Russia-Ukraine updates: 2 US veterans who joined Ukrainian forces missing

The Americans, Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh and Alexander Drueke, are both from Alabama.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's "special military operation" into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.

The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine's disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

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Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Apr 16, 2022, 9:59 AM EDT

Ukraine alleges Russia calling on additional units to storm Mariupol

Russian forces have not completely captured Mariupol, but the army is constantly calling on additional units to storm the city, Ukrainian defense ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said in a press conference.

"The situation in Mariupol is difficult and hard. Fighting is happening right now. The Russian army is constantly calling on additional units to storm the city," Motuzyanyk said.

Russian forces intend to totally close the city for entry and exit and prohibit movement between the districts and they are filtering out the men left in the city, advisor to the mayor Petro Andriushchenko alleged in a post on Telegram.

"After standard filtration bullying (interrogation, checking gadgets, examining the body) the men are separated from others and are subjected to separate interrogations, including an imitation of an execution," Andriushchenko claimed.

He added: "In general, we can say that from 5 up to 10% do not pass the filtration and after that are exported to Dokuchaevsk and Donetsk. Their further fate is not known."

Russian warships, armed with "Caliber" naval cruise missiles, in the Black Sea pose a threat against Ukrainian defense industry and logistics infrastructure, spokesman of the general staff of Ukraine Armed Forces, Alexandra Stupun said.

Stupun added: "In the waters of the Sea of Azov, the enemy's naval group continues to carry out tasks to block the port of Mariupol and provide fire support in the coastal direction."

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian

Apr 16, 2022, 9:12 AM EDT

Romania bans Russian-flagged ships from its ports

The Romanian Naval Administration announced it has banned Russian-flagged ships from entering its ports.

The ban will take effect on Sunday.

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian

Apr 16, 2022, 8:53 AM EDT

Russia bans UK's Boris Johnson, members of cabinet from entering its territory

Russia announced it has banned British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several members of his cabinet from entering its territory in response to what it claims are the British government's hostilities, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Russia said the ban was in response to sanctions placed on Russian senior officials by the British government.

In addition to Johnson, Russia banned the U.K.'s secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs; its secretary of state for defense; the deputy prime minister and secretary of state for justice; and several other members of the British government.

Apr 15, 2022, 7:19 PM EDT

Zelenskyy details recovery in hundreds of 'de-occupied' settlements

During his latest national address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy detailed the recovery of "normal life" in areas that have been rid of Russian occupiers.

"The restoration of normal life in those areas and districts where the occupiers were expelled continues," Zelenskyy said, noting that 918 settlements "have already been de-occupied."

"We carry out demining. We restore the supply of electricity, water and gas. We restore the work of the police, post office, state and local authorities," he continued.

Other work includes restoring the railways, including the connection between Chernihiv and Nizhyn and in the Sumy region, and resuming medical care and education. Across Ukraine, 1,018 educational institutions have been destroyed or damaged, according to Zelenskyy.

Four-fifths of Ukrainian businesses have also returned to work "in a safe area," in particular heavy industry enterprises, the president said.

Southern and eastern Ukraine, however, are "far from talking about recovery," he said.

"In the occupied districts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, the Russian military continue to terrorize civilian residents of our country," Zelenskyy said.

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