Russia’s Missiles, Drones Kill Numerous In Kyiv (Worthy News Radio)

By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Officials say Russian drones and missiles have killed at least five civilians in nighttime attacks on Ukraine, including in the capital Kyiv, while injuring at least 20 people. The impact of Monday’s air raids reverberated while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Britain to discuss issues such as improving Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

Shell-shocked after more than three years of war, residents of Kyiv awoke early Monday to the sound of sporadic machine gun fire as air defenses targeted waves of incoming drones. Russian drone and missile strikes killed and injured dozens, authorities said, and the attacks damaged several apartment buildings across the city and the surrounding area.

The massive strikes prompted Kyiv’s military administration to urge people to stay in shelters.

However, Kyiv warned Moscow that it would hit back if Russia prolonged the war.

The impact of the latest clashes still reverberated when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Britain to discuss Ukraine’s defense while putting additional pressure on Russia.

His spokesperson stated that Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet with Britain’s King Charles, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the speakers of both Houses of Parliament.

UKRAINIAN MILITARY

He would also speak with Ukrainian military personnel who were training in Britain and representatives from think tanks.

It came amid reports that Russia suffers military setbacks too: The well-informed British Ministry of Defence said Russia’s wartime toll of dead and wounded reached a historic milestone this month, with more than one million Russian troops having been killed or injured since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022.

Zelenskyy said that Russia even sent Ukraine at least 20 of its dead soldiers in recent exchanges with Kyiv, describing it as a result of Moscow’s disorganisation.

Since the start of its war in Ukraine, Russia’s military casualties have remained a closely guarded state secret.

But observers say the signs of devastation are unmistakable – from the booming funeral industry to the rising number of veterans returning home without arms or legs.

Although Russia’s defence ministry claimed forces had taken control of two villages in Ukraine – Petrovske in the eastern Kharkiv region and Perebuda in the Donetsk region, more casualties were expected.

About 10,000 Russian soldiers are fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, where about 90 square kilometers (35 miles) has been taken by Ukraine in response to Russia’s ongoing invasion.

JOURNALISTS FREED

Yet it is also believed that Ukraine suffered many casualties, and millions of people have fled the war-torn nation.

Amid death and destruction, there was some hopeful news for reporters covering the armed conflict: Ukrainian Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko was freed Sunday after four years in Russian custody in occupied Crimea on what his supporters said were trumped-up charges.

Earlier on Saturday, Russia’s ally Belarus freed the network’s former journalist Ihar Karnei after freeing another reporter, Andrei Kuznechyk, in February.

“RFE/RL extends its deepest gratitude to the U.S. and Ukrainian governments for working with us to ensure that Vlad’s unjust detention was not prolonged,” the broadcaster said.

We also thank the global press freedom community for their tireless advocacy on behalf of RFE/RL’s dedicated journalists,” it added.

However, numerous journalists have been detained, killed, or injured in the ongoing war.

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