Russian Forces Blew Up Gas Pipeline In Kharkiv, Says Ukraine. Govt Warns Of ‘Environmental Catastrophe’

The Ukrainian forces continue to put up fierce resistance as the more powerful Russian military attempts to capture capital city Kyiv.

File Photo: Getty Images

New Delhi: Huge explosions were seen in the predawn sky south of Kyiv early Sunday as the Russian military continued its attempt to close in on the Ukrainian capital.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office informed that one of the blasts was near the Zhuliany airport while the mayor of Vasylkiv said that an oil depot was hit, the Associated Press reported.

According to a report by AP, Zelenskyy’s office also stated that the Russian forces blew up a gas pipeline in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city.

The government warned that smoke from the huge explosion could cause an “environmental catastrophe”. People have been advised to cover their windows with damp cloth or gauze, the report mentioned.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian President has vowed, “We will fight for as long as needed to liberate our country.”

In A Major Shift, Germany Announced To Send Weapons To Ukraine

The Ukrainian forces continue to put up fierce resistance as the more powerful Russian military attempts to capture the capital city Kyiv. Ukraine is also finding support from other nations as the United States and European Union rushed ammunition and weapons to Kyiv.

The US pledged an additional $350 million in military assistance to Ukraine, including anti-tank weapons, body armor, and small arms.

The US and its allies also decided to disconnect key sanctioned Russian banks from the SWIFT financial system and impose restrictive measures on Russia’s central bank.

In a major shift, the German government announced that it will send weapons and other supplies directly to Ukraine

Germany’s chancellery said that it will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 “Stinger” surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine “as quickly as possible”, AP reported.

Germany had long stuck to a policy of not exporting deadly weapons to conflict zones, including Ukraine. As recently as Friday, government officials said they would abide by that policy.

While Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn’t disclosed his ultimate plans, it is being believed that he is determined to overthrow Ukraine’s government and replace it with a regime of his own, in a bid to revive Moscow’s Cold War-era influence.

(With Agency Inputs)