Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sees his armed forces under pressure from the influx of newly mobilized soldiers on the Russian side. Although Russia only burns these men as cannon fodder, they make the task more difficult for the Ukrainian defenders, Zelenskyy said in his video address on Thursday. The second largest city in Ukraine, Kharkiv, was again shelled with Russian rockets in the evening. Russian cruise missiles also hit a military facility near the city of Zolochiv in the west of the country. Friday marks the 233rd day of Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion.

The interior ministers of the European Union are meeting in Luxembourg, and Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faser (SPD) is also expected. One topic will be the situation of refugees from Ukraine in the EU.

Read all about the events of the 233rd day of the war in the stern live blog: