American journalist killed by Russian attack near Kyiv

The Associated Press

LVIV, Ukraine —Kyiv Region police says a U.S. video journalist has died and another journalist was injured when they were attacked by Russian forces in Ukraine.

The police force said Sunday on its official website that Russian troops opened fire on the car of Brent Renaud and another journalist in Irpin near the capital. It said the injured journalist was being taken to a hospital in Kyiv.

A New York Times spokesperson said Renaud, 50, was a "talented filmmaker who had contributed to The New York Times over the years." It said he was not working for the publication at the time of his death.

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The police force said: "Of course, the profession of journalism carries risks. Nonetheless, U.S. citizen Brent Renaud paid with his life trying to highlight the deceit, cruelty and ruthlessness of the aggressor."

Asked about the reports, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CBS News that the U.S. government would be consulting with the Ukrainians to determine how this happened and would then "execute appropriate consequences."

"This is part and parcel of what has been a brazen aggression on the part of the Russians, where they have targeted civilians, they have targeted hospitals, they have targeted places of worship, and they have targeted journalists," Sullivan said.

A Ukrainian serviceman guards his position in Mariupol, Ukraine, Saturday, March 12, 2022. Ukrainian military says Russian forces have captured the eastern outskirts of the besieged city of Mariupol. In a Facebook update Saturday, the military said the capture of Mariupol and Severodonetsk in the east were a priority for Russian forces. Mariupol has been under siege for over a week, with no electricity, gas or water. (AP Photo/Mstyslav Chernov)

White House warns Russia: WASHINGTON — White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan says Russia will face a response from NATO should any of its attacks in Ukraine cross borders and hit members of the security alliance.

Russian missiles on Sunday struck a military training base close to Ukraine's western border with NATO member Poland and killed 35 people.

Sullivan tells CBS News' "Face the Nation" that President Joe Biden "has been clear repeatedly that the United States will work with our allies to defend every inch of NATO territory and that means every inch."

Sullivan says a military attack on NATO territory would cause the invocation of Article 5. That requires other countries in NATO to come to the defense of the attacked nation. Sullivan says "We will bring the full force of the NATO alliance to bear in responding."

Sullivan says NATO would respond even if a shot by Russia that hit NATO territory was accidental.

Evacuations, aid: LVIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine's president says nearly 125,000 civilians have been evacuated through safe-passage corridors so far, and a convoy with humanitarian aid is headed to the besieged city of Mariupol.

"We have already evacuated almost 125,000 people to the safe territory through humanitarian corridors," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address released Sunday. "The main task today is Mariupol. Our convoy with humanitarian aid is two hours away from Mariupol. Only 80km (left)."

"We're doing everything to counter occupiers who are even blocking Orthodox priests accompanying this aid, food, water and medicine. There are 100 tons of the most necessary things that Ukraine sent to its citizens," Zelenskyy said.

A woman carries her cat near a destroyed bridge as she flees from her hometown on the road towards Kyiv, in the town of Irpin, some 25 km (16 miles) northwest of Kyiv, Saturday, March 12, 2022. Kyiv northwest suburbs such as Irpin and Bucha have been enduring Russian shellfire and bombardments for over a week prompting residents to leave their home. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Pope decries attacks: VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has decried the "barbarianism" of the killing of children and other defenseless civilians in Ukraine and pleaded for a stop to the attacks "before cities are reduced to cemeteries."

In some of his strongest denunciations yet of the war in Ukraine, and in apparent reference to Russia, which invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the pontiff said that "there are no strategic reasons that hold up" in the face of such armed aggression.

Francis told about 25,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square for his customary Sunday noon appearance that Mariupol, the southern Ukrainian city which "bears the name" of the Virgin Mary, has "become a city martyred by the heartbreaking war that is devastating Ukraine."

"In the name of God, I ask: 'Stop this massacre,'" Francis said, sparking applause from the pilgrims, tourists and Romans, some of whom held Ukrainian flags, in the square.

Francis prayed for an end of the bombings and other attacks and for ensuring that humanitarian corridors "are safe and secure."

Turkish citizens: ANTALYA, Turkey— Turkey's foreign minister says his country is trying to evacuate Turkish citizens who were sheltering in a mosque in Mariupol.

Russian shells hit near the Sultan Suleiman Mosque Saturday. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the mosque had not been damaged and they had made contact with the Turkish nationals through satellite phones. He did not specify the number of people sheltering there. The Ukrainian Embassy in Ankara said Saturday 89 Turks, including 34 children, were at the mosque.

The minister said he spoke with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, to ask for his support for a humanitarian evacuation corridor in Mariupol. Buses were ready for their evacuation Saturday but had not been able to enter the city because of clashes. Efforts continued Sunday.

Cavusoglu said 489 Turkish citizens had been evacuated Saturday from places where clashes continued, including Kherson and Kharkiv.

Israel condemns attack: TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel's foreign minister is condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, calling on Moscow to halt its attacks and end the conflict.

Yair Lapid's criticism Sunday is among the strongest that has come from Israeli officials since the war began. His remarks set him apart from Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who has stopped short of condemning Russia.

Israel has walked a fine line in its response to the crisis. Bennett has voiced support for the Ukrainian people and the country has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine. But Israel relies on Russia for security coordination in Syria, where Russia has a military presence and where Israeli aircraft have frequently struck enemy targets over recent years. Bennett has been attempting to mediate between the Kremlin and Ukraine.

Lapid made his remarks in Bucharest, Romania, where he met his Romanian counterpart.

Children killed: LVIV, Ukraine — The office of Ukraine's Prosecutor General says a total of 85 children have been killed since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.

More than 100 more have been wounded, the office said. Officials also said that bombings and shelling have damaged 369 educational facilities in the country, 57 of which have been completely destroyed.

Airstrike near Poland border: LVIV, Ukraine — At least nine people were killed and 57 wounded when a Russian airstrike hit a military training base in western Ukraine close to the Polish border, a local official said Sunday.

The governor of the Lviv region, Maksym Kozytskyi, said Russian forces fired more than 30 cruise missiles at the Yavoriv military range, located 30 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of the city of Lviv and 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Ukraine's border with Poland.

The assault brought the war closer to the border with Poland. A senior Russian diplomat has warned that Moscow considered foreign shipments of military equipment to Ukraine "legitimate targets."

The United States and NATO have regularly sent instructors to the range, also known as the International Peacekeeping and Security Center, to train Ukrainian military personnel. The facility has also hosted international NATO drills.

Russian fighters also fired at the airport in Ivano-Frankivsk, a city in western Ukraine located 250 kilometers (155.34 miles) from Ukraine's border with Slovakia and Hungary.