KYIV: A “huge” Russian missile assault on Kyiv on Thursday (Apr 24) killed not less than 9 and wounded dozens in one of many deadliest strikes on the Ukrainian capital since Moscow launched its invasion greater than three years in the past.
Ukraine has been battered by Russian aerial assaults throughout the war, however lethal strikes on Kyiv, which is healthier protected by air defences than different cities, are much less widespread.
The assaults throw but extra doubt on already fraught US efforts to push Russia and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire, hours after US President Donald Trump lashed out at Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to simply accept Moscow’s occupation of the Crimean peninsula as a situation for peace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is but to answer Zelenskyy’s provide to utterly halt air assaults on civilian targets, and final month rejected a US-Ukrainian call for a full and unconditional ceasefire.
“Putin demonstrates by means of his actions, not phrases, that he doesn’t respect any peace efforts and solely desires to proceed the battle,” International Minister Andriy Sybiga mentioned on social media, additionally slamming Moscow’s “maximalist calls for for Ukraine to withdraw” from extra of its territory as a situation of peace.
“Putin exhibits solely a want to kill,” Andriy Yermak, a prime aide to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, added.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal mentioned Russia had “terrorised Ukrainian cities all through the night time”.
“Cruise and ballistic missiles, drones, air bombs. Russia is cruelly and cynically firing missiles at Ukrainian cities, killing individuals whereas the world is making efforts to ascertain peace,” he mentioned in a publish on social media.
