Russia-Ukraine crisis: UN chief meets refugees in Moldova, assures aid

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with refugees from war-torn Ukraine in Moldova on Tuesday, saying after that it is impossible to meet refugees and not be deeply moved by their stories.

One couple was telling me of a bomb that fell in their yard. People that have abandoned everything, including parts of their families, Guterres told reporters outside the refugee centre in Moldova's capital, Chisinau.

Guterres previously served as UN high commissioner for refugees. He noted during his two-day visit to Moldova, where he met with Moldova's leaders, that the small nation has absorbed the most refugees proportionate to its own population of about 2.6 million people.

The UN chief told Moldovan President Maia Sandu in a meeting Tuesday that the UN would bolster its support for her country to help it deal with the refugee crisis. More than 450,000 refugees from Ukraine have fled into Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries.

Before leaving Moldova, Guterres also visited the home of a local family hosting Ukrainian refugees, whom he thanked for their generosity in opening up their homes to those fleeing the war.

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Warsaw: Poland's prime minister said Tuesday that Russia's ambassador to Poland could have avoided being doused in red paint at a Soviet military ceremony if he followed the Foreign Ministry's advice to steer clear of the event.

Ambassador Sergey Andreev was splattered Monday with red paint thrown at him by protesters opposed to the war in Ukraine at a Warsaw cemetery holding the remains of Red Army soldiers who died during World War II. He had hoped to pay his respects on the Russian patriotic Victory Day holiday marking the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Russian crimes in Ukraine are such a terrible experience for so many people that the ambassador's presence at the memorial to Soviet soldiers was provocative, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said, according to the Polish news agency PAP.

Andreev had to abandon the ceremony after the paint was thrown at him and he returned to his car under a police escort.

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Milan: The Italian Foreign Ministry says 63 Ukrainian orphans will be flown on Wednesday from Krakow, Poland to Trapani, Sicily.

The transport was organized by the Pope John XXIII Community, along with Italian diplomats in Ukraine and Poland.

This humanitarian evacuation confirms Italy's commitment to assisting civilians hit by the conflict in Ukraine, the Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Some 37,000 minors, many accompanied by family members, have arrived in Italy since Russia launched its invasion.