Tag: Kyiv

Biden Pledges $500MN Military Aid For Ukraine

Biden Pledges $500MN Military Aid For Ukraine

By LokMarg

US President Joe Biden who made an unannounced visit to Kyiv today, days before the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, pledged a USD 500 million military aid package for the country.

Addressing a joint briefing alongside Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy, Biden said, “We will announce USD 500 million in aid to Ukraine. This will consist of javelins, howitzers, and artillery ammunition. Later, we will announce additional sanctions against companies which are trying to back Russia.”
Biden said the package would be announced on Tuesday and that Washington would also provide more ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in Ukraine’s possession.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president has lauded Biden’s visit to Kyiv as the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaches.

“Joseph Biden, welcome to Kyiv! Your visit is an extremely important sign of support for all Ukrainians,” Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.

The US leader’s visit comes at a crucial moment in the war as Biden looks to keep allies unified in their support for Ukraine with the war expected to intensify in the coming months as both sides prepare for anticipated spring offensives.

Zelenskyy is pressing allies to speed up the delivery of pledged weapon systems and is calling on the West to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine – something that Biden to date has declined to do.

Biden declared from Kyiv on Monday that a year after invading Ukraine, “Putin’s war of conquest is failing.”

“Putin’s war conquest is failing. Russia’s military has lost half its territory once occupied. Young, talented Russians fleeing from Russia because they see no future in the country. Russia’s economy is isolated and struggling,” said Biden.

“Putin thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us. I don’t think he’s thinking that right now, ” Biden said standing alongside Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.

“He’s just been plain wrong,” Biden said of Putin. “One year later, the evidence is right here in this room. We stand here together.”

“One year later Kyiv stands, Ukraine stands, and Democracy stands. America and the world stand with you. Kyiv has captured a part of my heart. Freedom is priceless, it is worth fighting for. We are going to be with you for as long as it takes,” said Biden.

President Biden’s trip to Kyiv on Monday was shrouded in secrecy, a reflection of the steep security concerns of visiting an active war zone.

Biden is travelling with a relatively small entourage, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon and personal aide Annie Tomasini, reported CNN.

Zelenskyy said negotiations between his and US President Biden’s teams in Kyiv were a major boost to his country.

“This conversation brings us closer to victory,” Zelenskyy said, speaking alongside Biden on Monday.

“The results of this visit will surely be seen, and will surely have repercussions on the battlefield in liberating our territories,” he added.

The Ukrainian leader also called Biden’s surprise visit the most important in the “history of the Ukraine-US relationship.”

“Ukrainians remember the focus, attention, the attitude that President Biden and the US have given to Ukraine,” Zelenskyy added.

“I thank you for this level of US-Ukraine cooperation,” he said.

Zelensky said he had discussed the supply of more advanced Western weapons to Ukraine, and cited the recent decision by the US to send Abrams tanks to the country as another defining moment.

“The decision of the US on Abrams tanks has already presented a foundation for establishing a tank coalition and is of historic importance,” he said.

“We’ve also talked about long-range weapons and the weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine – even though have not been supplied before,” added Zelenskyy. (ANI)

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Biden Makes Surprise Visit To Kyiv In The Middle Of Full-Scale Conflict

Biden Makes Surprise Visit To Kyiv In The Middle Of Full-Scale Conflict

By LokMarg

In a display of strong American support for Ukraine just four days before the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, US President Joe Biden on Monday made a surprise visit to Kyiv, reported The Washington Post.

Kyiv is no stranger to official visits, but this one is different. The fact the US president is meeting Ukraine’s leader in the heart of the capital in the middle of a full-scale conflict is significant and symbolic.
The high-risk visit, to a Ukrainian capital that has been under threat of missile attacks, signals continued commitment from the United States, the largest financial and military backer of Ukraine’s effort to repel Russians from its territory, reported The Washington Post.

