俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京对邻国乌克兰的“特殊军事行动”始于2月24日，俄罗斯军队从北部的白俄罗斯和东部的俄罗斯入侵。据美国官员称，俄罗斯军队此后遭到了乌克兰人的“顽强抵抗”。
最近几天，俄罗斯军队已经从乌克兰北部撤退，留下了一连串的死亡和破坏。在基辅西北的城镇布加勒斯特的街道上出现了平民倒毙的图片后，美国和欧洲国家指责俄罗斯犯下了战争罪。
泽伦斯基称，军队正准备应对俄罗斯对乌克兰东部的攻击
乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽伦斯基(Volodymyr Zelenskyy)周日在讲话中宣布，乌克兰军队正准备回应俄罗斯在该国东部的袭击计划。
泽伦斯基说，俄罗斯军队预计将在乌克兰东部开展更大规模的行动，这将使他们能够进行更多的轰炸，并补充说乌克兰军队已经做好了进攻准备。
“我们正在为他们的行动做准备，”泽伦斯基说。“我们会做出回应。我们将更加积极地向乌克兰提供武器。我们将在国际舞台上更加活跃。我们将在信息领域更加活跃。”
成千上万的难民返回乌克兰
据乌克兰和联合国官员称，近2.3万名乌克兰难民在2月份俄罗斯入侵后逃离该国，于周六返回乌克兰。
根据联合国难民事务高级专员的说法，被遣返的乌克兰人是2月24日至4月9日期间离开该国的450多万人中的一部分。
官员称，超过一半的乌克兰难民逃到了邻国波兰。
据乌克兰战略通信和信息中心(Center for Strategic communication s and Information)称，波兰边防卫队(Polish border guard service)报告称，尽管乌克兰的战争仍在激烈进行，但周六自愿返回乌克兰的难民人数达到了战争开始以来的单日最高水平。
联合国难民署估计，截至4月8日，乌克兰已有超过710万人因战争而流离失所。
克拉马托尔斯克火车站袭击死亡人数上升至57人
周日死亡人数攀升至57人，据称俄罗斯火箭袭击了乌克兰东部城市乌克兰的一个拥挤的火车站克拉马托尔斯克，乌克兰官员说。
顿涅茨克州州长Pavlo Kyrylenko说，在袭击中丧生的人中有五名儿童顿巴斯地区。另外109人在两枚俄罗斯火箭袭击火车站时受伤。
据路透社报道，克拉马托尔斯克市长奥莱克桑德尔·贡恰连科说:“许多人情况严重，没有胳膊和腿。”美联社。
官员们说，袭击中的死亡人数从周五的50人增加到现在的50人。
乌克兰国有铁路公司在脸书发表声明，称此次袭击是“对铁路客运基础设施和克拉马托尔斯克市居民的有目的的打击”
乌克兰官员提供的图片显示了袭击的后果——尸体躺在地上，旁边是散落的行李和碎片，烧焦的车辆停在附近。
法德尔·塞纳/法新社
2022年4月8日星期五，在一次火箭袭击造成许多人死亡后，士兵们清理尸体...阅读更多
火车站主楼旁边的地上还发现了一个大型火箭的残骸，上面画着俄罗斯文字“为了我们的孩子”。
俄罗斯否认参与了此次袭击。克里姆林宫发言人佩斯科夫声称，根据使用的导弹类型，俄罗斯国防部已经排除了俄罗斯军队的参与，这是一种托奇卡-U短程弹道导弹。
“我们的武装部队不使用这种类型的导弹，”佩斯科夫在周五的新闻发布会上告诉记者。"克拉马托尔斯克今天没有设定或计划战斗任务."
国防部长奥斯汀与在美国训练的乌克兰士兵进行视频通话
根据五角大楼新闻秘书约翰·柯比(John Kirby)的说法，美国国防部长劳埃德·奥斯汀(Lloyd Austin)周日通过视频会议会见了一小群乌克兰士兵，他们自2月24日俄罗斯入侵他们的国家之前就一直在美国训练。
奥斯汀对乌克兰士兵发表讲话时，这群人正准备在周日返回乌克兰。
柯比在一份声明中说:“国务卿感谢他们的服务和勇气，并注意到乌克兰武装部队抗击俄罗斯无端入侵的技能。”"他(奥斯汀)承诺美国将继续支持提供和协调额外的安全援助."
