A person holds Japan’s national flag at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 2, 2020. — REUTERS/KIM KYUNG-HOON

TOKYO – Japan bans Russia-bound exports of steel, aluminum and aircraft including drones in its latest sanction against Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the trade ministry said on Friday.

The measure, which also prohibits Japanese entities from exporting a wide variety of industrial items such as construction machinery, ship engines, testing equipment and optical devices to Russia, will go into effect on April 7, the ministry said in a statement.

At least six Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv late on Thursday, and officials are gathering details about damage and casualties, the regional governor said.

Meanwhile, the United States said it has new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional weapons from North Korea in exchange for food aid. — Reuters