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State Department issues new advisory telling Americans to leave Ukraine

By Paulina Smolinski

Updated on: February 11, 2022 / 8:05 AM EST / CBS News

The State Department is asking Americans in Ukraine to leave the country immediately, issuing a Level 4 travel advisory on Thursday. The advisory warned Americans not to travel to Ukraine and for those in Ukraine to leave "due to the increased threats of Russian military action." 

"There are continued reports of a Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine, indicating potential for significant military action against Ukraine," said the advisory. "The security conditions, particularly along Ukraine's borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, and in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine, are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice." 

The State Department warned that the government would not be able to evacuate Americans if Russia invades and urged for Americans in the country to come up with contingency plans that do not rely on assistance from the U.S. government. 

"American citizens should leave now," President Biden told NBC News on Thursday. "It's not like we're dealing with a terrorist organization. We're dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. It's a very different situation and things could go crazy quickly."

In January, the State Department authorized the voluntary departure of U.S. direct hire employees  and ordered the departure of eligible family members from the embassy in Kyiv. 

The warning cited Crimea and areas of Donetsk and Luhansk as areas of increased risk .U.S. government officials are prohibited from traveling in Russia-occupied Crimea, citing that "authorities continue to abuse and arbitrarily imprison foreigners and the local population."

Tensions are high in the region with Russia amassing more than 100,00 troops surrounding the border of Ukraine. The Pentagon believes Russia now has 70% of the forces in place to mount a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. If Russia invades, it would be the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. 

Russia on Thursday kicked off military exercises with Belarus along the Ukrainian border, leading to NATO increasing its own forces in the region. 

CBS News has confirmed that the U.S. government has plans in place to evacuate the thousands of Americans living in Ukraine — if it needs to do so — to neighboring Poland, a NATO ally to which the U.S. has recently deployed additional troops.

David Martin and Christina Ruffini contributed to this report. 

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Intercountry Adoption News and Notices

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Updated - Information for U.S. Citizens in the Process of Adopting Children from Ukraine

This updates and supersedes notices previously issued on March 10, 2022 and on February 28, 2022 .

The Department recognizes the security situation in Ukraine is of great concern to prospective adoptive parents (PAP) at any stage of the process, including host families who intend to but have not yet started the adoption process.

 The Department has issued a Level 4 Do Not Travel Alert urging U.S. citizens not to travel to Ukraine and advising U.S. citizens in Ukraine to depart immediately if it is safe to do so.  There are currently no in-person U.S. consular services available in Ukraine and the U.S. government will not be able to evacuate U.S. citizens from Ukraine.

We are aware some PAPs and host families are considering travel to Poland and other neighboring countries in an effort to visit with children who have been evacuated. We encourage anyone who travels to register in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program in order to receive security and other critical updates from the relevant U.S. Embassy. Country-specific information is available on the Department’s website.

Please review the following key notices about intercountry adoption and hosting programs involving Ukrainian children:

• Statement by the Department of State’s Special Advisor for Children’s Issues
• Ukraine’s Ministry of Policy Statement on Intercountry Adoption - Please note that the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine (MSP) has stated adoption in Ukraine is “impossible” at this time.
• Visas for Ukrainian Children in the Process of Intercountry Adoption and/or Who Previously Traveled for Hosting Programs in the United States

Q:  Can Ukrainian children come to the United States temporarily for their safety?

The Office of Children’s Issues has received many inquiries from individuals who are concerned about the welfare of Ukrainian children.  Many families have previously hosted the child they wish to adopt and hope to find a mechanism to bring the child to the United States until the crisis in Ukraine resolves; others have not been involved in hosting or adoption but want to find a way to help. We are also hearing from hosting organizations and other humanitarian groups who seek information about how to bring Ukrainian children to the United States outside of the intercountry adoption process. The Ukrainian government has confirmed they are not approving children to participate in host programs in the United States at this time.  They are taking measures to ensure their safety in neighboring countries. We are in close touch with the Ukrainian government, which confirms that most children have already been evacuated and are receiving all appropriate care, including specialized medical treatment, as necessary. The Ukrainian authorities are not making exceptions to this policy for children who previously participated in hosting programs or are already in the process of adoption.

See the Department’s March 9, 2022 Ukraine Adoption Update and the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy’s March 19 Statement on the Evacuation of Children in Institutional Care for additional information.

The following resources provide information on other ways to help:

• Department of State – United with Ukraine: How You Can Help
• U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) - see the How You Can Help  section on the Ukraine Crisis page

Q:  What action is the Government of Ukraine taking to protect children in institutional care?

The Ministry of Social Policy and the National Social Service Office of Ukraine have jurisdiction over decisions about the care and protection of the children in their care. The Minister of Social Policy Lazebna’s statement on the evacuation of almost 5,000 children in institutional care confirmed that "all the evacuated children are safe, [and] they are provided with housing, food, medical and educational services.” On March 17, the Government of Ukraine set up a Coordination Headquarters/Task Force to protect children’s rights and they developed a draft Memorandum between Ukraine and other countries to protect the rights of displaced children and guarantee their return to Ukraine, based on the agreements already reached by the Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine in meetings with relevant Ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany and Italy.  This situation is fluid.  Prospective adoptive parents and other concerned individuals may wish to monitor statements released by the Ukrainian government for current information about child protection activities.

Q:  How can I begin the process to adopt a child in Ukraine?

We are receiving many inquiries expressing concern for the children of Ukraine and asking how to begin the adoption process.  Ukraine’s Ministry of Policy Statement on Intercountry Adoption confirms that adoption in Ukraine is not possible at this time.

Information about intercountry adoption, including country specific information, is available on our website .  You may also wish to consult with an accredited adoption service provider .

Please review carefully the Special Advisor for Children’s Issues statement regarding children of Ukraine.W e note it can be extremely difficult in times of war and crisis to determine whether children who appear to be orphans are truly eligible for adoption and immigration under U.S. laws. Children may be temporarily separated from their parents or other family members during a conflict or natural disaster and their parents may be looking for them. It is not uncommon in dangerous situations for parents to send their children out of the area for safety reasons, or for families to become separated during an evacuation. Even when it can be demonstrated that a child’s parents have died, children are often cared for by other relatives. In addition, it can also be exceptionally difficult to fulfill the legal requirements for intercountry adoption of both the United States and the child’s country of origin under such circumstances. It can also be challenging to gather documents necessary to establish that the child meets the requirements of U.S. immigration law.  Prospective adoptive parents may wish to consult with an experienced immigration attorney when considering adopting or caring for a child under these circumstances.  For context, you may wish to review the general procedural information on our website about applying to adopt a child from another country to the United States. See in particular those sections describing the U.S. immigrant visa process for an eligible adopted child.

Q:  Can the State Department expedite the processing of Ukraine adoption cases already in process?

We are working with the Government of Ukraine on behalf of families who have final adoption orders to obtain required documents for the child’s immigrant visa processing. These are cases in which a Ukrainian court has already granted legal custody to the adoptive parents. We will continue to raise U.S. families’ commitment to and interest in completing the process in cases where both U.S. and Ukrainian approvals have been granted but there has not yet been a final, legal change of custody determination. However, we cannot predict whether or when any cases without a final adoption order will be able to proceed. Intercountry adoption cases in process are not expected to move forward in the near term.

On March 13, 2022, the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy issued a statement confirming that adoption is not possible in Ukraine at this time. See the Department’s March 21, 2022 Notice for more information. Families at any stage of the process, including those who have started but not completed required court hearings, should consult with their accredited adoption service provider (ASP) to discuss the impact of the Ministry of Social Policy’s statement on their adoption plans.

The following resources provide helpful background on why adoption of Ukrainian children may be difficult or inappropriate at this time:

• UNICEF and the UN High Commission on Refugees – Unaccompanied and Separated Children Fleeing Escalating Conflict in Ukraine Must be Protected
• Hague Conference on Private International Law - Information Note on Children Deprived of their Family Environment Due to the Armed Conflict in Ukraine
• The National Council for Adoption - Regarding Refugee Children Fleeing the War in Ukraine
• International Social Services – Ukraine Crisis Fact Sheet
• Save the Children – Ukraine Crisis: Call for Immediate Halt on Intercountry Adoptions to Keep Children Safe

Q:  Who is the primary point of contact for PAPs in the process of adopting in Ukraine?

ASPs are the most appropriate point of contact for PAPs who are in the adoption process. ASPs can provide guidance about how the situation in Ukraine may impact each family’s adoption plans. PAPs may also contact the Office of Children’s Issues directly at [email protected] .

