Image source, EPA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Ukraine's allies to sign a multilateral agreement, creating a mechanism to compensate "every person who has suffered from the actions of the Russian army".

Speaking in his nightly address, Zelensky said Russian funds and property that are located in allied countries should be seized or frozen and then confiscated and directed to a specially-created fund from which "everyone affected by Russian aggression will be able to receive appropriate compensation".

"We are working to ensure that Russia compensates, in one way or another, for everything it has destroyed in Ukraine.

"Every burned house, every ruined school, ruined hospital, each blown up house of culture and infrastructure, every enterprise destroyed, every business stopped.

"Russia will feel the true weight of every missile, every bomb and every missile it has launched across Ukraine."

Earlier, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said seizing Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine was a possibility, following a G7 summit in Germany.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously said the plan to use seized Russian assets to pay for reconstruction in Ukraine would be "outright theft".

Image source, EPA

As we've been reporting, the last group of Ukrainian soldiers holed up in the Azovstal steelworks - the last part of Mariupol not controlled by Russia - have surrendered after weeks of bombardment. But what happens to them next is unclear.

Those Ukrainian soldiers who have already left the plant have been taken to Russian-controlled territory - some 2,439 have handed themselves over to Russian forces and pro-Russian separatists since 16 May, according to Russia.

Ukrainian officials have said they want a prisoner swap for the troops, but it is unclear if Russia will agree to this, with some Russian parliamentarians calling for them to face trial instead.

Russia claims, without any evidence, that Ukraine is a Nazi hotbed, and one of the key aims of Russia's military operation in Ukraine is to "denazify" the country.

The Azov regiment - whose members are among those evacuated from Azovstal - is the most frequent target for Russia's claim that it is fighting against Nazis in Ukraine

Formed in 2014 as a militia to fight Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine, the Azov regiment denies being fascist, and Ukraine says it has been reformed from its radical nationalist origins.

Ultimately, it is likely to be Russian President Vladimir Putin who makes the final decision over what happens to the Azovstal fighters.

Image source, Getty Images

Turning away from the Azovstal steelworks for a moment, the Pentagon says there are no indications that Russia has used laser weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine, following claims by Moscow that it was fielding a new generation of powerful lasers there to strike enemy drones.

"We don't have any indication of the use of lasers, at least weaponized lasers, in Ukraine. Nothing to confirm on that," Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby, told a news briefing.

Yury Borisov, the Russian deputy prime minister in charge of military development, told local media that a laser prototype called Zadira was being deployed in Ukraine and had burned up a Ukrainian drone within five seconds at a distance of 5km (three miles).

This was in addition to a previous laser system called Peresvet - named after a medieval Orthodox warrior monk - which could be used to dazzle satellites orbiting high above Earth and prevent them from gathering information.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mocked the Russian claim, comparing it to the so-called "wonder weapons" that Nazi Germany claimed to be developing during World War Two.

More now on claims made by Russia that the country's forces have taken control of the Azovstal steelworks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the Azovstal fighters were given a clear signal to get out and save their lives, following claims by the Russian military they had surrendered.

"Today the boys received a clear signal from the military command that they can get out and save their lives," Reuters reported Zelensky as telling a Ukrainian TV channel.

The Russian defence ministry said the last group of the Azov regiment defenders, a group of 531 people, surrendered today, adding that since 16 May, 2,439 Ukrainian military had laid down their arms.

Image source, Serhiy Hayday/Telegram

Photos posted by a Ukrainian military official show the ruined the city of Rubizhne in eastern Ukraine looking like Mariupol, after intense Russian bombardment. Before the war Rubizhne's population was nearly 60,000.

Serhiy Hayday, Ukrainian military administration chief for Luhansk, posted the message on Telegram (in Ukrainian), external: "The industrial city has been completely destroyed, there are no surviving buildings... next to courtyards there are cemeteries."

Rubizhne, just north of Severodonetsk, is on the front line of Russia's offensive in the east. Russia and local separatists are trying to push Ukrainian forces out of Luhansk and Donetsk - the regions together known as Donbas.

Hayday says some Rubizhne residents are still hiding in basements, "in looted, burnt-brick boxes". But many have fled or have been deported to Russia, he says.

The BBC has not been able to verify the alleged total destruction of the city.

Earlier this month Ukraine reported that its troops had smashed a large Russian armoured force attempting a river crossing near Rubizhne.

Image source, Serhiy Hayday/Telegram

The Russian military says the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol has been "totally liberated", with the last Ukrainian defenders surrendering.

The last group of the Azov regiment defenders, a group comprising of 531 people, have yielded, according to Russia's defence ministry, RIA news agency reports.

"The territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol, where a group of Ukrainian militants of the Azov Nazi formation has been blocked since April 21 this year, has been completely liberated," Major General Igor Konashenkov said.

The ministry said that since 16 May, 2,439 "neo-Nazis from Azov and Ukrainian troops" trapped in the steelworks "laid down their arms and surrendered".

