Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 56 | Russia-Ukraine war News

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 56th day, we take a look at the main developments.

Here are the key events so far on Wednesday, April 20.

Get the latest updates here.

Fighting

Russia called on Ukrainian troops at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol to surrender, saying its troops will observe a ceasefire while the proposal is in effect. No Ukrainian fighters responded to a similar call on Tuesday, Russia said. About 120 civilians living next to the plant left via humanitarian corridors, the Interfax news agency reported, quoting Russian state TV.
Russian forces seized Kreminna, an administrative centre of 18,000 people in Luhansk, one of the two Donbas provinces.
Russia also tried unsuccessfully to storm the towns of Rubizhne and Sievierodonetsk in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, the Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces has said.
Russia handed over 60 soldiers and 16 civilians to Ukraine in the fifth such exchange of prisoners of war, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister said.
The British Ministry of Defence says fighting is intensifying in Ukraine’s Donbas “as Russian forces seek to break through Ukrainian defences”.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden pledged to send more artillery weaponry to Ukraine.
Norway has donated about 100 Mistral air defence missiles to Ukraine, the Norwegian defence ministry said.
Western nations are preparing to stage coordinated walk-outs to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at Wednesday’s meeting of G20 finance ministers in Washington, DC.
Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said it is uncertain when the next peace talks would be possible as Russia was now “seriously betting” on its offensive in eastern Ukraine.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a four-day humanitarian pause in fighting over Orthodox Easter.
Russian players will not be allowed to compete at Wimbledon this year, according to a report in Sportico.

Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, who started transitioning to the IMF’s economic counsellor role in January, said the war in Ukraine may damage expectations for decades-high inflation to start to subside this year.
Russia’s war in Ukraine is to blame for exacerbating “already dire” world food insecurity, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.
World Bank President David Malpass will host a meeting on Thursday with Ukraine’s prime minister and finance minister to discuss further aid.
The Ukraine war’s impact on economic growth and associated costs such as reducing dependence on Russian natural gas has forced Austria to hike its budget deficit and debt forecasts for this year.
Oleg Tinkov, a Russian billionaire sanctioned by the West over the Ukraine war, has denounced Moscow’s “massacre” in its neighbouring country and called on Western leaders to help end this “crazy” conflict.