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Residents warned to stay indoors as 'active hostilities' approach Kyiv's Obolon district — as it happened

ABC News Channel live stream

Kyiv authorities told residents to stay off the streets as Russian forces drew nearer to the residential Obolon district in the capital's north-west. 

See how Friday unfolded in Ukraine as Russia's invasion continued.

Key events

Live updates

By Lucy Sweeney

Pinned

For any Australians who need consular assistance:

Australians in need of consular assistance should call the Australian Government 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 in Australia (if you're calling on someone's behalf) or +61 2 6261 3305 outside Australia.

By Paul Johnson

Thank you for reading

We're going to call it a night here in our almost round-the-clock coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

However, you can find our latest blog here, kicked off by my colleague, James Maasdorp.

In the meantime, stay safe Australia.

By Paul Johnson

Non-Ukrainian ships shelled by Russia

Ukraine said Russian warships shelled a Moldovan-flagged chemical tanker and a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship due to load grain near Odessa port in the Black Sea on Friday, one day after Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A total of three non-military vessels have now been hit since the start of the invasion. On Thursday, the Turkish-owned Yasa Jupiter cargo ship was struck off Odessa.

Ukraine's infrastructure ministry said that the Moldovan-flagged vessel, the Millennial Spirit, was carrying 600 tonnes of diesel at the time of the attack from a Russian military ship.

Earlier on Friday Moldova's naval agency said the crew of the Millennial Spirit was Russian and that two of them had been seriously injured.

"We just heard 10 minutes ago that all the crew were saved but two were seriously injured and are on the way to hospital," Mr Pavalachi said.

According to the Ukrainian ministry, the cargo ship Namura Queen was also hit by Russian missiles on Friday.

"According to the information of the traffic control and the service of the Harbor Master at 12:55 at anchorage point No.358 a rocket hit the stern of the mv 'NAMURA QUEEN'," Ukrainian shipping agent Stark Shipping based in Odessa said.

"The ship flying the flag of Panama was heading to the Pivdennyi port (ex. Yuzhny) to load grain ... There was a fire on the ship, the P&O STAR tug moved to the rescue. The situation is under control," it added.

Reuters

By Paul Johnson

Russia limits Facebook

Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor said it was partially limiting access to Meta Platforms Facebook in response to restrictions the US social media giant has imposed on Russian media, accusing Facebook of "censorship".

It was not immediately clear what the restrictions from Russia would involve.

Facebook's restrictions on Russian media came due to RT being considered a mouthpiece for the Kremlin.

By Paul Johnson

Russia expelled from Eurovision

Shortly after Finland said it will not send contestants to the Eurovision 2022 final if Russia is allowed to participate, the European Broadcasting Union punted Russia from the competition.

The EBU said on Thursday in a widely published statement that the contest was a "non-political cultural event" and that they were "currently planning" to host participants from Russia.

However they changed their decision after public broadcasters in Ukraine, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Norway also urged the EBU to expel Russia.

By Paul Johnson

Key Event

Putin calls for Ukraine armed forces to overthrow the government

As reports emerge from US and UK intelligence that Russian troops are advancing more slowly than anticipated on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for them to overthrow the Ukrainian government.

In a speech that was laden with unfounded accusations of Neo-Nazism against Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy, Mr Putin asked the military, currently fighting against invading Russian troops to save the Ukraine by removing the government.

Addressing the Ukrainian military in a televised address, he urged them to "take power in your own hands."

"It seems like it will be easier for us to agree with you than this gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis," Mr Putin said.

His claim against Mr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, and had relatives who were killed as part of The Holocaust has repeatedly been found to be baseless.

By Paul Johnson

Protests continue - this one in Dublin

This one is taking place outside the Russian embassy in Dublin as protesters chant "Putin is a liar".

By Paul Johnson

Here's what's happening in Kyiv

Russian troops are still yet to make their way to the heart of Ukraine's capital city which according to Mayor Vitaly Klitschko is in a defensive state.

The former boxing champion said this a couple of hours ago.

"The city has gone into a defensive phase. Shots and explosions are ringing out in some neighbourhoods saboteurs have already entered Kyiv. The enemy wants to put the capital on its knees and destroy us,"  Mr Klitschko said.

Ukrainian armed forces are in the city in tanks but many citizens have fled.

