President Zelensky’s hometown of Krivi Rih was hit by a Russian attack by a suicide drone that targeted a school early Sunday
President Zelensky’s hometown of Krivi Rih was hit by a Russian attack by a suicide drone that targeted a school early Sunday
Russia on Sunday attacked the Ukrainian president’s hometown with a suicide drone, as Ukraine proceeded with its retaliatory strike take back control of a strategic eastern city,
Russia’s loss of Lyman, which it was using as a transportation and logistics hub, is a new blow for the Kremlin as it seeks to advance the war. Illegal occupation of four regions of Ukraine,
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address, “The Ukrainian flag is already in Lyman. In the last week, there were more Ukrainian flags in the Donbass. In a week there will be more.”
In southern Ukraine, Zelensky’s hometown of Krivy Rih was hit by a Russian attack by a suicide drone that attacked a school early on Sunday and destroyed two of its stories, said Valentin Reznichenko, governor of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region.
He said the fire caused by the drone strike has been brought under control.
Russia has begun using Iranian-made suicide drones to strike targets in Ukraine in recent weeks. In southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down five Iranian-made drones overnight, while two others made it through air defenses.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks also targeted the city of Zaporizhzhya, officials said on Sunday.
Ukraine’s military said on Sunday it attacked a Russian ammunition depot in Chernihiv in the country’s south and targeted other Russian command posts, ammunition depots and two S-300 anti-aircraft batteries.
Reports of military activity could not be immediately verified.
Russia pulled troops east from Lyman on Saturday after being besieged by Ukrainian forces, in what British forces described as a “significant political setback” for Moscow. The capture of the city paves the way for Ukrainian troops to potentially advance into Russian-held territory.
Lyman has been an important link in the Russian front line for ground communications and logistics. Lyman is in the Donetsk region near the border with Luhansk, which Russia captured on Friday after it was forced to vote in a referendum at gunpoint.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that Ukrainian forces had suffered losses in the fighting to capture Lyman, but said a greater number of Russian troops had been withdrawn to more favorable positions.
In a daily intelligence briefing, the British Defense Ministry called Lyman important because it has “an important road over the Seversky Donets River, behind which Russia is attempting to strengthen its defences.”
The British stated that they believed the city was occupied by “underman elements” prior to the Russian withdrawal.
Lyman’s withdrawal from Moscow drew immediate criticism from some Russian officials.
“Further loss of territory in illegally occupied territories will certainly accelerate this public criticism and increase pressure on senior commanders,” the British military briefing said.
Ukraine’s military has retaken the area in a retaliatory strike that began in September, humiliating and angering Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin framed Ukraine’s gains as a US-orchestrated effort to destroy Russia and this week escalated the dangers of nuclear force in some of his toughest, most anti-Western rhetoric.