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.

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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.

Apr 05, 2022, 6:40 AM EDT

Russian brigade accused of Bucha atrocities will be sent back to war, Ukrainian intelligence says

A brigade of the Russian Ground Forces accused of committing war crimes in the Ukrainian city of Bucha will be sent back to war, according to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

"The Russian command will not rotate the personnel in this unit and will throw it back to the front," the directorate said in a statement Tuesday.

As of Monday, Russia's 64th Motor Rifle Brigade was withdrawn from Ukraine to Belarus, according to Ukrainian intelligence. By Wednesday, the personnel will be transported to the western Russian city of Belgorod, just north of the border with Ukraine, with plans to return to the front line in the direction of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

"Usually, Russian units leaving the combat zone receive much more time for recovery and rest," the directorate said. "This indicates that 'special tasks' are expected for the 64th Brigade. The first of them: intimidation of inhabitants of settlements of Ukraine. Those who committed the crimes of genocide in Bucha may repeat this again in other cities."

PHOTO: Destroyed Russian military vehicles are seen on a street in Bucha, Ukraine, on April 4, 2022.
Destroyed Russian military vehicles are seen on a street in Bucha, Ukraine, on April 4, 2022. The Ukrainian government has accused Russian forces of committing a "deliberate massacre" as they occupied and eventually retreated from Bucha, a town northwest of Kyiv. Dozens of bodies have been found in the days since Ukrainian forces regained control of the area.
Alexey Furman/Getty Images

"Another goal of the rapid return of the 64th Brigade to the territory of Ukraine is the rapid 'disposal' of unnecessary witnesses. That is, relocation to a part of the front where they will not have a chance to stay alive to make it impossible to testify in future courts," the directorate added. "The personnel of the unit, aware of the resonance of the events in Bucha and the responsibility for the crimes committed, massively opposes the return to Ukraine. However, the Russian command ignores these sentiments and threatens the tribunal if they refuse to continue fighting. The militaries do not accept reports of dismissal from Russian soldiers."

On Monday, the directorate published online what it said was a list with the names of hundreds of personnel of Russia's 64th Motor Rifle Brigade whom they believe were directly responsible for the atrocities in Bucha. Ukrainian officials have said there is evidence of other Russian units being involved. Russia has denied the claims.

-ABC News' Natalia Kushnir

Apr 05, 2022, 6:06 AM EDT

Ukraine has retaken 'key terrain' from Russia, UK says

Ukrainian troops have retaken "key terrain" in the north of the country, "after denying Russia the ability to secure its objectives and forcing Russian forces to retreat" from areas around Chernihiv and north of Kyiv, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said in an intelligence update Tuesday.

"Low-level fighting is likely to continue in some parts of the newly recaptured regions, but diminish significantly over this week as the remainder of Russian forces withdraw," the ministry added. "Many Russian units withdrawing from northern Ukraine are likely to require significant re-equipping and refurbishment before being available to redeploy for operations in eastern Ukraine."

Apr 05, 2022, 5:24 AM EDT

Peace talks may now be off the table, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated Tuesday that peace talks with Russia may now be off the table, following the gruesome discovery of scores of dead civilians in Bucha and other towns outside Ukraine's capital that were recently recaptured from Russian forces.

"The most difficult thing is to talk about what they did," Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv. "We believe that this is genocide. We believe that they should be punished for it."

"I believe that we need to set such a bar for these negotiations," he added. "It may happen that there will be no meeting."

PHOTO: Ukainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the press in the town of Bucha, Ukraine, April 4, 2022.
Ukainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the press in the town of Bucha, Ukraine, April 4, 2022. Zelenskyy said on April 3, 2022 the Russian leadership was responsible for civilian killings in Bucha, outside Kyiv, where bodies were found lying in the street after the town was retaken by the Ukrainian army
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images

Zelenskyy's comments came a day after he traveled to Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, where bodies in civilian clothes were found strewn in the streets and in mass graves. Many of the victims appeared to have been shot at close range and some even showed signs of torture. ABC News journalists on the ground saw some of the dead, including a family that locals said were executed with their hands bound.

-ABC News' Yulia Drozd

Apr 05, 2022, 5:07 AM EDT

Russia threatens to fine Wikipedia if it doesn't remove info about Ukraine war

Russia's communications and media regulator, Roskomnadzor, is demanding that Wikipedia remove content that contradicts the Kremlin's narrative about the war in Ukraine.

"Based on a motion from the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, Roskomnadzor demanded on April 4 that the Wikipedia management put an end to the dissemination of false socially significant information," the agency said in a statement Tuesday. "Materials containing false information about the special military operation in Ukraine and operations of the Russian Armed Forces have been massively published on Wikipedia in the recent period. Wikipedia has become a new line for continuous information attacks on Russians."

Roskomnadzor accused the free online encyclopedia of "deliberately" misinforming Russian users. The agency noted that it has previously asked Wikipedia "to remove false information about events in Ukraine" and threatened to fine the San Francisco-based company up to 4 million rubles (about $47,000) for failing to delete such content, which is illegal under Russian law.

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