These are some of the most important events from Ukraine night to Friday.
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Explosions in Lviv
There are reports of explosions in Lviv in western Ukraine on Friday morning. The city is not too far from the border with Poland. Since the war began, a number of internally displaced people have fled here.
A building near Lviv airport has been hit, the mayor of the city told the BBC.
He says the airport itself has not been hit.
According to Reuters, there have been at least three explosions west of the city.
They quote the Ukrainian TV station Ukraine 24 on this.
Pictures from the city show a cloud of smoke rising above the city.
Lviv is only 70 kilometers from the Polish border. So far in the west of the country, there have so far been few Russian attacks.
The BBC’s correspondent in Lviv, Jonah Fisher, says it is possible that the Russian forces are trying to block the supply of weapons into the country.
Russia “falters” due to logistical problems
Logistical problems are helping to slow down Russia’s “shaky” invasion. The British defense believes so.
Reluctance to choose more difficult routes. Lack of control over the airspace. And limited opportunities to build bridges. All this prevents Russia from effectively supplying the forces with basic things such as food and fuel, the Ministry of Defense writes in its daily intelligence report on the war in Ukraine.
– Continuous Ukrainian counterattacks force Russia to redirect large numbers of forces to defend its own supply lines. This is a serious blow to Russia’s offensive potential, it is further stated.
A six-mile-long Russian military column stood virtually still for about ten days northwest of Kyiv. Damaged vehicles and lack of food and fuel have been mentioned as possible reasons for the column standing.
There have also been reports that Russian forces have looted grocery stores in Ukraine.
– Attacks civilian targets
Russian forces are increasingly targeting civilian targets in Ukraine, according to the US government.
“We have seen an increase in attacks on civilian infrastructure, civilian targets,” a senior Pentagon official told the DPA news agency. The UN had registered 726 civilian killings on 15 March since the war broke out on 24 February. Of these, 52 were children. 1,174 were wounded. The real number is probably much higher.
Operation to remove Russian forces from Kyiv
An operation aimed at driving Russian forces out of the outskirts of the capital Kyiv has begun. It reports Ukraine’s defense.
Oleksandr Pavljuk, who heads the regional defense in Kyiv, told Ukrainian TV late Thursday that there is “opposition from the enemy”, reports the Ukrainian news agency Unian.
Russian units are on the move, he added, but said he could not provide further details because the operation is ongoing. Pavlyuk called the situation in the Kyiv region difficult, but “controllable”. He added that it is difficult to make predictions.
New sanctions from Japan
Japan freezes the accounts of several Russian citizens and organizations in response to the war in Ukraine, reports the news agency Kyodo. Among those subject to the latest sanctions are the head of the military intelligence service GRU and the state arms supplier Rosoboronexport.
In total, Japan has now imposed sanctions on 95 Russian individuals and groups after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February. Australia also extended its sanctions against Russia last night.
Meetings between China and Russia
Chinese and Russian representatives met on Thursday, the day before Chinese President Xi Jinping will speak with US President Joe Biden about the war in Ukraine. Cheng Guoping, who according to the BBC is the commissioner for foreign and security affairs at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, met with Russian Ambassador Andrei Denisov.
The two had a thorough conversation about views, including the relationship between the two countries and global anti-terrorism cooperation, it is said in a statement from the ministry. Ukraine is not mentioned in the statement, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry writes that “the world has entered a period of turbulence and change”, and that China and Russia must strengthen cooperation in the face of the “sad global anti-terrorism situation”.
Warns to alien warriors
Also on Friday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj posted a video message on social media.
Here he spent a lot of time issuing a strong warning to foreign soldiers who were considering enlisting in the Russian army.
“We have information that the Russian military is trying to recruit mercenaries from abroad,” said Zelensky, who went on to say that it would be “the worst decision of their lives.”
– A long life is better than money, and you are offered a short life, he said.
It has previously been reported that Russia has recruited forces from Chechnya and also tried to recruit fighters from the Middle East.
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