A Russian missile and drone strike kills seven in Lviv, including two children. The death toll from a Russian missile strike on Poltava on Tuesday rises to 53. Zelenskyi announces a major government reshuffle.
Russian missile, drone strike kills seven in Lviv, including two children
Russia pounded Ukraine with two ballistic missiles, 11 cruise missiles and 29 drones overnight on Wednesday. Air defenses were at work in 10 regions of the country. The cities of Lviv and Kryvyi Rih were hit hardest by the attacks.
A Russian drone and missile attack killed seven people in Lviv, including four members of the same family. Only the father, Yaroslav Bazylevych, has survived. His wife, Yevhenia, 43, and their three daughters — Emilia, Daryna, and Yaryna, ages seven, 18 and 21, were killed when their home was struck.
Regional authorities have declared a day of mourning on Thursday.
A Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih injured five people and destroyed a hotel, 32 residential buildings, four schools and other civilian infrastructure. Windows and balconies were blown out in more than a thousand apartments, head of the city’s defense council, Oleksandr Vilkul said.
Death toll from Russian missile strike on Poltava on Tuesday rises to 53
The death toll of Tuesday’s missile strike on a military institute in Poltava rose to 53 on Wednesday, 298 more people were injured. As many as five people may be trapped under the rubble, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said. Rescue works continue at the site.
Some 800 tons of debris were removed from the site as of Wednesday morning.
Zelenskyi announces major government reshuffle
In his nightly video address on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced a wide-ranging shake-up of the cabinet and the Office of the President staff.
“Autumn will be extremely important for Ukraine,” Zelenskyi said. “For this, we must strengthen some areas of the government and changes in its make-up have been prepared. There will also be changes in the [president’s] office,” he said.
Zelenskyi named some of the priorities facing the cabinet this autumn.
“First — we need more interaction between the central authorities and the communities.
Second — Ukraine has already achieved significant results in defense production. It should be strengthened at all levels, in particular, to make it easier to attract partner investment in our strategic industries.
Third – we need to significantly advance our work with NATO; this requires special interaction.
Fourth – the European Union, real membership negotiations, preparation of the relevant parts of the future membership agreement. This is very clear both legal and political work.
And fifth – we need to integrate everything that Ukraine has achieved in its relations with partners — trust in Ukraine, strength of the Ukrainian spirit, relations with partners — with the tasks that our state faces in countering Russian propaganda and protecting Ukrainian cultural heritage.”
Davyd Arakhamiya, head of the faction of the ruling Servant of the People party, said on Telegram that a “major government reset” would see more than half of the Cabinet of Ministers staff changed, and that the cabinet reshuffle should be expected this week.
Those who handed in their resignations on Tuesday included strategic industries minister Oleksandr Kamyshin, justice minister Denys Malyuska, environmental protection minister Ruslan Strilets, deputy prime ministers Olha Stefanishyna and Iryna Vereshchuk, and the head of Ukraine’s State Property Fund, Vitaliy Koval.
