Fighting Between Russian And Ukrainian Forces Reaches Mariupol City Center, Mayor Says

Fighting Has Reached Mariupol’s Center, Mayor Says

The battle between Ukrainian and Russian forces for control of Mariupol has reached the city center, Mayor Vadym Boichenko told the BBC Friday.

Boichenko also said more than 80% of residential buildings have been damaged, with around 30% mangled beyond repair, confirming earlier reports of catastrophic damage in the city.

Russians have besieged the port city along the Sea of Azov for weeks, and appear to have isolated it from the rest of Ukrainian-controlled areas in the southern part of the country. Getting control of Mariupol seems to be a top priority for Russian forces, since it would complete a landbridge between Russian-backed separatist states in the Donbas region and Crimea.

The mayor said “everybody is hiding in bunkers” in the city, which had been home to more than 400,000 people. Local officials believe more than 2,300 civilians have been killed in the city so far and about 30,000 have fled.

Russian shelling hit a theater Wednesday where residents were sheltering in a basement. Ukrainians officials believe around 1,300 people were in the building when it was bombed, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that, as of Friday, only about 130 people had been rescued from the rubble.

Russians also struck a maternity hospital in Mariupol last week.

Putin Speaks At War Rally In Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to thousands of supporters in a packed stadium in Moscow on Friday to rally support for the country’s invasion into Ukraine. During Putin’s speech, he falsely claimed his invasion was to prevent the “genocide” of Russian people in Ukraine, and paraphrased the Bible, saying “there is no greater love than giving up one’s soul for one’s friends.” Read more about the rally here.

— Anna Kaplan

China’s Xi Tells Biden Conflict Is Not In ‘Anyone’s Interest’

Conflict and confrontation are not in “anyone’s interest,” Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Joe Biden on a call Friday morning, according to Chinese state news agency CCTV.

“State-to-state relations cannot go to the stage of military confrontation,” CCTV quoted Xi as saying on the call. “Peace and security are the most cherished treasures of the international community.”

Al Jazeera and CNN report Xi also said China and the U.S. have a responsibility to ensure peace, adding “the Ukraine crisis is something that we don’t want to see.”

The call between Xi and Biden lasted for about an hour and 50 minutes, according to the White House, in one of the first conversations between the two leaders in months. The White House has not yet released a readout of the call.

Biden and Xi’s conversation comes at a tense time in relations between the countries, as Russia reportedly asked China for military support and economic assistance earlier this week. Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have strengthened their countries’ partnership in recent years, saying in a joint statement their cooperation knows “no limits” ahead of the 2022 Olympics in February. The New York Times reports China asked Russia to delay the invasion until after the Beijing games ended. The Closing Ceremony ended on February 20, and Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

— Anna Kaplan

At Least 130 Survivors Rescued From Mariupol Theater — But Hundreds More May Be Trapped

At least 130 people have been rescued on Friday from a theater bombed by Russia, while more than 1,300 civilians were sheltering there, Ukraine’s human rights commissioner Liudmyla Denisova said in an interview with a Ukrainian news outlet. It is unclear how many people remain under the rubble from the bombing.

“According to our data there are still more than 1,300 people there who are in these basements, in that bomb shelter,” Denisova said, according to a translation from the New York Times. Denisova said she doesn’t have figures on how many people were injured or killed from the Wednesday attack.

Satellite images taken in the days before the attack appeared to show “children” written in Russian on both sides of the building. Communication with people in the city has been difficult, as Russian soldiers have “deliberately destroyed” the city’s infrastructure, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko wrote in a Facebook post. Denisova said Mariupol has been hit with “continuous” bombardment in recent days and that 70% of houses in the city have been damaged.

— Anna Kaplan

Russia Loses Bid To Get Back Into FIFA

The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Russia’s attempt to block a FIFA ban on Russian soccer teams and clubs pending a full appeal, the court said Friday.

The court decision means Russia is banned from playing Poland in the World Cup qualifying playoffs next week.

The court on Tuesday declined to freeze the Union of European Football Associations’ (UEFA) ban on Russian soccer teams, the Associated Press reported.

Last month, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russian soccer teams and clubs from competing in events until further notice in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, they said in a statement.

Several Russian sports teams and athletes, including gymnasts, have been banned from international events following the Russian invasion.

— Lisa Kim

Russia Threatens Strike On Foreign Military Supplies Moving Into Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday any foreign supplies to Ukraine that Russia believes hold military equipment would be “legitimate targets” for Russian strikes.

“We clearly said that any cargo moving into the Ukrainian territory which we would believe is carrying weapons would be fair game,” Lavrov said in an interview with Russian news agency RT. “This is clear because we are implementing the operation the goal of which is to remove any threat to the Russian Federation coming from the Ukrainian soil.”

Lavrov also threatened “countries playing with the idea” of supplying Ukraine with Soviet-made weapons, saying some of the weapons have end-user certificates which prevent the transfer of the materials to another country. “The end-user certificate doesn’t allow for that, to send weapons to any third country without our consent,” Lavrov said, noting it is a legal obligation.

