Presidents of four countries visit Kyiv

KYIV, Apr 13 (BBC/Reuters):The presidents of four countries on Russia's doorstep visited Ukraine on Wednesday in a show of support for the embattled country, after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to continue his bloody offensive until its "full completion."

The presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - all NATO countries that worry they may face Russian attack in the future if Ukraine falls - were traveling by train to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In one of the most crucial battles of the war, Russia said more than 1,000 Ukrainian troops had surrendered in the besieged port of Mariupol, where Ukrainian forces have been holding out in pockets of the city. The information could not be verified.

Russia invaded on Feb. 24 with the goal, according to Western officials, of taking Kyiv, toppling the government and installing a Moscow-friendly one. In the seven weeks since, the ground advance stalled, Russia has lost potentially thousands of fighters - and the war has forced millions of Ukrainians to flee, rattled the world economy, threated global food supplies and shattered Europe's post-Cold War balance.

Ukraine secret service

arrests top Putin ally

Ukraine's security services on Tuesday said they had arrested pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who is President Vladimir Putin's closest and most influential ally in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier published a photo of a tired-looking and handcuffed Medvedchuk, who says Putin is godfather to his daughter.

In February, Kyiv said Medvedchuk, the leader of the Opposition Platform - For Life party, had escaped from house arrest. Last year authorities opened a treason case against Medvedchuk, who denies wrongdoing.

"You can be a pro-Russian politician and work for the aggressor state for years. You may have been hiding from justice lately. You can even wear a Ukrainian military uniform for camouflage," the security services said in an online post.

"But will it help you escape punishment? Not at all! Shackles are waiting for you and same goes for traitors to Ukraine like you."

The post cited Ivan Bakanov, head of the secret services, as saying his operatives had "conducted a lightning-fast and dangerous multi-level special operation" to arrest Medvedchuk but did not give details.

Russia plans 'victory day'

parade in Mariupol

Russia may be planning a "Victory Day parade" in the devastated Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, Petro Andryushchenko, an aide to the city's mayor, has said on Telegram.

He said Kostyantyn Ivashchenko, whom Russian troops put in charge of the parts of Mariupol under their control, was ordered "to clear a part of the city's central district of rubble and dead bodies to ensure that a parade can be held on 9 May".

"Judging from the whole array of data, the occupiers are planning to hold a 'victory carnival' in Mariupol in case their 'special operation' is successful," Andryushchenko has said.

He added: "The good news is that there are no vehicles or people in the city to carry out such events."

The parade would coincide with Russia's biggest public holiday, Victory Day, which is held annually on 9 May to celebrate triumph over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.