News
Dozens Missing after Russian Missile Strike on Ukranian Mall Kills 18
Firefighters on Tuesday searched the rubble of a Ukrainian shopping mall where authorities said 36 people were missing after a Russian missile strike that killed at least 18, as a regional governor reported another “enemy attack” further east.
The attack in the central city of Kremenchuk and the reported strike in the Dnipropetrovsk region were far from any frontlines. The mall attack drew a wave of global condemnation, with France’s Emmanuel Macron calling it a “war crime”.
Ukraine said Moscow had killed civilians deliberately in Kremenchuk. Russia said it had struck a nearby arms depot and falsely claimed that the mall was empty.
The governor of Dnipropetrovsk said rescue workers were searching for people under rubble in the region’s main city, Dnipro.
The official, Valentyn Reznychenko, said Russia fired six missiles, three of which were shot down. Railway infrastructure and an industrial enterprise had been destroyed and a services company was burning.
“Mass enemy attack on Dnipropetrovsk region. Six missiles!!!” he wrote on the Telegram app.
Reuters could not independently verify the governor’s account. The Russian Defence Ministry did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.
At a summit in Germany, leaders of the G7 industrialised democracies announced plans for a price cap on Russian oil, designed to starve Russia of the resources for war without exacerbating a global energy crisis.
Next up is a NATO summit in Spain, at which the Western military alliance is expected to announce hundreds of thousands of troops shifting to a higher state of alert and an overhaul of its strategic framework to describe Moscow as an adversary.
Also bound to infuriate Russia, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that Turkey had agreed to support Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
Turkey’s objections to the membership bids, which if successful would be the biggest shift in European security in decades, had threatened to overshadow a summit striving for unity against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Relatives of the missing in Kremenchuk were lined up at a hotel across the street from the wreckage of the shopping centre, where rescue workers had set up a base. Adults and children, some in tears, lit candles and laid flowers in a tribute to the dead.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians in “one of the most defiant terrorist attacks in European history”.
Russia’s defence ministry said its missiles had struck a nearby arms depot storing Western weapons, which exploded, causing the blaze that spread to the nearby mall.
Kyiv said there was no military target in the area.
“Russia’s goal is for as many Ukrainians as possible to close their eyes forever, for the rest to stop resisting and submit to slavery,” Andriy Yermak, chief of Ukraine’s presidential staff, said on Twitter.
Russia described the shopping centre as disused and empty. But that was contradicted by the relatives of the dead and missing, and the dozens of wounded survivors such as Ludmyla Mykhailets, 43, who had been shopping there with her husband when the blast threw her into the air.
“I flew head first and splinters hit my body. The whole place was collapsing,” she said at a hospital where she was being treated.
G7 leaders said the attack was “abominable”. Russian President Vladimir Putin and those responsible would be held to account, they said in a statement.
Russia denies intentionally targeting civilians in its “special military operation” that has destroyed Ukrainian cities, killed thousands of people and driven millions from their homes.
Ukraine endured another tough day on the battlefields of the eastern Donbas region following last week’s loss of the now-ruined city of Sievierodonetsk.
Russian forces are now trying to storm Lysychansk, across the Siverskyi Donets River from Sievierodonetsk, to complete their capture of Luhansk, one of two eastern provinces Moscow aims to conquer on behalf of separatist proxies.
Western countries have imposed economic sanctions on Russia, but so far have failed to curtail Moscow’s main source of income: oil and gas export revenue, which has actually increased as the threat of supply disruption has driven up global prices.
At the end of its annual summit, the G7 announced a new approach – leaving Russian oil on the market while imposing a cap on the price countries could pay for it.
“We invite all like-minded countries to consider joining us in our actions,” they said in a communique.
The United States also imposed sanctions on more than 100 new targets and banned new imports of Russian gold, acting on commitments made by the G7.
With summit action now shifting to NATO, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said a new strategic concept would “describe in stark terms the threat that Russia poses and the way in which it has shattered peace in Europe”.
That marks a departure from post-Soviet NATO policy which cast Moscow as a potential partner.
Dmitry Rogozin, a former Russian ambassador to NATO and now head of Russia’s space agency, responded by releasing satellite pictures and coordinates of the summit venue, the Pentagon, White House and other Western state buildings.
“Today, the NATO summit opens in Madrid, at which Western countries will declare Russia their worst enemy,” Rogozin wrote on social media. “Roscosmos publishes satellite photographs of the summit venue and the very ‘decision centres’ that support Ukrainian nationalists.”
There have been increasing Russian missile strikes a long distance from the frontline over the past few days.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city where Russian troops were pushed back in a counter-offensive in May, authorities said nine people were killed by shelling that hit targets including apartment buildings and a school.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has announced its readiness to host President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other top party leaders as it officially welcomes Governor Umo Eno into its ranks.
