Image source, Getty Images

While Blinken and Austin's trip saw promises of fresh military aid - and marked the highest-level visit by American diplomats since the war began - officials have stressed that it does not mean the US is getting directly involved.

“The President has been very clear there will be no US troops fighting in Ukraine and that includes the skies over Ukraine,” a defence official told US media outlets.

“This visit does not portend actual involvement by US forces,” they added.

Earlier in the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had pleaded with Nato to implement a no-fly zone across his country but he was rejected. Here's our explainer on what a no-fly zone is and why the West is reluctant to enforce one.

More from Blinken and Austin's meeting with Zelensky: during the visit, the US officials also named the new US ambassador to Ukraine.

Veteran diplomat Bridget Brink, who is currently the ambassador to Slovakia, will be filling in a position that has been left vacant since early 2020 under Donald Trump's administration. US media reported that President Joe Biden will nominate her later on Monday.

The US also said it was reviewing security conditions in capital Kyiv and will reopen the embassy there as soon as the situation allows, in a new diplomatic push in Ukraine since Russia's invasion nearly two months ago.

The embassy remains shut with a temporary office that has been relocated to neighbouring Poland. Embassy staff would start making day trips to the western Ukrainian city Lviv in the coming days, according to US media.

Image source, Getty Images

Joe Inwood
Reporting from Kyiv

It seems the Americans wanted to keep the arrival of two of their top officials a secret until after it was over.

No reporters were invited and the trip wasn’t even confirmed until the pair were safely back in neighbouring Poland.

Unfortunately for them, the Ukrainian president had other ideas – telling a room full of journalists about the visit a full 24 hours in advance.

But that doesn’t seem to have damaged relations too much, with the American delegation pledging another round of direct and indirect military aid.

The trip was also used as an opportunity to announce that the US embassy in Kyiv would begin to reopen this week – with a new ambassador taking up a post that has been vacant for two years.

Image source, Reuters

At the meeting in Kyiv, the US reiterated its support for Ukraine and pledged more than $700m (£545m) in military financing to help their war effort, officials say.

About half of the money will go to Ukraine, while the rest will be split among Nato members and other regional allies.

In addition, the US will sell $165m of ammunition to Kyiv.

The announcement was made following a trip that was shrouded in secrecy due to security concerns.

It was the highest-level visit by American diplomats to Ukraine since Russia's invasion began.

Besides President Zelensky, Blinken and Austin also met Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, and Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, CNN reported quoting a senior state department official.

The US has confirmed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin travelled to Kyiv to meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday.

A Ukrainian official earlier said Blinken was in Ukraine, but the US refused to comment.

But in the last few moments, Washington announced the visit and said the pair were now out of Ukrainian territory.

We'll bring you more details here.

Image source, Getty Images

The German vice-chancellor says it was a mistake that his country didn't support Ukraine militarily much earlier.

In an interview with German public service broadcaster Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, Robert Habeck says the support should have started years ago.

“We certainly should have supported Ukraine militarily much earlier, and I'm not just talking about days or weeks, but years," he says.

The previous administration of Angela Merkel was criticised for its ties with Russia, in particular its dependence on Russian energy.

Habeck says Germany is now helping to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons, after the government pledged to boost defence spending to meet Nato's target of 2% of GDP. It has also suspended the Nord Stream Two gas pipeline from Russia.

Read more on Germany's relationship with Russia here.

If you're just joining us, or want a recap, here are the latest developments in Ukraine:

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary for Defence Lloyd Austin have arrived in Kyiv for talks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a Ukrainian presidential adviser. The White House has not confirmed the visit
• On the ground, Russian shelling continues in the east, with civilian deaths reported in north-eastern Kharkiv and eastern Donetsk, according to regional officials
• Russia is planning a staged referendum in the southern city of Kherson aimed at justifying its occupation, according to UK defence intelligence
• Ukraine is suggesting holding a special round of peace talks with Russia in the shadow of the continued attacks on Mariupol's Azovstal steel works

And with that, this is Gareth Evans, Indrani Basu and Alys Davies signing off. Our colleagues Tessa Wong in Singapore and Andrew Clarance in Delhi will continue bringing you the latest.

Toby Luckhurst and Olga Pona
Reporting from Lviv

Image source, BBC/Jonny Dunstan

With Mariupol almost under full Russian control after weeks of bombardment, those who have escaped the southern Ukrainian city have spoken to the BBC about being held in cramped, unclean, processing camps before being evacuated.

Oleksandr and Olena say they ended up at a centre when they tried to escape the city. After walking 3km (1.9 miles) from their home to an evacuation point, they were driven to a Russian refugee hub at a former school.

"It was like a true concentration camp," Oleksandr, 49, says.

