Ukraine: What happened today, Tuesday, April 12

Unverified reports of chemical weapons and a rare appearance by Vladimir Putin among today's developments.

Relatives and friends stand by the coffins of Ukrainian servicemen Yuri Filyuk, 49, and Oleksander Tkachenko, 33, during a funeral ceremony in a village of Oleksandrivka, Odesa region, Ukraine. Picture: AP Photo/Max Pshybyshevsky

The death toll in Ukraine continues to rise as fighting in the eastern part of the country is expected to intensify over the coming weeks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reappeared after a rare public silence to say the invasion of Ukraine was a "noble" cause and that peace talks had reached a dead end.