On Thursday evening, Russian drones attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the fourth attack in as many days, causing residents to hear gunfire and explosions, and at least one drone was shot down.
Kyiv and the surrounding area had been declared safe by city authorities. Residents who went to air raid shelters reported that the drones arrived faster than usual after the alerts were issued. Reuters witnesses reported hearing gunfire and heavier explosions near the city centre.
The attacks began shortly after 8 p.m. (1700 GMT) and lasted approximately 20 minutes.
Ukraine’s air force said in a statement that one of its own drones had been destroyed after losing control over the Kyiv region, most likely due to a technical failure. It was unclear how many drones were destroyed in total.
Russia claimed on Thursday that the US was behind an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin aimed at killing President Vladimir Putin. Both Washington and Kiev denied any involvement.
Putin will preside over a meeting of Russia’s Security Council on Friday, and the Kremlin incident may be on the agenda, according to the TASS news agency.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in The Hague after visiting the International Court of Justice that Putin must face justice for the war and that Kyiv will work to establish a new tribunal to do so.
In other diplomatic news, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said during a visit to Brazil that she encouraged the government to include Ukraine in any efforts to end the war. She was referring to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s remarks, in which he urged the West to stop arming Ukraine in order for peace talks to begin.
There are currently no peace talks to end the war, which has devastated Ukrainian towns and cities, killed thousands of people, and displaced millions.
Combat Action
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Thursday evening that nearly 50 Russian attacks were repelled along the main front line in eastern and southern Ukraine. The heaviest fighting is still in Bakhmut and Maryinka, further south in Donetsk region.
According to the report, Russian forces launched 66 air raids and 33 shelling episodes on Ukrainian positions and towns and villages, causing casualties and infrastructure damage.
Battlefield accounts were unconfirmed by Reuters.
Moscow cites ‘US orders’
Without providing evidence, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine attacked the Kremlin citadel in the early hours of Wednesday.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby dismissed Russian “lies” and said there was still no conclusive evidence that a video showing the drone at the Kremlin was authentic.
“Attempts to deny this (Kremlin attack) are, of course, ridiculous, both in Kyiv and in Washington.” We all know that decisions about such actions, such terrorist attacks, are made in Washington, not in Kyiv,” Peskov told reporters.
According to Peskov, an urgent investigation is underway, and any response will be carefully considered and balanced.
Russia has increasingly accused the US of being a direct participant in the conflict, with the goal of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Moscow. Washington denies this, claiming that it is arming Kiev to defend itself and reclaim illegally seized territory.
Kyiv and Odesa Targeted
Earlier in the day, Russia launched two dozen combat drones at Ukraine, striking both Kyiv and a university campus in the Black Sea city of Odesa. There were no casualties reported. Russia denies targeting Ukrainian civilians.
Meanwhile, diplomats are working to extend a package deal for Ukrainian and Russian agricultural exports beyond May 18. According to Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, technical personnel from Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations will meet on Friday to discuss the agreement.
Russia has a list of demands for the continuation of the Black Sea grains pact, which the United Nations says will help combat a global food crisis exacerbated by Russian forces invading neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.
Zelenskiy has vowed to drive all invading Russian forces back to the borders established after the Soviet Union’s demise in 1991. On Thursday, he said that the entire Ukrainian society was preparing for a counteroffensive that would be successful against what he called a “demotivated” Russia.
Info source – Asiaone