Russia and Ukraine accused each other on Friday of shelling Europe's biggest nuclear power plant as fighting raged again in the crucial border region of the Donbas and three more ships left ports carrying previously blockaded Ukrainian grain. read more
MORE ON ZAPORIZHZHIA PLANT
* Ukraine's state nuclear power company Energoatom blamed Russia on Friday for the damage at the Zaporizhzhia power station.
* Russia's defence ministry accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the plant, saying a leak of radiation had been avoided only by luck. read more
* Shells hit a high-voltage power line at the Russian-occupied plant, prompting operators to disconnect a reactor despite no radioactive leak being detected. The plant is still run by Ukrainian technicians.
FIGHTING
* Russia's war in Ukraine is about to enter a new phase, with most fighting shifting to a nearly 350 km (217 mile) front stretching southwest from near Zaporizhzhia to Kherson, British military intelligence said. read more
* Ukraine's southern front-line city of Mykolaiv will impose an unusually long curfew from late Friday to early Monday morning as authorities try to catch people collaborating with Russia, the region's governor said on Friday. read more
* The next weapons package to Ukraine from the United States was expected to be $1 billion and include munitions for long-range weapons and armoured medical transport vehicles, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters. read more
ECONOMY/DIPLOMACY
* The head of Amnesty International's Ukrainian office is leaving the human rights group after it accused Ukraine's armed forces of endangering civilians by basing troops in residential areas. read more
* Russia has banned investors from so-called unfriendly countries from selling shares in energy projects and banks until the end of the year, part of the stand-off with the West over sanctions imposed after the invasion. read more
* U.S. President Biden said his administration was working hard to secure the release of basketball star Brittney Griner, whose arrest in Moscow a week before Russia invaded Ukraine in February plunged her into the geopolitical maelstrom that followed. read more
* Russia said it was ready to discuss a prisoner swap with the United States in private.