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France 24
5 hours ago
- France 24
Russia strikes kill six in Kyiv, Moscow says captured key town
Drones and missile strikes hit at least 27 locations in Kyiv in the early hours, city officials said. "As of now, the services have confirmed six deaths," including a six-year-old boy, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, said in a post on Telegram. "We have 52 wounded people, almost 30 are in hospitals. Including nine children," he wrote. "It's a horrible morning in Kyiv. The brutal Russian strikes destroyed entire residential buildings and damaged schools and hospitals. Civilians are injured and killed. There are still people under the rubble," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on X. Russia's latest deadly attack on Ukraine came just days after US President Donald Trump issued a 10-day ultimatum for Moscow to halt its invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth year, or face sanctions. Key capture in east Russia said it had captured the town of Chasiv Yar, which had been a strategically important military hub for Ukrainian forces in the east. The town "was liberated by Russian forces", Russia's defence ministry said in a statement. If confirmed, the capture of the town that has been the site of battles for months will mark the latest locality to fall to Russian forces, who have been making incremental but steady territorial gains for months. The fall of the hilltop town now paves the way for Russian forces to advance on remaining civilian strongholds in the eastern Donetsk region, like the garrison city of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, important logistical bases for the Ukrainian military and home to many civilians, who have up to now not fled the fighting. The Kremlin has made the capture of the Donetsk region its military priority and already in late 2022 claimed that the industrial territory was part Russia. Kyiv has been trying to repel Russia's summer offensive, which has made fresh advances into areas largely spared since the start of the invasion in February 2022. Thursday's attack came on the heels of a Russian strike on a military training camp, which killed at least three Ukrainian soldiers on Tuesday. Following Thursday's strikes, Ukraine's foreign minister called for the international community to apply utmost pressure on Moscow to end the war it launched in February, 2022. "President Trump has been very generous and very patient with Putin, trying to find a solution," Sybiga wrote. But Russian President Vladimir Putin "does not care about any attempts to put an end to the killing. He only seeks to destroy and kill. Because the entire existence of this war criminal is based on this senseless war, which he cannot win but refuses to end." "It's time to make him feel the pain and consequences of his choices. It's time to put maximum pressure on Moscow," Sybiga wrote. Corruption law Thursday's attacks came just hours before a crucial parliamentary vote to overturn a highly criticised law that curbed the powers of anti-graft bodies. President Volodymyr Zelensky changed the law after the original legislation sparked the largest public unrest since Russia's invasion more than three years ago. The law had put the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president. Critics said the move could facilitate presidential interference in corruption probes. Several hundred people staged a new protest in the rain in central Kyiv on the eve of the vote to put pressure on lawmakers. "Hands off NABU and SAPO," they chanted. "I hope that things will improve somehow, but it will be almost impossible to completely restore our reputation," Olena, a 51-year-old IT worker, told AFP at the protest. European allies had been worried that the law would undermine anti-corruption reforms key to Ukraine's bid to join the EU, but supported the new amendments.
France 24
16 hours ago
- France 24
Ukraine will fix anti-graft law, minister tells AFP ahead of crucial vote
President Volodymyr Zelensky changed the law that curbed the powers of anti-graft bodies after the original legislation sparked the largest public unrest since Russia's invasion more than three years ago. The law had put the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president. Critics said the move could facilitate presidential interference in corruption probes. On Thursday, the parliament is to vote on a new version, approved by the agencies, which restores their independence, but also provides for regular lie detector tests for anti-graft officials. "We anticipate the vote tomorrow. The relevant parliamentary committee has already given its approval. We are getting this fixed," Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga told AFP in an interview. Several hundred people staged a new protest in the rain in central Kyiv on the eve of the vote to put pressure on lawmakers. "Hands off NABU and SAPO," they chanted. "I hope that things will improve somehow, but it will be almost impossible to completely restore our reputation," Olena, a 51-year-old IT worker, told AFP at the protest. Another protester, Pavlo, said however that he did not think the action "did any harm" as people were focused on the war with Russia. But he added that the law has damaged public trust in the government, which already "wasn't very high". The minister said last week's protests proved Ukraine is a democracy. "The Ukrainian authorities heard their (civil society) voices, as well as those of our partners," he declared. 'National interest' Sybiga reiterated Kyiv's commitment to fight corruption and its desire to join the European Union and NATO military alliance, "there is no alternative to this path," the minister said. "This is a principled position of President Zelenskyy and this is in our national interest." European allies had been worried that the law would undermine anti-corruption reforms key to Ukraine's bid to join the EU, but supported the new amendments. It remains to be seen whether members of the parliament, which is mostly loyal to Zelensky, will approve the new version. Commentators and Ukrainian media feared some lawmakers under potential investigation by the agencies may be reluctant to support the new bill. Thirty-one MPs have been mentioned in NABU's investigations, SAPO said in a statement on Wednesday. NABU and SAPO were created a decade ago when Ukraine undertook anti-corruption reforms after the pro-European Maidan protests, dubbed as the Revolution of Dignity. They uncovered major corruption cases, including within the presidency, parliament and judiciary. However only three out of the 10 most significant cases resulted in prison sentences, according NABU. "Hope dies last," said Olena, who took part in Wednesday's protest.
France 24
16 hours ago
- France 24
Ukraine will 'fix' controversial anti-graft law, FM says on eve of vote
Ukraine will fix a controversial anti-graft law that sparked protests last week, its foreign minister told AFP on Wednesday, ahead of a parliamentary vote Thursday on the amendments. President Volodymyr Zelensky changed the law that curbed the powers of anti-graft bodies after the original legislation sparked the largest public unrest since Russia 's invasion more than three years ago. The law had placed the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president. Critics said the move could facilitate presidential interference in corruption probes. Zelensky approves new bill restoring 'independence' of anti-corruption bodies after protests 01:46 The new version, approved by the agencies, restores their independence, but also provides for regular lie detector tests for anti-graft officials. "We anticipate the vote tomorrow. The relevant parliamentary committee has already given its approval. We are getting this fixed," Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga told AFP in an interview. He reiterated Kyiv's commitment to fight corruption and its desire to join the European Union and NATO military alliance, saying "there is no alternative to this path". European allies had worried the law would undermine anti-corruption reforms key to Ukraine's bid to join the EU. Ukraine's top anti-corruption investigator said last Friday that he did not expect attempts to derail his agency's work to end despite Zelensky's U-turn. NABU director Semen Kryvonos said he was taken aback by the attempt to curtail his agency's fight against graft but did not name those who may have been behind the legislation. "Everyone united around the idea of ruining our independence," Kryvonos told Reuters in an interview in Kyiv, referring to parliament passing the controversial measures. "This was a shock for me – how much demand had built up to destroy us." It remains to be seen whether members of the parliament, which is mostly loyal to Zelensky, will approve the new version. Commentators and Ukrainian media feared some lawmakers under potential investigation by the agencies may be reluctant to support the new bill. Thirty-one MPs were mentioned in NABU's investigations, SAPO said in a statement on Wednesday.
