May 26, 2024
Charles Michel condemns 'brutal' Russian attack on Kharkiv
European Council President Charles Michel condemned Russia's “brutal” air strikes on a hardware store in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
“The Russian attack on a supermarket in Kharkiv is horrible,” Michelle said on X (formerly Twitter), likely confusing a hardware store with a supermarket.
“Russia's attempts to terrorize Ukrainian civilians as part of its war of aggression against Ukraine are criminal,” he added. “Together we can thwart Russia's brutal aggression. We must urgently move forward with a comprehensive air defense for Ukraine.”
At least 12 people were killed in Saturday's strike.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gI6c
May 26, 2024
President Zelensky invites Biden and Xi to Ukraine Peace Summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend a World Peace Summit in Switzerland next month.
In a video recorded in the ruins of a printing press destroyed by Russian airstrikes in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Zelenskiy said in English that the summit would “show who in the world really wants to end the war.”
“I appeal to world leaders who are still aloof from the global effort of the World Peace Summit: the US leader, President Biden, and the Chinese leader, President Xi Jinping,” he said.
“Please provide leadership to promote peace – not just a pause during attacks, but real peace. Support the Peace Summit with your personal leadership and participation,” President Zelenskyy added.
The Ukrainian president said more than 80 countries had expressed their intention to participate. “We continue to cooperate with the leaders and invite them to take part in the summit,” he added.
In the video, Zelenskyy is surrounded by burnt books from a printing press that was bombed by Russian airstrikes. “We don't want the UN Charter to be burned… like these books,” he said.
Russia now says there is no point in attending a conference to which Moscow is not invited.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gI2P
May 26, 2024
Ukrainian military destroys 12 missiles in Russian airstrikes
The Ukrainian Air Force said its air defense forces destroyed all 12 missiles and 31 drones launched by Russia in a recent nighttime air raid.
The air force said the missiles and drones were shot down in parts of southern, central, western and northern Ukraine.
An explosion was reported in the Khmelnytskyi region, where the Starokosty Antinykh airbase is located.
A bomb attack on a residential building in Vinnytsia region was reported, regional authorities said. Governor Serhiy Borzov said in a Telegram post that three people were wounded in the attack.
The Lviv region on the border with Poland has also come under attack, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy wrote on Telegram.
Public broadcaster Spirne reported explosions were heard near the capital, Kiev, while state broadcaster Spirne said air raid sirens were sounded across the country.
Prior to the intense nighttime air raids, Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers took off and fired cruise missiles, followed by MiG-31 fighter jets capable of carrying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gI26
May 26, 2024
12 killed in Russian attack on Kharkiv DIY shop
Ukrainian prosecutors said on Sunday morning that the death toll from a Russian airstrike on a hardware store in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv had risen to 12, with dozens more wounded.
Regional governor Oleh Shniekhbov said on state television that two guided bombs landed at the Epicenter hardware store in a residential area of the city on Saturday afternoon.
The explosion sparked a massive fire and sent a column of thick, black smoke rising several hundred metres into the air.
Local prosecutors said 43 people were injured, and 10 of the 12 people killed have yet to be identified.
Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said about 120 people were in the hardware store when the bomb went off.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said in a post on the Telegram app that 16 people were still missing after the attack.
dh/lo (AP, AFP, DPA, Reuters)
https://p.dw.com/p/4gI0l