Only recently did the Russian occupiers have to withdraw from the Ukrainian city of Cherson. Now they are shelling the city massively - with artillery and mortars. Heavy fighting also raged around the towns of Bakhmut, Swatowe and Kreminna.
New Russian attacks are reported from the southern Ukrainian city of Cherson. Russian forces fired 33 rockets at civilian targets there in the 24 hours up to early Wednesday morning, the Ukrainian General Staff said. In addition, inhabited areas on the right bank of the Dnipro River near the regional capital, which was recaptured from the Ukrainian army last month, were shelled with mortars and artillery. So far, nothing is known about any victims.
An air alert was also triggered in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the morning. The city administration reported this in its Telegram channel. The authorities have since lifted the warning.
On the front in eastern Ukraine, the heaviest fighting is still raging around the town of Bakhmut, which has been under massive attack by Russian troops for months, and further north in the towns of Swatowe and Kreminna. Here the Ukrainian forces are trying to break through Russian positions. The front line has changed little, but Russian pressure has increased as Russia has deployed additional tanks, armored vehicles and soldiers to combat zones, Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said.
Also according to Serhiy Hajday, the governor of Luhansk, the Kremlin troops have managed to build up a strong defense in the region. "They bring large amounts of reserves and equipment. They constantly renew their troops." At the same time, according to him, Ukrainian troops could be on the verge of liberating Kreminna. As he wrote on Telegram on Tuesday, parts of the Russian troops have been forced to retreat to Rubishne. The Russians understand that if they lose Kreminna, their entire line of defense will fall, he continues.
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian military leadership at a meeting determined the measures to be taken in the short term. "We will continue to prepare the armed forces and security of Ukraine for next year. It is a crucial year. We understand the risks of the winter. We understand what needs to be done in the spring," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
