11:07
First concert at the Odessa Opera since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
The Odessa Opera held a gala concert on Friday, the first such event since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The event was dedicated to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
10:51
Ukrainian doctor who filmed the horrors of war with an onboard camera has been released
Yuliia Paievska, the Ukrainian doctor detained by the Russians after filming her daily procedures with the wounded with an onboard camera, has been released, the Associated Press reports.
Nicknamed Taira in Ukraine, she had captured 256 GB of images of wounded in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in two weeks up to her arrest on March 10.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed his release in his last daily video address.
9:18
The Russians are consolidating control of Snake Island, a key area off Ukraine
The Russian army has increased its hold on Snake Island in the Black Sea and deployed several defense systems, suggesting that despite the threat of new artillery systems and Ukrainian missile fire, it has no intention of simply letting go of this strategic point.
The latest open-source satellite images of this island off the Ukrainian and Romanian coasts make it possible to distinguish different surface-to-air defense systems, and the Russians have also installed them on ships positioned nearby to further strengthen the protective bubble .
“They have recently consolidated their position by deploying various ground-to-air systems on the island and on buildings positioned around the island,” a French military source analyzed on condition of anonymity.
7:35
Russian public television is broadcasting videos of two Americans missing in Ukraine
A Russian public TV channel on Friday shared videos on social media of two Americans who had gone into combat as volunteers with the Ukrainian armed forces and had been missing for several days.
On Friday evening, Russian journalist Roman Kosarev – who works for the Russian public television channel RT – published a video on Telegram of one of the two Americans speaking on camera.
“Mom, I just want to tell you that I’m alive and I hope to get home as soon as possible,” said Alexander Drueke, dressed in military uniform and apparently sitting in an office.
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7:31
In Donbass, Severodonetsk, target of Russian fire
In the Donbass, fighting for several weeks has focused on Severodonetsk and Lysytchansk, two key cities for Donbas control, which have been subjected to constant bombing. “Severodonetsk is the most bombed place” in the Lugansk region and “fighting is fierce” in the city where Russian troops are bombing houses and “destroying the city,” Governor Serguiï Gaïdaï stated on his Telegram channel.
More than 500 civilians, including 38 children, have taken refuge along with Ukrainian soldiers at the large Azot chemical plant in Severodonetsk, which they “refuse to evacuate,” he also said. “They think it’s safer to stay there. We tried to talk to them but they don’t want to.”
7:28
Zelenskyy welcomes Ukraine’s “first step on the road to EU membership”.
On Friday, the European Commission recommended granting Ukraine EU candidate status. His opinion will be debated at a European summit on Thursday and Friday, where the EU’s 27 heads of state and government must – unanimously – give the green light for Kyiv to be given official status.
For Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who “expects a positive result” at this summit, this is “the first step on the way to EU membership. Ukraine deserves this positive news,” he said. welcome a “historic success of all who work for our country”.
“Our rapprochement with the European Union is not only positive for us. It is the biggest contribution to the future of Europe in many years,” he added.