At least six Russian missiles hit the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv late on Thursday, local officials said, adding that emergency workers were assessing the damage and casualties. Earlier, Russia’s FSB security service detained a US reporter for the Wall Street Journal on spying charges, drawing immediate condemnation from the West and calls for his release. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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4:45am: Japan bans steel, aircraft exports to Russia in latest sanctions on Ukraine war
Japan bans Russia-bound exports of steel, aluminium and aircraft including drones in its latest sanction against Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the trade ministry said on Friday.
The measure, which also prohibits Japanese entities from exporting a wide variety of industrial items such as construction machinery, ship engines, testing equipment and optical devices to Russia, will go into effect on April 7, the ministry said in a statement.
12:50am: Turkish parliament ratifies Finland's NATO accession as Sweden kept waiting
Turkey's parliament approved a bill on Thursday to allow Finland to join NATO, clearing the way for the country to become part of the Western defence alliance as war rages in Ukraine.
The Turkish parliament was the last among the 30 members of the alliance to ratify Finland's membership after Hungary's legislature approved a similar bill earlier this week.
President Tayyip Erdogan said earlier in March that Finland had secured Turkey's blessing after taking concrete steps to keep promises to crack down on groups seen by Ankara as terrorists, and to free up defence exports.
Finland and Sweden asked to join NATO last year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But the process has been held up by Turkey and Hungary. The parliaments of all NATO members must ratify newcomers.
10:54pm: US to rally support for Ukraine at energy council
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will push back on Russia's attempts to "weaponize energy" and rally support for a Ukrainian counteroffensive when he meets NATO foreign ministers in Brussels next week, an official said on Thursday.
A meeting of the US-EU Energy Council will focus on joint efforts to "blunt Russia's attempts to weaponize energy ...(and) bolstering energy supplies for the coming winters," Dereck Hogan, the State Department's principal deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, told reporters.
The European Commission on Monday proposed that EU countries extend for a year an emergency measure to curb gas demand for the next 12 months, to help prepare Europe to get through next winter with scarce Russian gas.
Russia cut off most gas supplies to Europe in the months following its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine – squeezing supply and triggering record-high prices.
10:00pm: IAEA head visits Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog visited Ukraine's embattled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on Wednesday and said he was putting aside plans for a security zone around the facility so he could propose specific protection measures acceptable to both Moscow and Kyiv.
FRANCE 24 talks to Dr. Alexander Titov, a lecturer in modern European history at Queen's University Belfast, about the situation at the flashpoint nuclear site.
Click on the player below to watch the interview
9:42pm: Six Russian missiles strike Ukraine's Kharkiv
At least six Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv late on Thursday night, and officials are gathering details about damage and casualties, said regional governor Oleh Sinegubov.
Russia has for months been launching drones and missiles against a wide variety of Ukrainian targets in a bid to damage vital infrastructure.
"The enemy is attacking Kharkiv again. At least 6 'arrivals' have been recorded," Sinegubov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
9:29pm: EU slams Russia's 'systematic disregard' for press freedom
The European Union has condemned Russia over its "systematic disregard" for press freedom after Moscow detained US journalist Evan Gershkovich and accused him of espionage.
"Journalists must be allowed to exercise their profession freely and deserve protection. The Russian authorities demonstrate yet again their systematic disregard for media freedom," EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell wrote on Twitter.
9:01pm: Ugandan president's son vows to 'defend' Russia
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's mercurial son declared on Thursday that his country would send troops to defend Moscow if it came under threat.
"Call me a 'Putinist' if you will, but we, Uganda shall send soldiers to defend Moscow if it's ever threatened by the Imperialists!" Muhoozi Kainerugaba said on Twitter.
"The West is wasting its time with its useless pro-Ukraine propaganda," added the outspoken general, a fervent supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kainerugaba, who is notorious for his often erratic Twitter outbursts on all manner of issues, earlier this month announced that he plans to run for president in 2026 elections.
8:57pm: US says Russian charges against journalist 'ridiculous'
The White House dismissed espionage charges against a Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Russia as ridiculous and said there was no reason to believe the charges are accurate.
"These espionage charges are ridiculous. The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a news briefing.
8:52pm: Ukrainian soldiers complete training in US
A group of 65 Ukrainian military personnel has completed training in the United States on the Patriot air defense system and returned to Europe, the Pentagon has said.
Ukraine repeatedly pushed the United States for the high-tech system to help shield against Russian strikes and Washington promised late last year that it would provide a Patriot battery, with Kyiv's troops starting training in Oklahoma in January.
"This week, 65 Ukrainian air defenders completed Patriot training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and have now arrived back in Europe," Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder told journalists.
"They're integrating with other Ukrainian air defenders along with donated Patriot air defense equipment from the United States, Germany and the Netherlands," he said.
