The US continued its sanctions campaign against prominent Russians on Friday, including three immediate family members of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov was placed on the US blacklist on March 3. His wife, Tatiana Aleksandrovna Navka, and his two adult children Nikolay Peskov, and Elizaveta Dmitriyevna Peskova, have all been added to the sanctions list.

The Treasury Department said Peskov's family members "live luxurious lifestyles that are incongruous with Peskov’s civil servant salary and are likely built on the ill-gotten wealth of Peskov’s connections to Putin."

Navka is alleged to be at the helm of a "property empire worth more than $10 million," the department said in a statement.

“Treasury continues to hold Russian officials to account for enabling Putin’s unjustified and unprovoked war,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. “Today’s actions also further isolate the severely damaged Russian economy by prohibiting trade in products that are key to the economic and financial interests of all Russian elites.”

The department also re-designated Russian businessman Viktor Feliksovich Vekselberg, who was previously sanctioned, and identified as blocked property his private plane, and a Cook Islands-flagged yacht he owns named Tango.

The management board of Russia's VTB bank was also sanctioned, as were 12 members of the Russian State Duma, including its Chairman and Russian Security Council member Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin.

Like Vekselberg, Volodin was already under US sanctions./aa

President Joe Biden on Friday announced that the US will revoke normal trade relations with Russia.

The move will ramp up economic pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and further isolate Moscow from the global stage, Biden said in a press briefing at the White House.

"Later today … with other NATO allies and G7 members, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the EU, we are going to jointly announce several new steps to squeeze Putin," he told.

"First, each of our nations are going to take steps to deny most favored nation status to Russia," he said, which meant two countries had an agreement to trade with each other with low tariffs, with few barriers to trade and highest imports allowed.

In the US, this is called permanent normal trade relations (PNTR), Biden noted.

"Revoking PNTR for Russia is going to make harder for Russia to do business with the US, and doing it in unison with other nations (that) make up half of the global economy will be another crushing blow to the Russian economy already suffering very badly from our sanctions," he explained.

Biden emphasized that unity among the US' allies is critically important, adding: "The free world is coming together to confront Putin."

The president said an additional step to ban imports of goods of several sectors of the Russian economy, including sea foods, vodka and diamonds.

"We are going to continue squeezing Putin. The G7 will seek to deny Russia the ability to borrow from leading institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank," he said.

"Putin is an aggressor. He is the aggressor. And, Putin must pay the price," Biden said, stressing that the Russian leader cannot pursue a war that threatens the foundation of international peace and stability.

"The G7 is also stepping up pressure on corrupt Russian billionaires. We are adding new names to the list of oligarchs and their families that we are targeting," he said. "They support Putin, they steal from the Russian people. And, they seek to hide their money in our countries ... They must share the pain of these sanctions."

Biden said the US is also banning exports of luxury goods to Russia.

"Totality of our sanctions and exports controls are crushing Russian economy. The [Russian] ruble has lost more than half of its value. It takes about 200 rubles to equal one dollar these days. Moscow stock exchange has been for two weeks, because they know the moment it opens it will probably collapse," he said.

Biden noted that credit rating agencies have been downgrading Russia to "junk" status.

He also added the US set aside $1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine last year which includes anti-armor and anti-air capabilities, in addition to humanitarian supplies such as food, water, medicines.

"We will make sure Ukraine has weapons of defending against an invading Russian force. We will send money and food and aid to save to Ukrainian people," he said

"We will defend every single inch of NATO territory with the full might and the united and galvanized NATO. We will not fight a war against Russia in Ukraine. Direct confrontation between NATO and Russia is World War III. Something we must strive to prevent," he added./aa

The United Nations said on Friday it has no evidence of any biological weapons programs in Ukraine despite Russia's repeated and so far unsubstantiated claims.

Izumi Nakamitsu, the top UN official for disarmament, told the Security Council that she is aware of the charges, but said the international body has no information that would corroborate them.

Nakamitsu pointed to the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, which bans the development and use of biological and other toxic weapons.

The senior UN official was speaking during a council session called by Russia to discuss its allegations that the US has been aiding Ukraine in its alleged development of "biological activities." Both the US and Ukraine have denied the charge.

