– Ukraine says 17 useless in Russian missile strikes in Odesa area
This text was final up to date at 04:05 UTC/GMT
Czech Republic’s EU presidency to deal with Ukraine
The Czech Republic will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on Friday, the second time it has executed so because the nation joined the EU in 2004.
Throughout its six-month chairmanship, the Czech Republic plans to deal with the warfare in Ukraine and its penalties. This contains dealing with the inflow of refugees and enhancing power safety.
To mark the event, the President of the European Fee Ursula von der Leyen and the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala are assembly on Friday at Litomysl Citadel, about 160 kilometers east of Prague.
France held the rotating presidency for the primary half of this 12 months.
17 useless in Russian missile strikes in Odesa area
A Russian missile struck a multi-story house constructing in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Odesa area early on Friday, killing not less than 14 folks and wounding 30, the emergency providers mentioned.
Seven folks have been rescued from the rubble of the constructing, together with three kids, they mentioned.
One other Russian missile hit a hospitality facility close to Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi. In that case, three folks have been killed and one particular person injured, emergency providers mentioned.
Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odesa regional administration, mentioned that the missiles had been fired by plane from the Black Sea.
Recap of key occasions on Thursday
The Russian army mentioned its had withdrawn its troops from Snake Island, an island belonging to Ukraine situated within the Black Sea.
Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned it pulled out its forces from the island close to the Black Sea port of Odesa as a “goodwill gesture.”
Nevertheless, the commander of Kyiv’s armed forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, mentioned that Ukrainian-made Bohdana howitzers had performed a big half in liberating Snake Island from Moscow forces and thanked overseas companions for his or her assist.
German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck mentioned he suspected that Russia might not resume pure gasoline provides to Europe by the Nord Stream 1 pipeline after deliberate upkeep work subsequent month.
Whereas closing a NATO summit in Madrid, US President Joe Biden described the assembly as “historic,” noting the final time the army alliance up to date its strategic idea, in 2010, Russia was categorized as a associate. Some 12 years on, the alliance described Russia as “essentially the most vital and direct risk to Allies’ safety and to peace and stability within the Euro-Atlantic space.”
Biden additionally mentioned the US would supply Ukraine with extra weapons help to the worth of $800 million (€768 million).
In the meantime, Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov mentioned {that a} new “iron curtain” was descending between Russia and the West.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke on the cellphone with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. Steinmeier congratulated the Ukrainian chief on his nation’s EU candidate standing and expressed respect for Zelenskyy’s “heroic struggle in opposition to the Russian aggressor.”
Click on right here to atone for Thursday’s developments on Russia’s warfare in Ukraine
dh/msh (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)