"You can't imagine how horrible the conditions were," Olena tells us. "Elderly people slept in corridors without mattresses or blankets. There was only one toilet and one sink for thousands of people, she says. Dysentery soon began to spread.

Read the full story here.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated French President Emmanuel Macron on his re-election.

In a tweet, Zelensky described Macron as a "true friend" and expressed his appreciation of France's support for Ukraine since Russia invaded.

"I am convinced that we are moving forward together towards new common victories," he wrote.

Macron has played a central role in trying to end the war in Ukraine, visiting the Russian President in Moscow prior to Russia's invasion, and participating in a number of phone calls with Vladimir Putin since.

You can read more on the French election here.

Russia is planning a "staged referendum" in the southern city of Kherson aimed at justifying its occupation, according to the UK Ministry of Defence's latest report., external

It says that the city is key to Russia's objective of establishing a land bridge to the Crimean peninsula - which was annexed by Russia in 2014 - and dominating southern Ukraine.

It adds that Russia employed this tactic in order to retrospectively justify its seizure of Crimea.

Kherson is the only major city Russia has managed to seize since it invaded in late February. But some surrounding areas have since been retaken by Ukrainian troops, and fighting in the region continues.

Caroline Davies
Reporting from Odesa

Kira Glodan, a three-month-old baby, is one of the latest victims in the war in Ukraine. She was killed along with her mother and grandmother in a Russian missile strike in Odesa on Saturday.

The deaths - three generations of a single family - have sparked outrage and revulsion in Ukraine, a country already hardened by two months of war.

Commenting on the strikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky was visibly upset.

"How did she threaten Russia? It seems that killing children is just a new national idea of the Russian Federation," he said. He described those who had planned and carried out the attack as "bastards".

Kira's father, Yuriy, saw her body for the first time when he returned to his destroyed flat on Sunday. He is now going through the wreckage to save some memories.

"All my world was destroyed yesterday by a Russian missile," he says. "What is happening is a grief for my family, for our city, for Ukraine, it's a grief for the whole civilisation. I hope our story helps to stop this war."

Read the full story here.

Image source, Family handout

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Kyiv and is holding talks with Ukraine President Zelensky, a Ukrainian presidential adviser says.

Oleksiy Arestovych said this in a social media video. The US has not commented.

If confirmed, Secretary Blinken would be the highest-ranking US official to visit Ukraine's capital since the Russian invasion began.

Ukraine has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for a list of equipment that is necessary for the reliable and safe operation of its nuclear facilities during the war, according to a statement on the organisation's website.

The list specifically mentions radiation measuring instruments, shielding materials, electrical power systems and diesel generators.

The IAEA delivered initial equipment to Ukraine last month, the statement says.

Another set of equipment is expected to be delivered when the IAEA Director General arrives at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant next week, the organisation says.

Since the beginning of the war, the Russian military has taken control of two nuclear power plants - Zaporizhzhia and Chernobyl - which are back in Ukraine's control.

Ukraine's letter to the IAEA states that of the country’s 15 operational reactors at four nuclear power plants, seven are currently connected to the grid, including two at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia NPP, two at the Rivne NPP, two at the South Ukraine NPP, and one at the Khmelnytskyy NPP.

The eight other reactors are shut down for regular maintenance or held in reserve. Safety systems remain operational at the four NPPs and they also continue to have off-site power available, Ukraine said.

Image source, .

Image source, Reuters

The death toll from Thursday's fire at a Russian defence research facility outside Moscow has risen to 17, Russian media report.

Six more bodies were found in the Central Research Institute of the Aerospace Defense Forces of the Russian Federation in Tver, north-west of the Russian capital, the Tass news agency reported.

Military investigators were investigating the blaze, Tass said.

Kyiv is proposing holding a special round of peace negotiations with Russia in the shadow of Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant, an adviser to the Ukrainian president says.

Oleksiy Arestovych suggested the talks could aim to establish a ceasefire and determine the fate of civilians and fighters trapped in the southern port city.

For weeks a small group of Ukrainian defenders camped out in Mariupol's steel plant have prevented Russian forces from taking full control of the strategic port.

There are also reports that civilians including children are sheltering there.

Dan Johnson
Reporting from Lviv

Image source, Reuters

Air raid sirens are a regular sound across Ukraine, warning of imminent Russian attack. The wailing alert interrupts the peace, day or night. "Attention citizens! Air raid alert!" booms a voice, before instructing residents to switch off lights, power and gas supplies and to take cover.

There are 150 sirens across the Lviv region, nine in the city itself. Oleg Khomych is head of communication, announcements and information for the region. He took me onto the roof of a local authority administration building to show me one of the sirens and the equipment that connects them all together.

