Lauren Moye, FISM News
Russia continues its multi-direction assault on the city of Lysychansk in an attempt to destroy the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the eastern Luhansk province. Meanwhile, investigators try to uncover the Russian ship responsible for yesterday’s civilian deaths near Odessa as Russia continues to shell the region.
“Over the last day, the occupiers opened fire from all available kinds of weapons,” said Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai about Lysychansk.
Just one week ago, Kyiv pulled their forces from the twin river city Sievierodonetsk in the first major Russian victory since Mauripol’s defeat. Now, fighters have spent this past week trying to defend Lysychansk.
In southern Ukraine, local mayor Oleksandr Senkevych reported through the Telegram messaging app that air raid sirens had sounded in Mykolaiv. This city borders the port city of Odesa.
“There are powerful explosions in the city! Stay in shelters!” the mayor wrote.
Meanwhile, the nation is still grieving yet another attack on civilian infrastructure after three anti-ship missiles struck what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called “an ordinary residential building” that was home to 160 individuals. Zeleknsy added, “I emphasize: this is a deliberate direct Russian terror, and not some mistake or an accidental missile strike.”
Investigators are searching through the wreckage from Russia’s early Friday morning missile attack on a residential area near the port city of Odesa in an attempt to reconstruct the missile trajectory. The attack killed 21 people, including a family of four at a seaside campsite.
Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova said, “We are taking all the necessary investigative measures to determine the specific people guilty of this terrible war crime.”
Kyiv has claimed that Russian missile strikes away from non-frontline areas have increased this week. They have accused Moscow of intentionally targeting civilian areas.
Moscow continues to deny targeting civilians. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “I would like to remind you of the president’s words that the Russian Armed Forces do not work with civilian targets.”
Earlier today, the British Defense Ministry hinted that the missile strike on the apartment building showed hope the Russian assault is running low on supplies. They said Russia likely used anti-ship missiles because of a shortage of more accurate missiles.
Meanwhile, on-site investigations into Monday’s missile strike against a shopping mall that resulted in 18 deaths discredited Russia’s narrative. The supposed weapons depot was found by Human Rights Watch to be a factory for road construction machines.
On Friday, the Pentagon announced an $820 million defense assistance package for Ukraine that includes two NASAMS surface-to-air missile systems, four more counter-artillery radars, and more 155mm artillery ammunition.
“Ukrainians continue to face a brutality highlighted once again this week by an attack that struck a shopping mall filled with civilians. They continue to fight for their country, and the United States continues to stand by them and their just cause,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement about the assistance.