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Ukraine’s forces are attempting to recapture territory, while Russia is refocusing attention on the country’s east © AFP / FADEL SENNA

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP), Mar 30 – Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:

– Buses sent to Mariupol –

Ukraine’s government says it is sending 45 buses to evacuate civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol, where Russia has declared a local ceasefire.

A humanitarian corridor is to be opened to the town of Zaporizhzhia, Moscow says. The Red Cross says it is prepared to facilitate the operation.

Several previous attempts to help civilians flee Mariupol collapsed.

– Putin misled on Ukraine: US, UK –

British intelligence says advisors to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin fear telling him the truth about his “failing” and “massively misjudged” invasion of Ukraine.

US officials say Putin feels “misled” by his military on the war’s progress and the impact of sanctions, saying his mistrust in military leadership is causing “persistent tensions”.

– Ukraine readies for eastern battle –

President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian forces are prepared for an escalation in fighting in the east, after Russia’s announcement that it will scale back its operations in Ukraine’s north to focus on the breakaway Donbas region.

“We will not give anything away. We will fight for every metre of our territory,” Zelensky warns.

– French intelligence boss out –

France’s military intelligence chief is shown the door for failing to accurately predict that Russia would launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, defence sources say.

General Eric Vidaud had only been in the position since last summer.

– UK targets Russian ‘propagandists’ –

Britain announces new sanctions on “Russian propagandists and state media”, including the owners of the RT television channel and well-known TV presenter Sergey Brilyov, who previously lived in the UK.

“We will keep on going with more sanctions to ramp up the pressure on Russia and ensure Putin loses in Ukraine,” foreign minister Liz Truss says.

– Foreign ministers meeting mooted –

Turkey says the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine could meet “within about a week or two” to step up negotiations on ending the five-week-old conflict.

Russia and Ukraine reported progress at talks in Istanbul on Tuesday, notably on Russia’s demand that Ukraine become a neutral state, but later played down hopes of a breakthrough.

– Economic ‘shock’ –

The economies of Russia and Ukraine will contract by 10 percent and 20 percent respectively this year as the war between the two countries causes “the greatest supply shock” for 50 years, the European development bank says.

– Russia leaving Chernobyl: US –

Russian forces have begun to pull out of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power site and move towards Belarus, a US defence official says.

Troops seized control of the Chernobyl site — where radioactive waste is still stored — on February 24, the first day of the invasion.

– Lavrov to India –

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travels to India, where he is expected to rally support for Moscow’s vision of a “multipolar” world order — meaning rejection of US hegemony — which China said it shared during Lavrov’s visit to Beijing this week.

India, like China and several African states, has avoided condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

– Four million refugees –

More than four million Ukrainians have fled the country since the start of the war, the UN says.

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