Re. War in Ukraine: Explosions Heard in Kiev, Entire Territory ‘Under Threat of Missiles’, Air Force Warns

Air defenses were activated in Kiev after the explosions, and drones were also reported in Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Explosions and air strikes rang out in the Ukrainian capital this evening, 10 days after massive Russian airstrikes had already hit the city. In a telegram, the Mayor of Que, Vitaly Klitschko, noted that anti-aircraft defenses were activated “between a residential building and a school building” in Darnitsky district (south-east) and a fire broke out. For its part, the Ukrainian Air Force, on telegram , indicated drones heading towards the capital from the east. According to the same source, other drones were reported in Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

In Kyiv, on their official channels, authorities urged residents to reach nearby air raid shelters. According to an AFP reporter, two flight warnings sounded in the capital a few minutes apart, with the last ending at GMT.

A new exchange of prisoners between Kiev and Moscow

Russia and Ukraine announced a new exchange of prisoners of war, with each side freeing 95 soldiers, less than a month after the previous exchange.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the release of 95 people serving in the army, national security and border guards. “Whatever the odds, we are looking for all the captives,” he wrote in his account telegram , indicating that the transfer was possible through the mediation of the United Arab Emirates, as in the previous case. He also posted photos of the freed soldiers, all of whom were shaved and draped in Ukrainian flags.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry also announced the exchange. Since the start of the Russian offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, the two countries have continued these types of exchanges.

New offensive in Russia

Governor Vyacheslav Kladkov said two civilians were killed in the Belgorod border area following a Ukrainian drone attack on Wednesday. The explosive drone targeted a car, killing the young couple inside. Earlier in the day, access restrictions were imposed in many places in this Russian region due to continuous bombings. Maximum security measures have been implemented in fourteen border areas since July 23 in response to Ukrainian attacks.

The Kremlin denies that the attack in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region failed

The Kremlin denied on Wednesday that its offensive on Ukraine’s Kharkiv region had failed, saying Vladimir Putin’s goal of creating a buffer zone there to prevent fire toward Russia was not achieved. “No, that doesn’t mean the Russian attack failed,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued during his daily briefing.

Jordan Bartella spoke about Ukraine at the European Parliament

In her speech, MEP RN criticized the funds allocated to Ukraine in the EU resolution. “We contend that each member state should in principle allocate 0.25% of its GDP to support Ukraine,” he announced before adding. “We do not support the delivery of weapons that directly strike Russian territory or Ukraine’s entry into NATO. I believe that both of these projects will fuel the risk of escalation with nuclear power.” “Ukraine’s entry into the European Union as proposed by this resolution will threaten the stability of our economy,” he added.

Local officials say a Russian attack in Donetsk region has killed one person and wounded several others

Vadym Filachkin, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, reported on Telegram that a Russian attack had left one person dead and several wounded in Illinka. He added that 25 houses and infrastructure were damaged in Pokrovsk.

Russia has been banking on Chinese tourists since the conflict in Ukraine began

Goodbye Europeans, welcome Chinese tourists: Two and a half years after Russia abruptly halted the flow of Western tourists to Ukraine, the country is trying to replace tourists from Asia, starting with China, from the Middle East. In St. Petersburg, the former imperial capital with many palaces and very romantic canals, the change compared to the pre-war situation is obvious. In fact, the economic sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States led to the suspension of direct flights between these countries and Russia and the inability to pay for purchases with Visa or Mastercard, “a restructuring (international tourism) to the East”, the head of the Association of Guides-Interpreters of St. Petersburg Sergey Kalinin explains. A noticeable change in statistics: in the first quarter of 2024, of the approximately 218,000 foreign tourists who arrived in Russia, almost half (99,000) came from China, followed by Turkey (12,500), the United Arab Emirates (7,300), Saudi Arabia (6,000) or Iran (4,600). ) reports the Association of Russian Tour Operators.

A peace conference with the Russians? “Volodymyr Zelensky is very pressed for time”

After the first Swiss meeting in June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that a new peace conference could be held in Saudi Arabia and “I think Russian representatives should participate in this second summit.” Our article is here.

Moscow calls for unblocking 200 Russian channels on YouTube

Russia has asked Google to unblock more than 200 Russian channels on YouTube that have been suspended by the Kremlin for “propaganda,” amid regular threats targeting the video hosting platform, Doss said on Tuesday. Russia’s communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, sent a message to Google LLC CEO Sundar Pichai demanding “unblocking on YouTube more than 200 channels of media outlets, power organizations, sports clubs, and political and artistic figures that have supported the policies of Russia and its officials.” Russian state news agency reported. The document did not specify whether Russia was accompanied by an ultimatum or threat to block the base.

Russia bans travel to border areas over Ukraine bombings

Russia announced on Tuesday that it would restrict access to areas along Ukraine’s border from July 23 because of the Ukraine bombings, as Vladimir Putin, who launched an offensive in May, conceded defeat to stop the strikes. “We will restrict access to 14 places where the operational situation is very difficult,” Vyacheslav Kladkov, the Russian governor of the Belgorod region, announced in a telegram. The decision was unprecedented but necessary, according to the official, who openly admitted that the establishment of a buffer zone had failed: “We have already lost many civilians, we have suffered many injuries, and our mission is to ensure maximum security measures.

Hello and welcome to this live.

Hello and welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the war in Ukraine.