This week, fighting continued to rage all across the front lines. Russia continued to strike Ukrainian cities and towns far behind the front lines with missiles and drones. A Russian missile strike on Kyiv and the surrounding region on Sunday injured three and damaged a fire station and private houses. On Monday, Russia dropped glide bombs on Kharkiv region, setting a school ablaze.
A Russian missile and drone strike on Dnipro, the deadliest this week, killed eight people and wounded more than 50 others. Officials said shops, schools and hospitals were damaged by the strike. An overnight Russian drone attack on Thursday damaged an energy facility in Chernihiv region.
Late in the week, Ukrainian troops confirmed they had retreated from the Canal neighborhood of the city of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region. Steady Western weapons deliveries are crucial to Ukraine’s new counteroffensive and battlefield success, Zelenskyi told Bloomberg.
Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria started a joint mine-hunting force in the Black Sea to increase shipping safety for Ukraine’s grain exports. Ukraine’s Air Force said it had struck a Russian ammunition depot in Crimea on Monday. A Ukrainian drone strike disrupted operations at an electro metallurgical plant that is vital for Russian military industries. The attack was a joint operation conducted by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry and the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and NATO’s next Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke of the future of Ukraine-NATO relations in a phone call this week. NATO allies have agreed to fund military aid for Ukraine with 40 billion euros (USD 43.05 billion) next year.
Ukraine’s Air Force downs all 32 drones launched by Russia overnight
The Ukrainian Air Force said it downed all 32 Shahed-131/136 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack on Friday. The Ukrainian military shot down the drones over seven regions. Falling drone debris damaged six private houses and a car in the Makariv community in Kyiv region. There were no casualties.