That's it for our live coverage on Friday as the blog comes to a close for the evening. 

We're back on Saturday morning with all the latest developments. 

LNR and DNR restrict access to Viber

the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics have "temporarily restricted" access to Viber in certain parts of Donetsk and Luhansk on Friday.

The LNR said in a statement to the pro-Russian media in the region that the decision was made in "a response to the increasing use of the service as part of the enemy's military infrastructure to obtain geolocation data of our critical military-civilian infrastructure."

In DNR, the leader of the pro-Russian militants, Denis Pushilin, signed off a decision to restrict access to the popular messenger app to "avoid the dissemination of illegal information; inaccurate civilian and military information" and "propaganda regarding violence, information, and psychological pressure," Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

Putin blames the West for food and energy crises, says Russia just a scapegoat

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday blamed the West for emerging global food and energy crises and repeated his government’s offers of safe passage for ships exporting grain from Ukraine if mines are removed from the waters.

“Of course, we are now seeing attempts to shift the responsibility for what is happening on the world food market, the emerging problems in this market, onto Russia,” he told Russian state TV.

The Kremlin leader said Russia was not blocking grain shipments from Ukraine and that the West is using Russia as a scapegoat for its problems.

“I must say that this is an attempt, as our people say, to shift these problems from a sick to a healthy head.”

As reported by the state-run Tass news agency, Putin also said Western sanctions against Russia would only worsen world markets, reducing the harvest and driving up prices.

Putin pledged that if the waters were demined, Russia would not attack grain shipments and suggested they could be made from the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk or other countries, such as Belarus. Berdyansk is under Russian occupation.

Putin’s positions on these issues are in conflict with the explanations given by Ukraine and its allies.

The Cube: How Russian state media narrative distorts truth about war in Ukraine

As the war in Ukraine reached its 100-day mark, Russian state television remained silent about this landmark date.

However, over these past few weeks, the country's pro-Kremlin outlets have consistently given Russian citizens a distorted view of the conflict in Ukraine and the impact of the West's sanctions. 

Read more and watch our The Cube segment here:

100 days of war: How Russian state media are covering Ukraine invasion

Macron: Putin made a 'historic, fundamental' mistake

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had made a "historic and fundamental mistake" by attacking Ukraine and that he was now "isolated".

"I think -- and I told him -- that he made a historic and fundamental mistake for his people, for himself and for history," Macron said on the 100th day of the conflict, in an interview with a French regional outlet.

"I think he isolated himself. It is one thing to isolate oneself -- knowing how to get out of it is difficult," Emmanuel Macron also stressed.

The French president repeated that it was necessary "not to humiliate Russia" -- words that were very badly received in Eastern Europe -- "so that the day the fighting stops, we can build a way out through diplomatic channels".

Pressed to go to Kyiv, while many of his European counterparts have already been there, he said he was "not excluding anything" at this time.

"We want to increase financial and military support to Ukraine. And finally, to do everything to get the grain out of Ukraine," he added, contradicting Putin, for whom the export of grain was "not a problem". 

Switzerland not to send Denmark-bought APCs to Ukraine, citing 'neutrality law'

Switzerland’s government on Friday said it would not honour a request by Denmark to send 22 Swiss-made armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine, citing Swiss “neutrality law” that bans the export of war material to a country at war.

Denmark had requested that Switzerland transfer the Swiss-made Piranha III wheeled armoured personnel carriers, which Denmark had procured and stored in Germany, to Ukraine.

The executive Federal Council confirmed the decision on Friday just as the Swiss government also announced that it would allow the transfer of some military equipment to Germany and the UK as they replenish supplies that the two countries have sent to Ukraine.

The announcement testified to the fine line Swiss authorities are treading to hold to Switzerland’s legal requirement to remain neutral as laid out in the War Materiel Act, which bars the transfer of Swiss-made weapons systems, ammunition and other materiel to a country involved in an international conflict.

Previously, the Swiss rejected a German request to send Swiss-made 35mm ammunition for Gepard anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine.

