A Russian missile attack overnight Sunday killed 17 people in Zaporozhye, authorities in the southern Ukrainian city said.
“After a night missile attack on Zaporozhye, at least 20 houses and about 50 skyscrapers have been damaged. At the moment, 17 people have died. 4 educational institutions have been damaged,” Anatoly Kurtev, secretary of the Zaporozhye city council, wrote on Telegram. .
The city has been hit several times in the past few weeks. It is located in the part of the region controlled by Ukraine, annexed last week by Russian President Vladimir Putin in violation of international law. Zaporozhye city council secretary Anatoly Kurtev said the city was hit by rockets last night and that at least five private homes were destroyed and about 40 damaged.
The attack was carried out yesterday after an explosion caused the partial collapse of the bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula with Russia, AP notes. It damaged a major supply artery for the Kremlin’s faltering military effort in southern Ukraine and struck a major symbol of Russian power in the region.
Zelensky: Heavy fighting is taking place near Bakhmut
Ukrainian forces are engaged in very heavy fighting near the strategically important eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which Russia is trying to capture. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his midnight video speech, Reuters reported.
Although the Ukrainian military has claimed thousands of square kilometers of land in the recent offensives to the east and south, Ukrainian officials say progress is likely to slow as Kiev’s forces face more determined resistance, Reuters noted.
Russian forces have attempted several times to capture Bakhmut, which is located on the main road leading to the cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. Both cities are in the Donbass.
“We maintain our positions in the Donbass, especially in the direction of Bakhmut, where it is very, very difficult now, there are very heavy battles,” Zelensky said.
He reiterated the call to the Western allies to supply more quantities of anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine.
Russian forces continue to fire missiles at Ukrainian cities. Kiev also accuses them of using Iranian kamikaze drones.
Putin has called a meeting of the Russian Security Council for tomorrow
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called an operational meeting of the National Security Council for tomorrow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced, quoted by TASS.
According to the speaker, the meeting is with the permanent members of the council. Peskov did not say whether the situation around the Crimean bridge, damaged by a truck explosion on Saturday, will be discussed at the meeting.
TASS indicated that Putin regularly convenes operational meetings of the National Security Council, usually once a week.
