Russian military says it knocked out Ukraine air defences
Moscow(AP): The Russian military says it has knocked out Ukraine's air defence assets and airbases.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the Russian strikes have suppressed air defence means of the Ukrainian military, adding that the infrastructure of Ukraine's military bases has been incapacitated. It denied the claims that a Russian warplane was shot down over Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military, meanwhile, reported that it has shot down five Russian aircraft while fending off the Russian attack on the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he unleashed an attack on Ukraine in a televised address early Thursday, drawing international condemnation.
Beijing: China is advising its people in Ukraine to stay home because of ongoing military actions and chaos but made no mention of Russian forces.
The notice issued on its Kyiv embassy's social media account Thursday said: Social order is chaotic and out of control, especially in the cities where at times of serious unrest."
It said a person walking on the streets could be a target of attack and traffic could be stopped at any time. It added that people should remain calm and contact local authorities if they come into danger.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the military operation in eastern Ukraine early Thursday.
China has denounced sanctions against Russia, with which it has increasingly aligned its foreign policy to challenge the West, and blamed the US and its allies for provoking Moscow.
Brussels: The top European Union chiefs said the invasion of Ukraine will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia and that more sanction will be in the offing.
The 27-nation bloc already issued sanctions on Russia for its recognition of breakaway republics in Ukraine earlier this week, and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will outline a further sanctions package .
The 27 EU leaders will discuss them later Thursday at a summit meeting and they could be imposed soon after.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
