Did you miss the latest developments on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes gives you an update every evening. Between strong statements, advances on the front and the results of the fighting, here is the essential information for this Friday, the 940th day of the conflict.
The fact of the day
Ukraine said Saturday it had struck two military ammunition and missile depots in southern and western Russia, days after claiming a similar attack. Footage posted on social media showed massive explosions followed by multiple detonations and large clouds of smoke.
The Ukrainian army and the security services (SBU) struck the warehouse in Tikhoretsk, Krasnodar region, overnight, according to a statement published on Telegram. It is “one of the three largest ammunition storage bases” in Russia and a “key location” for the logistics of Russian troops, kyiv’s army assured.
Another warehouse belonging to the artillery department of the Russian Defense Ministry was struck by Ukrainian security services in Oktyabrsky, Tver region, according to the Ukrainian military: “After drones, detonations were triggered in the warehouse and five fires were detected.”
On Wednesday, Ukraine had already claimed responsibility for the destruction of a missile and artillery ammunition depot in Toropets, also in the Tver region. Ballistic missiles, guided aerial bombs and artillery ammunition were stored there, it said.
For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had carried out an attack overnight “against energy facilities that support the work of military-industrial complex enterprises” in Ukraine. The Russian military said it had hit weapons depots and a ship containing weapons destined for Ukraine.
A Russian overnight strike killed three people, including a 12-year-old child, and wounded three others in Kryvyi Rig in central Ukraine, Governor Sergiy Lissak said.
Statement of the day
” “Neither America nor the UK have given us permission to use these weapons on Russian territory, on any target and at any distance” »
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had not yet received “permission” from Washington and London to use long-range missiles against Russia, with the West likely fearing Moscow’s reaction. “I think they are afraid of escalation,” he added.
Volodymyr Zelensky said a quick decision was necessary because Russia is “moving” its planes to more distant bases.
The use of long-range missiles is part of a plan to end the war that Zelensky plans to present to his American counterpart Joe Biden during a trip to the United States next week. The plan is also expected to be presented to Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump.
The figure of the day
101. Russia announced on Saturday that it had shot down more than 101 Ukrainian drones over its territory during the night, attacks which it said caused limited damage and no casualties according to initial reports.
According to Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev, falling debris from a drone “caused a fire that spread to explosive objects” in Tikhoretsky district. Residents were evacuated but no casualties were reported, he added on Telegram.
Moscow recently announced that its military was intercepting Ukrainian drones launched by kyiv in retaliation for the Russian offensive launched in Ukraine in February 2022 almost daily.
Today’s trend
Iran unveiled a new ballistic missile and a one-way attack drone at a military parade on Saturday, state media said, amid rising regional tensions and allegations of Russian arming.
Western governments accuse Iran of supplying drones and missiles to Russia for its war against Ukraine, something Tehran has always denied.
The solid-propellant Jihad missile was designed and manufactured by the aerospace wing of the Revolutionary Guards, the Islamic Republic’s ideological army, and has an operational range of 1,000 kilometers, the IRNA news agency reported. The Shahed-136B drone is an upgraded version of the Shahed-136, with new features and a range of more than 4,000 kilometers, the agency added.
New President Massoud Pezeshkian attended the annual parade in Tehran commemorating the 1980-88 war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq: “Today, our defensive and deterrent capabilities have developed to such an extent that even the demons would not dream of aggression against our beloved Iran.”
Britain, France, Germany and the United States imposed new sanctions on Iran earlier this month, alleging it had supplied ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine.