Toyota wants to get rid of the Russian factory
05:56 | The closed factory in St. Petersburg of the Japanese automaker Toyota could be transferred to the Russian state company NAMI. Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov told a business conference on Thursday, according to state news agency TASS, that this was being considered. NAMI has previously taken over the factories of Renault and Nissan.
A Toyota spokesman said on Friday the company still didn’t know what to do with the Russian factory. The manufacturing facility was permanently closed in September last year as it ran out of materials and parts due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and sanctions. “While it is true that we are evaluating various options, nothing has been decided at the moment,” the spokesman said.
Zelensky promises the liberation of Mariupol
05:54 | Exactly one year after the Russian bombing of the Mariupol theater, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky has promised to recapture the southern port city. In his usual video message on Thursday evening, he also announced a tribunal against the invading army for war crimes committed.
“The day will come when we will liberate Mariupol,” said the head of the Ukrainian government. He recalled the air raid on the theater on March 16, 2022. Many civilians took refuge there against the violence of war. “The Russian bombs turned the theater into a disaster. It is still unclear how many people died then. Hundreds? One thousand?’.
Moscow denied responsibility and said the Ukrainian Azov regiment, which defended the city to its last breath, blew up the building. Zelensky denounced that statement, describing the bombing of the theater as one of many Russian war crimes in Ukraine. “The day will come when a court will be established to restore justice to our people.”