Extract from ABC News
Rescuers work at the site of a Russian missile strike in the Kyiv region on July 24. (Reuters Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine)
In short:
A Russian ballistic missile strike has killed 10 people and injured almost 100 at a defence industry event in the Kyiv region.
Ukrainian authorities have launched an investigation into whether officials improperly carried out their duties in organising and conducting the event.
The Kremlin says it remains open to new US peace proposals but will keep fighting until it achieves "total victory".
A Russian ballistic missile strike has killed 10 people and injured almost 100 others at a defence industry event in Ukraine's Kyiv region, Ukrainian officials say.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that efforts to determine what happened were underway but did not identify the exact target.
"A rescue operation is currently underway in the Kyiv region following a Russian missile strike," he said on Telegram.
The Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry said the missile strike hit a site where representatives were present. (Reuters Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine)
Kyiv region acting governor, Ruslan Oliynyk, said preliminary information indicated the missile strike hit a private training ground where events were taking place.
The Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry said that representatives of Ukraine's defence industry were at the site when it was hit, but that it had not organised the event and participants' exact location had not been made public.
Valerii Borovyk, founder of Ukrainian drone company First Contact, told Ukrainian media that a missile struck a training ground where a defence industry exhibition was being held.
Ukraine's prosecutor-general, Ruslan Kravchenko, said that a criminal investigation had been launched into whether officials improperly carried out their duties in organising and conducting the event.
Kremlin says it will pursue 'total victory'
The strike came as the Kremlin said it believed US President Donald Trump was sincere in efforts to end the Ukraine war but would continue fighting while waiting for Washington to present new peace proposals.
"Yes, (fighting) is not the preferred path, but given the absence of prospects for peace, we will see it through to the end, to total victory," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television.
"We will wait for new (US) proposals."
Dmitry Peskov says Moscow will pursue its military objectives in Ukraine while waiting for new US peace proposals. (Sputnik: Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via Reuters)
Mr Peskov said Russia had accepted a previous US proposal, but claimed it had been rejected by Ukraine.
"The Americans — President Trump, his negotiators — are sincere in their desire to formulate options acceptable to everyone," he said.
"The Americans could not persuade the Ukrainians … who were being incited by the Europeans."
The last three-way peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US took place in February, shortly before the US and Israel went to war with Iran.
The Kremlin has repeatedly said it hopes US-led mediation will resume once the Middle East crisis has eased.
The top US and Russian diplomats met briefly in Asia this week. Russia has been saying for weeks that it is ready to host Mr Trump's envoys for talks in Moscow, but no date has been announced.
Mr Peskov said Washington's position was ambiguous because it was "continuing to pump Ukraine full of weaponry" while talking about wanting to end the war.
"However, we must leverage this duality in the Trump administration's position wherever it aligns with our interests," he said.
"And their desire to facilitate a peaceful settlement is entirely in line with our interests."
ABC/Wires
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