Latest news with #airattack
RNZ News
5 minutes ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Russian strikes pound Kyiv, 6-year-old boy listed among dead
By Anastasiia Malenko and Vladyslav Smilianets , Reuters Ukrainian rescuers remove a burnt-out car at the site of an air attack in Kyiv on 31 July, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photo: OLEKSII FILIPPOV / AFP Russia launched waves of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv before dawn on Thursday local time, killing at least eight people including a six-year-old boy, and wounding 88 others, Ukrainian officials said. As the sun rose, emergency crews were putting out fires and cutting through concrete blocks in search for survivors across the capital. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched more than 300 drones and eight missiles. "Today the world has once again seen Russia's response to our desire for peace with America and Europe . Therefore, peace without strength is impossible," Zelensky said on the Telegram app. Russia's Defence Ministry said it targeted and hit Ukrainian military airfields and ammunition depots as well as businesses linked to what it called Kyiv's military-industrial complex. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said nine children were wounded, the largest number hurt in a single night in the city since Russia started its full-scale invasion almost three and a half years ago. Explosions rocked Kyiv from about midnight onwards and blazes lit up the night sky. Yurii Kravchuk, 62, stood wrapped in a blanket next to a damaged building, with a bandage around his head. He had heard the missile alert but did not get to a shelter in time, he told Reuters. "I started waking up my wife and then there was an explosion. My daughter ended up in the hospital," he said. Russia, which denies targeting civilians, has stepped up air strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities far from the front line of the war in recent months. At one location, rescuers spent more than three hours getting to a man trapped in rubble by cutting through the wall of a neighbouring apartment, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said. He talked to the emergency services during the operation and was pulled out alive, it added. A five-month-old baby was among the wounded, with five children hospitalized, the head of city military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said on national television. Schools and hospitals were among the buildings damaged across 27 locations in the city, officials said. "The attack was extremely insidious and deliberately calculated to overload the air defence system," Zelenskiy wrote on X. He posted a video of burning ruins, saying people were still trapped under the rubble of one partially-ruined residential building as of the morning. The president said the attacks had killed a six-year-old and the boy's mother, but later edited the post to remove reference to the mother. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (local time) that the United States would start imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia "10 days from today" if Moscow showed no progress toward ending the conflict. "This is Putin's response to Trump's deadlines," Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said. "The world must respond with a tribunal and maximum pressure." The air force reported five direct missile hits and 21 drone hits in 12 locations. Ukrainian air defence units downed 288 drones and three cruise missiles, the air force added.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Russia's night attack wounds eight in Kyiv, Ukraine says
KYIV, July 28 (Reuters) - A Russian overnight air attack wounded eight residents of an apartment building in Kyiv, including a three-year-old child, authorities said on Monday, while the Ukrainian air force said a town hosting a key air base had been attacked. Four of those injured in the capital were admitted to hospital with one in serious condition, the head of Kyiv's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said on Telegram. Ukraine's air force said Russia had launched 324 drones and seven missiles overnight, and that their main target was Starokostyantyniv in western Ukraine, home to a major air base. It said 15 drones and two missiles had hit targets in three locations, but did not specify where. Russia invaded its neighbour three and a half years ago. Its repeated night-time air attacks, sometimes involving hundreds of drones, are often accompanied by a handful of missiles to try to overwhelm air defences. The capital and most of Ukraine were under air raid alerts for several hours overnight. Polish aircraft were also scrambled to ensure the safety of national airspace. Those wounded in Kyiv were residents of a multi-storey apartment building in the Darnytskyi district, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. The full scale of the Russian attack on Ukraine was not immediately known. There was no comment from Russia. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war. However, thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Russia's overnight attack on Ukraine wounds eight, including child
A Russian overnight air attack on Kyiv wounded eight residents of an apartment building, including a three-year-old child, authorities in the Ukrainian capital said on Monday. Four of those injured in the attack, which took place soon after midnight on Monday, have been hospitalized, with one person in serious condition, the head of Kyiv's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said on the Telegram messaging app. Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that all of the people were residents of a multi-story apartment building in the city's Darnytskyi district on the left bank of the Dnipro River. 'The blast wave damaged windows from the 6th to the 11th floor,' Klitschko said in a post on Telegram. The capital and most of Ukraine were under air raid alerts for several hours overnight following Ukrainian Air Force warnings of Russian missile and drone attacks. With the threat of missile strikes on western parts of Ukraine that border Poland - a NATO member - Polish armed forces scrambled aircraft to ensure the safety of Polish airspace. The central Ukrainian city of Kropyvnytskyi came under an attack, regional Governor Andriy Raikovych said, adding that emergency services were working on the site and information about potential damage will be released later on Monday. The full scale of the Russian attack on Ukraine was not immediately known. Reuters' witnesses heard loud blasts shaking the city of Kyiv overnight in what sounded like air defense units in operation. There was no comment from Russia on the attack. Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes in the war that Russia started in February 2022. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Russia's night attack on Kyiv leaves eight injured, including child, Ukraine says
