At a meeting of the UN Security Council, Selenskyj is surprisingly connected. He accuses Russia of deliberately bombing cities. Russia's ambassador reacted angrily - and denied. Meanwhile, Kharkiv reports again hits by Russian missiles.
Fire after rocket hits in Kharkiv
The fighting continued through the night. The Ukrinform news agency reported two rocket hits in the city of Kharkiv in north-eastern Ukraine. A fire broke out in the south of the city. Information about injuries and damage is not yet available.
Zelenskyj: Russia is targeting civilians
In a surprise appearance before the UN Security Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for Russia to be punished as a "terrorist state". Russia must be excluded from the Security Council, said Selenskyj, who was connected via video to a meeting in New York that was scheduled at short notice. After the shelling of a shopping center in the city of Kremenchuk, he accused Russia of targeting Ukrainian civilians. According to him, since the beginning of the war, Russia has fired 2,811 rockets at Ukrainian cities. "It is imperative to set up a tribunal to investigate everything that the Russian military has done," said Zelenskyy.
Russia criticizes UN for surprise appearance
Russia reacted angrily to Zelenskyy's appearance in the UN Security Council. This was put on the agenda at the last moment and not coordinated with all members, complained the deputy Russian ambassador to the UN, Dmitri Polyanski. The top Russian diplomat spoke of a violation of the usual practice of working in the UN Security Council.
Poljanski denied the accusation of an attack on civilian objects. The Russian military leadership had previously admitted the shelling of Kremenchuk, but at the same time denied having hit the shopping center. Rather, the "high-precision missiles" hit halls with ammunition and weapons from the USA and Europe. Army spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed that it was only when they exploded that the fire started in the "shopping center that is no longer in operation."
Search for missing people in destroyed mall
Meanwhile, rescue teams continue to search for missing people in the rubble of the Kremenchuk shopping center. Authorities said more than 35 people were still missing on Tuesday. At least 18 dead and 25 injured have been reported so far. Relatives gathered near the mall where more than 1,000 people were said to be staying at the time of Monday's attack. Eyewitnesses described drastic scenes. "I went up, head first, shrapnel hit my body. The whole place collapsed," said 43-year-old Ludmyla Mychailets, who says she was in the mall with her husband when the rocket hit. "It was hell," said her husband Mykola. Both were treated in Kremenchuk's clinic.
15,000 German soldiers for the NATO intervention force
Against the background of the Ukraine war, NATO wants to increase the number of its rapid reaction forces from around 40,000 to more than 300,000. Germany is involved with 15,000 soldiers. In addition, the Federal Republic will contribute around 35 aircraft and 20 ships, said Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht in Madrid at the alliance summit.
According to Eva Högl, the Bundestag Commissioner for the Armed Forces, the drastic increase in the rapid deployment force will place a heavy burden on the Bundeswehr. "It is foreseeable that the demands on Germany will increase. For the Bundeswehr, this means an enormous challenge and requires great efforts in terms of personnel, material, equipment and infrastructure," Högl told the "Augsburger Allgemeine".
Johnson: Putin is an example of 'toxic masculinity'
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson considers the behavior of Russian President Vladimir Putin to be a good example of toxic masculinity, i.e. a role model based on callousness, harshness and also aggressiveness. "If Putin were a woman, I just don't think he would have started such a macho war," Johnson said in a ZDF interview, according to the broadcaster's translation. "If you want a very good example of toxic masculinity, we have that in his person."
That brings the day
You can read all further developments in our live ticker on the Ukraine war.
