Russian troops shut down Kyiv as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine continued.
Kyiv officials have warned residents in the Obolon metropolitan area not to leave the country on Friday because of “the nature of the conflict.” Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has urged local residents to be safe or to use petrol bombs so as not to “endanger civilians.”
It comes at a time when Ukrainian authorities are blasting bridges into Kyiv to prevent Russian troops from entering the capital.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Friday the ECB would do anything to “ensure price stability and financial stability in the euro area,” Reuters reported.
“The ECB is ready to take whatever is needed within its obligations to ensure price stability and financial stability in the euro area,” he told reporters, according to the news agency.
He said the central bank would conduct a study on March 10 on what to do next to reduce the economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Governments on both sides of the Atlantic are wary of cyberthreats from Russia, following a series of cyberattacks targeting Ukrainian organizations.
Ukraine has been hit hard by digital attacks in recent weeks. For example, Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new malicious computer program called “wiper” in Ukraine that erases data on its targeted systems, while a series of distributed distribution denials of service (DDoS) have cracked some Ukrainian government websites and offline banks.
U.S. and British officials warn businesses to beware of suspicious actions from Russia on social media, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has said European countries should be wary of cyber attacks.
Separately, NBC News reported on Thursday that President Joe Biden had been given options for the US to launch a cyberattack attack on Russia. A White House spokesman dismissed the report, calling it “violent.”
Tobacco giant Philip Morris International suspends Ukrainian operations
Philip Morris International said on Friday it would temporarily suspend its operations in Ukraine, which includes manufacturing at its factory in Kharkiv.
Last year, Ukraine accounted for about 2% of the total volume of cigarette butts and export volume of hot cigarette unit and less than 2% of the rest of its sales. The Kharkiv center is the only factory in the country, but it has more than 1,300 employees in Ukraine.
“Our staff is advised to stay at home or in any safe place and to follow the instructions of the local authorities,” chief executive Jacek Olczak said in a statement.
PMI said it has emergency plans in place to resume production when safe conditions are permitted.
The Vatican confirmed to NBC News on Friday that Pope Francis has gone to the Russian embassy in Rome to express his concern over the Ukraine war, a pope’s unusual act.
Vatican officials say they know nothing about the pope’s previous program, according to the Associated Press. An 85-year-old Catholic Church leader spoke to Russian officials for just over half an hour.
Typically, the Vatican foreign minister calls a special envoy or head of state to the Vatican instead of the pope leaving the city.