Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 28)

Caption

Firefighters try to put out a fire following an explosion in Kyiv on Thursday, the same day of a visit by the head of the United Nations. / AP

As Thursday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments of the day:

Two blasts rocked Kyiv while the head of the United Nations was visiting the city. Ukrainian officials said Russian missiles killed at least one person and injured several, shortly after U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres toured areas around the capital. The attack came weeks after Russian forces retreated from Kyiv and some residents began to return.

Russian troops are making "slow, uneven and incremental" progress in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas, according to the Pentagon. Some of Russia's forces have begun pulling away from Mariupol, presumably for fighting further inland, a senior U.S. defense official said, but many troops remain in the besieged port city and airstrikes continue. The Pentagon also said over half of the 90 howitzers the U.S. promised Ukraine have reached the country. The U.S. is training Ukrainian troops to use the long-range weapons.

The White House is asking Congress for $33 billion in aid to Ukraine, to last until Sept. 30 as a sustained guarantee of support. Most of the request — $20 billion — is for military and security assistance. That includes plans to send weapons to Ukraine, replenish U.S. arms stockpiles and provide cybersecurity and other support in the region. President Biden also wants a way to support Ukraine with proceeds from seizing U.S. property linked to Russian oligarchs.

Lawmakers in Canada's House of Commons unanimously voted to recognize Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide. The declaration is non-binding and does not require the Canadian government to take any action, but supporters hope it presses Canada's leaders to intensify economic and other pressure on Russia.

Photos

In Ukraine war, grief and desperation hang over week 9 of battle.

In-depth

A U.N. team documenting possible war crimes in Ukraine shares findings.

What Russia cutting off energy to Poland and Bulgaria means for the world.

Who's a Good Russian? NPR's Rough Translation talks to a poet capturing complicated and uncomfortable conversations about being a Russian today.

How is the war in Ukraine affecting Afghanistan's growing famine? NPR's 1A digs into the humanitarian crisis.

Earlier developments

You can read more news from Thursday here and more daily recaps here. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find NPR's full coverage here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR's State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.

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