Russia-Ukraine War Live Updates: Russia bombs Mariupol school housing refugees; Patriot air defence systems move into Slovakia

Russia Ukraine War Updates: Mariupol authorities have said that the Russian military has bombed an art school where about 400 people had taken refuge, AP reported. Local authorities said Sunday that the school building was destroyed and people could still be under the rubble. Meanwhile, Slovakia’s Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad says the first multinational NATO units with the Patriot air defense systems have been moving to his country. Nad said on Sunday the transfers will continue in the next days.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has signed a decree that combines all national TV channels into one platform, citing the importance of a “unified information policy” under martial law. Ukrainian privately-owned media channels have so far continued to operate since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Evacuations from Ukraine’s besieged cities proceeded on Saturday along eight of 10 humanitarian corridors, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, with a total of 6,623 people were evacuated, including 4,128 from Mariupol who were taken northwest to Zaporizhzhia. Russian forces intensified their attack in the battered port city of Mariupol, with heavy fighting on Saturday leading to the closure of a major steel plant, AP reported. Local authorities pleaded for more Western help. Meanwhile, the city council of Ukraine’s Mariupol said Russian forces forcefully deported several thousand people from the besieged city last week, after Russia had spoken of “refugees” arriving from the strategic port.