Day 699 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Russia Bombs Kyiv And Kharkiv, Kindergarten Hit, Casualties Reported

Day 699 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• Russia bombs Kyiv and Kharkiv. A kindergarten was hit in the capital
• Zelensky announced a new package of arms aid to Ukraine from Poland
• Lavrov at the UN: All these formulas for peace are a road to nowhere
• Ukraine has prepared a 50-year ban on transport links with Russia

Russia bombs Kyiv and Kharkiv. A kindergarten was hit in the capital

Missile strikes against Kyiv, the second-largest city of Kharkiv and other cities in Ukraine have killed at least five people, the country's interior ministry said.

At least 41 missiles were fired - cruise, ballistic, aviation and anti-aircraft, according to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi. According to him, 21 of these missiles were shot down, most of which were 15 X-101/X-555/X-55 winged missiles. Five ballistic missiles launched from the Iskander M complex were also launched, as well as an X-59 guided anti-aircraft missile. Some of the missiles were launched by strategic bombers in the Saratov region.

Residential buildings in both Kyiv and Kharkiv were damaged (including by debris), as well as a gas pipeline. In both cities, witnesses and local authorities reported explosions. In Kharkiv, which has been under shelling since last night, in the first hours after the attack, there was talk of people still under the rubble.

Is russia going to request an emergency UN meeting after it shelled random civilian buildings in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Dnipro?

They use their shitty missiles indiscriminately, and then you have dogs saying Ukraine needs to give up territory to these animals. pic.twitter.com/684b4pzGa5

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) January 23, 2024

In addition to these two cities, victims were also reported in Pavlograd, in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

"Explosions in the city! Details - later. Do not leave the shelters!" wrote the mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko on "Telegram".

He added that 7 people were injured and several homes were set on fire.

The head of the Kyiv military administration, Serhiy Popko, and the military administration of the region around the capital, said on Telegram that the air defense systems reflected the Russian missile attack. Several cars caught fire during the attack in Kyiv's Svyatoshyn district, Popko added. At least one residential building and a kindergarten were damaged, Ukrinform added, citing the administration.

"Strong explosions, our house shook," said MP Irina Gerashchenko in her Telegram.

Eyewitnesses cited by Reuters reported hearing several waves of explosions in and around Kyiv, but the agency noted that it could not verify the data from independent sources.

The mayor of Kharkiv Igor Terekhov wrote on "Telegram" that Russia is also shelling his city.

"They are hitting Kharkiv again - there have already been several explosions," he reported.

Zelensky announced a new package of arms aid to Ukraine from Poland

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country will receive new supplies of weapons from Poland in order to strengthen the defense against a full-scale Russian invasion, DPA reported.

"There will be a new arms supply package from Poland," the head of state said during his traditional video address to the nation last night. At his meeting with Tusk yesterday in Kyiv, the two also discussed future joint production of weapons and ammunition. The third topic of the talks mentioned by Zelensky was the training of Ukrainian soldiers in the Polish weapons system.

The Ukrainian president did not reveal details about the schedule of arms deliveries, as well as the content of the aid package. Warsaw is considered one of Kyiv's closest and most important allies. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago, Poland has supplied Ukraine with battle tanks, including the Leopard, and MiG fighter jets.

In his video message, Zelensky thanked Tusk for his military and political support, as well as his efforts to resolve the conflict with Polish truck drivers and their blockade on the border with Ukraine.

Zelensky said the Ukrainian government is also trying to resolve economic disputes with companies in the country. He emphasized that the goal is to strengthen the state, society and economy, adding that corruption remains a major problem for Ukraine. In turn, Tusk noted that despite the internal political problems that Poland is also experiencing, his country stands firmly behind Ukraine.

"Poland will continue to do everything in its power to increase Ukraine's chances of victory at the front," the Polish prime minister said. DPA recalls that Poland has taken in more Ukrainians forced to leave their homes because of Russia's military actions than any other country. Zelensky thanked him for that as well.

"The Polish people and the Polish state are one of our biggest supporters," the president said. One of the aims of Tusk's first visit to Kyiv since becoming prime minister of his NATO-member country was to discuss with Zelensky how new help could be secured for Kyiv from the West.

