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Nearly a dozen explosions echoed in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian port city of Mariupol in one of the war’s best-known battles.
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By Marc Santora and Andrew E. Kramer
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine discovered a way to attack distant enemy lines with a series of mysterious explosions in Russian-controlled territory early Wednesday, even as Ukrainians themselves were warned that Moscow appears poised to unleash a new barrage of attacks.
Six months after the southern port city of Mariupol fell under a fierce Russian siege, nearly a dozen explosions were reported there overnight from Wednesday to Wednesday. Russian-occupied spaces in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson regions were also reportedly affected. and videos
The goals scored were less intriguing than the way Ukrainian forces controlled to reach them.
After taking control of Mariupol in the spring, Moscow gradually turned the city into a main garrison, as it was thought to be a variety of rugged US-supplied missiles in the nearest Ukrainian stronghold, near the ruined mining town of Vuhledar. .
But on Wednesday, at least 11 explosions were reported across the town hall in exile. One of them destroyed a Russian ammunition depot in the community near the airport, the city council said.
It wasn’t the first time explosions had been reported far behind enemy lines during the war, but questions were raised Wednesday about what had happened. to Kiev to declare war on the occupiers.
The General Staff of Ukraine said that the Ukrainian Air Force introduced 8 strikes on transient bases of Russian troops and two movements against positions of Russian anti-aircraft missile systems.
For his part, the Russian-appointed local administrator in Mariupol claimed that everything was fine and said Russian air defenses shot down two Ukrainian drones that were attacking the city at night.
The blasts also occurred Wednesday in Kharkiv, a Ukrainian city still under government control, as the government issued national air alerts and warnings that Russia was planning a large-scale missile bombardment scheduled for Friday on the anniversary of its invasion.
In AKharkiv, part of a dozen thunderous rumblings echoed through the city shortly before 11 a. m. It was not immediately revealed what had been affected. A few minutes later, an air alert was canceled.
There was no way of knowing whether the barrage of missiles that hit the city was a prelude to a major attack or simply more of the same. The city is located near the Russian border and is hit by shorter-range missiles that cannot succeed. in more remote towns like Kiev, the capital.
Without taking risks, Ukrainian government schools will operate remotely later this week.
The school formula has already been turned upside down during the war. Schools have struggled to serve as major power cuts caused by Russian movements in critical infrastructure, and explosions have rendered many study rooms in Ukraine useless. School officials said the Russian strikes disrupted 3,128 schools, 441 of which are irreparable.
Since October, Russia has been introducing weekly barrages of explosive missiles and drones in Ukraine, mainly destined for power plants, transmission lines and transformer substations. The goal is to cut off electricity and heat up the winter months, demoralizing the population.
In recent days, as the anniversary of the war approaches, Ukrainians reported detecting increased enemy activity, adding common flights of Russian jets capable of launching missiles and balloons hovering over Ukraine, most likely as decoys to confuse air defenses.
In a war in which civilian spaces have been attacked, tensions tend to rise around birthdays and festivities.
In August, as Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day, a Russian missile strike hit a train station east of the city of Dnipro, crushing used cars and setting them on fire. At least 22 civilians were killed and 50 injured. And on New Year’s Eve, the movements rained down on Kiev, killing a user and destroying a hotel.
Now, as the Kremlin holds war celebrations in Moscow, some analysts have warned that Russia may soon fire a larger-than-usual bombing, not only to mark the anniversary of the Feb. 24 invasion, but also to overshadow the military setbacks it has suffered. suffered. in a year of war.
A bombing can also serve as a strong reaction to the West, just days after Ukraine’s allies pledged to maintain the military and President Biden made a wonderful stopover in Kiev.
Kiev is also anxious about Russian threats through two neighboring countries, Belarus and Moldova.
Experts say they appear to pose minimal immediate risks, and military analysts have expressed doubts about Russia’s ability to open a new front in the war. just come from anywhere.
However, most of Moscow’s offensive operations are concentrated in eastern and southern Ukraine, where Russian forces seek to break through Ukrainian defenses in five directions.
“Despite all the pressure on our forces, the front line has not changed,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday in a late evening speech.
Marc Santora reported from Kiev, Ukraine, and Andrew E. Kramer from Kharkiv, Ukraine. Carly Olson contributed to this report from New York.
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