Q:  What if I have started the adoption process and I have had one or more court hearings, but additional hearings are required?

The Department has requested adoption hearings be expedited and conducted virtually whenever possible. However, the judge has sole discretion over this decision. At this time, most government offices and courts are not open or able to conduct business, and we are unable to track the operating status of each. Based on the Ministry of Social Policy’s March 13 statement that adoptions are not possible at this time, we do not expect these cases to move forward in the near term. The Department will continue to convey to the Ukrainian government that U.S. families are interested in completing the adoption process if possible under Ukrainian law. PAPs at this stage of the process should remain in close contact with their ASP to discuss how this situation impacts their adoption plans.

Q:  What if I have accepted an official referral from the Ministry of Social Policy (MSP) but there have not yet been any court hearings, or I have declined a referral and not yet been offered another one?

Based on the Ministry of Social Policy’s March 13 statement that adoptions are not possible at this time, we do not expect cases at this stage of the process to move forward in the near term.

Q:  Can the State Department facilitate the removal of children from Ukraine and entry into another country for their safety?

The Ukrainian authorities, which have jurisdiction over decisions about the care and protection of the children in its care, have expressed concern about moving children out of Europe at this point and are taking steps to ensure their safety in neighboring countries. The National Social Service Office of Ukraine has made clear that while children may depart Ukraine with their legal guardians, who are often the orphanage directors, if other required criteria are met, they do not approve the children for onward travel to the United States for hosting at this time.

Information about the evacuation of children residing in institutional care is available on the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers website. Q:  What if I am partway through the adoption process and the child’s orphanage or another entity is able to get the child to Poland or another neighboring country?  Will I be able to resume the intercountry adoption process from there?

Based on the Ministry of Social Policy’s March 13 statement that adoptions are not possible at this time, we do not expect adoption cases to move forward in the near term. The Ukrainian government retains the authority for decisions about the best interests of Ukrainian children in institutional care, even when the children have been evacuated to other countries.

Q:  Is the State Department able to facilitate humanitarian parole for a child I am in the process of adopting so that I may bring the child to the United States?

Questions about humanitarian parole for Ukrainian children in institutional care should be directed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which has jurisdiction over this issue. Information about the humanitarian parole application process and refugee and asylum status is available on the USCIS website.

Q:  What if I am in the process of adopting a child that has previously traveled to the United States through a hosting program?  If the visa expiration date has not yet passed will the child be able to enter the U.S.?

Children who travel to the United States for hosting programs do so with the Ukrainian government's authorization and on a U.S. non-immigrant visa that is typically valid only for one entry to the United States and only during the narrow date range of the program. To travel to the United States again, a child would need a new non-immigrant visa. Children in the process of intercountry adoption without a final adoption or guardianship order are generally not eligible for issuance of a non-immigrant visa as they are intending immigrants. Visa eligibility and adjudication is governed by U.S. immigration laws, and State Department consular officers do not have the authority to make exceptions to U.S. law.  Please see Visas for Ukrainian Children for additional information.

Q:  What if I am considering adoption or I know I am not in a position to adopt a child but I would like to host a child so that they can leave Ukraine temporarily while the country is at war?

We are receiving many inquiries from U.S. citizens concerned about the plight of Ukrainian children. We share this concern for these children, and we understand that some U.S. citizens want to respond by offering to open their homes and adopt these children in need.

It can be extremely difficult in such circumstances to determine whether children who appear to be orphans truly are eligible for adoption and immigration under U.S. laws. Children may be temporarily separated from their parents or other family members during a conflict or natural disaster and their parents may be looking for them. It is not uncommon in dangerous situations for parents to send their children out of the area, for safety reasons, or for families to become separated during an evacuation. Even when it can be demonstrated that a child’s parents have died, children are often cared for by other relatives. Many children living in orphanages in Ukraine are not orphans.

During times of crisis, it can also be exceptionally difficult to fulfill the legal requirements for intercountry adoption of both the United States and the child’s country of origin. This is especially true when civil authority breaks down. It can be very difficult to gather documents necessary to establish that the child meets the requirements of U.S. immigration law, so persons interested in adoption may wish to consult with an experienced immigration attorney when considering adopting or caring for a child under these circumstances. For context, you may wish to review the general procedural information on our website about applying to adopt and immigrate a child from another country to the United States. See in particular those sections describing the U.S. immigrant visa process for an eligible adopted child.

