‘This is about saving lives’: Ukrainian and Russian cities suffer deadly strikes, Zelensky calls for ‘air defence agreements’
A view shows a burning apartment building hit by a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine August 30, 2024. — AFP pic
Saturday, 31 Aug 2024 2:12 PM MYT
KYIV, Aug 31 — Aerial strikes on Russian and Ukrainian border cities killed at least a dozen people yesterday, bombardments that came as Kyiv dismissed its air force commander in a major military shake-up.
Both sides also claimed to have advanced on the battlefield — Moscow in eastern Ukraine and Kyiv in its shock offensive into Russia’s western Kursk region — with the fighting showing no sign of subsiding, two and a half years into Russia’s invasion.
A Russian aerial strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv yesterday afternoon killed seven people, including a 14-year-old girl, Ukraine’s interior minister said.
Emergency workers were still pulling bodies from the rubble late yesterday evening. Images on social media showed the top floors of a multi-storey residential building ripped open and a fire raging after the strike.
At least 77 were wounded, including 18 children, the emergency services said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Kyiv’s Western backers to up their support after the attack, which officials said was with a glide bomb.
“We need strong decisions from our partners to stop this terror,” Zelensky said in a post on social media.
“We need long-range capabilities,” he added, referring to Kyiv’s appeals to allies to lift restrictions on the use of Western-supplied missiles inside Russian territory and deliver more longer-range weapons.
“We need the implementation of air defence agreements for Ukraine. This is about saving lives,” he added.
Saturday, 31 Aug 2024 2:12 PM MYT
KYIV, Aug 31 — Aerial strikes on Russian and Ukrainian border cities killed at least a dozen people yesterday, bombardments that came as Kyiv dismissed its air force commander in a major military shake-up.
Both sides also claimed to have advanced on the battlefield — Moscow in eastern Ukraine and Kyiv in its shock offensive into Russia’s western Kursk region — with the fighting showing no sign of subsiding, two and a half years into Russia’s invasion.
A Russian aerial strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv yesterday afternoon killed seven people, including a 14-year-old girl, Ukraine’s interior minister said.
Emergency workers were still pulling bodies from the rubble late yesterday evening. Images on social media showed the top floors of a multi-storey residential building ripped open and a fire raging after the strike.
At least 77 were wounded, including 18 children, the emergency services said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Kyiv’s Western backers to up their support after the attack, which officials said was with a glide bomb.
“We need strong decisions from our partners to stop this terror,” Zelensky said in a post on social media.
“We need long-range capabilities,” he added, referring to Kyiv’s appeals to allies to lift restrictions on the use of Western-supplied missiles inside Russian territory and deliver more longer-range weapons.
“We need the implementation of air defence agreements for Ukraine. This is about saving lives,” he added.
War-displaced people spend time in a centre for displaced people in undisclosed location in Kursk region on August 29, 2024, following Ukraine's cross-border offensive into Russia's western Kursk region. — AFP pic
Belgorod hit
Across the border some 60 kilometres to the north, Russia said Ukraine had fired cluster munitions on the city of Belgorod and its suburbs, killing at least five and wounding 37 civilians, including at least six children.
“One woman and four men died of their wounds on the spot before an ambulance arrived,” regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a post on Telegram.
He posted a video showing a fire raging at a house after one of the strikes. The state-run TASS media agency posted pictures of a road in the city of Belgorod covered in strewn debris and twisted metal.
Both Belgorod and Kharkiv have been hit repeatedly with aerial strikes throughout the war.
Belgorod hit
Across the border some 60 kilometres to the north, Russia said Ukraine had fired cluster munitions on the city of Belgorod and its suburbs, killing at least five and wounding 37 civilians, including at least six children.
“One woman and four men died of their wounds on the spot before an ambulance arrived,” regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a post on Telegram.
He posted a video showing a fire raging at a house after one of the strikes. The state-run TASS media agency posted pictures of a road in the city of Belgorod covered in strewn debris and twisted metal.
Both Belgorod and Kharkiv have been hit repeatedly with aerial strikes throughout the war.
Ukrainian rescuers inspect a burnt-out apartment in a damaged residential building following a missile attack in Kharkiv on August 30, 2024. — AFP pic
Russian President Vladimir Putin in May launched a new offensive into the Kharkiv region which he said was designed to push Ukrainian forces back to create a “security zone” for Russia’s own border settlements.
