“Ukrainian Defense Minister: Preparations for Counteroffensive Complete Amidst Russian Airstrikes”

28.04.2023

Russia has launched long-range airstrikes in different parts of Ukraine, causing civilian casualties, in what Moscow calls “precision strikes”. The Ukrainian Defense Minister told the media that preparations for launching a counteroffensive have basically ended.

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksij Resnikow told the media on Friday that the planned counteroffensive of the country’s armed forces is ready. “As long as God wills, as long as the weather conditions permit and the commander’s determination is determined, we will do it.” He said at a press conference attended by reporters from several news agencies that some of the corresponding equipment had already been put in place, and some were still in preparation.The Ukrainian army is done ‘in the broadest sense’counterattackpreparation.

According to Ukrainian Interfax news agency, on Thursday night, air raid sirens sounded in many places across Ukraine. Explosions were heard in Dnipro, Klemenchuk, Poltava and Mikollayev in the south. The capital Kiev was also attacked by missiles again after more than 50 days of peace. The city government urged residents not to go to the streets and to stay at home.

Ukraine said air defenses intercepted and destroyed 11 cruise missiles. At least 16 people, including children, were killed in an airstrike in the central city of Uman, Ukrainian authorities said. In Dnipro, two people were killed.

Bachmut throws stalemate

The Russian Ministry of Defense denied on Friday that it had hit civilian targets, saying that Russian strategic bombers carried out “high-precision” missile strikes on Ukrainian army reserves at night to prevent them from rushing to the front line. Reuters reported that this was the first long-range air strike by the Russian army in nearly two months.

The European Union has condemned Russia’s latest missile attack on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, calling it a war crime. A spokesman for European Union Foreign Policy High Representative Borrell said on Friday that Russia once again attacked civilians in their sleep, causing serious losses and casualties of innocent civilians. “Russia’s attack on civilians and civilian infrastructure constitutes a war crime.” Commanders, executors and facilitators who issued the order will be brought to justice and held criminally accountable, he said.

After months of fightingeastern city of bachmut, The Russian army tried to cut off the important logistics supply communication line of the Ukrainian army. A Ukrainian military spokesman said there had been 13 fighting around Bakhmut over the past day, with operations to resupply and evacuate the wounded continuing amid resistance from Ukrainian defenders.

(Reuters, DPA, etc.)

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