Wednesday, Russian soldiers resumed their continued shelling of the recently recaptured southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, the Ukrainian military reported.
In a 24-hour period, Russia fired 33 missiles at civilian targets in Kherson, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said at a meeting on Wednesday.
The most recent attacks come only days after seven people were killed and at least 58 others were injured in Russian missile strikes in Kherson on December 24.
In the meantime, action continued along the eastern frontlines, where Ukrainian forces attempted to breach Russian defense lines surrounding the destroyed cities of Svatove and Kreminna in Luhansk and Bakhmut in Donetsk.
A house of culture in a town in Kherson that was devastated by Russian bombs on December 23.
According to the British Ministry of Defense, Russia bolstered its Kreminna defenses because the city is logistically vital to Moscow and has become increasingly vulnerable due to Ukrainian westward advances.
Wednesday morning, Ukrainian officials reported that air raid sirens sounded throughout the country despite no indications of missile strikes. Later, the all-clear was given.
Also on Wednesday, the Kremlin rejected the 10-point peace plan proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which demanded the evacuation of Russian forces and the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
A wounded man stands in the street following Russian shelling in the Ukrainian city of Kherson.
In its response, the Kremlin reiterated its position that Ukraine must recognise Russia’s annexation of the provinces of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, stated, “There can be no peace plan for Ukraine that does not take into account the current reality about Russian territory, including the incorporation of four areas into Russia.”
Plans that do not account for these facts cannot be peaceful.
Tuesday in Kherson, Svitlana Klishchytska reacts to the body of her daughter, Natalia Ryaskova, during a funeral service.
In a parliamentary appearance, Zelensky remained unbowed despite the setback.
“Our national colors are a worldwide emblem of courage and unconquerability,” he told the ministers.
However, Oleh Zhdanov, a Ukrainian military analyst, cautioned that the country confronts “increasing pressure from the enemy, both in terms of personnel and equipment.”
While Ukraine endures its eleventh consecutive month of conflict, Russia has defied continued Western sanctions designed to cripple its military efforts.
A Ukrainian prosecutor for war crimes inspects a residence damaged by a Russian military attack.
As the protracted fighting causes oil and food costs to spike, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin acknowledged on Wednesday that the country’s economy contracted by more than 2% in less than a year.
Putin lashed out at the extraordinary $60-per-barrel price cap placed on Russian oil on December 5, declaring that Moscow would no longer sell oil to countries that impose the cap.
Given that Russia is the second-largest oil exporter in the world, after Saudi Arabia, the disruption in its sales will have far-reaching, unanticipated effects on global energy supplies.
»Russia increases attacks on eastern and liberated Kherson fronts«