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April 19, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

By Kathleen Magramo , Helen Regan , Sana Noor Haq, Aditi Sangal , Adrienne Vogt , Mike Hayes, Elise Hammond , Maureen Chowdhury and Tori B. Powell, CNN

US State Department announces $325 million in new assistance for Ukraine

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler 

The United States is pledging an additional $325 million security assistance package to Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday.

The package “includes more ammunition for U.S.-provided HIMARS and artillery rounds, as well as anti-armor systems, small arms, logistics support vehicles, and maintenance support essential to strengthening Ukraine’s defenders on the battlefield," Blinken said in a statement.

The aid will help Ukraine defend itself against Russia, he said.

"Russia could end its war today. Until Russia does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine for as long as it takes," the statement said.

Ukraine's prosecutor general says his office has registered about 80,000 incidents of potential war crimes

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin told US lawmakers Wednesday that his office has registered around 80,000 incidents of potential war crimes, and to date has convicted 31 Russians for war crimes in Ukrainian courts.

Kostin told lawmakers in the House Foreign Affairs Committee that his office has also identified 310 potential perpetrators of the crimes, and has “finished cases against 152 potential war criminals."

He said some of the cases “are held in absentia because we have identified the perpetrators, we have full set of evidences, but we can't wait if we someday will capture them, but the procedure of cases in absentia is a little bit longer because of procedural limitations.”

Kostin urged the international community to share intelligence information to help aid his office’s work in convicting alleged war criminals, noting that they have identified thousands more but they do not have complete evidence to convict those alleged criminals.

Biden administration to announce additional Ukraine security assistance, including ammunition

From CNN's Betsy Klein

The Biden administration is set to announce additional security assistance for Ukraine, marking the 36th drawdown of aid amid Russia’s ongoing war. 

The package is expected to be announced by the Pentagon and the State Department on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

The security assistance is "part of our ongoing efforts to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's brutal invasion,” Jean-Pierre said.

 “The package will include more ammunition for US-provided HIMARS rocket systems and anti-armor systems, as well as additional artillery rounds. The United States will continue to work with our allies and partners to help Ukraine defend itself to defend its democracy and protect its people,” she added. 

Jean-Pierre did not say how much the assistance will cost.

Ukrainian teen forcibly sent to Russia and issued new birth certificate, according to his representative

A 16-year-old Ukrainian was forcibly sent to Russia "for vacation" and was placed with a family who attempted to indoctrinate him with pro-Russian propaganda, a representative for the teen told the US House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee.

Last month, the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and another top Russian official, Maria Lvova-Belova, for an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia.

At Wednesday’s hearing, the representative told lawmakers that 16-year-old Roman, who is an orphan, left his school after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and walked 60 kilometers (about 37 miles), all while allegedly being threatened by Russian soldiers along the way. After he reached his destination — a village in Donetsk — Russians occupied that village as well, and Roman was put in a local hospital with other children, the representative said.

"At that hospital, he was notified that he will now have a different family," his representative said via a translator. "The occupation authorities ignored the fact and his words that he wanted his brother or sister to be his legal representatives because he had them there."

The representative said he was then sent to another hospital in Donetsk, issued a new birth certificate on behalf of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic, and then was sent to Russia "for a vacation." Once there, Roman and other Ukrainian children were visited by Lvova-Belova, who told them they would be adopted, which the children protested. They were instead sent to a boarding school, the representative said.

"Eventually, they found a new family for Roman," the representative said. "They tried to reshape his mind. … They made him watch propaganda programs on TV."

His communication with his peers was restricted, his movements were tracked through his cell phone, and they "forced him to say that he liked his new family and his new life," she said. 

"He was forced to obtain a passport of the Russian Federation, but then immediately they took it away from him, saying that they will process papers for adoption," she said.

Roman was able to make his way back to Ukraine with the help of volunteers from the country, the representative said.

More background: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said there have been 16,000 forced deportations of Ukrainian children, but that number could be higher.

The Russian government doesn’t deny taking Ukrainian children and has made  their adoption by Russian families  a centerpiece of propaganda. According to Lvova-Belova’s office, Ukrainian children have been sent to live in institutions and with foster families in 19 different Russian regions.

