Latest news with #VitalyKlitschko
Russia Today
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky defends clampdown on anti-corruption agencies
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has defended a controversial reform targeting the country's anti-corruption agencies, which has sparked street protests and raised concerns among EU officials. On Tuesday, Zelensky signed a bill into law granting the Prosecutor General's Office authority to intervene in the activities of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). The move followed a raid by security officials on NABU offices and the arrest of a senior employee accused of spying for Russia. Zelensky rejected accusations of creeping authoritarianism, which have been voiced by opposition politicians, including frequent critic and Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko. 'The anti-corruption infrastructure will work – just without Russian influence. It needs to be cleared of that. And there should be more justice,' Zelensky said in his daily video address early Wednesday. He added that it was 'not normal' for some officials to live abroad 'without legal consequences,' and criticized the failure to investigate corruption cases 'worth billions' over the years. 'There is no explanation for how the Russians are still able to obtain the information they need,' he said. Vasily Malyuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), whose agents conducted the searches involving NABU personnel, denied that the measures amounted to dismantling the anti-corruption system. He insisted that the agencies 'continue to function effectively.' NABU and SAPO were established following the US-backed 2014 coup in Kiev and promoted as key components of reforms intended to align Ukraine with Western governance standards and international financial institutions. However, some Western officials, including US Vice President J.D. Vance, have argued that the decade of transformation has failed to eliminate entrenched corruption. Darya Kalenyuk, executive director of the Kiev-based NGO Anti-Corruption Action Center, linked the government's clampdown to recent investigations involving members of Zelensky's team, including former Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Chernyshov and media executive Timur Mindich. 'NABU has been closing in on members of Zelensky's inner circle and friends,' Kalenyuk said, as cited by the US state-funded outlet Current Time. She adding that the reform may be aimed at concealing the embezzlement of military funds.
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kiev hit by missiles and drones in reported Russian strike (VIDEOS)
Ukrainian officials have claimed that Russia has launched multiple waves of missile and drone strikes on Kiev overnight. The Russian Defense Ministry has yet to comment. The first strikes were reported shortly after midnight, with Mayor Vitaly Klitschko urging residents to seek shelter as the capital's air defenses engaged incoming targets. More explosions were heard between 2am and 3am. The head of the city's military administration, Timur Tkachenko, confirmed that 'a fire broke out on the roof of a non-residential building.' Ukrainian officials claimed at least one person had been killed and another hospitalized as of 5am, after falling debris from intercepted missiles and drones triggered several fires. Multiple blurred videos shared on Ukrainian social media appear to show the aftermath of the strikes, although the exact locations and types of facilities hit remain difficult to verify due to strict censorship by Ukrainian authorities. 🇷🇺⚡️🇺🇦 Footage showing two Russian Geran-2 drones striking the exact same target in Kyiv only seconds apart from each other. Ukrainian media and officials did not specify the targets, vaguely describing them as a supermarket, a warehouse, and an uninhabited cottage complex. 🇷🇺⚡️🇺🇦 Footage showing two Russian Geran-2 drones striking the exact same target in Kyiv only seconds apart from each other. Kiev officials also reported 'damage near the entrance to the Lukyanovskaya metro station,' which is located directly across the street from the Artem missile development and production plant. The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet issued a statement on the reported strikes. Moscow routinely carries out drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure, insisting that its operations do not target civilians and accusing Kiev of placing air defense systems in densely populated areas. Kiev has significantly increased long-range UAV raids targeting Moscow over the past week, with the Russian Defense Ministry reporting multiple waves of drone interceptions each day. In response, the Russian military carried out a series of strikes on Saturday targeting Ukrainian defense industry facilities involved in drone and missile production. Russia and Ukraine have held two rounds of direct peace talks in Istanbul in recent months, but negotiations stalled in June after Kiev dismissed Moscow's proposals. Ukrainian officials later declared the process 'exhausted,' saying they had participated primarily to avoid appearing dismissive of US President Donald Trump's diplomatic initiative. After Moscow accused Kiev of stalling and urged Trump to apply pressure, Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky said on Saturday that the 'pace of negotiations must be increased,' and offered to hold a new round of talks in Istanbul – just hours before launching another overnight drone raid on the Russian capital.
