Romania contradicted a claim by Kyiv’s top commander that two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea flew over a corner of Romania early Friday, headed for western Ukraine. The NATO member said it detected an “aerial target” and scrambled two jets in response before the situation was clarified, and that the missiles were never in its airspace.
(Bloomberg) — Romania contradicted a claim by Kyiv’s top commander that two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea flew over a corner of Romania early Friday, headed for western Ukraine. The NATO member said it detected an “aerial target” and scrambled two jets in response before the situation was clarified, and that the missiles were never in its airspace.
Explosions were heard in Kyiv, hours after as many as 20 missiles were launched in the latest barrage from Moscow’s troops aimed at on energy infrastructure and other targets. A number of missiles were intercepted by Ukraine’s air defenses.
Missile debris fell in the capital, damaging a building and a car, the city’s mayor said. Kremlin forces overnight struck Kharkiv in the northeast, and launched drone attacks on the central-southern regions of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Mykolayiv. Power outages were widespread.
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Key Developments
- Russian Missiles Aimed at Ukraine Crossed Romania, Kyiv Says
- Russian Rate Intrigue Builds
- Ukraine’s Naftogaz Proposes New $835 Million Restructuring Plan
- EU Urged to Make Banks Report Size of Frozen Russian Assets
- Russia Still Sees Risk of Oil-Output Cuts, Novak Says
- Netherlands Says It’s No Longer Dependent on Energy From Russia
(All times CET)
Romania Says ‘Aerial Target’ Was Never In Its Airspace (12 p.m.)
Romania’s defense ministry said it detected an “aerial target, most likely a cruise missile launched from a Russian warship in the Black Sea,” early Friday, but that the projectile didn’t cross into its airspace “at any time.”
The “target” flew over Ukraine, then Moldova, “after which it reentered Ukrainian space without crossing into Romania’s airspace,” the NATO member said in a statement.
Romania said it rererouted two MiG jets to the north of the country to increase “reaction options,” but that once the situation was clarified the jets resumed their initial mission.
Air Defence Downed at Least 10 Rockets Over Kyiv, Lviv and Kryvyi Rih (11:40 a.m.)
Ukraine’s air defense downed at least 10 rockets over Kyiv and at least one in the far-western Lviv region, local mayors Vitaliy Klitschko and Andriy Sadovyi said on Telegram. Kyiv’s power grid was damaged and engineers are working to restore it, Klitschko said.
Four rockets were downed over Kryvyi Rih, home city of Ukraine’s president, and nearby areas, said local mayor Oleksandr Vilkul. No casualties or major damage were reported.
Russian Missile and Drone Attack Hits Energy Targets in Six Regions (11:40 a.m.)
Friday’s missile and drone attack from Russia, the latest in over a dozen major barrages since October, hit thermal and hydro generation facilities as well as high-voltage infrastructure in six regions, Ukraine’s energy minister said.
“Emergency outages have been introduced in many regions. The most difficult situation is in the Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Khmelnytsky regions,” Herman Halushchenko said on Facebook. Air defense and advanced technical measures were helping to preserve the integrity of Ukraine’s energy system, he added.
Ukraine, NATO Member Start Artillery Shell Production (11:30 a.m.)
Ukrainian’s state-run Ukroboronprom has started making 120-mm artillery shells in cooperation with a NATO member country, the company said on website. The NATO country wasn’t identified.
Production will be partially located outside Ukraine. Ukronoronprom has been producing 82-mm shells using the capacities of a NATO member state — also not named — since December.
Kyiv Says Russian Missiles Aimed at Ukraine Crossed Romania (11:19 a.m.)
Ukraine accused Russia of launching a missile attack that violated the air space of NATO member Romania, ratcheting up new concern of an escalation between the alliance and Moscow.
Two Russian Kalibr missiles entered Ukraine after crossing through neighboring Moldova and Romania on Friday, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said on social media.
The rockets were part of a new barrage that began with early-morning drone attacks, Ukrainian officials said.
Read more: Russian Missiles Aimed at Ukraine Crossed Romania, Kyiv Says
Moldova Calls in Russian Envoy Over Airspace Violation: TASS (11 a.m.)
Moldova’s foreign ministry has summoned Russia’s ambassador after Friday’s incident in which Kyiv says Russian cruise missiles crossed parts of Moldovan and Romanian airspace before entering western Ukraine.
The missiles were part of a new barrage from Moscow that started overnight and continued into Friday morning, aimed at Ukrainian energy infrastructure and other targets.
Russian Missiles Cross Romanian, Moldovan Airspace, Ukraine Says (10:30 a.m.)