They're triggered by a signal sent wirelessly or through cables from a central control room. If one network is interrupted by attack - cyber or physical - the other should still work.

Oleg explains the sirens have battery backup in case there’s no power - they can last 48 hours. There are 16 pre-recorded messages but special announcements can also be made.

These speakers were installed in Lviv in 2018, replacing a system dating back to World War Two. In other parts of Ukraine, the sirens were updated when the war in Donbas started in 2014. Before the current invasion, they were tested four times a year.

Oleg says when the latest conflict began people were responding to the alerts but then they got used to the sirens and stopped going to the bomb shelters. After missiles hit Lviv last Monday, killing seven residents, he says people have again started paying attention and reacting more appropriately.

For some people, the sirens are a worrying indication of imminent danger - a mournful, haunting sound that disturbs sleep and sends shivers through a nervous population.

But others find the warnings a reassuring reminder that the authorities are alert and responding to the threat.

I asked Oleg if he’s proud of doing such important work.

"There's nothing to be proud about," he says. "It's just my job, my duty. My task is to keep people safe."

Image source, Getty Images

Ukraine's human rights ombudswoman has accused Russia of breaking international law by housing Ukrainian prisoners of war in labour camps intended for criminals.

Lyudmila Denisova says two camps in Russia's Rostov region - close to the Ukrainian border - were vacated to make room for the new arrivals.

She claims the Ukrainian prisoners are guarded by jail wardens, and kept in conditions far worse than those set out in the Geneva Conventions' rules for the treatment of people in war.

Russia has not yet responded to the fresh accusations, but has previously denied breaking international treaties during its invasion.

Image source, Nataliya Hevak

A Ukrainian family have spoken of their struggle to travel to Scotland, where they are due to be hosted.

One of Nataliya Hevak's sons is disabled, which means the family cannot get into aid raid shelters in the western city of Lviv when needed.

They want to travel to Lanark to stay at the home of Gillian Randlesome, but Gillian says the visa process is taking too long.

The UK government has defended its record of granting visas, saying 21,600 Ukrainians have already arrived.

Read more about the story here

Image source, Reuters

Thanks for joining our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. If you've just reached our page, or need a quick refresher of recent events, here are today's main headlines:

• Russia has carried on bombarding its targets in Ukraine on Orthodox Easter Sunday - a special date in the calendar for both nations
• The Azovstal metal works - Ukraine's last pocket of resistance in Mariupol - is still being bombed, according to a member of the controversial Azov regiment who's sheltering inside the huge factory
• Evacuation efforts in Mariupol have been frustrated again. A planned humanitarian corridor broke down because Russian troops refused to hold fire, says Ukraine's deputy prime minister
• Easter Sunday has seen multiple calls for an end to the conflict. Pope Francis appealed for peace during an address which marked two months of fighting
• We're still waiting for news on visit by a pair of top American officials to Ukraine. President Zelensky said on Saturday that he was expecting to receive Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin today.
• Our correspondent Anna Foster notes that Zelensky's decision to publicise the diplomatic visit in advance was an unusual move

Image source, .

Caroline Davies
Reporting from Odesa

Twenty-four hours after the blast, glass and debris covers every surface around the bottom of the block.

The fire brigade have begun the long process of trying to clear the site, throwing whatever remains inside the destroyed flats onto the street.

Hanging from a broken wall is a washing line, its tangled clothes still attached, blowing in the wind. We spot a hair dryer, playing cards, fragments of books and feathers from a pillow among the rubble. This was a relatively normal afternoon in Odesa until the blast.

The air is thick with concrete dust that coats the skin, hair and clothes of those waiting at the cordon. They are waiting to go into the building to collect their belongings.

In the crowd we meet Igor, who was in his flat with his mother-in-law when the missile hit. The firefighters helped them escape with the oxygen masks; now he calls them his angels.

"Truly speaking, I was ready for such a scenario because my mother-in-law was in Mariupol," Igor says.

"She lived under deep underground for approximately two weeks. She escaped, arrived in Odesa with the hope of living without blasts, but troubles reached us."

He fears what will happen next.

"It's only the beginning for Odesa. You know what happened in Mariupol, Bucha? I know that will come here."

Kiril was in his eleventh floor flat in the block at the time, when he heard a whoosh. He threw himself to the floor before the explosion.

"When I looked back my windows were gone," he recalls.

"Then the whole house was thick with black smoke. I packed my documents, my laptop and two pieces of clothing and ran down the stairs. When I came down the stairs I saw the blood drops. All the windows were broken.

"I was in real strong shock. I've never felt anything like it before. I came really close to dying. I don’t know how to feel about that."