Kyiv: In the last 24 hours, seven people were killed in Donetsk, Ukraine in Russian shelling. 25 people were injured. Russian forces are targeting towns and villages in southeastern Ukraine, the country’s presidential office said. Most of the deaths were in Donetsk province, where Russia has stepped up its offensive since taking over Luhansk.
Governor Pavlov Kyrilenko said in a Telegram post that two people were killed in the city of Avdivka and one civilian each in Sloviansk, Krasnohorivka and Kurakhov. The governor urged the remaining 3.5 million people to flee Donetsk to save their lives and help the Ukrainian army mount a better defense against the Russian advance. Russia claimed on Monday. But Haidai said heavy fighting continued in the villages around Lysichansk and that the Luhansk region had not been fully captured by Russian forces. About 15,000 residents remain in Lisychansk and 8,000 in the nearby city of Sviarodonetsk, which was captured by Russian forces last month.
Kharkiv region governor Oleh Zinihubov said on Wednesday that the missile struck Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, north of Donetsk. Three people, including a toddler, were injured in the attack targeting three districts of the city. A university building and an administrative building were destroyed. Russia has been focusing its offensive on Ukrainian-held areas of the Donbass since the failed attempt to annex Kiev.
