UKRAINE – Ukraine’s capital faced a night of attacks Friday to yesterday, hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy removed his powerful chief of staff and top negotiator following a raid on Andriy Yermak’s house as part of a sweeping corruption probe.
Yermak’s removal dealt a serious blow to Zelenskyy, who faces a mounting Russian offensive in the east as Washington peddles a plan to end the war that Kyiv fears will hand big concessions to Moscow.
Ukrainian negotiators are expected in the United States this weekend for talks on the US plan to end the war.
Yermak, 54, was supposed to have negotiated on behalf of Ukraine at the talks and Zelenskyy said he would hold consultations yesterday over a replacement for him. Russian drones struck Kyiv, killing one person and causing damage and massive power cuts in the capital, city officials said.
Around a dozen people were wounded, as residential buildings were hit in several districts, city officials said.
Explosions were heard through the night and the air alert lasted over nine hours.
“The western part of the capital is without electricity. Power workers will be working to restore supply,” Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said on Telegram.
Leading the talks this weekend is now Ukrainian Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, according to two senior Ukrainian officials, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter.
People gathered near burning vehicles damaged during a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, yesterday. (Pic: Reuters)