It's nighttime in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

Moscow battered parts of eastern Ukraine with a fresh round of strikes on Wednesday, in a region that has been the site of some of the most intense fighting since the war began.

Catch up on the latest developments in the war:

• Shelling in Bakhmut: Russia launched 60 air strikes in the past 24 hours, especially in and around the beleaguered eastern city of Bakhmut, according to the Ukrainian military. Further south, Moscow bombarded the southern city of Odesa with Iranian-made "Shahed" drones.
• Russian troop losses in Bakhmut are high, Ukrainian official says: Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar says Russian losses in the battered eastern city are several times higher than Ukrainian ones, while conceding that Moscow’s troops have been advancing in some areas of the city. She added: "For them [the Russians], this is probably one of the most expensive operations because it has already cost a lot of equipment and weapons."
• Weapons in transit: Germany dispatched a Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine. And in southern Spain, six Leopard 2 tanks arrived at a port for shipping to Ukraine, as the US and Western allies send weaponry to bolster Kyiv's forces.
• South Korea-Russia relations: The Kremlin says South Korea has taken an “unfriendly position” toward Russia over the war, after the country's leader signaled it could send military aid to Kyiv in a major shift that would see Seoul changing its stance against arming Ukraine for the first time.
• Testing defenses in Zaporizhzhia: Vladimir Rogov, a member of the Russian-installed council in Zaporizhzhia, said a group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces "tried to probe" Russian defenses in the area, adding that it is unusual for Kyiv to do so during the night.
• Ukrainian grain imports: The European Union is preparing an additional $109.3 million package to help farmers combat increased imports of Ukrainian grain, which had sparked widespread protests from workers suffering financial blows.
• Kremlin critic loses appeal : Ilya Yashin lost his appeal on Wednesday , with Moscow’s city court ruling to uphold his 8-and-a-half year sentence in jail for discrediting the Russian army. Speaking in court, Yashin said he was guilty of "fulfilling [his] duty of a Russian politician and patriot, of speaking the truth about this war, in particular, about the crimes committed by Putin’s troops in the city of Bucha ."
• Russian regions cancel Victory Day celebrations: Several Russian regions have canceled their May 9 Victory Day parades and other celebrations, citing security concerns over organizing large gatherings. The Kremlin said the main parade at the Red Square in Moscow is still due to go ahead, with enhanced security measures in place.
• Ukrainian woman recounts horrors to US Congress: A Ukrainian woman from Kherson recounted to US House of Representatives lawmakers  on Wednesday how she was beaten at the hands of Russian forces earlier this year. Lyubov, 57, whose last name was withheld and face was not shown, said she was taken to what she called a "torture chamber" and held for five days, where she was beaten, forced to undress, cut with a knife, threatened with rape and murder, and "forced ... to dig my own grave."
• US defense secretary confident Sweden will join NATO soon: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that he is “confident” Sweden will be welcomed as a new member of NATO by July.  “I join the other 30 ministers of defense in the alliance and I know that they feel the same way,” Austin said, speaking alongside Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson in Stockholm.

Russian soldiers "forced me to dig my own grave": Ukrainian woman tells US lawmakers about torture

A Ukrainian woman from Kherson recounted to US House of Representatives lawmakers on Wednesday how she was beaten at the hands of Russian forces earlier this year. 

Lyubov, 57, whose last name was withheld and face was not shown, worked as an accountant and lived under Russian occupation for more than a year. 

“In January of this year, they came for me,” she told the House Foreign Affairs Committee via a translator. Lyubov said that Russian soldiers forced their way into her house, claiming they were looking for weapons, and confiscated "a map of Ukraine, the flag of Ukraine, souvenir magnets with Ukraine images, and a token with blue and yellow ribbon symbolizing victims of World War II."

“Those were their evidence against me,” she said.

She was taken to what she called a "torture chamber" and held for five days, where she was beaten, forced to undress, cut with a knife, and threatened with rape and murder.

"I also was taken out into the field and they beat me again and they were putting a handgun next to my head and shooting as if, as if executing me," she recounted. "Also forced me to dig my own grave."

She said she saw other people being tortured, "taken out with black plastic bags on their heads."

"I worry so much for them. I would love to find them one day but I am not sure if they’re still alive," she said.

Lyubov said the soldiers let her go, “but they said they will come back.”

When she returned to her house, it had been looted, and they had taken away medals that belonged to her father.

