Russia, attacks on Ukrainian rear cities... "8 civilians killed"
"Ukraine's mid-range strike, not enough to stop Russian offensive" assessment also
Moscow oil facility on fire due to Ukrainian attack
Russia is attacking Ukrainian rear cities in response to Ukraine's attacks on energy facilities, and is increasing its offensive at the front lines, putting pressure on Ukraine.
According to Reuters on the 29th (local time), Russia has been advancing in Kostyantynivka, one of the major battle areas in Donetsk Oblast recently.
Although most fronts have stalled, the offensive is expanding in this area, according to analyses by Reuters and others. The Kostyantynivka region is one of the key defense lines in Donetsk Oblast, which Russia has claimed to annex.
Senior Ukrainian military commanders told Reuters that "small Russian forces attempted to penetrate the outskirts of the area last week" and "close combat may ensue soon."
Experts analyzed that the current situation in the Donetsk region shows that Russia still maintains troop superiority despite energy shortages.
Emil Kastehelmi, an analyst at Blackbird Group, a Finnish military research organization, said, "The effect of Ukraine's mid-range strikes was not enough to stop the Russian offensive."
Ukrainian soldiers patrolling the Donetsk region
According to Ukrainian regional authorities, the rear city of Dnipro was hit by a Russian missile attack on this day, killing 5 civilians and injuring 29. In Zaporizhzhia, adjacent to the southern front, a minibus was attacked by a drone, killing 3 people and injuring 6 others, including children. At least six other regions were also targeted by Russia.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, said, "Ukrainian citizens need stronger protection from such horrific attacks" and urged support for ballistic missile defense systems.
Ukraine has recently deployed its own developed cruise missiles Flamingo along with long-range drones to target Russian energy facilities. The day before, a series of fires broke out at oil refineries in Krasnodar and Yaroslavl regions of Russia after they were attacked.
Crimea, under effective Russian control, is virtually isolated as most supply lines connecting it to Russia have been cut off. Basic living services such as kindergartens, garbage collection, and ATMs have been suspended, and public transportation has been disrupted.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, also acknowledged the crisis situation in some regions, including energy shortages, during his speech at a United Russia party event the day before.
Both sides are continuing a standoff by targeting each other's vulnerabilities, but there is no sign of resumption of peace talks.
In particular, with the continued instability in the Strait of Hormuz despite the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, it seems unlikely that the US will be able to play a mediating role anytime soon.
rock@yna.co.kr