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kiev hit by missiles and drones in reported retaliatory strike (VIDEOS)
Ukrainian officials have claimed that Moscow launched multiple waves of missile and drone strikes on Kiev overnight. The Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to comment. The first strikes were reported shortly after midnight, with Mayor Vitaly Klitschko urging residents to seek shelter as the capital's air defenses engaged incoming targets. More explosions were heard between 2:00am and 3:00am, with the head of the city's military administration, Timur Tkachenko, confirming that 'a fire broke out on the roof of a non-residential building.' Ukrainian officials claimed at least one person was killed and another hospitalized as of 5:00 am, after falling debris from intercepted missiles and drones triggered fires at a residential building and near the entrance to the Lukyanovskaya metro station. 🇷🇺⚡️🇺🇦 Footage showing two Russian Geran-2 drones striking the exact same target in Kyiv only seconds apart from each other. Multiple blurred videos shared on Ukrainian social media appear to show the aftermath of the strikes, though the exact locations and types of facilities hit remain difficult to verify due to strict censorship by Ukrainian authorities. 🇷🇺⚡️🇺🇦 Footage showing two Russian Geran-2 drones striking the exact same target in Kyiv only seconds apart from each other. Ukrainian media and officials did not specify the targets, vaguely describing them as a supermarket, a warehouse, and an uninhabited cottage complex. The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet issued a statement on the incident. Moscow routinely carries out drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure, insisting that its operations do not target civilians and accusing Kiev of placing air defense systems in densely populated areas. Kiev has significantly increased long-range UAV raids targeting Moscow over the past week, with the Russian Defense Ministry reporting multiple waves of drone interceptions each day. In response, the Russian military carried out a series of strikes on Saturday targeting Ukrainian defense industry facilities involved in drone and missile production. Russia and Ukraine held two rounds of direct peace talks in Istanbul in recent months, but negotiations stalled in June after Kiev dismissed Moscow's proposals. Ukrainian officials later declared the process 'exhausted,' saying they had participated primarily to avoid appearing dismissive of US President Donald Trump's diplomatic initiative. After Moscow accused Kiev of stalling and urged Trump to apply pressure, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on Saturday that the 'pace of negotiations must be increased,' and offered to hold a new round of talks in Istanbul – just hours before launching another overnight drone raid on the Russian capital.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Ukrainians unimpressed by Trump's 50-day ultimatum to Putin
Ukrainians are tired, run down by the emotional toll of the invasion and the physical toll of sleepless nights due to air raid sirens, explosions and the screeching sounds of attack drones. "It was a long night," is a common remark you will hear in US President Donald Trump's decision to give Russia 50 days to agree to a ceasefire or face "very severe tariffs… at about 100%" has not gone down of Ukraine's most prominent politicians, Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, asked "why such a delay?" while speaking on German television. Russian attacks had become "more intense", he said, and more people could be killed in that 50-day Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to Trump after the president said "top-of-the-line weapons" would be sent from the US via Nato partners in Europe, and thanked him for his "willingness to support Ukraine". If implemented, the "secondary tariffs" would hit countries that buy Russia's oil exports. But Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik says Trump's announcement was "bitttersweet", as it gave Putin another 50 days to continue his deadly bombardment and maintain his offensive on the front line."It is very hard and very personal for us because we don't know if some of us will survive for these 50 days," she told the than 230 civilians were killed in Ukraine last month and many more wounded, according to UN human rights monitors - the biggest number for three years, as Russia unleashed record numbers of drone and missile attacks. Read More:Trump threatens Russia while unveiling Ukraine weapons planRosenberg: Russia more relieved than rattled by US tariff threatTrump weapons pledge a big step for Ukraine Among the weapons being sent to Ukraine are Patriot air defence batteries to help protect cities from attack."[There] hasn't been a single fact that would prove Russia wants to stop the war. Ukraine is ready for an unconditional ceasefire, we have done everything by the book," Rudik spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Trump's announcement was "very serious" and warned such decisions were seen by Kyiv "not as a signal for peace but as a signal to continue the war".There was little faith in Trump's promises on the streets of Yuliia and Alisa said they both worried about his relationship with the Kremlin."I don't believe it is real help for Ukraine… it's all about his ego," Yuliia told the BBC. "I guess these four years [of Trump's presidency] are going to be very tough for Ukraine.""Everything that happened during the last six months just proved that nothing will change despite what Trump does or does not say," Alisa who also lives in Kyiv, was more optimistic that additional weapons sent by the US and paid for by Nato member states in Europe could "speed up the end of the war".It could have come to an end sooner if Russia had not have been helped by allies like North Korea and China, she whose father is serving in the Ukrainian army, was "hoping for the best"."People say a lot, let's see how it goes. I hope that everything will be the way we want. And we want peace, for the war in Ukraine to end, and for all the guys to return alive," he said. Walking around the wall encircling St Michael's monastery in Kyiv, photos of the fallen stare out at you - some were taken before the war, featuring men and women posing with family members and Trump talks of imposing new tariffs on Russia, the war continues - with these images a reminder of the soldiers who will never come home.
Russia Today
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kiev ablaze after reported overnight missile and drone barrage (VIDEOS)
Ukrainian officials have claimed that the Russian military launched a wave of missile and drone strikes targeting the capital early Friday. The Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to comment. The first strikes were reported shortly after midnight, with Mayor Vitaly Klitschko urging residents to seek shelter as the capital's air defenses engaged incoming targets. Officials confirmed that by 4am, several mostly non-residential facilities in multiple districts had been hit in successive waves. There were no immediate reports of fatalities, but Klitschko said at least 14 people were injured after falling debris from intercepted missiles and drones triggered fires in residential areas and private yards. 🇷🇺🇺🇦 Kiev's Zhuliany International Airport is reportedly on fire following multiple ballistic missile and drone strikes this Patroit and other air defense batteries has been known to be stationed at the was recorded from coordinates:… Multiple blurred-out videos shared on Ukrainian social media appear to show the aftermath of the strikes, with numerous fires lighting up the skyline of Kiev. Officials confirmed at least 13 impacts in different parts of the capital. 🇷🇺 Russia is ROCKING Kiev tonight. At least 10 explosions in one minute (video). The exact locations and types of facilities hit are difficult to verify, as the Ukrainian authorities heavily censor the flow of information and punish those who share footage of the impacts – unless a civilian facility is affected. The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet issued a statement on the incident. Moscow regularly conducts drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure, maintaining that its operations do not target civilians and accusing Kiev of placing air defense systems in densely populated areas. The reported strikes came just hours after President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with his US counterpart, during which Donald Trump reportedly urged Russia to cease hostilities in Ukraine as soon as possible. Putin reaffirmed Moscow's openness to a negotiated solution, but reportedly stated that Russia would not back down until the 'well-known root causes' of the conflict are addressed. Despite several rounds of direct negotiations in Istanbul in recent months, Kiev has continued long-range attacks on Russian territory, including nightly drone raids. On Friday Morning, a woman was killed when a drone crashed into an apartment building in Rostov Region. On Tuesday, a Ukrainian drone strike caused multiple fatalities and serious injuries at an industrial plant in the city of Izhevsk around 1,000km (620 miles) east of Moscow. On Monday, a woman was killed and three others injured in a missile strike on the Donetsk People's Republic.
