The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. Ukraine says it has hit the Moskva missile cruiser with a Neptune anti-ship missile. The Soviet-era ship sank on Thursday as it was being towed to the port after a fire and explosions, the Russian Defense Ministry said. read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register More than 500 crew members were evacuated, the ministry said, without acknowledging the attack. The loss of the ship comes as the Russian navy continues to bomb Ukrainian cities in the Black Sea for almost 50 days after invading the country to root out what it calls far-right nationalists. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has paid tribute to all “those who stopped the end of the endless convoy of Russian military equipment … Those who showed that Russian ships can go … down to the bottom”. There were no immediate reports of injuries or severe damage in the aftermath of the blasts in Kyiv, Kherson in the south, Kharkiv in the east and Ivano-Frankivsk in the west. The Ukrainian armed forces said that the Russian attacks on the cities of Popasna and Rubizne, both north of the port of Mariupol, were repulsed and many tanks and other armored vehicles were destroyed. Reuters was unable to verify the reports. MOSCOW Whatever the cause of Moskva’s loss, it is a setback for Russia and a major boost for Ukraine’s defenders. read more Russia’s navy has fired cruise missiles at Ukraine, and its activities in the Black Sea are vital to supporting ground operations in the south and east, where it is fighting for full control of Mariupol. The United States has said it did not have enough information to determine whether Moskva was hit by a rocket. “(But) certainly, as it turned out, it’s a big blow to Russia,” said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Russia has launched what it calls a “special military operation” to invade Ukraine on February 24, in part to prevent Kyiv and other former Eastern Bloc countries from joining NATO. But in the face of further setbacks for Moscow, Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, and nearby Sweden are now considering joining the US-led military alliance. read more Moscow warned NATO on Thursday that if Sweden and Finland joined, Russia would develop nuclear weapons and supersonic missiles in a Russian enclave in the heart of Europe. read more CIA Director William Burns said Russia’s threat of possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine could not be taken seriously, but that the agency had not seen much evidence to support that concern. read more BATTLE FOR MARIOPOLI Kyiv and its allies say Russia has launched an unprovoked war that has forced more than 4.6 million people to flee abroad, killing or injuring thousands. Russia announced on Wednesday that more than 1,000 Ukrainian marines from one of the units still in Mariupol had surrendered. Ukrainian officials did not comment. If occupied, Mariupol would be the first major city to fall to Russian forces since the invasion, allowing Moscow to strengthen a land corridor between the separatist-held areas of eastern Donbass and the occupied Crimean region. and annexed in 2014. Ukraine says tens of thousands of people are believed to have been killed in Mariupol, where efforts were being made to evacuate civilians. Russia’s Defense Ministry announced late Thursday that 815 people had been evacuated from the city in the past 24 hours. Ukraine said the number was 289. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Additional reports from Reuters’s offices. Written by Rami Ayyub and Stephen Coates. Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Raju Gopalakrishnan Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
title: “Powerful Explosions Heard In Kyiv After Russian Warship Sinks " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-13” author: “Yevette Martin”
The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for the sinking of Moskva, saying the Soviet-era flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was hit by one of its missiles. The ship sank late Thursday as it was being towed in port, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced. More than 500 crew members on the cruise missile were evacuated after the ammunition on board exploded, the ministry said, without acknowledging an attack. Ukraine says it hit the warship with a home-made Neptune anti-ship missile. The loss of the ship comes as the Russian navy continues to bomb Ukrainian cities in the Black Sea almost 50 days after the start of the invasion. Residents of Odessa and Mariupol, in the adjacent Sea of Azov, are preparing for new Russian attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to the sunken warship on a video camera early in the morning in which he warned of Russian intentions to target the area of eastern Donbass, including Mariupol. Zelensky paid tribute to all “those who stopped the progress of the endless convoys of Russian military equipment … Those who showed that Russian ships can go … to the bottom.” There were no immediate reports of injuries or severe damage in the aftermath of the blasts in Kyiv, Kherson in the south, Kharkiv in the east and Ivano-Frankivsk in the west. Ukrainian media reported power outages in areas of Kiev. Airstrikes fell in all parts of Ukraine shortly after midnight on Friday and continued to sound in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Zaporizhia, even when the sirens subsided elsewhere, Ukrainian media reported. Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports. Whatever the reason for Moskva’s loss, the incident is a setback for Russia. If Ukraine’s claim that the ship was hit by a missile proves to be true, the attack will go down in history as one of the highest naval strikes to date in this century. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it is investigating the causes of the fire on the ship. The United States has said it did not have enough information to determine whether Moskva was hit by a rocket. “[But] “Certainly, as it turned out, this is a big blow to Russia,” said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Russian forces withdrew from some northern parts of Ukraine after suffering heavy casualties and failing to occupy Kyiv. Ukraine and its Western allies say Moscow is rearranging a new offensive in the eastern Donbass region. Russia has launched an offensive in part to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. But the invasion prompted Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, and neighboring Sweden to consider joining the US-led military alliance. Moscow warned NATO on Thursday that if Sweden and Finland joined, Russia would develop nuclear weapons and supersonic missiles in a Russian enclave in the Baltic Sea, in the heart of Europe. Commenting on Russia’s military failures, CIA Director William Burns said Russia’s threat to use possible nuclear weapons in Ukraine could not be taken seriously, but that the service had not seen much practical evidence to support that concern. Moscow describes its invasion as a “special military operation” aimed at demilitarizing Ukraine. Kyiv and its allies say Russia has launched an unprovoked war that has forced more than 4.6 million people to flee abroad, killing or injuring thousands. Russia’s navy has fired cruise missiles at Ukraine, and its activities in the Black Sea are vital to supporting ground operations in the south and east, where it is fighting for full control of Mariupol. Russia announced on Wednesday that more than 1,000 Ukrainian marines from one of the units still in Mariupol had surrendered. Ukrainian officials did not comment. If occupied, Mariupol would be the first major city to fall to Russian forces since the invasion, allowing Moscow to strengthen a land corridor between the separatist-held areas of eastern Donbass and the occupied Crimean region. and annexed in 2014. Ukraine says tens of thousands of people are believed to have been killed in Mariupol, where efforts were being made to evacuate civilians. Russia’s Defense Ministry announced late Thursday that 815 people had been evacuated from the city in the past 24 hours. Ukraine said the number was 289. Our Morning and Afternoon newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
