07:22 More than 2000 children seek refuge from Russian attacks in Kiev's metro
During massive rocket attacks on Kiev on Monday, according to the city administration, 32,000 people sought shelter in the low-lying underground metro tunnels. Among them were reportedly almost 2200 children. The Ukrainian capital is regularly attacked by Russia. In the past few months, more and more rockets have gotten through due to the limited ammunition of western air defense systems and their increasingly successful evasion.
06:50 "Mistkerle": At least two dead after attack on children's hospital in KievThe strikes on a children's hospital in Kiev during a Russian rocket attack led to 16 injuries, including seven children, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Two of the injured reportedly died. Health Minister Viktor Lyashko reported that on Monday, departments for dialysis, cancer treatment, operating rooms, and the intensive care unit were damaged in the hospital. Hundreds of residents helped rescue workers clear debris and search for victims. "Little cancer and dialysis patients are sitting on the sidewalk with their mothers," reported German Ambassador Martin Jäger on X about a visit to the hospital.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed rocket attacks, allegedly targeting Ukrainian weapons factories and military airfields. However, many video recordings from Kiev showed that the damage was caused by a Ukrainian air defense rocket, they said without evidence. The Moscow Military dismissed the Ukrainian reports of damage to another hospital on the other side of the Dnipro as "hysteria of the Kiev regime."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Russian claims that the attacks were due to a Ukrainian air defense error. "What cynicism the scoundrels in the Kremlin brought to light, that it was allegedly the Ukrainian air defense and not a targeted rocket strike that killed and injured many people," Zelenskyy said at a press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw. Zelenskyy thanked all those who had posted videos online "on which it is clearly visible that it is not just a part of one or another rocket, but a direct rocket strike that killed and injured many people."
06:19 Berlin provides Ukraine with additional ammunition and air defense systemsThe German government has made additional military supplies available to Ukraine for its defense against the Russian attack war. According to the updated list of delivered military goods, the promised third air defense system Patriot has arrived. In addition, there is new ammunition for the 50 Leopard 1 tanks provided together with Denmark, 11,000 additional rounds of ammunition for the 52 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, and two air surveillance radars of the type TRML-4D.
05:43 Attack on Russia: Power plant in Rostov-on-Don is on fireAn power plant in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, is on fire. The cause of the fire is not yet clear.
In the South Russian region of Rostov, according to Russian reports, a fire broke out at an electricity substation due to a Ukrainian drone attack. "Two transformers have caught fire," Governor Vasili Golubev reported via the Telegram short-message service. The Russian air defense reportedly shot down "numerous" Ukrainian drones. Golubev did not mention the exact number of drones deployed or repelled. The border region with Ukraine has been the target of repeated attacks in the past.
04:31 FDP Politician Faber Defends Defense MinistryFDP politician and new chairman of the Defense Committee, Marcus Faber, refutes criticism of the only modest increase in the defense budget for 2025. "One should not forget that the budget of the Defense Ministry, unlike most other ministries, has actually increased," Faber told the Augsburger Allgemeine. If one adds the special fund of 100 billion euros and further investments in the troops, one arrives at 140 billion euros. "That can be seen, even if one wishes for more."
03:25 UN Human Rights Commissioner Condemns Attack on Hospital in KievUN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk condemns the attacks on a children's clinic in the Ukrainian capital Kiev as "despicable." They severely damaged the Intensive Care, surgical, and oncology departments of the Ochmatdyt Children's Hospital, Turk explained. The Dialysis Department of the Clinic was "destroyed." "Among the victims were the sickest children in Ukraine."
02:05 Biden Announces Support for Kiev at NATO SummitUS President Joe Biden announced new measures to strengthen Ukraine's air defense following attacks with Russian rockets that killed 36 people. The US and its allies would announce this new support at a NATO summit in Washington this week, Biden said. He described the rocket attacks on Ukraine as a "horrific reminder of Russia's brutality" in the war that began in February 2022.
01:05 Kiesewetter: Defense Ministry Disappointment for SoldiersIn the debate over defense spending, CDU defense expert Roderich Kiesewetter calls for a new definition of prosperity. "It's disappointing that the federal government can't prioritize the Bundeswehr in budget planning, which is bitter and a disappointment for the soldiers," Kiesewetter told the Funke Media Group newspapers. This shows that "the turning point in the Chancellor's mindset" has not yet arrived, and Olaf Scholz refuses to let the population face the threat situation with a pure wine glass. "It's also necessary to redefine prosperity - away from an individual interpretation, towards social resilience and readiness to defend." Earlier, the defense budget accounted for five or six percent of the country's economic output. "It's possible to prioritize if the political will is there," Kiesewetter said. A steadily increasing defense budget should aim for three percent of the gross national product.
00:01 Green and FDP announce increase in Pistorius-Estate budget
In light of the budget negotiations in the Bundestag, Green budget politician Sebastian Schäfer, who is also the deputy chief of the Bundestag committee for the Federal Defense Special Fund, has announced adjustments to defense spending. Although the coalition's top leaders of the traffic light coalition provide "a good working basis for the budget negotiations in parliament," Schäfer told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), "there will be numerous and significant changes. In the field of security and defense policy, there are great needs that we will take into account in the parliamentary procedure," the Green added. Defence policy spokesperson for the FDP, Alexander Müller, is also open to further adjustments in favor of the defense budget.
22:16 Wreckage falls on clinic - seven dead
A wreckage of a rocket fell on a hospital in Kiev and killed five doctors and two patients, reports "Ukrainska Pravda". A Russian rocket attack also shattered windows in a private maternity clinic in the same building.
22:10 Insider: Scholz to deliver clear message at NATO summit
The NATO summit from Tuesday to Thursday will send a "clear message" of support for Ukraine, according to German government sources. Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz will make it clear in the circle of the 32 NATO state and government heads that Germany is a reliable partner in the transatlantic alliance and will remain so, said the government representative.
21:56 Schmyhal: Looking for alternative location for hospital
The Ukrainian government is looking for an alternative location for the attacked children's hospital. Premier Minister Denys Schmyhal made the announcement. The attack will be the topic of the next cabinet meeting. "We hope our international partners will draw their own conclusions," Schmyhal was quoted as saying by "Kyiv Independent". "We need effective responses to Russian terror."
You can read about earlier developments here.
- The conflict in Ukraine has resulted in regular military attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, by Russia, with the Russian Defense Ministry confirming rocket attacks, allegedly targeting Ukrainian weapons factories and military airfields.
- The politics surrounding the conflict have led to international involvement, with Germany providing Ukraine with additional ammunition and air defense systems in response to the attacks.
- Cyberwar has also become a part of the conflict, as there have been reports of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia, such as the one that caused a fire at an electricity substation in the South Russian region of Rostov.
- The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has rejected Russian claims that the attacks are due to Ukrainian air defense errors, stating that it is a direct rocket strike that has resulted in injuries and deaths.
- The attack on Ukraine has led to condemnation from various international bodies, with the UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk condemning attacks on a children's hospital in Kiev as "despicable."
