Loud explosions were heard this morning in several cities in Ukraine, including Kiev. Ukrainian authorities say the explosions came from air defense systems firing approaching Russian missiles from the sky. The Ukrainian army speaks of ‘huge attacks’. “As a result of the shelling, three men, a woman and a child were injured,” spokesman Oleksandr Khorunzhy told Ukrinform.
“Currently, our rescuers are still working in the field. They carry out search and rescue operations. Information about victims across Ukraine is being clarified,” Khorunzhy added, reports The Guardian.
Heavy offensives
“It seems that the Russians can’t achieve anything any other way,” says defense specialist Patrick Bolder of the Center for Strategic Studies in The Hague. “On the ground they have been carrying out heavy offensives in the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces for a long time, but in reality very little is happening. There is a lot of artillery going back and forth, a lot of people are dying there every day. But the territorial gain on the ground is minimal. The only way Russia is effective is to strike civilian targets deep in Ukraine with these launched missiles.”
One hundred missiles
Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksi Arestovich previously said on Facebook that more than 100 missiles were fired. Air raid sirens were heard across the country. According to Bolder, the numbers vary. “We heard 120 missiles this morning, I just saw 69, of which Ukraine shot down 54 missiles. This is a percentage of almost 80%. Extremely tall. The only way Russia can achieve anything is to attack the civilian population of Ukraine and hope that people flee to the West, to Europe, and Zelensky then retreats,” Bolder says.
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In Kiev, all 16 rockets allegedly fired at the city have been shot down, says mayor Vitali Klitschko. However, several homes, a business and a playground were reportedly affected by the falling debris. According to Klitsjko, three people were injured, including a 14-year-old girl. The victims are in the hospital.
Ukrainian cities
Explosions are also reported in the cities of Kharkov, Odessa and Zhitomir, as well as the western city of Lviv. According to the mayor of Kharkov, Ihor Terekhov, an investigation is underway into what was hit and whether there are any casualties.
According to the mayor of Lviv, 90% of the city is without electricity after the air raids and public transport has also stopped. According to Mayor Klitschko, 40% of the population is without electricity in Kiev. He had already warned people to charge their cell phones. Power outages have also been announced in Odessa and the Dnipro region to minimize the potential threat to energy infrastructure.
New attacks
Bolder finds it “hard to say” how often Russia will be able to carry out these kinds of attacks on this scale. “About 3, 4 or 5 more times if they put it off long enough and maybe some production can go forward.” (…) But we don’t know exactly what Russia had, what still works and what its production capacity is.’
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
