Russian investigators on Friday formally charged an American journalist with espionage which he had allegedly carried out “in the interest of his country”. The journalist, who works for the Wall Street Journal, has denied the charges. Read our live blog to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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10:18pm: Zelensky hosts iftar, slams Russian ‘repression’ of Crimea Muslims
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday criticised Russia’s treatment of the Muslim-minority Tatar community in Kremlin-controlled Crimea and vowed to recapture the peninsula from Russia during a first official state iftar.
“Russia’s attempt to enslave Ukraine ... began exactly with the occupation of Crimea, exactly with repressions against Crimean, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar freedom and of Crimean Muslims,” he told Ukrainian Muslim leaders and ambassadors from Muslim countries.
Russia wrested control of the Black Sea territory from Ukraine in 2014 and pushed through a referendum on the annexation that was condemned as fraudulent and illegitimate by Ukraine and its Western allies. The Tatar community, which accounted for 12-15 percent of the two million Crimea residents, largely boycotted the 2014 vote.
5:42pm: Russia formally charges US reporter with espionage
Russian investigators on Friday formally charged American journalist Evan Gershkovich with espionage. Gershkovich, who works for the Wall Street Journal, has denied the charges.
“FSB investigators charged Gershkovich with espionage in the interests of his country. He categorically denied all accusations and stated that he was engaged in journalistic activities in Russia,” Russian state-run agency TASS said citing a law enforcement source.
3:54pm: China, France support efforts to ‘restore peace in Ukraine’
China and France support all efforts to restore peace in Ukraine on the basis of international law, and the principles of the UN Charter, and oppose armed attacks on nuclear power plants, the leaders of the two countries said in a joint statement Friday.
In the statement, which was reported official Xinhua News agency, China’s Xi Jinping and France’s Emmanuel Macron also reaffirmed their commitment to promote non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, nuclear disarmament and the peaceful use of nuclear energy
2:55pm: Ukraine’s top security officials discuss how to prevent military leaks
The Ukrainian headquarters of the armed forces supreme command discussed measures to prevent leaks of military information at a meeting on Friday, the president’s office said.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that classified war documents detailing secret American and NATO plans for building up the Ukrainian military ahead of a planned offensive against Russia were posted this week on social media channels.
The presidential statement made no mention of a leak having occurred.
12:50am: Ukraine says data leak is Russian effort to sow doubt about counter-offensive
A leak of classified documents detailing secret US and NATO plans to help Kyiv looked like a Russian disinformation operation to sow doubts about Ukraine's planned counter-offensive, a Ukrainian presidential official said on Friday.
Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters that the leaked data reported by the New York Times on Thursday contained a "very large amount of fictitious information" and that Russia was trying to seize back the initiative in its invasion.
11:51am: Moscow threatens to scrap Ukraine grain deal over exports
Moscow could abandon the Ukraine grain deal if obstacles to Russian exports remained, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday on a visit to Turkey, which helped broker the landmark agreement.
"If there is no further progress in removing barriers to the export of Russian fertilisers and grain, we will think about whether this deal is necessary," Lavrov said, referring to the agreement that enabled the resumption of vital grain exports from Ukraine.
Lavrov said that Russian grain and fertilizer exports were affected by a lack of access to insurance and to the SWIFT financial messaging system. He called on European countries that he said have a surplus of Ukrainian grain to donate some of it to poor countries.
11:31am: Ukraine peace talks should be about 'new world order' says Russia's Lavrov
Any Ukraine peace talks should be about 'new world order' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday during a news conference with his Turkish counterpart.
11:11am: Turkey agrees with Russian request to lift obstacles to grain, fertiliser exports
Turkey's foreign minister said on Friday he agreed with Russia's request to lift obstacles to Russian fertiliser and grain exports, and that this needs to be addressed in order to further extend the overall Black Sea grain deal involving Ukraine.
Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a press conference in Ankara alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Turkey was committed to extending the UN-sponsored deal ensuring safe passage of grains and other commodities from Black Sea ports.
10:35am: Father of Russian girl who drew anti-war pictures held in Belarus, says Russian state media
Alexei Moskalyov, a Russian man who was charged with discrediting the country's army after his daughter Masha drew an anti-war picture, is being held in Belarus, Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported, citing the Russian embassy in the country.
Moskalyov's daughter, Masha, was placed into a children's home after her father's conviction in early March, and Moskalyov, was placed under house arrest which he later fled. On Thursday, Masha was collected from social care by her mother – who had not lived with the family for years – hours before a court was due to hold hearing over the parental rights of the girl's father
9:22am: Ukraine holds out in Bakhmut despite 'difficult' situation, says military spokesperson
Ukraine said on Friday that Russia was concentrating all its efforts on capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut where it described the situation as "difficult" but said it was holding out despite Russia's numerical superiority.
Eastern Military Command spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi told Reuters that Ukraine controlled the situation in Bakhmut, understood Russian intentions and that Moscow had tactical success in some places, but was paying a high price for it.
8:11am: Russia seizes Bakhmutka River's west bank, says UK defence ministry
Russia has seized the west bank of the Bakhmutka River, endangering a key Ukraine supply route, in its push to regain control of the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut, the British defence ministry said on Friday.
"Russia has made further gains and has now highly likely advanced into the town centre ... Ukraine's key 0506 supply route to the west of the town is likely severely threatened," the ministry said on Twitter in a regular bulletin.
5:16am: Seven civilians killed by Ukrainian air strikes
Seven civilians were reported killed by Ukrainian artillery strikes in Russian-controlled areas as the battle for Bakhmut, the devastated eastern city that has become a symbol of Kyiv's defiance of Russia, raged with no end in sight. Four of them were killed on Thursday in the Russia-controlled Donetsk region when shells hit a car park, Russia's Tass news agency said. Three people died in blasts at a bus stop in Lysychansk, northeast of Donetsk, RIA news agency reported.
7:27pm: Russia's Lavrov arrives in Turkey for talks on Ukraine graine deal
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Turkey on Thursday, a Turkish official told AFP, for talks that include the future of a key deal that allows grain exports from Ukrainian ports through a safe corridor in the Black Sea.
The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement ahead of the visit that the deal was extended "as a gesture of goodwill for another 60 days". Turkey has pushed for a 120-day extension in compliance with the original agreement.
NATO member Turkey, which has good ties with its two Black Sea neighbours, is pushing Russia and Ukraine to resume peace talks, hoping to build on past diplomatic endeavours last year.
Key developments from Thursday, April 6:
French and EU leaders on Thursday sought to make Europe's case for bringing an end to the conflict in Ukraine in a Beijing meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a close ally of Vladimir Putin.
French President Emmanuel Macron told Xi that he was counting on him to "bring Russia to its senses and everyone to the negotiating table." Xi said he "stood ready to issue a joint call with France" for the resumption of "peace talks as soon as possible", according to Chinese state media Xinhua.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP, Reuters)
