Ukraine's parliament suspends work in face of security threat from Russia

2024-11-22 17:56:12, Kosova & Bota CNA

Ukraine's parliament canceled a session on Friday as security measures were tightened after Russia launched a new ballistic missile that risks escalating the nearly three-year-old war.

NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks next Tuesday, following a request from Ukraine, the alliance announced. The meeting will be held at ambassadorial level and is likely to focus on the new missile threat.

Russian troops also struck the city of Sumy with Shahed drones overnight, killing two people and wounding 12 others, the regional administration said on Friday morning. The attack targeted a residential neighborhood of the city.

Meanwhile, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský arrived for a visit to Kiev. He posted a photo from the Kiev railway station on the X social network on Friday morning.

"I want to get to know the situation of the Ukrainians in the face of the bombings, the progress of the Czech projects on the ground and how to better use international aid in the coming months," said Minister Lipavský.

Three Ukrainian lawmakers confirmed that the planned parliamentary session was canceled due to the ongoing threat of Russian missile attacks targeting government buildings in the city center. In addition to closing the parliament "there were also recommendations to limit work in all commercial offices and NGOs located in that perimeter, and local residents were warned of the growing threat," said lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev, who added that it is not the first time there has been such a threat.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office continued to work in accordance with standard security measures, a spokesman said.

Russia on Thursday launched a new medium-range ballistic missile in response to Kiev's use of longer-range missiles sent by the US and Britain from Kiev, capable of striking deeper into Russian territory, it said. Russian President Vladimir Putin in a speech on Thursday.

The Pentagon confirmed that the Russian missile was a new, experimental type of medium-range missile based on the RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile./ VOA