Russia and Ukraine kept a fragile diplomatic path open with a new round of talks on Monday even as Moscow's forces pounded away at Kyiv and other cities across the country.
Here are 4 @AP stories that break down what we know about the developing Russia-Ukraine crisis. ⬇️
Thousands of soldiers and civilians have died during Russia's assault on Ukraine.
The fighting, now in its third week, continued to exact a human toll, with the Red Cross saying the bombardment has caused “nothing short of a nightmare.”
American journalist Brent Renaud was killed in Ukraine while gathering material for a report about refugees Sunday in Irpin, a Kyiv suburb that has been the site of intense shelling by Russian forces in recent days.
Russia's increasingly strict online censorship measures have paradoxically exposed major shortcomings in the Kremlin's efforts to make the Russian internet a powerful tool of surveillance and social control.
"We hope that the war is finished soon and we can go back home.”
More than 2.8 million refugees fleeing Russia's war in Ukraine have entered neighboring countries like Poland, Hungary and Romania since the invasion began 19 days ago.
Uncertainty is the only certainty in Hong Kong, where a COVID-19 outbreak is overwhelming the city and the government is sending mixed messages on whether it will lock down its 7.4 million residents for mass testing. apnews.com/article/covid-…
Store shelves are emptying. Fewer buses and trains are running as hundreds of transit workers become infected. After keeping the virus at bay for nearly two years, Hong Kong has been unable to control the outbreak fueled by the contagious omicron variant. apne.ws/K9QHaq8
The government has flip-flopped on plans for mass testing and a possible lockdown.
Previously, Hong Kong embraced a tough “zero COVID” strategy that shuttered businesses, imposed entry curbs and limited public gatherings. apnews.com/article/covid-…
Since Russia’s war began in Ukraine, Mariupol has become encircled by Russian soldiers who are slowly squeezing the life out of it — one blast at a time.
For the estimated hundreds of thousands that remain, there is simply nowhere to go. apne.ws/K3ijf0r
The surrounding roads are mined, and the port blocked. Food is running out, and the Russians have stopped humanitarian attempts to bring it in.
Electricity is mostly gone and water is sparse, with residents melting snow to drink. apnews.com/article/russia…
Death is everywhere.
Local officials have tallied more than 2,500 deaths in the siege, but many bodies can’t be counted because of the endless shelling. They have told families to leave their dead outside in the streets because it’s too dangerous to hold funerals.
Russian forces are bombarding Ukrainian cities, deepening the humanitarian crisis, as the countries kept open a narrow diplomatic channel with more planned talks. Large explosions thundered across Kyiv as Moscow pressed its advance on multiple fronts. apne.ws/SeCjMuH
A series of Russian strikes hit a residential neighborhood of Ukraine’s capital igniting a huge fire and frantic rescue effort in a 15-story Kyiv apartment building. At least one person was killed and others remain trapped inside. apne.ws/GCgksC5
BREAKING: Leaders of Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia traveling to Kyiv on European Union mission to show support for Ukraine as capital is being hit by Russian airstrikes. apne.ws/0q8OzxF
More than 12.7 million children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Generally, the coronavirus doesn’t hit kids as severely as adults. But there are still worrisome outcomes for some. apnews.com/article/covid1…
Some youngsters suffer unexplained symptoms long after the virus is gone — what’s often called long COVID.
Others get reinfected. Some seem to recover fine, only to be struck later by a mysterious condition that causes severe organ inflammation. apnews.com/article/covid1…
Doctors at Children’s National and multiple other hospitals are studying the long-term effects of COVID-19 on children to evaluate the impact on children’s overall health and development, both physically and mentally. apnews.com/article/covid1…
AP images of a pregnant woman being rushed to an ambulance after Russia bombed a maternity hospital in Mariupol where she was meant to give birth shocked the world.
Russian officials claimed the hospital in Mariupol had been taken over by Ukrainian extremists and no patients or medics were left inside. But AP journalists shot video and photos of several blood-stained, pregnant mothers fleeing the blown-out building.
The woman was rushed to another hospital, where a surgeon said her pelvis was crushed and hip detached. Her baby was delivered by C-section, but showed “no signs of life.”
For decades, Black residents have been leaving some of the largest cities in the U.S. while suburbs saw Black population growth. From 1990 to 2000, 13 of the biggest cities lost Black residents. By 2020, it was 23. apnews.com/article/census…
While New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia all lost Black residents from 2010 to 2020, the change was especially notable in Chicago, according to the U.S. census. Chicago gained population but lost 85,000 Black people, the highest number after Detroit. apne.ws/vY9V6Sl
Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood alone lost roughly 1,600 Black residents in an area of less than 1 square mile. Meanwhile, 13 miles away, suburban Lansing, Illinois has seen a roughly 50% increase in Black population. apnews.com/article/census…