President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his forces are strengthening defenses in eastern Ukraine and Donbas, where Russia’s goal is to complete its takeover of the region. He said Ukraine has a shortage of modern anti-missile systems.
Russia said it struck an oil refinery supplying Ukrainian troops in central and eastern parts of the country. Transnistria, a pro-Russian enclave in neighboring Moldova, denied a Ukrainian claim that Moscow’s forces are redeploying in its territory in possible preparation for an attack from the west,
A Ukrainian negotiator said he views peace talks as advanced enough to set the stage for talks between Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, though there was no word from Moscow. The U.S. said it’s sending another $300 million in military and medical assistance to Ukraine, including Switchblade dive-bombing drones.
Key Developments
Gazprom Starts Telling Clients How to Pay for Gas in Rubles
Putin Set for $321 Billion Windfall If Oil, Gas Keep Flowing
A Hundred Firms Pull $45 Billion of Deals Since War in Ukraine
EU Tells China It Expects Help to Persuade Russia to End War
How War, Oil and Ships Are Building a Hunger Crisis: QuickTake
Two European Strongmen Bid to Keep Power in the Shadow of War
Sweden Revives Forces to Shield Baltic From Putin (7 a.m.)
Sweden’s top army officer has been waiting a long time to get back to the windswept Baltic Sea island of Gotland.
Karl Engelbrektson was a unit commander on Gotland in 2005 when Sweden withdrew its military from the crucial perch in the center of the Baltic, taking advantage of the post-Cold War peace. Even then, he thought the move was ill-judged
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Russia said two Ukrainian military helicopters made a rare strike across the border, hitting an oil tank facility in the city of Belgorod. There was no immediate confirmation from Kyiv. In Ukraine, Kyiv said its forces retook several villages in the Kherson region to the south, and that talks between the two sides are set to resume by video conference on Friday. There’s still no verification of that from Moscow.
The United Nations said relief convoys had so far failed to reach Mariupol, with the southern port city devastated by weeks of shelling. Russia said a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol was planned for Friday.
President Vladimir Putin said Russia would continue supplying gas to Europe even as it demands customers pay in rubles, easing fears the change could lead to damaging disruptions. European Union leaders plan to warn Putin’s key ally China that it will suffer a blow to its global role if it offers support for the invasion.
Russia Says Ukraine Struck Oil Facility Near Belgorod (5:20 a.m.)
Russia said two Ukrainian helicopters crossed the border and attacked an oil-storage facility in the city of Belgorod, causing a large fire early Friday.
Tass quoted Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov as saying the aircraft flew in at low altitude. Eight oil fuel tanks were burning and authorities said the fire might spread. Two workers were reported injured and nearby residents were being evacuated.
Focused on fighting Russian troops on their own territory, Ukrainian forces haven’t claimed any strikes on the other side of the border since the start of the war. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv on the Belgorod fire.
Stocks Mixed as Crude Oil Drops (5:08 a.m.)
U.S. equity futures pushed higher and Asian stocks were mixed as investors evaluated the economic outlook amid moderating oil prices, tightening Federal Reserve policy and the war.
Oil held losses on a move by the U.S. to release roughly a million barrels a day from reserves to tackle rising energy costs. Russia’s invasion has disrupted commodity flows, fanning prices for everything from fuel to food.
China Minister Says No One Can Split G-20 (4:51 a.m.)
All members of the Group of 20 nations have equal status and no one has the power to split the group, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, according to a ministry statement. Biden has previously said Russia should be removed from the G-20.
Japan Won’t Exit Sakhalin-1 or 2 (4:00 a.m)
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the country won’t withdraw from the Sakhalin-1 or 2 oil and gas project in Russia.
Resource-poor Japan currently gets 3.6% of its imported crude oil from Russia, while roughly 90% of it comes from Middle Eastern countries, according to trade ministry data. Japan procures 9% of its LNG and 13% of its thermal coal imports from Russia.
UN Aid Convoy Reached Sumy, Mariupol Blocked (10:40 p.m.)
The United Nations said its aid convoy was able to get through to the northeastern city of Sumy, where it delivered food, medicine and other supplies. But it said that the UN and partners have still not been able to deliver aid to other regions, including Mariupol.
Ukraine Says Russian Forces Exposed to Radiation (9:33 p.m.)
Russian troops began leaving the Chernobyl nuclear plant after soldiers got “significant doses” of radiation from digging trenches at the highly contaminated site, Ukraine’s state power company said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was unable to confirm the reports of radiation exposure and is “seeking further information.” The IAEA said it was told by Ukrainian officials that Russia has transferred control of the facility, in writing, back to Ukraine.
Ukraine Says Less Than 1,500 People Evacuated Thursday (9:08 p.m.)
Despite guarantees from the International Red Cross and Moscow, Russian troops blocked Ukrainian buses from entering Berdyansk, a port about 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Mariupol, and Melitopol, Vereshchuk said.
At the requests of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Russia will open a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Kyiv-controlled territory on Friday as well, Ria Novosti reported, citing the Defense Ministry.
White House Jabs Putin, Again (8:21 p.m.)
Biden said there are signs that Putin has fired or detained key advisers
“There’s a lot of speculation,” Biden said, adding that Putin “seems self-isolated.” Biden also said it’s an “open question” how misinformed Putin is about the status of his military’s efforts in Ukrain
“But I don’t want to put too much stock in at this time because we don’t have that much hard evidence,” he added
Russian Forces Seen Leaving Chernobyl (7:50 p.m.)
Ukraine’s nuclear regulator said the head of Russian troops at the Chernobyl facility said they are departing after taking the facility infamous for its 1986 meltdown in the early days of the war.
Leonid Oliynyk, Energoatom’s spokesman, confirmed a letter posted on Telegram announcing the departure. Oliynyk -- who isn’t at Chernobyl -- said he was told that most Russian troops left the facility in two columns and appeared headed toward Belarus. It didn’t appear that all Russian troops had departed, however.
EU Pushed to Debate Withholding Some Energy Revenue (7:45 p.m.)
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas asked the European Commission to present a proposal to withhold a share of the revenue that goes to Russia for its energy exports as a possible alternative to a broader energy embargo, according to a document seen by Bloomberg News.
The Baltic nation, which has demanded tougher sanctions on Moscow, is proposing that the money stay frozen in a special account until Russia withdraws its troops from Ukraine, and wants the proposal to be included in the EU’s next sanctions package. Kallas said that the EU has collectively paid more than 22 billion euros ($24 billion) to import energy from Russia since the start of the war last month.
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