Boosted air defences can’t come soon enough for weary Ukraine
Oleksandr Ivchenko was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the Hotel Profsoyuznaya last week after it was hit by a Russian ballistic missile at breakfast time. The fireman spent the morning digging people out of the debris of the eightfloor Soviet-era building close to the centre of Chernihiv, a northern Ukrainian city 560km from the front line.
Hours later, he was resting by his fire engine near an emergency tent where people were giving details of missing family. “All I remember is blood and glass everywhere,” he said.
“The hotel was destroyed from the eighth floor to the third. The driver of a nearby car was blown apart by the shockwave. His body was a mess.”
Fighting back tears, he wanted to show that his resolve was undimmed. “We’ll fight to the end,” he added. “Until every Russian soldier in Ukraine is dead.”
But for all the courage of Ukraine’s civilians and soldiers, the attack on Chernihiv showed how the trajectory of the war is spiralling out of their control.
As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has kept saying in recent days, a growing number of Russian missiles are hitting their targets because Ukraine is running out of the sophisticated Western-made air defence systems it needs to stop them.
At least 17 people were killed and dozens injured when three missiles landed last Wednesday in the centre of Chernihiv, which had a population of 280,000 before the war. “This would not have happened if Ukraine had received sufficient air defence equipment and if the world’s determination to counter Russian terror had been sufficient,” Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Why the hotel was targeted is not clear. Several Russian military bloggers claimed a high-level military delegation was meeting there. This was denied by the Ukrainians, who see the attack as part of a broader strategy of disrupting life and undermining morale.
“This year the attacks have intensified. Only this month, more than a thousand shells have fallen on the Chernihiv region, mostly near the border with Russia and Belarus,” said Vyacheslav Chaus, the regional governor, during a visit to makeshift kitchens set up for those whose homes had been damaged.
“We have had huge international support, but war has a price, and victory has a price. The price today is not money, but the lives of our people, and the sooner we get more air defence systems, the fewer people will die.”
The assault on the city came six days after a missile attack destroyed the massive Trypilska thermal power plant south of Kyiv, which had the capacity to supply more than the capital’s entire pre-war energy needs.
Ukrainian air defences downed the first seven of the 11 missiles but were unable to stop the last four getting through, Zelenskyy told America’s Public Broadcasting Service. “Why? Because we had zero missiles ... We ran out of all missiles.”
In comments echoed across Ukraine last week, the Ukrainian leader has contrasted his country’s plight with the way the United States, as well as Britain, France and Jordan, helped Israel to intercept the 300 missiles and drones Iran fired at its territory last weekend.
Earlier this year, Ukraine was intercepting about 60% of Russian missiles. The rate has now dropped below 50%, according to a study by the Institute of the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank .
“Russian forces have not intensified the size or the regularity of their missile and drone strikes in Ukraine, but they have become more effective,” said Riley Bailey, who co-authored the report.
During the early part of this year, Russians tended to attack civilian and military infrastructure and defence facilities. Starting a month ago, however, they have concentrated on critical energy infrastructure such as the Trypilska plant.
The Russians’ success is in part because they have become better at targeting, experimenting with different combinations of types of missiles since they tried and failed to destroy the Ukrainian energy grid during the winter of 2022-23.
The nature of the airborne threat to Ukraine is essentially fourfold: ballistic missiles, such as the ground-launched Iskander 9M723 and air-launched Kinzhal Kh-47M2; cruise missiles, such as the Kh-101; drones, such as the Iranian-designed Shahed 136; and “glide bombs”, such as KAB-500s, which have been converted by the addition of wings.
Each posed a different challenge, which
“The sooner we get more air defence systems, the fewer people will die.” Chernihiv regional governor Vyacheslav Chaus
could be intensified if they were combined with one another, said Jack Watling, a senior research fellow for land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute.
The speed and altitude of ballistic missiles, for example, makes them difficult for most air defence systems to engage. They also play havoc with radar by dispensing small penetration devices that create false tracks. Substantial warheads and considerable momentum amplify the damage.
The need to fend off Russian strikes on civilians and on infrastructure can also divert scarce air defences away from frontline forces fighting in the east.
Top of Kyiv's wish list have been the US-made Patriot MIM-104 surface-to-air missile systems, which are the only ones shown to have been consistently able to bring down Russian ballistic weapons.
The Ukrainians are believed to have three batteries – including one used to protect Kyiv – but say they would need 25 systems, which cost more than US$1 billion (NZ$1.7b) each, to cover the entire country.
Speaking by video link to a Nato defence ministerial council on Friday, Zelenskyy urged its members to give Ukraine a minimum of seven Patriot systems, revealing that Russia had fired nearly 1200 missiles and 1500 drones at Ukraine since the start of this year.
The US Ukrainian Aid Bill includes US$2.7b (NZ$4.6b) for Patriots and offensive Himars missiles – enough to buy a “significant amount” of Patriots, even at US$4 million (NZ$6.8m) a missile, said John Hoehn, a military analyst at the Rand Corporation.
