S&P 500 futures drop over 1% as Russian forces enter the town of Vorzel, Obolon in Kyiv

Washington Post (WaPo) reports, citing Kyiv's mayor on Friday, “an air raid siren went off about 7 a.m. local time and at least one residential building in the capital caught fire after being hit by rocket debris.”

This comes after multiple explosions were heard earlier in the day.

A senior Ukrainian defense official said Russian forces were near the town of Vorzel, some 20 miles to Kyiv's northwest, per WaPo.

There are reports also doing the round by the Ukrainian media that Russia’s forces have entered the Obolon district in Kyiv, which is approximately 10 km from central Kyiv.

Adding to this, Russia’s News Agency, RIA, is stating that gunfire is being reported near government district in Kyiv.

The risk sentiment is turning sour once again on these headlines, with the S&P 500 futures losing 1.15% on the day. AUD/USD is trimming gains below 0.7200 while gold price holding onto its latest gains around $1,913.

Adding to the damp mood, Reuters reports that Russia has banned British airlines from landing at its airports or crossing its airspace, citing the country’s civil aviation regulator.

In response to Russia’s closing its airspace for UK, British Defense Minister Robert Wallace said that the “Russian restrictions on the UK airlines are a retaliation for our moves against Aeroflot.”