Biden says 'negotiated settlement' will be needed to end the war

President Joe Biden on Friday said he thinks a “negotiated settlement” will be necessary to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Asked whether Ukraine should give up some of its territory to Russia in order to end the war and bring peace to the region, Biden said his policy continues to be that the United States will not make any decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine.

He said “it’s their territory” and “I’m not going to tell them what they should and shouldn’t do.”

But the US leader also said “it appears to me that at some point along the line there’s going to have to be a negotiated settlement here.” He said he does not know what such an agreement would look like but that the U.S. will continue to help Ukrainians defend themselves.

Biden commented from Delaware on Friday, the 100th day of Russia’s invasion.

(AP)

Russia is playing 'hunger games' with the world over Ukraine exports

A Ukrainian ambassador said Russia is playing “hunger games” with the world by trying to depict sanctions against Moscow as the reason that grain can’t transit the Black Sea – and not Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Yevheniia Filipenko, Ukraine’s envoy to the UN office in Geneva, spoke in an interview on the 100-day mark since Russian military forces invaded Ukraine on 24 February.

As grain exports dry up through Ukraine’s embattled or captured ports, Filipenko said Russia has sought to pin the blame for the blockage on Ukraine and Western sanctions that have been levied by the thousands against Moscow.

“Russia has played hunger games recently to put the blame on Ukraine and others for blocking Ukrainian food exports,” she said.

Filipenko said Ukrainian forces were intensely motivated to protect their homeland and would one day win the war. She echoed calls from other top Ukrainian officials for more weapons.

“We are fighting for freedom of Europe and the whole world. So the next 100 days will be very busy for all of us,” she said.

(AP)

Two Reuters journalists injured, driver killed in Ukraine

Two journalists from the international news agency Reuters were slightly wounded in eastern Ukraine, while their driver, supplied by pro-Russian separatists, was killed, the agency said on Friday.

"Two Reuters journalists were slightly injured when they were shot at while on their way to Severodonetsk," a spokesman said.

"They were travelling in a vehicle provided by separatists and driven by a driver provided by separatists. The driver was killed," he added.

No further details were given on their identities, their health or the circumstances of the shooting.

On Monday, Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, a journalist working for the French channel BFMTV, was killed in eastern Ukraine by shrapnel during a bombing raid while monitoring a humanitarian operation.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, said in a tweet that the 32-year-old reporter had been "killed by Russian shelling".

Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at least eight journalists have died in the field in the course of their work, according to a count by the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

(AFP)

French national killed in Ukraine fighting

A Frenchman has been killed in fighting in Ukraine, the French foreign ministry said Friday, 100 days after the start of the Russian invasion.

"We have learned the sad news that a Frenchman has been fatally wounded in fighting in Ukraine," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "We offer our condolences to his family."

According to a security source interviewed by AFP, the man was "a combatant who left as a volunteer".

The identity of the man was not given, nor the place where he died.

The French radio station Europe 1 reported on Thursday that the first French combatant was killed in Ukraine, "mortally wounded by artillery fire" in the Kharkiv region (north-east).

"The young man had joined the International Ukrainian Defence Legion and was fighting against the Russian army," Europe 1 said.

(AFP)

‘Not acceptable’: Xavier Bettel lashes out at Viktor Orbán over Russian Patriarch's removal from EU sanctions list 

The prime minister of Luxembourg has decried as "unacceptable" the last-minute removal of Patriarch Kirill, head of Russia's Orthodox Church, from the new list of EU sanctions.

PM Xavier Bettel texted Viktor Orbán to say he was "not amused" by Hungary's "unacceptable" last minute objection to the new sanctions package.

Read more at our story here:

‘Not acceptable’: Xavier Bettel lashes out at Viktor Orbán over Kirill's removal from EU sanctions

African Union chair 'reassured' after Putin talks

The current chairman of the African Union (AU) and Senegalese head of state Macky Sall said Friday that he was "reassured" by his meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, with whom he discussed fears of a food crisis due to the Russian offensive in Ukraine.

"We leave here very reassured and very happy with our exchanges," Mr Sall told journalists at the end of the meeting in Sochi, adding that he found the Russian president "committed and aware that the crisis and sanctions are creating serious problems for weak economies, such as African economies.

