Russia launches deadly missile, drone attack at Ukraine

France 24

7 days ago

Russian strikes on Ukraine 's capital Kyiv on Monday killed at least one person and left a shop and school on fire, according to city officials.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said rescuers and medics were working on sites across four districts of the capital. A subway station in central Kyiv, commercial property, shops, houses and a kindergarten were damaged, city officials said.
In another tense and sleepless night for Kyiv residents, many rushed to take shelter in underground stations. Explosions were heard across the city as air defence units engaged in repelling the attack.
In eastern Ukraine, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synehubov reported multiple explosions in the country's second-largest city, but gave no immediate details on the damage.
Ukrainian drone attacks sow chaos at Moscow airports
Meanwhile in Russia, major Ukrainian drone attacks sowed chaos at major airports serving Moscow on Monday, with thousands of passengers waiting in lines or sleeping on the floor after flights were cancelled or delayed, Russian media reported.
Videos published by Russian media showed people sleeping on the floor of Sheremetyevo, Russia's busiest airport by passenger numbers, amid long queues.
Russia's defence ministry said it had downed 117 drones overnight, including 30 over the Moscow region.
Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, briefly imposed restrictions on flights overnight at Moscow's main airports – Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovskiy.
Several thousand people were stranded in the far east of Russia due to the cancellation of flights in European Russia, while extra trains were put on to bring passengers back to Moscow from the northern Russian city of St Petersburg, Russian media said.
Moscow and its surrounding region has a population of at least 21.5 million.
French foreign minister arrives in Kyiv
Monday's Russian attack on Ukraine came hours before France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot arrived in Kyiv for a two-day visit aimed at supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion.
Barrot is expected to meet his counterpart Andriy Sybiga, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and newly-nominated Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
"In the wake of the unprecedented sanctions adopted by France and the European Union against Russia, the minister will take stock of France's support for Ukraine," the French foreign ministry said in a press release.
The EU on Friday adopted a sweeping new package of sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war, lowering its price cap on Russian oil exported to third countries around the world to 15 percent below market value.
Barrot is set to Chernobyl nuclear power plant during his visit. "As Russian forces continue to carry out regular strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, threatening its security and that of the European continent, the minister will visit the Chernobyl nuclear power plant," the French foreign ministry said.
France has contributed to help fix a radiation cover at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine allegedly hit by a Russian drone in February, in an attack that did not result in any radiation being released.