Russia’s warplanes bombed Lviv and its missiles struck Kyiv as Moscow followed through on a threat to launch more long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities after the sinking of its Black Sea Fleet flagship.
Fighting
- Russia destroyed production buildings of an armored vehicle plant in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and a military repair facility in the city of Mykolaiv, the Interfax news agency quoted Russia’s defense ministry as saying.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNN on Friday that between 2,500 to 3,000 Ukrainian troops have died so far in the war and another 10,000 have been injured.
Diplomacy
- Russia’s foreign ministry said it had barred entry to the country for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and 10 other British government members and politicians.
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Ukraine is working with NATO member Turkey as much as possible for more support over Russia’s invasion and understands – even though it is not happy with the reality of Ankara’s parallel ties to Moscow, a Ukrainian diplomat said.
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Russia warned the United States of “unpredictable consequences” if the West continues its “irresponsible militarization of Ukraine,” The Washington Post said on Friday.
Business and economy
- Ukraine’s gross domestic product (GDP) may fall between 30% and 50% this year, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said in televised comments.
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Ukraine’s richest man has pledged to help rebuild the besieged city of Mariupol, a place close to his heart, where he owns two vast steelworks that he says will once again compete globally.
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Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and top finance officials will attend next week’s IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington and meet G7 and other officials, sources said on Friday, the first such in-person opportunity of the war.
Mourning the dead
- The handmade sign on the gate warns “The cemetery is mined. Danger,” but residents of the formerly occupied town of Trostyanets in northern Ukraine still come to visit the fresh graves of family killed in the war.
Quotes
- “The situation in Mariupol is difficult and hard. Fighting is happening right now. The Russian army is constantly calling on additional units to storm the city,” said defense ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, at a briefing on Friday.
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