Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine will become a "great Israel" with security at the top of the list of priorities in the next decade, while the United States and Europe plan to impose a new wave of sanctions on Russia.
In a television interview with local media, Zelensky added that Ukraine's efforts to repel Russian forces from Mariupol are facing great difficulties, and that the military situation in the coastal city in the south of the country is "extremely difficult."
And Zelensky added that Turkey had proposed a plan to evacuate the wounded and corpses from the city, but warned that the initiative depends on the will of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
For its part, the Ukrainian General Staff said that what it described as the enemy is regrouping its forces and focusing its efforts on preparing for an offensive operation in the east of the country.
The authority added that Russia's goal is to impose complete control over the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, noting that planes and helicopters of the Russian forces were transferred from airports in Belarus to Russia.
For its part, British army intelligence said that the Ukrainian forces recaptured the north of the country, noting that the Ukrainians forced the Russians to retreat from areas around Chernihiv and northern Kharkiv.
British Army intelligence suggested that fighting would continue in some areas recaptured by the Ukrainians, but indicated that most of the Russian units withdrawing from the north needed to be rearmed before they could be redeployed to the east.
Russia's turn towards eastern Ukraine
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Russia is reviewing its military strategies to focus on eastern Ukraine.
Sullivan added in a press conference at the White House that the indications show that the Russians have begun to redeploy their forces from northern Ukraine to the east.
For his part, US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said that there are indications that Russian forces have given up launching a ground attack on Kyiv, stressing that the field threat to occupy the Ukrainian capital has begun to diminish, but he indicated that Kyiv is still subject to Russian aerial bombardment.
A wave of sanctions and expulsion of Russian diplomats
In other escalatory steps, the United States and Europe intend to impose new sanctions on Moscow on Tuesday, and European countries announced today the expulsion of a number of Russian diplomats from their territories.
French Minister of State for European Affairs Clement Bonn said the European Union was likely to impose a new set of sanctions on Russia on Wednesday, after reports of the killing of civilians in northern Ukraine by Russian forces.
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Tuesday that Italy had expelled 30 Russian diplomats over security concerns, according to comments sent by a spokesman.
Denmark's Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said on Tuesday that the country had decided to expel 15 Russian diplomats after reports that mass graves had been found and civilians killed in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
Reuters quoted the Swedish Foreign Minister as saying that his country will expel 3 Russian diplomats.
An EU source told Reuters that the European Commission will propose on Tuesday to EU countries to impose sweeping new sanctions on Russia, including a ban on imports of coal, rubber, chemicals and other products from Russia worth up to nine billion euros annually.
The source said the EU is also proposing a ban on exports to Russia worth another 10 billion euros a year, including semiconductors, computers, liquefied natural gas technology and other electrical and transportation equipment.
On the other hand, the Kremlin considered the expulsion of Russian diplomats by European countries a short-sighted step, and the TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that Russia would have an appropriate response to the expulsion of 30 of its diplomats from Italy.
Mass grave in Bucha
In the field, and in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, images published by the satellite technology company Maxar, dated April 4, showed what appears to be a mass grave on the grounds of a church in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
The New York Times said it had obtained satellite imagery that refutes Russia's allegations that the killing of civilians in Bucha occurred after its soldiers left the town.
The newspaper said that satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies confirmed that the killing of many civilians in Bucha occurred more than three weeks ago, when the Russian army was in control of the town.
Satellite images provided by the company to the newspaper show that at least 11 bodies have been scattered along Yablonska Street in Bucha since March 11, when Russian forces entered the city.
Images published by the satellite technology company Maxar, dated April 4, also showed what appeared to be a mass grave on the grounds of a church in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
And the French Press Agency reported that the French Public Prosecution specialized in terrorism cases announced the opening of three investigations into war crimes in Ukraine.
In a statement to Al-Jazeera, Bucha Mayor Anatoly Fedoruk said that they had found seven new bodies in the city, bearing signs of torture.
He stressed that the city's infrastructure had been largely destroyed, and that the city needed at least three weeks before the residents could return to it. He also called for an international investigation into war crimes committed by Russia in the city.
A senior Pentagon official said it was not possible to independently verify reports of Russian forces committing what he called atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
The US official added that the US administration coordinated during the past 24 hours with six countries to deliver new arms shipments to Ukraine.
He stressed that a redeployment of Russian forces outside the city of Sumy was monitored, and indications were also observed that Moscow was massing forces north of the city of Mariupol.
US marches to Ukraine
Bloomberg reported, citing two insiders, that the Pentagon plans to send ten Switchblade drones equipped with anti-tank warheads to Ukraine, in addition to the less powerful drones previously announced.
The site also quoted sources that the new Switchblade-600 is part of the $300 million military aid announced by the Pentagon on Friday, and that an order will be submitted to purchase it instead of withdrawing it from stockpiles.
Safe Passes in Mariupol
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry announced its readiness to open a safe corridor for Ukrainian forces to leave Mariupol towards Zaporozhye, starting on Tuesday morning.
The head of the Military Operations Department of the Russian Defense Ministry, Mikhail Mizntsev, said that whoever lays down his weapon and begins to leave, his life will be guaranteed.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called on Turkey to use its influence to achieve this difficult task.
In a new development, the separatists in Donetsk announced the burning of a Turkish ship carrying the Dominican flag in the port of Mariupol, and confirmed that 12 Ukrainian citizens were on board the Turkish cargo ship Azburg, which was burning in the port of Mariupol.
They noted that the Ukrainian nationalists were ignoring calls to release 6 foreign ships they had detained in the port of Mariupol.
Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Irina Vereshchuk, was quoted by Ukraine's National News Agency (Ukrinform) as saying that although seven traffic lanes were opened on Tuesday to evacuate civilians, residents of the besieged port city of Mariupol would only be able to leave by private cars.
Vereshchuk accused the Russian forces of continuing to prevent aid convoys from reaching Mariupol.
For his part, Mayor of Mariupol Vadim Boychenko said that the Russian side bombed the city with various types of weapons, and that about 40% of Mariupol had become completely destroyed, and that the Russian bombing continued and did not stop.