Footage posted on social media shows people leaving the square amid explosions and clouds of white smoke. Ukrainian authorities later said four people had been injured in “severe burns”. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister said a total of 4,217 people had been evacuated on Saturday as aid workers resumed efforts to evacuate frontline areas. Read below the main developments from the afternoon.
1. Russian troops open fire on Ukrainian protesters
A Ukrainian official on Saturday accused Russian forces of firing on peaceful protesters, injuring four with “heavy burns” in the southern city of Enherkhodar, which was occupied by Moscow forces. Russian troops took control of Enerhodar, the site of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, in early March. “Today in Enherkhodar, the people of the city gathered again for a rally in favor of Ukraine, singing the anthem,” Lyudmila Denisova, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, told the Telegram. “The occupiers used light and sound grenades and opened fire with mortars against the residents, four people were injured and severely burned.” Videos circulating on social media show people leaving a square amidst explosions and clouds of white smoke. Denisova said some of the protesters “forcibly entered rice paddies and were transported in an unknown direction.” He accused the Russian forces of “terrorizing the local population”.
