Ukrainische Hauptstadt: Raketen treffen Kiew - Selenskyj beklagt fehlende Vorwarnung

The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was once again targeted by ballistic missiles from Russia, and this time there was no prior warning from allied forces, complained Ukrainian leadership. Immediately after the air alarm sounded, the first explosions were heard in the metropolis, according to the Ukrainian news portal "The Kyiv Independent".

A nine-story residential building caught fire following a hit, said Mayor Vitali Klitschko, with at least 2 dead and over 20 injured. As on the previous day, international partners did not provide warning notices about incoming missiles, stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The projectiles seemed to be discovered only as they approached Kyiv on radars.

Besides the residential block, a heating power plant also came under attack. President Zelensky lamented the lack of warning. The next wave of attacks was reported in the morning, whose consequences were initially unclear. The US government denied allegations from Kyiv that military information was no longer shared with them. Zelensky expressed his frustration over the situation on Telegram, criticizing the US for not seeing the consequences of the war and who was responsible for it.

The situation was further exacerbated by a shortage of ammunition for Ukraine's military forces. While they lack missiles for missile defense due to years of defense warfare, Russia has increased its attacks on Kyiv and other cities. The most effective defense against ballistic missiles, due to their high speed, are the Patriot systems produced by the US.

Ukraine has several of them, but not enough ammunition. This is partly due to the ongoing war between the US and Israel with Iran, which has further reduced global munitions stocks. Zelensky criticized the authorities of the capital for poor preparation. "Every Kyiv resident can see that the city is not prepared at all," the head of state complained in a video message, criticizing the situation even on social media platforms.

The situation is worse than in previous winter war years, with individual drone attacks already causing power and water outages, warned Zelensky. There are also problems with shelters, school preparations, the construction of protective facilities for important objects, and public transport. "Kyiv lags behind other regions in implementing stability plans," concluded the president, without mentioning Mayor Vitali Klitschko by name.

Klitschko denied the accusations, citing the particularly harsh attacks in recent weeks. He claimed that the mayor bears no responsibility for missile defense and described it as an attack on municipal self-government. The president sees in the mayor possibly a competitor for the upcoming presidential election and regularly criticizes his administration.

The EU is also pushing ahead with accession talks with Ukraine. In Luxembourg, talks on further topics began on Tuesday, namely the single market, competitiveness, and inclusive growth. The Irish EU presidency spoke of yet another milestone for Ukraine. The decision to expand negotiations, which also concern Ukraine's neighbors Moldova, is seen as an important sign that their reform efforts are worthwhile.

The Ukraine, entangled in the war for years, is putting a lot of effort into these reforms. In the negotiation process for joining the EU, it is not expected that Ukraine will be granted membership before the next decade. Experts estimate that the country is still far from EU standards, especially in terms of corruption.