Key Developments on May 30:
- 1 killed, 13 injured in overnight attack on Kyiv and surrounding region
- Moscow witnesses rare drone attack
- US, UK issue contradicting response to attacks on Moscow
- Blinken announces future restrictions on technology found in Iranian drone
- Italy, US to deliver more military aid
One woman was killed, and 13 people were injured after Russia launched an overnight drone strike against Kyiv and the surrounding oblast on May 30.
In Kyiv, one 33-year-old woman was killed by the strike, and nine people suffered injuries. Four other people were wounded elsewhere in Kyiv Oblast.
The attack was the 3rd bombardment of Kyiv within the past 24 hours and the 17th in May.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 31 Shahed kamikaze drones in its recent attack.
Ukraine's air defenses managed to destroy 29 of them.
Drones were launched from the southern and northern directions, and almost all were shot down on approach to Kyiv or over the capital.
Debris from a drone fell and caused a fire in a high-rise residential building in Kyiv's Holosiivskyi District, killing at least one person and injuring four others, the administration said. The top two floors were destroyed, the administration added. All emergency services are working on the site.
Debris that fell over Kyiv's Darnytskyi District caused a fire in a house and damaged cars.
According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, three cars caught fire in Kyiv's central Pecherskyi District.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on May 30 the U.S. plans to impose additional restrictions on Iran, primarily targeting drone production.
"Tomorrow, we'll announce new actions that build on the export controls on the technology that's found in Iranian drones used to target Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure, to counter Russian misinformation and disinformation, to protect human rights defenders online," Blinken said during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
The Kyiv IndependentAnastasiia Lapatina
Moscow under fire
Soon, Moscow was hit by drones. Several drones hit high-rise buildings in Moscow overnight on May 30, others were downed nearby.
Meduza news outlet said at least five drones reached Moscow, according to photos and videos shared online. Russia's Defense Ministry says eight were downed.
The attack supposedly damaged a building's exterior and windows, but no casualties were reported. According to Russian authorities, the incident happened around 4 a.m.
One drone hit the upper floors of a residential building number on Profsoyuznaya Street, another damaged a building on Atlasova Street.
Another drone supposedly flew into the 14th floor of a high-rise building on Leninsky Avenue but did not explode.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of orchestrating it, claiming Russia would respond "correspondingly." Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, denied Kyiv's involvement in the attack.
U.S. and U.K. officials gave conflicting responses to the May 30 drone attack on Moscow, relaunching debate as to whether Ukraine has the right to respond to Russian attacks by striking targets deep inside the country.
U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said during a press conference that Ukraine has "the legitimate right to (defend itself) within its own borders, but it does also have the right to project force beyond its borders to undermine Russia's ability to project force into Ukraine."
U.S. officials offered a different response.
"As a general matter, we do not support attacks inside of Russia," a U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said, according to CNN.
"We have been focused on providing Ukraine with the equipment and training they need to retake their own sovereign territory, and that's exactly what we've done," the spokesperson added.
The Kyiv IndependentAgatha Gorski
Italy, US to deliver more military aid
Italy will provide Ukraine with another military aid package, the seventh since the beginning of Russia's all-out war, Italian news outlet La Repubblica reported on May 30.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced the upcoming delivery at a meeting of the parliamentary committee on security issues, according to La Repubblica.
The package's contents and details on the transfer are classified, but there are speculations Rome would focus on providing additional air defense capabilities.
Italy's previous defense assistance package to Ukraine included Italian-French SAMP-T, Spada, and Skyguard air defense systems.
Voice of America reported on May 30 that the U.S. is set to provide an additional $300 million military aid package the following day.
According to Voice of America, the aid package is expected to include munitions for the Patriot missile defense system.
Georgian PM blames Ukraine for Russian invasion
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said that Russia's decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine was "partly" motivated by Ukraine's NATO aspirations.
"I don't want to speculate, I don't want to quote the statements of the Russian government. But one of the reasons was the desire of Ukraine to become a member of NATO. Therefore, we see the consequences," Garibashvili said during the 2023 Globsec forum in Bratislava.
The prospect of NATO expansion has been cited as an attempt to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine, although Russia has no control over the policy decisions of sovereign nations.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also led to NATO's expansion, with once-neutral Finland officially joining the military alliance in early April. Sweden's membership bid is ongoing.
Georgia has long sought NATO membership while having around 20% of its territory occupied by Russia.
The Kyiv IndependentIllia Ponomarenko
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