She was able to flee Kherson and made her way to the United States to be with her daughter, but she hopes be able to return to Ukraine.

"I'm telling you my story, and there are other people who are getting robbed and raped and beaten in those territories now," she said. "These terrible crimes need to be stopped."

Documenting atrocities: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights catalogued thousands of cases of civilian casualties along with cases of torture, rape and arbitrary detention in the Ukraine conflict over six months, from August 2022 to January 2023, calling the situation "dire."

State of control: Russia currently occupies areas of the southern Kherson region, while Moscow's troops were pushed out of the city of Kherson and the western part of the region in November 2022.

Ukrainian official warns civilians in occupied areas of heavier surveillance by Russian forces

From CNN's Tim Lister and Olga Voitovych

As speculation intensifies about where and when a Ukrainian counteroffensive may take place, the mayor of one town in occupied Zaporizhzhia has warned residents to be aware of tougher scrutiny by Russian forces.

“Russian military are increasingly conducting tough checks on the streets. They also enter apartments. They are particularly interested in people with Ukrainian passports,” which was most of the inhabitants, Enerhodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov claimed on Telegram.

The town is adjacent to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant (ZNPP). Orlov himself is not in Enerhodar, and his remarks cannot be verified. 

Russian forces check phones for "Ukrainian channels, patriotic photos," call the Ukrainian currency hryvnia a "foreign currency" and suspect everyone of "illegal currency transactions,” Orlov added.

Additionally, Ukrainian officials and Western analysts have said that Russian forces have strengthened their defenses in the Zaporizhzhia region with extensive use of minefields.

Last week, a Russian mine exploded near the engine room of a reactor at ZNPP, according to Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company Energoatom. Orlov also claimed that the minefields are also near Enerhodar.

Over the weekend Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi, a military spokesman in the east, said the Russians were “trying to take children out from the occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia region."

According to posts on an unofficial Enerhodar telegram group in recent days, the evacuation of children has already begun.

One post said: “Information about forcible evacuation is being spread in local schools and kindergartens in Enerhodar. The evacuations has already begun and will last until April 20. They plan to take children to Crimea using ZNPP buses, thus allegedly authorising the theft of ZNPP vehicles used for the staff transfer to work.”

CNN is unable to verify the claim.

The Russian-backed local authorities in Zaporizhzhia denied that there are plans to organize the evacuation of children from the town of Enerhodar.

In a Telegram post on Wednesday, authorities said the town’s civil military administration had reported “false information about the evacuation of children.”

“We inform you that: there is no evacuation. Do not succumb to provocations.”

The Russian-backed local government was responding to the circulation on social media of a poster advising that children in Enerhodar would be evacuated.

It said the text referred to a Department of Education and Youth, which does not exist.

Russia won't escape accountability for atrocities committed in Ukraine, US deputy attorney general says

From CNN's Hannah Rabinowitz

US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the Justice Department has an unwavering commitment to prosecuting Russian war crimes during her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday morning. 

"The facts are clear: Russia has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine," Monaco said in her opening remarks. 

"We cannot — we will not — let war criminals escape accountability for the aggression and atrocities they have committed in Ukraine," she added.

Monaco thanked the Senate Judiciary Committee for supporting the Biden administration's response to the war in Ukraine on a bipartisan basis, adding that the Justice Department could work with the committee on other matters, such as "conferring federal criminal jurisdiction over certain crimes against humanity, increasing the range of seized assets we can transfer for the rebuilding of Ukraine, and expanding the department’s authority to prosecute acts of torture committed against US nationals abroad."

Monaco’s testimony comes amid several days of focus from the Justice Department on their efforts to hold Russia accountable for crimes in Ukraine. 

Earlier this week, Attorney General Merrick Garland hosted Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin and announced that the US Justice Department would detail a prosecutor to the Hague to assist in investigating Russian crimes of aggression in Ukraine. 

Remember: In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and another Russian official for an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia.

The day prior, the UN found in a report that Russia has "committed a wide range of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law" in Ukraine, including "attacks on civilians and energy-related infrastructure, wilful killings, unlawful confinement, torture, rape and other sexual violence, as well as unlawful transfers and deportations of children."

Russian-backed authorities in southern Ukraine begin confiscating boats, state media says

From CNN's Olga Voitovych

The local authorities in the Russian-controlled part of Kherson region in southern Ukraine say they have begun seizing boats for the use of the military. 

