Russia rains missiles across Ukraine

Russia carried out drone, missile and air strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities through Sunday night, escalating attacks in the run-up to its cherished Victory Day holiday that celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Ukraine said its air defences destroyed all 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones Russia had launched. Kyiv's mayor said at least five people were wounded in the capital amid damage to a fuel depot, cars, buildings and infrastructure. A food warehouse was set ablaze by a missile in the Black Sea city of Odesa, where officials reported three people wounded.

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It was one of the biggest volleys of missiles and drones yet in a renewed Russian air campaign unleashed 10 days ago after a lull since early March.

Kyiv said Moscow was also making a final push to try to capture the ruined eastern city of Bakhmut, to deliver President Vladimir Putin what would be his only prize for a costly Russian winter offensive, in time for the holiday.

The military said 16 rockets had hit the Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions in the last 24 hours, in addition to 61 strikes and 52 rocket salvos on Ukrainian positions and populated areas.

"Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded civilians, high-rise buildings, private homes and other civilian infrastructure were damaged," the military said.

Ukraine's reconstruction ministry said yesterday that Russia has effectively stopped the Black sea grain deal by refusing to register incoming vessels.

"The Russian Federation once again effectively stopped the Grain Initiative by refusing to register incoming vessels and carry out their inspections. This approach contradicts the terms of the current agreement," the ministry said in a statement.

It said that 90 ships, including 62 vessels for loading, were waiting in Turkey's territorial waters for approval to go to Ukrainian ports.

The deal expires on May 18. Moscow has threatened to quit the agreement intended to help ease a global food crisis. Turkey and the United Nations are working to extend the deal.

Meanwhile, Moscow is preparing for today's Victory Day parade, the most important day in the calendar for Russia under Putin, who uses the 1945 Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany to justify his invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine, which as part of the then-Soviet Union endured higher per capita casualties than Russia in battling the Nazis, and as ground zero of the Holocaust, proclaimed May 8 to be Victory Day, rather than May 9 - a clear bid to separate its observance of the day from that of Russia.

"Recalling the heroism of millions of Ukrainians in that war against Nazism, we see the same heroism in the actions of our soldiers today," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement.

In Brussels, the EU has proposed to member states an 11th round of sanctions over Russia's war on Ukraine aimed at cutting down on evasion, a spokesman said yesterday.

"This package will be focusing on the implementation of sanctions, their effectiveness and how we avoid the evasion of sanctions," European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said.

As part of the package the EU's executive has recommended halting exports of sensitive technologies to eight Chinese companies over suspicions they were selling them on to Russia.