Russia’s transport minister was discovered useless Monday, hours after being dismissed by President Vladimir Putin, in what officers mentioned was an obvious suicide. The dismissal got here after a weekend of journey chaos when airports grounded lots of of flights because of the risk of drone assaults from Kyiv.
Transport Minister Roman Starovoy, 53, served as Russia’s transport minister since Might 2024 and was fired in a presidential decree earlier within the day that gave no motive for his dismissal.
On Monday in Ukraine, in the meantime, no less than 11 civilians had been killed and greater than 80 had been injured, together with seven kids, in Russian assaults over the earlier 24 hours, Ukrainian officers mentioned.
Russia fired greater than 100 drones at civilian areas of Ukraine in a single day, authorities mentioned.
Russia just lately has intensified its airstrikes on civilian areas after greater than three years of struggle. Up to now week, Russia launched some 1,270 drones, 39 missiles and virtually 1,000 highly effective glide bombs at Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Monday.
Russia’s larger military can also be attempting onerous to interrupt via at some factors alongside the roughly 1,000-kilometre entrance line, the place Ukrainian forces are severely stretched.
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The pressure of maintaining Russia’s invasion at bay, the dearth of progress in direct peace talks, and final week’s halt of some promised U.S. weapons shipments has compelled Ukraine to hunt extra army assist from the U.S. and Europe.
Zelenskyy mentioned Saturday that Ukraine had signed offers with European allies and a number one U.S. defence firm to step up drone manufacturing, guaranteeing Kyiv receives “lots of of 1000’s” extra this yr.
“Air defence is the principle factor for safeguarding life,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Monday.
That features creating and manufacturing interceptor drones that may cease Russia’s long-range Shahed drones, he mentioned.
In depth use of drones has additionally helped Ukraine compensate for its troop shortages on the entrance line.
One individual was killed within the southern metropolis of Odesa, one other individual was killed and 71 had been injured in northeastern Kharkiv and falling drone particles triggered harm in two districts of Kyiv, the capital, throughout nighttime drone assaults, Ukrainian authorities mentioned.
Russian short-range drones additionally killed two individuals and injured two others within the northern Sumy area, officers mentioned. Sumy is among the locations the place Russia has concentrated massive numbers of troops.
Additionally, 9 individuals had been injured and 7 killed within the Donetsk area of jap Ukraine, regional head Vadym Filashkin mentioned. He didn’t specify the weapons used.
Extra Russian long-range drone strikes Monday focused army mobilization facilities for the third time in 5 days, in an obvious try and disrupt recruitment, Ukraine’s Military Floor Forces command mentioned.
Regional officers in Kharkiv and southern Zaporizhzhia mentioned no less than 17 individuals had been injured.
In the meantime, Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned Monday that its troops shot down 91 Ukrainian drones in 13 Russian areas in a single day, in addition to over the Black Sea and the Crimean Peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
Putin named Starovoyt’s deputy, Andrey Nikitin, as appearing transport minister. Nikitkin was the governor of Russia’s Novgorod area till February.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to touch upon Starovoyt’s dismissal.
Over the weekend, lots of of flights had been canceled or delayed at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo and St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo airports, and 1000’s of vacationers confronted lengthy waits. Different airports in western and central Russia additionally confronted disruptions due to Ukrainian drone assaults.
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