US warns of Russian annexation plans in east Ukraine - Ukraine latest

The US warned Moscow plans to formally annex parts of eastern Ukraine, specifically the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, after Russia failed to take the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Michael Carpenter, US ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said, "Russia plans to engineer referenda upon joining sometime in mid-May." He added Russia also has a similar plan for the Kherson region. Carpenter told reporters in Washington the US believes "the reports are highly credible." The new focus sees Russia shifting to capitalizing on existing territorial gains in the east while pounding the southern port city of Odesa.<br /><br />The Mariupol city council said on Facebook that evacuations will continue Tuesday. "With the support of the UN and the Red Cross, the evacuation of civilians has been agreed for tomorrow," the city council wrote, adding that the attempt to start the latest round of evacuations will begin at 7:00 a.m.