Kyiv cited debris from 10 ballistic missiles Russia shot down for their damage. Image: BBC
Missile strikes on Kyiv in Ukraine’s conflict leave many wounded.
Officials in Ukraine ave reported that dozens of people were injured in a series of missile strikes on the capital city of Kyiv overnight.
Six children were among the fifty-three casualties, according to Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv.
While officials claimed to have shot down ten Russian ballistic missiles, wreckage allegedly damaged a kindergarten and a hospital.
The U.S. president, Volodymyr Zelensky, departed before the strikes occurred.
His efforts to persuade Congress to approve increased military funding for Ukraine were unsuccessful in swaying hesitant Republicans.
At Thursday’s summit, EU leaders will deliberate on more help for Ukraine. “We must give Ukraine what it needs to be strong today,” stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Replying to the assault that occurred overnight on Wednesday was a pledge made by Mr. Zelensky.
“Russia has proven once again that it is a heinous country that fires missiles at night, trying to hit residential areas, kindergartens, and energy facilities during the winter,” he wrote on Twitter.
The assault on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, started at approximately 03:00 (01:00 GMT) on Wednesday. It was the capital’s second ballistic missile strike this week.
Despite Russian drones having been hovering over Kyiv for the past few weeks, the city managed to avoid missile assaults for 79 days, until last Friday.
According to the Ukrainian air force, they used anti-aircraft missiles to shoot down “all” ten objects that were heading towards the city.
Cars were obliterated and windows of apartment buildings were shattered. Because these were ballistic missiles, there were deafening explosions prior to the activation of the air raid sirens.
According to officials, Russia resumed the use of cruise missiles last week after a hiatus of 79 days.
The purpose of using ballistics is to prevent people from taking cover in bomb shelters, according to Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who wrote on X.
Iskander-M ballistic missiles and S-400s, which are incredibly fast missiles designed for air defense but have also been utilized to strike ground targets, were identified as the projectiles by Ukraine’s Armed Forces General Staff.
During the wee hours of the morning, a guy named Oleksander informed that his apartment’s windows were shattered.
As he remembered seeing the ambulance remove his neighbors and their children, he began to cry.
The worst hack seen in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 was apparently contained on Wednesday, according to the country’s main mobile network operator, which plans to resume operations.
Millions of people could lose access to air raid warnings after Tuesday’s attack on Kyivstar, the mobile network that serves over half of Ukraine’s population.
The most recent intrusion was allegedly carried out by the same Russian hacker organization that had earlier this year targeted Ukrainian websites and internet providers.
Fires in the capital devastated kindergartens and hospitals. Image: REUTERS
According to a regional military chief, the port city of Odesa was also targeted by drones for “several hours” throughout the night. Civil infrastructure was damaged, and two males were allegedly hurt.
In an unexpected visit to negotiate assistance for his nation’s defenses, the president of Ukraine touched down in Norway on Wednesday.
He travelled there by plane after a visit to the United States, during which he tried, in vain, to persuade Congress to authorize more military funding before the current budget runs out.
Unfortunately, it seems that Mr. Zelensky’s attempts to use his persuasive skills to secure military aid in Washington DC were unsuccessful.
The US president has issued a stern warning to Republicans, threatening to offer Russia a “Christmas gift” if they do not increase military aid to Ukraine.
After the meeting, Mr. Zelensky stated that he and Mr. Biden had “just agreed to work on increasing the number of air defense systems in Ukraine, and the terrorist state demonstrated how critical this decision is.”
For the sake of our people, our towns, and our country, every additional missile system is crucial. They are save people’s lives,” he continued.
At the summit of European leaders, Mr. Zelensky pushed for funding in the hopes that Ukraine would be given a start date for discussions to join the EU.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary has stated again that his country should not begin accession negotiations with the European Union.
It doesn’t matter if 26 countries of the European Union want to make a disastrous error; what matters is that we stop them, Mr. Orban told the local website Mandiner.
“If we want to give support to Ukraine, a geostrategic signal, then we should, but this is not membership.”
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on a massive scale, Hungary and its EU partners have been at odds on multiple occasions.
In addition to vetoing a plan to grant Ukraine €18 billion (£15.5 billion) in 2023, it has softened down sanctions against Russia.
On Wednesday, the European Union’s leadership is said to be planning to unlock €10 billion in financing for Hungary.
This move has been denounced as an effort to get Mr. Orban to soften his stance on aiding Ukraine.
Joining our family will be the ultimate victory for Ukraine, as they are fighting not only against the invader but also for Europe.
This is an area where the European Union Commission can make a difference, according to President Ursula von der Leyen’s address to the European Parliament.
On Wednesday, though, Mr. Orban said in front of Hungary’s parliament that the prospect of Ukraine entering the European Union ran counter to the country’s best interests.