Russian missiles and artillery yesterday pounded cities across Ukraine, killing at least two people and trapping others under rubble, while Poland said it would stop providing weapons to its ally amid a trade dispute.
The early-morning wave of missile strikes was Russia’s largest in more than a month and came as world leaders met at the UN General Assembly in New York.
In a speech there, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced Russia as “a terrorist state.”
Photo: Reuters
Zelenskiy was to meet with US President Joe Biden and congressional leaders in Washington after press time last night with an additional US$24 billion aid package hanging in the balance.
On Wednesday, Zelenskiy said at the UN that Russia had killed tens of thousands of his citizens, calling for Moscow to be stripped of its veto power as one of the permanent members of the UN’s top decisionmaking body.
“Veto power in the hands of the aggressor is what has pushed the UN into deadlock,” Zelenskiy said, adding that it is impossible for the body to stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine because of Moscow’s ability to veto any effort or initiative at the Security Council.
“Most of the world recognizes the truth about this war. It is a criminal and unprovoked aggression by Russia against our nation, aimed at seizing Ukraine’s territory and resources,” he said.
Poland, which has been a major supporter of Ukraine, said it would stop transferring its weapons to its neighbor as it works to modernize its own military, but denied that the decision was linked to a simmering dispute over a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that the decision would not affect NATO and US weapons transfers through Poland.
“We are no longer transferring any weapons to Ukraine because now we will arm ourselves with the most modern weapons,” he said in an interview on Polsat News on Wednesday.
Air raid sirens sounded repeatedly across Ukraine as Russia launched dozens of missiles and, near the front lines, likely used shorter-range artillery to pound the southern city of Kherson.
Two people were killed in Kherson and at least five injured after a residential building was hit, regional Governor Oleksand Prokudin said.
Seven people were injured in Kyiv, including a nine-year-old girl, Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said.
Marharyta Moldokova, 76, who had taken shelter on the floor of her Kyiv home just before hearing the explosion and sound of her window shattering, denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Everything is not enough for him,” she said. “What does he need?”
The Ukrainian Air Force said it had intercepted 36 of 43 cruise missiles launched deep into Ukraine.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
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