War in Ukraine: Strikes across Ukraine as world leaders meet at summit – BBC News

Air raid sirens are going off again here in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

According to a number of tracking maps, most of the country is under alert.

It comes after Russia launched a number of missile attacks on the country earlier this morning.

The attack on Kyiv today was the first time the capital has been targeted in three weeks.

The Red Cross has been helping families find their loved ones lost in war since 1859, when its founder Henri Dunant came across soldiers dying after the battle of Solferino in northern Italy and learned one of them was concerned his mother would not know what had happened to him.

Now, the Red Cross is trying to bring news to worried mothers in Ukraine and Russia. It says it has registered hundreds of prisoners among those who surrendered at the Azovstal steel plant in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol in May.

Red Cross officials will not disclose exactly how many, but they are getting prisoner lists from both Russian and Ukrainian forces, and the numbers are believed to run into the thousands.

Equally high are the numbers of families desperate for news. In the Central Tracing Agency’s mailroom, up to 400 emails are coming in each day. The agency has already informed almost 1,800 families about the whereabouts of missing loved ones.

Zhanna is on the phone in the agency’s offices in Switzerland, talking to a young Ukrainian woman whose husband was taken prisoner at the steel plant.

“She asked me: ‘Can I leave with you some personal information?'” says Zhanna. “I said yes, with pleasure: ‘If the Red Cross go and see my husband, could you please tell him that today I gave birth to our child, at 12:45, 3 kilos, 6 grams.'”

Read more about the work of the agency – and the stories of those needing its help – from Imogen here.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has given the G7 a new lease of
life, a Cambridge University international politics and history lecturer has
told the BBC.

“It’s given them a political focus they haven’t had in a
while,” says Dr Tristen Naylor, who is in Bavaria, where the G7 leaders
are meeting.

“The club has met seven or eight times either online or in
person since the invasion, this is very much their focus – has been over the
past couple of months and it certainly will be here,” he says.

“The order of the day will certainly be to demonstrate resolve,
it will be to communicate to Ukraine, Russia and the rest of the world, that
the G7 is united. They’re not going to fracture on this, and they’re going to
see what sort of further support they can bring together for Ukraine, whether
that’s weapons, whether that’s money – everything’s on the table.”

He says the G7 may have more influence over Ukraine than Nato,
which holds a summit in Madrid later this week, because it can be more
flexible.

“Nato cannot be seen to be directly escalating the
conflict, so the range of policy options at their disposal as a military club
is actually far more limited than it is for the G7,” Naylor says.

“So I think this weekend is really critical for telling us about what direction
western support for Ukraine will be in the coming weeks and months.”

In
recent weeks some in Europe have voiced different opinions about the war in
Ukraine. But the G7 leaders meeting in Bavaria appear determined to put on a
united front.

President
Biden said Vladimir Putin had been counting on the G7 and the Nato alliance
dividing. But we haven’t and we’re not going to, he said.

Boris
Johnson admitted there was anxiety about the war. Western leaders had to be
honest about that. But he insisted the G7 remained united.

At
a meeting with President Macron of France, who talks often to President Putin, Johnson
stressed that any attempt to settle the conflict now would only cause enduring
instability.

The
PM also told his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, that the conflict was on
a knife-edge and the West had to tip the balance of the war in Ukraine’s
favour.

As we reported earlier, a seven-year-old girl was injured in Kyiv when a Russian missile hit a nine-storey building in the Ukraine capital in the early hours of Sunday.

The girl was pulled from the rubble and taken to the city’s main children’s hospital, Ohmatdyt.

“The girl was conscious when she was admitted to the hospital,” Ohmatdyt medics say, adding that she had “numerous wounds, bruises and abrasions”.

She later underwent a surgery, and was now “in stable condition”.

“Her life is not in danger,” Ohmatdyt adds.

The US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, says she is “appalled by reports today of Russian missile strikes on a residential building & kindergarten in central Kyiv”.

“As the Kremlin continues its indiscriminate attacks on Ukrainian civilians, the US & our partners will pursue every avenue to ensure those responsible for atrocities are held accountable,” the envoy tweets.

Earlier on Sunday, US president Joe Biden urged allies “to stay
together” against Russia, as world leaders were gathering for a G7 summit in Munich, Germany.

The summit is expected to be dominated by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and its far-reaching impact on food and energy supplies across the world.

Ukraine’s north-eastern Kharkiv region has recently been under heavy
Russian bombardment, that left a number of people dead.

Regional head Oleh Syniehubov says the region was shelled again
overnight.

Since the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February, Russian troops
have destroyed 4,019 residential homes, 97 medical facilities and 427
educational institutions, the regional head reminds.

He posted images of a bombed out sports facility in the regional capital
Kharkiv, saying the complex had been used by thousands of children and students
before the war.

