Ukrainian Parliament Cancels Session Amid Missile Threats as Tensions Escalate
Ukrainian lawmakers have been advised to steer clear of the government district on November 22, leading to the cancellation of a scheduled parliamentary session due to warnings of an impending missile strike. Lawmaker Taras Batenko revealed this alarming news in a broadcast on Hovoryt Velykiy Lviv on November 21, stating, "We were informed about the risk of a missile strike on the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv in the coming days. Putin has significantly raised the stakes. Tomorrow's parliamentary session is canceled."
The cancellation came as a surprise as the session was intended to include a government question period, a crucial time for holding officials accountable. Other legislators corroborated the session's cancellation to RFERL, with Oleksiy Honcharenko announcing on Telegram that the next session is now scheduled for December.
Despite these warnings, parliament leaders have refrained from issuing any official comments about the situation. In contrast, the President's office has attempted to reassure the public by stating that government operations will proceed as usual on November 22.
This tense atmosphere heightened a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted the successful combat testing of a new missile, the Oreshnik intermediaterange ballistic missile. During his announcement, Putin claimed the missile had been utilized in a strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, stating it was a reaction to what he called NATO's aggressive actions and Ukraine's use of missiles supplied by Western nations targeting Russian soil.
On November 21, Ukraine's air force reported multiple missile strikes in Dnipro, which included what officials described as an intercontinental ballistic missile. Local authorities from Dnipro confirmed the devastating impact, noting damage to industrial facilities, the ignition of two fires, and three reported injuries from the strikes.
Kyiv has been on high alert for several days due to a barrage of attacks orchestrated by Russia across the country. A significant reason for this heightened state of anxiety stems from warnings issued by the US Embassy in Ukraine, which cautioned about a substantial Russian air attack scheduled for November 20. As a precautionary measure, the embassy temporarily closed its operations, with similar actions taken by the embassies of Spain, Italy, and Greece for the day.
Public speculation has also arisen regarding potential strikes involving RS-26 Rubezh ballistic missiles from Russia’s Astrakhan region, with conversations circulating across social media platforms; however, no such launches have been confirmed as of November 20.
The ongoing situation underscores the precarious nature of Ukraine's security as the conflict continues with full-scale aggression from Russia, raising concerns about the safety of government officials and the civilian population alike.
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