Russia-Ukraine updates: US sanctions Russian military shipbuilder, diamond miner

The U.S. Department of Justice said its new task force dedicated to targeting sanctioned Russian oligarchs and their assets is "up and running," a senior DOJ official told reporters on Friday.

The DOJ is building out an experienced team of criminal and national security attorneys weighing a number of possible criminal charges to bring against those helping to support Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine, according to the official.

The "KleptoCapture" task force is now being led by assistant U.S. attorney Andrew Adams, a co-chief of the Southern District of New York's Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises unit.

David Lim, a trial attorney in DOJ's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Michael Khoo, an attorney in DOJ's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, have been appointed as deputy directors for the task force.

"Our goal is to bring any appropriate charge against any sanctioned Russian oligarch or entity and those who would help them to evade economic sanctions," the DOJ official said.

The official added, "Offenses under investigation are going to include sanctions evasion, money laundering, bank and wire fraud -- but the task force will bring any charge that might undermine and disrupt the comfort that these oligarchs achieved through crime and corruption."

Last week, charges were brought in the Southern District of New York against Jack Hanick, the first ever individual charged with violating U.S. sanctions arising from Russia's 2014 actions in Ukraine.

-ABC News' Alexander Mallin

President Joe Biden announced new steps Friday to "squeeze Putin" for his invasion of Ukraine and warned that Russia would pay a "severe price" if it uses chemical weapons in Ukraine.

Biden also called Russian President Vladimir Putin an aggressor, saying he "must pay the price."

Biden announced that the U.S., along with the G7 and EU partners, are revoking the favored nations status for Russia, bringing an end to normal trade relations with the Kremlin.

"He cannot pursue a war that threatens … the very foundations of international peace and stability and then ask for financial help from the international community," Biden said.

The move is the latest highlighting the unity of the West against Putin.

"The free world is coming together to confront Putin," Biden said, adding that sanctions already imposed are "crushing" the Russian economy. He also hinted that these are just the latest steps, but not the "last steps" allies will take against Russia.

Biden said he spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for "some time" telling him that the U.S. stands with Ukraine "as they bravely fight to defend their country."

Biden also said he looks forward to signing Congress' bipartisan spending bill, which includes an additional $13.5 billion in aid to Ukraine, "immediately."

“We will make sure Ukraine has weapons to defend against an invading Russian force. We will send money and food and aid to save the Ukrainian people. And I will welcome Ukrainian refugees—we should welcome them here with open arms if they need access,” Biden said.

-ABC News' Justin Gomez and Molly Nagle

Russia's Defense Ministry on Friday claimed more than 34,500 people were evacuated from Ukraine to Russia in the last 24 hours, without help from Kyiv authorities.

People were evacuated from various Ukrainian regions, including Luhansk and Donetsk regions, the head of the Russian National Defense Control Center, Mikhail Mizintsev, said at a press briefing.

"In the past 24 hours, 34,555 people, including 3,562 children, were evacuated from dangerous zones in various Ukrainian regions and the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics without Ukraine's involvement," Mizintsev said.

He added, "In total, more than 223,000 people, including 50,258 children, have already been evacuated since the launch of the special military operation."

Mizintsev claimed Ukrainian authorities are refusing humanitarian corridors in Russia's direction and prohibiting local authorities from having contacts with the Russian side.

According to Mizintsev, the city of Volnovakha is under control of the Donetsk militia and residents are reluctant to evacuate. He claimed the troops "are already establishing a return to peaceful life in Volnovakha."

"Relevant humanitarian events involving the population are underway, and none of the residents are going to leave their homes," Mizintsev said.

Russia's Defense Ministry also claimed that Ukrainian officials are disrupting evacuations from Izium to Lozova.

"The travel itineraries are planted with landmines, and parts of the road are being shelled with small arms and mortars by Ukrainian territorial defense units on approaches to Lozova," he said.

Mizintsev claimed Mariupol is blocked. "All bridges and approaches to it are destroyed, the main roads have been mined by nationalists, and gunmen are roaming the streets, firing indiscriminately, thereby forcing the civilian population to stay in," he said.

Mizintsev also claimed Ukrainian forces blew up "a building of the institute of physics and technology in Kharkiv to hide nuclear research" and that up to 50 of its employees might be missing.

Ukraine's air force claimed Friday that Russia carried out an alleged false flag airstrike in a Belarusian village near the border with Ukraine.

In a post on Facebook, Ukraine's air force claimed Russian jets took off from a base in Belarus and entered Ukraine's airspace, then a fire started in the village of Kopani.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksy Reznikov earlier claimed in a Facebook post that Russian forces would launch a strike against Kopani to "pull the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus into the war with Ukraine."

-ABC News' Patrick Reevell