The exchanges between Vladimir Putin and Macky Sall, who was accompanied by the chairman of the African Union Commission, Chadian Moussa Faki Mahamat, lasted three hours, said the Senegalese leader, referring to "a full exchange on the situation.

"I told him that we had come first to ask him to de-escalate and work for peace," Macky Sall said.

Russia's offensive against Ukraine - two agricultural powers that together account for 30% of global wheat exports - has led to a surge in grain and oil prices, with prices surpassing those of the 2011 Arab Spring and 2008 food riots.

The UN fears "a hurricane of famines", mainly in African countries that imported more than half their wheat from Ukraine or Russia. 

At the beginning of the meeting, Macky Sall asked Vladimir Putin to "realise" that African countries are "victims" of the conflict in Ukraine.

(AFP)

Croatian national injured in Ukraine fighting

Croatia's foreign ministry says a country's national has been wounded in Ukraine and will be transferred to Croatia.

The man was fighting as a volunteer in Ukraine Croatia's state public television HRT said. The foreign ministry told the station that the man is safe and receiving medical attention.

No other details were immediately available.

Last month, Zagreb authorities said that Russian troops detained another Croatian citizen who was fighting alongside Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol.

(AP)

Russian bombardment continues in eastern Ukrainian cities

The European Union says it has targeted Russian military officers linked to atrocities in Ukraine in its latest round of sanctions, including top brass accused of war crimes in Bucha and the siege of Mariupol.

The EU froze the assets of 65 people and imposed travel bans on them. The bloc has now targeted almost 1,160 people, including President Vladimir Putin, pro-Kremlin oligarchs and other top officials over Russia’s actions in Ukraine since 2014.

The EU said Friday that Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov and Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, known as the ‘Butcher of Mariupol,’ were among those on the list.

It said Omurbekov “was leading the actions of his military unit and nicknamed ‘the Butcher of Bucha’ due to his direct responsibility in killings, rapes and torture in Bucha,” on the outskirts of Kyiv.

It accused Mizintsev “of orchestrating the bombardments of the city of Mariupol, killing thousands of civilians, including the shelling of a Mariupol maternity hospital and a theatre, killing hundreds of children.”

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said “there can be no impunity for war crimes.”

(AP)

New EU sanctions on Russian military linked to atrocities 

The European Union says it has targeted Russian military officers linked to atrocities in Ukraine in its latest round of sanctions, including top brass accused of war crimes in Bucha and the siege of Mariupol.

The EU froze the assets of 65 people and imposed travel bans on them. The bloc has now targeted almost 1,160 people, including President Vladimir Putin, pro-Kremlin oligarchs and other top officials over Russia’s actions in Ukraine since 2014.

The EU said Friday that Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov and Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, known as the ‘Butcher of Mariupol,’ were among those on the list.

It said Omurbekov “was leading the actions of his military unit and nicknamed ‘the Butcher of Bucha’ due to his direct responsibility in killings, rapes and torture in Bucha,” on the outskirts of Kyiv.

It accused Mizintsev “of orchestrating the bombardments of the city of Mariupol, killing thousands of civilians, including the shelling of a Mariupol maternity hospital and a theatre, killing hundreds of children.”

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said “there can be no impunity for war crimes.”

(AP)

Spanish PM offers support on Moldova visit

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has paid an official to Moldova, which borders Ukraine, in a public show of support as the country eyes Russia’s ambitions in the region and shelters thousands of Ukrainian refugees.

Sánchez said Spain would stand up for Moldova’s territorial integrity, in a reference to Transnistria and Russia’s military presence there.

Transnistria is a disputed, Russian-backed breakaway state that borders southwestern Ukraine. Pro-Russian forces broke it off from Moldova in 1992, and Russian troops have been stationed there ever since, ostensibly as peacekeepers.

Sánchez assured President Maia Sandu at a press conference Friday in Chisinau, the capital, that Moldova has Spain’s “resounding” support and “our commitment to solidarity with the Moldovan authorities and the Moldovan people at a time of great difficulty and international political tension.”

(AP)

Sixth EU sanctions package on Russia officially comes into force 

The sixth package of EU sanctions, which contain a partial embargo of Russian oil imports, has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, which means all measures have now entered into force.

