Russian air strikes hit Western Ukraine

Photo by: Eugene Lukyanov
Photo by: Eugene Lukyanov

(Ukraine) -- Russia is widening the war in Ukraine as deadly Russian air strikes hit near airports in western Ukraine Friday.

President Biden is expected to lay on more economic pressure, moving to revoke Russia's permanent normal trade relations status. That will clear the way for new tariffs on Russian imports. A diplomatic confrontation is expected in the U.N. Security Council Friday. Russia is requesting a discussion of its claims the U.S. is conducting military biological activity in Ukraine.

The Biden administration has forcefully denied that claim and says Moscow could be laying the groundwork for its own chemical attack.

Meantime, the UN is "gravely concerned" with the death toll in Ukraine. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said people are suffering as a result of the war. It also called for attacks to stop right away.

Around 500 civilians have been killed and just under a thousand have been injured.