Russia-Ukraine crisis live updates | Zelenskyy describes lack of medical access

Here are the latest developments from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict

Russia was still ready to provide safe passage for the civilians from the besieged Azovstal steelworks in Ukraine’s Mariupol as told by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in a phone call on Thursday, the Kremlin said.

France will increase its financial aid to Ukraine this year to $2 billion from $1.7 billion, President Emmanuel Macron said in a video address to an international donors’ conference in Warsaw, Poland.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office informed on Thursday that since the beginning of Russia’s against Ukraine, 221 children have died and 408 injured.

The United Nations says a third operation is underway to evacuate civilians from Mariupol’s besieged steel plant and the city, which is surrounded by Russian forces.

The conflict began escalating on February 21, 2022, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and deployed troops in a peacekeeping role.

Here are the latest updates

In his nightly video address Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described a “catastrophic” lack of access to medical services and medicines in areas of the country under Russian occupation.