Russia launches missile attack on Kiev, Italy urges citizens to leave Ukraine

According to RT, in a message posted on May 8 on the Viaggiare Sicuri website managed by the Italian Foreign Ministry, the Italian Embassy emphasized: “Italian citizens still in Ukraine are advised to use available means, including trains, to leave the country immediately, at a time when the curfew has not yet come into effect. Extreme caution is required. All trips to Ukraine, under any circumstances, are not recommended.”

Embassy of Italy in Kiev, Ukraine. Photo: Embassy.center

Italian diplomatic representatives further noted that missile attacks were recorded both in the capital Kiev and throughout Ukraine.

Rome recalled non-essential staff from its embassy in Kiev last year as Moscow launched a special military operation in the neighboring country. Italian authorities have also urged citizens to avoid the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine as well as Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

US adds $1.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine

CNN quoted an unnamed US official as saying that Washington is expected to announce a new military aid package worth $1.2 billion for Ukraine as early as today (May 9). The move comes at a crucial time for Kiev forces' plans to counterattack Russian troops.

Soldiers from Ukraine's Aidar Battalion unload artillery shells at a position near the Bakhmut front line. Photo: The Guardian

The new aid package will include drones, artillery, anti-aircraft missiles and other features, according to US officials. The aid package is part of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), meaning Washington will contract to buy weapons and ammunition from manufacturers instead of taking them directly from the US Department of Defense stockpile to transfer to Kiev.

Rather than sending Ukraine the weapons it is proposing, USAI's assistance packages are intended to create medium- and long-term supplies for the Eastern European country.

Tuan Anh