Missiles hit Lviv: Russia fired missiles at an airport near Lviv on Friday, a city where hundreds of thousands of refugees are sheltering far from Ukraine's battlefields. At least three blasts were heard near Lviv's airport on Friday morning, with videos on social media showing large explosions and plumes of smoke rising. Lviv's mayor, Andriy Sadovy, said several missiles had struck an aircraft maintenance facility, destroying buildings but causing no casualties. The city has escaped significant fighting so far.
Biden-Xi Call: US President Joe Biden was due to talk with Chinese president Xi Jinping later on Friday, in an attempt to isolate Moscow from the one big power that has yet to condemn its assault. Mr Biden, who described Mr Putin as a "murderous dictator", will make clear to Xi in his call that China "will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia's aggression", US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters. The two leaders are due to speak at 1300 GMT.
Bombings prevent evacuations: The governor of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region said frequent and widespread shelling by Russian forces was preventing the safe evacuation of civilians from towns and villages on the front line. Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai said 59 civilians had been killed in the region since the start of the war, which he said had entirely destroyed some residential areas. Efforts to evacuate civilians have been hampered by the fighting, but the local authorities hope a temporary ceasefire can be agreed for Saturday to allow trucks to distribute food, medicine and other aid to people most in need.
RT licence revoked: Britain's media regulator has revoked Russian-backed television channel RT's licence to broadcast in the UK with immediate effect after a probe into the impartiality of its coverage of the Ukraine invasion. Regulator Ofcom said on Friday it was not satisfied RT’s licensee, ANO TV-Novosti, could be a responsible broadcaster.
Russian default: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday said western transport that bring weaponry to Ukraine's military could become Russian targets. He also said Russia has lost all illusions about relying on the West, and Moscow will never accept a view of the world dominated by a United States that wants to act like a "global sheriff".
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