Zelenskyy accused Russia of “state terrorism” and called for its expulsion from the Security Council. Fighting is raging in southern and eastern Ukraine, and Russia has announced that it has arrested Mayor Kherson.
According to the latest news, Russian security forces have arrested Ihor Kulichayev, the mayor of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. They said he had disobeyed Russian orders. One of Kulichayev’s advisers said the mayor was “kidnapped because he did not want to cooperate with the Russian occupiers.”
At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskyy accused Russia of “state terrorism.” He attended a UN Security Council meeting via video link after a Russian missile strike on a shopping mall in the city of Kermanchuk, calling on Russia to deprive Russia of all rights in the Security Council. By having a veto in the Security Council, Russia can prevent such actions at any time, as well as Zelenskyy’s request.
Dozens of people are still unaccounted for after the Russian missile strike on the mall, Reuters reported on Wednesday (June 29th). The Russian attack on the center killed at least 18 people.
At the same time, the governor of Luhansk has said that Russian attacks on Lysichansk in eastern Ukraine are on the rise. “The situation in Lysichansk is very difficult,” he said on Ukrainian television. “The Russians are attacking everywhere with all the weapons at their disposal, including civilian targets, schools, kindergartens, cultural institutions,” he said. “Everything will be destroyed,” he said.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Kryl Petkov has announced the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats. Bulgarian intelligence services have identified them as acting “against the interests” of his country, he said. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said the diplomats were considered a “threat to national security” and should leave by July 3rd.