As Friday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments of the day:
Russian airstrikes pound Ukraine's cities, but Russia's military made no major advances in the past day, according to a senior U.S. defense official. New airstrikes in the west have targeted Ukrainian airfields. The Russian convoy to the northwest of Kyiv has not moved closer to the capital, the official said, noting that some elements of the convoy moved off the road into the tree line and others moved closer to the front. The southern city of Mariupol remains under siege.
Russian troops abducted Mayor Ivan Fedorov of Melitopol in southern Ukraine, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which called the incident a war crime.
EU leaders support Ukraine's bid for membership but are not fast-tracking it. The EU application process requires meeting various criteria, plus agreement among all member states. The traditional negotiations process takes years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for Ukraine to be admitted urgently under a "new special procedure."
The U.S. is moving to revoke Russia's permanent normal trade relations status, as it has done with Cuba and North Korea. This could mean significantly higher duties on U.S. imports from Russia, the vast majority of which have been oil, metals, fertilizer and chemicals. The G-7 and EU are also moving to revoke Russia's "most favored nation" status. Canada has done so already.
Russian authorities called for Facebook parent Meta to be labeled an extremist organization. They plan to restrict access to its Instagram app after the social media giant made an unusual policy exception to temporarily permit some calls for violence against Russian soldiers. Facebook is already banned in Russia.
In-depth
Video analysis reveals that Russia's attack on a Ukrainian nuclear plant veered near disaster.
Why Belarus is so involved in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
A Ukrainian boy travels 620 miles to safety, with a phone number written on his hand.
A young Russian pianist's shows are canceled in Canada, although he condemns the war in Ukraine.
Sisters flee Kyiv and struggle to stay in touch with family in Mariupol. See photos as they take refuge in Lviv.
Earlier developments
You can read more news from Friday here, as well as more in-depth reporting and daily recaps here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR's State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.
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