The Russian military operation in Ukraine continues today, Sunday, as units of the Russian army are extending control And hit the positions of the Ukrainian forceswhile Kyiv continues to Attempting to repel Russian attacks and regain territorywith the help of Western weapons.
In the latest field developments, 4 explosions were heard in the Novakakhovka region of Kherson, while the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the response to the Ukrainian attack on Kherson.
The city of Donetsk has been under the control of the Russian-backed Donetsk People’s Republic since 2014. Russia moved in September to annex the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, in the largest expansion of Russian territory in at least half a century.
Simultaneously, RIA Novosti news agency reported that the Ukrainian forces bombed Donetsk with 3 HIMARS missiles. The correspondent of “Al-Arabiya” and “Al-Hadath” stated that the Ukrainian shelling targeted the Donetsk city administration building, adding that within 24 hours, about 300 shells and missiles fell on Donetsk, and the bombing resulted in one dead and 6 injuries.
The Ukrainian forces declared a state of air alert in the central, southern and eastern parts of the country, and the areas declared on air alert were published on the map by the Ukrainian edition of “Klimenko Time” with an indication of the regions where the signals are issued. The alert for air strikes includes almost all regions of Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv.
This comes as the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the launch of the Russian “Angara-1.2” light space missile carrying a satellite from the “Plesetsk” military space airport in northwestern Russia for the ministry. In its statement, the ministry said that all pre-launch operations were carried out in a normal situation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Saturday evening that the Ukrainian forces It still controls the strategic town of Bakhmut in the east of the country, despite repeated Russian attacks While the situation in the Donbass region is still very difficult.
Zelensky said that Russian missiles and drones continued to bombard Ukrainian cities, causing destruction and casualties.
Although Ukrainian forces have recaptured territory of thousands of square kilometers in recent campaigns to the east and south, officials say the advance is likely to slow once Kyiv’s forces meet fiercer resistance.
Fighting intensified, especially in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, bordering Russia. Together, the two regions make up the Donbass industrial region, which Moscow has not yet fully acquired.
Russian forces have repeatedly attempted to capture the city of Bakhmut, which is located on a main road leading to the cities of Slovensk and Kramatorsk. Both cities are located in the Donetsk region.
“Fighting continues in different areas of the front,” Zelensky said. The situation is still very difficult in the Donetsk and Lugansk regionsHe added that the situation is more difficult in the direction of Bakhmut, “as it was in the previous days. (But we) keep our sites.”
This comes as the operator of Ukraine’s power system announced on Saturday that a missile strike severely damaged a major power facility in the Ukrainian capital region, at a time when the Russian army sought to cut off water and electricity in populated areas.
Electricity transmission company Ukkernergo said repair crews were working to restore power, but warned residents of the possibility of attacks.
Kirillo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office, urged residents of the Kyiv region and three neighboring regions to reduce their energy consumption during the evening rush hours.
After a truck bomb exploded a week ago that damaged the bridge linking Russia to Crimea, the Kremlin launched what it believes are the largest coordinated missile attacks since the start of the military operation in Ukraine.
Large-scale retaliatory attacks this week have hit apartment buildings, killing dozens, as well as destroying civilian infrastructure such as power stations near Kyiv and other cities far from the war’s front lines.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow saw no need to launch more massive strikes, but that his military would continue to launch selective strikes. He stated that of the 29 targets the Russian military planned to destroy in this week’s attacks, seven of them were not damaged and will be gradually eliminated.