Ukraine says Russia forcibly took civilians

Some 402,000 Ukrainians from destroyed cities, including 84,000 children, are currently held against their will in Russia, said Ukraine’s ombudsperson Lyudmyla Denisova. Denisova said several of the people could end up being used as hostages to pressure Kyiv to surrender. The Kremlin confirmed a similar number of Ukrainians were in Russia, but insisted they had wanted to relocate and have received accommodations and payments. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the warring nations also exchanged 50 military and civilian prisoners in the largest swap since the war began.

What’s the latest on the fighting? Ukrainian forces reoccupied towns and defensive positions about 21 miles east of Kyiv as Russian forces fall back on overextended supply lines, according to British intelligence. Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Russian cruise missiles destroyed a major fuel depot outside of Kyiv on Thursday evening. In the besieged city of Mariupol, officials said the Russian airstrike on a Mariupol theater last week killed about 300 people sheltering there. They resumed efforts to evacuate civilians from the coastal city on Friday, despite previously failed attempts. Russia said it would grant safe passage to 67 ships from 15 countries stranded in Ukrainian ports because of the risk of shelling and mines.

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