UKRAINE: Ukrainian defence forces claimed to have shot down more than 20 drones during a new round of Russian airstrikes on Kyiv. At least one person was killed and four others were injured when their apartment block was hit and set on fire. The strike used Iranian-made Shahed drones, unlike previous raids.
A high-rise apartment block was struck by debris from a Russian projectile, causing a fire that resulted in one death and four injuries. The upper two stories were destroyed, and there may still be individuals underneath the wreckage.
Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv, damaging the ancient neighbourhoods of Podil and Pecherskyi. There was no immediate response from Moscow, and it was unclear how many drones were launched.
Russia has used drones and missiles to attack Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, numerous times in May. Two air attacks on Monday, including an extraordinary daytime strike, marked Russia’s 17th air assault this month.
A runway was destroyed and five planes were pulled out of action in the western Khmelnitskiy region, according to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the Patriot anti-missile defences provided by the US, and Ukrainian officials reported that most of the drones and missiles fired on Sunday and Monday had been destroyed. Zelenskiy declared that terror will be eliminated when Patriots in Ukrainian hands ensure a 100% interception rate of any Russian missile.
Ukraine is gearing up for a counteroffensive supported by Western weapons to push Russian occupiers out of the land it has taken over since February 2022.
Serhiy Popko, the leader of Kyiv’s military administration, believes the enemy is trying to keep civilians in a state of psychological anxiety.
Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesman for the eastern group of Ukrainian forces, claims Russian paratroopers and motorised units are replacing Wagner mercenary elements on the eastern frontlines near Bakhmut.
Russia has said it invaded Ukraine to “denazify” its neighbour and defend Russian speakers, but opponents claim it is an imperialist land grab. Russia is willing to resume peace negotiations with Kyiv in response to mediation attempts from Brazil and China.
Zelenskiy’s senior assistant claimed that the only option to stop the war was Kyiv’s peace proposal, which called for the complete departure of Russian forces.
Mykhailo Podolyak suggested a demilitarised zone of 100–120 km (62–75 miles) should be part of any post-war settlement, while Josep Borrell argued that Russia would not want to engage in negotiations while still attempting to win the war.
Ukraine’s military claimed that an assault on Odesa port resulted in a fire and damaged infrastructure, but did not say if it put grain exports in danger.
Ukraine is a major supplier of grains and is one of three nations that have agreed to a U.N.-mediated agreement for the secure shipment of grain through the Black Sea. Russia has declared that the grain pact will no longer be in effect unless Moscow and the U.N. remove restrictions.
Also Read: Zelensky Commends Ukrainian Military’s Resilience against Russia’s Drone Strike
