Russia’s missile fires in Ukraine: a diplomatic response to the Kremlin’s bloody hostility and Vladimir Putin’s apology

Also Wednesday, Russia said it shot down 12 missiles fired at one of its southern regions bordering Ukraine, as Kyiv’s forces seek to embarrass the Kremlin and puncture President Vladimir Putin’s argument that life is going on as normal despite the fighting.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the strikes struck residential buildings, a supermarket and gas infrastructure.

His partner says there was a lot of smoke. I yelled’save us!’ Save us!’ hoping someone would hear. Rescue workers came with a crane and helped the couple escape.

The military of the Ukrainian army was able to shoot down 10 of the advanced Kinzhal missiles from Russia.

NATO announced Wednesday that it would help member nations buy up to 1,000 surface-to-air Patriot guided missiles in a deal possibly costing about $5.5 billion. That could allow alliance members to send more of their own defense systems to Ukraine.

Russian and Ukrainian exchange hundreds of prisoners of war in biggest release so far: Belgorod, the most populous border city in the world seized by shelling

It was necessary to temporarily close an electricity station in the 100,000 population city of Kursk to repair damage caused by an air attack, according to the governor.

In another Russian border region on Wednesday, the city of Zeleznogorsk was briefly cut off from the power grid after Ukrainian shelling, local officials said.

Russia calls Ukrainians terrorists who attack residential areas and indiscriminately target arms factories and other military facilities, while it is just as adamant that Russia only aims at depots and military facilities.

Many Russian military bloggers have expressed regret about Moscow’s withdrawal from the border area in September 2022 amid a swift counteroffensive by Kyiv, and they have argued that more territory must be seized to secure Belgorod and other border areas.

Russia and Ukraine released hundreds of prisoners of war in the biggest single swap of prisoners since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February.

Some of the Ukrainians had been held since 2022. They fought in battles for the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Snake Island.

The situation in the border city of Belgorod, which came under two rounds of shelling on Wednesday morning, “remains tense,” said regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov, writing on Telegram.

He said that air defense systems worked, but promised more information after he inspected the area later in the day.

Source: Russia and Ukraine exchange hundreds of prisoners of war in biggest release so far

Belgorod killed in the first attack on Ukrainian cities by the Tochka-U missile system and Vilkha system. Russian president Vladimir Putin denounced the attacks

The Tochka-U missile system can carry a warhead that can fire cluster munitions, and the range is as high as 75 miles. Ukraine has received some cluster munitions from the United States but the Tochka-U and Vilkha can use their own cluster munitions.

The city of Belgorod, which is about 60 miles north of the second-largest city, has been the focus of attention from the troops of the Ukranian army.

The shelling of Belgorod on Saturday killed 25 people, five of which were children. Another civilian was killed Tuesday in a new salvo.

Putin was against the attacks on Belgorod. He said they wanted to scare us and create uncertainty in our country.