Zelensky condemns US extension of Russian sanctions waiver

The US move to ease Russian sanctions on 13 March was widely condemned by Zelensky as well as his European allies.Extending the waiver on Friday, the US said it wanted "to ensure oil is available to those ⁠who need it" as negotiations to end the war "accelerate".The Ukrainian leader said Russia had more than 110 tankers from its "shadow fleet" - vessels with obscured ownership designed to help it bypass sanctions - with "over 12 million tons" of oil.Their sale, he added, would bring $10bn (£7.4bn) to Moscow's coffers as "a resource that is directly converted into new strikes against Ukraine".The Ukrainian leader did not explain what those figures were based on.But he added that just over the past week, Russia had launched "over 2,360 attack drones, more than 1,320 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 60 missiles of various types at our cities and communities".That included the deadliest attack against Ukraine in months on 15 April during which more than 700 drones and missiles were used in multiple waves in one night, killing at least 18 people.