Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine

Two people were injured and three residential buildings were consumed by fire as a result of Russia’s overnight attack on Ukraine’s Kharkiv, according to the city’s regional governor.

Oleh Syniehubov, head of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, said in a Google-translated post on Telegram that a fire broke out at three houses in the early hours of Friday.

Two people, an 11-year-old and a 72-year-old, were said to have been shell-shocked by the attack and were receiving medical support.

Syniehubov shared photos on Telegram of what appeared to be the aftermath of the attack, which showed buildings on fire and black smoke billowing into the night sky.

CNBC could not independently verify the report.

— Sam Meredith

A Ukrainian drone attack set an oil refinery in Russia’s Kaluga region on fire, according to Russian media reports.

Several powerful explosions were heard in the Dzerzhinsky district of the Kaluga region early on Friday, according to The Moscow Times, citing Russian Telegram channel SHOT.

Vladislav Shapsha, governor of the Kaluga region, said in a Google-translated post via Telegram that the fire was swiftly extinguished by emergency workers and the extent of the damage was being assessed.

Preliminary data indicated no one was killed in the attack, Shapsha said. He did not specify at what facility the incident took place.

Anton Gerashchenko, a former advisor to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, said via social media platform X on Friday that the oil refinery is the largest in Russia’s Kaluga region and the main complex for processing commercial oil and gas condensate.

CNBC could not independently verify the reports. Russia has launched a barrage of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in recent months, drawing retaliatory attacks on refineries by Kyiv.

— Sam Meredith

The Ukrainian Parliament on Thursday voted in favor of a bill that aims to crack down on Ukrainians dodging being drafted to the country’s armed forces, Reuters reported.

Fines for anyone trying to avoid being called up to fight would be increased and authorities would be allowed to detain draft dodgers for up to three days under the new bill.

The bill was backed by a majority of lawmakers, but still needs to be signed into law by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

This comes as Ukraine has been struggling with a shortage of soldiers, which has prompted the government to come up with various new ways to expand its army’s manpower. Earlier in the week the Ukrainian Parliament passed a bill allowing some prisoners to enlist.

A new mobilization law is also due to come into effect, which lowers the minimum age for army recruits among other provisions.

— Sophie Kiderlin

Russia and Belarus will join forces to carry out tactical nuclear weapons drills, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

“Since non-strategic nuclear weapons are stationed on the territory of Belarus, this time we invited our friends, allies, and the President of Belarus [Alexander Lukashenko] asked for this, to take part in one of the stages of this exercise. We conduct them regularly,” Putin said, according the Interfax news agency.

Non-strategic — or tactical — nuclear weapons are designed for use in battlefield situations as opposed to their larger and more destructive counterparts, strategic nuclear weapons, which could destroy entire cities.

Russia and its neighbor and ally Belarus had both announced their intentions earlier this week to carry out their own drills.

Russia has stationed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus but retains control over the weapons. Russia said its decision to station such hardware in Belarus was no different to the U.S.’ positioning of non-strategic nuclear weapons in Europe.

— Holly Ellyatt