"The last group of 531 militants surrendered today."

The BBC has not been able to independently verify these claims.

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Image source, EPA

If you're just joining us or need a catch-up, here are the latest developments in Ukraine:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned a missile strike against a cultural centre in the Kharkiv region, which injured seven people including an 11-year-old child, as "absolute evil, absolute stupidity"
• The evacuation of civilians and wounded soldiers from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol has been completed after Ukrainian soldiers finally ended their defence of the devastated port city after weeks of bombardment
• The commander of the Azov regiment said a process was under way to remove the bodies of those who died in the fighting in the steelworks. It remains unclear how many fighters remain in the plant
• Russia is to cut its supply of natural gas to Finland after the Nordic country refused to pay for its supplies in roubles
• Ukraine has dismissed Russia's plan to connect a giant Ukrainian nuclear power station to the Russian electricity grid after Russia's deputy prime minister vowed to sell power from it to Ukraine
• Finance ministers from the G7 group of nations have agreed on a further $9.5bn (£7.6bn) of financial aid for Ukraine - bringing their total commitment to almost $20bn (£16bn)

Image source, Reuters

More now on that missile strike directed against the newly-renovated House of Culture in Lozova, in the Kharkiv region.

Images taken by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine show the destruction caused by the strike, which Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed on Russian forces and condemned as "absolute evil".

Viktor Zabashta, a local health official, told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency: "No-one has died yet."

Russia has routinely been accused of targeting civilian infrastructure since it launched its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

The conflict has devastated several urban centres, with Mariupol in the south suffering near total destruction.

Russia has not yet commented on the attack.

Image source, Reuters

Hugo Bachega
Reporting from Dnipro

Image source, Reuters

The fighters were left with no option. After weeks holed up in Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks, they were ordered to surrender. Hundreds are now in Russian hands. Their fate remains unknown.

For their families, it’s been an anxious wait. They hope the fighters will return soon in a prisoner swap, as suggested by Ukrainian authorities. But it’s not clear when, or if, that will happen.

Kseniia, whose husband was at the plant, told me she hadn’t received any information about where he was, but that she believed he was among the fighters taken to Russian-controlled territory.

“There’s been no list of who has been evacuated… We’re very concerned because that country has shown that they don’t follow the rules,” she said, referring to Russia.

“We really hope that… the task of saving their lives will be completed.”

Natalia, sister of a fighter, said the only information she had received came from the videos posted by some of the commanders online.

“There’s been no official information,” she said. “We hope there’ll be an agreement for their [exchange].”

Russia says the fighters will be treated in line with international norms. And the Red Cross says it has registered hundreds of prisoners of war who surrendered at Azovstal, without giving details.

An unknown number of combatants remain inside the plant. What will happen to them is also not clear.

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Image source, Reuters

US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said she is at "level 10" of alarm over Russia's blockade of Ukraine's ports and its impact on global food supplies.

“I can tell you on a scale of one to 10, I’m probably at the 10 level of alarm. This crisis has exacerbated what is already a serious food insecurity issue,” she told BBC's Newshour programme.

“The Ukraine war and Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, its blockade of the ports, blocking Ukrainian wheat from getting to the market, has exacerbated this situation and made it even more dire and the impact is being felt across the world.”

On the issue of the blockade, and the fact that Ukrainian mines are also present in the waters along the Black Sea coast along with Russian ships, she said she believed the issue of mines was also being discussed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres as part of his efforts to persuade both parties to allow supplies in and out.

“I understand this is part of the discussions that the secretary general is having currently and part of that is to figure out how to remove those mines and open up a humanitarian quarter that will allow ships to go to the ports in the Black Sea,” she said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned a missile strike against a cultural centre in the Kharkiv region, describing the attack as "absolute evil, absolute stupidity".

Zelensky posted a dramatic video of the moment missiles hit the newly-renovated House of Culture in Lozova on his Telegram channel, external, saying Russian forces were behind the attack.

The president said seven people were injured in the attack, including an 11-year-old child.

He said: "The occupiers have identified culture, education and humanity as their enemies.

"What is in the heads of people who choose such targets?"

It's not just Finland that has been told it will no longer receive natural gas from Russia.

Last month, the Russian-state-owned energy company Gazprom cut off supplies to Poland and Bulgaria after they, like Finland, refused to make payments in the Russian currency roubles.

All three countries are members of the EU - which has insisted payments continue to be made in euros - and many other members are set to face the same issue around mid-May when payments are due.

The demand by Russia is an attempt to shore up the Russian currency and benefit its economy in response to western sanctions.

Brussels has said it considers Russia's action to be a form of blackmail.

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Image source, Reuters

As we reported earlier, Finnish state-owned energy company Gasum said Russia was halting its supply of natural gas to Finland after the country refused to pay for Russian gas in roubles.

Now Russian gas giant Gazprom has confirmed it will suspend gas sales to Finland from Saturday, when the existing supply contract between the two countries ends.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he plans to talk to Gazprom about the possibility of boosting liquefied natural gas supplies to Kaliningrad, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.

