A Russian overnight drone strike on Kharkiv kills three rescue workers, one civilian. Russia changes tactics of attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, head of Ukrenergo says. Germany to search around the world for Patriot systems for Ukraine.
Russian overnight drone strike on Kharkiv kills three rescue workers, one civilian
Overnight on Thursday, a group of about 10 Shahed drones crossed into Kharkiv region from Russia and headed toward the city of Kharkiv, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, Major Illya Yevlash said on television.
One of the drones hit a three-story residential building in the Novobavarskyi district of Kharkiv, damaging the roof and top floor and causing a fire. A rescue team was working to pull out a resident trapped under rubble and put out the fire when Russia carried out a repeat strike at the site of the attack, killing three drivers of the State Emergency Service. They were part of the rescue team, spokesperson for the Kharkiv branch of the State Emergency Service, Yevhen Vasylenko said. Russia has been systematically using the tactics of repeat strikes.
One of the Shahed drones hit a 14-story building, damaging apartments on several upper floors. A 68-year-old woman was killed. Twelve people were injured in the overnight attack. According to the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office, at least four drones hit targets in the city, all smashed into civilian infrastructure facilities.
Ukraine’s defense forces face challenges fighting off drones in Kharkiv region due to the short distance to the Russian border. Ukraine needs more air defenses that can successfully counter suicide drones, for example, Germany’s Gepard systems, Yevlash said in televised comments.
Russia changes tactics of attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, head of Ukrenergo says
Russia has changed the tactics of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the chief executive officer of Ukrenergo national energy operator told a news conference Thursday. “Unfortunately, Russia’s intentions have not changed, their tactics did. They are launching combined strikes, using missiles of different types and Shahed drones,” Kudrytskyi said.
Last year, Russia launched major missile or drone strikes once every two weeks, once a week. “Now it’s a series of attacks that almost never stop,” he added.
“The enemy likely prioritizes drones compared to the previous season, but it also uses a large number of missiles to strike power plants,” Kudrytskyi said. Repair teams were working round the clock to restore damaged energy facilities, he added.
Germany to search around the world for Patriot systems for Ukraine, Kuleba says
The supply of air defense systems was on top of Ukraine’s agenda at the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at the level of foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday. Germany leads the air defense capability coalition and will search for Patriot missile defense systems for Ukraine in NATO countries and beyond, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said after the meeting, according to Ukrinform.
“Germany as the leader of the air defense coalition for Ukraine, immediately begins to analyze and track Patriot systems and other air defenses not only in the allied countries, but everywhere else in the world to [figure out] what can be done to provide Ukraine with those systems,” Kuleba said.
Ukrainian Theatre’s Wartime Journey. Ukraine in Flames #593
Theatre during a full-scale war is not only destroyed and damaged buildings. At the same time, these are full venues and new performances, tickets for which are being hunted for months. Today Ukrainian artists perform in theaters across Ukraine and on the global stage, collect aid for the frontlines, work in exile and return art to their native de-occupied cities. Many of them took up arms and stood up to defend the state. Watch Ukraine in flames #593 to find out about Ukrainian theatre – its condition during the war, its successes, challenges, and primarily, its mission in society.
Guests:
- Serhiy Moisienko, General Director of the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Music and Drama Theatre in Chernihiv
- Oleksandr Miroshnychenko, Playwright, Actor, Director of the “MIST” theater, Head of the literary department of the Les Kurbas National Theatre
- Aleks Borovenskyi, Theatre Director, Founder and Artistic Director of the English-language theater ProEnglish Theatre