KYIV, July 28 (Reuters) - A Russian overnight air attack on Kyiv wounded eight residents of an apartment building, including a three-year-old child, authorities in the Ukrainian capital said on Monday. Four of those injured in the attack, which took place soon after midnight on Monday, have been hospitalised, with one person in serious condition, the head of Kyiv's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said on the Telegram messaging app. Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that all of the people were residents of a multi-storey apartment building in the city's Darnytskyi district on the left bank of the Dnipro River. "The blast wave damaged windows from the 6th to the 11th floor," Klitschko said in a post on Telegram. The capital and most of Ukraine were under air raid alerts for several hours overnight following Ukrainian Air Force warnings of Russian missile and drone attacks. With the threat of missile strikes on western parts of Ukraine that border Poland - a NATO member - Polish armed forces scrambled aircraft to ensure the safety of Polish airspace. The central Ukrainian city of Kropyvnytskyi came under an attack, regional Governor Andriy Raikovych said, adding that emergency services were working on the site and information about potential damage will be released later on Monday. The full scale of the Russian attack on Ukraine was not immediately known. Reuters' witnesses heard loud blasts shaking the city of Kyiv overnight in what sounded like air defence units in operation. There was no comment from Russia on the attack. Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes in the war that Russia started in February 2022. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
Times
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
How Taiwan is preparing for Chinese invasion with sirens and drills
The alarm sounded for incoming missiles just as Yang Shu-ting was popping into her local supermarket. 'I just came to get my groceries,' she said. 'I'm 70 years old, so I always write a list of things I need in advance.' But her shopping was interrupted when the supermarket staff explained that a simulated Chinese air attack on Taipei was taking place. As sirens rang out across the aisles, Yang was guided into a basement where actors, planted in the crowd, pretended to faint. One woman acted out a panic attack, as shop assistants struggled to calm her down and administer CPR to a dummy. The drills form part of an elaborate rehearsal for what in the last few years has come to seem more and more likely: an invasion of the self-ruling island by China. Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to unify it with the mainland. Beginning earlier this month, the Taiwanese armed forces have conducted their biggest ever annual military drill. This year the Han Kuang exercises were bigger, longer and more elaborate than ever, lasting ten days and involving tests of Himars missile systems and newly acquired Abrams tanks, imported from the United States. They are intended as a signal to President Xi of China that Taiwan is prepared for war, but also a signal to citizens that the chance of conflict is rising, and Beijing's threat needs to be taken more seriously — part of a new 'whole-of-society resilience' plan being promoted by the Taiwanese government. Wang Ting-yu, an MP with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party of President Lai, said: 'In the modern world, it's not all about the military. Taiwan, this small island of 23 million people — we are all under threat. 'We need to mobilise everything we have. We have soldiers, reserve forces, and our convenience stores will be the best logistics system during the conflict time.' RITCHIE B TONGO/EPA As well as increasing Taiwan's ability to respond to natural disasters, the integration of civilian and military sectors into emergency response planning is also a way to increase the cost that China's People's Liberation Army would incur if it were to invade Taiwan. Wang said: 'This is one way of multiple to deter conflict. Make your enemy realise we are ready for the worst scenario.' The drills are also designed as a message to the Trump administration that Taiwan is prepared to defend itself. Although the US is Taiwan's closest friend on the international stage and has committed itself to selling arms to the island, Washington does not recognise Taiwan diplomatically. It maintains a posture of strategic ambiguity about whether it would come to Taipei's aid if China were to invade. 'Our readiness is very important to our allies,' Wang said. More than 400 American observers have attended this year's Han Kuang drills. Rescuers and volunteers participate in the urban resilience exercises in Taipei RITCHIE B TONGO/EPA On Thursday, Taipei ground to a halt as the sound of air raid sirens filled the air. Phones vibrated as emergency messages were sent out: 'Enemy missile attack on northern Taiwan — seek shelter immediately.' Huang Rui-cheng, a representative from the Civil Defence Command and Control Centre, said: 'We've gradually shifted towards more physical, hands-on drills and exercises, allowing the public to slowly immerse themselves and experience it firsthand. We hope that through these drills, the public will understand how to evacuate and how to respond when circumstances arise.' But in the busy shopping district of Ximen, residents appeared more bored than worried. Although the government has emphasised that this year's drills would be taken more seriously, once ushered into nearby metro stations nobody followed the government-issued recommendations to crouch and protect their heads until the drill was over. Although the risk of Chinese military aggression is ever-present, in the minds of many in Taiwan, the existential threat often fades into the background of daily life. A survey by Taiwan's Institute for National Defence and Security Research in March suggested that only a third of those surveyed viewed China as Taiwan's top national security threat. Another study conducted in November last year found that almost half felt 'indifferent' in the face of Chinese military exercises. 'If a real war broke out, all this practice is fine, but it doesn't really serve much purpose,' said Hsu Ah-yao, a local shop worker. 'I also think it's a hassle — feels kind of like a waste of resources.' Others in Ximen explained they had specifically made lunch plans during the exercise, so that they wouldn't be inconvenienced by the rules preventing people from walking the streets. Despite the disruption to her shopping, Yang supported the exercises. 'I think today's event was good,' she said, as she checked the contents of her shopping bag after the evacuation. 'It raises awareness about where our evacuation points are. Then when the time comes, we can co-operate, follow the guidance, and stay calm,' she said.
