LIVE UPDATES: Moscow Slams as Lie Claims That Russia Prevents People From Leaving Besieged Azovstal

Malaysian Ambassador to Russia Bala Chandran told Sputnik that he believes that the country would consider an opportunity to sell semiconductors and electronics to Russia.

"The Malaysian industry is market-oriented. And I am absolutely sure that any request from the Russian party concerning such products will be considered," the ambassador said.

He stressed that he was not aware of any current talks on the issues between the two countries.

According to the ambassador, Malaysia is one of the biggest exporters of semiconductors in the world.

Austrian Foreign Minister Magnus Brunner said that the country would not support the possible embargo on Russian gas as it would harm Vienna more than Moscow.

Last week, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that the embargo on Russian gas would not be supported by Austria, Germany and Hungary.

"Once a sanction hits yourself more than the one targeted by the sanction, I think there’s not much use," Brunner told the CNN broadcaster.

He added that Austria had no choice as the country's economy was highly dependent on Russian gas.

Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukraine started to receive from foreign partners the weapons it had asked, without specifying what of arms he was speaking about.

"I am grateful to our partners which have finally heard us and who are providing us with what we have asked," Zelensky said when speaking about the arms deliveries.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will visit Ukraine on April 28 where he will meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the UN press service said.

"The Secretary-General will visit Ukraine next week. He will have a working meeting with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and will be received by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 28 April. He will also meet with staff of UN agencies to discuss the scaling up of humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine," the press service said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ukrainians Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Washington to discuss the continuing US support for Ukraine and the increasing sanctions on Russia for its special military operation in the country, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Friday.

“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Washington, DC,” Price said in a statement. “He reviewed the extensive US security, humanitarian, and economic assistance provided to Ukraine and the increasing sanctions to impose costs on Russia and reduce its ability to wage war.”

The two officials also discussed Ukraine’s most pressing needs and additional ways Washington can help Kiev, the statement said.

Finnish power provider Fingrid announced on Friday that it will reduce the transmission capacity of the cross-border power grid with Russia by cutting power imports by about a third starting Sunday.

"Fingrid will restrict the transmission capacity in the cross-border connections to Russia as of 1 am on 24 April 2022, with the effect that the import capacity in Fingrid’s connections will be a maximum of 900 MW instead of the current 1,300 MW. The export capacity from Finland to Russia will remain unchanged (320 MW)," Fingrid said in a statement.

The company cited an assessment of risks posed by the changing international situation as the reason behind the decision.

Twenty prominent Germans from scientific, political, cultural and other circles, including former Bundestag Vice President Antje Vollmer, have sent German Chancellor Olaf Scholz an open letter calling for a halt to arms deliveries to Ukraine.

"Germany and other NATO countries have de facto made themselves a party to the war by delivering weapons. Thus, Ukraine has become a battlefield for a conflict between NATO and Russia over the security order in Europe, which has been escalating for years," German newspaper Berliner Zeitung quoted the letter.

As signatories said in the letter, the refusal of violence remains "the only realistic and humane alternative to a long and exhaustive war," with the first and most critical step being a halt on all arms deliveries to Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire.

"Therefore, we are calling on the German government, EU and NATO countries for a halt in arms deliveries to Ukrainian troops and urging the government in Kiev to end military resistance in exchange for guarantees of negotiations on a ceasefire and political resolution. Moscow's proposals on possible neutrality, agreement on the recognition of Crimea, and referendums on the future status of the Donbas republics, which have already been discussed by [Ukrainian] President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, give a real opportunity to do so," the letter read.

One serviceman of the Moskva missile cruiser died while trying to extinguish the fire, another 27 crew members went missing, the remaining 396 crew members were evacuated, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

"As a result of a fire on April 13, the Moskva missile cruiser was seriously damaged due to the detonation of ammunition. Attempts by the crew to extinguish the fire did not succeed. During the fight for the ship's survivability, one serviceman was killed, another 27 crew members were missing. The remaining 396 crew members were evacuated from the cruiser to the ships of the Black Sea Fleet in the area and delivered to Sevastopol," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry provides all the necessary support and assistance to the families and friends of the deceased and the missing.

The vast majority of officers, midshipmen and sailors of the sunken cruiser Moskva expressed a desire to continue service on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, it said.

On Thursday, Kirby announced that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will host a number of his counterparts for a Ukraine Defense Consultative Group meeting in Germany on April 26.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Europe will be able to do without Russian gas no longer than six months, after that the European economy will be significantly affected.

The lawmaker pointed out that Romania and Ukraine share a 650-kilometer (404 miles) border, and Bucharest is closely monitoring the situation in the neighboring country. Ciolacu noted that the country's preparedness for any eventualities "does not mean that Romania will directly step into the conflict".

On 17 April, the newspaper published an interview with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, in which he supported the diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, but was critical of the results of his phone calls with Putin, saying that they were probably "a waste of time".