What's happening in Ukraine on Friday: The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted its first statement since Russia's military action began Feb. 24, expressing 'strong support' for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' efforts to find a peaceful solution to the 'dispute' in Ukraine.
What's happening in Ukraine today and how are countries around the world responding? Read live updates on President Vladimir Putin's Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv, Guterres reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the evacuation of civilians, first and foremost from the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol and the Azovstal steel plant where the last Ukrainian forces are holding out along with hundreds of civilians in underground bunkers.Fifty civilians were evacuated Friday from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.
Ukrainian fighters holed up at the sprawling complex are making their last stand to prevent Moscow's complete takeover of the strategic port city.UNITED NATIONS -- Members of the United Nations Security Council, including Russia, have agreed on a statement expressing "strong support" for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' efforts to find a peaceful solution to the "dispute" in Ukraine.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the evacuation of civilians, first and foremost from the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol and its last Ukrainian forces holdout at the Azovstal steel plant where hundreds of civilians are also still living in underground bunkers.
"It's a country of crooked mirrors. Russia has created pseudo-republics. It appointed ambassadors, from itself to itself. These 'diplomats' will face the most severe responsibility. As will other traitors," Oleg Nykolenko wrote in a Telegram post Friday. Separately on Friday, Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said authorities will not be extending the curfew in Kyiv; one has already been introduced. But street patrols would be reinforced. ------
"As a result of the offensive by units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, control was restored over the settlements of Aleksandrovka, Fedorovka, Ukrainka, Shestakovo, Pobeda and part of the village of Cherkassky Tishki," said a Facebook post published Friday afternoon on the official profile of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In a Telegram post, Serhiy Haidai said more than 3,500 residents of the city of Kreminna had found themselves in Russian-controlled territory. Small rural gas plants that provide energy for hundreds or thousands of nearby homes aren't -- at least anytime soon -- going to supplant the huge flows to Europe of Russian gas that powers economies, factories, business and homes. And critics of using crops to make gas argue that farmers should be concentrating on growing food -- especially when prices are soaring amid the fallout of the war in Ukraine, one of the world's breadbaskets.
Iryna Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram that the 41 people who've been returned include 28 military personnel and 13 civilians.MOSCOW -- Russia has no intention of deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday, a day after Moscow's top diplomat in the U.S. chided Western officials for targeting it with "baseless" accusations.
"The current generation of NATO politicians clearly does not take the nuclear threat seriously," Antonov told Newsweek. Western officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin could use the Victory Day holiday to make an announcement about the war -- either declaring a victory or escalating the conflict.Germany is part of the Western alliance supporting Ukraine, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has yet to make a solidarity visit to the country.
Zelenskyy told a meeting at London's Chatham House think-tank on Friday that "regaining the situation as of the 23rd of February" -- the day before the invasion -- is a prerequisite for talks. Asked whether Russia would soon take full control of the besieged port city of Mariupol, Zelenskyy said: "Mariupol will never fall. I'm not talking about heroism or anything. There is nothing there to fall apart. It is already devastated.
Kasoulides said he believes the EU will move to impose additional sanctions on law and accounting firms servicing Russian-owned companies specifically registered in Russia. Last month, two explosions in a radio facility close to the border with Ukraine knocked out of service a pair of powerful broadcast antennas in Moldova's separatist region of Trans-Dniester, according to local police.
He said: "Today, in the face of the barbarism of war, this yearning for unity must be fuelled again."GENEVA -- The UN's Food and Agricultural Organization is pointing to "anecdotal evidence" that Russian forces are stealing grain from Ukraine, at a time when the country's ports have been all but unable to export following the Russian invasion.
Speaking on state radio, Viktor Orban reiterated earlier statements from Hungarian officials that Hungary would not support a new round of proposed EU sanctions against Russia if they included a ban on Russian oil exports. On Friday, Orban said that converting Hungary's oil refineries and pipelines to be able to process oil from different sources would take five years and require massive investment.COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Denmark is sending 5.7 million pairs of medical gloves to Ukraine, authorities said Friday, adding they were responding to a Ukrainian request sent via the European Union's crisis preparedness centre.