It's 4:45 pm Friday in Ukraine, what do we know?
What do we know in Ukraine?
The Washington Post reports Russia sent a two page diplomatic note to US officials warning the US and NATO that supplying Ukraine with advanced weapons systems and hardware could have ‘unpredictable consequences’
Kyiv saw some its heaviest bombardment in several weeks overnight
The Russian defense ministry has said they will step up missile attacks on Kyiv, in response to alleged Ukrainian shelling of cities and towns across the border in Russia
Ukrainian forces continue to hold out in Mariupol. The Ukrainians have dug in at the Azovstal iron and steel works, one of the largest such facilities in Europe. Made up of dozens of buildings, the Russians have been unable to locate and effectively attack Ukrainian forces hidden inside the facility. It is the location where Russian officials suggested using chemical weapons to ‘smoke out’ Ukrainian soldiers
What else do we know?
The number of Covid cases has begun to rise again in the US, driven by two Omicron subvariants. While Covid cases have risen almost 25%, the number of fatalities continues to fall, down around 40% in the last two weeks
Meanwhile, in China things are not so rosy, as the country’s ‘zero Covid’ policy continues to crumble under the weight of reality. China’s wealthiest city and financial capital, Shanghai, reported 27,000 new Covid cases on Thursday. 45 other cities, with a combined population of 350 million residents, are under partial to full lockdowns
The Republican National Committee voted to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates. Taking its cue from former President Trump, the committee–which is made up largely of Trump loyalists–has complained about the debate commission’s choice of moderator and timing of debates. It is unclear if voters will get to see Democratic candidates face off against their Republican opponents in the future