Moscow’s troops also claimed yesterday to have captured three more villages in eastern Ukraine — one in the Kharkiv region — as they press against Ukrainian troops facing manpower and ammunition shortages.
Ukraine also claimed yesterday to have advanced in Russia’s western Kursk region, where it is mounting its own surprise ground offensive, claiming to have captured 100 settlements and more than 1,200 square kilometres of territory since August 6.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in May launched a new offensive into the Kharkiv region which he said was designed to push Ukrainian forces back to create a “security zone” for Russia’s own border settlements.
Moscow’s troops also claimed yesterday to have captured three more villages in eastern Ukraine — one in the Kharkiv region — as they press against Ukrainian troops facing manpower and ammunition shortages.
Ukraine also claimed yesterday to have advanced in Russia’s western Kursk region, where it is mounting its own surprise ground offensive, claiming to have captured 100 settlements and more than 1,200 square kilometres of territory since August 6.
In this handout photograph taken and released by the Air Command ‘West’ of the Air Forces of Ukraine on August 29, 2024, two MiG-29 fighter jets fly to pay tribute to Oleksiy Mes, a pilot of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who had died in a crash on August 26, 2024 while repelling a Russian air attack, during his farewell ceremony in Shepetivka, Khmelnytskyi region. — Air Forces of Ukraine handout pic via AFP
Commander fired
Zelensky yesterday dismissed the country’s air force chief, a day after Kyiv said a US-made F-16 fighter jet had crashed in combat, killing the pilot.
In a video message Zelensky said he had “decided to replace the commander of the air force” to strengthen Ukraine’s military leadership.
His office earlier published a presidential decree to officially remove Mykola Oleshchuk from the post.
The crash of the F-16 was a high-profile setback for Kyiv, which had lobbied the West to send the advanced fighter jet for months.
The military had said the plane and pilot crashed during a combat mission earlier this week after having shot down incoming Russian missiles.
Zelensky did not provide further details on why he had decided to replace his air force commander, saying only that his command team “needed to get stronger”.
Lieutenant General Anatolii Kryvonozhko, who leads the air force’s operations in the central part of Ukraine, has temporarily assumed the role of overall commander.
Kyiv also yesterday issued a plea for Mongolia to arrest Putin when he visits the country next week.
It is the Russian leader’s first trip to a country that is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since The Hague-based body issued an arrest warrant for him last year over the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Mongolia is technically obligated to detain him, though the Kremlin said yesterday it was not concerned about that possibility and there is little the ICC can do if it chooses not to. — AFP
Commander fired
Zelensky yesterday dismissed the country’s air force chief, a day after Kyiv said a US-made F-16 fighter jet had crashed in combat, killing the pilot.
In a video message Zelensky said he had “decided to replace the commander of the air force” to strengthen Ukraine’s military leadership.
His office earlier published a presidential decree to officially remove Mykola Oleshchuk from the post.
The crash of the F-16 was a high-profile setback for Kyiv, which had lobbied the West to send the advanced fighter jet for months.
The military had said the plane and pilot crashed during a combat mission earlier this week after having shot down incoming Russian missiles.
Zelensky did not provide further details on why he had decided to replace his air force commander, saying only that his command team “needed to get stronger”.
Lieutenant General Anatolii Kryvonozhko, who leads the air force’s operations in the central part of Ukraine, has temporarily assumed the role of overall commander.
Kyiv also yesterday issued a plea for Mongolia to arrest Putin when he visits the country next week.
It is the Russian leader’s first trip to a country that is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since The Hague-based body issued an arrest warrant for him last year over the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Mongolia is technically obligated to detain him, though the Kremlin said yesterday it was not concerned about that possibility and there is little the ICC can do if it chooses not to. — AFP
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Zelenskyy fires Ukraine’s air force commander after deadly F-16 crash
President Zelenskyy dismisses Mykola Oleshchuk, says country needs to ‘protect personnel’.
F-16 fighting aircrafts are seen in the air amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location [Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]
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kt comments:
Zelensky has to blame "someone" when things go south - this time he selects the unfortunate Ukrainian air force chief. What a clown.
Ukraine is fighting for its very existence as a nation.
ReplyDeleteZelensky is right to hold military commanders accountable, and remove them if their units are not performing.
Ouch… mfer, u have known no 身先士卒 - the bugs stop at the very top & that person is the ultimate respondent of all commands!
DeleteSo, what say u about that comedian president, AGAIN?