Zelensky posted a video on his Telegram channel, displaying flames leaping from the ruins of a constructing that was hit and the smoldering stays of automobiles. “Extra terrorist missiles,” Zelensky wrote. “Russian killers proceed their conflict towards residential buildings, extraordinary cities and folks.”
The strike in Kryvyi Rih occurred as Ukraine continued to press its counterattack towards the Russian troops occupying its territory, with heavy preventing reported in at the very least 4 key areas — within the Donetsk area, east of Lyman, on the outskirts of Bakhmut, and in Marinka, and the Zaporizhzhia area, south of Orikhiv.
“The enemy is doing the whole lot to maintain the positions captured by him,” Ukrainian Deputy Protection Minister Hanna Maliar wrote in a Telegram submit. “[He] actively makes use of assault and armed forces aviation [and] conducts intense artillery fireplace.”
Kryvyi Rih Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul declared Wednesday to be a day of mourning, and mentioned that at the very least 28 folks have been injured, of which 12 have been hospitalized. Some 6,000 folks have been with out energy early Tuesday within the metropolis. Staff have been briefly trapped in three mines because of this energy outages however have been later rescued, the Ukrainian authorities mentioned.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, assembly with journalists on Tuesday, insisted that Ukraine was struggling heavy losses and that Kyiv’s counteroffensive was not working.
“The enemy has had no success in any of the areas,” Putin mentioned, including: “Throughout this time, Ukraine has misplaced over 160 tanks and over 360 armored automobiles. There are extra losses that we don’t see. Let our personnel losses be voiced by the Ministry of Protection, however we’ve misplaced 54 tanks. The ratio is 1 to 10 in our favor. Our losses are 10 occasions much less.” His assertions couldn’t be confirmed.
Not the entire preventing Tuesday was a part of the long-awaited counteroffensive.
Serhiy Cherevaty, a Ukrainian navy spokesman, mentioned the preventing exterior of Lyman, a metropolis that Ukraine liberated within the fall, mirrored customary defensive operations towards the Russian invaders.
“This isn’t a component of a serious offensive,” Cherevaty mentioned by phone from jap Ukraine. “That is a part of our protection operation. We, benefiting from the truth that we may counterattack on the enemy, launched a counterattack and liberated the territory accordingly.”
Cherevaty mentioned that 27 Russians had been killed and 75 wounded within the preventing close to Lyman, however he didn’t give figures for Ukrainian casualties, and the Russian casualty figures he gave couldn’t be confirmed.
Close to the border of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia areas, the place Ukraine mentioned on Monday that it had liberated seven villages from Russian occupation, troopers of the thirty fifth Separate Marine Brigade mentioned that they had cleared the village of Storozheve on Sunday morning and Makarivka on Monday.
Serhii Kozachynskyi, a spokesman for the brigade, mentioned an artillery unit had destroyed Russian positions within the space, permitting the 2 villages to be retaken.
About 80 to 90 % of the houses in each villages have been destroyed. Solely 9 folks have been residing in Storozheve when Ukrainian troopers ousted the Russian troops, and 7 of these residents have been evacuated, Kozachynskyi mentioned.
After they retreated, Russian troopers left weapons and at the very least one giant truck crammed with ammunition, he mentioned.
The brigade, he mentioned, doesn’t have any of the brand new, NATO-supplied weapons, and whereas some particular person troopers had educated in nations together with Britain, Norway and Spain, the complete brigade had not been despatched overseas, as had occurred with some specialised assault items.
“The troopers are extremely motivated to maneuver the enemy out of our territory, to complete the conflict as quick as they will,” Kozachynskyi mentioned. “Even not having the entire tools, they will carry out the duties which might be required to maneuver the enemy out of right here.”
The marine brigade, which was beforehand primarily based in Odessa on the Black Beach, and later in Kherson, has gained ample expertise from greater than a yr of preventing, which ready it for this push, he mentioned.
“We’re pushing ahead,” Kozachynskyi mentioned. “Everyone understands there’s nonetheless numerous space to filter out.”
Schmidt reported from Pokrovsk, Ukraine.
