War against Ukraine: ++ Municipalities are pushing on the question of costs ++

4:56 a.m

Unclear situation after attack on theater

After the attack on a theater in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, where scores of people had taken shelter, conflicting statements about the rescue attempts are reported.

Several news agencies reported that the search for survivors was continuing. On the other hand, a Ukrainian MP said there was concern that after the ongoing shelling by Russian troops, there was no one left who could save the people there. Fighting is also being reported from other parts of Ukraine.

4:16 a.m

Construction industry: Not enough material for construction sites

The construction industry in Germany is struggling with increasing uncertainties due to the war in Ukraine. Deliveries for important products such as screws and nails would no longer arrive in Germany due to sanctions, said Tim Oliver Müller, general manager of the Main Association of the German Construction Industry (HDB), the newspapers of the Funke media group (Friday).

“We cannot say for sure today whether there will be enough material for all construction sites in Germany.” He can no longer safely rule out a construction stop for a large number of projects, said Müller. “Rather, we should already be asking ourselves which projects we have to discontinue and which we cannot do without.” The construction industry is already in contact with the boards of major clients such as Deutsche Bahn or Autobahn GmbH. Another problem is price increases for important raw materials such as steel, bitumen or aluminum.

“In some cases, prices are only guaranteed on an hourly basis,” said Müller. “It is therefore impossible to calculate and submit offers as we have done up to now.” In current contracts, however, the companies could not pass on price increases and were therefore left with the additional costs.

4:16 a.m

Steinmeier: The Ukraine war is a reminder to Western democracies

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier sees the Ukraine war as a warning to all western democracies. “When we see at the same time how much the Ukrainians are fighting for democracy and freedom in their homeland, that is also a reminder to us: These achievements are never guaranteed forever,” Steinmeier told the news portal t-online.

“Democracy requires commitment. It must also be worth something to us in our own country,” said Steinmeier. It should not be reduced to a matter for parliaments and governments. “We will only have democracy if society really wants it,” said the Federal President.

Steinmeier said of the Ukraine refugees: “We have great sympathy for the people and outrage that Russia is threatening so many of them and driving them to flee. But we are also aware that the solidarity we are showing now show, is not a question of two or three weeks, but needs staying power.”

4:16 a.m

Paypal expands services

PayPal is expanding its services to allow Ukrainian citizens and refugees to receive payments from abroad. According to Dan Schulman, the company’s CEO, in a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukrainians will be able to transfer funds from their PayPal accounts to eligible credit and debit cards.

PayPal has suspended the fees for such transactions until June 30th. This is designed to allow all Ukrainians to receive money from friends and family members in the United States and elsewhere, and could also be used for government welfare transfers in the future.

4:16 a.m

Selensky: Russian troops recruit mercenaries

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily video address about foreign fighters who the Russian military is said to have recruited: “We have information that the Russian armed forces are recruiting mercenaries from different countries. They are trying to deceive as many young recruits as possible to join their ranks.” Zelenskyy warns against joining the Russians, saying it’s better to live a long life rather than take money, which is only offered for a short time.

4:16 a.m

Japan: Sanctions against individuals and organizations

Japan plans to impose further sanctions on 15 Russian individuals and nine organizations. This should also include the state arms exporter Rosoboronexport.

Australia imposes further sanctions on the Russian Ministry of Finance and eleven other banks and government organizations. “With the recent involvement of the Central Bank of Russia, Australia has now targeted all Russian government agencies responsible for issuing and servicing Russia’s sovereign debt,” said Secretary of State Marise Payne.

4:16 a.m

Russia: No vote on Ukraine resolution for the time being

For the time being, Russia will not vote in the UN Security Council on its draft resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. The US and Albania have put pressure on other members to oppose the resolution, said Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebensia. However, he stressed that Russia would not withdraw its draft resolution.

The US, France and Great Britain could veto the resolution if there is a majority for it at all. Western states have criticized the Russian draft for not mentioning responsibility for the war Russia had unleashed. Nebensia announced that Russia would return to its allegations of US biological laboratories in Ukraine at Friday’s Security Council meeting. New documents will be submitted for this purpose.

4:16 a.m

Attacks on Chernihiv in northern Ukraine

According to Ukrainian sources, Russian troops are continuing a partial blockade and attacks on the city of Chernihiv in the north of the country. This was announced by the General Staff of the Ukrainian military in its report on the military situation published daily on Facebook on Friday night. The bombardment is therefore carried out by artillery.

The city of Chernihiv, which is close to the borders with Russia and Belarus and has around 300,000 inhabitants, has been the target of Russian attacks since the beginning of the war. The humanitarian situation there is considered catastrophic, many buildings have been destroyed. Only on Thursday did local authorities report more than 50 deaths in the city within 24 hours.

In the area of ​​​​the Kiev suburb of Brovary, positions of the Ukrainian army are also regularly under artillery fire, the general staff report said. In the south of the country, Russian units continued to try to track down and destroy the air defense system along the Black Sea coast. Elsewhere, the Russian units concentrated primarily on securing their territory gains and preparing further offensives.

4:16 a.m

Municipalities criticize federal and state decisions

The German municipalities have criticized the decisions of the Prime Ministers’ Conference (MPK) on the care of Ukrainian war refugees as insufficient. “In view of the great commitment and the overwhelming solidarity of the citizens in the municipalities, we expect a clear commitment from the federal government to take over the financing for accommodation, care and integration,” said the general manager of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, Gerd Landsberg, of the Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post Office”.

Landsberg warned that “support and simplification of the procedures for registering and distributing” war refugees was also necessary. The resolutions of the federal and state governments on Thursday “do not yet meet these requirements”.

The head of the Association of Municipalities spoke out in favor of setting up an expert committee at the federal level in order to be able to “continuously assess the situation with regard to refugee care and make necessary adjustments quickly”.