Ukraine appealed on Saturday to China to join the West in denouncing ‘Russian barbarism’, as Moscow claimed it had attacked a Ukrainian arms depot with hypersonic missiles, which would be the first combat use of next-generation weapons. The Russian troops entered the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, a scene of increasing desperation, during the attack, not far from Ukraine’s western Romanian border.
As the invasion entered its fourth week, Kyiv’s embattled leader demanded ‘meaningful’ talks in order to end the fighting that has forced at least 3.3 million Ukrainians to leave their country. Mikhailo Podolyak, a top Zelensky advisor, called on China to condemn the invasion. Taking the right decision to support the civilized countries’ coalition and condemn Russian barbarism, he said on Twitter, China could play a significant role in global security.
Russia’s claim Saturday that it had launched its hypersonic Kinzhal missile would signal a dramatic escalation in the country’s campaign to push Ukraine away from closer relations with the West. Yuri Ignat, the spokesman for the Ukrainian air force, told AFP that the depository in the west Ukrainian village of Deliatyn was indeed hit but it was not clear what kind of weapon it was. In 2018, Putin unveiled the Kinzhal missile, calling it ‘an ideal weapon’ that flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it extremely difficult for missile defenses to intercept.
Post Your Comments