HUkrainian authorities reported that a Russian Iskander missile hit a hotel in the city of Zaporizhia on Thursday evening. One person was killed and 16 wounded, including four children. Local media reported that the damaged building was the Reikartz Hotel in the city center, which is often used by UN staff.
A destroyed building in Zaporizhia (photo from 10.8.)
Source: Reuters
“I am appalled by the news that a hotel frequently used by UN and NGO staff to help those affected by the war has been attacked by Russia in Zaporizhia,” said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown. in a letter.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense tweeted that the hotel housed a nursery. Only thanks to the fact that the facility was closed an hour before the rocket hit did the children survive. According to the United Nations, the hotel was used in the past, among other things, to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal plant in the Russian-occupied port city of Mariupol last May.
According to the United Nations, attacks on such civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, they have taken on gigantic proportions. Brown called on Russia to „immediately stop indiscriminate attacks against Ukraine.”
All developments in the live stream:
9:48 a.m. – Air Alert in Ukraine: Explosions heard in Kiev
Several explosions were heard in Kiev after an air alert was issued for all of Ukraine. The mayor of the Ukrainian capital, Vitaliy Klitschko, urged residents to stay in shelters. He writes on Telegram that air defense is working. Debris from a missile that was launched lands on the property of a children’s hospital. But there were no injuries or damages.
09:38 – TASS: The airspace over Moscow airport has been temporarily closed
According to a media report, the airspace over Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport has been temporarily closed. The Russian news agency TASS, citing the security authorities, reported that takeoffs and landings had been suspended. Such measures are usually taken during drone attacks in recent weeks.
09:16 – Insider: talks about extraditing Taurus to Ukraine
According to information from security services, the federal government is in talks with industry about supplying Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles. There are corresponding contacts with arms manufacturer MBDA, an insider confirms to Spiegel’s report. The government in Kiev is pressing for the delivery of Taurus missiles, which have a range of up to 500 km and can be carried by Tornado, F-15 and F-18 fighters.
08:50 – the current situation in Ukraine
The current situation in Ukraine
Source: Infographic World
07:10 – TASS: Two Ukrainian drones were shot down near Kursk
Russian sources reported that two Ukrainian drones were intercepted near the Russian city of Kursk. According to the governor of the territory of the same name, Roman Starwit, the air defenses destroyed it as it approached late Thursday evening. Kursk region borders Ukraine. Their leadership does not usually comment on attacks on Russian territory or Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces.
04:54 – Security experts: hackers have spied on embassy employees in Belarus
A group of hackers has been spying on employees of the embassies of four countries in Belarus for years, including during the war in Ukraine. To do this, they hijack local internet networks, security researchers at Slovakian cybersecurity firm ESET wrote in a report published Thursday. About 15 packages belonging to diplomats from two European countries, a country in South Asia and an African country working in embassies were attacked. The digital espionage campaign started around 2021 and is still ongoing.
02:31 – Ukrainian soldiers return after training in the UK
Britain has trained about 900 Ukrainian marines in the past few months. The Palestinian News Agency reported Friday evening that the soldiers returned after six months of training. According to the British Ministry of Defense, there were also volunteers with no military experience. Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian attack for a year and a half. More than 20,000 Ukrainian recruits have been trained in Britain since the war began in February 2022, according to the Palestinian Authority.
12:48 am – Berlin seems to be checking Taurus shipments to Ukraine
According to media reports, the federal government is studying how Germany can supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles from Bundeswehr stocks in the coming months. According to the information of the news magazine „MirrorTalks are ongoing between the Ministry of Defense and the defense industry. Also the online portalT onlineI had mentioned with reference to Social Democratic circles that a decision 'soon’ was imminent.
According to Spiegel, Minister Boris Pistorius’ House (SPD) asked the Taurus’ manufacturer to incorporate restrictions on target programming into the cruise missile.
This photo released by the Bundeswehr shows a Tornado fighter jet armed with a Taurus guided missile
Source: dpa / Andrea Bienert
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wants to use the technical modifications to Taurus to prevent Ukraine from launching attacks on Russian soil using long-range weapon systems. In addition, the federal government no longer delivers cruise missiles from German stockpiles that depend on arms aid from the United States.
10:59pm – Zelenskyy for religious tolerance – but watch out for Moscow
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sees religious tolerance as an important part of his country’s self-image. said so in his video addressHaving spoken in Kiev with a representative of the center of the Universal Orthodox Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The president said there is a council of churches and religious organizations in Ukraine. This council ensures that all religious communities can express themselves freely and „take part in resolving socially important issues”.
However, Zelensky put one limitation in relation to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which adheres to the Moscow Patriarchate. He said that „the state will never allow any of the Ukrainian religious communities to be used by an aggressor state”. Zelensky’s leadership is trying to curb the influence of this church. On Thursday, another ruling was delivered in the dispute over the country’s most important Orthodox shrine, the Pechersk Lavra in Kiev. A court ruled that the pro-Moscow monastery there should return the buildings to the state monastery museum.
10:35pm – At least 12 people are still missing after an explosion at a factory near Moscow
Authorities say at least 12 people are still missing after a deadly explosion at a factory northeast of Moscow. A woman died in the accident and 80 others were injured, 15 of whom were treated in hospital, according to the Ministry of Health.
The explosion occurred on Wednesday at a fireworks warehouse in the city of Sergiev Posad, about 60 kilometers northeast of Moscow, and a fire started. According to the Ministry of Disaster Management, about 400 people were deployed at the site of the blast. The ministry released footage showing sniffer dogs and rescue workers wearing hard hats.
As announced by the Investigative Committee, 34 people were heard as witnesses. The headquarters of the company where the explosion occurred was searched and the technical director of the factory was arrested as a „suspect”.
The governor of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, ruled out that the explosion was caused by a drone attack on Wednesday. There have been several drone strikes recently in the Russian capital and the surrounding area. The Russian authorities hold Ukraine responsible. Hundreds of fires are registered in Russia every year due to aging infrastructure and poor safety standards.
„Kick-off” is WELT’s daily news podcast. Top topic analyzed by WELT editors and today’s dates. Subscribe to the podcast at SpotifyAnd Apple PodcastAnd Amazon MusicAnd Google Podcast or directly via RSS feed.
