9 dead, including 5 civilians, after Russian rockets set Ukraine airport on fire
As many as nine people have been killed after Russian airstrikes bombed the Vinnytsia airport in central Ukraine on Sunday.
Quoting the Ukrainian rescue services, AFP reported that as of 5am GMT (10.30am IST), a total of 15 people were rescued from the debris – of which nine were found dead.
The rescue services provided the update on the casualties – which include five civilians and four soldiers, on Telegram and added that they were continuing to look for survivors.
In a video message on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said eight Russian rockets bombed the airport in Vinnytsia. The Ukrainian Parliament also posted several tweets soon after the incident that showed fire and smoke engulfing the sky.
The incident made Zelenskyy reiterate his demand to foreign countries to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. “We repeat everyday. Close the sky over Ukraine. Close it for all Russian missiles…combat aircraft, for all these terrorists,” he said in the video.
His demands have so far been met with negative responses as the European Council president Charles Michel said on Sunday that closing the skies over Ukraine would spark a world war.
On Sunday’s video message, Zelenskyy also called for sending more aircraft to Ukraine for the east-European nation to fight the Russian invasion. The conflict between the two countries entered its twelfth day on Monday.
The latest developments come ahead of the third round of talks between Ukraine and Russia later in the day. Reuters reported that a Russian delegation has left for Belarus where it will meet its Ukrainian counterpart for the negotiation.
Furthermore, the Russian military declared a ceasefire in Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Sumy earlier in the day which came after a personal request by French President Emmanuel Macron. The humanitarian corridors will permit safe passage of civilians trying to flee the war, and will be operational for 11 hours, Reuters reported.