The Russian state news agency TASS said that the acting head of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, ordered the seizure of civilian boats in the region for the military.

“Last week I gave an order to gather the possible number of small vessels and boats which our military needs," TASS quoted Saldo as telling a meeting of the regional government.

Saldo said the boat owners would receive compensation if their livelihoods were affected, and the boats would be returned after "a certain time.”

On his Telegram channel, Saldo said that the confiscations were permitted under martial law.

“In particular, about 30 boats with motors were seized in Henichesk to provide the military with watercraft," he said. Henichesk is a port on the Sea of Azov near Crimea.

Some more context: Russian forces control the whole of the coastline of the Sea of Azov, as well as the east bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson.

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The State Department tells Americans to leave Russia immediately

Emma Bowman

Aeroflot's passenger planes are parked at Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday. Aeroflot said Monday that it suspended flights to New York, Washington, Miami and Los Angeles through Wednesday because Canada has closed its airspace to Russian planes. Pavel Golovkin/AP hide caption

Aeroflot's passenger planes are parked at Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday. Aeroflot said Monday that it suspended flights to New York, Washington, Miami and Los Angeles through Wednesday because Canada has closed its airspace to Russian planes.

The U.S. State Department is telling U.S. citizens in Russia to leave the country "immediately."

The new travel advisory was issued Saturday over heightened security concerns in the country as Russian military forces carry out an "unprovoked and unjustified attack" in Ukraine, the State Department said.

The alert warned of "the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens by Russian government security officials, the Embassy's limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia, COVID-19 and related entry restrictions, terrorism, limited flights into and out of Russia, and the arbitrary enforcement of local law. U.S. citizens should depart Russia immediately.

"As foreigners make plans to exit the country, the State Department noted a growing number of flight cancellations into and out of Russia, reports of cash shortages, and that "some credit and debit cards may be declined as a result of sanctions imposed on Russian banks."

The State Department's prior travel advisory, issued on Friday, said American citizens should "consider" departing Russia immediately through the available commercial options. On Feb. 28, U.S. officials allowed the voluntary departure of non-emergency staff at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and their family members.

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Biden Administration Announces Significant New Security Assistance for Ukraine

Today, following the passage of the national security supplemental which the President just signed into law, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced a significant new security assistance to urgently meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs. This announcement is the Biden Administration's fifty-sixth tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories to Ukraine since August 2021. This Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package has an estimated value of $1 billion and includes capabilities to support Ukraine's most urgent requirements, including air defense interceptors, artillery rounds, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons. 

The capabilities in this announcement include:

• RIM-7 and AIM-9M missiles for air defense;
• Stinger anti-aircraft missiles;
• Small arms and additional rounds of small arms ammunition, including .50 caliber rounds to counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS);
• Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• 155mm artillery rounds, including High Explosive and Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions rounds;
• 105mm artillery rounds;  
• 60mm mortar rounds;
• Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles;
• Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs);
• High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs);
• Logistics support vehicles;
• Tactical vehicles to tow and haul equipment;
• Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
• Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
• Precision aerial munitions; 
• Airfield support equipment;
• Anti-armor mines;
• Claymore anti-personnel munitions;
• Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing; and
• Night vision devices; and
• Spare parts, field equipment, training munitions, maintenance, and other ancillary equipment.

This package will surge munitions, weapons, and equipment forward to support Ukraine's ability to defend its frontlines, protect its cities, and counter Russia's continued attacks. With the bipartisan support of Congress, Ukraine can count on strong and resolute U.S. leadership to provide consistent security assistance support – together with some 50 Allies and partners – to ensure its brave defenders receive the critical capabilities needed to fight Russian aggression. 

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Ukraine Retreats From Villages on Eastern Front as It Awaits U.S. Aid

Ukraine’s top commander said his outgunned troops were facing a dire situation as Russia tried to push its advantage before the first batch of an American military package arrives.

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By Constant Méheut

Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine

Russian troops have captured or entered around a half-dozen villages on Ukraine’s eastern front over the past week, highlighting the deteriorating situation in the region for outgunned and outnumbered Ukrainian forces as they wait for long-needed American military aid.

“The situation at the front has worsened,” Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine’s top commander, said in a statement on Sunday in which he announced that his troops had retreated from two villages west of Avdiivka, a Ukrainian stronghold in the east that Russia seized earlier this year, and another village further south.

