Ukraine war: Civilian airport in Dnipro region hit, curfew in Kyiv amid shelling

The main civilian airport in Ukraine’s Dnipro region was hit by Russian rockets in overnight firing, causing massive destruction of the runway and terminal building.

In an online post, regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said on Tuesday that while it will take time to recover from the losses, there will be victory in the end. “It will take a lot of time to recover. We will win,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia were on their way to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on a European Union mission to meet with the war-torn nation’s senior officials as Russia’s offensive moved closer to the center of the capital.

The capital will impose a 36-hour curfew starting late Tuesday, its mayor said amid a series of strikes by Russian troops on a residential neighbourhood in Kyiv. The curfew will last from 8pm on March 15 till 7am on March 17, mayor Vitali Klitschko was quoted as saying by The Kyiv Independent.

Residents will only be allowed to go outside to head to bomb shelters, the mayor further said. Two large blasts echoed across the centre of the capital just before dawn on Tuesday.

“Today is a difficult and dangerous moment,” Klitschko said. “The capital is the heart of Ukraine, and it will be defended. Kyiv, which is currently the symbol and forward operating base of Europe’s freedom and security, will not be given up by us,” he

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland said he would be joined by Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic and Janez Jansa of Slovenia for the trip. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Poland’s deputy prime minister for security, would also join them.

They are to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.