Biden was spotted outside St Michael Golden-Domed Monastery with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Ukrainian capital was in a tight security lockdown with car traffic halted and even pedestrians blocked from certain streets. Shortly afterwards, an air raid siren went off in the city, reported The Washington Post.

His visit was shrouded in secrecy. Biden was due to leave for an announced visit to Poland from Washington on Monday evening.

Earlier, major motorcade was spotted in Kyiv amid speculations that Biden is visiting the country.

Heavy US security has been deployed near Ukraine’s border as the White House had in a statement said that Biden is heading to Poland for a two-day visit to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, returning to the region as the war enters a volatile new phase without a clear path to peace.

Biden will arrive in Warsaw on Tuesday where he will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda, the White House said in a statement on Sunday.

Biden has insisted the US will continue to back Ukraine for “as long as it takes” despite flagging support among the American public and no near-term prospect of peace talks to end the conflict, reported The Washington Post.

The Biden administration has provided some USD 30 billion in security aid since President Vladimir Putin sent Russian forces into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, initiating the largest ground war in Europe since World War II — one that already has cost his country and Ukraine hundreds of thousands of casualties.

Under Biden’s leadership, the US and its NATO allies have gradually expanded the array of weaponry they have pledged to include heavy tanks.

While other world leaders have visited Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy over the past year, and tour the war-scarred city, Biden has stayed away due to security concerns and fears about the possibility of conflict between the world’s two largest nuclear powers, sending senior aides in his place.

Notably, First Lady Jill Biden made a surprise visit to Western Ukraine on Mother’s Day in May, reported The Washington Post. (ANI)

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Water Cuts Hit Kyiv

Power, Water Cuts Hit Kyiv After Massive Russian Missile Strikes

By LokMarg

Almost 80 percent of Kyiv residents on Monday faced power outages and water cuts as Russian missiles struck key infrastructure facilities in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and the central region of Cherkasy, Ukrainian officials said Monday.

The strike comes days after Russia blamed Ukraine for a drone attack on its Black Sea Fleet, CNN reported.
“Explosions and air raid sirens were heard in Kyiv early on Monday and 80 percent of residents were left without water – with many losing electricity, too – following power outages caused by Russian strikes, the capital’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said on Telegram.

Ukraine is under massive blackouts and the residents are under severe water shortages as one of the strikes hit an energy facility that powered 350,000 apartments in the capital, CNN reported citing Klitschko who further added that emergency services are making every effort to stabilize the situation.

Moreover, strikes were also reported in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia as well.

Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko also urged the war-torn country’s citizens to stock up on water as the situation is worse.

“Currently, due to damage to the energy facility near Kyiv, 80% of the capital’s consumers remain without water supply,” he said on Telegram. “Just in case, we ask you to stock up on water from the nearest pumps and points of sale. Specialists are doing everything possible to return water to the apartments of Kyiv residents.”

CNN reported quoting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba that Kyiv has already finished agreements with at least 12 countries to obtain nearly 1,000 units of power equipment, including generators and the country is, at present, in touch with European Union (EU) and NATO.

Meanwhile, Kharkiv’s Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram that two missiles hit a critical infrastructure facility in the city. Parts of the Cherkasy region have lost power after a critical infrastructure facility was hit, regional military administration head Ihor Taburets said.

Power outages caused by Russian attacks continued in Kyiv over the weekend. Klitschko said earlier it will take weeks to repair electrical systems.

Ukrainian officials believe Russia’s countrywide drone and cruise missile attacks are being carefully orchestrated to target important infrastructure as Ukraine heads into winter, reported CNN. By hitting thermal power stations, electricity substations, transformers, and pipelines, Russian forces have been directly impacting Ukrainians’ ability to access power, water, and the internet.

Russia suspended its participation in an UN-brokered grain deal viewed as key to addressing the global food shortage, according to the country’s defense ministry.

Moscow announced it was leaving the deal after blaming Ukraine for a drone attack on Crimea Saturday. Kyiv accused Russia of inventing “fictitious terrorist attacks” and using the deal as “blackmail.”

