Day 386 since the beginning of the war: The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin. Luftwaffe intercepts Russian planes over the Baltic Sea. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Luftwaffe intercepts four Russian planes
8:10 a.m.: British and German fighter jets intercepted four Russian planes over the Baltic Sea near Estonia on Friday. The Bundeswehr writes this on Twitter on its official account “Team Luftwaffe”. It says: “There’s a lot going on over the Baltic Sea. Today, the alarm squad intercepted four Russian planes.”
First, the Eurofighters identified a Tu-134 aircraft. After that, two Su-27s and one AN-12 were sighted. The German and British jets then flew back to Ämari Air Base in Estonia.
Zelenskyj reacts to arrest warrant against Putin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed the arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “historic decision” by the International Criminal Court. “The leader of a terrorist state and another Russian official are officially suspects in a war crime,” said Zelenskyy in a video message distributed in Kiev on Friday evening. The court in The Hague, Netherlands, issued an arrest warrant for kidnapping children from occupied territories in Ukraine to Russia. The US government also welcomed the step – although it does not recognize the criminal court itself. Read the full rundown of what happened that night here.
IMF facilitates loan program for Ukraine
00:59: The International Monetary Fund has changed its rules to allow the IMF to approve lending programs for countries facing “exceptionally high levels of uncertainty”. The changes to the IMF’s lending policy rules would apply to countries “exposed to exogenous shocks that are beyond the control of the country’s authorities and the reach of its economic policies,” the IMF said in a statement. The move paves the way for a new lending program for Ukraine.
The country is seeking an IMF financing package worth around $15 billion. The rules of the International Monetary Fund, which are designed to deal with economic crises in individual countries, have so far not allowed such loans for countries that are exposed to massive uncertainties due to major wars or repeated natural disasters as a result of climate change.
UN pushes for extension of Grains Agreement
00:31: The head of the UN agency, Martin Griffiths, tells the UN Security Council that the United Nations will do everything it can to ensure that the grain deal concluded between Russia and Ukraine is extended. This is crucial for global food security.
The agreement signed on July 22, 2022, which allows the export of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports, expires today, Saturday. The two warring parties had agreed in principle on Tuesday to extend the agreement. However, Russia spoke of 60 days, Ukraine of 120 days
Zelenskyj: Arrest warrant against Putin “historic decision”
8:39 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed the arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “historic decision” by the International Criminal Court. “The leader of a terrorist state and another Russian official are officially suspects in a war crime,” said Zelenskyy in a video message distributed in Kiev on Friday evening.
The court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for abducting children from Ukrainian to Russian territory. Thousands of Ukrainian children have been illegally deported, the head of state said. Russia denies war crimes and insists the children were taken to safety before the war. Ukraine, on the other hand, accuses Moscow of forcibly “Russifying” children.
