Russia launches 600 drones against Ukraine, causing deaths and injuries
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media on Saturday that Russia launched 26 cruise missiles and 597 attack drones against his country.
He said more than 20 missiles and the vast majority of drones were destroyed.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media that the western cities of Chernivtsi, Lviv and Lutsk particularly suffered.
Local authorities say at least two people were killed by falling debris in Chernivtsi, and houses and a university building were damaged in Lviv, leaving 10 people injured.
Russia has been intensifying its bombardment of Ukraine since last month. In a period through last Wednesday, it launched more than 700 drones, the most since it started its invasion.
The series of Russian attacks comes as weapons delivery from the United States to Ukraine was partially suspended by the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy said on social media that he has received good signals from high-level officials from the US and European friends. He added that aid shipments have resumed, according to all reports.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
21 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Zelenskyy Moves to Restore Independence of Ukraine Anti-Graft Agencies after Protests, EU Criticism
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday submitted a new bill that would restore the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies in an effort to defuse tensions following his approval earlier this week of a controversial law that weakened their autonomy. The previous bill was seen as undermining the agencies' independence and sparked a public outcry and protests, the first major demonstrations since the war began, as well as sharp criticism from the European Union. Zelenskyy said parliament would review the new bill, which 'guarantees real strengthening of Ukraine's law enforcement system, the independence of anti-corruption bodies, and reliable protection of the legal system from any Russian interference.' First reactions Ukraine's two main anti-graft agencies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office — quickly welcomed Zelenskyy's new proposal, saying it restores all their procedural powers and guarantees their independence. The agencies said they helped draft the new bill, and urged lawmakers to adopt it 'as soon as possible' to prevent threats to ongoing criminal cases. The bill would replace the contentious law passed by lawmakers and approved by Zelenskyy earlier this week. Critics said it stripped Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies of their independence by granting the government more oversight of their work. A controversial law Zelenskyy initially argued the law was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictions and remove Russian meddling. After Thursday's U-turn, Zelenskyy said the new bill reverses the earlier changes and also introduced additional measures aimed at 'combating Russian influence,' including mandatory polygraph tests for law enforcement officers. 'The text is balanced,' Zelenskyy said. 'The most important thing is real tools, no Russian ties and the independence' of the anti-graft agencies. The new draft underlines that the prosecutor general and his deputies cannot give orders to anti-graft agencies or interfere in their work. Bowing to pressure and protests The controversy surrounding the initial bill has threatened to undermine public trust in Ukraine's leadership after more than three years of fighting Russia's full-scale invasion. The protests haven't called for Zelenskyy's ouster, but they are the first major anti-government demonstrations since the war started in February 2022. 'It is important that we maintain unity,' Zelenskyy said in his post. It was not immediately clear when the new bill will be voted on in the parliament, and the protests are likely to continue until the law is passed. At the protests on Thursday evening, the crowd was smaller than on previous days. The unrest has come at a difficult time in the all-out war. Russia's bigger army is accelerating its efforts to pierce Ukraine's front-line defenses and is escalating its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. The bigger picture Ukraine is also facing a question mark over whether the United States will provide more military aid and whether European commitments can take up the slack, with no end in sight to the war. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks in as many months Wednesday. But once again, the talks were brief and delivered no major breakthrough. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war. It is also an effort that enjoys broad public support. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos expressed concern Wednesday over the law approved earlier this week, calling it 'a serious step back.' The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International criticized parliament's decision, saying it undermines one of the most significant reforms since what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity in 2014 and damages trust with international partners. Deadly fighting grinds on On Thursday, two women, aged 48 and 59, were killed and 14 other people were injured when Russian forces dropped four powerful glide bombs on Kostiantynivka, an industrial city in eastern Ukraine, and shelled it with artillery, Donetsk regional Gov. Vadym Filashkin said. Russian planes also dropped two glide bombs on the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Thursday morning, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. At least 42 people were wounded, including two babies, a 10-year-old girl and two 17 year olds, authorities said. The southern city of Odesa, and Cherkasy in central Ukraine, were also hit overnight, authorities said. The drone and missile strikes on the cities wounded 11 people, including a 9-year-old, and damaged historic landmarks and residential buildings, officials said. Ukraine has sought to step up its own long-range drone attacks on Russia, using domestic technology and manufacturing. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi killed two women and wounded 11 other people, local authorities said Thursday. An oil depot was hit, officials said, without offering details.
