Ukraine’s defense chief said final preparations are underway for a counteroffensive that’s expected as an attempt to dislodge Russian forces from parts of Ukraine’s southeast.
(Bloomberg) — Ukraine’s defense chief said final preparations are underway for a counteroffensive that’s expected as an attempt to dislodge Russian forces from parts of Ukraine’s southeast.
The comments followed a fresh wave of aerial assaults across Ukraine that killed at least 25 people, mostly in the central city of Uman, where a high-rise apartment building was hit.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, decried restrictions on the country’s food exports by five European Union countries. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved new measures to punish residents of occupied parts of Ukraine that oppose Moscow’s rule.
Key Developments
- Russia Strikes Across Ukraine as Kyiv Says New Offensive Nears
- Bank of Russia Sees Economy Growing as Sanctions Shock Fades
- Russian Oil Still Powering Europe’s Cars With Help of India
- Russia Bars US Embassy Visit to Jailed Reporter in Visa Backlash
(All times CET)
Toll From Overnight Air Strikes Still Climbing as Bodies Recovered (6:45 p.m.)
Russia unleashed a fresh wave of aerial strikes early Friday, killing at least 25 people and destroying several buildings. Explosions were heard in the capital, Kyiv, for the first time in more than a month.
In Uman, south of Kyiv, a missile slammed into apartment blocks, killing at least 23 people, including four children, and wounding at least 18. The toll may rise as rescue efforts continue. Separately, a woman and a child were killed in Dnipro.
The attacks involved Tu-95 strategic aircraft coming from the Caspian Sea region as well as drones, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said on Telegram. Ukraine’s air defenses destroyed 21 out of 23 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles as well as two drones, he said. Explosions were also heard in a number of regions including Kremenchuk, Dnipro, Mykolayiv, Poltava and Cherkasy, according to Ukrainian TV channel TSN.
Read more: Russia Launches Deadly Aerial Assault on Ukraine, Hits Kyiv
Ukraine Calls for End to Restrictions on Its Food Exports (6 p.m.)
Zelenskiy called for the removal of restrictions on Ukrainian food products by five EU members in a telephone call with European Council President Charles Michel.
“The artificial and illegal restriction of trade with the European Union is hitting Ukraine, resisting Russian aggression, both economically and politically,” Zelenskiy said. “I’m convinced that in the conditions of war with Russia, Ukraine as a candidate country and the European Union must always adhere to the provisions of the Association Agreement and the rules and regulations of the EU Single Market.”
Earlier, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria agreed to restrictions on Ukrainian grain products as part of a deal with the bloc’s executive arm, replacing unilateral bans on imports in response to plummeting prices.
Russia Prepares to Connect Zaporizhzhia Plant to Its Grid (5:52 p.m.)
International Atomic Energy Agency monitors at Ukraine’s occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant said Russian engineers are preparing to connect the station to their electricity network.
Russia shipped a large transformer to Zaporizhzhia this week as part of a plan to repair damaged cables “linked to the currently Russian-controlled electrical grid,” the IAEA wrote in its weekly update. The agency chided Russian plant operators for delaying an inspection of repair work.
Zaporizhzhia is Europe’s biggest nuclear plant and has been subject to on-and-off attacks since Russian troops seized the facility during the first days of the war.
Czechs, Ukraine Work on Joint Weapon Production (3:45 p.m.)
The Czech Republic has six projects to jointly produce and repair weapons with Ukraine, Czech President Petr Pavel said during a visit to Kyiv.
The projects will produce weapons and ammunition, repair tanks and potentially manufacture training aircraft, Pavel said.
Putin Tightens Rules for Residents of Occupied Lands (3:32 p.m.)
Putin signed a new law allowing authorities to strip citizenship from people who’ve obtained it in occupied territories if they violate the strict rules against criticizing the invasion or join public protests.
Russia has issued hundreds of thousands of passports in the regions its forces have seized. A new presidential decree allows occupation forces to deport residents of the zones who decline to become Russian citizens if they are found to pose a threat to Russia.
India, Russia Agree to Bolster Military Ties (3:14 p.m.)
India and Russia agreed to strengthen defense cooperation as military supplies to the South Asian nation have stalled for want of a payment mechanism that doesn’t violate US sanctions.
The two countries discussed “wide-ranging bilateral defense cooperation, including military-to-military ties and partnerships,” according to a statement issued after India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met his Russian counterpart, Sergei K. Shoigu, in New Delhi.
The two countries “reiterated their commitment” to strengthen their “partnership,” the statement said.
Russia Sees Economy Growing as Sanction Shock Fades (2:02 p.m.)
Russia’s central bank said the economy will recover this year, growing as much as 2% as the impact of sanctions imposed over the invasion of Ukraine fades.
Gross domestic product is likely to reach pre-war levels by the end of 2024, policymakers said. That’s far earlier than many economists had expected and reflects the more-limited impact of the restrictions the US and its allies have slapped on Russia.
Read more: Bank of Russia Keeps Hawkish Bias in Leaving Rates on Hold Again
Ukraine Seeks to Join NATO Support and Procurement Organization (12:30 p.m.)
Ukraine’s defense minister said he hopes Kyiv’s participation in the NSPO will be approved at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July. The step won preliminary approval at the meeting of Ukrainian military donors at Ramstein Air Base in Germany last week, Oleksii Reznikov told reporters in Kyiv. Joining NSPO will in effect move Ukraine closer to NATO membership, the minister said.
EU States Will Extend Ukraine Free Trade Arrangements (12:30 p.m.)
European Union ambassadors have agreed to extend free trade arrangements with Ukraine for another year. The agreement, adopted in 2022 and due to expire at the end of June, removes all tariffs and quota requirements on Ukrainian exports.
A deal was delayed after several member states, including Poland and Hungary, protested about supply gluts created by Ukrainian grain and other farm produce. Warsaw and Budapest, along with Slovakia and Bulgaria, imposed bans on several types of imports from Ukraine.
That move was criticized by other member states and the EU. The European Commission has put together a package of support for the affected countries.
Read more: EU Says Poland, Hungary Halts on Ukraine Grain ‘Unacceptable’
Ukraine Finalizing Counteroffensive Preparations: Defense Minister (11:30 a.m.)
Weapons and equipment for the Ukraine’s counteroffensive have been partially delivered, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told reporters in Kyiv on Friday.
The training for armed personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles provided by partner countries is at final stages, he said. Ukraine will also use Leopard 2 and Challenger tanks for the counteroffensive and Leopard 1 tanks at later stages, Reznikov said.
Ukraine has already deployed Patriot surface-to-air defense systems, he said. Germany followed through the pledge to supply Patriots to Ukraine last week, according to a list of military support.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.