Ukraine war: Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticises Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko in rare sign of discontent

Published

3 years ago

November 26, 2022

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised the mayor of Kyiv over the provision of emergency shelters, in a sign of discontent rarely seen between Ukrainian leaders since the start of Russia’s invasion.

The president indicated that Vitali Klitschko, the boxing legend turned politician, had not done enough to help the capital’s residents cope with Moscow’s most devastating strikes of the war.

Putin’s warning for Russian mothers – live war updates

Most regions across Ukraine have been impacted by blackouts this week, and while the six million people currently affected is down from a peak of 12 million a few days ago, Mr Zelenskyy said “the biggest problems” were in Kyiv.

“Unfortunately, local authorities have not performed well in all cities,” he said in his nightly video address.

“In particular, there are a lot of complaints in Kyiv. To put it mildly, more work is needed.”

Mr Zelenskyy said that many of the city’s residents had been without power “for 20 or even 30 hours”, and called for “more support” and “quality work” from the mayor’s office.

Ukraine’s ‘invincibility centres’

In the wake of Russia‘s aerial bombardment on its neighbour’s energy infrastructure, an apparent cynical attempt to inflict maximum damage as winter looms, Ukraine has been setting up “invincibility centres”.

These are emergency shelters where people can access heat, water, internet, and mobile phone service.

More than 4,000 have been set up so far, but – according to Mr Zelenskyy – not enough in Kyiv.

Mr Klitschko, a key face of Ukrainian resistance since Vladimir Putin‘s full-scale invasion began in February, has not responded to his president’s criticism.

Meanwhile, the national power grid operator Ukrenergo said its engineers are “working around the clock” to restore energy supplies, but 30% are still out despite the reconnection of Ukraine’s four nuclear power plants.

Three are in Ukrainian-held territory and one is in Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia. They were all back online late on Friday after attacks forced them to shut for the first time in 40 years.

Putin shows no sign of backing down

The Kremlin has claimed that the attacks on Ukraine’s basic infrastructure are militarily legitimate, just as it’s tried to justify the actions of its forces throughout the war.

In a meeting with the mothers of Russian servicemen on Friday, Mr Putin again defended the invasion.

“Russia is first and foremost about people, their culture, their traditions, their history, which is passed down from generation to generation and absorbed with mother’s milk,” he said.

“The main guarantee of our success is our unity.”

While Mr Putin was having tea, his Ukrainian counterpart went to the town of Vyshhorodm, slightly north of Kyiv, to observe damage to buildings and one of the new emergency centres.

Earlier, the president met with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who pledged continued British support and condemned Russia’s “brutal attacks”.

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It comes ahead of Ukraine marking the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor famine, which the country recognises as a genocide against its people by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

Historians dispute whether the famine, which killed millions of Ukrainians, was a purposefully orchestrated bid to eradicate an independence movement, or a botched nationalisation policy.

It saw Stalin order police to seize grain, livestock and seed from Ukrainian farms.

Mr Cleverly used his visit to Kyiv to accuse Mr Putin of a similar attempt to starve Ukraine’s people.

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Pictures reveal inside of Bayesian sunken superyacht after it was resurfaced for full examination

Published

5 mins ago

June 29, 2025

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Pictures reveal inside of Bayesian sunken superyacht after it was resurfaced for full examination

The inside of the superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily almost a year ago has been seen for the first time after it was resurfaced.

British billionaire Mike Lynch, 59, his daughter Hannah, 18, and five others died after the 56-metre (184ft) Bayesian sank off Porticello on 19 August 2024.

Images reveal what the inside of the British-flagged vessel looks like now – after it was resurfaced and placed in a manufactured steel cradle in Termini Imerese.

In one picture, a lounge area can be seen, complete with sofas and other furniture, while another shows the hatch down to the lower deck.

Now the boat is back on land, a balloon-like instrument will be used to lift its 72m (236ft) mast after it was cut off with a remote-controlled tool to rest on the seabed.

While salvage workers continue a “full sweep” of the ocean floor nearby, a full examination of the yacht will look at what could have been done to prevent the tragedy.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) will then publish a report into its investigation.

The family of the Bayesian chef Recaldo Thomas, who was among those who died, says “lessons need to be learned”.

In a statement through the Thomas family lawyers Keystone Law, they said they want the investigation to “establish the truth of what happened” and “bring those responsible to justice”.

Simon Graves, an MAIB investigator, said of the investigation previously: “When the wreck is brought ashore, we’ll be completing a full examination of the wreck and we’ll be finding out all of the elements that might have contributed to the safety of the vessel.”

Things like the vessel’s “escape routes” will be included in the final report, Mr Graves added.

“Once we get access to the vessel we’ll be able to tell a fuller picture of activities on board and the sequence of events.”

A UK inquest will look at the deaths of Mr Lynch, Miss Lynch, Morgan Stanley banker Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife Judy, 71, who were all British nationals.

US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda also died.

Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares, were rescued.