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Zelenskyy Faces Backlash as Ukrainians Protest New Anti-Corruption Law
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Activists on Wednesday called for more protests of a new law that they say weakens Ukraine's anti-corruption watchdogs, following the first major anti-government demonstration in over three years of war. The legislation, which has also drawn rebukes from European Union officials and international rights groups, has put increased pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and endangered his public support at a critical phase of the war. Also on Wednesday, delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks in as many months. The talks appeared to have lasted less than an hour and yielded no breakthroughs. The two sides, however, agreed to exchange more prisoners of war. In the morning, Zelenskyy convened the heads of Ukraine's key anti-corruption and security agencies in response to the outcry against his decision to approve the law that was passed by parliament. 'We all hear what society says,' Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram after the meeting. But he insisted the new legal framework was needed to crack down harder on corruption. 'Criminal cases should not drag on for years without verdicts, and those working against Ukraine must not feel comfortable or immune from punishment,' he said. Zelenskyy said all government agencies agreed to work constructively and respond to public expectations for fairness and effectiveness. A detailed joint action plan is expected within two weeks, aimed at addressing institutional weaknesses, removing legal hurdles and ensuring justice across the board, he said. Thousands of people gathered in the capital and other cities Tuesday to urge Zelenskyy to veto the controversial bill. After he approved it, activists went on social media to call for another demonstration Wednesday night in central Kyiv. Zelenskyy has been the international face of Ukraine's determination to defeat Russia's all-out invasion, and his domestic troubles are an unwelcome diversion from the war effort. Zelenskyy acknowledged the protests and criticism in his nightly address Wednesday, and he said government and law enforcement agencies had agreed to come up with specific steps to 'strengthen the rule of law in Ukraine.' Those recommendations, he said, would lead to a bill he would propose to parliament to safeguard the autonomy of the agencies. The legislation tightens government oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies. Critics say the step could significantly weaken the independence of those agencies and give Zelenskyy's circle greater influence over investigations. EU officials warn of possible setback to joining bloc Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war. 'Limiting the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agency hampers Ukraine's way towards the EU,' German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned in a post on X. EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, also on X, noted: 'In war, trust between the fighting nation and its leadership is more important than modern weapons — difficult to build and to keep, but easy to lose with one significant mistake by the leadership.' The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International criticized the parliament's decision, saying it undermines one of the most significant reforms since 2014, when Ukrainians ousted a pro-Moscow president in what they called the Revolution of Dignity, and damages trust with international partners. It accused authorities of 'dismantling' the country's anti-corruption architecture. Zelenskyy said the new law clears out 'Russian influence' from fighting corruption and ensures punishment for those found guilty of it. He cited years of delays in criminal proceedings involving huge amounts of money. 'The cases that have been lying dormant must be investigated,' he said in a Telegram post early Wednesday. 'For years, officials who have fled Ukraine have been casually living abroad for some reason — in very nice countries and without legal consequences — and this is not normal,' he said. He didn't give examples of what he said was Russian interference. The legal changes in Ukraine would grant the prosecutor general new authority over investigations and cases handled by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, appointed by Zelenskyy just over a month ago, said the anti-corruption watchdogs and other law enforcement agencies would keep working as before. 'The prosecutor general has only been granted broader powers and an increased scope of authority,' Kravchenko told a news conference as officials moved to ease public concern. The anger and frustration among war-weary Ukrainians prevailed in the crowd Tuesday. Some protesters accused Ukraine's leadership of prioritizing loyalty and personal connections over fighting corruption. 'Those who swore to protect the laws and the constitution have instead chosen to shield their inner circle, even at the expense of Ukrainian democracy,' said veteran Oleh Symoroz, who lost both legs after he was wounded in 2022. Russian officials relished Zelenskyy's difficulties, although Moscow faces its own series of corruption cases against government and military officials. A third round of direct talks The third round of direct talks got underway at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressing hope the Russian and Ukrainian delegates would 'engage in substantive and results-oriented consultations.' The ultimate goal, he said, is 'a ceasefire that will pave the way to peace.' Speaking to the media after the talks, the Ukrainian delegation once again stressed that Kyiv's top priorities were a meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents and a 'real ceasefire' ending all strikes on civilian infrastructure. The Ukrainian delegation proposed holding such a meeting in August to satisfy the deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump, who gave the Kremlin a 50-day ultimatum to reach a peace deal or face steep trade tariffs. 'We have progress on humanitarian track. There is no progress on cessation of hostilities or ceasefire,' the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, said. Russian officials in their remarks to reporters reiterated that a peace agreement needs to be finalized before the two leaders meet. The head of Russia's delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said Russia proposed 24- or 48-hour ceasefires along the front line so that medical teams could retrieve dead and wounded soldiers. As for a broader truce, Moscow's and Kyiv's 'positions are quite distant from each other,' Medinsky said, referring to the memorandums exchanged by both sides that set out conditions for a ceasefire. 'We have agreed to continue contact.' Both sides said more exchanges of prisoners of war were agreed on — at least 1,200 on each side, according to Medinsky. Other issues discussed included the fate of civilian captives, Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia and the return of the bodies of fallen soldiers and wounded troops. In other developments, Russian drone strikes knocked out power to more than 220,000 customers in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, Zelenskyy said on Telegram, adding that repairs restored most of the supply in hours. Ukrainian and Western officials have accused the Kremlin of stalling in the talks in order for its bigger army to capture more Ukrainian land. Earlier this month, Trump threatened Russia with severe economic sanctions and said more American weapons, paid for by European countries, would go to Ukraine. Trump hardened his stance toward Moscow after months of frustration with Putin about unsuccessful talks for a ceasefire. Trump gave Russia until early September to agree to a ceasefire.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Japan Times
Zelenskyy risks Ukraine EU bid as protest over graft office grow
Protests flared across Ukraine for the second night after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to hobble anti-corruption authorities. The move blindsided Kyiv's allies and may have inflicted lasting damage to its ambition to join the European Union. The approval of legislation rushed through parliament this week triggered the biggest outbreak of popular discontent against the Ukrainian leader since Russia's full-scale invasion began more than three-and-half years ago. Zelenskyy on Wednesday pledged to introduce new legislation to address concerns over weakening the anti-graft bodies. But the climbdown failed to quell the outrage as the number of protesters swelled to several thousands in Kyiv alone and spread to as many as 14 cities across the country. In the capital, many clapped and chanted slogans including "cancel the law' and "corruption kills.' Anna Kutsevol, 25, a photographer, said she will continue to protest because the current law undermines Ukraine's integration with the EU.