“Not a single
day went by without the occupiers striking the Kharkiv region! So, we can’t
afford to relax, each time you ignore air sirens can cost your life!”
Syniehubov warns.

It’s more difficult than it may seem for Russia
to make advances in Ukraine – partly due to Russia’s own successes. That’s
according to Dr Natasha Kuhrt, of the War Studies Department at King’s College
London.

“Ukraine now has a much shorter line to defend because it’s been giving up ground in the east, that means Ukraine is better able to defend against Russia,” Dr Kuhrt, a lecturer in international peace and security, tells BBC Radio 5 Live.

“And of course Ukraine, despite giving up ground in the east, is actually advancing in the south still.”

Kuhrt says it’s obvious Russia underestimated Ukraine’s abilities to
resist but so did the rest of the world.

“Even if Russia is being pushed back it is not going to give up any
time soon – it can still cause a huge amount of wanton destruction, which is
Russia modus operandi, which we’ve seen before In Syria and Chechnya.

“In the long
run – and we don’t know how long that run will be – Russia may not be
victorious on the battlefield. But at the same time we’ve got a long haul and
Russia will pound Ukraine with as much artillery and so on as it can.”

If you’re just joining us – here’s a quick recap on what’s been happening so far on Sunday in Ukraine:

• The
  capital Kyiv was hit by at least 14 Russian missiles early in the morning
  – in the most sustained such barrage in months, local officials said
• At
  least one person was killed and several injured after a nine-storey house
  was hit in the city
• Among
  those wounded was a seven-year-old girl, who was pulled from the rubble
• One
  of the Russian missiles hit an empty kindergarten playground
• Kyiv
  Mayor Vilaliy Klitschko said the attacks were Moscow’s attempt to
  “intimidate” Ukraine
• One
  person died and five were injured when Russian missiles hit the central
  Cherkasy region, local authorities said
• One
  person was injured in mortar shelling in the north-eastern Sumy region
• There
  were also overnight strikes in the nearby Kharkiv region, where officials
  say more than 4,000 houses have been destroyed since the war started
• Russian
  Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected troops taking part in what Moscow
  describes as a “special military operation”, state media say
• No
  further details were given, but Shoigu is believed to have visited a
  location in the Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine

As we’ve been reporting, the war in Ukraine has been high on the agenda as leaders of some of the world’s most powerful nations meet in Germany.

The G7 summit is being dominated by discussions over Russia’s invasion and how Ukraine can be supported. Leaders are expected to promise further military support for Kyiv and impose more sanctions on Moscow

• The meeting’s host, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said unity over Ukraine was the G7’s clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin
• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appealed for the West to continue to support Ukraine, and be honest about the implications that support may have on their own nations
• US President Joe Biden has appealed for unity – in both the G7 and Nato – in the face of Russia’s invasion, saying Putin has been banking on the West fracturing – but it hasn’t

• Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron agree the conflict in Ukraine is at a critical moment, with an “opportunity to turn the tide in the war”, Downing Street says
• The G7 nations “share the same goals – to cut the oxygen from Russia’s war machine, while taking care of our economies”, says Charles Michel, president of the European Council
• The UK, US, Canada and Japan will ban imports of Russian gold in an effort to hit Moscow’s ability to fund the war, and Biden suggested the G7’s other members – France, Germany and Italy – would follow suit

The UK, US, Canada and Japan will ban imports of Russian gold in an effort to hit Moscow’s ability to fund the war in Ukraine.

The UK says the measure will “strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine”.

Gold exports were worth £12.6bn ($15.4bn) to Russia in 2021, and the UK says their importance has increased since the invasion as oligarchs rush to buy bullion to avoid sanctions.

It comes as the G7 group of the world’s richest nations are meeting in Germany.

More from the Kyiv mayor now.

Describing Russian troops as “barbarians”, Vitaliy Klitschko says the “enemy wants to intimidate us”.

“Stay alert, follow the basic rules which may help save lives,” he urges city residents.

He says people should immediately go to shelters when they hear air siren alerts.

Klitschko also warns against posting any footage or photos immediately after explosions, asking instead to wait for “official information” from the authorities.

“Together and united we’ll persevere and win!” the mayor adds.

We’re
now getting more updates on today’s missile strike in Kyiv.

One
person has died, and six people are now said to be injured, according to Kyiv
Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko.

Four
people were hospitalised including a seven year-old girl. Two others are being
treated on an outpatient basis.

The
search for people inside the building is continuing, the mayor says.

Officials
say the fire at the building has since been put out.

Paul McCartney showed his solidarity with Ukraine by waving the country’s flag during the encore of his epic Glastonbury set on Saturday night.

The Beatles legend earned a huge cheer as he stood under the flag’s blue and yellow stripes, but for Ukrainian musicians at the festival, it was more than just a gesture.

