Nfter the sinking of the prestigious Russian warship Moskva, Russian forces have stepped up their attacks in Ukraine. Governor Olexander Pavljuk reported on Friday of three airstrikes in the region around the capital Kyiv – there were also numerous bombardments in the east of the country. Meanwhile, the federal government announced that it will provide Ukraine with more money for arms purchases.
The Russian Defense Ministry had announced that “the number and scale of rocket attacks on targets in Kyiv” would increase in response to “terrorist attacks or acts of sabotage by the nationalist Kiev regime on Russian territory”.
Near a missile attack on an armament complex Kyiv According to a reporter from the AFP news agency, a workshop and an administration building were destroyed. According to the website of the state-owned defense company Ukroboronprom, the factory near the international airport produces “Neptune” rockets.
Vicinity Kyiv and LwAccording to reports from local media, explosions can be heard. Airborne sirens sounded across much of Ukraine.
During a shelling of the industrial district of the eastern Ukrainian metropolis Kharkiv According to Ukrainian sources, at least ten people were killed. A seven-month-old baby was among the victims, the prosecutor’s office for the Kharkiv region announced on Facebook on Friday evening. At least 35 people were injured.
Several residential buildings in the district on the eastern outskirts were also damaged or destroyed, it said.
The authorities had previously called on the population to only take to the streets if absolutely necessary. The information could not be independently verified.
Great destruction in Sieverodonetsk
The big city too Sieverodonetsk in the Luhansk region suffered great damage. According to the head of the city’s military administration, Olexandr Strjuk, the city is about 70 percent destroyed. The most important roads were also badly damaged and the water supply had also been shut down until repair work could be carried out, Strjuk said on Friday on Ukrainian national television.
There is a lack of the simplest equipment, Strjuk said. Hardly any working tractor or undamaged water tank can be found in the city. Of the around 130,000 residents before the war, only around 20,000 people are still on site, he said. Authorities worked to keep people from the city safe.
Mariupol: “We will do everything to save our people”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the situation in the surrounded by Russian troops with military and intelligence chiefs Port city of Mariupol. “The details cannot be made public right now, but we are doing everything we can to save our people,” he said in his late night video address to the nation. Large parts of the strategically important city lie in ruins after weeks of fighting.
In occupied southern Ukrainian territories around Kherson and Zaporizhia Russian soldiers terrorized the civilian population, Zelenskyy said. They were looking for anyone who had worked in the military or government agencies. “The occupiers think this makes it easier for them to control the area. But they are very wrong. You are deceiving yourself,” said Zelenskyy.
“The problem with the occupiers is not that they are not accepted by some activists, veterans or journalists. Russia’s problem is that it is not – and never will be – accepted by the Ukrainian people. Russia has lost Ukraine forever.”
Zelenskyj: Massive challenges in reconstruction
His country is confronted with massive challenges in the places left by Russian units or expelled from there. The authorities are continuing to restore normal life there, Zelenskyy said in his evening video message on Saturday night. The scope of the work in the 918 towns and cities of different sizes is “really enormous”.
Mines are cleared and the supply of electricity, water and gas is restored. The police, post office and local authorities are also resuming their work. Train connections are about in the region Sumy re-established in the north-east of the country or stand roughly with the city Chernihiv in the north shortly before the resumption.
Humanitarian staffs have so far been set up in 338 such locations. Among other things, they provided emergency medical care, said Selenskyj. Schools and other educational institutions should also be resumed where possible. As of Friday, Russian troops had destroyed or damaged 1,018 educational institutions in the country, Zelenskyy said. The information could not be independently verified.
“Kick-off Politics” is WELT’s daily news podcast. The most important topic analyzed by WELT editors and the dates of the day. Subscribe to the podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or directly via RSS feed.