Day 414 since the beginning of the war: Russia places its Pacific Fleet on high alert. Ukraine reports more Chinese components in Russian weapons. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Zelenskyj: “Not a single hour without Russian murders and terror”
9:37 p.m.: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his condolences to the relatives of several civilians killed by a Russian missile in the city of Sloviansk. This week there was “not a single hour without Russian murders and terror,” Zelensky said in a video speech on Friday evening. “This is an evil state. And it will lose. It is our duty to humanity to win. And we will win!”
According to Ukrainian sources, a Russian rocket hit Sloviansk in the heavily contested Donetsk region in the afternoon and damaged several high-rise buildings. In the evening there was talk of at least eight dead and more than 20 injured. The information could not initially be verified by an independent party.
Considering the situation in Donetsk, Zelenskyy thanked all Ukrainian soldiers defending the country. The key to success is “the continuous destruction of the occupiers”. After months of fighting, the Ukrainian army is under great pressure, especially in the city of Bakhmut, south-east of Sloviansk.
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Putin enacts controversial law on military conscription
9:27 p.m.: In Russia, men can be more easily drafted into the military with immediate effect. President Vladimir Putin signed the necessary amendments to the law on Friday. The regulations, which are causing great uncertainty among the population, came into force. In the future, notices of convocation no longer have to be handed over in person, but can be sent electronically. Conscripts registered online are not allowed to leave Russia until they are presented to the army.
The parliament in Moscow passed the law in a lightning vote on Wednesday. Some MPs complained that they had not had time to properly read the more than 50 pages of legislation. Many Russians fear that masses of men will again be drafted for the war against Ukraine, which will soon last 14 months. The Kremlin denied such plans.
So far, a number of Russians have avoided conscription by fleeing abroad or by using the wrong address. Russia’s leadership now wants to close this loophole. Anyone who does not report to the military commissariat within 20 days of being summoned must also expect drastic restrictions in everyday life: Conscientious objectors are no longer allowed to drive a car or buy real estate. Registration as a self-employed person and the granting of loans should no longer be possible.
Finland builds fence on border with Russia
6.35 p.m.: Less than two weeks after joining NATO, Finland has begun building a border fence with Russia. The first section of the three meter high barrier decided by the government in Helsinki last year is being built in Imatra, 250 kilometers northeast of the capital. The costs are estimated at 380 million euros.
The project manager responsible, Ismo Kurki, said on Friday that the aim was not to stop an invasion. Rather, around 200 of the 1,300-kilometer border are to be secured, where migrants are most likely to be expected. Finland fears that the government in Moscow could send large numbers of them to Finland.
“The situation on the Finnish-Russian border has been stable and is stable at the moment,” said Brigadier General Jari Tolppanen of the Finnish Border Guard. In view of the changed situation, however, his country must gain greater control over the border. “And Finland needs to become less dependent on Russian border controls,” he adds. Last year, Finland recorded 30 illegal crossings, while the Russian side intercepted about 800 attempts, the Finnish border guards said. The Nordic country joined NATO under the impression of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