“For soldiers, for people in Ukraine and around the world, when your big stars support you and understand you, it shows you have truth on your side,” says Marko Galanevych of the folk quartet DhakaBrakha.

“It gives us inspiration to stand.”

Ukrainian Eurovision winners, Kalush Orchestra, also praised the star for his support.

“A lot of people follow and listen to their idols, so superstars like him expressing their support for Ukraine really helps us to promote our cause,” says frontman Olek Psiuk.

Both bands performed at the festival this weekend, helping spread their message of resistance – and hopefully winning new fans along the way.

Read more from Mark on how Ukraine left its mark on Glastonbury here.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has warned people in the city to remain vigilant after today’s strike on the city.

As we reported earlier, one person has been killed and five injured after a strike on an apartment block in the capital.

Klitschko told people to follow basic safety rules and to go to a shelter during an air raid siren warning.

Russia wants to “sow panic and despair”, he wrote on Telegram.

Children are being caused “unimaginable” physical and
emotional harm by the war in Ukraine, Save the Children says, urging world
leaders to act.

The international children’s charity refers to the news of a
child being hurt in the destroyed residential block in Kyiv and reports of a
nearby kindergarten being hit in another blast.

“Four months since the escalation of conflict started, children
and families in Ukraine are still waking up to aerial bombardments,” Pete
Walsh, country director for Save the Children in Ukraine, says.

“Children should wake up on a Sunday morning looking
forward to spending the day with their families or playing with their friends.

“It is all the more worrying to see this in Kyiv, which has
been a place of relative calm for several weeks.

“The immense physical and emotional harm this war is having
on children is unimaginable. The number of civilian casualties has surpassed
10,000, including more than 800 children.

“As the G7 gathers in Germany today, this should be a
wake-up call to world leaders not to look away. There is still no safe place
for children in Ukraine, and leaders must do everything they can to end this
conflict.”

If Russia is running low on precision-guided missiles, there
appears to be little evidence over recent days.

Today’s strikes on the capital Kyiv are said to have been
launched from Tupolev bombers over the Caspian Sea – some 900 miles away.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat says they likely
used Kh-101 cruise missiles, which have reported ranges of several thousand
miles.

Yesterday, Ukrainian intelligence said Russia was also
launching air strikes from inside neighbouring Belarus, a key ally of Moscow.

In those attacks, older Kh-22 cruise missiles are reported
to have struck targets around the Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions.

But the more missiles are fired, the fewer remain in stock.
The difficulty for Russia is getting hold of the key components to replenish
those stocks – some of which were previously made in Ukraine itself.

The Ukrainian foreign minister has tweeted a picture of the young girl carried out of the rubble of the destroyed apartment block in Kyiv, this morning, while criticising Russia’s “sick imperialism”.

“This seven-year-old Ukrainian kid was sleeping peacefully in Kyiv until a Russian cruise missile blasted her home,” Dmytro Kuleba writes.

“Many more around Ukraine are under strikes.

“G7 summit must respond with more sanctions on Russia and more heavy arms for Ukraine. Russia’s sick imperialism must be defeated.”

The missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv has killed
one person and injured five more, according to the head of Ukraine’s national
police.

A seven-year-old child was among those taken to hospital. The
attack caused a fire in a nine-storey apartment building, with a partial
collapse of the seventh, eighth and ninth floors.

Nearly 70 firefighters arrived at the scene, using “19
units of fire equipment”.

The Ukrainian National Guard is claiming at least 14 missiles
were launched at the capital this morning, in the most sustained barrage Kyiv
has experienced in months.

This morning’s attack on a residential building in Kyiv is one of several Russia has launched on Ukraine today.

Moscow says its forces have carried out strikes against three military training centres in northern and western Ukraine, including one near the Polish border.

“High-precision weapons of Russia’s aerospace forces and Kalibr missiles” were used, the Russian defence ministry says in a statement.

Among the targets was a military training centre for Ukrainian forces in the Starychi district of the Lviv region, about 30km (19 miles) from the border with Nato member Poland – a few days before a Nato summit in Madrid.

There have also been further explosions in Kyiv – a local official said earlier there had been at least six blasts in the Kyiv region – and in the central city of Cherkasy, and missile strikes in the Kharkiv region.

Reuters reports there’s a large blast crater by a playground in a kindergarten about 400m away from the apartment block hit in the capital.

Ukraine has also commented on the attacks. “More than 50
missiles of various types were fired – air, sea and ground-based,”
Ukraine’s air force command says, adding it is difficult to intercept Russian
missiles such as the Iskander.

Earlier Kyiv regional military administration Oleksiy Kuleba
said one missile had been shot down and landed on a village not far from the
capital.

The attacks come on the opening day of the G7 summit and ahead
of the Nato meeting and Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has called them an attempt
to intimidate Ukrainians.

“Before the Nato summit, they attack,” he says.
“It’s maybe symbolic, symbolic aggression during this day.”