Russia Ukraine war top developments: Russian attacks continue in east, says Kyiv; Ukrainians mark Orthodox Easter with prayers for those trapped in Mariupol

The Ukrainian military said that Russian forces have continued to press their attacks in the east, as fighting following the invasion of Ukraine entered the third month. The General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said Sunday that the Russians fired on Ukrainian positions along the entire line of contact on the war’s 60th day. It also said the Russian military intensified its offensive and assault operations in the Siverodonetsk, Kurakhiv and Popasna directions.
Here are some key updates:
➡️ The General Staff of Ukrainian armed forces said that Russian forces have also continued to pummel the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, hitting it with airstrikes, including long-range aircraft. The shelling comes as the Russians are pressing their offensive in a bid to gain full control over Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland called Donbas. The Russians have also shelled the Dnipro region west of Donbas, where at least one person was killed a Russian missile, according to Dnipro regional Governor Valentyn Reznichenko.
➡️ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he would meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Kyiv on Sunday. Zelenskyy, in a news conference,  said that he expects to receive specific weapons. It would be the first high-level U.S. trip to Kyiv since the war began on February 24. However, the White House has not confirmed any travel plans for Blinken and Austin. The State Department and Pentagon declined to comment.
➡️ Ukrainians marked Orthodox Easter in Kyiv with prayers for those fighting on the front lines and others trapped beyond them in places like Mariupol. St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kyiv was ringed hundreds of worshippers with baskets to be blessed. On the occasion, Zelenskyy highlighted the allegorical significance of the festival during his nightly address to his country’s people. “There will be a Resurrection. Life will defeat death. The truth will defeat any lies. And evil will be punished,” he said. “And Russia will have to learn these truths again, it’s only a matter of time.”
➡️ Russia has deployed Iskander-M mobile battlefield missile launchers within 60 km (40 miles) of the Ukrainian border, General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Sunday. “The enemy has increased the number of troops in the Belgorod region transferring and concentrating additional units,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its daily morning update. “According to available information, Iskander-M launchers have been deployed 60 km from the border with Ukraine,” it said, without providing more detail on the location of the systems.
➡️ The International Atomic Energy Agency said Ukraine had asked for “a comprehensive l of equipment” to operate its nuclear power plants, including radiation measurement devices, protective material, computer-related assance, power supply systems and diesel generators.
➡️ Russia’s defence minry said its high-precision missiles struck nine Ukrainian military targets overnight, including four arms depots in the Kharkiv region where artillery weapons were stored.
➡️ A regional official in eastern Ukraine said at least eight people have been killed the Russian shelling. Luhansk regional Governor Serhiy Haidai said that two others were wounded the Russian barrage in the past 24 hours.
➡️ Ukraine has repelled numerous Russian assaults along the line of contact in Donbas this week, a British military update said. Despite Russia making some territorial gains, Ukrainian resance has been strong across all axes and inflicted a significant cost on Russian forces, the UK Minry of Defence tweeted in a regular bulletin. “Poor Russian morale and limited time to reconstitute, re-equip and reorganise forces from prior offensives are likely hindering Russian combat effectiveness,” the update added.
With inputs from agencies