You can check out the full document here.

The clock starts ticking now: member states have six months to phase out all purchases of Russian crude oil and up to eight months to stop buying refined petroleum products. The measure, however, will only apply to seaborne oil, the oil that Russia ships to the EU on tankers.

This represents over two thirds of total imports. The remaining imports, those flowing through the Druzhba pipeline, will remain exempted, a tweak demanded by Hungary and other landlocked countries.

Poland and Germany have pledged to slash imports coming from Druzhba’s northern branch. If they make good on their (non-binding) promise, the EU could get rid of almost 90% of current imports of Russian oil and refined products. The oil embargo is considered the most consequential measure taken by bloc since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine and is expected to inflict pain both on the Kremlin’s war machine but also on European households and companies, who are already struggling with soaring energy prices and record-high inflation.

The sixth package of sanctions also includes a prohibition on EU operators to provide insurance and financing services for the transport of Russian oil to third countries. This provision has been designed to make it harder for Russia to replace the EU as its top oil client.

Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, together with another two entities, are being expelled from the SWIFT system, which enables electronic transactions around the world. The EU has slapped three Russian media outlets – Rossiya RTR/RTR Planeta, Rossiya 24/Russia 24, and TV Centre International – with a prohibition to broadcast and advertise their content across EU territory. The channels are seen as disinformation tools used by the Kremlin.

(Euronews) 

UN holding talks to open Ukraine grain export routes

The United Nations is conducting intense, low-key negotiations to free up tens of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain and prevent a global food crisis, the UN coordinator in Ukraine has confirmed, expressing cautious optimism.

Russia, which invaded its neighbour on 24 February, is blocking Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea and thus preventing the export of this grain, which fed 400 million people last year. The situation is all the more urgent as the next harvest is about to arrive.

The negotiations are being led by Martin Griffith of Britain, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, head of UNCTAD, the UN body responsible for trade and development, Amin Awad told reporters in Geneva in a regular online press briefing. 

The UN has so far been extremely quiet about these efforts.  

"There is a lot of shuttling between Moscow and other countries that are concerned, but I don't think there is a very clear solution emerging at the moment," he said.

Senegalese President Macky Sall also travelled to Russia on Friday to urge Vladimir Putin to "be aware" that African countries are "victims" of the conflict.

The Russian president will give "a full explanation of his vision concerning the grain" blocked in Ukrainian ports, the Kremlin said.

The conflict involving Russia and Ukraine, two agricultural superpowers that used to account for 30% of global wheat exports, immediately led to a spike in prices, which have already surpassed those that triggered the Arab springs of 2011 and the food riots of 2008.

The UN fears "a hurricane of famines", mainly in African countries that imported more than half their wheat from Ukraine or Russia.

Ukraine was the world's fourth largest exporter of maize, on its way to becoming the third largest exporter of wheat, and accounted for 50% of world trade in sunflower seeds and oil before the conflict.

(AFP)

'Victory will be ours', says Zelenskyy on 100th day of war

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country won’t stop its resistance against Russia's invasion.

Zelenskyy on Friday issued a video message to mark 100 days of war.

“Our team is much larger,” said Zelenskyy in a defiant statement. “The Ukrainian Armed Forces are here. Most importantly, our people are here.”

“We have defended Ukraine for 100 days already,” he adds.” Victory will be ours!”

(Euronews with AP)

Russia sees risks from Germany 'remilitarising'

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Friday that increased German military spending meant the country was remilitarising and this would increase security risks.

"We perceive the statement of the German Chancellor (Olaf Scholz) as yet another confirmation that Berlin has set a course for an accelerated remilitarisation of the country. How could this end? Alas, this is well known from history," Maria Zakharova said.

(Reuters)

WHO calls for end of war

The World Health Organisation has increased its presence both in Ukraine and in those countries hosting displaced Ukrainians, according to a press release. 

“WHO is doing everything we can to support Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and deliver essential medical supplies and equipment. But the one medicine that Ukraine needs most is the one that WHO can’t deliver – peace. We call on the Russian Federation to end the war,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. 

