Ukraine's president says Ukraine is on course for victory

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, claims that the country has reached a key juncture in its conflict with Russia. According to Zelenskiy, Russia is bolstering its invading force with conscripts, reservists, and Syrian mercenaries. He urges the international community to ratchet up penalties on Russia if it does not back down.

The action, according to Ukrainian presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych, is a symptom of the Russian army's weakness. "It's hard to predict how many days we have left to liberate Ukrainian territory, but we can say we will accomplish it," he stated. Earlier on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized the deployment of up to 16,000 Middle Eastern volunteers.

According to Russia's military ministry, there were no air attacks on ground targets in Mariupol on Wednesday. Ukraine is accused of orchestrating a "planned provocation" by seizing control of a maternity and children's hospital. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously stated that Ukrainian soldiers had taken control of the facility. According to the Kremlin, unambiguous facts must be established.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed concern that Russia will use chemical weapons in Ukraine. "What you're hearing about chemical weapons is just out of their playbook," Johnson told Sky News. "They start suggesting there are chemical weapons held by their opponents or by Americans," he explained.

According to Russian official media, the lanes will open from Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kahrkiv, and Mariupol. According to the article, Russia would need prior lists of individuals and vehicles before allowing them to access the corridors. The announcement follows a demand from the US State Department to the Russian authorities to enable people to safely leave Ukrainian cities.

Ukraine informed the UN nuclear watchdog on Thursday that it has lost all touch with the Chernobyl radioactive waste plants. Russian soldiers currently control the decommissioned power station that was the scene of the world's worst nuclear catastrophe in 1986. Ukraine told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that all contacts with the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant had been severed as of today.

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