Western Lviv air raid… Donbass promotes accession to Russian Federation

[앵커]

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues.

Russia attacked Lviv, Ukraine, close to Poland, in time for US President Biden’s visit to Poland.

Russia has also announced that it will focus on the liberation of the Donbass region.

Correspondent Kim Jun-ho of Moscow reports what the intention of this is.

[리포트]

A fuel storage facility in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv was hit by a Russian missile and set on fire.

It is only 70 km from the Polish border.

The cruise missile attack, carried out on the day US President Joe Biden visited Poland, destroyed a radar base and tank-related equipment, and at least five people were injured.

[안드리 사도비/우크라이나 르비우 시장 : “이번 타격으로, 공격자들은 폴란드에 있는 바이든 대통령에게 인사를 보냈습니다.”]

In Mariupol, a strategically important southern town that has been besieged by Russian forces for nearly a month, people are dying from running out of food, water and medicine, the BBC reported.

[올렉산드르/마리우폴 주민 : “아파트에 불이 났지만, 도와줄 사람이 없었습니다. 사람들이 눈앞에서 죽었습니다. 물도 식량도 없습니다.”]

The northern city of Chernivu said the city was devastated by Russian attacks over several weeks, killing more than 200 people.

Russian forces are continuing their long-range missile strikes, as the frontline has virtually stalled and some Ukrainian counter-attacks have begun.

Related videos were also released one after another.

[세르게이 쇼이구/러시아 국방장관 : “우선 순위는 정밀 유도 장거리 무기와 항공 장비, 전략 핵무기의 전투 태세 유지입니다.”]

Russia announced on the 25th that it would focus on liberation of the Donbas region.

The New York Times analyzed that it is not clear whether this is a fundamental change in strategy or a deceptive tactic to reinforce military power in a situation where the war situation is not going according to the will of the Russian army.

Meanwhile, the Luhansk People’s Republic, founded by pro-Russian separatist rebels in the Donbas region, will soon hold a referendum to join the Russian Federation, Reuters reported.

Ukrainian intelligence has accused Russia of trying to divide Ukraine in two.

This is Junho Kim from KBS News from Moscow.

Video editing: Sam-Hyeon Seo / Graphics: Jeong-Hyeon Kim