The international agency also raised concerns about the targeting of healthcare facilities.

“In 100 days of war, there have been over 260 verified attacks on health care in Ukraine. These attacks are not justifiable, they are never okay, and they must be investigated,” said Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

“No health professional should have to deliver health care on a knife edge, but this is just what nurses, doctors, ambulance drivers, the medical teams in Ukraine are doing,” he added.

The WHO said it has responded to the changed health needs in Ukraine by increasing numbers of staff and repurposing systems. This has enabled delivery of over 543 metric tonnes of medical supplies and equipment to the country, which are being distributed mostly in the east, south and northern oblasts where need is currently greatest, it said. 

Supplies provided include trauma surgery supplies, ambulances, Ukrainian-made ventilators able to continue function even when power fails, electric generators and oxygen equipment.

It added that since February 24 the WHO has trained more than 1300 healthcare workers in areas of trauma surgery, mass casualties, burns and chemical exposure, and is currently working with the office of Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, to develop a nationwide mental health programme accessible to all.

Lukashenko open to discussing transit of Ukrainian grain through Belarus

Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko was quoted on Friday as saying that Minsk was ready to discuss the possible transit of Ukraine's grain via Belarus, with some "compromises".

Ukraine, a major global grain exporter, is unable to use its Black Sea ports for supplies since Russia sent thousands of troops to the country on 24 February.

Exports from Ukraine via Belarus have been one of the options in wide discussions led by the United Nations which aim to boost global grain supply as the major food crisis looms. Unblocking of Ukraine's Black Sea ports is another option.

"Now everyone is looking for logistics ... Okay, we can talk. We do not mind: bring it through Belarus, but there must be compromises," local newspaper Belarus Today quoted Lukashenko as saying.

Belarus, a major global potash producer, has been hit by harsh Western sanctions in 2021-2022 which disrupted its exports of the fertiliser via the Baltic Sea ports.

Lukashenko did not say what he would see as the compromises.

(Reuters)

100 days of war in Ukraine: The most defining moments in pictures

From the shock of Russia's invasion back in February to the latest battle for eastern Ukraine, this selection of photos shows the extent of the war's brutality, as well as the impact it has had on people's lives.

Some of the photos have also played a role in the west's support for Ukraine, and ongoing efforts to hold those responsible for the war's atrocities accountable.

100 days of war in Ukraine: The most defining moments in pictures

Russia summons heads of US media outlets in Moscow

Russia's Foreign Ministry said it was summoning the heads of US media outlets in Moscow to a meeting next Monday to notify them of tough measures in response to US restrictions against Russian media.

"If the work of the Russian media – operators and journalists – is not normalised in the United States, the most stringent measures will inevitably follow," ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

(Reuters)

NATO should consider 'de facto' membership for Ukraine, says country's defence minister

NATO should consider granting Ukraine "de facto" rather than "de jure" membership of the alliance when it discusses its strategy for the next 10 years at a summit in June, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Friday.

"I think that if we are talking about the membership of Ukraine with NATO de facto not de jure, it could be the good idea in this strategy," Reznikov told the GLOBSEC 2022 Bratislava Forum by video link.

"Ukraine will be also part of the strategy because we also are part of the eastern flank of Europe, the eastern flank of NATO countries, eastern flank of the EU. I think it will be a win-win situation for all countries," he said.

Reznikov added that he believes the Kremlin is now trying to move the war into a "protracted phase," by building layered defences in occupied regions in the south of the country.

"Instead of advancing, the Russian armies are constructing layered defences" in southern occupied regions, primarily Kherson, he said.

(Euronews / Reuters)

The rise and resilience of Ukraine's tech sector

Last year Ukraine set many tech records, such as its first "decacorns" – start-ups that have exceeded a valuation of $10 billion (€8.8 billion).

At the start of the war, Euronews Next spoke to tech company employees and founders both inside and outside Ukraine to see how they were adapting. Now, 100 days on, we asked them and other companies what had changed.

What has changed for Ukraine’s tech sector in 100 days of war?