Kaliningrad is a Russian territory sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland - both of which are Nato members.

Image source, Russian Pool

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for action to improve his country's resistance to cyber-attacks, saying Russia had been hit by numerous incidents since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine.

"We were generally ready for this attack," he said during a meeting of Russia's Security Council.

"This is the result of the system-wide work that has been undertaken in the past few years."

The attacks were coming from different countries, but were "clearly co-ordinated", he added, and targeted Russia's "critical information infrastructure" - including the media, financial institutions and government portal.

Protection against such attacks could be achieved by hardening sensitive state and industry facilities, and through avoiding the use of foreign technology, among other things, he added.

Image source, EPA

Finance ministers from the G7 group of nations have agreed on a further $9.5bn (£7.6bn) of financial aid for Ukraine - bringing their total commitment to almost $20bn (£16bn).

Concluding their meeting in Germany, the ministers said the support would help Ukraine's government continue to deliver basic services while it remained under Russian attack.

"We will continue to stand by Ukraine throughout this war and beyond and are prepared to do more as needed," the G7 said in a statement at the end of the two-day meeting outside the German city of Bonn.

The war has severely affected Kyiv's ability to collect taxes and it needs about $5bn a month to pay government employees and maintain public works.

Canada has said it is imposing additional sanctions on Russian oligarchs and banning the export and import of targeted luxury goods to and from Russia.

The new measures will put restrictions on 14 individuals including Russian oligarchs, their family members, and close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin, it said in an official statement, external.

"These individuals have directly enabled Vladimir Putin’s senseless war in Ukraine and bear responsibility for the pain and suffering of the people of Ukraine," it said.

The import ban will target Russian goods including alcoholic beverages, seafood, fish and non-industrial diamonds, while the export ban will target luxury goods such as footwear, luxury clothing and jewellery.

Russia is to cut its supply of natural gas to Finland, the Finnish state-owned energy firm Gasum has said, after the Nordic country refused to pay for its supplies in roubles.

Last month, Russia demanded European countries pay for Russian gas supplies in roubles because of sanctions imposed over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The move also follows an announcement that Finland will apply for Nato membership.

Gasum said the move was "regrettable", but said there would be no disruption to customers. The supply contract would end on Saturday at 7:00 (04:00 GMT), it added.

Despite the Ukraine conflict, Russia continues to supply gas to many European countries.

Finland imports most of its gas from Russia, but gas accounts for less than a 10th of the country's energy consumption.

Read more about this story here.

Image source, AFP

Ukraine has dismissed as "wishful thinking" Russia's plan to connect a giant Ukrainian nuclear power station to the Russian electricity grid.

Russian troops are occupying the sprawling Zaporizhzhia plant, which is Europe's biggest, in southern Ukraine.

Ukrainian staff are still operating it, but the Russians have sent their own nuclear experts to monitor their work.

Russia's deputy prime minister has vowed to sell power from the plant to Ukraine - or connect the facility to its own grid if Kyiv refuses to pay.

But a spokesman for Ukraine's state nuclear agency said such an operation would take years.

Ready more on the story here.

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Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder will leave the board of directors of Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft, the company has announced.

Rosneft said Schröder and Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline firm CEO Matthias Warnig informed the company that it was "impossible to extend their powers on the board of directors".

"We are sympathetic to their decisions and thank them for their continued support," Rosneft said in the statement.

On Thursday, Schröder was stripped of some of his official perks in Germany - including his taxpayer-funded office - over his continued involvement in the Russian energy industry.

Schröder, who was chancellor between 1998 and 2005, chairs the boards of Russian state oil firm Rosneft and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline firm. He is due to join the supervisory board of Russian gas giant Gazprom in June.

Schröder is a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. They clinched the giant Nord Stream gas deal in 2005, just before Schröder of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) left office as chancellor.

He had come in for some intense criticism for retaining his lucrative board position with Rosneft, which he had held since 2017.

Image source, Dmytro Kozatskyi

If you're just joining us, here are some of today's main developments:

• Ukrainian soldiers have finally ended their defence of the devastated port city of Mariupol, says the leader of the Azov Regiment. The regiment's troops had been defending the Azovstal steelworks - the last part of Mariupol not controlled by Russian forces - despite weeks of bombardment

• Ukraine's military says Russia's army is advancing in the eastern region of Luhansk, with intense fighting reported around Lysychansk and Severodonetsk

• Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan has said he will speak with Finland and Sweden about their bids to join Nato. But Erdogan reiterated that he would maintain his opposition to their applications, with Ankara saying the two Nordic nations should not bother sending delegations to convince Turkey
• Russia will create new military bases in the west of the country to counter the proposed expansion of Nato near its borders, defence minister Sergei Shoigu says
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine's eastern Donbas region has been "completely destroyed" and life there was "hell" in his latest video address

• The US Senate has approved a new $40bn (£32bn) bill to provide military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine - the largest support package since Russia invaded

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