• 10:40 a.m.: Ukraine 'will continue struggle for independence,' says army commander-in-chief

Ukraine "will continue the struggle for its independence," Ukrainian army commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny said Sunday, one year to the day after the discovery of civilian bodies in the Kiev suburb of Butcha after Russia's withdrawal from the region.

On April 2, 2022, AFP journalists saw in Boutcha the corpses of twenty men in civilian clothes, one of whom had his hands tied behind his back, in addition to charred carcasses of vehicles and destroyed houses.

These scenes have shocked the world, with Kiev and the West repeatedly denouncing summary executions of civilians and war crimes. Since then, Bucha has become a symbol of "atrocities" blamed on Moscow's troops during their occupation of the region.

  • 10:01 a.m.: EU to oppose Russia's 'abuse' during UN Security Council presidency

The European Union "will oppose any abuse" by Russia of the presidency of the UN Security Council, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter. "Russia's arrival at the presidency of the UN Security Council is worthy of an April Fool's joke," he commented.

"Despite being a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia continues to violate the very essence of the UN legal framework," he said.

Russia took over the presidency of the UN Security Council on Saturday for the entire month of April and Moscow announced that its delegation would be headed by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Russia taking over today @UN Security Council presidency is fitting for April fools' day

Despite being a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia continuously violates the very essence of the UN legal framework

The EU will stand against any abuse by Russian presidency

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) April 1, 2023

  • 6:51 a.m.: In Bulgaria, the war in Ukraine at the heart of the parliamentary elections

For the fifth time in two years, a record in the EU, Bulgarians out of patience began voting Sunday to elect their parliament, in a country torn by the war in Ukraine.

Far from the hopes born of the wave of anti-corruption protests in the summer of 2020, this country of 6.5 million inhabitants, the poorest in the European Union, is sinking into crisis. Since the fall of former conservative Prime Minister Boyko Borissov after a decade in power, the various parties have struggled to agree on building a coalition and interim governments have followed one another. A slump accentuated by the conflict in Ukraine in a society historically and culturally close to Moscow, which is torn over the aid to be provided to Kiev.

>> Watch: In Bulgaria, pro-Russian minority clings to its Slavic heritage

  • 6:35 a.m.: More than 260 Ukrainian athletes dead since conflict began

According to Ukrainian Minister of Youth and Sports Vadym Huttsait, 262 Ukrainian athletes died due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This figure was put forward during his meeting on Saturday with the president of the International Gymnastics Federation, Morinari Watanabe. According to Vadym Huttsait, 363 sports facilities have been destroyed in Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict.

  • 2:52 a.m.: Wall Street Journal calls for immediate release of journalist detained in Russia

The Wall Street Journal on Saturday called for the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, the newspaper's Moscow correspondent arrested last week by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of espionage.

"The case of Evan Gershkovich is a dangerous affront to press freedom and should spark outrage from people and governments around the world," the Wall Street Journal said in a statement posted on Twitter.

  • 00:20: Volodymyr Zelensky denounces the "failure" of the United Nations

Volodymyr Zelensky, denounced Saturday the "bankruptcy" of the United Nations, where Russia took the presidency of the Security Council for the month of April, under the rule of the rotating presidency.

  • 21:34 p.m.: Macron and Zelensky discuss efforts for "a peace summit"

The French president discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart "the diplomatic efforts to be made to organize a summit on peace", during a telephone conversation.

The two heads of state made "an update on the military situation in Ukraine" and Emmanuel Macron "reiterated his support for Ukraine to put an end to Russian aggression," said the French presidency in a statement.

With AFP

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