By Nurat Uthman
Kyiv shuttered parliament on Friday for one day, citing the potential for a Russian missile attack after President Vladimir Putin issued a warning to the West by launching a new intermediate-range missile at Ukraine.
Moscow’s 33-month invasion of Ukraine escalated this week with Russia’s first launch of a nuclear-capable mid-range ballistic missile at the city of Dnipro on Thursday.
The Kremlin said on Friday that a hawkish address by Putin, in which he threatened to strike the West and stated he was “ready for any scenario,” had been “understood” in the United States.
Putin had said that Moscow reserved the right to strike countries that allow Kyiv to hit Russian territory with their weapons, after the US and the UK gave Kyiv the green light to do so.
NATO and Ukrainian officials are due to meet on Tuesday in Brussels to discuss the escalation, diplomatic sources told AFP.
In Kyiv, which is frequently targeted by Russian drones and missiles, parliament cancelled its usual Friday questions to the government due to fears of a strike.
The central area where parliament is located houses the presidency, the central bank, and other government buildings. It has until now been spared bombings, unlike the rest of the capital, and access is strictly controlled by the army.
Several MPs stated that they were working remotely, and that Friday’s session had been scrapped.
