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Russia’s battle on Ukraine is in its ninth day. U.N. and Ukrainian officers say no radiation was launched from a Russian assault at Europe’s largest nuclear energy plant. One constructing caught fireplace and firefighters have extinguished the blaze.
Russian forces continued to press a marketing campaign that has introduced world condemnation. Folks throughout Ukraine have taken up arms and sought shelter. Greater than 1.2 million folks have fled to neighboring nations, the U.N. refugee company mentioned Friday.
NATO is refusing to police a no-fly zone over Ukraine. The 30-nation navy group believes such a transfer might provoke widespread battle in Europe with Russia.
Right here’s a have a look at key issues to know in regards to the battle:
NUCLEAR SAFETY CONCERNS
Russian troops seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant within the southeastern metropolis of Enerhodar in an assault that evoked reminiscences of the world’s worst nuclear catastrophe, at Ukraine’s Chernobyl.
The Worldwide Atomic Power Company mentioned no radiation spikes had been detected. The chief of the U.N. company, Rafael Mariano Grossi, mentioned a Russian “projectile” hit a coaching heart, not any of the six reactors.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal appealed to the IAEA and the EU to ship representatives to all 5 Ukrainian nuclear energy crops. “This can be a query of the safety of the entire world,” he mentioned in a nighttime video handle.
The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine issued an unexpectedly harsh assertion calling Russia’s assault on the nuclear plant a battle crime.
DIRECTLY WITNESSED OR CONFIRMED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Frequent shelling may very well be heard Friday from the middle of the capital, Kyiv.
Heavy preventing continued on the outskirts of Mariupol, a strategic port, knocking out the town’s electrical energy, warmth and water programs, and most cellphone service. Meals deliveries had been additionally lower.
In tales and movies posted on-line, Russian state shops are falsely claiming that Zelenskyy fled Kyiv. Pictures and movies present the Ukrainian president main his nation’s protection.
Russian forces have captured the southern metropolis of Kherson, an important Black Sea port of 280,000 — the primary main metropolis to fall. Russian armored autos had been seen within the in any other case empty streets of Kherson, in movies shared with the AP by a resident.
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND?
Battles involving airstrikes and artillery continued Friday northwest of Kyiv, and within the northeast, with the cities of Kharkiv and Okhtyrka coming beneath heavy strikes, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich mentioned.
Ukrainian protection forces had been holding on to the northern metropolis of Chernihiv, and have prevented Russian efforts to take the necessary southern metropolis of Mykolaiv, he mentioned.
Ukrainian artillery have been defending Odesa from repeated makes an attempt by Russian ships to fireside on the Black Sea port metropolis, he mentioned, insisting there’s no rapid menace to the town.
Some Ukrainian drone fans are risking their lives by forming a volunteer drone pressure to assist their nation repel the Russian invasion. Civilians are utilizing the aerial cameras to trace Russian convoys and relay the pictures and GPS coordinates to Ukrainian troops.
WHERE ARE REFUGEES GOING?
The United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Refugees’ knowledge portal confirmed that the overwhelming majority of those that have left Ukraine because the invasion started — about 650,000 — went to neighboring Poland. Roughly 145,000 fled to Hungary. An extra 103,000 had been in Moldova and greater than 90,000 in Slovakia.
Greater than 100 Jewish refugee kids who had been evacuated from a foster care house in Ukraine and made their means throughout Europe by bus arrived in Berlin on Friday. The 105 kids — the youngest solely 5 weeks outdated — had left Odesa 52 hours earlier. The kids acquired monetary help from Jewish assist teams, and diplomatic assist from Israel, Germany and different European states.
Brazil — which has Latin America’s largest inhabitants of Ukrainians and their descendants — mentioned it is going to situation non permanent humanitarian visas and residency permits for Ukrainian nationals and others affected by the battle.
In Hungary, a pastor in a village on the border with Ukraine provided up the one room in his church to a household of 27 girls and kids who had been fleeing the invasion.
HOW MANY CASUALTIES?
Russia has acknowledged that almost 500 Russian troops have been killed and round 1,600 wounded.
Ukraine has not launched casualty figures for its armed forces.
The U.N. human rights workplace says at the least 331 civilians have been killed and 675 wounded in Ukraine because the begin of the invasion. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service has mentioned greater than 2,000 civilians have died, although it’s unimaginable to confirm the declare.
BIDEN MEETS WITH FINNISH PRESIDENT NIINISTO
U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is “an assault on the safety of Europe.”
Biden made the remark whereas assembly on Friday with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto within the White Home. Biden mentioned in a tweet that the 2 leaders known as Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson throughout their assembly.
Biden and Niinisto dedicated to start out a course of that will strengthen U.S.-Finnish safety cooperation, the White Home mentioned.
Finland, in addition to neighbor Sweden, for years has resisted becoming a member of NATO, with Nordic European Union members searching for to stay impartial between Russia and the West. However the Russian invasion of Ukraine is altering the dynamic.
Biden mentioned firstly of his assembly with Niinisto: “We agree it’s not solely an assault on Ukraine, it’s an assault on the safety of Europe.”
The Finnish chief mentioned his nation will do its finest to assist Ukraine.
SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA
The wave of world sanctions on Russia might have devastating penalties for vitality and grain importers. Russia is a number one exporter of grains and a serious provider of crude oil, metals, wooden and plastics.
Extra corporations are suspending operations in Russia, together with Apple, Mercedes-Benz, BP, Volkswagen, clothes retailer H&M and furnishings retailer IKEA.
Spain’s Teatro Actual, one among Europe’s main opera homes, mentioned it’s canceling a set of upcoming performances by Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet.
RUSSIA’S MEDIA CRACKDOWN
Putin on Friday signed a invoice into legislation that threatens as much as 15 years in jail for what Russia deems to be “faux” studies in regards to the battle.
Additionally, the state communications watchdog blocked Fb, Twitter and 5 overseas media organizations primarily based overseas that publish information in Russian. These organizations — the BBC, the U.S. government-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and Latvia-based web site Meduza — are among the many most influential and sometimes important overseas media publishing in Russian.
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Observe the AP’s protection of the battle between Russia and Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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