EU formally approves embargo on Russia oil

The European Union formally approved on Friday an embargo on Russian oil and other sanctions targeting major banks and broadcasters over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russian crude oil will be phased out over six months, it said, and other refined petroleum products over eight months, with a temporary exception for landlocked countries – like Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia – that “suffer from a specific dependence on Russian supplies and have no viable alternative options.”

Bulgaria and Croatia will also get “temporary derogations” for certain kinds of oil, it added.

EU leaders say the move means that around 90% of Russia’s oil exports to Europe will be blocked by year’s end. The EU imports around 25% of its oil from Russia.

Russia’s biggest bank, Sberbank, plus Credit Bank of Moscow, Russian Agriculture Bank and the Belarusian Bank for Development and Reconstruction have also been blocked from using the SWIFT system for international bank transfers.

Meanwhile, broadcasters Rossiya RTR/RTR Planeta, Rossiya 24 / Russia 24 and TV Centre International have been hit over allegations that they are being used by Moscow “to manipulate information and promote disinformation about the invasion of Ukraine.”

(Euronews / AP)

Ukrainian ambassador says Turkey among those buying grain stolen by Russia

Kyiv's ambassador to Ankara said on Friday that Turkey is among the countries buying grain that Russia stole from Ukraine, according to Reuters.

Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar also told reporters that he had sought help from Turkish authorities and Interpol to investigate who is involved in the shipments of grains transiting Turkish waters.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian embassy in Beirut accused Russia of sending Syria an estimated 100,000 tonnes of wheat stolen from Ukraine, describing the shipments as "criminal activity".

Ukraine investigates deportation of children as possible genocide

Prosecutors investigating war crimes cases in Ukraine are examining allegations of the forcible deportation of children to Russia, as they seek to build a genocide indictment, the country’s top prosecutor said in an interview.

International humanitarian law classifies the forced mass deportation of people during a conflict as a war crime. Forcibly transferring children in particular qualifies as genocide, the most serious of war crimes, under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, who is overseeing multiple war crimes inquiries in Ukraine, said: "we have more than 20 cases about forcible transfer of people" to Russia from various regions across the eastern European country since the invasion began on 24 February.

"From the first days of the war, we started this case about genocide," Venediktova told Reuters. 

She said that focusing on the removal of children offered the best way to secure the evidence needed to meet the rigorous legal definition of genocide: "That's why this forcible transfer of children is very important for us."

Ukraine’s human rights ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova, said in mid May that Russia had relocated more than 210,000 children during the conflict, part of more than 1.2 million Ukrainians who Kyiv said have been deported against their will.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has hit back against suggestion from Russia that Ukraine will use US-supplied Multiple Launch Rocket Systems to attack facilities in Russia. 

"Ukraine is waging a defensive war and does not plan to use the MLRS to attack facilities in Russia. Our partners know where their weapons are used," Podolyak wrote.

The US agreed earlier this week to supply the truck-mounted high-tech rocket systems to Ukraine as part of a new $700 million (€653 million) round of military support, as the country continues to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

Von der Leyen marks Ukraine war's 100 days in tweet

Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, posted a message on Twitter to mark 100 days since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

"100 days ago Russia unleashed its unjustifiable war on Ukraine. The bravery of Ukrainians commands our respect and our admiration. The EU stands with Ukraine," she wrote.

Patriarch Kirill excluded from EU sanctions after Hungary’s objection

Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia's Orthodox Church, will be excluded from the latest package of EU sanctions against Russia after Hungary's objection, three diplomats have told Euronews.

The last-minute move from Budapest angered diplomats, with one calling it "hostage policy."

Read more below

Patriarch Kirill excluded from EU sanctions after Hungary’s objection

100 days in, Russia has achieved none of its strategic objectives, says British MoD

In its latest Defence Intelligence update, the British Ministry of Defence highlighted the progression of the war in Ukraine over the last 100 days. 

It pointed out that Russian forces failed to achieve their initial objectives to seize Kyiv and Ukrainian centres of government, and that following the failure of the initial plan Russia adapted its operational design to focus on the Donbas.

“Russia is now achieving tactical success in the Donbas. Russian forces have generated and maintained momentum and currently appear to hold the initiative over Ukrainian opposition,” it said, adding that Russia now controls over 90% of Luhansk Oblast, and is likely to complete control in the next two weeks.

