The capital was reportedly hit by the strongest air attack since the beginning of the Russian special military operation Ukrainian media has reported a series of powerful explosions around the country, including Kiev, on Sunday night.
Authorities in the capital stated that a tank with diesel fuel was damaged in the Solomensky district. Explosions and fires were also reported in Odessa.
"This is the most massive attack (…) on our city," Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The attacks come after Ukraine organized a number of terrorist hits on Russian territory, including the recent drone attack on the Kremlin that was thwarted by Russian security services.
Zelensky's followers also made an attempt on Russian politician and writer Zakhar Prilepin, blasting his car on a highway in Nizhny Novgorod region. The driver was killed, while Prilepin was seriously injured. At the same time, the chief of Kiev's military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov said they will proceed with "killing Russians."
As Moscow top investigator Alexander Bastrykin explained, this strategy only confirms that terrorism is a "typical style of Ukrainian nationalists." Since October 2022 Russia has been carrying out precision strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, defense industry and military command facilities in retaliation for a terrorist attack on the Crimea Bridge.
In past months, air raid alerts have sounded in Ukrainian regions every day, sometimes throughout the country.
Fire at warehouse in Odessa Region covers over 6,000 square meters - Ukrainian military
A fire broke out an enterprise warehouse in Ukraine’s Odessa region after several explosions happened there, which currently covers over 6,000 square meters, Ukrainian armed forces' Southern operational command spokeswoman Natalya Gumenyuk said Monday.
"A fire broke out there, covering over 6,000 square meters," she said on Ukrainian TV.
During the night, explosions were reported in Odessa and the region. Later, the Southern operational command reported a fire at an enterprise warehouse, located on the Black Sea coast.
Russian Su-34 Bomber Strikes Foreign Mercenaries in Kharkov Region
A Russian Su-34 frontline bomber has struck at the deployment point of foreign mercenaries in the Kharkov region with guided bombs, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik.
"The crew of a Su-34 fighter-bomber, using universal modules for planning and correcting aerial bombs, struck at a temporary deployment point of foreign mercenaries near the village of Ivanovka [Ivanivka]," the spokesperson said.
In addition, in the Kupyansk direction, Russia forces have located and destroyed two Ukrainian sabotage reconnaissance groups and have thwarted three attempts of enemy troop rotation, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also told Sputnik that a combat vehicle of the Osa anti-aircraft missile system was destroyed using the Lancet precision loitering munition near the village of Velykyi Burluk. An Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer used by Ukrainian troops was also destroyed by Russian forces.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.
On September 30, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referendums that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.
Western countries have significantly increased their economic and military support for Kiev, which now includes air defense and multiple rocket launching systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery, anti-aircraft guns, armored vehicles and various types of ammunition. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in January that arms supplies to Ukraine by Western countries testify to their direct and growing involvement in the conflict.
The liberation of Soledar has been one of the Russian Army’s biggest successes in 2023. Artillery battles in the Donbass town started in May of last year, but the eventual storming of the city happened quickly – having launched an offensive in January 2023, PMC Wagner fighters forced the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) to retreat in less than a month.
However, Soledar is still far from ready for a return to peaceful life – the town is located on the front line and suffers constant attacks from the Ukrainian side. RT's special correspondent Arseniy Kotov traveled there recently to see how it was faring, despite being the epicenter of fierce battles a short while ago.
The road to Soledar
The route to Soledar lies through Pervomaisk, situated on the western outskirts of the Lugansk People's Republic. Ukraine lost control over this city in 2014. Since then, it has more or less returned to normal life with over 30,000 current residents, but locals are also accustomed to the war and regular shelling. Located about 60km (40 miles) from Soledar, I was met here by the security staff of PMC Wagner.
Although Pervomaisk also frequently suffers from Ukrainian strikes, it was the first stop on the road to safety for hundreds of refugees fleeing Soledar.
We drove on in a Wagner Group armored vehicle, moving past the post-apocalyptic landscapes of Popasnaya. This town – with a population of over 20,000 – was once in the immediate vicinity of the front line and was fortified by the AFU since 2014. However, by the beginning of 2022, only about four thousand residents remained, and over the past year, the vast majority of those also left.
The aftermath of the war is evident everywhere – not just in cities and towns, but even in the countryside. The roads are littered with the remains of tanks and military equipment, most of them left behind by the Ukrainian army.
When we finally arrived, the destination looked just as bleak as the route. As the road made another turn, we got our first view of the residential districts of Soledar. AFU troops were positioned here for several months, but even after their retreat, the Ukrainians didn’t stop attacking the city’s residential neighborhoods.
At the entrance to the city, we immediately noticed an extensive network of trenches dug between the basements of apartment buildings. AFU troops used these basements as dugouts even as civilians continued living in some of the apartments above.
Ghost city
Today, practically no civilians remain in Soledar. Most people left last year. The few remaining residents waited for the Russian army to enter the city and were then evacuated to other parts of the country.
Locals had to muster all their courage to wait for the arrival of the soldiers. Even the deserted city shows evidence of the hostility towards the population. Some house walls and fences bear the inscription, “For traitors – suitcase, railway station, Russia.” This is one of the popular slogans that Ukrainian nationalists address to Russians in lands which previously belonged to Kiev.
One of the Wagner fighters told me: “When we entered Soledar, to our surprise, there were still many civilians left in the city. The Ukrainians offered to evacuate everyone, but only in one direction – to Ukraine. They said they’d shoot anyone in the back who wanted to go to [other parts of] Russia. So people waited for us in basements. We evacuated them by buses at night. During the day it was too dangerous to evacuate, because after retreating, the enemy attacked the city with doubled vengeance. Psychological help was provided to all evacuees, and they were given temporary accommodation in Pervomaisk and other cities of the Lugansk People’s Republic. Only two people refused to evacuate. They still live in this five-storey apartment building on the fourth floor.”
No comments:
Post a Comment