Storied Russian flagship sinks in the Black Sea; Europe reportedly drafting ban on Russian oil: April 14 recap

Editor's note: This page recaps the news from Ukraine on Thursday, April 14. Follow here for the latest updates and news from Saturday, April 15, as Russia's invasion continues.

The storied Russian warship Moskva, whose proud history goes back to days of the Cold War, sank into the Black Sea on Thursday in the latest blow to Moscow's war effort in Ukraine.

Losing the vessel, built in Ukraine during the Soviet era and named after the Russian capital, represents a military setback and symbolic defeat for Russia as its troops regroup for a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine after stumbling in the north.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the Moskva -- flagship of the country's Black Sea fleet -- was being towed to port when it "lost its stability due to damage to the hull received during the fire from the detonation of ammunition. In the conditions of stormy seas, the ship sank." The crew, usually totaling about 500, had been evacuated, the ministry said.

The Pentagon couldn't confirm the source of the damage, but Odesa Gov. Maksym Marchenko said on Telegram that Ukrainian forces struck the guided-missile cruiser with two missiles. Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukraine's president, called the ship's sinking an event of “colossal significance."

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U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said it mattered little whether the ship was hit by a missile or victimized by an unrelated fire.

“They’ve had to kind of choose between two stories: One story is that it was just incompetence, and the other was that they came under attack," Sullivan said. "Neither is a particularly good outcome for them."

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Latest developments

►Canada is sending up to 150 soldiers to Poland to help with the care, coordination and resettlement of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, including some who will come to Canada, Defense Minister Anita Anand announced Thursday.

►David Beasley, head of the U.N. World Food Program, said the residents of Mariupol are being “starved to death” by the Russian siege and warned that the war's impact on grain-exporting Ukraine risks destabilizing nations far from its shores and triggering mass migrations.

►Britain’s Foreign Office said it's freezing the assets worth up to 10 billion pounds ($13.1 billion) belonging to two Russian oligarchs -- Eugene Tenenbaum and David Davidovich -- described as longstanding business associates of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

►Russian news reports say a criminal case has been opened against Mikhail Afanasyev, a Siberian journalist who was arrested after his news website published content critical of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.

►President Joe Biden said no decision has been made yet on sending a Cabinet-level U.S. official to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Leaders of several other nations have visited Kyiv in a show of support.

►In one of the most crucial battles of the war, Russia said more than 1,000 Ukrainian troops had surrendered in the besieged southern port of Mariupol, where Ukrainian forces have been holding out in pockets of the city. A Ukrainian official denied the claim, which could not be verified.

Two more children injured in Kramatorsk train strike have died, Ukraine says

Two children who were injured last week when Russian forces attacked a train station in the Eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk have died, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said Thursday.

Their deaths bring the toll from the attack to 59, including seven children, the ministry said. Dozens more were injured in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called a "war crime."

Russia's rocket strike came as thousands of Ukrainians were attempting to flee amid the invaders' new focus on the region. Russians denied targeting the train station after the attack.

Photos of the train station after the attack showed luggage and other personal belongings scattered across the platform, bodies covered by tarps and blood on the ground.

The ministry posted a photo of a bloody stuffed toy and said it would be sent to the United Nations "as proof of this barbaric crime."

Europe drafting measure to ban Russian oil, report says

European officials appear ready to grab the third rail of sanctions on Moscow for its assault on Ukraine.

The continents' political leaders are drafting a measure to ban imports of Russian oil products, a move previously regarded as a non-starter because of Europe's heavy dependence on Russian energy, the New York Times reported. 

The European Union relies on Russia for 40% of its natural gas and 25% of its oil, and the group's 27 members would have to approve the measure. Germany, the EU's wealthiest country, has been considered the biggest opponent of the oil embargo, which would almost certainly fuel inflation in Europe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been playing up the likelihood the continent would suffer economically if it suddenly dispensed with his country's supply of energy, which would not be easily replaced.

Russia threatens to move nukes  closer if Finland, Sweden join NATO

The entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO would force Russia to strengthen its northwestern borders and place nuclear weapons in the region, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday. Medvedev noted on his Telegram channel that the length of Russia's land border with the NATO alliance would more than double. One of Russia's explanations for its invasion of Ukraine was concern over possible NATO expansion there.

“Naturally, these borders will have to be strengthened. The grouping of ground forces and air defense will be seriously strengthened, and significant naval forces will be deployed in the waters of the Gulf of Finland,” Medvedev wrote, adding that keeping the region's non-nuclear status is "out of the question."

Flatter, wide-open terrain of east could aid Russian military push

Russia has shipped more helicopters to eastern Ukraine, and the Pentagon anticipates more troops will be deployed there as the invading army turns its attention away from Kyiv and toward the disputed Donbas region, said a senior Pentagon official who described intelligence assessments on condition of anonymity. 

The terrain in eastern Ukraine is flatter and less forested than the northern part of the country, where local forces repelled the Russian invasion that began Feb. 24. Russian tanks and armored vehicles that were shredded around Kyiv should be better suited to eastern Ukraine, which the official compared to Kansas.

However, with the spring thaw, muddy ground will hamper mobility there, the official said. Moreover, the Russian logistics, which have failed to supply troops with food, fuel and ammunition, are mostly restricted to existing roads and railroads, the official said.

China dismisses US warning on Russia

China said Thursday that it will reject “any pressure or coercion" over its relationship with Russia. A day earlier, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that China and other nations that subvert the West's sanctions against Russia could face future economic fallout for failing to help end Russia's "heinous war" in Ukraine.

 "Let's be clear: The unified coalition of sanctioning countries will not be indifferent to actions that undermine the sanctions," Yellen said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said his nation had “made considerable efforts to de-escalate the situation, defuse the crisis and rebuild peace." China has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine by strategic partner Russia, or even refer to the conflict as a war. It has abstained or sided with Moscow in votes at the U.N. following the start of the war in February.

Biden commits another $800M in assistance during call with Zelenskyy

President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for almost an hour Wednesday, one day after Zelenskyy praised Biden for accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of "genocide."

Biden said in a statement that he has authorized an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, including weapons and ammunition.

"The Ukrainian military has used the weapons we are providing to devastating effect,'' Biden said. "As Russia prepares to intensify its attack in the Donbas region, the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities to defend itself.''

Zelenskyy tweeted that he and Biden discussed the new weapons shipment, enhanced sanctions against the Russians and seeking justice for their war crimes. In his nightly address to the nation, Zelenskyy said he's “sincerely thankful” for the new U.S. military aid.

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Contributing: The Associated Press