Ukraine's interior ministry says 18,000 guns have been given to volunteers. The ministry has also handed out instructions to citizens on how to make Molotov cocktails.

By Jacqueline Howard

EU will accept all people fleeing the violence in Ukraine

The European Union will accept all people fleeing the violence caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.

"We need to do everything to accept without delay the people who are now fleeing the bombs, the tanks," she told reporters as she arrived for a meeting with her EU counterparts in Brussels.

"We have tried everything to avert that day (of the invasion) but it has come all the same because the Russian president chose war over human lives. And this is why we will take in all the people that are fleeing now", Ms Baerbock said, adding she had already started to coordinate the distribution of Ukrainian refugees with countries such as Poland and Canada.

Reporting by Reuters

By Jacqueline Howard

CCTV camera films being disabled by Russia forces (AP)

By Jacqueline Howard

Russian forces disabling CCTV as they advance

Ground forces that moved into Ukraine from Crimea were caught on CCTV cameras as they advanced toward Kherson to the northwest.

The footage also showed how troops stopped and climbed up the masts and move the camera so they pointed downwards.

Officials reported heavy fighting around Kerson on Friday.

The Black Sea city sits on water reservoir used in the past to provide the bulk of fresh water for Crimea.

But Ukraine cut it with a dam in 2017 in response to Moscow’s 2014 annexation of the peninsula.

Reporting by Associated Press

By Jacqueline Howard

People wait to board an evacuation train from Kyiv to Lviv

By Jacqueline Howard

Greta Thunberg joins protests against invasion of Ukraine

Swedish climate and environment activist Greta Thunberg said on Twitter she was taking part in a protest on Friday outside the Russian embassy in Stockholm against its invasion of Ukraine.

Ms Thunberg, 19, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize last year, posted on Twitter a picture of her standing with other protesters holding a sign with "Stand With Ukraine" written on it, saying she was "outside the Russian embassy right now".

By Jacqueline Howard

Lviv put under curfew

From tonight, citizens in Lviv will require a pass to be allowed to move around the city between the hours of 10:00pm and 6:00am. 

By Jacqueline Howard

Poland is preparing to close its airspace for Russian airlines

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his government would prepare a resolution which will result in closing Poland's airspace for Russian airlines.

"I have ordered the preparation of a resolution of the council of ministers which will lead to the closure of the airspace over Poland to Russian airlines," Mr Morawiecki wrote on Facebook.

UPDATE: Poland has announced its skies will be closed to Russian airlines from midnight tonight. 

By Jacqueline Howard

Russia ready to send delegation to Minsk for talks with Ukraine

Russia is ready to send a delegation to the Belarusian capital Minsk for talks with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, a day after Moscow launched a massive invasion of its southern neighbour.

Mr Peskov told Russian news agencies Russia was willing to send a delegation including foreign and defence ministry officials.

Ukraine has said it is willing to discuss declaring itself a neutral county. Mr Peskov said demilitarisation would need to be an essential part of that.

Reporting by Reuters

By Jacqueline Howard

Kyiv mayor says the city has entered into a defensive phase

"The city has gone into a defensive phase. Shots and explosions are ringing out in some neighbourhoods saboteurs have already entered Kyiv. The enemy wants to put the capital on its knees and destroy us," Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko told a news briefing.

By Jacqueline Howard

Key Event

The EU has decided to freeze Russian President Vladimir Putin's European assets

European Union envoys have met in Brussels to work out details of sanctions against Moscow. The bloc's leaders decided to freeze assets held in Europe by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

By Jacqueline Howard

Estonia sending anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft munitions to Ukraine

 Estonia sending Javelin anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft munitions to Ukraine, public broadcaster ERR reported from the defence ministry.

"We are providing ...25,000 packages of dry food, medical equipment, personal equipment, ammunition, additional Javelin missiles and anti-aircraft munitions," the ministry's Secretary General Kusti Salm said.

By Jacqueline Howard

Russia says it has captured an aerodrome northwest of Kyiv

Russia's defence ministry says  its forces have captured the strategic Hostomel aerodrome outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and landed paratroopers in the area.

It said the Russian military had blocked access to Kyiv from the west, and separatist forces in eastern Ukraine had attacked Ukrainian army positions with Russian army support.

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