Residents of Kyiv woke up to air raid sirens as Ukraine ob🐟served its Independence Day on Wednesday, which also m💖arked exactly six months since the start of Russia's military invasion.
Authorities in the capital banned large-scale gatherings until Thursday, fearing the national holiday might bri꧅ng particularly heavy Russian missile attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the public to be vigilant.
“Russian provocations and brutal strikes are a possibility,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. “Please strictly follow the safety rules. Please observe the curfew. Pay attention to the air sirens. Pay attention to official ⭕announcements. And remember: We must all achieve victory together.”
A small number of residents gathered at Kyiv's central square, where dest♋royed Russian tanks and mobile artillery were put on display over the weekend, and the national anthem is played every day at 7 am local time.
“I can't sleep at 𓆏nightᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ because of what I see and hear about what is being done in Ukraine," a retiree who identified herself only by her first name, Tetyana, said, her voice shaking with emotion.
“This is not a war. It is the destruction of the Ukrainian people," she said. Wꦉednesꦓday's holiday commemorates Ukraine's 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.
“Six months ago, Russia declared war on us. On February 24, all of Ukraine heard explosions and gunshots. On February 24, we♋ were told: You have no chance. On August 24, we say: Happy Independence Day, Ukraine!” Zelenskyy said in an Independence Day message.
A car bombing outside Mosc𒁏ow that🎃 killed the 29-year-old daughter of right-wing Russian political theorist Alexander Dugin on Saturday heightened fears that Russia might intensify attacks on Ukraine this week.
Russian officials have blamed Ukraine for the death of Darya Dugina, a nationalist Russian TV 💝commentator.
The car bomb exploded after she had attended a patriotic festival with her father, who was widely believed to have been t🉐he intended target.
The Ukrainian government has denied any involvement. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops in🐼to Ukraine on February 24. Moscow's military encountered unexpectedly stiff Ukrainian resistance, and the six months of fighting has upended life in Ukraine and sent shock waves through the world 🍬economy.
As the war reached its 182nd day, there was no sign of 🗹a quick end to the conflict, which NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg 🍎on Tuesday described as “ a grinding war of attrition.”
Russia n🎉ow holds large swaths of the country's east and south, but its gains accumulated slowly. Nei🔯ther country has revealed how many troops it has lost during the six-month conflict.
The United States is expected on Wednesday to announce rouꦦghly USD 3 billion in additional aid to train and equip Ukrainian forces to fight for years to come, US offﷺicials said.
The officials told The Associated Press the package would fund contracts for as many as three types ✃of drones and other weapons, ammunition and equipment that may🦩 not see the battlefront for a year or two.
The new funding is largely aimed at helping Ukraine secure its medium- to long-term defence postur꧃e, according to officials familiar with the matter.
Earlier shipments focused on Ukraine's more immediate needs for weapons and ammunition and involved materiel the Pentagon already had in stock that could be shipp✅ed🍬 quickly.
Several officials spoke on condition of a✤nonymity to discuss the aid package before a public announcement.
On the forefront of the Russian off𝄹ensive in eastern Ukraine, the conflict ground on. Russian forces struck several towns and villages in Donetsk province over 24 hours, killing one person and injuring another two, according to the regional administration.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region on the southern front, Russian forces again shelled the cities of Nikopol and M🐬arhanets, damaging several buildin🦩gs and injuring two people, according to Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko.
Russian troops also shelled the city of Zaporizhzhia, damaging several bu😼ildings and infrastruc𒈔ture but inflicting no casualties.
