Ukraine has banned all imports from Russia, one of its key trading partners before the war with annual imports valued at USD 6 billion, Reuters reported. Ukraine’s authorities have called on other countries to impose harsher economic sanctions against Russia. Poland announced it was banning imports of Russian gas and coal. 

The peace talks between the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine will not be held until after the battle for Donbas, Volodymyr Zelensky’s Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said. The first part of the Russian invasion in Donbas has already begun, Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Oleksiy Arestovych said. According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, the Russian fleet has intercepted a Maltese-flagged cargo ship trying to break the blockade of Mariupol. The vessel’s crew was taken to a Russian port.

A protest rally in support of Ukraine was held in front of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Sofia. The citizens who took part at the rally called on Bulgaria’s authorities to declare Russia’s Ambassador to Sofia persona non grata.