The Russians are approaching Kiev, there are growing warnings about the possibility that Moscow will use chemical weapons. Calcalist reports regularly on the war in Ukraine.
18:55 – The EU has unveiled a fourth set of sanctions to be imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. The union will lower Moscow’s ‘preferred’ level of trade, delete its use of crypto assets and ban Russia’s export of luxury goods, while banning the import of iron and steel products. This was announced by the European Commission. “Tomorrow we will implement the fourth package of sanctions against Russia, in order to bring about the isolation and depletion of the resources it uses to fund this barbaric war,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Lane.
17:10 – The United States will ban the import of Russian alcohol and seafood. This is according to a source who told the Reuters news agency. President Joe Biden is expected to announce this ban and impose higher tariffs on Russian imports in a statement to be delivered at the White House later today.
16:25 – The Ukrainian Air Force has reported that a Russian aircraft fired missiles at a Belarusian settlement near the border with Ukraine in a “false flag attack”. A statement from Russia said: “The Russian army has fired at Belarus from the airspace of Ukraine.
15:20 – Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Ludmila Denisova said at least 78 children had been killed since Russia invaded the country. Denisova added that fighting around the cities of Mariupol, Volnovka and Irpin prevents local authorities from determining how many people were killed or injured in these cities.
14:30 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalansky said that “we are at a turning point. With time and patience we will win.” He claimed that Russia was recruiting Syrian mercenaries. “If the war continues, it means that our allies must impose further sanctions on Russia. The European Union must take stricter measures,” he added.
14:00 – Russian President Vladimir Putin said there were “some positive changes” in talks between Ukraine and Russia. The Kremlin claimed shortly before that “Russia’s position in the talks is clear, Ukraine knows what our position is.” According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov: “Russians who are ashamed of Russia’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine are not really Russians.”
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Putin, today
(Getty)
Britain imposed sanctions on 386 similar Russian lawmakers, the lower house of the Russian parliament, which supported the declaration of independence of the two separatist provinces in eastern Ukraine, a move announced by President Vladimir Putin and preceded an invasion of the neighboring country. This was announced by the British Foreign Secretary, Liz Trass. Sanctions include a property freeze, a flight ban and a UK business ban. (Reuters)
12:30 – The Russian army this morning (Friday) shelled military airports in the cities of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine – an area near the Polish border and far from the areas where Russia has so far concentrated its war efforts. Russia also attacked for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine the city of Dnipro – the fourth largest in the country. Emergency services in Dnipro in central Ukraine reported that at least one person was killed in three airstrikes that occurred near a kindergarten and a residential building. Russia later announced that it had occupied the city of Volnobaha in south-central Ukraine – a small town with about 21,000 inhabitants.
The mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ruslan Martsinkiv, has instructed residents living in areas near the airport to stay in shelters. Mayor Lutsk, Late Polishuk, told CNN that at least one person was killed in the attacks: “At around 5:45 a.m. we heard three explosions, three missiles hitting the military airport,” he added. A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said heavy damage had been done to sites bombed in both cities. He added that the Russian military has destroyed 3,213 military installations in Ukraine since the beginning of the “special military operation,” he said.
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Destruction in the Dnipro
(AFP)
11:45 – Russian forces hit a psychiatric hospital near a town in Kharkiv Oblast in eastern Ukraine, local authorities in the area said. 330 people were in the hospital at the time of the attack and 73 fled as it occurred. The number of victims is still unknown, but the Kharkiv governor noted that it was a “blatant attack on civilians”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will allow volunteers from the Middle East and “from anywhere else” to join the fight against Ukrainian forces, and has approved the transfer of a Western missile system seized to pro-Russian rebels. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has proposed handing over US-made anti-tank systems to fighters from the Luhansk and Donetsk rebel zones. Shoigu added that there are more than 16,000 volunteers from the Middle East who are willing to come and fight with forces supported by Russia.
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Fortifications are being prepared in Kiev
(Getty)
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Distribution of aid in the city of Donetsk, Ukraine
(Getty)
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Demonstration of support for Ukraine in Seoul, South Korea
(Getty)
09:55 – A European intelligence source confirmed in a conversation with Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth that Russia is preparing for the deployment of missiles with chemical and biological capabilities. “There is detailed information on the deployment, Russia has drawn encouragement from the use of chemical weapons in Syria,” he noted. His remarks come after officials in Washington said they should prepare for the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin would use chemical or biological weapons after failing to carry out his plans for a rapid occupation of Ukraine. (Ronen Bergman and Ziv Koren, Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth emissaries to Lvov)
09:00 – The EU will not impose sanctions on Russian gas and oil industries, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Urban said in a video posted on his Facebook page. According to Urban, whose country has been a member of the union since 2004: “The most suspicious thing for us is the arrangement – there will be no sanctions that will affect gas and oil, so Hungary’s energy supply is safe in the near future.”
Russian forces have bombed military airfields in cities in the cities of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk in Ukraine, Russian media reported shortly after explosions were heard in the area. According to a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, heavy damage was done to the sites, as a result of which they were taken out of use. He added that Russian forces had destroyed 3,213 military installations in Ukraine since the “special military operation” began in the country. (Reuters)
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Oil drilling in Russia
(Photo: Getty )
08:30 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalansky said tonight (Thursday-Friday) that he is concerned about the possibility that has arisen in recent days that Russia will attack Ukraine with unconventional weapons – whether chemical or biological. “They accuse us of developing biological weapons, and of planning an alleged chemical attack. I’m worried about that, because we’ve seen for ourselves time and time again: if you want to study Russia’s plans, look at what she blames others,” the Ukrainian president said in Russian.
At the same time, new satellite images of the American satellite company Maxar, published tonight, documented for the first time in eight days the Russian military convoy that stretched for 65 km. Northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, near Antonov Airport. Documentation released by the satellite company shows armored units maneuvering in cities surrounding the airport, while at the same time showing forces stationed in the forests north of the airport as they take up firing positions.
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The Russian convoy on its way to Kiev
(םילום: EPA / SATELLITE IMAGE 2022 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES)
A US security source said tonight that Russian military forces had been able to advance about 5 km towards Kyiv in the last day. 40 km from the city. The progress comes amid speculation in the West that Vladimir Putin will escalate his attacks on Ukraine – amid the fact that Russia failed in its attempt to bring about a quick victory in the war, and switched to fighting tactics where its forces besieged cities .
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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zlansky
(Photo: Reuters)
At the same time, tonight, after Congress approved the transfer of $ 13.6 billion to Ukraine, it was reported that US President Joe Biden plans to ask the House of Representatives and the Senate to approve the downgrade of trade relations with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Imports from Russia Biden proposes to end the definition of trade relations with Russia as “permanent and normal” and is expected to gain widespread support from U.S. lawmakers.The White House has confirmed that Biden is expected to announce later today further actions that would hold Moscow responsible for invading Ukraine.
Although sanctions could lead Russia into a severe economic crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that restrictions on the Russian economy would ultimately hurt the West. He said Moscow would solve its problems and emerge from this crisis strengthened, adding in a conversation with government ministers of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine there is no alternative, as it can not compromise its sovereignty in exchange for short-term economic gain.