ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Ukrainian soldier is stationed in Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Aug. 18. Ukraine claimed to have carried out one of the most destructive attacks on Russian air assets since the start of the war, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the attack lasted the longest. Ballistic missiles from range presented through the United States.
KYIV, Ukraine >> Ukraine claimed to have carried out one of the most destructive attacks on Russian air assets since the start of the war, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the attack used longer-range ballistic missiles donated through the United States.
Zelensky’s announcement comes hours after a U. S. official said longer-range ballistic missiles sought for months through Kyiv and promised through President Joe Biden had been quietly delivered and were being used on the battlefield.
Ukrainian special operations forces claimed to have destroyed nine Russian helicopters at two airfields in Russian-occupied regions in an overnight attack on targets in eastern and southern Ukraine.
It affected army equipment, an air defense system, ammunition warehouses and airstrips, according to a statement. Dozens of Russian servicemen were wounded in the attack, dubbed Operation Dragonfly, according to the statement.
A U. S. official said the U. S. had made good on a promise Biden made last month to his Ukrainian counterpart to supply the army’s tactical missile system, known as ATACMS.
Zelensky expressed his “special thanks” to the United States for sending the ATACMS. “Our agreements with President Biden are being implemented,” Zelenskyy said in his usual nightly address to the nation, saying ATACMS “has a proven track record. “
The advance of weapons is putting more pressure on the Kremlin as both sides take to the battlefield ahead of winter and what promises to be a long war of attrition.
While some versions of missiles can reach a distance of about 300 kilometers, the official said those that went to Ukraine have a shorter diversity and bring cluster munitions, making them suitable for airfield attacks.
The Ukrainian did not specify how the goals were achieved. The Russian government did not comment on the report. It was not easy to imagine that the claims of the two sides on the battlefield would be determined.
The airfields of the Luhansk and Berdyansk regions are located on the front line. The Russian military is said to have thought it was at a safe distance from Ukrainian attacks.
Meanwhile, Russia is devoting more efforts to its efforts to take a key city in eastern Ukraine, Western analysts say, after glaring setbacks that delayed its attack for several days.
The attempt to wipe out Typhoon Avdiivka, a heavily defended city hampering Moscow’s ambition to seize the entire Donetsk region, is Moscow’s largest offensive operation in Ukraine since the beginning of the year, the British Ministry of Defense said today.
The Kremlin’s push to reclaim Avdiivka comes after months of pushing back the Ukrainian counteroffensive, which Kyiv introduced a few months after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Most likely, Russian forces deployed in Avdiivka are slowly advancing and suffering heavy casualties in what is turning out to be a costly endeavor, the British Ministry of Defense said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The speed of Russia’s attack on the heavily fortified target has reportedly slowed in recent days since it was introduced last week, a Washington-based think tank said.
Russian had no immediate comment on the developments in Avdiivka.
Citing Ukraine’s General Staff, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukrainian forces repelled 22 Russian attacks on Monday, with 30 attacks reported the day before. Officials in Kyiv said Russia carried out as many as 60 strikes per day in the middle of last week.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Russia is still seeking to encircle the city, with 10 strikes in the past 24 hours.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense said Russia’s efforts to invade Avdiivka “seem unlikely in the near term. “
Have feedback? Learn more here.
Click here for our full information on the coronavirus outbreak. Send your coronavirus news.
Back to top