Zelensky was received with military honors while visiting Germany
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Ukrainian officials have praised Kiev’s “incredible success” in shooting down all the missiles launched by Russia in a major airstrike overnight.
Russia fired at least 18 missiles and nine drones at the Ukrainian capital overnight from almost all directions in a high-intensity bombardment, senior Ukrainian military officials confirmed. All missiles were shot down by active Ukrainian air defenses.
The missiles, including six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles fired from MiD-31K aircraft, nine Kalibr cruise missiles positioned and fired from ships in the Black Sea and three S-400 Iskander surface-to-air missiles, were fired by Russian forces from the direction north, south and east. early today, said Valery Zaluzhny, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“It was exceptional in its density: the maximum number of attack missiles in the shortest period of time,” said Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that there were explosions in Kyiv. “A few, in the Solomyan district. And in Shevchenkivskyi, on the territory of the zoo, rocket debris fell,” he said.
Posting on Twitter, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said: “[R]American terrorists have no chance to prevail over Ukraine. Their weapons can and must be countered by Western ones.”
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Massive explosions rock Kiev, three dead as Russian attack returns overnight
Several explosions rocked Kiev early today, killing three people, officials said.
“Explosions in Kiev. A few – in the Solomia district. And in Shevchenkivskyi, on the territory of the zoo, rocket debris fell. All services are going to the places,” said Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
There are three casualties in the Solomyan district of Kyiv, he said, adding that there were no casualties in Obolonskyi, where the debris fell.
“Several cars caught fire in the Solomyansk district as a result of falling rocket debris. The damaged building with an area of 200 square meters. Rescuers are working at the site. The victims have not been identified so far,” he said. say the mayor on Telegram.
Arpan RaiMay 16, 2023 03:48
Russia and Ukraine “agree on an African mission on a possible peace plan”
The presidents of Russia and Ukraine have agreed to host a group of African leaders to discuss a possible peace plan for the conflict, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.
“My discussions with the two leaders showed that they are both ready to receive African leaders and to discuss how this conflict can be brought to an end,” Ramaphosa said at a joint press conference with Singapore’s prime minister.
(Getty/Sputnik)
“Whether or not this is successful will depend on the discussions that take place,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the peace plan also had the support of the leaders of Senegal, Uganda and Egypt, adding that the UN secretary-general, the United States and Britain had also been briefed on the initiative.
Washington and London had expressed “cautious” support for the peace plan, Ramaphosa added.
Emily AtkinsonMay 16, 2023 1:25 p.m
South Korea’s president promises to expand non-lethal aid to Kiev in a meeting with Ukraine’s first lady
Emily AtkinsonMay 16, 2023 1:05 p.m
The Kremlin, in the CIA video directed at the Russians, says that our special services are monitoring
Commenting on a YouTube video encouraging Russians to contact the US Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA, the Kremlin said on Tuesday that its own special services were tracking intel activity · western intelligence
The short Russian-language video, titled “Why I Contacted the CIA: My Decision,” appeared on the CIA’s official YouTube channel.
(Reuters)
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had not paid attention to it, but added: “I am convinced that our special services are monitoring this space in the necessary way.”
He added: “We all know perfectly well that the CIA and other Western intelligence services are not reducing their activity on the territory of our country.”
Emily AtkinsonMay 16, 2023 12:35 p.m
Head of the Supreme Court of Ukraine arrested
The head of the Supreme Court of Ukraine has been arrested for an alleged bribery scheme, a prosecutor from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said on Tuesday.
The prosecutor did not name the detained official, but said at a briefing that he was the head of the Supreme Court and had not yet received a “formal notification of suspicion”.
The Supreme Court is headed by Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniaziev, who could not be reached for comment.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and SAPO announced on Monday that they had “exposed large-scale corruption” in court and shared a photograph of piles of dollars neatly lined up on a sofa.
“You see we’re showing through real cases, real facts, what our priority is: it’s maximum corruption, it’s a criminal organization at the highest levels of power,” said NABU director Semen Kryvonos at the briefing Tuesday.
Emily AtkinsonMay 16, 2023 12:05 p.m
Russia says it destroyed Ukraine’s Patriot air defense system
Russia’s defense ministry said on Tuesday it had destroyed a US-built Patriot surface-to-air missile defense system with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile in a nighttime strike in Ukraine, military outlet Zvezda reported.
It quoted the ministry as saying that nighttime attacks had also targeted Ukrainian combat units and ammunition storage sites.
Emily AtkinsonMay 16, 2023 11:33 am
Kremlin says Russia faces decision to extend grain deal
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that questions remained about Russia’s part of the Black Sea grain deal and that it would have to make a decision on whether to renew it.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that contacts on the issue were continuing.
Emily AtkinsonMay 16, 2023 11:19 am
The Ministry of Defense provides an update on the situation in Bakhmut
The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) has provided an update on the current situation in Bakhmut, with Russia and Ukraine making some progress in the disputed city.
While the forces of the Wagner Group continue to make gradual progress in eliminating Ukrainian positions in the center of the city, Ukraine has “achieved in the last four days tactical progress by stabilizing the flanks of Bakhmut to its advantage,” the Ministry of Defense in your daily intelligence update.
He continued: “In addition to progress south of the city, Ukrainian assaults have forced back the Russian front northwest of the city. This has likely allowed Ukrainian forces to re-establish safer use of the road from key supply 0506.
“Ukraine is holding back Russia’s western advances along the line of the Donets-Donbas canal, turning the waterway into an obstacle as part of a deep defensive zone around the town of Chasiv Yar.”
Emily Atkinson16 May 2023 09:56
Macron “indicates that France is ready to train Ukrainian pilots”
President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that France is ready to begin training Ukrainian fighter pilots.
“We have opened the doors to the training of pilots alongside several European countries, which are also ready; I think negotiations with the Americans are ongoing,” he said in an interview with broadcaster TF1, according to Le Monde.
CNN also quotes Macron as saying that “training can begin immediately.”
(AFP via Getty Images)
Emily AtkinsonMay 16, 2023 09:09
Ukraine’s first lady meets South Korea’s Yoon
Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol as a special presidential envoy, South Korea’s presidential office said Tuesday.
Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, visits South Korea to participate in a press conference.
In an interview with South Korean news agency Yonhap published on Tuesday, Zelenska expressed her willingness to invite Yoon to her country, saying such a visit would be “very supportive” of Ukrainians.
He also warned against the risk of war fatigue and called for “more radical” support for Ukraine to fight Russian aggression.
South Korea, a major producer of artillery shells, has said it did not provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, citing its relations with Russia.
But Yoon said in an interview with Reuters last month that his government might not “insist only on humanitarian or financial support” if civilians in Ukraine suffer a large-scale attack or because of a “situation that the international community cannot tolerate.”
Emily AtkinsonMay 16, 2023 08:49
