Ukraine-Russia battle newest: Moscow hit by drone swarm for third night time after Russian assault begins fires in Kyiv | EUROtoday

Nearly 30 world leaders, together with China’s Xi Jinping, are anticipated to attend Vladimir Putin’s annual Victory Day commemorations in Moscow within the coming days, the Kremlin has claimed.

Military models from 13 nations, together with China, will participate within the parade together with Russian troops and army automobiles and weapons techniques, stated Kremlin overseas coverage adviser Yuri Ushakov.

Mr Ushakov stated a number of US veterans of the Second World War are anticipated to attend the occasions – which is able to mark the eightieth anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany – however it’s unclear whether or not any US officers intend to. Moscow has despatched an invite to the US ambassador.

The announcement got here after all the 4 airports have been compelled to shut following a second consecutive night time of Ukrainian drone assaults concentrating on the Russian capital.

Ukraine has warned nations towards attending Russia’s commemorations, warning that such a transfer would go towards nations’ declared neutrality over Russia’s battle in Ukraine.

Moscow’s key airports remained out of operation for many of the day and night time yesterday after mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that Russian air defence models destroyed a minimum of 14 Ukrainian drones after 10pm on Tuesday (1900 GMT), with no damages reported.

Russia’s aviation authority halted flights at two of Moscow’s airports, Vnukovo and Domodedovo final night.

In the early hours as we speak, Russia’s air defence models destroyed seven Ukrainian drones concentrating on Moscow, the mayor stated.

Russia and Ukraine launched in a single day air assaults on one another’s capitals within the early hours as we speak, with swarms of drones destroyed on their strategy to Moscow and Russian missiles and drones sparking fires in a number of residences in Kyiv.

Falling particles from destroyed drones sparked fires in residences and buildings throughout three of Kyiv’s districts, Ukraine’s army administration stated on social media, simply hours after Russia despatched missiles to the Ukrainian capital.

Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko stated a complete of six individuals have been injured within the in a single day assaults.

Five individuals have been injured in Kyiv’s Dniprovskyi district that sprawls alongside the Dnipro River, head of Kyiv’s army administration Timur Tkachenko stated on Telegram.

Ukraine’s drone assault on Moscow for the third consecutive night time comes because the Russian capital readies itself for an extended vacation weekend and a 9 May parade to mark the eightieth anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies within the Second World War.

Vladimir Putin will journey to China on the finish of August, reciprocating Chinese chief Xi Jinping’s anticipated go to to Russia this week, the Kremlin has introduced.

Mr Putin’s overseas coverage adviser Yuri Ushakov advised reporters that the go to might be a part of a “good tradition”, through which Mr Xi visits Moscow to attend celebrations of Russia’s defeat over Nazi Germany, and Mr Putin travels to China to attend occasions marking the Allied defeat of Japan.

“This was the case 10 years ago, in 2015, and this will be the case this year,” Mr Ushakov stated. In September, Beijing is ready to host an occasion marking the eightieth anniversary of the top of the Second World War, which China refers to as “the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression”.

In 2015, China marked the seventieth anniversary of its function within the defeat of Japan with an enormous army parade involving greater than 12,000 troops, 500 items of army tools and 200 army plane.

Defence secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly blocked army support flights to Ukraine inside days after US president Donald Trump entered workplace with out the administration realizing.

An order from the US army advised freight airways at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and a US base in Qatar to halt 11 flights loaded with artillery shells and different weapons certain for Ukraine, in line with Reuters.

The verbal order reportedly got here from Mr Hegseth’s workplace, in line with US Transportation Command information reviewed by Reuters.

His directions sparked mass confusion throughout Washington, DC and in Kyiv, underscoring what officers and critics have warned is a Pentagon in disarray and pushed by haphazard decision-making.

The pause in support was beforehand reported, however Mr Hegseth’s obvious direct function in making the decision to halt the flights carrying army support was not. The flights resumed a number of days later after then-national safety adviser Mike Waltz intervened, in line with Reuters.

Alex Woodward experiences from New York:

Russia’s air defence models destroyed a minimum of seven Ukrainian drones concentrating on Moscow early this morning, mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated.

This is the third consecutive night time Russia has stated it has been attacked by Ukrainian drones. On Monday, a minimum of 4 drones headed for Moscow have been downed, and yesterday, in a dramatic escalation, dozens of drones headed for Moscow have been intercepted whereas a minimum of 105 drones in complete attacked Russia.

“Today, throughout the day, defence ministry air defence units have been repelling enemy drones,” the Moscow mayor stated yesterday.

Russia solely experiences the drones that it destroys and doesn’t disclose the full variety of drones that concentrate on the nation, or what number of hit their targets.