KYIV, July 17 (Reuters) – Russia is preparing for the next stage of its offensive in Ukraine, a Ukrainian navy official mentioned, after Moscow mentioned its forces would step up navy operations in “all operational areas”.
As Western deliveries of long-range arms start to assist Ukraine on the battlefield, Russian rockets and missiles have pounded cities in strikes that Kyiv says have killed dozens in latest days.
“It is not only missile strikes from the air and sea,” Vadym Skibitskyi, a spokesman for Ukrainian navy intelligence, mentioned on Saturday. “We can see shelling along the entire line of contact, along the entire front line. There is an active use of tactical aviation and attack helicopters.
Register now for FREE limitless entry to Reuters.com
“Clearly preparations at the moment are underway for the next stage of the offensive.”
The Ukrainian navy mentioned Russia gave the impression to be regrouping items for an offensive towards Sloviansk, a symbolically necessary metropolis held by Ukraine within the japanese area of Donetsk.
The British defence ministry mentioned on Sunday that Russia was additionally reinforcing defences throughout areas it occupies in southern Ukraine after strain from Ukrainian forces and pledges from Ukrainian leaders to pressure Russia out. learn extra
Ukraine says a minimum of 40 individuals have been killed in Russian shelling of city areas since Thursday because the battle launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 24 intensifies.
Dozens of kin and native residents attended the funeral of 4-year-old Liza Dmytrieva within the central Ukrainian metropolis of Vinnytsia on Sunday. The lady was killed in a missile strike on central Vinnytsia on Thursday that killed 24 individuals, in accordance with Ukrainian authorities.
Rockets hit the northeastern city of Chuhuiv in Kharkiv area on Friday night time, killing three individuals together with a 70-year-old girl and wounding three others, mentioned regional Governor Oleh Synehubov. learn extra
“Three people lost their lives, why? What for? Because Putin went mad?” mentioned Raisa Shapoval, 83, a distraught resident sitting within the ruins of her residence.
To the south, greater than 50 Russian Grad rockets pounded town of Nikopol on the Dnipro River, killing two individuals who have been discovered within the rubble, mentioned Governor Valentyn Reznichenko.
EIGHT YEARS ON
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned Russia was persevering with to sow grief and dying on Ukrainian soil eight years on from the capturing down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over japanese Ukraine by what worldwide investigators have mentioned was a Russian surface-to-air missile doubtless fired by Russian-backed militia within the area.
“But nothing will go unpunished!” he mentioned. “Every criminal will be brought to justice!”
Moscow, which calls the invasion a “special military operation” to demilitarise its neighbour and root out nationalists, says it makes use of high-precision weapons to degrade Ukraine’s navy infrastructure and shield its personal safety. Russia has repeatedly denied focusing on civilians.
Kyiv and the West say the battle is an unprovoked try to reconquer a rustic that broke free of Moscow’s rule with the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered navy items to accentuate operations to forestall Ukrainian strikes on japanese Ukraine and different areas held by Russia, the place he mentioned Kyiv may hit civilian infrastructure or residents, in accordance with a press release from the ministry.
His remarks gave the impression to be a direct response to what Kyiv says is a string of profitable strikes carried out on 30 Russian logistics and ammunitions hubs, utilizing a number of a number of launch rocket techniques just lately provided by the West.
The strikes are inflicting havoc with Russian provide traces and have considerably decreased Russia’s offensive functionality, Ukraine’s defence ministry spokesperson mentioned on Friday. learn extra
Russian-backed separatists mentioned Ukraine had hit the city of Alchevsk, east of Sloviansk, with six U.S.-made HIMARS rockets on Saturday. The self-styled Luhansk People’s Republic mentioned the strikes had killed two civilians and broken a bus depot, well being camp and residences.
Ukraine’s armed forces mentioned they’d struck the bus depot as a result of they’d data it was getting used to accommodate Russian troops.
The Russian defence ministry mentioned its forces had destroyed a launch ramp and reloading car for one of the HIMARS techniques deployed close to the japanese metropolis of Pokrovsk.
It additionally mentioned they’d shot down a Ukrainian MI-17 helicopter close to Sloviansk and a SU-25 plane within the Kharkiv area additional north and destroyed a depot in Odesa in southern Ukraine that saved Harpoon anti-ship missiles from NATO nations.
Register now for FREE limitless entry to Reuters.com
Reporting by Reuters bureaux
Writing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Philippa Fletcher
Editing by William Mallard and Frances Kerry
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.