Kyiv under fire from Russian missiles after EU-Ukraine sign drone deal

Attack comes hours aft European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Kyiv and announced a caller ‘drone deal’ betwixt Ukraine and EU.

Ukrainian officials accidental the superior metropolis of Kyiv has endured a large Russian battle arsenic ballistic missiles rained down connected aggregate districts, mounting disconnected explosions.

Writing connected Telegram aboriginal connected Thursday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that exigency services were battling blazes crossed the superior aft a warehouse successful the Sviatoshynskyi territory and a non-residential gathering successful the Darnytskyi territory were hit.

He added that falling rocket debris had besides struck a non-residential improvement country successful Darnytsia, triggering further fires.

Ukraine’s Air Force Command aboriginal confirmed that the contiguous menace was lifted aft astir 1 hour.

The onslaught came hours aft European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Kyiv and announced a caller “drone deal” betwixt Ukraine and the European Union. The statement aims to harvester Kyiv’s battlefield expertise with the EU’s concern capableness to found associated projects and rapidly standard up production.

Speaking astatine a ceremonial to people Ukraine’s Statehood Day, von der Leyen emphasised the request to “combine our strengths”, stating that the woody would “bring unneurotic Ukrainian ingenuity and Europe’s concern scale”.

She added that the EU could connection Kyiv important advantages, including “huge technological and concern capacity” alongside “safe and unafraid accumulation sites” to enactment the initiative.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shingle hands arsenic they clasp signed bilateral documents connected July 15 [Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/AFP]

More than 4 years into the Russian penetration of Ukraine, escalating strikes from some sides implicit the past respective months person resulted successful a rising toll of civilian casualties.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian determination officials reported that a bid of Russian bombardments crossed the state killed 13 radical and near astir 50 others injured.

The Russian daylight attacks specifically struck concern plants and healthcare facilities, targeting some the Black Sea larboard metropolis of Odesa and the northeastern metropolis of Sumy, located adjacent the Russian border.