Russian missiles strike Ukraine as war nears 6-month mark

Wednesday marks 31 years of Ukraine's independence from Soviet rule as well as half a year since the invasion and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for vigilance.

Artillery shells rained down on a city near Europe’s biggest nuclear plant and Russian missiles struck near the Black Sea port of Odesa on Sunday, as Ukraine warned of the potential for more serious attacks by Russia as the war neared its six-month anniversary.

Wednesday marks 31 years of Ukraine’s independence from Soviet rule as well as half a year since the invasion and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for vigilance, saying Moscow could try “something particularly ugly.”

In his nightly video address on Sunday, Zelenskyy said he had discussed “all the threats” with French President Emmanuel Macron and word had been sent also to other world leaders including Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“All of Ukraine’s partners have been informed about what the terrorist state can prepare for this week,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Russia.

The Financial Times, in an article published Sunday, quoted Gennady Gatilov, Moscow’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, as saying Erdogan had tried to facilitate dialog. But he dismissed speculation about talks between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying there “was not any practical platform for having this meeting,” the report said.

Putin ordered what he called a “special military operation” to demilitarize its smaller neighbor and protect Russian-speaking communities. Ukraine and Western backers accuse Moscow of waging an imperial-style war of conquest.

Russian authorities were investigating a suspected car bomb attack outside Moscow that killed the daughter of Alexander Dugin, an ultra-nationalist Russian ideologue who advocates Russia absorbing Ukraine.

While investigators said they were considering “all versions” when it came to establishing who was responsible, the Russian Foreign Ministry speculated there could be a link to Ukraine, something a Zelenskyy adviser dismissed.