Kyiv/St. Petersburg (dpa) – During the visit of a mediation mission by African heads of state and government, the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, was again attacked by Russia on Friday with ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones. At least six people were injured, according to the Interior Ministry. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believed Russia would lose the war against Ukraine if the Kiev counteroffensive was successful.
Meanwhile, at a meeting of NATO defense ministers, there were growing indications that all member states would agree to simplify Ukraine’s possible entry into the defense alliance. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also said he was open to it. Meanwhile, four people died as a result of Russian shelling in the flood-stricken Cherson region of southern Ukraine.
Kuleba: «Russia wants more wars, not peace»
A delegation led by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Kiev by train from Poland on Friday. Shortly thereafter, the city became the target of a Russian air strike. “Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. With “the biggest missile attack on Kiev in weeks,” Putin wants to “build confidence,” he quipped.
The African mediation mission is also traveling to Russia
Ramaphosa came to Kiev accompanied by heads of state from Zambia, Senegal and Comoros. The Prime Minister of Egypt and the Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic of the Congo are also part of the African delegation, who are also scheduled to meet President Zelenskyy. Africans wanted to find a peaceful solution, as many countries were suffering from grain supply problems as a result of the war. The delegation is expected to be in St. Petersburg on Saturday, where there will be a meeting with Putin.
South Africa was criticized for being more pro-Russia and suspected of supplying weapons to Moscow. A summit of the Brics nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) will also take place there this summer.
The President of Ukraine is optimistic about the counter-offensive
Despite the extremely difficult situation, Zelenskyy described the current state of the backlash as “generally positive”. “Our heroic people, our frontline troops are met with very stiff resistance,” he said in an interview with US broadcaster NBC News. According to their own statements, Ukrainian troops have so far liberated seven towns from Russian occupation during the offensive. More than 100 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory was recaptured. At the same time, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar emphasized that the enemy was putting up “violent resistance”. Dense minefields, heavy artillery fire, and so-called kamikaze drones hampered the Ukrainian advance. Information provided by conflicting parties often cannot be independently verified.
Putin: Finance and the economy have withstood Western pressure
Almost 16 months after the start of the war, Kremlin head Vladimir Putin spoke in St. Petersburg. Petersburg Russia about positive economic development in the country. According to his forecast, this year’s economic growth will range from 1.5 to 2 percent. Russia also survived the exodus of Western companies well. Domestic companies are rapidly occupying niches that are becoming free, said Putin.
NATO plans to make concessions on prospects for Ukraine’s accession
As a result of the new format of cooperation with Ukraine decided on by the NATO countries, the newly established council will meet for the first time on the sidelines of the NATO summit on 11 and 12 July in Lithuania. This was announced by Defense Minister Pistorius, who emphasized that Ukraine now has an equal seat at the Alliance table. This is a clear sign that Ukraine’s future is looking at NATO. Yet, at the same time, it was clear to everyone involved that entry to a nation at war was outlawed. “That should be clear to everyone, because NATO will be a direct party to the war,” he said, indicating that Ukraine could then request military assistance from the Allies, citing Article 5 of the alliance agreement.
The new format envisages upgrading the existing NATO-Ukraine Commission to a NATO-Ukraine Council. This should make it possible to discuss key security issues on an equal footing with the country attacked by Russia and to make joint decisions.
Dead and wounded after shelling in a flooded area in southern Ukraine
According to officials, four people were killed by Russian shelling in the flooded Cherson region of southern Ukraine. Two other people – pensioners aged 69 and 86 – were injured, Ukraine’s military administration said. Following the destruction of the Kachowka Dam on June 6, the contested area was hit by heavy flooding. There are still 30 villages submerged in water. 17 of them are in Russian-controlled areas on the south side of the Dnipro River, the crisis team reported on Telegram.
London: Russian general killed in Ukrainian attack
According to British intelligence, Major General Sergey Goryachev was killed in a Ukrainian attack on a Russian command post in eastern Ukraine. The 35th Army Chief of Staff is the first Russian general to die in the Ukraine war this year, the Defense Ministry said in London on Friday. Russia has so far neither confirmed nor denied Goryachev’s death.
