Article authors:
Reuters
Pavel Polityuk and Simon Lewis
KYIV / KONSTYANTYNIVKA — Russian artillery in the east A week after civilian deaths from Russian missile attacks rose in the city center well behind the front lines.
"There is a powerful explosion in the city. Stay in a shelter." I wrote in a telegram messaging app when the air raid siren rang.
The cause of the blast was not immediately clear, but Russia later stated that it had struck a military command post in the area. Reuters was unable to validate the report on its own.
Kyiv states that Moscow intensified missile attacks on cities far from the main battlefields in the eastern part of the country and deliberately attacked civilian premises. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops at the forefront of the east portray a fierce bombardment of a residential area.
Russia states that it is targeting military facilities and denies targeting civilians. "Russian troops are not cooperating with civilian targets," said Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for Kremlin.
Russian Army General Affairs Director Valerie Gerasimov has inspected Russian troops involved in what Moscow calls a "special military operation," Russian Defense said. The ministry said. It is clear if he was in Ukraine.
Inspections follow a slow but steady increase by Russian troops with the help of relentless artillery in eastern Ukraine. Moscow focused after narrowing its broader war objectives of overthrowing the government in response to the fierce resistance of Ukraine.
"No doubt they are going to demoralize us. Some may be affected, but for us it only brings more hatred and determination." Ukrainian soldiers returning from Rishichansk, the last Ukrainian fort in Luhansk, said.
Russia has been industrialized, with Moscow-backed separatists fighting Kib since Russia's first military intervention in Ukraine in 2014. Trying to expel Ukrainian troops from Luhansk and Doneck in the East Donbus region.
Russia's TASS news agency said the last Ukrainian army in Lisichansk was under heavy attack, according to sources close to Ruhansk's Russian support forces. "If they don't surrender, they will be defeated in the near future," sources said.
The report could not be validated individually. Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
HOUSES'BURNING DOWN'
Russian troops seized Sievierodnetsk, the main city of Luhansk, this month. .. Other settlements are facing similar bombings.
"The houses in the attacked villages are burning out one by one," Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said in a telegram, as the Lysychansk residents put out the fire by shooting. He added that he prevented it.
Ukraine demanded more weapons from the West, saying its troops were heavily defeated by Russian troops.
Resting troops from battles and conversations in Konstyantynivka, a market town about 115 km (72 miles) west of Lysychansk, have so far managed to open a supply road to a confused city. Said left. Despite the Russian bombing.
"I'm still using the road because I need it, but it's within range of the Russian artillery," he said, usually living in Kive but asking him not to name it. The soldier said his companion was relaxing and munching nearby. He eats sandwiches and ice cream.
"Current Russian tactics are to shoot at the building where they are. When they destroy it, they move on to: "The soldier said.
Russia also struck a city well behind the front lines. Authorities said at least 21 people were killed in a missile crash on Friday in an apartment near the southern port city of Odesa. A shopping mall was struck in the central city of Clementuk on Monday, killing at least 19 people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the strike of "a conscious and deliberately targeted Russian terrorism, not some kind of error or accidental missile strike" in a speech on Friday. .. Moscow has denied such charges.
Thousands of civilians have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, which Moscow calls a "special military operation" to eradicate nationalists. The city has been leveled. Ukraine and its western allies say it is an unprovoked war of aggression.
Ukrainian troops withdrew Russia from Snake Island, the outskirts of the Black Sea, about 140 km (85 miles) southeast of Odesa, despite being abused in the east. , Has made some progress elsewhere. What Moscow captured at the beginning of the war.
Russia used Snake Island to block Ukraine, one of the world's largest grain exporters and a major producer of vegetable oil seeds. The turmoil has helped fuel soaring global grain and food prices.
Russia, also a large grain producer, denied that it caused a food crisis and accused Western sanctions of damaging its exports.
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