Human rights group expels Russia

The 47-nation Council of Europe took down Russia’s flag from its courtyard Wednesday after deciding to remove the country from membership over its invasion of Ukraine. The council formed after World War II with a mission of protecting human rights and democracy in Europe. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia was going to quit anyway, accusing NATO and European Union countries of making the council an anti-Russia tool.

How are civilians faring in Ukraine? Early reports indicate Russian forces bombed a theater in Mariupol on Wednesday afternoon where up to 1,000 people were sheltering. It is unclear how many are trapped in the rubble and whether Russia knew it was a civilian shelter. The city has been under siege for 13 days, and roughly 20,000 people have escaped through a corridor opened Monday morning, heading toward the western city Zaporizhzhia. But a regional official reported a convoy of 70 vehicles was hit by artillery fire Wednesday morning, injuring five evacuees. In Kyiv, a 12-story apartment building was bombed Wednesday. Casualties and injuries are still unknown. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv tweeted Russian forces shot and killed 10 people standing in line for bread in Chernihiv. Russia also bombed multiple residential buildings in Markhalivka, southwest of Kyiv, on Wednesday. 

Dig deeper: Track WORLD’s latest coverage of the war.