Russia intensified its aerial attacks against the Ukrainian cities of Odesa and Donetsk, causing at least six casualties and substantial damage to many homes, according to Ukrainian officials in the affected regions.
Recently, Russian forces have escalated their airborne assaults in the ongoing war, which has lasted almost a year and four months, as mentioned by a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military. Concurrently, the Ukrainian armed forces are making slight territorial gains during the initial stages of a counteroffensive to reclaim nearly a fifth of the country currently under Russian occupation.
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar confirmed the slow progress of the Ukrainian offensive. Western military analysts and officials suggest that the dislodging of well-armed and numerous Russian troops entrenched in Ukrainian territory may span years.
As stated by Maliar, the Ukrainian forces have managed to make advances of 200-500 meters at varying segments of the frontline surrounding the Donetsk city of Bakhmut and 300-350 meters in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. These advancements have been achieved despite Russia’s superior artillery, air power, and the vast number of landmines left behind by their troops. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian battlefield losses have been remarkably less compared to Russia’s, according to Maliar.
Verification of these battlefield claims is yet to be achieved.
The unnamed Western official cautioned that the Ukrainian forces would face an extremely challenging battle as their counteroffensive gathers momentum. The official confirmed the occurrence of intense combat across most sectors of the frontline, revealing significant movements of heavy armour and equipment into the Russian security zone.
According to a Facebook statement by the regional administration, three employees of a food warehouse in Odesa lost their lives due to an airstrike which also resulted in extensive damage to residential areas, shops, and cafes in the city center. An additional 13 individuals were wounded during this attack.
Following the assault, rescue teams search for potential survivors amongst the warehouse ruins.
The assault on the port city, launched from the Black Sea, marked the second attack within a week. It involved four Kalibr cruise missiles, of which air defences intercepted three.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, Donetsk province governor, stated via Telegram that shelling in eastern Ukraine led to the death of at least three individuals after the destruction of seven homes and damage to many others in the cities of Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka. According to Ukraine’s presidential office, ten towns and villages along the Donetsk frontline have been hit as Ukrainian forces advance slowly.
Kramatorsk, a city under Ukrainian control, was hit by a missile resulting in two civilian deaths and two wounded individuals. Additionally, 29 homes were damaged, the presidential office confirmed. Russian shelling of Kostiantynivka claimed the life of one civilian and caused damage to 57 houses.
Andriy Kovalov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s armed forces General Staff, noted an escalation in Russian missile and aerial strikes as Ukrainian forces continue their intensified attacks along the 1,000-kilometer war frontline. He revealed that the Ukrainian troops have progressed in several sectors and are still combatting in or near at least two Donetsk province communities.
The U.K. Defense Ministry tweeted that southern Ukraine has been more accessible to Russian air operations than other frontline parts.
Separately, the mayor of Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown, reported the death toll from a Russian strike on an apartment building the previous day had risen to 12.
Meanwhile, rescue efforts continue for individuals stranded in the flooded areas of the partially Russian-occupied Kherson region after the Kakhovka dam was destroyed last week. Despite relentless Russian shelling, nearly 2,800 people have been evacuated from the 28 underwater settlements on the Dnieper River’s Ukrainian-held western bank, according to the presidential office.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, had to postpone his visit to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Wednesday due to security concerns.
In recent reports, rumours have circulated concerning Adam Delimkhanov, a lawmaker and close associate of the Kremlin-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. There were claims that he had been injured or possibly killed in Ukraine. However, Kadyrov posted a photo of Delimkhanov, ensuring he was “alive and well.”
As the conflict intensifies, Ukraine grapples with a rising death toll, infrastructure damage, and a tense humanitarian situation. Ukraine’s counteroffensive is underway, but progress remains slow. As Russia persists in its military aggression, international reactions and future strategies of both parties will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of this conflict. Amidst the strife, information accuracy is challenged, and the full impact on civilians remains incompletely understood. A peaceful resolution seems distant, and for now, the world watches as the crisis unfolds in Ukraine.
