Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks against Russia, with officials saying five people were killed in attacks between the two countries on Thursday.
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Ukraine has stepped up drone strikes against Russia. Officials say five people were killed in a series of attacks between the two countries on Thursday.
Ukrainian shelling has killed a 15-year-old girl and her grandmother in a village in Russia's western border region of Bryansk, acting governor Yegor Kovalchuk said. Another person was killed in a drone strike in Russia's Yaroslavl region, about 300 kilometers northeast of Moscow, local officials said.
Two people were killed and five others, including a child, were wounded in a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, overnight, Ukraine's emergency services said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said air defenses must be strengthened as Moscow continues to launch ballistic missile attacks.
The attack came shortly after a visit by high-ranking officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan were both in the Ukrainian capital on Thursday. Zelensky said it was the sixth ballistic missile attack on Kiev in July alone. Kiev has said it has been facing regular Russian ballistic missile attacks since last month.
Similarly, protests have erupted in various cities across Ukraine after Ukrainian President Zelensky unexpectedly fired Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Large groups of mainly young people gathered in the capital, Kiev, and held placards reading “Don’t touch Fedorov” and “Stop undermining the victory.” Zelensky did not explain the reasons for his decision. The decision has sparked widespread discontent among analysts, military officials and various sectors of civil society.
Fedorov, 35, was appointed defense minister only in January. But he has been widely praised for his role in reinvigorating the ministry, leading an anti-corruption campaign and using data to improve the military’s performance on the front lines. Earlier this week, Ukraine’s Yulia Svirdenko resigned as prime minister. Parliament has since approved the appointment of Serhiy Koretsky, a former head of a state-owned oil and gas company.
There had been speculation in Ukraine that Fedorov had been fired over tensions with Army Chief Oleksandr Sirsky. At a press conference on Thursday, Fedorov confirmed the rumours, saying he had suggested to President Zelensky to replace Sirsky and another senior military commander.
‘When the president said he had no plans to replace Sirsky. “Then I said I would work with him,” Fedorov said, “but all our proposals were blocked.”
Speaking about Sirsky, Fedorov said, “Instead of finding a way to defeat Russia, Sirsky has chosen the path of dividing our country.” Fedorov said that President Zelensky offered him to be on the team as an advisor, but he declined.
After Fedorov became defense minister in February, he moved forward with the purchase of drones and advanced weapons used in warfare. He has streamlined the defense ministry by cutting through administrative hurdles. Ukraine has put a lot of pressure on Russia on the war front in the past few months.
