World Security Council discusses Russian attacks on Kiev
Published: Tuesday, Jul 9th 2024, 05:10
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Following the recent Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, which claimed dozens of lives, Moscow is once again being pilloried by the international community. The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the attacks, which severely damaged a children's clinic in Kiev, among other things. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned the Russian missile attacks and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
More than three dozen people were killed and over 140 injured in the attacks on Kiev and Dnipro. According to the military administration, at least 27 people died in the capital, including three children, and 82 people were injured. In Dnipro, eleven people were officially reported dead and 59 injured. President Volodymyr Zelensky presented different figures on Platform X - he spoke of a total of 37 dead and 170 injured, including 13 children.
As Russia has veto power in the Security Council, no unanimous condemnation of the actions of the Russian armed forces is to be expected. "We must hold Russia accountable for the terror and (Kremlin leader Vladimir) Putin for the orders to carry out the attacks," demanded Zelensky during a visit to Warsaw. "Whenever someone tries to talk to him about peace, Russia responds with attacks on homes and hospitals."
Meanwhile, in the Ukrainian capital, recovery work continued at the damaged children's hospital. Hundreds of local residents helped the firefighters to search for more victims and clear the rubble. US President Joe Biden called the attacks "a cruel reminder of Russia's brutality". It is crucial that the world continues to stand by Ukraine at this important moment, he warned.
UN human rights chief condemns Russian attack on hospital
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Türk, condemned the rocket attacks. "Among the victims were the sickest children in Ukraine," he said in Geneva. Shockingly, the intensive care unit of Ukraine's largest children's hospital was severely damaged in one of the attacks and the dialysis department was destroyed. "This is abhorrent," said Türk. "Those who have influence must do everything they can to stop these attacks immediately."
Also in Kiev, at least seven civilians were killed in one of Ukraine's largest women's health centers by falling debris from a missile intercepted over the facility, according to Turk.
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed missile attacks that were allegedly aimed at arms factories and military airfields in Ukraine. The many video images from Kiev proved from the Russian point of view that the damage was caused by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile, it said without providing any evidence. The Moscow military dismissed the Ukrainians' shock at the attack as "hysteria on the part of the Kiev regime", as is often the case before NATO meetings.
NATO summit begins in Washington
A three-day summit of the defense alliance begins in Washington with celebrations to mark NATO's 75th anniversary. At the top-level meeting in the US capital, the heads of state and government of the 32 member states want to discuss the expansion of deterrence and defense as well as further support for Ukraine.
In addition to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the other heads of state and government, numerous guests are also expected to attend the meeting. The Ukrainian President Selenskyj will be present. The host is US President Biden, who is in the hot phase of the election campaign.
Ukraine is hoping for further support from the NATO summit in its defensive battle against the Russian military. However, a further rapprochement between Kiev and the hoped-for membership of the defense alliance is not to be expected, as various summit participants explained before the meeting. However, Kiev is hoping for assurances regarding the delivery of further air defense systems to expand its protective shield against Russian air attacks.
Among other things, the delivery of up to six Patriot air defense systems from Israel was recently discussed, which were to be overhauled in the USA before being handed over. "We need means to protect our people," said Zelenskyi's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak in an online press conference. He assumed that Russia had deliberately attacked before the NATO summit.
Putin meets Modi
Meanwhile, Kremlin leader Putin and the Indian head of government are meeting in Moscow for the official part of their talks. Above all, both sides want to deepen their economic relations.
According to the Kremlin, Russia's invasion of Ukraine will also be discussed. It was unclear whether the serious Russian missile attack that severely damaged the children's hospital would also be discussed.
India is trading ever more intensively with the raw materials superpower and is now a major buyer of Russian crude oil. Moscow's media had already reported in recent days that Modi's trip following his re-election was a special sign of appreciation for India's relations with Russia. Russia is an important energy supplier for India.
©Keystone/SDA
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