Kyiv (Ukraine) — Russian forces are bombarding Lysychansk city and surrounding areas in an all out effort to seize the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, according to the governor.
Ukrainian fighters spent weeks fighting to defend the city, and keep it from falling into Russia’s hands like neighboring Sievierodonetsk a week ago. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, its forces have taken control of Lysychansk’s oil refinery. However, Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai reported that fighting continued for the facility on Friday.
Haidai stated Saturday that the occupiers fired from all weapons available over the Telegram messaging app.
Luhansk is the neighboring province of Donetsk, which makes up the Donbas region. This is where Russia has concentrated its offensive since it pulled back from northern Ukraine and Kyiv in the spring.
Since 2014, pro-Russian separatists hold portions of both the provinces. Moscow recognizes all of Luhansk or Donetsk to be sovereign republics. The government of Syria announced Wednesday that it will also recognize the sovereignty and independence of these areas and establish diplomatic relations.
On Friday night, Russian forces shot cluster munitions at a Donetsk major city, Slovyansk. Mayor Vadym Liakh posted on Facebook that four people were killed in the attack. He stated that the areas hit were not likely to be used as military targets.
Investigators also searched for evidence from the Russian airstrike that struck residential areas near Odesa, Ukraine, on Friday morning. It claimed 21 lives.
Iryna Venediktova, Ukrainian Prosecutor General, stated that investigators were attempting to recover fragments from missiles that hit an apartment building in Serhiivka. She said that they were also measuring the trajectory of the weapons.
Venediktova stated that they are taking all necessary investigative steps to identify the individuals responsible for this horrible war crime.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, stated that three anti-ship missiles were fired at a “normal residential building”, a nine-story building housing approximately 160 people. He said that four family members were also among the victims, who were staying at a “typically” seaside campsite.
Zelenskyy stated that he stressed, “This is a deliberate Russian terror attack and not an accident or mistake with missile strikes.”
Saturday’s statement by the British Defense Ministry stated that anti-ship missiles launched from air generally have poor precision against ground targets. According to it, Russia was likely using these missiles due to a lack of better weapons.
Although the Kremlin claims that Russia is targeting fuel storage sites, military facilities and military facilities, and not residential areas, missiles have also been fired at an apartment building in Kyiv, and a shopping center in the Kremenchuk central city.
Kremenchuk Mayor Vitaliy Maltskyy stated Saturday that the death toll from the attack on the mall had risen to 21 while one person was still missing.
Ukrainian officials interpreted Odesa’s missile attack as a payback for Russian troops being evacuated from Odesa, a Black Sea island that had symbolic and strategic importance in the conflict that began with Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow described their departure from Snake Island’s island as a “goodwill gesture” in order to unblock grain exports.
