Russia admits using hypersonic missiles in Ukraine invasion
March 19, 2022, 3:24 pm

Russia admits using hypersonic missiles in Ukraine invasion

Downtown Kharkiv before and during the Russian aggression. Kharkiv is the second-largest city in Ukraine. Its residential areas have been targeted by Russian shells, rockets, bombs, missiles for days now (File photo: Euromaidan Press via Mariana_Betsa)

The Asharq Al-Awsat reported, according to the Interfax news agency, Russia's defense ministry said on Saturday it had destroyed a large underground depot for missiles and aircraft ammunition in Ukraine's Ivano-Frankivsk region using hypersonic missiles.

The ministry said it had also destroyed Ukrainian military radio and reconnaissance centers near the port city of Odessa using a coastal missile system, Interfax reported.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the ministry's statements.

Meanwhile, Ukraine hopes to evacuate civilians on Saturday via ten humanitarian corridors from cities and towns on the front line of fighting with Russian forces.

Zelenskyy to Johnson: "If we cannot enter NATO's 'open door', then we must work with communities available, communities that will help us. Like yours. And have some guarantees–reliable guarantees that will work for us. And also for you. I ask you: help yourself by helping us. You know we crucially need airplanes". He also indicated needs: the ban on Russia to use world ports, its complete disconnection from SWIFT, the recognition of Russia as terrorist state, embargo on any trade with Russia (File photo and text: Euromaidan Press)

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said a corridor had been agreed for the besieged city of Mariupol, although the authorities' previous efforts to evacuate civilians there under a temporary ceasefire have mostly failed, with both sides trading blame.

Deputy mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev said that also Saturday, the Ukrainian military imposed a 38-hour curfew in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, starting at 1400 GMT.

He said in an online post: "Do not go outside at this time!"

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The regional capital has become an important point of transit for some of the 35,000 people estimated to have Mariupol city in the southeast.

Source: aawsat

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.