KYIV: Russia on Sunday said its forces had advanced in eastern Ukraine while launching a series of deadly air strikes that have resulted in several casualties as Kyiv urged the Western allies to allow it to carry out more retaliatory strikes deeper inside Russian territory.
Moscow has upped its air strikes in recent weeks at the same time it tries to fight off a major Ukrainian cross-border incursion into its Western Kursk region that has reshaped the course of the two-and-a-half-year war.
On Sunday, Moscow claimed territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, announcing the capture of the village of Novohrodivka, located approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the strategic logistics hub of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in recent remarks, reiterated that capturing the Donbas area, including Donetsk, remains his primary objective. He said that Ukraine’s recent counter-offensive in Kursk had inadvertently facilitated Russian advances in the east.
Meanwhile, Kyiv has reported a series of deadly Russian air strikes targeting Ukrainian cities. On Sunday, a Russian air strike hit Sumy, the regional capital of a key area from which Ukraine had launched its recent offensive into Russia.
The attack resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to four others, including two children. Additionally, a rocket strike on a village near the front line in the Donetsk region killed two women.
The escalation of aerial attacks has also resulted in significant casualties elsewhere. Ukrainian officials reported that a strike on a military education facility in Poltava last week has now claimed 58 lives, following the death of three more people who were initially wounded. In the western city of Lviv, a rare and deadly strike killed seven people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has intensified calls for greater support from Western allies. Zelensky has urged Kyiv’s partners to provide longer-range missiles and lift restrictions on their use.
Zelensky said that striking Russian military airfields, bases, and logistical hubs within Russian territory is essential to curbing what he describes as “Russian terror.”
“In just one week, Russia has used over 800 guided aerial bombs, nearly 300 Shahed drones, and more than 60 missiles of various types against our people,” Zelensky stated in a Facebook post. “Terror can only be reliably stopped in one way: by striking Russian military airfields, their bases, and the logistics of Russian terror.”
The Ukrainian Security Services (SBU) have reported successful strikes on Russian targets, including an ammunition depot in Voronezh, achieved through drone attacks. Additionally, Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian oil depots and refineries to disrupt the supply of fuel critical to Russia’s military operations.
Ukraine’s newly appointed Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiga, has said that international law supports Ukraine’s right to defend itself by targeting military infrastructure within Russian territory.
“A country that defends itself against aggression in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter cannot be restricted in its defense,” Sybiga said in a statement. “International law allows Ukraine to strike legitimate military targets on Russia’s territory.”
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