2月24日入侵开始时，乌克兰士兵正在密西西比州的比洛克西进行海军训练。在美国期间，美国国防部还训练士兵如何使用美国作为其一部分派遣的设备军事援助包括弹簧刀无人机，柯比说。
Kirby说，该组织周日在弗吉尼亚州的Little Creek与奥斯汀进行了交谈，他们正在那里“完成额外的高级战术训练”
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Forces preparing for Russian attack on eastern Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
Russian President Vladimir Putin's "special military operation" into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian troops invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Russian forces have since been met with "stiff resistance" from Ukrainians, according to U.S. officials.
In recent days, Russian forces have retreated from northern Ukraine, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. After graphic images emerged of civilians lying dead in the streets of Bucha, a town northwest of Kyiv, the United States and European countries accused Russia of committing war crimes.
Forces preparing to respond to Russian attack on eastern Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian forces are preparing to respond to a planned Russian attack on the eastern side of the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in his address on Sunday.
Russian troops are expected to move to an even larger operation in the east of Ukraine, which will enable them to carry out even more bombardments, Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukrainian forces are ready for the attack.
"We are preparing for their actions," Zelenskyy said. "We will respond. We will be even more active in providing Ukraine with weapons. We will be more active in the international arena. We will be even more active in the information field."
Zelenskyy added that he and other government officials are doing everything they can to ensure that Ukraine gets the world's attention, especially as Russia continues to attempt to influence the narrative and justify the invasion.
This coming week will be just as important as previous weeks, Zelenskyy said.
"It will be just as tense and even more responsible," he added.
Thousands of refugees return to Ukraine
Nearly 23,000 Ukrainian refugees returned to Ukraine on Saturday after fleeing the country following the Russian invasion in February, according to Ukrainian and United Nations officials.
The repatriated Ukrainians are among the more than 4.5 million who left the country between Feb. 24 and April 9, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
More than half of the Ukrainian refugees fled to neighboring Poland, officials said.
The Polish border guard service is reporting that despite the war still raging in Ukraine, the number of refugees voluntarily returning to Ukraine reached the highest figure for a single day on Saturday since the war began, according to Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications and Information.
The UNHCR estimated that as of April 8, more than 7.1 million people in Ukraine have been displaced due to the war.
Death toll from Kramatorsk train station attack rises to 57
The death toll climbed to 57 on Sunday from an alleged Russian rocket attack Friday on a crowded train station in the eastern Ukrainian city ofKramatorsk, Ukrainian officials said.
Among those killed in the attack were five children, said Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk Oblast in theDonbas region. Another 109 people were wounded when two Russian rockets struck the train station.
"There are many people in a serious condition, without arms or legs," said Kramatorsk Mayor Oleksandr Goncharenko according to theAssociated Press.
The number of dead victims in the attack grew from 50 on Friday, officials said.
Ukraine's state-owned railway company issued a statement on Facebook calling the attack "a purposeful strike on the passenger infrastructure of the railway and the residents of the city of Kramatorsk."
Graphic images provided by Ukrainian officials showed the aftermath of the attack -- bodies lying on the ground next to scattered luggage and debris, with charred vehicles parked nearby.
The remnants of a large rocket with the Russian words painted on its side reading "for our children" was also seen on the ground next to the main building of the train station.
Russia has denied involvement in the attack. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed involvement of Russian forces was already ruled out by the Russian Ministry of Defense, based on the type of missile that was used -- a Tochka-U short-range ballistic missile.
"Our armed forces do not use missiles of this type," Peskov told reporters during a press briefing Friday. "No combat tasks were set or planned for today in Kramatorsk."
Defense Secretary Austin holds video call with Ukrainian soldiers training in US
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met on Sunday via videoconference with a small group of Ukrainian troops who have been training in the United State since before Russia invaded their country on Feb. 24, according to Pentagon press secretary John Kirby.
Austin spoke to Ukrainian soldiers as the group prepared to head back to Ukraine on Sunday.
"The Secretary thanked them for their service and for their courage, noting the skill with which the Ukrainian Armed Forces are fighting Russia's unprovoked invasion," Kirby said in a statement. "And he (Austin) pledged continued U.S. support for providing and coordinating additional security assistance."
The Ukrainians soldiers were in Biloxi, Mississippi, for naval training when the invasion began on Feb. 24. While in the United States, the U.S. Defense Department also trained the soldiers on how to use equipment the United States is sending as part of itsmilitary assistanceto Ukraine, including Switchblade drones, Kirby said.
Kirby said the group spoke to Austin on Sunday from in Little Creek, Virginia, where they are "completing additional advanced tactical training."
