viktor Medvedchuk. The opposition party leader had been under house arrest suspected of treason but fled shortly after the Russian invasion
• President Zelensky offered Russia to trade him for captured Ukrainians.
• The US says it is "deeply concerned" by reports that chemical weapons have been used by Russian forces attacking the southern port city of Mariupol
• Ukrainian forces have said that Russia plans to launch an attack on the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, which has become the focal point of Russia's efforts to capture the key port city of Mariupol
• The plant is one of the key operating bases left for the several thousand Ukrainian fighters remaining in the besieged city

In Russia:

• In a rare public appearance, Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to continue the invasion of Ukraine until Russia's "noble" aims are fulfilled.
• He said that peace talks had reached a dead end and said that Russia would "rhythmically and calmly" continue the invasion.
• Appearing alongside Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, Putin said Russia would continue its "special operation" to defend Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine.

This is Ayeshea Perera in Singapore and Andrew Clarance in Delhi signing off and handing over to our colleagues, Flora Drury, Jack Burgess and Alexandra Fouché in London.

Image source, Reuters

In its latest intelligence update, the UK Ministry of Defence says Russia's appointment of Gen Alexander Dvornikov as commander of the war in Ukraine "represents an attempt to centralise command and control".

"An inability to cohere and co-ordinate military activity has hampered Russia's invasion to date," it adds.

Dvornikov has previous command experience in Syria, and since 2016 has commanded Russia's southern military district which borders Ukraine's Donbas region.

His selection shows how determined Ukrainian resistance and ineffective pre-war planning have forced Russia to reassess its operations, the MoD adds, external.

It was announced earlier this week the general - who has a track record of brutal tactics in Chechnya and Syria - had been put in charge of the new phase of Russia's war in eastern Ukraine.

The Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian presidents have been travelling to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to meet Ukraine's President Zelensky, an adviser to the Polish leader has said.

Our countries are "showing support to Ukraine and President Zelensky", Polish President Andrzej Duda's adviser Jakub Kumoch has said on Twitter, external.

Their visit comes days after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the city on Saturday.

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