Speaking at a press briefing in Uyo on Friday, APC chieftain and former presidential aide, Senator Ita Enang, disclosed that the party was fully prepared to receive the president, Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman, and governors elected on the party’s platform for the historic reception.
Governor Umo Eno had on June 6 formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, in a move widely described as a political game-changer in Akwa Ibom.
Enang, a former Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly and Niger Delta Affairs, said the governor’s defection had effectively aligned the state with the central government.
He assured Governor Eno and his supporters that the APC would embrace them wholeheartedly and honour all agreements reached.
“As progressives, we shall work with the governor and his supporters to ensure that they fit into the party without hitches,” Enang stated. “We will also work with them to align programmes of the state government with the ideals and manifesto of the party.”
He further described the governor’s move as a “merger” that promises significant benefits for Akwa Ibom and its citizens.
The planned reception is expected to mark a major political event in the state, signaling a realignment of forces ahead of future elections.
The Ekiti State Government has intensified efforts to prevent flooding across the state with the launch of a comprehensive dredging campaign, targeting critical waterways in both rural and urban areas.
Chairman of the Ekiti State Environmental Protection Agency (EKSEPA), Chief Bamitale Oguntoyinbo, disclosed this on Friday during an inspection visit to the ongoing dredging project at the Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti.
Oguntoyinbo, who was accompanied by EKSEPA board members, said the visit was to assess the progress of work being carried out to mitigate flood risks in the community. He expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of the dredging work.
“I and other board members of EKSEPA are delighted with the level of job done by the site engineer because he is actually working with the directives of three-kilometer dredging of waterways,” he said.
According to him, the dredging commenced on June 4, and so far, 1.8 kilometers of the river have been successfully cleared.
He applauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing the safety and welfare of residents by initiating the state-wide anti-flooding campaign.
“I want to commend our amiable governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, for embarking on zero tolerance campaign against flooding in every community and town in Ekiti,” Oguntoyinbo stated.
He also praised the General Manager of EKSEPA, Mr. Olukayode Adunmo, for his commitment to the project’s supervision and success.
In his remarks, Adunmo emphasized the urgent need to clear waterways choked by refuse, which impede water flow and contribute to flooding during the rainy season.
“Dredging of Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti in Ise/Orun Local Government Area is necessary because some of the waterways have been blocked by refuse,” he explained. “There is the need for us to remove every blockage to enhance free flow of water and avert flooding during heavy rainfall.”
Adunmo also commended Governor Oyebanji for taking proactive steps to protect lives and properties across the state.
Residents of Ise-Ekiti have welcomed the government’s intervention. Chief Godwin Ojo, a community leader, expressed gratitude to the governor for his timely action.
“We thank the governor for the move to avert flooding in our community,” Ojo said. “May God grant him more wisdom to pilot the affairs of the state to an enviable height.”
The dredging campaign forms part of the Oyebanji administration’s broader commitment to environmental safety and disaster prevention.
President Bola Tinubu is expected in Kaduna State Today Thursday for the inauguration of several key developmental projects executed by the administration of Gov. Uba Sani.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit forms part of activities marking Sani’s two years in office.
The projects lined up for inauguration include the 300-bed Specialist Hospital in Millennium City, Kaduna, built by the state government to bolster the provision of healthcare services.
Tinubu will also inaugurate the Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development in Rigachikun, road projects in Soba, and Samaru Kataf LGA’S as well as the 24-kilometre Kafanchan Township Road.
Others are the Tudun Biri Road, the 22km road linking Kauru and Kubau LGAs as well as the Vocational and Skills Training Centre in Tudun Biri.
Tinubu is also expected to unveil 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, as part of efforts to modernise the state’s public transportation system.
The projects are part of the administration’s focus on infrastructurde evelopment, healthcare delivery, youths empowerment, and economic growth.
The state government described the visit as a significant moment for the people of Kaduna and an opportunity to showcase ongoing efforts to transform the state through impactful governance.
Sani, who marked his second year in office this month, has prioritised human capital development, rural infrastructure, and jobs creation since taking office in 2023.
Tinubu’s visit to Kaduna State was rescheduled from Wednesday to Thursday.
He was initially supposed to visit Kaduna on Wednesday, but due to the recent attacks in Benue, he shifted his trip.
The president visited Benue on Wednesday to commiserate with the victims of the recent attacks and assess the humanitarian crisis.
During his visit to Benue, Tinubu met with stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political and community leaders, and youth groups, to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.
He also condemned the ongoing violence and called on the residents to embrace peace and mutual understanding.
NAN recalls that the Benue Government had declared a work-free day for Tinubu’s visit, urging the residents to turn out in large numbers to welcome him.
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