As Tuesday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments of the day:
Russian forces control as much as 80% of Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, said the governor of the Luhansk region, which includes the city. Ukraine struggled to evacuate civilians after Russia destroyed the last bridge to the besieged city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the fate of the whole eastern region is being decided in Sievierodonetsk, which Russians have pounded with heavy artillery for weeks. Russia said Ukrainian troops holed up in the city's Azot chemical plant must lay down their weapons and surrender by Wednesday morning. Ukraine says hundreds of civilians are sheltering inside the plant.
Russia has barred dozens of British journalists, security officials and analysts from entry. The country's foreign ministry accused them of spreading false information about Russia and also said it was acting in response to U.K. sanctions. The blacklist includes 29 people from British media organizations including the BBC, Sky News and the Guardian, plus 20 others linked to the defense industry.
A Russian court extended the pretrial detention of WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner by another 18 days, according to Russian state news agency Tass. Russian authorities have held the U.S. athlete on drug charges since February, when vape cartridges with cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage at a Moscow airport. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The State Department views Griner as wrongfully detained, and on Monday, briefed her U.S. basketball team on efforts to gain her freedom.
The U.S. Tennis Association has decided to allow Russian players to compete — under a neutral flag — in this year's U.S. Open, which takes place in New York in August. U.S. Tennis Association CEO and Executive Director Lew Sherr told The Associated Press that the decision resulted from "concern about holding the individual athletes accountable for the actions and decisions of their governments." He said his group condemns "what is an unprovoked and unjust invasion of Ukraine by Russia." Wimbledon, which gets underway later this month, has banned Russian tennis players.
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Earlier developments
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