— Anna Kaplan

Food Supply Chains Are ‘Falling Apart’ In Ukraine, UN Warns

Ukraine’s food supply chain is collapsing amid Russia’s invasion, warned an official from the United Nations’ World Food Program on Friday, according to Reuters.

“The country’s food supply chain is falling apart,” said the WFP’s Jakob Kern, who is the organization’s emergency coordinator for the Ukraine crisis. Supplies of food and water are running out in encircled cities like Mariupol and the organization’s convoys are unable to gain access to replenish supplies, Kern added. The movement of goods into and around Ukraine has also slowed, Kern said, pointing to the security situation and reluctance of drivers.

The implications of the invasion for food security reach far beyond Ukraine, Kern said, warning of “collateral hunger” elsewhere. The WFP buys nearly half its wheat from Ukraine and the disruption has caused a sharp increase in prices. The increase, which is also driven by inflation, means the organization is spending an extra $71 million on food a month. That’s enough to purchase food supplies for 4 million people, Kern said.

– Robert Hart

Putin Accuses Kyiv Of Trying To ‘Drag Out’ Negotiations

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Kyiv of “trying to drag out” peace talks with “unrealistic proposals,” in a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday, according to multiple news reports. Putin said Russia was keen to continue negotiations “in line with its well-known principled approaches” during the fourth round of talks.

Those briefed on talks say there has been significant progress on agreeing terms, including a ceasefire and withdrawal in exchange for Kyiv declaring neutrality, according to the Financial Times.

On Wednesday, both sides signaled progress in negotiations and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said proposals were becoming “more realistic,” admitting that Ukraine will not become a NATO member despite its aspirations.

Russia has been accused of negotiating in bad faith to gain a tactical advantage fighting. Moscow has also likely negotiated—and later broke—ceasefires as a ploy to reset troops, according to U.K. military intelligence.

– Robert Hart

Drive Less, Fly Less And WFH To Avoid ‘Crippling Oil Shock’ From Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine, Says IEA

The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Friday called on wealthy nations to cut speed limits on highways, fly less, drive less and work from home more to reduce oil demand and stave off the “risk of a crippling oil crunch” in the wake of supply issues following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has potentially triggered one of the biggest oil supply shocks in decades, the IEA warned. The organization proposed a “10-Point Plan to Cut Oil Use” to help mitigate the crisis.

Read more about the IEA’s proposal here.

– Robert Hart

Russian Forces Have Made ‘Minimal Progress This Week,’ U.K. Defense Ministry Says

Russian forces have “made minimal progress” in Ukraine this week, according to an intelligence update from the U.K. defense ministry on Friday.

Ukrainian forces are continuing to frustrate Russian attempts to encircle the cities of Kyiv and Mykolaiv, the report said. The cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol, however, remain encircled and are “subject to heavy Russian shelling,” the report added.

Earlier this week, the ministry outlined a number of “logistical problems” that have hampered “Russia’s faltering invasion of Ukraine,” including ongoing supply problems driven by its failure to control airspace, a “reluctance to maneuver cross-country” and limited bridging capabilities. “Incessant Ukrainian counterattacks” have also forced Russia to divert large numbers of troops to defend its own supply lines, which is “severely limiting Russia’s offensive potential.”

– Robert Hart

British Media Watchdog Revokes Kremlin-Backed RT’s Broadcast License

Russian state-backed news outlet RT has had its broadcasting license in the U.K. revoked with “immediate effect,” Britain’s media watchdog Ofcom announced on Friday. The regulator said it was not satisfied that RT can be “a responsible broadcaster” or that its licensee, ANO TV Novosti, is “fit and proper to hold” a broadcast license.

Ofcom cited 29 ongoing investigations into the channel’s coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its poor history of impartiality and the fact it is funded by the Russian state when explaining its decision. It also cited Russian laws “which effectively criminalize any independent journalism that departs from the Russian state’s own news narrative.” Ofcom’s chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes said the U.K. “fiercely” guards freedom of expression “and the bar for action on broadcasters is rightly set very high.”

RT deputy editor-in-chief Anna Belkina said the decision showed Ofcom was “nothing more than a tool of government.”

– Robert Hart

Key Takeaways: Reported Missile Strikes Near Western City Of Lviv

• Missiles struck the western Ukrainian city of Lviv early Friday, Mayor Andriy Sadovy said, adding the missiles hit an unknown target near Lviv’s airport less than four miles from the city center.
• Australia and Japan unveiled additional sanctions on Russian companies and individuals Friday, targeting more than a dozen Russian government officials, defense contractors, Russian billionaires as well as major Russian banks and financial institutions.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged paid fighters from Russia to stay away from the conflict early Friday, saying: “This will be the worst decision of your life.”
• Russian forces have taken into custody the mayor of Velykoburlutska in northeastern Ukraine, according to multiple reports—the mayor, Viktor Tereshchenko, appears to be the fourth Ukrainian political figure the Russians have detained in recent days.
• A U.S. citizen has been killed in Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference Thursday, and multiple reports said the American was killed in the city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, citing local police who said the death was a result of Russian artillery fire.
• The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly approved revoking normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus, paving the way for higher tariffs on goods from those countries.