The people of Chernihiv, meanwhile, have been reflecting on the horrors of Wednesday's attack.
Inna Fesenko, director-general of the regional hospital, which is opposite the Profsoyuznaya hotel, described falling to the ground when the missiles struck. “As soon as we could get on our feet, we began to clear up,” she said. “No-one was hurt because all the patients were either in shelters or in the corridors. Four pregnant women and a mother with her newborn have been transferred to a nearby hospital.”
After two years and two months of war, Ukrainians are tired and anxious, but the speed with which they return to normal life is perhaps a key to their remarkable resilience. Cracks are beginning to show, however, as cities come under relentless nightly attacks.
Drinking tea in a cosy Kyiv cafe, Irina, a nurse and beautician turned ambulance driver, conceded that even in the capital, where people had grown used to ignoring air raid warnings, the mood was darkening. “Now that we know the air defences are running out, we are returning to the bomb shelters,” she said.
The place
When you hear a “chic New York-style hotel” has opened with such features as a glass-roofed ‘Winter Garden’, a luxe lounge with a carefully curated library, and a co-working space that doubles as a gallery for local artworks, you expect you’d have to have to part with a fair chunk of your pay cheque to stay there.
Especially when the hotel in question, Abstract Auckland, also boasts a gym, restaurant, bar and day spa with some of the finest massage therapists in the city – if not New Zealand.
It’s not an out-of-the-way location that’s keeping room costs down either. Karangahape Road, arguably Auckland’s coolest street with its string of on-trend cafes, restaurants, bars, galleries and boutiques, is just a few steps away.
But Nigel McKenna, whose Templeton Group developed Abstract Auckland, appears determined to ensure that the Gen Zers this hotel is likely to appeal to will be able to afford to stay.
When Stuff Travel checked the website, rooms started from just over $130 a night for two guests – a surefire bargain considering the location, amenities and overall vibe.
The catch is that rooms are smaller than many will be used to – the ‘Little
Lux Studio is just 14 square metres. There are larger rooms and one and two-bedroom apartments available, however, and the communal spaces are so inviting you’re bound to want to spend at least some time there.
The space
With its dark colour scheme, sleek decor and colourful contemporary wall art by Auckland artists such as Ross Liew, Hayley Brown and Fraser Clements, whose iconic photographic portrait of the late Graham Maunsel hangs in the lobby, Abstract has an edgy vibe entirely in keeping with the K’ Rd precinct.
The 290-bed, 11-storey complex also contains residences, so the communal spaces are designed to be places people are likely to hang out in for a while and keep returning to.
With sunlight streaming down through the glass roof, the Winter Garden enables you to get your nature fix whatever the weather. Strung with fairy lights and filled with plants, tables and chairs, it’s a lovely spot to eat breakfast, enjoy a
Staying there: Room rates start at around $131.75 a night for a Little Lux Studio and from $187 a night for a one-bedroom Metro Unit.
drink in the evening and, on cooler days, cuddle up by the fire.
Adjacent, you’ll find a co-working space where you can feel a sense of communion as you tap away on your laptop, and the Library Lounge is just across the hall.
With plush crimson couches, two fireplaces, rather risque black-andwhite wall art and shelves stuffed with books on all manner of interesting subjects (some of which are quite risque themselves), it’ll make you feel like lord or lady of the manor as you enjoy your downtime.
The room
With its thick blackout curtains and midnight-blue walls, the one-bedroom apartment I check into seems perfect for those who’ll need a long sleep-in after a night on the town.
At 28sqm, it’s relatively small, but has everything I need for a weekend stay, including a kitchenette with a large fridge, stove-top and coffee machine, a TV with Netflix and a powerful hair dryer.
Located on the eighth floor, it overlooks the infamous Symonds Street Cemetery – an atmospheric place for a stroll by day but best avoided after dark.
The comfy bed has exceptionally plump pillows, the fan heaters warm up the space in a flash, and the yellow couch is a perfect place to curl up with a book from the library (just remember to return it afterwards).
The only drawback is the lack of space to put your toiletries near the kitchen sink, although there is a cabinet behind it you can store them in.
Food and drink
With dark wood panelling offset by appropriately abstract artworks, on-site restaurant Collage is a cosy spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and you can also opt to eat in the Winter Garden.
There’s a bit of a kerfuffle when I mention I am gluten and dairy-free, but staff soon come back with a menu highlighting exactly which dishes I can choose from, which is most of them.
The ceviche and snapper I opt for are both delicious, filling and fairly priced, although perhaps lack the X-factor of meals at some of K’ Rd’s better restaurants.
Abstract shines on the drinks front though. The small, speakeasy-style bar turns out quality cocktails with an Auckland twist (signature drinks include the Tāmaki Mojito and K’ Rd Old Fashioned, and mocktails that, unusually, taste just as good.
The highlight
The 150-minute signature massage at the Sa-Ni day spa with master therapist Jay. Her healing hands – and elbows and feet – left the old body feeling like it had been reborn.
The lowlight
There are limited options at breakfast for the gluten and dairy-free, but the chefs are happy to make modifications.
