Russian paramilitaries in Mali kill nine, including children: HRW

On Thursday, a Russian missile and drone attack in Kyiv resulted in 17 fatalities and over 40 injuries, as reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian air force stated that Russia launched numerous missiles and 168 drones during the overnight assault. Remarkably, nearly 90% of the drones and most of the missiles were successfully neutralized.

The upper floors of a nine-story residential building in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district were destroyed, causing the highest death toll in the capital. Mayor Vitali Klitschko called for Friday to be designated as a day of mourning, with two other districts also suffering damage. Among the casualties were a school, a children's hospital, and various non-residential facilities and warehouses.

In response to the attack, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that their forces targeted Kyiv and its surroundings, striking facilities responsible for manufacturing drone components, a military depot, and a logistics hub, alongside other objectives. The Kremlin's strikes also extended to the Black Sea region of Odesa, where repeated assaults on port infrastructure and ships have severely disrupted Ukraine's essential agricultural exports, contributing to a global rise in food prices.

Meanwhile, in Russia, the republic of Tatarstan reported that several people sustained injuries and homes were damaged during a Ukrainian drone attack. They also mentioned that an industrial site was disrupted, but no further details were provided. As Russia has intensified its ballistic strikes in recent months, Zelensky has been urging allies to replenish Ukraine's stock of Patriot interceptors, the sole weapon capable of downing ballistic missiles. These interceptors are crucial for daily use, as noted by Zelensky in a Telegram post on Thursday.

Zelensky emphasized that each additional missile saves lives, as Ukraine faces unparalleled challenges. The Moscow Times, a Russian newspaper, designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing their work and potentially exposing their staff to prosecution. This action is part of Russia's attempts to suppress independent journalism.

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