Kiev forces attacked Russian troops on Tuesday with long-range missiles in southern Ukraine. According to Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, the action killed 52 Russian soldiers. Russia, however, counts seven dead, in another episode of the war of versions that permeates the conflict. Both information could not be independently confirmed.
The attack took place in the city of Nova Kakhovka, in the Russian-occupied Kherson region, and was carried out with the advanced Himars mobile artillery system, provided by the United States to the Ukrainian government. The region is of high strategic importance for providing access to the Black Sea.
Ukraine has launched counterattacks to regain control of the country’s south, where it says it has deployed hundreds of thousands of troops. According to the region’s military command, in addition to the 52 soldiers killed, Russia lost an Msta-B howitzer, a mortar and seven armored vehicles, as well as an ammunition depot.
Moscow, on the other hand, accuses Kiev of bombing its own people in territories over which it lost control. Vladimir Leontiev, head of the Russian civil-military administration in Kakhovka district, told the Tass news agency that in addition to the seven dead, 60 people were injured.
He also said the missiles hit fertilizer warehouses, shops, a pharmacy, gas stations and a church. “There are still many people under the rubble. The injured are being taken to hospital, but many people are trapped in their apartments and houses,” she said, according to Tass.
Videos on social networks show what would be the moment of the attack, with a strong explosion. Images released by Russian state media showed a vacant lot covered in rubble and the remains of buildings. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The Ukrainian War blocked access to domestically produced grains and cooking oil, exacerbating a global food crisis. More than 20 million tons of grain are trapped in silos at the important port of Odessa on the Black Sea.
There are also fears of power shortages in other parts of the continent. The European Union’s Energy Commissioner, Kadri Simson, called on Tuesday that the bloc save energy in the summer to prevent the industry from having to reduce consumption in the winter. “Prior savings, not only in industry, but also in housing, could change the picture, which means that in the middle of winter we would avoid a situation where we have to reduce some industrial sectors,” she said in an interview with Bloomberg TV channel. .
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said military delegations from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey would meet with UN officials in Istanbul on Wednesday to discuss a possible deal to resume grain exports.
“We are working hard, but there is still a way to go,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. From the beginning of the conflict on February 24 until now, the UN has confirmed 5,024 civilian deaths – but the organization says the real number of deaths is likely to be higher.
Russia has tried to introduce the ruble, the country’s official currency, into Kherson and is offering Russian passports to residents of the region. Installed officials say they also plan to hold a referendum on the region becoming part of Russia, but have not yet set a date. On Sunday, the Ukrainian government urged civilians to leave the region before Kiev begins counterattack operations.
Ukraine says it is also preparing for what it hopes will be a massive new Russian offensive in the east of the country, where Moscow says it is determined to take control of the entire Donbass region.
Russian forces, which earlier this month completed their capture of Lugansk province, have been shelling parts of neighboring Donetsk province for weeks. Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kirilenko said there had been a significant increase in Russian troops, particularly in the Bakhmut and Siverski areas, and around Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. The entire region was under constant bombardment as Russian troops tried to advance without success, he said.
Other locations in Ukraine were also attacked on Tuesday. At least 12 people were injured in a bombing raid on the southern city of Mikolaiv overnight, the regional governor said. Ukrainian TV also reported that the city of Kharkiv, in the north-east of the country, was under constant bombardment.