The verdict
One of the best-value new places to stay in Auckland City – with one of the best massages.
Forget glittering chandeliers, highthread-count linens, dining rooms decked out in gold leaf. What lifts a hotel into the top tier of luxury is the way it makes you feel. These properties all have their own style but each one creates a lasting impression (but you’ll need to say “to hell with the cost of living” if you want to stay in one).
It has the most famous hotel facade in Paris, but the thing that strikes you most when you pull up outside the Hotel Plaza Athénée is not those distinctive red awnings.
No, it’s the fact that the doorman who opens your car door will greet you by name – even if this is your first stay. That attention to detail is the reason that guests who can afford to stay anywhere they like keep returning to this 100-yearold hotel.
Choose between the art deco rooms and the classic interiors (we prefer the timeless elegance of the latter), but a coffee in the elegant La Galerie is essential.
The hotel also rejoices in one of Paris’ best, and most beautiful, dining rooms, Jean Imbert au Plaza Athénée. If you can’t afford the multi-course dinner, breakfast is served in the same resplendent room. See: dorchestercollection.com
Cambodia is better known for its ancient temples than its forests, but Shinta Mani Wild is helping to change that.
Everything about this sumptuous tented camp is over-the-top, from the arrival experience – guests are encouraged to take the zip line over the tree tops – to the uber-luxe riverside tents, each one equipped with a hand-carved bed, a complimentary bar (trust us, there is nothing mini about it) and an expansive deck complete with roll-lipped tub.
Creator Bill Bensley conceived this as a conservation project and the forest-based activities include not just hikes and orchid walks but the chance to accompany rangers on their anti-poaching patrols.
And if that’s not enough to win you over, daily spa treatments are included in the tariff.
See: shintamani.com
Jackie Kennedy. Michael Jackson. Princess Diana. George Clooney. Celebrities have been flocking to The Carlyle for decades and this Upper East Side stalwart remains as alluring as ever.
The location, two blocks from Central Park, is excellent, but it’s the old-school service (where else will you find elevator operators wearing white gloves?) that really sets the mood.
The hotel is anything but stuffy – it is home to one of New York’s best cabarets, Café Carlyle, where the likes of Alan Cumming take to the stage.
Another highlight: the legendary Bemelmans Bar, which has a Mad Menstyle ambience and gorgeous murals by Ludwig Bemelman, creator of the Madeline children’s books.
See: rosewoodhotels.com
Wherever you go in India you will end up tripping over ornate palace hotels but if romance is on the menu, the Taj Lake Palace is top of the list.
Floating in Lake Pichola, the palace, built almost 300 years ago for the local Maharana, has 360-degree views and a sense of splendid isolation, yet a boat trip of just a few minutes puts you right in the heart of the historic city.
The rooms are sumptuous (opt for one of the heritage suites if your wallet is up to
Five-star hotels aren’t always about opulent lobbies and buzzing rooftop bars. Sometimes you want something that feels more low-key without dialling down the luxe.
J.K. Place Roma in Italy fits the bill. Arriving here feels like arriving at the home of a fabulously wealthy friend. Check-in is conducted over coffee (or Champagne, if you prefer) in the inviting lounge; a hidden lift takes you up to your room where the décor is lush yet restrained.
The location, in a quiet side street
Having perfected the art of the tropical resort, Aman chose Tokyo as the location for its first urban retreat, creating the perfect hideaway in the buzzing Japanese capital.
Architect Kerry Hill used traditional Japanese design to turn designed Aman Tokyo, located on the top six levels of a skyscraper, into a haven of serenity.
The oversized rooms feature materials including stone, wood and washi paper, while the top floor spa – complete with a pool with a view – allows you to discover a deeper level of relaxation.
The restaurants are superb. Be sure to
book ahead to dine at Musashi, where eight diners take a seat at a hinoki wood counter to enjoy carefullycrafted sushi.
See: aman.com
With 14km of white-sand beaches and some of the most sweeping sunsets anywhere on the planet, Desroches Island is the tropical island of your dreams.
The only resort on the island, Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island is designed to let you drink in your surrounds.
Chill out in your sprawling villa, pay a visit to the resident population of the indigenous giant Aldabra tortoises, or enjoy the sensational diving or snorkelling. Sunset drinks on the rooftop followed by an al fresco dinner is the best way to end the day. During the nesting season, your dinner may be interrupted by a staffer inviting you to watch turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs.
See: fourseasons.com
London’s grand hotels do a nice line in old-school splendour but if you prefer something a little less predictable,
Soho’s Ham Yard Hotel offers a more contemporary take on luxury.
The village-style set-up of this Firmdale Hotels flagship gives guests a lot to discover, from a cinema and multiple restaurants to a bowling alley, as well as some delightful guests-only areas.
Best of all are Kit Kemp’s dazzling interiors.
An inspired jumble of colours and textures, there is something to catch your eye no matter where you look, from fabric wallpapers, to distressed wood cabinets, to an extraordinary array of artworks. See: firmdalehotels.com