By Sunday, more than 200 vessels had been blocked from making shipments, Ukraine said. A growing number of Kyiv’s allies condemned Moscow’s move. (ANI)

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Explosions Heard In Kyiv

By LokMarg

Explosions were heard in Kyiv early on Monday morning, days after Russia blamed Ukraine for a drone attack on its Black Sea Fleet.

According to CNN, it comes after a week of power outages in the capital and other parts of Ukraine caused by Russian attacks on the country’s power infrastructure.
Air raid sirens also sounded across the city, the Kyiv Regional State Administration said on Telegram. Air defense systems were working and people have been asked to stay indoors in shelters and other safe places, the administration added.

Russian missiles struck key infrastructure facilities in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and the central region of Cherkasy, Ukrainian officials said Monday.

Kharkiv’s Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram that two missiles hit a critical infrastructure facility in the city.

Parts of the Cherkasy region have lost power after a critical infrastructure facility was hit, regional military administration head Ihor Taburets said.

Parts of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv are without electricity and water after critical infrastructure facilities were hit, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.

Power outages caused by Russian attacks continued in Kyiv over the weekend. Klitschko said earlier it will take weeks to repair electrical systems.

Ukrainian officials believe Russia’s countrywide drone and cruise missile attacks are being carefully orchestrated to target important infrastructure as Ukraine heads into winter, reported CNN.

By hitting thermal power stations, electricity sub-stations, transformers and pipelines, Russian forces have been directly impacting Ukrainians’ ability to access power, water and the internet.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Ukrainian forces repelled “fierce Russian assault” in Donetsk, reported CNN.

Ukrainian forces fought off a “fierce assault” by Russian troops in the eastern city of Donetsk on Sunday, ZelenskyY said in his daily televised briefing.

“Today, they stopped a fierce assault by the enemy,” Zelenskyy said. “The Russian attack was repelled.”

Russia suspended its participation in a UN-brokered grain deal viewed as key to addressing the global food shortage, according to the country’s defence ministry.

Moscow announced it was leaving the deal after blaming Ukraine for a drone attack on Crimea Saturday. Kyiv accused Russia of inventing “fictitious terrorist attacks” and using the deal as “blackmail.”

By Sunday, more than 200 vessels had been blocked from making shipments, Ukraine said. A growing number of Kyiv’s allies condemned Moscow’s move. (ANI)

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Desperate And Reprehensible: US condemns Attacks On Kyiv

By LokMarg

The United States on Monday condemned early morning drone strikes on Kyiv as it rebuked Russia for “reprehensible” attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

“More desperate and reprehensible Russian attacks this morning against civilians and civilian infrastructure. We admire the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people. We will stand with you for as long as it takes,” the US embassy in Ukraine tweeted.
Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv was rocked by multiple explosions early on Monday in an attack by “Kamikaze” drones, according to a Ukrainian official. Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office of Ukraine, said kamikaze drones targeted the city.

“The Russians think it will help them, but these actions look like desperation,” Yermak said in a statement, blaming Russia for the attack, CNN reported.

Several residential buildings were damaged in the attack. In a Telegram message, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the “drone attack” caused a “fire in a non-residential building.”

Kyiv says Moscow has used Iranian-supplied drones in the strikes against major Ukrainian cities in recent weeks and pleaded with Western countries to step up their assistance in the face of the new challenge, CNN reported.

On Monday, at least three explosions were heard in Kyiv at around 6.45 am (local time). One of the blasts was in the Shevchenkivskyi district in the center of the Ukrainian capital. In order to tackle the situation, emergency services have been sent on-site.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has only escalated after a truck recently exploded on the Crimea road bridge, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire. Three people were killed in the blast, which also led to the partial collapse of two spans of the road bridge.

The Crimean Bridge was opened in 2018 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, four years after Moscow annexed Crimea, and was designed to link the peninsula to Russia’s transport network.

