Ukraine: Explosion in the center of the capital Kyiv.

Smoke and flames rise from an explosion in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo: Ukrainian President's Office/VNA)

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the explosions occurred in the central Podil district of the capital and that no further details were available at this time.

Meanwhile, in a statement on Twitter, the South African Presidential Palace said: “South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African leaders are participating in the African Leaders’ Peace Mission at St. Andrew’s Church in Bucha,” near Kyiv. The delegation, comprising leaders from South Africa, Senegal, Comoros, and Egypt, is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on June 17.

In a related development, on the same day, the Kremlin affirmed that President Putin remains open to any contact to discuss a solution to the Ukraine conflict.

The comments were made ahead of an African peace delegation proposing a new peace initiative to Putin. According to a draft document obtained by Reuters, the proposal would include a series of “confidence-building measures” in reconciliation efforts. These measures would include the withdrawal of Russian troops, the removal of tactical nuclear weapons from Belarus, the suspension of the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Putin, and the lifting of sanctions. The document asserts that the delegation's purpose is to “emphasize the importance of peace and encourage the parties to agree to a diplomatic negotiation process.”

By BICH LIEN (News Report)

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