Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has lashed out at the start of Russia’s month-long UN Security Council presidency, calling the move “absurd and destructive”.

Russia has taken up the monthly presidency of the 15-member UN Security Council from Saturday, despite the fact that Vladimir Putin has been accused of war crimes and was issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court.

“It is hard to imagine something more evident that proves the complete bankruptcy of such institutions,” Zelensky said.

The Institute of the Study of War has said that Russia’s winter offensive has failed to achieve the goal of seizing Ukraine’s Donbas.

Kremlin had set the goal of seizing Donbas, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, by 31 March.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine will never forgive Russian troops responsible for atrocities in Bucha, as the town near Kyiv marked the anniversary of its recapture after more than a month of occupation.

The Wall Street Journal on Saturday demanded the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, a Moscow-based correspondent who was arrested by Russia’s FSB security service (Federal Security Service) on suspicion of spying.

“Evan’s case is a vicious affront to a free press, and should spur outrage in all free people and governments throughout the world, the newspaper said in a statement on Twitter.

A top Ukrainian cleric from a church with alleged Russian ties was sentenced to house arrest on Saturday.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is facing a crackdown from the government on the grounds it is pro-Russian and collaborating with Moscow, a charge the church denies.

In a statement, the UOC said a Kyiv court also ordered Metropolitan Pavlo to wear an electronic bracelet.

The Interfax Ukraine and Ukrinform news agencies said he had been given 60 days of house arrest.

“I haven’t done anything. I believe this is a political order,” the cleric told reporters after the ruling.

Nearly 8 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour on 24 February 2022.

The majority of these refugees are women and children, as most Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 were ordered to stay and fight.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has killed 262 Ukrainian athletes and destroyed 363 sports facilities, the country’s sports minister, Vadym Huttsait, said on Saturday.

The minister said no athletes from Russia should be allowed at the Olympics or other sports competitions.

“They all support this war and attend events held in support of this war,” he said, according to a transcript on president Volodymyr Zelensky’s website.

Ukraine said on Friday its athletes will not be allowed to take part in qualifying events for the 2024 Games if they have to compete against Russians.

The International Olympic Committee has recommended the gradual return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition as neutrals, and criticised Ukraine’s decision.

Russia has taken over as president of the UN Security Council despite its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia replaced Mozambique on Saturday, 1 April despite protests from Ukraine that urged members to block the move.

Around 50 Ukrainians protested in front of the UN’s office in Brussels on Saturday afternoon, waving a mixture of Ukrainian and EU flags.

Ukraine has lashed out at the start of Russia’s month-long UN Security Council presidency.

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia’s tenure was “a slap in the face to the international community.”

“I urge the current UNSC members to thwart any Russian attempts to abuse its presidency,” he said on Twitter, calling Russia “an outlaw on the UNSC.”