Moscow says hundreds of Ukrainian troops in custody; US Senate approves $40 billion in new aid
KYIV, Ukraine — Their fates unknown, more than 1,700 Ukrainian fighters were in Russian custody Thursday after they surrendered in the conquered city of Mariupol, Moscow said, even as Ukraine claimed battlefield gains elsewhere and heard a repentant confession from a Russian solider in the country’s first war crimes trial.
Meanwhile, in Washington, the Senate gave final congressional approval to another massive package of aid for Ukraine. The $40-billion allotment includes weapons and humanitarian assistance. Heavy weaponry supplied by the U.S. and allies have made a significant difference in Ukraine’s underdog fight against its larger neighbor.
The Ukrainian soldiers who had defended the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol were taken to a pretrial detention center, Russian officials said. An undisclosed number of commanders remained inside the sprawling steelworks, which has become a