More than 7,000 Ukrainian military personnel have been trained by the United States since Russia invaded its smaller neighbor in February 2022, Ryder said.
8:41pm: Turkey on course to ratify Finland's NATO membership
Turkey was on course Thursday to become the final NATO nation to approve Finland's membership of the Western alliance in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Parliament scheduled a vote on the Nordic country's accession after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publically blessed the bid earlier this month.
The all-but-certain ratification will leave Finland – which has a 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border with Russia – with only a few technical steps before it becomes the 31st member of the world's most powerful military bloc.
Officials expect the process to be completed as early as next week.
8:39pm: Clashes break out at Kyiv monastery over Russian ties
Scuffles broke out outside a Kyiv monastery on Thursday after a Ukrainian branch of the Orthodox Church that the government says has ties with Russia defied an eviction order.
Tensions over the presence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) at the 980-year-old Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery have risen since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
Kyiv accuses the UOC of maintaining ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, which has supported Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The UOC says it broke all links with the Russian Church in May 2022.
7:01pm: Russia to recruit new conscripts in spring campaign
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out the routine spring conscription campaign, calling 147,000 citizens up for statutory military service, Tass news agency said on Thursday.
Last September Putin signed an order calling up 120,000 people for the autumn campaign. At the time, Tass quoted the defence ministry as saying the conscription was not in any way related to the special military operation, Russia's official term for the war in Ukraine.
All men in Russia are required to carry out a year's military service between the ages of 18 and 27, or equivalent training while in higher education.
On average, in recent years, around 130,000 people have been called up in each of the spring and autumn campaigns, Tass said.
6:49pm: Russia is looking to acquire North Korean ammunition, US says
The United States has new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from North Korea, the White House said on Thursday, adding that Washington is concerned that North Korea will provide the aid.
White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea, offering food in exchange for weapons.
6:29pm: US urges citizens to leave Russia
The US State Department is in direct contact with the Russian government over Moscow's reported detention of a Wall Street Journal reporter, the White House has said, adding that President Joe Biden's administration has been in touch with Evan Gershkovich's family.
"US citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart immediately, as the State Department continues to advise," the White House said in a statement.
Russia said it would grant US consular access to Gershkovich, who was remanded in custody earlier, accused of spying.
"Through diplomatic channels, the US side has requested consular access to US citizen Evan Gershkovich, who was detained in Yekaterinburg on espionage charges," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Reuters.
"Consular access to him will be granted in due course," she added.
6:25pm: International sanctions could have 'negative' consequences, says Putin
FRANCE 24 speaks to Professor of Economics at the University of Paris Dauphine Anna Creti to understand the impact that western sanctions have on the Russian economy.
Click on the player below to watch the interview
6:17pm: US expresses deep concerns over Russia's detention of journalist
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday he was "deeply concerned" by Russia's arrest of an American journalist and denounced Moscow's efforts to "punish" the media.
"We are deeply concerned over Russia's widely reported detention of a US citizen journalist," Blinken said in a statement, referring to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
The United States generally avoids naming citizens arrested abroad without receiving formal permission from their families.
6:15pm: US identifies Russia-North Korea arms broker
The United States on Thursday identified a Slovakian man as a broker in Russia's efforts to purchase arms and munitions from North Korea to support its war on Ukraine.
The US Treasury said Ashot Mkrtychev, 56, of Bratislava, was involved in arranging sales and barter deals for North Korea to ship "over two dozen" kinds of weapons and munitions to Russia between late 2022 and early 2023.
In exchange, the Treasury said, Pyongyang would obtain cash, commercial aircraft, commodities and raw materials.
Mkrtychev worked with officials from both sides to makes the deals happen, according to the Treasury.
But it did not say if any were completed, or detail the specific weapons involved.
5:29pm: US journalist espionage case to be made public, Russia says
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the public would have an opportunity to verify Moscow's claim that a US reporter detained on espionage charges had been engaged in activities unrelated to journalism.
"Relevant statements have been made through our security services... I think (they) will also provide it publicly, and you will have an opportunity to verify it," Zakharova said in a briefing.
5:15pm: Sweden uncertain about joining NATO by July
Sweden's foreign minister said on Thursday he was no longer sure his country would be able to join NATO by July, after fresh signs of objections from Hungary.
Sweden applied to join the military alliance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, but Hungary and fellow NATO member Turkey held off from approving the bid.
Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said last week that "it goes without saying" Sweden would become a member by the time of a NATO summit in Vilnius in July.
But he told TT news agency on Thursday: I have noted the things that have been said in recent days, especially from Hungary's side, and that means you always have reason to alter your words.
