Ukrainian forces said they hit and badly damaged the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, and Russia said its crew was forced to evacuate as a result of a fire.
The governor of the Odesa region, Maksym Marchenko, said that the Ukrainians struck the guided-missile cruiser Moskva with two missiles and caused serious damage.
Russia's Defense Ministry said that the ship was damaged but not hit by Ukraine, and that the gunpowder on board exploded as a result of a fire. The cruiser typically has 500 on board and the entire crew was evacuated.
The sinking of the cruiser would be a major blow to Russia, after the Orsk was hit and set on fire in the Sea of Azov late last month.
The reported ship attack by Neptune cruise missiles came a day after President Joe Biden called Russia's actions in Ukraine a genocide.
Western officials say that Russia invaded to topple the government and install a Moscow-friendly replacement. Russia lost thousands of fighters when the ground advance slowed. Millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee the conflict. It has rattled the world economy, threatened global food supplies and shattered Europe's post-Cold War balance.
On a visit to war-torn areas of Ukraine on Wednesday, the presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia demanded accountability for what they called war crimes. They met with their counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and visited one of the towns where evidence of atrocities was found after Russian troops withdrew to focus on the country's east.
There are no doubts that they committed war crimes. Latvian President Egils Levits said that they should be accountable for that.
The fight for Europe's future is happening here, according to the president ofLithuania.
In one of the most important battles of the war in Mariupol, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said. The Ukrainian 36th Marine brigade surrendered at a metals factory. The battle over the seaport is still going on, according to Vadym Denysenko, adviser to the interior minister.
Russian troops are preparing for a major offensive in the eastern Donbas region, where they are fighting with Ukrainian forces. The Russian campaign is centered around Mariupol, which lies in the Donbas.
It was not known when a surrender occurred or how many forces were still defending Mariupol.
Russian state television showed footage from Mariupol, showing dozens of men in camouflage walking with their hands up, carrying others on stretchers or in chair holds. A man is holding a flag. A tall industrial building with its windows shattered and roof missing was in the background.
A U.N. task force warned that the war could ruin the economies of many developing countries that are already facing higher food and energy costs. The UN Secretary-General said that the war was causing a crisis in food, energy and finance in poorer countries that were already struggling to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zelenskyy said that the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court visited the suburb of Bucha, which was controlled by Russian forces until recently and where evidence of mass killings and more than 400 bodies were found.
It is certain that the Russian troops will be held responsible. Zelenskyy said late Wednesday that they would drag everyone to a tribunal.
He said work was continuing to clear unexploded shells, mines and trip wires left in northern Ukraine by departing Russians. He urged people to be careful when they return to their homes and to report any strange objects to the police.
A report commissioned by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe found clear patterns of violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian forces.
The report concluded that the violations committed by Russia are much larger in scale and nature.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow had no other choice but to invade and continue until the tasks have been accomplished.
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Robert Burns is an Associated Press writer in Washington.
We can be reached at letters@time.com.
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