The US said Russia called for Friday's convening of the Security Council "for the sole purpose of lying and" to "spread disinformation" with the intent of obfuscating responsibility for a potential chemical or biological attack.

"Russia has a track record of falsely accusing other countries of the very violations that Russia itself is perpetrating, and given that, and consistent with our previous statements, we have serious concerns that Russia may be planning to use chemical or biological agents against the Ukrainian people," said Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

"We’re not going to let Russia get away with lying to the world, or staining the integrity of the Security Council by using this forum as a venue for legitimizing Putin’s violence," she added.

Vassily Nebenzyia, Russia's UN envoy, charged the US with aiding Ukraine with developing a network of at least 30 bioweapon facilities, and accused the Ukrainian government of having an "interest" in using biological or chemical weapons. Kyiv steadfastly denies such, and says the Kremlin's charges are troubling.

Nakamitsu's comments denying the UN's corroborating information were echoed by several Security Council member states. Nebenzyia cited the fact, saying "Many of you said that you are unaware of the military biological programs in Ukraine."

"That doesn’t mean that they didn’t exist in actual fact. The military development is a secret enterprise, and those who are involved in that do not report to Ms. Nikamitsu about it,” he said.

Thomas-Greenfield said the US has assisted Ukraine with developing the means to identify and diagnose diseases like COVID-19 as part of Kyiv's public health efforts, and said such efforts have been done "proudly, clearly and out in the open."

"This work has everything to do with protecting the health of people. It has absolutely nothing, absolutely nothing to do with biological weapons," she said.

Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's envoy, said that by calling Friday's session the "aggressor state," referring to Russia, has shot "itself in [the] foot yet again."

"Ukraine runs a health system that is totally in full compliance with its international obligations, and in full cooperation with all relevant international obligations," he said. "The rest is a bunch of insane delirium of Putin and his henchmen, including the Russian mission to the United Nations."/aa

The EU is preparing a fresh round of tougher sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine, said the European Commission head on Friday, adding that the bloc will work to "suspend Russia’s membership rights in leading multilateral financial institutions,” including the IMF and World Bank.

"We will deny Russia the status of most-favored-nation in our markets. This will revoke important benefits that Russia enjoys as a WTO (World Trade Organization) member," said Ursula von der Leyen.

Saying Russian companies will no longer have a privileged position in the EU, she vowed: "We will ensure that Russia cannot obtain financing, loans, or any other benefits from these institutions."

She also said they are working so that the "Russian state and its elites cannot use crypto assets to circumvent the sanctions."

The EU, she added, will ban the exports of any EU luxury goods from countries of the bloc to Russia, saying: "Those who sustain Putin's war machine should no longer be able to enjoy their lavish lifestyle while bombs fall on innocent people in Ukraine."

Imports of key iron and steel goods from Russia will also be prohibited, von der Leyen said, adding that the EU will propose a big ban on new European investments across Russia's energy sector.

"This ban will cover all investments, technology transfers, financial services, etc. for energy exploration and production," she noted.

The EU on Friday disbursed €300 million ($327 million) in emergency macro-financial assistance to support Ukraine's finances as part of the first tranche of a €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) financial aid package, she said.

"More will follow. This crisis is unprecedented. And so is the unity and speed of reaction our democracies have shown so far. Ukraine will prevail," said von der Leyen.

At least 564 civilians have been killed and 957 others injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24, the UN has said, while also cautioning that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.

Over 2.5 million people have fled to neighboring countries, with about 2 million more estimated to be displaced inside Ukraine, according to the UN refugee agency./aa

Russia on Friday banned access to Instagram after media reports that its parent company Meta said it would allow calls for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

The request to ban Instagram came from the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, Roskomnadzor, the federal media regulator, said in a statement.

Prosecutors had demanded to recognize Meta as an "extremist organization" and ban its activities in Russia.

The country's Investigative Committee also launched a probe after "illegal calls by employees of the American company Meta for violence against and murder of Russian nationals."

Meta also owns Facebook, which the Russian government blocked access to last week, in response to restrictions the social network imposed on several Russian media outlets.

