Witnesses and Ukrainian officials have reported at least two blasts near the center of the capital. The explosions come a week after a wave of deadly Russian missile strikes hit Kyiv and other cities. DW has the latest.
https://www.dw.com-The latest blasts in Kyiv hit at least one residential and one other building
Kyiv has been struck by “kamikaze drones,” the head of Ukraine’s presidential office said early on Monday. Mayor Vitali Klitschko has confirmed the report on Telegram.
Klitschko added that several residential buildings had been damaged and that rescuers had pulled out 18 people but that at least two people remained under the rubble.
According to witnesses, two or three blasts hit the central Shevchenko district, which was also rocked by explosions last week.
DW correspondent Fanny Facsar reported “several” explosions, saying there was a noise “that appeared to be the sound of a drone.”
Facsar also confirmed reports of more blasts in the Ukrainian capital about an hour later. The Shevchenko district is a busy area with universities, bars and restaurants.
Last week, a barrage of Russian missiles struck Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in the largest barrage of strikes in months. At least 19 people were killed and over 100 others wounded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Monday, in response to the drone strikes, “The enemy can attack our cities, but it won’t be able to break us. The occupiers will get only fair punishment and condemnation of future generations.”
The deadly assault sparked international outcry and a push from Germany and the United States to deliver air defense systems.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strikes last week were retaliation for a blast on a bridge linking mainland Russia to Crimea.
He had also said in a speech on Friday that there was no need for more massive strikes on Ukraine “for now.”
EU to greenlight training mission for Ukraine troops
Foreign ministers from the 27 EU member states are meeting in Luxembourg on Monday to discuss a proposal to boost the bloc’s support for Ukraine’s military defense.
The plan is to start training 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers from November — some eight months after the war began — at hubs in Poland and Germany.
Several EU countries, such as Germany and France, have already been training soldiers to use advanced weaponry they have donated.
Other countries such as the US, UK and Canada are already training thousands of Ukrainian troops.
The ministers are also expected to give the go-ahead for another €500 million ($486 million) in funding to help pay for weapons donations from EU member states.
The new sum will bring the total amount of EU funding for Ukraine up to more than €3 billion.
UK Defense Ministry: Crimea bridge blast continues to cause trouble for Moscow
According to the latest briefing published by the UK Defense Ministry on Twitter, the destruction of the Kerch Bridge linking mainland Russia and Crimea has made the Kremlin’s logistical issues “more acute.”
“Russian forces operating in southern Ukraine are likely increasing logistical supply flow via Mariupol,” in order to compensate, they said.
The update added that “with the Russian presence in Kherson strained, and the supply routes through Crimea degraded, the ground line of communication through Zaporizhzhia Oblast is becoming more important to the sustainability of Russia’s occupation.”
Heavy fighting in Donestk, Luhansk
On Sunday, clashes continued to rock the two regions in eastern Ukraine. President Zelenskyy said: “the most difficult [operation] is the Bakhmut direction, as in the previous days. We hold our position.”
Bakhmut is a strategically important city that has been the target of Russian strikes for weeks. Despite that, Ukrainian forces have been able to retake large swaths of land in the region.
ab, es/rs (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)