Russia fires missiles on Kyiv as African leaders go to Ukraine for peace mission | World News

A minimum of two explosions rocked Kyiv on Friday and air raid sirens blared as African leaders started a peace mission, hoping to mediate between Ukraine and Russia.

Learn right here: African leaders to fulfill Putin, Zelensky in a bid to resolve Ukraine disaster

The peace delegation, together with leaders from South Africa, Senegal, Zambia, the Comoros and Egypt, stated it was urgent on with plans to fulfill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a while Friday, earlier than talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday.

A Reuters journalist in central Kyiv heard two explosions. Mayor Vitali Klitschko additionally reported explosions within the central Podil district.

One other Reuters correspondent noticed the smoke path of two missiles within the sky above the capital. It was not clear if these missiles had been fired by Russia or Ukrainian air defences.

A Reuters tv crew noticed the leaders arriving in Kyiv in a convoy of automobiles and getting into a resort to make use of its air-raid shelter.

The all-clear was later issued for Kyiv, and the South African presidency tweeted that the mission was "continuing properly and as deliberate".

Ukraine's air power stated it had downed six "Kinzhal" ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and two drones. Metropolis authorities stated that they had obtained no stories of deaths or critical injury to date, however police stated there have been an unspecified variety of casualties.

The air assault was the newest of many launched by Russia because it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow has elevated their frequency since Ukraine started preparations for a counteroffensive that's now underneath method.

"Putin 'builds confidence' by launching the biggest missile assault on Kyiv in weeks, precisely amid the go to of African leaders to our capital," Ukrainian International Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. "Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia desires extra battle, not peace."

Learn right here: Air alert issued throughout Ukraine's Kyiv amid African leaders' peace mission go to

Reuters was unable to verify that it was the largest air strike on the capital in weeks, and Russia didn't instantly touch upon the occasions in Kyiv.

VISIT TO BUCHA

The African leaders had begun their journey by visiting Bucha, a city outdoors Kyiv the place Ukraine says Russian occupiers carried out executions, rapes and torture, and the place worldwide investigators are gathering proof of battle crimes. Russia denies the allegations.

The peace mission, which incorporates South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Senegalese President Macky Sall, might suggest a collection of "confidence constructing measures" throughout preliminary efforts at mediation, based on a draft framework doc seen by Reuters.

The doc says the target of the mission is to advertise peace and encourage the events to conform to a diplomacy-led course of.

These measures might embrace a pullback of Russian troops, elimination of Russian tactical nuclear weapons from Belarus, suspension of implementation of an Worldwide Prison Courtroom arrest warrant focusing on Putin, and reduction from the Western sanctions imposed on Russia, it indicated.

Learn right here: Ukraine to coach 'a number of dozen' fight pilots to fly US' F-16 aircrafts

An settlement on cessation of hostilities might comply with, and would have to be accompanied by negotiations between Russia and the West, the doc said.

Kyiv says its personal peace initiative, which envisages the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian land, have to be the idea for any settlement of the battle.