Kiev, Mar. 22, (dpa/GNA) – Thirteen people were injured in a wave of Russian bombardments on Kiev during the night, according to city authorities on Thursday, hours before EU leaders gathered in Brussels to discuss their further response to the conflict.
Four people were hospitalized following the overnight shellings, Kiev’s military administration said on Telegram.
Russia is said to have fired a total of 31 projectiles in the attack, including cruise missiles as well as Iskander and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. All of them were shot down, according to the Ukrainian military.
Rocket parts fell in several neighbourhoods, setting buildings and cars on fire, Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later praised the US Patriot air defence system installed to protect the city.
“Russian terrorists do not have missiles capable of bypassing Patriot and other leading world systems,” Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
At the same time, he called for the delivery of new systems to protect the entire country, adding: “This is entirely possible if our partners demonstrate sufficient political will.”
Kiev has repeatedly asked Berlin to supply its long-range Taurus cruise missile system, but German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has steadfastly refused, fearing entanglement in the conflict.
Later on Thursday, at least three people were killed in the Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Donetsk as a result of Russian attacks, according to Ukrainian officials.
In Kherson in the south of Ukaine, a 70-year-old woman was seriously injured by shelling in a village on Thursday afternoon and died a short time later on the way to hospital, the regional military administration said.
In the eastern region of Donetsk, a 60-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman were killed in the small town of Novohrodivka, according to prosecutors. Two other people were injured.
Ukraine is at a crucial point in the war triggered by Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022, amid reports of ammunition shortages and difficulty in recruiting new soldiers for frontline operations. Morale was dented in February when the industrial town of Avdiivka fell to the Russians after a long and devastating battle.
However, Britain’s Ministry of Defence reported on Thursday that Russian advances had slowed in recent weeks, “likely partially due to heavy losses sustained in the Avdiivka campaign.”
“The situation remains unstable, with Ukrainian shortages of personnel and munitions likely limiting their ability to hold positions,” the British ministry warned on X, formerly Twitter, in its latest intelligence update.
In Brussels, EU leaders agreed that the revenues of Russian assets frozen in the EU should be used for the benefit of Ukraine as it resists the Russian invasion. Their declaration provides for “the possibility of funding military support” using the seized revenues.
At a press conference after the decision was announced, European Council President Charles Michel said the declaration left room for the “specificities” of neutral countries.
EU leaders’ declaration on the use of the seized revenues is essentially a political green-light. But the legal details still need to be agreed by foreign ministers, based on a plan prepared by EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell.
“I am confident that we can act very quickly and put in place this mechanism,” Michel said.
Meanwhile, several EU states are rallying behind a Czech initiative to procure 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine from countries outside the European Union.
Poland will join the effort, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Thursday. Eighteen other countries have so far pledged funds, including Germany, France, Canada and Norway.
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur also promised Ukraine further military aid during a visit to Kiev on Thursday.
The Baltic EU and NATO country – one of Kiev’s staunchest supporters in its war against Russia – will support the Ukrainian army with weapons and equipment worth €20 million ($21.8 million), Pevkur told his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov.
The aid package is to include anti-tank guns, explosives, various types of ammunition for artillery and smaller calibre weapons, sniper equipment and gas masks.