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Russia hits Kyiv in pre-dawn attack
Russia launched a pre-dawn attack on Ukraine’s capital Tuesday as its air defense worked to stop drones in what has been a relentless wave of daylight and nighttime bombardments targeting Kyiv. (AP video: Vasilisa Stepanenko)
AP
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Wednesday that its Aerospace Forces destroyed Ukraine’s last warship with “a high-precision weapon.”
The Yuriy Olefirenko was struck Monday in the port of Odessa, the ministry said on Telegram. Ukraine’s military had no immediate comment on the claim, although it said Monday that blistering airstrikes had ignited a fire and damaged infrastructure at the port that is crucial in shipping Ukraine grain to the developing world.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ship from USA TODAY.
The Yuriy Olefirenko, a landing ship almost as long as a football field and weighing 1,200 tons, was launched as part of the Soviet Union’s Navy in 1970 before being transferred to Ukraine in 1994. The Moscow Times says the Yuriy Olefirenko was originally named the Kirovohrad until 2016 when it was renamed to honor a Ukrainian marine killed near the southeastern port of Mariupol in 2015.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decorated its crew in June 2022.
Developing:
∙ The latest U.S. military aid package for Ukraine expected to be announced this week will total up to $300 million and include munitions for drones, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
∙ The announcement comes after drones were used in attacks on Moscow, although U.S. officials say Ukraine has agreed not to use any American-provided weapons for attacks on Russian soil.
∙ Also included in the package will be munitions for Patriot missile batteries and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), Stinger missiles for the Avenger system, mine-clearing equipment, anti-armor rounds, unguided Zuni aircraft rockets, night vision goggles and about 30 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
The Unites States is sending Ukraine an additional $1.25 billion in humanitarian aide through the World Bank PEACE project, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Wednesday. He said the funds will be used to support Ukraine’s budget, especially for social and humanitarian spending.
“Grateful to US & the World Bank,” Shmyhal said on Twitter. “We appreciate the help of our partners in the fight against the aggressor.”
Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance (PEACE) project partially supports Ukraine for needs not directly related to security and defense. The money will support numerous programs, among them pensions, social assistance to people with low income and children with disabilities, wages to medical and emergency workers and grants to internally displaced Ukrainians. Ukraine has received 14.5 billion from international donors under the PEACE project.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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