Ukraine war: Russia strikes Kyiv, UK not Amazon for weapons, Russia urged to meet humanitarian law

Ukraine struggles amid deadly Russian strikes

At least one person has been killed and four injured in the latest drone attack on the Ukrainian capital, according to the city’s administration. 

Russian forces targeted Kyiv with a barrage of self-exploding Iranian-made Shahed drones early Thursday morning. 

Some 20 Russian drones and two cruise missiles were shot down overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ignat.

Russian drone attacks have continued in and around Kyiv for the third consecutive night and more attacks are expected in the future, Ukraine’s air force said in a statement. 

Explosions were heard in different parts of the city, and debris from intercepted drones fell on four districts of the Ukrainian capital.

Some drones, however, were able to target and damage civilian infrastructures, according to the local Kyiv administration. 

UK not an ‘Amazon’ for weapons, says defence secretary

The UK is not an “Amazon delivery service” for arms to Ukraine, British defence secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday. 

“I said to the Ukrainians last year, when I drove 11 hours to [Kyiv to] be given a list – I said, I am not Amazon,” he said. 

Wallace hinted at a lack of gratitude from Kyiv for always demanding more weapons despite getting hefty amounts of aid. 

Ukraine’s real focus should be on persuading doubting politicians from “on the Hill in America” and other countries to get sustainable weapon aid, he added.  

“My counsel to the Ukrainians is sometimes you’re persuading countries to give up their own stocks [of weapons] and yes the war is a noble war and yes we see it as you doing a war for – not just yourself – but our freedoms,” he told British broadcaster Sky News. 

He instead called for better training for Ukrainian soldiers to minimise casualties and ultimately political backing from its allies. Wallace offered to provide a military training programme in the UK. 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Ukrainian President pushed back against Wallace’s comments, agreeing Ukraine has always been grateful to London for its support. 

“We could get up in the morning and express our words of gratitude personally to the minister. We are grateful to the UK,” Zelenskyy quipped. 

Sunak added that the Ukrainian people were fighting for their lives and freedom daily, and promised to continue to support “Zelenskyy and his people” to stop the war.

UN Human Rights Chief urges Russia to obey humanitarian law in war

The United Nations human rights chief urged Russia to respect humanitarian law following evidence of torture and abuses against Ukrainian civilians. 

A UN-documented report published two weeks ago revealed the arbitrary detention of more than 900 civilians since the start of the war in February 2022. 

“These findings are shocking. They call for concrete measures by the Russian Federation to instruct and ensure their Russian personnel comply with international human rights and humanitarian law,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Wednesday. 

Turk added that more than 90% of the detainees experienced torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, by Russian officials. 

Russia’s ambassador to the UN said the report and its findings underestimated the crimes committed by the Ukrainian side. 

“The real scale of the atrocities of the Ukrainian authorities and military is deliberately hushed up,” Gennady Gatilov told the UN Council. 

Although some violations were committed by the Ukrainian side, it provided the investigators with full access barring one incident, Turk said.

Russia refused access to detainees upon repeated requests, he added.