Russia-Ukraine war highlights: Ukraine submits 'accelerated application' to join NATO; Putin signs treaties to annex Ukrainian regions

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Ukrainian national police say the toll in Russia's shelling Friday of Zaporizhzhia has risen to 30 dead, 88 wounded.

US has not seen acts indicating Russia contemplating nuclear attack

The United States has not yet seen Russia take any action that suggests it is contemplating the use of nuclear weapons amid its invasion of Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday, despite what he called "loose talk" by Russian President Vladimir Putin about their possible use. "We are looking very carefully to see if Russia is actually doing anything that suggests that they are contemplating the use of nuclear weapons. To date, we've not seen them take these actions," Blinken told a news conference in Washington with his Canadian counterpart.

Russians push baseless theory blaming US for burst pipeline

The Kremlin and Russian state media are aggressively pushing a baseless conspiracy theory blaming the United States for damage to natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea in what analysts said Friday is another effort to split the U.S. and its European allies. The Russian position is also reverberating on social media forums popular with American conservatives and far-right groups.

War in Ukraine at “a pivotal moment;” Putin’s land grab is “the most serious escalation" since war began, says NATO Chief

NATO chief rejects Russia's annexation of four parts of Ukraine

US says Army major and wife tried to leak military health data to Russia

A U.S. Army major and his anesthesiologist wife have been criminally charged for allegedly plotting to leak highly sensitive healthcare data about military patients to Russia, the Justice Department revealed on Thursday. Jamie Lee Henry, the major who was also a doctor at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, and his wife, Dr. Anna Gabrielian, were charged in an unsealed indictment in federal court in Maryland with conspiracy and wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information about patients at the Army base.

Russian military showing increased frailty in Ukraine war -British military chief

Russia's mobilization has exposed the mounting pressure the Kremlin is under as its armed forces show signs of "increased weakness and frailty" in the war in Ukraine, Britain's Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said on Friday. "There are pressure points. There is some brittleness to the Russian armed forces," Radakin told a small group of reporters in Washington. But Radakin cautioned that the conflict was slow-moving, with Ukraine poised to take further, incremental advantage of Russian "pressure points." He did not predict any sudden Russian battlefield collapse. "The underlying feature (of the conflict) is of a grinding nature, with temporary advantages that are seized and built on. You're not seeing a huge shift in balance between the two," he said.

New US sanctions hit Russia bank governor, 57 entities

The United States introduced new sanctions on Friday in response to Russia's annexation of Ukraine territory in referendums that Biden administration officials call "fraudulent." The sanctions target Russian officials, their families and dozens of entities that Washington says are aiding the annexation. They include a warning to other countries that the sanctions apply to any country that seeks to replenish tapped out Russian military and industrial resources.

Russia showing 'contempt for peaceful nations everywhere' with 'phony' claim of annexation of Ukrainian territory, says US President Joe Biden

Ukraine applies for accelerated accession to NATO

Ukraine tells Russia to appeal if it wants imperilled troops freed

Ukraine said on Friday it had all the supply routes to the Russian stronghold of Lyman in the crosshairs of its artillery in the east, and told Moscow it would have to appeal to Kyiv if it wanted its forces to be allowed out. Fighting was still raging, but an encirclement operation was under way, a military spokesperson said. His comments suggested Moscow faced a major setback in the Donbas region just as Russian President Vladimir Putin was proclaiming the land part of Russia. "All the approaches and logistic routes of the enemy, through which they delivered ammunition and manpower, are in fact under fire control (of Ukraine)," Serhii Cherevatyi, a military spokesperson told public broadcaster Suspilne.

Ukraine tells Russia to appeal if it wants imperilled troops freed

Ukraine said on Friday it had all the supply routes to the Russian stronghold of Lyman in the crosshairs of its artillery in the east, and told Moscow it would have to appeal to Kyiv if it wanted its forces to be allowed out. Fighting was still raging, but an encirclement operation was under way, a military spokesperson said. His comments suggested Moscow faced a major setback in the Donbas region just as Russian President Vladimir Putin was proclaiming the land part of Russia. "All the approaches and logistic routes of the enemy, through which they delivered ammunition and manpower, are in fact under fire control (of Ukraine)," Serhii Cherevatyi, a military spokesperson told public broadcaster Suspilne.

US slaps additional sanctions on Russia after Putin annexation move

The United States imposed Russia-related sanctions on hundreds of individuals and companies on Friday, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed Russia's annexation of a swath of Ukraine.

Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy says his nation is submitting an accelerated' application to join the NATO military alliance.