Russia-Ukraine War Updates: In a major setback for Russia, its warship Moskva of the Black Sea fleet sank following a fire. While Ukrainian officials said their forces hit the vessel with missiles, Russia has acknowledged the fire but not the attack. The Moskva had the capacity to carry 16 long-range cruise missiles, reducing Russia’s firepower. In an address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said they should be proud of having survived 50 days under the Russian attack, even though Moscow “gave them five”.
Meanwhile, powerful explosions were heard in Kyiv and other cities early on Friday. No significant damages were immediately reported from Kyiv, Kherson, Kharkiv and the town of Ivano-Frankivsk. US President Joe Biden has said Putin’s war in Ukraine amounts to genocide and accused the Russian president of trying to wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian. Meanwhile, Russian troops are now focusing on eastern Ukraine and are gearing up for a major offensive in Donbas.
Canadian Defence Minister, Anita Anand, on Thursday, said that up to 150 Canadian Armed Forces personnel will be deployed to Poland on a humanitarian mission to support Ukrainian refugees. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow will work to re-direct its energy east of Ukraine as European countries try to reduce reliance on Russian exports, adding that Europe will not be able to completely shun Russian gas immediately.
The Russian authorities accused Ukrainian forces of launching airstrikes on the Russian region of Bryansk which borders Ukraine, claiming that at least 6 houses in the village were damaged and 7 people, including a toddler, sustained injuries. The Ukrainian authorities have said that 30 people, including 8 civilians, have been returned to Ukraine in a new prisoner swap with Russia.