“Russia has achieved these recent tactical successes at significant resource cost, and by concentrating force and fires on a single part of the overall campaign. Russia has not been able to generate manoeuvre or movement on other fronts or axes, all of which have transitioned to the defensive.”

Even so, looking back over the last 100 days, the ministry said that measured against Russia’s original plan, none of the strategic objectives have been achieved. “In order for Russia to achieve any form of success will require continued huge investment of manpower and equipment, and is likely to take considerable further time.”

US adds Russian airplane factories to economic blacklist

The United States on Thursday added 71 Russian and Belarusian entities to its trade blacklist, including several aircraft factories, shipbuilding and research institutes in its latest effort to deprive the Russian military of US technology and other items.

The export restrictions are among a raft of new sanctions Washington imposed on Thursday in response to Russia's war in Ukraine, including prohibitions on additional Russian oligarchs and members of the country's elite.

The companies added include several aircraft plants and the Voronezh Joint Stock Aircraft Company, one of the largest Russian factories for passenger and cargo aircraft.

In total, the US Commerce Department has now added 322 entities to its economic blacklist for support of Russia’s military since February.

"The US and our international partners have put in place strong, sweeping restrictions on Russia’s ability to obtain the items and technologies it needs to sustain its military aggression,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez.

(Reuters)

US vows to hold Russia accountable for crimes

The United States and its allies are vowing to hold Russia accountable for crimes committed by its forces since the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

US Undersecretary of State Uzra Zeya told a UN Security Council meeting Thursday that in nearly 100 days the world has seen Russian forces bomb maternity hospitals, train stations, apartment buildings and homes and even kill civilians cycling down the street.

Zeya said the US is working with its allies to support a broad range of international investigations into atrocities in Ukraine.

Ireland’s Attorney General Paul Gallagher welcomed efforts over the last three months to support calls for justice in Ukraine, saying Ireland was one of 41 countries that quickly referred the situation in the country to the International Criminal Court.

Gallagher said the ICC has deployed a team of 42 investigators, forensic experts and support staff to investigate Russian crimes and support Ukrainian efforts.

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Western nations of “hypocrisy” for suddenly seeking international criminal justice over what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

(AP)

Brutal fighting, but 'some progress' in Sievierodonetsk, says Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the fighting was brutal in the eastern Donbas but there has been “some progress” in the city of Sievierodonetsk, where Russian forces have been tightening their grip. He said it was too early to give specifics.

“It’s the toughest there right now. As in the cities and communities nearby – Lysychansk, Bakhmut and others,” Zekenskyy said late Thursday in his nightly video address to the nation. “There are many cities where the Russian attack is powerful.”

Zelenskyy said Russian forces were mobilising people from areas of the Donbas that were already under their control and sending them into battle in the first line of attack, with Russian troops coming in behind them.

“The longer the war goes on, the more vile, shameful and cynical things Russia is forever inscribing in its history,” he said.

Zelenskyy said he was thankful to the United States for agreeing to send advanced rocket systems. “These weapons really can save the lives of our people and defend our land,” he said.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is expecting deliveries of modern combat systems from other countries and noted that Sweden announced Thursday it was sending a new package of military assistance.

(AP)

60 per cent of Lysychansk destroyed, says Ukrainian official

Some 60 per cent of the infrastructure and residential buildings in Lysychansk, one of only two cities in the east still under at least partial Ukrainian control, have been destroyed from attacks, a local official said Thursday.

Oleksandr Zaika, head of Lysychansk City Military-Civil Administration, said on an “information telemarathon” cited by the Unian news agency that non-stop shelling had knocked out electricity, natural gas, telephone and internet service.

One of the most critical pathways for supplies and evacuations, the Bakhmut-Lysychansk highway, is still open but under constant bombardment.

Humanitarian supplies are still reaching the city, where shrapnel and mines dot the landscape, he said.

Zaika said 20,000 people are left in the city, down from a pre-war population of 97,000.

Lysychansk is separated by a river from the other city in the region that’s still under at least partial Ukrainian control, Sievierodonetsk. It, too, is under Russian siege.

(AP)