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The European Union announced on Friday that it has made available to Ukraine $1.6 billion in funds that have been obtained from interest on about $225 billion in frozen assets of Russia's Central Bank.
Russia's assets, frozen by sanctions imposed after Moscow launched a frontal offensive in February 2022, are expected to generate about $3.2 billion annually.
EU officials say 90% of the funds will however remain in European accounts used to reimburse member states that send arms, ammunition and equipment to Ukraine. The remaining 10% will be included in the EU budget for the defense and reconstruction of Ukraine.
Ukraine has expressed concern that Russian forces would advance further if financial support were stopped.
Ukrainian officials announced Friday that a Russian military airport in Crimea was hit by a missile, the latest in a series of attacks in the region. In a statement circulated by Ukraine, it is said that the airport is often used by Russia to control airspace and launch attacks against Ukraine.
According to Ukraine, the attacks in Crimea have forced the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet to move warships to a safer port.
Tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens were reported to be without power on Friday following a drone attack by Russian forces on Ukrainian energy facilities. Fifteen individuals were said to have been injured in the attacks that sparked massive fires, according to Ukrainian officials, who said six residential buildings were also damaged.
Officials said 20 of the 22 Russian drones were downed during the attack.
NATO member Finland announced it suspected Russia of trespassing on its territory on Friday, when a Russian ship was thought to have been spotted in the Gulf of Finland. On June 10, this country reported four Russian aircraft in its airspace.
Ukraine was accused of blackmail on Friday by Hungary for blocking the transit of oil from Lukoil, a Russian company. This happened after Ukraine imposed sanctions in June to block the transit of Russian crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline.
The dispute has shown how some EU countries, such as Slovakia and Hungary, still depend on Russian energy more than two years after a bloc decision to freeze oil imports following Russia's attack on Ukraine.
The governments in Bratislava and Budapest, which oppose sanctions against Moscow and sending military aid to Kiev, have criticized Ukraine for halting supplies from Lukoil. They are asking the EU to mediate the dispute.
Gergely Gulyas, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff, said Friday that Ukraine's decision was blackmail because of Hungary and Slovakia's stances on Russia's war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials think that the decision to implement sanctions is not blackmail and has nothing to do with this issue./ VOA
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