Military experts say Moscow’s recent advances reflect its desire to exploit a window of opportunity to press ahead with attacks before the first batch of a new American military aid package arrives in Ukraine to help relieve its troops.

Congress recently approved $60 billion in military aid for Ukraine , and President Biden signed it last week, vowing to expedite the shipment of arms.

“In an attempt to seize the strategic initiative and break through the front line, the enemy has focused its main efforts on several areas, creating a significant advantage in forces and means,” General Syrsky said on Sunday.

Here’s a look at the current situation.

A slow but steady advance near Avdiivka

General Syrsky said the “most difficult situation” at the moment was around the villages west of Avdiivka, which Russia captured in February after months of fierce battles. He said Russia had deployed up to four brigades in the area with the goal of advancing toward Ukrainian military logistical hubs, such as the eastern city of Pokrovsk.

After Russia captured Avdiivka, Ukrainian forces fell back to a new defensive line about three miles to the west, along a series of small villages, but that line has now been overrun by Russian forces. General Syrsky said on Sunday that his troops had withdrawn from Berdychi and Semenivka, the last two villages in that area that were not yet under full Russian control.

Serhii Kuzan, the chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, a nongovernmental research group, said the Ukrainian command had to make “a choice between a bad situation and an even worse one” and decided to lose territories rather than soldiers.

Further complicating the situation, Russian forces have managed to break through t he northern part of this defensive line by exploiting a gap in Ukrainian positions and quickly advancing into the village of Ocheretyne. That village sits on a road leading to Pokrovsk, about 18 miles to the west. It is unclear whether Russian forces have gained full control of it.

The offensive on Chasiv Yar

The Institute for the Study of War , a Washington-based think tank, said on Sunday that Russia’s gains in Ocheretyne presented the Russian command with a choice: continue to push west toward Pokrovsk, or push north toward Chasiv Yar, a town that has suffered relentless Russian attacks in recent weeks.

As many as 25,000 Russian troops are involved in an offensive on Chasiv Yar, according to Ukrainian officials. Chasiv Yar, about seven miles west of Bakhmut, lies on strategic high ground.

Its capture would put the town of Kostiantynivka, some 10 miles to the southwest, in Moscow’s direct line of fire. The town is the main supply point for Ukrainian forces along much of the eastern front.

A push northward from Ocheretyne could also allow the Russian forces to attack Kostiantynivka from the south, in a pincer movement.

“Russian forces currently have opportunities to achieve operationally significant gains near Chasiv Yar,” the Institute for the Study of War said in its report on Sunday.

Tough weeks ahead

Mr. Kuzan, the military expert, said that Russian advances “will continue to happen in the near future, depending on how quickly and in what volume Western aid will arrive.”

The United States said last week that it would rush the first $1 billion of its new military aid package to Ukraine . That batch will include shoulder-fired Stinger surface-to-air missiles and other air defense munitions, Javelin anti-tank guided missiles and 155-millimeter shells.

Ukraine is particularly desperate for artillery shells, essential to pound the enemy and constrain its movements. Speaking to Western allies last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia currently fires 10 shells for every shell Ukraine fires.

But whether these supplies will reach the battlefield quickly enough to stop the Russian advances remains uncertain.

Military experts have said that Russia is preparing to launch a new large-scale offensive in late May or early June, and that it will press ahead with attacks in the coming weeks. Volodymyr Bitsak, a Ukrainian commander, told national television on Monday that Russia had deployed four battalions near the border with Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region.

“We are still waiting for the supplies promised to Ukraine,” Mr. Zelensky said in his nightly address on Sunday. He added that he had just spoken to Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat who is the minority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, about the delivery of the American military aid package.

“We expect exactly the volume and content of supplies that can change the situation on the battlefield,” Mr. Zelensky said.

During a visit to Kyiv on Monday, Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general, said the many months it took Congress to approve new military assistance to Ukraine and Europe’s failure to deliver ammunition on time had led to “serious consequences on the battlefield.”

“It’s about life and death,” Mr. Stoltenberg said during a news conference. “When we are not delivering as we should, then Ukrainians are paying the price.”

Lara Jakes contributed reporting.

Constant Méheut reports on the war in Ukraine, including battlefield developments, attacks on civilian centers and how the war is affecting its people. More about Constant Méheut

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