Extract from ABC News
Kyiv residents walk past the aftermath of a Russian strike that killed at least eight people. (Reuters: Alina Smutko)
In short:
Russian forces have attacked Ukraine's capital, killing at least 25 people and injuring at least 86.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cut his Dublin trip short as the strikes trapped paramedics and drivers at an ambulance station.
What's next?
Ukraine has recently intensified strikes deeper into Russian territory, triggering a fuel crisis in Russia.
Russian forces have attacked Kyiv in Ukraine, killing at least 25 people and injuring at least 86.
Drones and missiles struck residential buildings and started a fire in a hotel on a central boulevard.
Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the capital's military administration, said on Telegram the death toll stood at 25 and was likely to rise as rescue teams worked through the night sifting through rubble in search of trapped residents.
He said teams at one site in an eastern suburb on the left bank of the Dnipro River had recovered five bodies while eight residents were unaccounted for.
"Rescue crews will work without interruption until all the debris is cleared," he said.
"Unfortunately, more victims may still be found."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier warned of a possible attack on Wednesday night, local time, and said he was cutting short his visit to Dublin for the start of Ireland's six-month term in the rotating presidency of the European Union.
Damage was recorded in 30 locations across Kyiv. (Reuters: Viacheslav Ratynskyi)
"If our partners had delivered on their promises in a timely manner, I think we could have saved more homes and lives today," he said.
"All we ask of our partners is simply to do what we’ve agreed on. We’re not even asking for more."
Later, in his nightly video address, Mr Zelenskyy said the issue of air defences would be "one of the key outcomes" of next week's NATO summit in Türkiye, as he repeated his call for the development of European air defences.
"If, of course, NATO still means anything to the allies," he said.
"Europe must have its own sufficient capability to defend against all types of threats, including this one — from Russian ballistic missiles."
Damage to more than 130 buildings was recorded in 30 locations across Kyiv, mainly residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, said Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said 20 residential buildings were damaged across the city.
The Emergency Service said it deployed nearly 500 personnel and 100 units of specialised vehicles, including a helicopter, to deal with the aftermath of the attack.
Hundreds of emergency service personnel were deployed across the city. (Reuters: Viacheslav Ratynskyi)
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 13 people had been killed, with 86 injured and announced a day of mourning for the capital.
Ukraine's emergency services later raised the death toll to 21.
Kyiv urged its allies to send more air defence.
"Do not delay decisions on air defense for Ukraine! This is our main request to our partners after Kyiv suffered a night of horror," Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said on social media.
Russia fired 496 drones and 74 missiles, including hard-to-intercept ballistic projectiles, Ukraine's air force said.
It said it shot down 48 of the missiles and 476 drones.
Moscow said the attacks were retaliation for Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia.
Kyiv, which has stepped up strikes in recent weeks on Russia's domestic fuel supply, said it had hit an oil refinery overnight in the Russian region of Nizhny Novgorod, where the governor reported one person killed in a strike on an industrial facility.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed by his top military commander about the massive overnight strike, the Kremlin said.
The Kremlin added Moscow would continue to increase pressure on Ukraine in order to achieve its goals.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Europe of escalating tensions, and said Russia was unable to turn a blind eye to such moves.
Reuters video footage showed emergency services working through the rubble of what used to be a nine-storey building as the sun started to rise over Kyiv.
Moscow is trying to increase pressure on Ukraine after more than four years of war. (Reuters: Viacheslav Ratynskyi)
In an earlier post, Mr Klitschko said the injured included paramedics and drivers at an ambulance station, and that some people were still trapped inside damaged residential buildings.
Pictures posted online showed a fire burning out of control at the top of a building on the central Shevchenko Boulevard, while elsewhere in the city, windows blew out and cars were destroyed. Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv, a Reuters witness said.
People carried children, belongings, tents and pets, and crowded into underground stations as air raid alerts were issued for most of Ukraine's territory on Thursday in Russia's worst attack on the country since mid-June.
"Another horrific night for the residents of the city, who were forced to spend it in shelters," Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, said in a post on X.
Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said "Russia unleashed hell on Kyiv" overnight and had struck accommodation used by diplomatic personnel.
Diplomats were unharmed, but their belongings were damaged in a fire that engulfed the building, she said.
Neighbouring Poland, a NATO and European Union member, briefly scrambled fighter jets on Thursday, local time, as a preventive measure before calling them back and saying no airspace violation was recorded.
Smoke rises from an apartment building damaged overnight in Kyiv. (Reuters: Valentyn Ogirenko)
Ukraine intensifying strikes deeper into Russia
Mr Zelenskyy has proposed talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the more than four-year war, which the Kremlin leader has rejected.
Ukraine has recently intensified strikes deeper into Russian territory, triggering a widespread fuel crisis in the world's third-biggest oil producer and forcing it to import gasoline from as far away as India.
Governor Alexander Drozdenko of Russia's north-western Leningrad region, Mr Putin's home and where large export and oil refining facilities are located, said on Telegram that Russian forces brought down seven drones on Thursday, local time.
Neighbouring Finland, a NATO and European Union member like Poland, briefly issued a temporary aviation restriction zone in the eastern Gulf of Finland before lifting it, its defence forces said on X.
Russia's strikes on Kyiv left a crater on a residential street. (Reuters: Valentyn Ogirenko)
In the Russian Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, a man was killed and his wife injured after a drone hit their home, local authorities said separately on Telegram.
Reuters could not independently verify details of the casualties.
Russia and Ukraine say they do not deliberately target civilians.
Reuters
No comments:
Post a Comment