Explosions rock Kyiv as African leaders start ‘peace mission’
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xplosions have rocked Kyiv as African leaders arrived in Kyiv on Friday in a bid to mediate between Ukraine and Russia.
The blasts got here as a delegation of leaders from South Africa, Senegal, Zambia, Egypt and others travelled to Ukraine’s capital earlier than talks with Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday.
The Reuters news company reported that there have been a minimum of two explosions however mentioned that it was not instantly clear if these missiles had been fired by Russia or Ukrainian air defences.
However, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramphosa mentioned through a spokesman that the report was “deliberate misinformation”.
“We were all perplexed when we were taken back to the hotel and passed streets where people were going on about their day as normal,” mentioned the spokesman.
“It’s very strange and is, in a way, deliberate misinformation.”
The all-clear was later issued for Kyiv, and the South African presidency tweeted that the journey was going forward “as planned”.
The delegation visited a commemoration ceremony in Bucha
/ APUkraine’s air force said it had downed six ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and two drones.
Kyiv city officials said they had received no reports of deaths or serious damage so far, but police said there were an unspecified number of casualties.
The air attack was the latest in a long line of attacks since Russia launched its invasion in February last year.
Moscow has increased their frequency since Ukraine began preparations for the counteroffensive that is now under way.
“Putin ‘builds confidence’ by launching the largest missile attack on Kyiv in weeks, exactly amid the visit of African leaders to our capital,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. “Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace.”
Russia has not immediately commented on the missile attacks.
The African leaders had begun their trip by visiting Bucha, a town outside Kyiv where Russia carried out war crimes, although Russia denies doing so.
The peace mission could propose a series of “confidence building measures” throughout preliminary efforts at mediation.
Suggested measures may embody a pullback of Russian troops, elimination of Russian tactical nuclear weapons from Belarus, and suspension of implementation of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant concentrating on Putin.
However, Ukraine says the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine have to be the idea for any settlement of the warfare.