The 19-kilometer bridge, which runs across the Kerch Strait and connects Crimea with mainland Russia, consists of a railway and vehicle sections. It became fully operational in 2020.

Earlier, the transport ministry had said the bridge, which consists of two parallel routes for automobiles and trains, will possibly open to trains by 8 pm Moscow time (1700 GMT) on Saturday. (ANI)

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Multiple Explosions In Kyiv

Multiple Explosions In Kyiv, Kamikaze Drone Attacks

By LokMarg

Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv was rocked by multiple explosions early on Monday in an attack by “Kamikaze” drones, a Ukrainian official said.

Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office of Ukraine, said kamikaze drones were attacking the city.
“The Russians think it will help them, but these actions look like desperation,” Yermak said in a statement, blaming Russia for the attack, CNN reported.

Several residential buildings were damaged in the attack.

In a Telegram message, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the “drone attack” caused a “fire in a non-residential building.”

Kyiv says Moscow has used Iranian-supplied drones in the strikes against Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and other cities across Ukraine in recent weeks, and pleaded with Western countries to step up their assistance in the face of the new challenge, CNN reported.

At least three explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital at around 6:45 a.m. local time on Monday as a result of apparent Russian strikes, according to CNN.

One of the blasts was in the Shevchenkivskyi district in the center of the Ukrainian capital. In order to tackle the situation, emergency services have been sent on-site.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has only escalated after a truck recently exploded on the Crimea road bridge, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire. Three people were killed in the blast, which also led to the partial collapse of two spans of the road bridge.

The Crimean Bridge was opened in 2018 by President Vladimir Putin, four years after Moscow annexed Crimea, and was designed to link the peninsula to Russia’s transport network.

The 19-kilometer bridge, which runs across the Kerch Strait and connects Crimea with mainland Russia, consists of a railway and vehicle sections. It became fully operational in 2020.

Earlier, the transport ministry had said the bridge, which consists of two parallel routes for automobiles and trains, will possibly open to trains by 8 pm Moscow time (1700 GMT) on Saturday. (ANI)

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Amid Fear Of Nuclear Disaster, Last Reactor At Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Shuts Down

By LokMarg

In the wake of increasing fears of nuclear disaster, the last operational reactor at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine has been entirely shut, the state agency in charge of the plant, Energoatom said on Sunday.

“The facility was “completely stopped” after it disconnected the Number 6 power unit from the grid at 3:41 am (00:41 GMT),” the statement read.
“A decision was made to shut down power unit No 6 and transfer it to the safest state – cold shutdown,” it said on Telegram, Al Jazeera reported.

The company reiterated that the shutdown was necessary to avoid the risk of further damage to the power lines as it remained high.

As per Al Jazeera, the six-reactor Zaporizhzhia plant was cut off from the grid last week after all its power lines were disconnected as a result of clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the area.

However, Energoatom further said it restored to operational capacity a communications line to the power system, allowing the plant to be powered by Ukraine’s energy system long enough to initiate the shutdown.

Notably, Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of damaging power lines supplying the plant with rocket and artillery fire, risking a severe radiation disaster as war between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate.

Furthermore, Kyiv on Wednesday called for residents of Russian-occupied areas around the plant which is Europe’s largest, to evacuate for their own safety.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long back called for the surrounding area to be demilitarized, according to Al Jazeera.

On August 31, the fourteen-membered team of the IAEA arrived in Ukraine.

During their visit, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that the physical integrity of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in south-eastern Ukraine has been “violated”.

“I worry, and I will continue to be worried about the plant until we have a situation which is more stable, which is more predictable. It is obvious that the plant and the physical integrity of the plant have been violated several times by chance [and] by deliberation,” Grossi told reporters after his visit to the plant.

During the military operation in Ukraine, launched by Russia on February 24, the nuclear plant and surrounding area fell under the control of the Russian forces. The NPP has recently been targeted by multiple shelling, raising international concerns over a possible nuclear accident while Russia and Ukraine continue to blame each other for the shelling incidents. (ANI)