Russia-Ukraine updates: US sanctions Russian military shipbuilder, diamond miner

Russia's largest military shipbuilding and diamond mining firms were targeted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's "special military operation” into Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with troops crossing the border from Belarus and Russia. Moscow's forces have since been met with “stiff resistance” from Ukrainians, according to U.S. officials.

Russian forces retreated last week from the Kyiv suburbs, leaving behind a trail of destruction. After graphic images emerged of civilians lying dead in the streets of Bucha, U.S. and European officials accused Russian troops of committing war crimes.

For previous coverage, please click here.

Hulu

Two Men at War

A look at the two leaders at the center of the war in Ukraine and how they both rose to power, the difference in their leadership and what led to this moment in history.

Mar 13, 2022, 7:27 PM EDT

Mariupol humanitarian corridor blocked again, Zelenskyy says

The humanitarian corridor established for civilians fleeing the city of Mariupol was blocked again Sunday as Russian forces cast relentless airstrikes on the city, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address.

Zelenskyy continued to appeal for NATO to establish a no-fly zone in the region, saying NATO countries are next if it is not done soon.

“If you do not close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian missiles fall on your territory,” Zelenskyy warned NATO.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits an injured Ukrainian serviceman at a military hospital, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2022.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters

In western Ukraine, 30 missiles hit the region around Lviv, where the shelling of the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security killed 35 people and wounded 134 others, Zelenskyy said.

At least 10 humanitarian corridors operated in the Kyiv and Luhansk regions on Sunday, Zelenskyy said.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou

Mar 13, 2022, 6:20 PM EDT

Lead Ukrainian negotiator: 'It’s already WWIII'

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the lead negotiator in Ukraine-Russia talks, is urging world leaders to take a stance on the conflict Russia has sparked in Ukraine, saying the third world war is already among us.

"It’s already World War III –- world leaders must now choose their side," Podolyak told ABC News. "Every leader of every country must explain why he will stand to the side at the time when Russia was shelling civilian children in Ukraine."

A giant screen displays an image of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking through a video link, addressing people taking part in a peace rally for Ukraine in Florence, Tuscany, March 12, 2022.
Carlo Bressan/AFP via Getty Images

Podolyak is "cautiously optimistic" that negotiations are progressing, he said, adding that Ukraine will not offer any concessions to Russia.

"My cautious optimism is based on the fact that they understand they will not break us and they will not have enough resources to answer what they started," he said.

Podolyak said that, despite what he described as "Russian propaganda" reports, no foreign fighters were killed during the strike on Yavoriv, on the outskirts of Lviv, on Sunday. He accused Russia of using the ceasefire -- which was implemented to establish humanitarian corridors -- to regroup and reposition themselves for strategic attacks.

In addition, the bombing and shelling of civilians in Southern Ukraine continues to intensify, Podolyak said.

More negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are schedule to take place tomorrow, Podolyak said.

-ABC News' Maggie Rulli

Mar 13, 2022, 5:52 PM EDT

Nearly 2.7 million people have left Ukraine

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has calculated that 2,698,280 people have fled Ukraine since Feb. 24 as a result of the Russian invasion.

About 1.66 million people have entered Poland, 246,206 people have entered Hungary, and 195,980 people have entered Slovakia.

Nearly 200,000 people have entered Russia, Moldova, Romania and Belarus combined, while more than 304,000 people have entered other European countries.

-ABC News' Zoe Magee

Mar 13, 2022, 5:43 PM EDT

'Worst-case scenario' possible for thousands of civilians trapped in Mariupol: Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for an urgent solution for the "life-and-death" situation facing the hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in Mariupol without access to running water and electricity as the heavy airstrikes from Russian forces continue.

A "worst-case" scenario awaits those who remain in the city unless a humanitarian agreement among the fighting parties is reached immediately, the ICRC said in a press release on Sunday.

"We call on all parties involved in the fighting to place humanitarian imperatives first. People in Mariupol have endured a weekslong life-and-death nightmare. This needs to stop now," Peter Maurer, president of the ICRC, said in a statement. "Their safety and their access to food, water and shelter must be guaranteed."

People of all ages, including Red Cross staff, are sheltering in unheated basements and risking their lives to make short runs outside for food and water, according to the ICRC.

Anastasia Erashova cries as she hugs the one remaining living child of her three children in a corridor of a hospital in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, March 11, 2022. Anastasia's other two children were killed during the shelling of Mariupol.
Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

Dead bodies, both of civilians and combatants, remain trapped under the rubble or lying in the open where they fell, and those suffering injuries or chronic, debilitating conditions are unable to seek treatment.

"The sound of warfare is constant. Buildings are struck, and shrapnel flies everywhere," said ICRC's operational leader in Mariupol, Sasha Volkov. "This is the situation every person in the city faces."

-ABC News' Zoe Magee

Related Topics