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Riot police clash with protesters calling for end to Serbian president’s rule

Published

6 hours ago

June 29, 2025

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Riot police clash with protesters calling for end to Serbian president's rule

Serbian riot police have clashed with anti-government protesters calling for snap elections and an end to the 12-year rule of President Aleksandar Vucic.

The protest by tens of thousands of demonstrators was held in Belgrade on Saturday after months of persistent demonstrations led by Serbia‘s university students that have rattled Mr Vucic’s grip on power.

The crowd chanted “We want elections!” as they filled the capital’s central Slavija Square and several streets around it.

Students gave speeches. One, who didn’t give her name, said: “Elections are a clear way out of the social crisis caused by the deeds of the government, which is undoubtedly against the interests of their own people.

“Today, on June 28 2025, we declare the current authorities illegitimate.”

Tensions were high before and during the gathering.

Riot police had been deployed around government buildings, parliament and nearby Pionirski Park, where hundreds of Mr Vucic’s loyalists from across the country have been camping for months.

As the protest ended in the evening, some demonstrators threw bottles, rocks and flares at the police who were preventing the crowd from approaching Pionirski Park and confronting Mr Vucic’s backers.

Skirmishes between riot officers and groups of protesters lasted for several hours, with police firing tear gas to disperse crowds in several locations across Belgrade’s city centre.

Police detained several dozen protesters, while six officers were reported injured in the clashes, Dragan Vasiljevic, the director of police, told a news conference late on Saturday.

Responding to the violence, President Vucic said in an Instagram post: “Serbia always wins in the end.”

University students have been a key force behind nationwide demonstrations that started after a renovated rail station canopy collapsed, killing 16 people in November last year.

Many blamed the concrete roof crash on government corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects, leading to recurring protests.

President Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party have repeatedly refused the demand for an early parliamentary vote and accused protesters of planning to spur violence on orders from abroad, which they have not specified.

A former extreme nationalist, Mr Vucic has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power more than a decade ago. He formally says he wants Serbia to join the European Union, but critics say he has stifled democratic freedoms and strengthened ties with Russia and China.

While demonstrations have shrunk in recent weeks, the large showing for Saturday’s rally suggested that the resolve persists, despite relentless pressure and after nearly eight months of almost daily protests.

Serbian police, who are tightly controlled by Mr Vucic’s government, said 36,000 people were present at the start of Saturday’s protest.

An independent monitoring group that records public gatherings said a total of around 140,000 people were in attendance.

Serbia’s presidential and parliamentary elections are due in 2027.

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Thousands defy ban to join Pride march in Budapest

Published

15 hours ago

June 28, 2025

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Thousands defy ban to join Pride march in Budapest

If Hungary’s authorities thought banning this year’s Pride march would keep people off the streets, they were wrong.

Thousands turned out in Budapest, defying a law which said LGBTQ+ events like this should be cancelled to protect children.

The crowd was determined to fight for their rights.

“This is a special march, not just because it was the 30th, but also because it was banned,” said Orsi, who proudly wore a rainbow headband and waved a rainbow flag.

“I mean that’s all the more reason to go out on the street and show that Budapest and Hungary is a place where everybody is welcome, where love is equal,” she added.

Attendees had been warned that just being there could mean a 500 euro fine or prison time for the organisers.

They were told police would use facial recognition cameras to identify them, but they didn’t care.

Orsi said it was worth a fine.

Leonas had travelled from Poland to show his support and was also happy to take the risk.

“LGBT rights are attacked across the whole world, and we need to defend each other and work with each other,” he said.

Viktor Orban’s government has repeatedly pitched family values against LGBTQ+ rights.

“The mother is a woman, the father is a man and leave our kids alone,” he told conservative audiences in the past.

He says he is protecting Hungary’s Christian values, but critics say this is just part of a wider attack on democracy which has happened during his 15 years in control.

The Pride ban is just the latest targeting of LGBTQ+ communities.

In 2020, the country abolished its legal recognition of transgender people, and in 2021, politicians passed a law banning the depiction of homosexuality to under-18s.

While many were outraged by the attempt to cancel the Pride march, a small number of far-right activists organised demonstrations to show their support:

“Hungary and the Hungarian nation don’t want the aggressive LGBTQ+ propaganda. They are dangerous for our families, they are dangerous for our kids,” said Gabor Kelemen, a member of the 64 Counties Youth Movement.

However, the packed streets showed many disagree.

At one point, as far as the eye could see, the march snaked through streets and across the city’s bridges. The sound of drums and whistles mixing with gay anthems blaring out of speakers.

The organisers said they believed this will be the largest Pride march ever in Budapest.

The crowd was eclectic, with Hungarians from different communities joining a demonstration which many believe is now part of a fight for Hungary’s future.

“This is not only about the complexity of Pride, not only about love or equality… for Hungarians, it’s about sticking together, supporting each other, showing the government that we believe in a different kind of Hungary. We believe in freedom, we believe in democracy,” said activist Adam Kanicsar.

Despite the ban, today Pride attendees were celebrating a victory. But make no mistake, many in Hungary do not support the parade or what they see as an attack on traditional values.

Next year, the country will hold a general election, a vote which will expose how divided Hungary really is.