Metro Observer Daily

  April 24 (Reuters) – No humanitarian routes were established out of the southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Sunday, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, blaming Russian forces for not holding their fire. Vereshchuk said that the Ukrainian side would try again on Monday to establish safe passage out of Mariupol. She called for U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who is scheduled to travel to Moscow before visiting Kyiv next week, to demand a ceasefire and open up humanitarian corridors from Mariupol. “This is what Guterres should talk about in Moscow, if he is preparing to talk about peace,” Vereshchuk said.

  White House rejects Ukraine’s appeal, saying implementing a no-fly zone could draw US into war with Russia. A satellite image shows a blaze at warehouse 'Epicentr K' and destroyed fields in Chernihiv, Ukraine  Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelenskyy calls for no-fly zone to stop Russian bombardment, but White House says US is not considering such a move. ICC prosecutor says he plans to launch investigation into alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity in Ukraine. High-level talks between Kyiv and Moscow end with no agreement except to keep talking. US, UK, EU, Canada impose sanctions on Russia’s central bank. Civilian death toll now stands at 352 people, including 14 children, Ukraine’s health ministry says. More than 520,000 people have fled Ukraine since Russian invasion began, UN says. FIFA and UEFA suspend Russia from international football.

 KYIV, Ukraine: Ukraine said early on Thursday it had closed its airspace to civilian flights because of a “high risk” to safety, hours after a conflict zone monitor warned airlines should stop overflights over the risk of an unintended shootdown or cyberattack. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, near the Kremlin Wall during the national celebrations in Moscow Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine on Thursday in what appeared to be the start of war in Europe. “The provision of air traffic services to civilian users of the airspace of Ukraine is suspended,” Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise said on its website. “We will additionally inform about changes in the use of Ukraine’s airspace,” the agency added, without providing further details. Eurocontrol, which coordinates air traffic in Europe, said that Ukraine’s airspace was not available because of militar...