4:45pm: Belarus detains Russian father separated from daughter over Ukraine drawing
A Russian father, who was separated from his daughter over a Ukraine-themed school drawing, was detained in Belarus after fleeing house arrest in Russia, Belarusian authorities said Thursday.
"(Alexei) Moskalyov has been detained... following a request from Russian police" and is currently being held in Belarus, a spokeswoman for the Belarusian interior ministry was cited as saying by Russian news agencies.
4:01pm: Russia's biggest carmaker affected by shortages due to sanctions
Russia's largest carmaker Avtovaz said on Thursday that it was bringing forward a three-week company holiday to the first half of June from late July, citing component shortages.
Russia's auto industry has been hit hard by the fallout of Western sanctions and Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, having been previously reliant on Western investment, parts and partnerships.
3:51pm: Lavrov to chair UN Security Council meeting
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is to chair UN Security Council meeting in New York in April.
"Another key event of the Russian presidency (of the Security Council) will be a high-level open debate on the 'effective multilateralism through the defence of the principles of the UN Charter'. This meeting will be chaired by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov," ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a press briefing.
Earlier, Turkish private broadcaster NTV said Lavrov would visit Turkey on April 6-7.
The war in Ukraine and developments in Syria would be discussed in talks during Lavrov's visit, as well as commerce, energy issues and bilateral ties, NTV said.
3:45pm: EU agriculture commissioner voices support for trade limits with Ukraine
European Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski would support curbs on trading with Ukraine if Poland proposed such a solution, he said on Thursday, amid anger from farmers over the effect of Ukrainian imports on grain prices.
"If the Polish government requests trading curbs with Ukraine obviously I will support that proposal," he told reporters in Brussels.
3:41pm: Russian bankers found guilty by Swiss court
Four bankers from a Russian bank's Swiss branch have been found guilty by a Zurich court overvast sums going into the accounts of a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin.
The accounts in the Swiss arm of Gazprombank were held by Sergei Roldugin, the artistic director of the St. Petersburg Music House, who is often dubbed Putin's cellist.
Roldugin has been a friend of Putin for more than four decades and is godfather to one of the Russian leader's daughters.
The four men were found guilty of "lack of due diligence in financial transactions", the Zurich District Court said in its verdict released to media on Thursday, over the millions of Swiss francs flowing through Roldugin's account.
3:17pm: US secretary of state to attend NATO meeting
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to attend the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on April 3 to April 5, where he will emphasize continued US support for Ukraine and transatlantic security, the State Department said.
While there, he will meet with European Union High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba, it said in a statement on Thursday.
2:47pm: Russian court orders US journalist held in pre-trial detention until May 29
Moscow's Lefortovo district court on Thursday ordered Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested on spying charges, to be held in pre-trial detention until May 29.
Gershkovich pleaded not guilty during his court appearance, state-owned news agency TASS reported.
Separately, Gershkovich's lawyer Daniil Berman told journalists outside the courtroom that he was not admitted to the trial, and that Gershkovich would likely be held in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention centre, which is often used by Russia's FSB security service.
1:20pm: King Charles III tells German lawmakers that Europe 'can draw courage from our unity' amid Ukraine war
Europe's security has come under threat amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Britain's King Charles III told German MPs on Thursday, adding, however, that "we can draw courage from our unity".
"The scourge of war is back in Europe, the war of aggression against Ukraine has brought unimaginable suffering on so many innocent people," he said. "The security of Europe as well as our democratic values are under threat. But the world did not stand idly by ... we can draw courage from our unity."
>> King Charles III warns Europe's security under threat in landmark German speech
12:51pm: Ukraine acknowledges ‘degree of success’ for Russian forces in Bakhmut
Ukraine acknowledged some Russian gains inside the eastern battlefield city of Bakhmut, while insisting on Thursday that it was inflicting greater losses on the Russian attackers than its own forces were taking in defence.
"Enemy forces had a degree of success in their actions aimed at storming the city of Bakhmut," the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in an overnight report. "Our defenders are holding the city and are repelling numerous enemy attacks."
The report gave no details of the Russian gains. The Institute for the Study of War think-tank said Russian troops and Wagner Group mercenaries had captured territory in the south and southwest of the city over the past two days, and Wagner had occupied a metal plant in its north this week.
The small mining city of Bakhmut has been the site of the bloodiest infantry battle in Europe since World War II as Russian forces have mounted a huge assault.
Ukraine has been on the defensive for nearly five months but says it is planning a counteroffensive soon.
12:33pm: Kremlin warns US against reprisals on Russian media
The Kremlin warned Washington on Thursday against taking retaliatory measures targeting Russian media, after Moscow detained a Wall Street Journal reporter on espionage allegations.
"We are hoping that it will not happen and it must not happen," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, referring to any possible steps against Russian media in the United States, adding the detained reporter had been "caught in the act".
