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Russian forces kill 9 in Ukraine as Zelenskyy faces pressure over elections
Al Jazeera • • general
Key Points:
- Russian forces launched ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv and the Kyiv border region, killing at least nine people and injuring 33, with significant damage to residential buildings and a children's hospital.
- The attacks caused building collapses, fires, power outages, and prompted emergency rescue operations, while also triggering heightened security measures in neighboring NATO countries Poland and Romania.
- Ukraine confirmed Yevhenii Khmara as its new defence minister amid the attacks, succeeding Mykhailo Fedorov, who was ousted after conflicts with military leadership and recently called for wartime elections.
- Political tensions escalated as demonstrators in Kyiv supported calls for elections, despite current wartime laws barring voting, while President Zelenskyy's term is set to end in May 2024 with elections postponed due to martial law.
- Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed to have shot down 726 Ukrainian UAVs overnight, highlighting ongoing intense military engagements across multiple regions.
