Russian missiles hit Kyiv as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visits Ukraine’s capital

Two missiles landed near Kyiv’s CBD as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was meeting with the Ukrainian President.

Two missiles have slammed into a district close to Kyiv’s CBD as United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres was meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.

It’s a brazen act from Moscow given the head of the UN could have been harmed in the attack. Mr Guterres had held in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin the day before.

The incident came after the German parliament voted in favour of providing Ukraine with heavy weapons, backing a shift in policy that came with the decision to send tanks to Kyiv earlier this week.

Berlin’s move came shortly before US President Joe Biden announced a plan to send a further $US33bn ($A47bn) to Ukraine to help in its war against Russia.

Mr Biden also blasted Moscow for “idle comments” on the possible use of nuclear weapons in saying such talk showed Russia’s “desperation.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres give a joint press conference following their talks in Kyiv on April 28, 2022. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP)

Missiles strike Kyiv

Russian strikes slammed into Kyiv evening as Mr Guterres was visiting in the first such bombardment of Ukraine’s capital since mid-April, the president’s office and AFP correspondents said.

“Missile strikes in the downtown of Kyiv during the official visit of Antonio Guterres,” tweeted the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with AFP correspondents hearing the blast and seeing smoke and flames coming from the area.

Ukraine's defence minister tweeted, “By this heinous act of barbarism Russia demonstrates once again its attitude towards Ukraine, Europe and the world”

An unverified image showed smoke rising from close to central Kyiv.

Russia stroke Kyiv with cruise missiles right when UN Secretary General @antonioguterres and Bulgarian PM @KirilPetkov visit our capital. By this heinous act of barbarism Russia demonstrates once again its attitude towards Ukraine, Europe and the world.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 28, 2022

Russia just attacked Kyiv while UN Secretary-General António Guterres is holding a press conference with Zelenskyy. If confirmed, this marks a diplomatic pivotal turn for Russia. pic.twitter.com/XjYodgdSii

— Anna Bassi 🇺🇦🇺🇸🇮🇹🇪🇺 (@AnnaBassi14) April 28, 2022

Germany’s weapons turnaround

The German Bundestag voted with a large majority for a motion put forward jointly by the three ruling coalition parties — the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and liberal FDP — and the opposition conservatives.

The document calls for the “acceleration of the delivery of effective, including heavy, weapons and complex systems by Germany”.

Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht had said on Tuesday that Germany would send Gepard anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine, in a clear switch in Berlin’s cautious policy on military backing for Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech at a meeting of advisory council of the Russian parliament in Saint Petersburg yesterday. Picture: Alexandr Demyanchuk / SPUTNIK / AFP

German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht. Picture: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Germany had previously sent only defensive weapons, leaving Chancellor Olaf Scholz facing criticism that he was not doing enough to support Ukraine.

The motion approved on Thursday calls on the government to supply heavy weapons directly, as well as indirectly by replacing stocks sent to Ukraine from eastern European countries.

In a debate before the vote, Britta Hasselmann, co-chair of the Green party’s parliamentary group, said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a “blatant” breach of international law and Ukraine had an “unrestricted right to self-defence”.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Picture: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP

FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Duerr also said it was “right” to approve both direct and indirect heavy arms deliveries.

Scholz had previously justified his reluctance to send heavy weapons to Ukraine by saying he wished to avoid a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, a nuclear power.

But leader of the opposition CDU party, Friedrich Merz, on Thursday said it was not caution that was driving the chancellor.

“It is hesitation, it is dithering, it is timidity,” he said.

SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil accused Merz of trying to use the conflict to boost his political standing. “There is no room for party-political posturing here,” he said.

US says Russia should stop ‘idle’ threats of nuclear conflict

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden on Thursday slammed Moscow for “idle comments” on the possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. He said it “shows Russia’s desperation”.

“No one should be making idle comments about the use of nuclear weapons or the possibility that they would use that. It’s irresponsible,” Biden said.

He said that the United States will not let Russia use “gas blackmail” to pressure European allies and to undermine sanctions placed on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

“We will not let Russia intimidate or blackmail their way out of these sanctions. We will not allow them to use their oil and gas to avoid consequences for their aggression,” Biden said.

US President Joe Biden speaks about supporting Ukrainians defending their country against Russia, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC. Picture: Jim WATSON / AFP

Biden asked Congress on Thursday for $33 billion more for Ukraine, saying it was “not cheap” but that Washington could not stand by in the face of Russia’s “atrocities and aggression.”

Biden stressed that the United States was “not attacking Russia” despite Moscow’s “disturbing rhetoric,” even as he said that already the US has supplied Ukraine with 10 lethal anti-armour weapons systems for every tank Russia has sent into the country.

“We’re not attacking Russia. We are helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression,” Biden said.