On the other hand, Ukraine and dozens of other countries, including Germany, once again accused Russia of hypocrisy and changing political course in the UN Security Council. Moscow aims to divert attention from the war it is waging in Ukraine by insisting on meeting after meeting on the issue of Western arms supplies to Kyiv, representatives of those countries said in New York yesterday ahead of discussions at the Security Council at Russia's request.

At the meeting itself, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov clashed with US representatives and supporters of Ukraine. He said his country was ready for peace talks in principle, but not with the aim of keeping the current rulers in Kyiv in power.

"I would like to remind you that we have never refused to negotiate and have always stated our desire to do so. But we do not mean negotiations aimed at preserving the power of the leaders of the Kyiv regime and feeding their fantasies, but negotiations , to fight the legacy of decades of looting the country and violence against the people," Lavrov said.

Reuters points to the fact that in his address, Zelensky promised to take all necessary measures for the smooth continuation of the activities of Ukrainian companies, after the detention of prominent banker Igor Mazepa caused turmoil in business circles in the country.

The president said he had "difficult conversations" with businessmen and that he was determined to iron out the serious problems facing entrepreneurs in Ukraine. "The conversation was not easy. There are serious problems and there are indeed difficulties," said the Ukrainian president.

"I have familiarized myself with all the details. I have asked that the necessary be done to overcome the differences between the government, business and law enforcement representatives," he added. Entrepreneurs in Ukraine have expressed dismay at Mazepa's detention on suspicion of involvement in the illegal acquisition of land north of the capital Kyiv for the construction of a luxury residential complex.

The businessman, whose company "Concord Capital" has been operating in Ukraine for about 20 years, was detained at the Ukrainian border with Poland. His brother and other people associated with his company were also arrested. Mazepa, who announced his arrest as political pressure on business circles, has often accused law enforcement and the judiciary in Ukraine of abuse of power, Reuters noted.

Lavrov at the UN: All these formulas for peace are a road to nowhere

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov clashed with US officials and supporters of Ukraine during a UN Security Council meeting last night, where Moscow ruled out accepting any peace plan backed by Kyiv and the West, and China warned that further global chaos could affect the slowing global economy, the Associated Press reported.

Lavrov said that Ukrainian forces have completely failed on the battlefield and are "incapable" of defeating or weakening Russia.

He told the UN Security Council that Moscow was always ready to negotiate for peace, but he said the peace plans presented by Ukraine and its Western "masters" were being used "only as a cover to continue the war and to continue receiving of Western taxpayers' money".

"All these formulas are a road to nowhere and the sooner Washington, London, Paris and Brussels realize this, the better for Ukraine and the West," he also said and warned that their "crusade against Russia has already created new , clear, reputational and existential risks."

The deputy US representative to the UN, Robert Wood, dismissed Lavrov's claims as "simply outright disinformation" and countered that it was Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 that started the war, and that President Vladimir Putin, "with a single-minded ambition to the obliteration of Ukraine and the subjugation of its people, prolongs it".

"Russia's imperialist designs are obvious," Wood added. "The only solution for Russia is nothing but capitulation - complete capitulation on the part of Ukraine, and that is simply not acceptable to the international community."

And he stressed that the war could end tomorrow if Moscow withdraws hundreds of thousands of its soldiers from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine.

Ukraine has prepared a 50-year ban on transport links with Russia

The Ukrainian government has proposed banning all transport links with Russia for the next 50 years. This is according to a decree published on the cabinet's website, signed by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

The proposal includes a ban on direct air transport between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the use of Ukrainian skies by Russian residents, including the territory over the sea served by Ukrainian air traffic controllers.

By land, a ban on the entry of Russian-registered vehicles (buses and trucks with trailers) and the import of Russian-registered trains into the customs territory of Ukraine is proposed.

By water, the Cabinet proposes that ships under the Russian flag or belonging to Russian individuals and legal entities cannot sail in Ukrainian waters or enter seaports (this also applies to ships entering ports in occupied territories).

It is also planned not to recognize seamen's qualification documents issued in the occupied territories, and to prohibit Russian citizens from serving on ships flying the flag of Ukraine. The proposal is yet to be considered by the National Security and Defense Council.

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