Russia-Ukraine updates: Iranian-made drones hit Kyiv region, governor says
Iranian-made “kamikaze” drones hit regions around the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, early on Thursday morning, the regional governor, Oleksiy Kuleba, said.
There was no immediate information on casualties, but the deputy head of the presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said on Telegram that “critical infrastructure facilities” in the area had been hit.
Kyiv had largely been spared attacks in recent months until Russian forces launched massive missile strikes on Monday against civilian sites across the country. Since then, air raid sirens have sounded every day in the region.
Russian forces also “massively shelled” the southern city of Mykolaiv overnight, according to its mayor.
“A five-story residential building was hit, the two upper floors were completely destroyed, the rest — under rubble. Rescuers are working on the site,” Oleksandr Sienkovych said in a statement on social media.
It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. The port city has suffered heavy bombardment throughout Russia’s invasion.
The attacks come as Kyiv’s forces continue their counteroffensive on the southern front in a bid to retake Russia-occupied territories.
Russian’s escalation of aerial attacks in the past days has galvanized Western allies of Ukraine into stepping up efforts to deliver air defense systems.
Ukraine’s military said this week it had shot down dozens of Russian missiles and Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones as Moscow’s forces continue their ruthless attacks.
Here’s more news concerning Russia’s war on Ukraine from Thursday, October 13
Russian military likely preparing for fighting in Kherson: UK Ministry of Defence
Russian occupiers in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson have probably started to prepare to evacuate some civilians in the expectation that Kyiv’s forces will soon try to retake the city, according to an intelligence update from the British Ministry of Defence.
It said Russian forces seem to be trying to reinforce a new front line west from the village of Mylove in Kherson after having been forced to retreat in the north of the region in early October.
There was still heavy fighting along the line, it said, with the Russian troops in the region still suffering from depletion.
Putin and Erdogan to meet
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to hold two-way talks on the sidelines of a summit in Kazakhstan on Thursday.
A Kremlin aide said Erdogan was likely to put forward ideas for bringing peace to Ukraine.
At the summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Putin is also expected to hold talks with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
More DW coverage on the war in Ukraine
Russia is facing increasing international isolation over its invasion of Ukraine, as was shown by Wednesday’s vote at the UN condemning its actions.
And rather than intimidating Ukrainians, the recent missile attacks by Russia seem to have strengthened their resolve to resist the invaders, as DW reports.
tj/fb (AP, Reuters)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/russia-ukraine-updates-iranian-made-drones-hit-kyiv-region-governor-says/a-63421917?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf