Russian ‘double-tap’ strike on shopping centre in Ukraine kills 16 and wounds 130

-
 By Reuters | Posted by TOE At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded on Friday when several Russian drones ‌struck a shopping centre in central Ukraine, authorities said, with President ‌Volodymyr Zelenskiy promising a response to what he called an “act of barbarism.” Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said ​that 22 children were among the wounded in the daytime attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih, which is Zelenskiy’s hometown. “There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children,” Hanzha said. He posted a photo of black ‌smoke billowing from a large ⁠industrial building. In an update early on Saturday, Hanzha said nine people were preliminarily considered missing, including two children, and ⁠that rescuers were continuing to clear the rubble of the shopping centre. Zelenskiy called the attack “absolutely cynical and despicable”, saying that a second Russian drone hit the shopping ​centre ​half an...
Post a Comment

Russia and Ukraine exchange 95 prisoners of war each in latest deal

-

Russia and Ukraine conducted a major exchange of prisoners on Wednesday, 190 in all, in their third such swap over the past seven weeks, following negotiations mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said all 95 Ukrainians who were freed were from the military, and thanked the UAE for its help.

Russia’s defence ministry, in a statement on Telegram, said the returning soldiers would receive medical examinations and physical and psychological rehabilitation. It said the freed troops had faced “mortal danger” in Ukrainian captivity.

The prisoner exchange was the third over the past seven weeks, with the first announced at the end of May.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Russian Defense Ministry reported the exchange.

Kyiv has secured the return of 3,405 people from Russian captivity since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the Ukrainian Coordinating Committee on Dealing with Prisoners of War said.

It said seven officers and 88 soldiers and sergeants were freed, and most had been in captivity since 2022.

The committee posted a video showing Ukrainian troops boarding buses to be transported home and cheering. It showed one serviceman, wrapped in the blue and yellow national flag, saying into his mobile phone: “I still cannot believe that I am at home.”

Twenty-three people had taken part in the three-month defence of the Sea of Azov port of Mariupol, and were captured by Russian forces in May 2022, the committee said.

“Many returning Ukrainian soldiers suffer from consequences of their wounds and have chronic diseases that require long-term treatment,” the panel said on Telegram.

In the second exchange in June, Russia and Ukraine each handed back 90 prisoners.

Last January, Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in the biggest single release of captives.

SOURCE: AP AND REUTERS



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/2duENtb

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Myanmar earthquake death toll rises as fresh tremors further complicate rescue efforts

-
Image
A5.1-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, on Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor was part of a series of aftershocks following Friday’s devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which resulted in the collapse of numerous buildings and significant infrastructure damage. The death toll has risen to over 1,600, with more than 3,400 individuals reported missing; these numbers are expected to increase as rescue operations continue. Foreign rescue teams and supplies arrived in Myanmar on Sunday to help the impoverished country cope with an earthquake that killed over 1,600 and left many near the epicentre scrambling for help without proper equipment. The 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmar’s strongest in a century, jolted the Southeast Asian nation on Friday, leaving 1,644 people dead, 3,408 injured and 139 missing, the military government said. India, China and Thailand are among Myanmar’s neighbours that have sent relief ...
Read more

Israel says situation on Lebanon border ‘not sustainable’

-
By James Mackenzie Reuters  Israeli officials and media reacted with satisfaction on Monday after a  long-expected missile attack  by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement appeared to have been largely thwarted by pre-emptive Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Israel seemed content to let Sunday’s attack, in retaliation for the  killing of a senior Hezbollah commander  in Beirut last month, count as settled for the moment. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said Hezbollah had suffered a “crushing blow” from the Israeli strikes but that a longer lasting solution was still needed. “The current situation is not sustainable,” he told a briefing, referring to the tens of thousands evacuated from their homes in northern Israel, a situation mirrored on the other side of the border in southern Lebanon. “Israel will do its duty and return its population to our sovereign territory.” Hopes that children might return for the start of the ...
Read more