Hundreds of brands have exited the Russian market since the war began on Feb. 24. Besides the casualties, the conflict has created a refugee crisis in Europe with more than 2.5 million people fleeing Ukraine./aa

The Russian Investigative Committee opened on Friday a criminal case against US tech giant Meta after reports that it changed rules to allow calls for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers on its platforms in the context of Moscow's war on Ukraine.

"The Main Investigative Department of the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case in connection with illegal calls for murder and violence against citizens of the Russian Federation, made by employees of the American company Meta, which owns the social networks Facebook and Instagram," a statement said.

"Andy Stone, the company's press secretary, announced on the social network that Meta had temporarily lifted the ban on calls for violence against the Russian military on its platforms, calling it 'a form of political expression.'"

The readout added that Meta's approval of appeals against the Russian military fall under articles 280 and 205.1 of the Russian Criminal code – public calls to carry out extremist activities, and assistance terrorist activities.

The necessary investigative measures are being carried out to give a legal assessment of the actions by Stone and other employees of the US corporation, it said.

Meanwhile, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation asked the court to recognize Meta as an extremist organization and ban its activities in Russia.

In a separate statement, the Russian Embassy in the US urged Washington to stop Meta's "extremist activities."

"We demand that authorities stop the extremist activities of @Meta, take measures to bring the perpetrators to justice," it said in a statement. "Users of #Facebook & #Instagram did not give the owners of these platforms the right to determine the criteria of truth and pit nations against each other."

Last week, Russia's communications watchdog blocked access to Facebook in response to restrictions the social network imposed on several Russian media outlets./aa

The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine since Russia launched a war on its neighbor has crossed 2.5 million, the UN refugee agency said on Friday.

"The UN estimates that there are now at least 2 million internally displaced people," in Ukraine, UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh said at a news conference at Ukraine's border with Poland.

"The total number of refugees has just passed 2.5 million ... an unprecedented flow of people in Europe, certainly the most since the World War II."

UNHCR said that some of the refugees face the danger of landmines while fleeing.

"We have so far recorded 564 civilian deaths and 957 injuries since the armed attack began on Feb. 24, although the actual figure could be much higher," said Elizabeth Throssell, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson.

"Civilians are being killed and maimed in what appear to be indiscriminate attacks, with Russian forces using explosive weapons with wide-area effects in or near populated areas," said Throssell.

These include missiles, heavy artillery shells and rockets, as well as airstrikes.

The rights office spokesperson said that schools, hospitals and kindergartens had been hit – with hugely devastating consequences.

She said that on March 3, 47 civilians were killed when Russian airstrikes hit two schools and several apartment blocks in Chernihiv, northern Ukraine.

"On 9 March, a Russian airstrike hit Mariupol Hospital No.3, injuring at least 17 civilians. We are still investigating reports that at least three civilians may have been killed in the airstrike," said Throssell.

Mariupol hospital attack

She said her office spoke to different sources in Mariupol, including local authorities, consistently indicating that the hospital was clearly identifiable and operational when hit.

The rights office also has received credible reports of several cases of Russian forces using cluster munitions, including in populated areas.

On Feb. 24, a cluster munition exploded at the Central City Hospital in Vuhledar, in Ukraine’s breakaway Donetsk region, killing four civilians, injuring 10 others, and damaging ambulances, civilian vehicles, and the hospital itself.

"There were other cluster munition attacks in several districts of Kharkiv, in which nine civilians were killed and 37 injured," Throssell said.

"We remind the Russian authorities that directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as so-called area bombardment in towns and villages and other forms of indiscriminate attacks, are prohibited under international law and may amount to war crimes."

The World Health Organization's Tarik Jasarevic said at the news conference that there had been 26 attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine reported since the war.

"There were just reports this morning from Kharkiv authorities that a psychiatric institute has been attacked. If this proves to be true, this would be yet another attack on health in Ukraine.

"So we condemn all attacks on health care, whether it is health care facilities, health care personnel, or patients. This is in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law; it deprives people of access to health care; it puts in danger the lives of patients and health care workers."

Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia./aa