Two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea crossed the airspace of Moldova and Romania – a NATO member – before entering western Ukraine on Friday morning, said Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s chief commander, said on Telegram.
Moldova’s defense ministry said in a statement that it had registered a border violation. Romania’s defense ministry said it wasn’t confirming the incident.
Ukraine Vows to Meet Conditions for EU Membership Talks This Year (10:14 a.m.)
“Enormous progress” by Ukraine was acknowledged by European leaders during President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to Brussels on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna tols Bloomberg TV. It is essential for Ukraine to start the negotiation process this year, and Ukraine’s government is delivering on all seven required crucial reforms, including judiciary and rule of law and the fight against corruption, Stefanishyna said.
On Thursday, European Commmission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “more needs to be done” by Ukraine “but important is to understand there is no rigid timeline. It is a merit-based process so it’s up to the candidate country how far and how fast they reach the goals that are being set.”
Emergency Power Cuts Amid 14th Major Missile and Drone Attack (9 a.m.)
Grid operator Ukrenergo implemented emergency electricity outages in several areas amid what it called the 14th mass Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy system.
The company said on Facebook that high-voltage infrastructure as well as power plants and transmission stations had come under attack.
Multiple Russian Missiles On the Way After Overnight Strikes (8 a.m.)
The latest major barrage of Russian attacks on energy facilities and other key infrastructure began overnight with missile strikes on Kharkiv and drone strikes in the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Mykolayiv.
Mykolayiv Governor Vitaliy Kim said about 20 missiles are headed toward Ukraine. Overnight, seven drones were launched by Russia from the Sea of Azov and six Kalibr cruise missiles were launched from a Russian ship based in the Black Sea, according to Ukraine’s Air Forces. Five drones and five missiles were intercepted.
Preventive power cut-offs were enacted in the Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions due the threat of oncoming missiles. Russia has consistently targeted Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure since early October.
Macron Says It’s Impossible to Deliver Jets in Near Term (3:50 a.m.)
French President Emmanuel Macron said he doesn’t rule out sending fighter jets to Ukraine, but stressed that logistics would in any case make it impossible to deliver them in the short term.
He also said jets don’t correspond to Ukraine needs at this point. Macron urged allies to prioritize prioritize equipment that are the more useful and the fastest for Ukrainian forces and said artillery shipments will likely be intensified.
Scholz Asks European Leaders to Deliver Tanks (3:15 a.m.)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has asked European leaders to deliver the Leopard 2 tanks, which will be needed to send two battalions to Ukraine by the end of March.
“I’ve used the opportunity to ask them for active assistance,” said Scholz early Friday morning after the EU Council meeting in Brussels. “My impression is: This will work. But it won’t be easy,” he added.
Germany will deliver 14 Leopard 2 tanks. For the creation of two full battalions, 80 battle tanks will be needed altogether.
EU to Discuss Joint Ammo Approach Next Month (3:10 a.m.)
EU nations will discuss plans to coordinate purchases of ammunition from defense companies when leaders gather for their next summit in March, European Council President Charles Michel told reporters in Brussels early Friday.
Some countries had been pushing for a more urgent effort to rebuild the bloc’s stocks and supply Ukraine, but other nations weren’t prepared to approve a specific plan without more details.
Michel said there was “broad support” to act in a more coordinated way to speed up the production of ammunition, but some countries wanted to wait until there was a more concrete proposal on the table.
Russia Must Provide Nuclear Security Guarantees, Zelenskiy Aide Says (10:25 p.m.)
Eastern Europe and the rest of the world would need comprehensive guarantees to protect against any kind of nuclear threat after Ukraine wins the war, Zelenskiy’s deputy chief of staff Ihor Zhovkva said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Brussels. “We should not allow any nuclear state to dictate,” he said, adding that the guarantees can’t be empty.
Zhovkva said that Ukraine needs more weapons, including long-range missiles and jets, to reclaim captured towns and intercept Russian missiles, and that it wouldn’t “hit any inch of Russian territory.”
Ukraine Aide Hits Back at SpaceX Chief’s Criticism (8:12 p.m.)
An aide to Zelenskiy hit back at Musk’s SpaceX after its president said Ukraine has improperly “weaponized” its Starlink internet-from-space terminals for military use.
At an industry conference on Wednesday in Washington, Gwynne Shotwell, the company’s president and chief operating officer, also said, “There are things that we can do and have done” to block certain uses of the Starlink terminals that SpaceX and Musk provided to the Ukrainian government after Russia’s invasion of the country.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskiy, said in a tweet Thursday that Space X and “Mrs. #Shotwell should choose” whether they back Ukraine’s “right to freedom” or Russia’s “right to kill and seize territories,” as must other companies.
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