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A fourth body was found beneath rubble and Ukraine’s president angrily decried Russian military tactics Wednesday after a drone attack decimated a high school and two student dormitories near Kyiv.
The attack was one of several in the region coming hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his self-described mission of peace to Moscow. The Ukrainian military said air defenses downed 16 of 21 drones.
“Over 20 Iranian murderous drones, plus missiles, numerous shelling occasions, and that’s just in one last night of Russian terror against Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media. “Every time someone tries to hear the word ‘peace’ in Moscow, another order is given there for such criminal strikes.”
At least 20 people were injured and four were missing from the dorm in Rzhyshchiv, region police Chief Andrii Nebytov said. It was not immediately clear whether children were among the victims. The search for survivors was continuing.
Developments:
►The Ukraine military said its forces repelled 114 Russian attacks on Tuesday most in the Donetsk region of the Donbas that has been the primary focus of the war in recent weeks. The attacks included dozens of air strikes and attempted drone offensives, Ukraine officials claimed in a Facebook post.
►Russia is treating children like “spoils of war,” International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan told CNN. The court last week announced arrest warrants accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova of illegally deporting Ukrainian children to Russia.
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Ukraine to get $15.6B from IMF to rebuild infrastructure, economy
The International Monetary Fund unveiled a $15.6 billion plan to help Ukraine’s battered economy in the short term while supporting post-war reconstruction and easing the country’s path into the EU. The four-year financing plan, subject to formal approval of the fund’s board in coming weeks, is also designed to encourage international donors and partners to invest in Ukraine, which was among Europe’s poorest nations even before the war began 13 months ago.
Ukraine’s economic activity contracted by 30% in 2022, a large share of the capital stock has been destroyed, and poverty levels have climbed, the IMF said in a statement. A gradual economic recovery is expected as the country repairs its damaged critical infrastructure “although headwinds persist, including the risk of further escalation” of the war, said Gavin Gray, adviser and IMF mission chief for Ukraine.
“The overarching goals of the authorities’ program are to sustain economic and financial stability in circumstances of exceptionally high uncertainty, restore debt sustainability, and support Ukraine’s recovery,” Gray said.
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Zelenskyy visits embattled Bakhmut
Zelenskyy visited the embattled eastern frontline town of Bakhmut on Wednesday, according to a post on his official Telegram channel. He gave out medals to troops who have been attempting to stave off a creeping Russian advance that British intelligence chiefs say is tightening around the city from the north and south.
However, in its latest assessment, published Wednesday, Britain’s defense ministry said there “is a realistic possibility that the Russian assault on the town is losing the limited momentum it had obtained, partially because some Russian … units have been reallocated to other sectors.”
– Kim Hjelmgaard
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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