Russia put Estonia’s leader and politicians from other Baltic states on its wanted list, as Ukraine thanked the US Senate for backing a Bill to supply it with vital military aid and urged Republicans in the House of Representatives to lift their opposition to the package.
Heavy fighting and Russian air strikes continued in eastern Ukraine, where a hospital was evacuated and schools closed in the city of Dnipro after a power station was damaged in a missile and drone attack, and Kyiv sent reinforcements to the devastated town of Avdiivka to bolster its defence against enemy raids.
Moscow added Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas, her state secretary Taimar Peterkop, Lithuanian culture minister Simonas Kairys and dozens of members of Latvia’s previous parliament to its wanted list, for what Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called “crimes against the memory of those who liberated the world from Nazism and fascism”.
The Baltic states, which were occupied by the Soviet Union from the 1940s until 1991, have angered Moscow by removing monuments to Soviet “liberators” from prominent places in their main cities, and by being some of Ukraine’s strongest allies.
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“These are people who take hostile actions towards both historical memory and our country,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
“Russia’s move is nothing surprising. This is yet more proof that I am doing the right thing – the EU’s strong support to Ukraine is a success and it hurts Russia,” Ms Kallas responded on social media.
“Throughout history, Russia has veiled its repressions behind so-called law enforcement agencies. I know this from my family history. When my grandmother and mother were deported to Siberia, the KGB issued the arrest warrant,” she added.
“The Kremlin now hopes this move will help to silence me and others – but it won’t. The opposite. I will continue my strong support to Ukraine. I will continue to stand for increasing Europe’s defence.”
Ukraine’s military said it shot down 16 of 23 explosive drones fired by Russia early on Tuesday, some of which damaged a power station supplying the city of Dnipro.
“We are evacuating a hospital … and moving out a considerable number of palliative-care patients. We are also closing schools, because according to the forecast it is expected to get colder soon and the [heating] system won’t hold up,” said Dnipro mayor Borys Filatov, adding that the city’s power and other infrastructure was “hanging by a thread”.
The US Senate backed a Bill to send $60 billion (€56 billion) in military aid to Ukraine and smaller amounts to Israel and Taiwan, but allies of former president Donald Trump said they would continue to block the move in the Republican-held House of Representatives
“I am grateful to … every US senator who has supported continued assistance to Ukraine,” said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“The world is waiting for American leadership to remain steadfast and help protect lives and preserve freedom,” he added. “This was the first step, next step is the House of Representatives… We expect a positive decision. We hope for principled support.”
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