12:05pm: Reporters Without Borders says Russia’s arrest of US journalist ‘looks like retaliation’
International media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it was "alarmed by what looks like retaliation" after Russia’s FSB security service said on Thursday it had arrested a US journalist working for the Wall Street Journal.
RSF said Gershkovich "was investigating on the military company Wagner" – a mercenary group playing a prominent role in Russia's campaign in Ukraine.
The FSB confirmed that Gershkovich, 31, was working with press accreditation issued by the Russian foreign ministry. It said he had been detained for gathering information on Russia's "military-industrial complex" and was "suspected of spying in the interests of the American government".
"The foreigner was detained in Yekaterinburg while attempting to obtain classified information," the FSB said, referring to a city in central Russia 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) east of Moscow.
"The way the FSB interprets espionage today means that anyone who is simply interested in military affairs can be imprisoned for 20 years," Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya said on social media in response to the detention.
11:57am: Russia says detained US reporter ‘covered up activities that are not journalism’
Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that a US journalist working for the Wall Street Journal who was detained on suspicion of espionage had been "caught red-handed".
"Unfortunately, this is not the first time that foreign correspondent status, a press visa and accreditation, is used by foreigners in our country to cover up activities that are not journalism. This is not the first well-known Westerner to be caught red handed," Zakharova said in a statement on social media.
11:39am: WSJ says 'deeply concerned' for reporter Gershkovich
The Wall Street Journal said Thursday it was "deeply concerned" for its reporter Evan Gershkovich after Russia's FSB security services said he had been arrested on charges of spying.
"The Wall Street Journal is deeply concerned for the safety of Mr. Gershkovich," the newspaper said in a statement.
11:18: China's role in Ukraine conflict vital to EU relations, says EU's von der Leyen
China must play a part in pressing for a "just peace" in Ukraine and its role in the conflict will be vital in shaping relations with the European Union, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.
China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, had a responsibility to play a constructive role in advancing a peace based on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, with the withdrawal of invading Russian forces, she said.
"Any peace plan which would in effect consolidate Russian annexations is simply not a viable plan. We have to be frank on this point," von der Leyen said in a speech in Brussels on the eve of a trip to Beijing.
"How China continues to interact with Putin's war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward."
10:19am: Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia for spying: Russian news agencies
A US reporter for The Wall Street Journal newspaper has been detained in Russia for espionage, Russian news agencies reported Thursday, citing the FSB security service.
"The FSB halted the illegal activities of US citizen Evan Gershkovich ... a correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, accredited with the Russian foreign ministry," the FSB was quoted as saying.
Gershkovich is "suspected of spying in the interests of the American government" and of collecting information "on an enterprise of the Russian military-industrial complex", agencies reported.
Before joining The Wall Street Journal, the 31-year-old reporter worked for AFP in Moscow. He was previously a reporter for The Moscow Times, an English-language news website.
9:56am: Russia’s upcoming presidency of UN Security Council a ‘bad joke’, Ukraine says
Ukraine on Thursday said Russia's upcoming presidency of the United Nations Security Council this week was "a bad joke".
"Russian UN Security Council presidency on April 1 is a bad joke. Russia has usurped its seat; it's waging a colonial war; its leader is a war criminal wanted by the ICC for kidnapping children. The world can't be a safe place with Russia at UNSC," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
8:44am: Russian man investigated over daughter’s anti-war drawing has been detained, lawyer says
Alexei Moskalyov, a Russian man who was sentenced to two years in prison for discrediting the Russian armed forces, has been detained after fleeing house arrest, human rights activist and lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov told Reuters on Thursday.
Moskalyov had vanished from his home on Tuesday night, hours before being sentenced.
He came under police investigation last year over an anti-war picture that his teenage daughter, Masha, drew at school. He was placed under house arrest this month and Masha was taken to a children's home.
4:51am: Singaporean PM: Russia's invasion of Ukraine violated UN charter
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Thursday that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has gravely violated the United Nations charter and international law.
Lee also said that big powers have the responsibility of maintaining stable and workable relations with one another, and the most worrying is the state of relations between the United States and China. He was speaking at the Boao forum in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan.
Key developments from Wednesday, March 29:
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi warned that there was 'increasing' military activity around the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. During his second visit to the plant since Moscow’s invasion last February, Grossi added that the UN nuclear watchdog was working on a plan to ensure Zaporizhzhia’s security.
Ukraine's ministry of youth and sports suggested that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was abandoning its principles by recommending Russian and Belarusian athletes take part in international competitions as neutrals amid the war.
King Charles III said that Great Britain and Germany stand united with Ukraine in its battle against Russia’s “unprovoked aggression” at a state banquet in Berlin during his first foreign visit as monarch.
>> Read our live blog for all of yesterday's developments as they unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
