Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:
– Zelensky warns Berlin of new ‘Wall’ –
A day after pleading with US Congress to send more help to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky warns German lawmakers that Russia is building a new “wall” in Europe, evoking the Berlin Wall during the Cold War.
Zelensky has been on a virtual tour of Western parliaments, each time receiving a standing ovation from MPs for his war-time leadership.
– 21 killed near Kharkiv –
Russian forces shell a cultural centre, killing at least 21 people and wounding 25 in the town of Merefa outside Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, local prosecutors say.
– Mariupol theatre bombed –
Ukrainian authorities say Russian forces bombed a theatre where hundreds of civilians were taking shelter in the city of Mariupol and share a photo showing part of the building completely destroyed.
There are no figures on casualties. Ukrainian lawmaker Sergyi Taruta says some survivors have emerged from a bomb shelter beneath the venue.
– Biden-Xi talks –
US President Joe Biden will speak Friday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about Russia’s war in Ukraine, the White House says.
Beijing has so far refused to condemn its close ally Russia over its invasion.
– ExoMars mission suspended –
A Russian-European mission to land a rover on Mars has been suspended due to the sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and its “tragic consequences”, the European Space Agency says.
– War hits global growth –
The fallout from the war in Ukraine could cut global growth by over one percentage point over the coming year, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says.
– No default –
Russia’s finance ministry says it has carried out interest payments on two foreign bonds, quashing fears of a debt default as the country reels from unprecedented Western sanctions.
– Kyiv rocket kills one –
One person is killed and three injured when a downed rocket hits an apartment block, emergency services say, bringing to at least seven the number killed in Kyiv since Monday.
The capital, which has so far been spared the onslaught seen in other cities but is hemmed in by Russian forces on two sides, is emerging from a 35-hour curfew.
– Peace talks –
At ongoing peace talks, officials in Kyiv say Russia has agreed to nine humanitarian corridors for fleeing refugees, including one out of Mariupol.
The Kremlin has said a “compromise” outcome would centre on Ukraine becoming a neutral state, an idea rejected by Kyiv.
Ukraine wants an immediate ceasefire, Russia to withdraw and the West to guarantee its security.
– ‘War criminal’ –
Biden brands Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” for the first time. The Kremlin quickly punches back, calling the comment “unacceptable and unforgivable”.
French prosecutors open a war crimes probe into the death of Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski who was shot dead near Kyiv.
– US weapons aid –
Biden announces a massive package of military aid for Ukraine, including S-300 missile defence systems, 100 Switchblade “kamikaze” drones and thousands more anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles.
– British weapons for Poland –
Britain will deploy its latest medium-range missile defence system in Poland, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announces.
– Stakhovsky takes up arms –
Retired Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky, who in 2013 knocked defending champion Roger Federer out of Wimbledon, exchanges his racket for a rifle, vowing to defend Kyiv “to the end” against Russian forces.
burs-jmy/cb/jm
