Borodyanka's destruction 'much more horrific' than Bucha, says President Zelenskyy; 8 updates

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a late night address praised his countrymen for their courage, which he said should be spread around the world. "If everyone in the world had at least 10% of the courage we Ukrainians have, there would be no danger to international law at all. There would be no danger to the freedom of nations. We will spread our courage," he said.

Even as the Russia-Ukraine war reached day 44, all round destruction could be seen in the northern city of Chernihiv, with crushed buildings, streets littered with destroyed cars and residents in dire need of food and other aid. People were seen standing in queues for food, diapers and medicine at a shattered school now serving as an aid-distribution point in the city.

Russian forces besieged Chernihiv for weeks as part of their attempt to sweep south towards the capital before finally leaving it. Meanwhile, in a new Facebook post President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has talked about the death and destruction in another Ukrainian city.

Read | UN suspends Russia from Human Rights Council, India abstains from voting

The destruction to the town of Borodyanka is 'much more horrific' than what has already been uncovered in nearby Bucha, President Zelenskyy said in his newest Facebook address to the nation late on Thursday. "They have started sorting through the ruins in Borodyanka," he said. "It's much more horrific there. There are even more victims of Russian occupiers." Both towns are suburbs of Kyiv and saw fierce fighting.

8 updates of the Russia-Ukraine war

1. The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday suspended Russia from the Human Rights Council after reports of killings in Ukraine's Bucha. India abstained from voting on the draft resolution to suspend Russia from UNHRC over Ukraine at UNGA. 

2. Twenty-six bodies have been recovered from underneath the rubble of two destroyed apartment buildings in Borodyanka, north-west of Kyiv, according to Ukraine's prosecutor general.

3. Boris Johnson is set to meet the German Chancellor as they look to discuss how to help European countries wean themselves off Russian gas following the attack on Ukraine.

4. Kyiv earlier called for more heavy weaponry from its western allies, warning that the battle for Donbas will remind Nato members of the second world war. "Either you help us now, and I'm speaking about days, not weeks, or your help will come too late, and many people will die," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

5. The number of Ukrainians arriving at the US-Mexico border to seek asylum in the United States since Russia’s invasion of its neighbour has more than doubled in less than a week, officials said.

6. US ends normal trade ties with Russia over Ukraine invasion. G7 countries have agreed for new economic sanctions against Russia. EU approves embargo on Russian coal.

7. As of now, we have provided 1.7 billion dollars of weapons of security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of this conflict. We have not stopped, nor we are stopping providing additional military assistance to Ukraine: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

8. 5,000 civilians have been killed in Mariupol, Pro-Russian authorities have said, reports AFP.