Ukraine cancels parliament session over fears of Russian missile strike; NATO, Ukraine to meet next week

Ukraine’s parliament cancelled its session scheduled for Friday (Nov 22), citing concerns about the risk of a Russian missile attack targeting Kyiv's government district.

"The hour of questions to the government has been cancelled," a member of parliament from the ruling party told news agency AFP. Yevgenia Kravchuk, another MP, said, “There are signals of an increased risk of attacks on the government district in the coming days.”

Despite the cancelled session, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office continued to operate. Three lawmakers told the Associated Press that the decision was made due to the ongoing threat that Russian missile strikes pose.

The move follows temporary closures of several foreign embassies in Kyiv, including the United States representative office, as the concerns over potential strikes by Russia continue to rise.

'Played into Putin's hands'

The decision to cancel the parliamentary session has drawn mixed reactions. Oleksiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian MP, criticised the move on Telegram, "They created even more panic. In fact, they played into (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's hands. What a circus."

NATO and Ukraine set to meet in Brussels to discuss the Russian missile strike

Meanwhile, NATO and Ukraine are set to meet on Tuesday (Nov 26) in Brussels to discuss the Russian missile strike. Diplomats told AFP that ambassadors from both sides will convene at the NATO-Ukraine Council to address the situation.

This development also comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a strong 'warning' to the West by test-firing a new intermediate-range missile in Ukraine. The missile struck a factory in Dnipro, central Ukraine, that produces missiles.

Putin claimed the new missile could carry a nuclear warhead and described the attack as a reaction to Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles supplied by the US and the United Kingdom. He further warned that Moscow reserves the right to target military facilities in countries that allow Ukraine to use their weapons against Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)

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